A compressed View of the Religious Principles and Prac-
tices of the Age; or, a Trial of the Chief Spirits
that are in the World, by the Standard of
the Scriptures; attempted

IN

EIGHT SERMONS

PREACHED BEFORE

THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD,

IN THE YEAR MDCCCXIX,

AT THE

LECTURE

FOUNDED BY

THE LATE REV. JOHN BAMPTON, M. A.

CANON OF SALISBURY.

BY

HECTOR DAVIES MORGAN, M. A.

OF TRINITY COLLEGE; MINISTER OF CASTLE HEDINGHAM,
ESSEX; AND CHAPLAIN TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LORD KENYON.

OXFORD,

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS FOR THE AUTHOR.

SOLD BY J. PARKER, OXFORD; AND MESSRS. RIVINGTON, ST.
PAUL'S CHURCH YARD, AND WATERLOO PLACE, LONDON.

shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord
that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction.

Inferences from the varieties of opinion concerning

the person of Christ, and from the language applied to

him by the Apostles and Evangelists.-Doctrines of the

Unitarians, as explained by Belsham, Estlin, Carpenter,

and the Editors of the "Improved Version," compared

with the Scriptures. 1. The Unity of God. 2. The

Person of Christ; the Incarnation and miraculous con-

ception. 3. The Office of Christ. 4. The Atonement.

5. The Intercession of Christ. 6. The nature and of-

fice of the Holy Spirit. 7. Original Sin. 8. Inspira-
tion of the Scriptures. 9. Eternity of punishment: the
Devil: the holy Angels. 10. Summary of Seriptural
doctrines. 11. Summary of Unitarian Doctrines.

"The greatest obligation which can possibly be conferred

66 upon them is... the exhibition' of their principles in their

"true colours.' Grant them this, and you grant them

every thing. If the Unitarian doctrine, cleared from all

"fallacy, and exhibited to the world in its true light, will

"not stand its ground; if it will not, like the Gospel, make

"its way, and triumph over all opposition by its own in-

"vincible energy, it must be given up. If when weighed in

"the balances it shall be found wanting, let it be rejected

"as worthless dross." Belsham's Letter to the Bishop of

London, p. 83.

SERMON III.

THE DOCTRINES OF THE MODERN CALVINISTS COMPARED

WITH THE SCRIPTURES.

ACTS XX. 27-30.

I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of

God.

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all

the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you

overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath

purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that

after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among

you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves

shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away

disciples after them.

Expedience of a right interpretation of the Scrip-

tures, and the offence of perverting them.-Calvinistic

doctrines, as explained by Williams, Scott, Vaughan,

and Simeon, compared with the Scriptures. I. Origi-

nal Sin. II. Free Will. III. Grace. 1. What Cal-

vinists do not hold concerning grace. 2. Grace a living

principle, of indispensable necessity, conferred by an

act of sovereignty. 3. Special grace.
3. Special grace. 4. Conversion.

5. Regeneration. 6. Indefectible grace and final per-

severance. 7. Grace, in what sense irresistible. 8. Grace

how sensible. Experiences. IV. Justification by grace.

1. Justification a sovereign act of God. 2. Justification

by faith without works. 3. The faith which justifies.

4. Primary and final justification. V. General and par-

ticular redemption. 1. Dr. Williams's view of Predes-

tination without Reprobation. 2. Mr. Vaughan's De-

fence and Maintenance of the Doctrine of Reprobation.

-Texts opposed to Calvinistic doctrines.-Important

concessions of Calvinists. Note on their practical

preaching.

"We require nothing of our opponents beyond a fair
“discrimination. Let them state the censurable tenets, bring
"clear evidence against the accused; and, having proved
"them guilty, proceed to pass sentence upon them: but
"surely it is not candid to conclude under one general sen-
"tence so large and multifarious a body of men as are now

"called the Calvinists,' making them all accountable for

"the faults of some individuals, and to class among them all

"the evangelical Clergy and their congregations. But, I

"retract :—it is not so much in many instances the want of

"candour and equity, as the want of information." Scott's

Remarks on the Refutation of Calvinism, vol. i. p. 93.

SERMON IV.

THE DOCTRINES OF THE ROMANISTS COMPARED

WITH THE SCRIPTURES.

1 TIM. iv. 1, 2, 3.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times

some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing

spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypo-

crisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from

meats, which God hath created to be received with

thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

Corruption of the spirituality of the Christian religion

foretold. Doctrines of the Romanists explained by De-

lahogue, Berington, Gandolphy, and Eustace, compared

with the Scriptures. 1. The authority of the Scriptures

and of tradition. 2. The infallibility of the Church.

3. Privileges of the Church of Rome. 4. Titles and

powers of the Pope. 5. Celibacy of the Priesthood.

6. The seven Sacraments. 7. Transubstantiation, Com-

munion in one kind, and the Sacrifice of the Mass.

8. The Sacrament of Penance, Contrition, Confession,

and Satisfaction. 9. Indulgences. 10. Purgatory, and

prayers for the Dead. 11. Invocation of Saints. 12.

Relics, &c. 13. Pomp of Service. 14. Authority of

the Pope in secular affairs. 15. Mr. Eustace's view of

the religion of Italy.

"I state in distinct propositions the articles of belief as

"briefly, but as comprehensively as may be: and these pro-

positions I generally take from a small tract, entitled

crc

Roman Catholic Principles,' published anonymously to-

"wards the close of the reign of Charles II. This I did,

"because those principles, a few clauses excepted, are drawn

"up with great precision; and because, in stating points of

"religious belief, I feel a predilection for whatever bears the

stamp of age. Antiquity is the badge of our faith. In any

"other view, as the Catholic creed in all its articles is clearly

“ defined, and is as unchangeable as it has been unchanged,

" it mattered not whence the propositions were taken." Bè-

rington's Introduction, p. iii.

SERMON V.

THE PRINCIPLES OF THE NONCONFORMISTS COMPARED

WITH THE SCRIPTURES.

1 Cor. xi. 19.

For there must be also heresies among you, that they which

are approved may be made manifest among you.

The violation of Christian unity foretold.-The prin-

ciples of Nonconformists, as explained by Winter, Con-

der, Bass, Fielding, and in the "Life of a Dissenting

"Minister," compared with the Scriptures. 1. The

right of private judgment and unlimited inquiry in reli-

gion. 2. National establishments for religion. 3. The
nature of ecclesiastical unity. 4. Ministerial authority.
5. Misapprehension of Matt. xx. 25-28. 6. Aposto-
lical succession. 7. Orders of ministry. 8. Election
of Ministers, and right of the people in the administra-
tion of ecclesiastical affairs.-Independence of the pri-
mitive Churches, and voluntary nature of Christian
communion. 9. Baptism. 10. Confirmation. 11. The