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VINDICATING

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND,

WITH REGARD TO

SOME ESSENTIAL POINTS

OF

POLITY AND, DOCTRINE.

S

BY THE

REV. JOHN SINCLAIR, A.M.

OF PEMBROKE COLLEGE, OXFORD, FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH,
AND MINISTER OF ST. PAUL'S CHAPEL, EDINBURGH,

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR J. G. & F. RIVINGTON,

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD, AND WATERLOO PLACE, PALL MALL;
AND SOLD BY BELL & BRADFUTE, EDINBURGH.

1833.

LONDON:

GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS,

ST. JOHN'S SQUARE.

PREFACE.

THE necessity for some work explaining in a popular form the peculiarities of the Church of England in respect to doctrine, to rules of faith, to discipline, and public worship, has for some time. been impressed upon the mind of the author. The unhappy continuance of a hostile spirit, both among Roman Catholics and Protestant Dissenters, notwithstanding the repeated measures of conciliation taken by the legislature, has not tended to efface that impression. Publications of a tendency to disparage both in England and Ireland our established ecclesiastical institutions, and to withdraw from them the affections of the nation, seem to have increased in number, and perhaps in virulence, proportionably as the political causes of complaint and hostility have diminished.

Under these circumstances the appearance of a Theological series, edited as well as written by the most distinguished luminaries of our Anglican Church, gave the author hopes that some writer of acknowledged learning and ability, would have availed himself of so obvious a channel for conveying, in a cheap and compendious form, such materials as would furnish ordinary readers with means of reply, when exposed to insinuations or arguments from the host of miscellaneous objectors by whom our establishment is assailed. Disappointed in these hopes, the author was led to think, (on being invited to undertake some contribution for the work just mentioned,) that the task which he had expected to see fulfilled by others had better be performed imperfectly by himself, than remain unperformed altogether. He accordingly prepared the present volume with a view to its insertion in that valuable and well-timed miscellany. When afterwards he ascertained from the Editors that their plan necessarily restricted each volume to one subject, and required that doctrine and polity should be discussed in separate publications; he was apprehensive that whatever might be the case with others who enjoy the

enviable talent of giving popular interest to the dryest subjects, he would not himself be able, (throughout an entire volume of the description required,) to fix the attention of the general reader on Church polity alone. He has thought it therefore advisable, with the concurrence of his excellent friends, the reverend Editors of the Theological Library, to publish the following dissertations in their present independent form.

The kind of publication which the author thinks most likely to be useful is of such a rudimental and familiar character, as may be perfectly intelligible to ordinary understandings, and although, in these pages, quotations in the original languages of Christian antiquity have been occasionally made, such passages will not be found essential for comprehending his line of argument. They have rather been introduced from a desire to prove himself correct, and to prevent the least suspicion of unfairness. If in any instance his translations have been imperfect, the reader of education will have no difficulty in discovering the error.

Writing as the author at first intended, for a work published in London, and designed for members of the English establishment, he assumed in general

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