"fearlessly, nor easily brooks restraint in the ar"dour of his pursuit. But let him take heed: if "Reason may not usurp authority over the written "Word;-if the Church, ordained by its heavenly "Lord and Master for the preservation of the truth, "must bow to that authority;-if neither public

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nor private judgment may overstep its bound"aries; far less may such an unstable power "as the human imagination, be allowed any abso"lute sway. Nevertheless, let not the dry and spi"ritless critic conceive that he is shewing a superior "wisdom, in fastidiously slighting any source of real "information which that Word opens to him, whe"ther conveyed in mystic terms, or in those of plain " and literal signification."

The last sermon, or lecture, connects the Church with the preservation of Scripture truth. The Church universal, and specially the Church of England as a branch of it, is alleged to have been instituted for that purpose by the Divine wisdom, and to have been found an effectual instrument. As to this, towards the end, he writes—“ Among the subsidiary means for a right interpretation of the "Word of God, the authority of the Church, building her faith upon the Scriptures, and professing "to be the keeper and witness of holy Writ, claims "our chief regard. No inquiry therefore can be

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more important, than that which is to ascertain "whether our own Church has in this respect faithfully discharged her duty. And here we confi

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dently challenge inquiry. We contend, that her "moderation is no less conspicuous than her fidelity

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" and firmness; that her doctrine is scriptural; her discipline apostolical; her worship pure and pri"mitive. With unceasing care she trains her chil"dren in the true faith and fear of God, and has

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no greater joy than to hear that they walk in the “truth.' Her authority is parental, not despotic. "She seeks not to have dominion over their faith, "but to be helpers of their joy.'"-" If these con"siderations be of any weight, they will lead us

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uniformly to acquit ourselves as steadfast members "of the communion to which we belong; desirous "to perpetuate its blessings in this our highly"favoured land, willing to communicate its benefits "to others, and vigilant to protect its ancient and "well-established foundations against all who would "endeavour its overthrow, either by open violence, " or by undermining subtlety. This vigilance and "this fidelity we shall best evince, by thoroughly "examining wherein the strength of our fortress lies, and on what support, Divine and human, "it principally depends; by cautiously guarding against specious plans of union or alliance, where "the true principles of union are wanting; and by acting up to the full measure of our duty as faith"ful soldiers and servants, under the great Captain "of our salvation."

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The foregoing is offered as very far from an adequate account of Dr. Van Mildert's Bampton Lectures. At a time when every fluent textuary claims to be esteemed a competent interpreter of holy Writ, and commonly has his claim allowed, not a more necessary argument could have been taken up than

one designed to establish the true principles of Scripture interpretation, and exhibit the necessary qualifications for the work. Nor does the performance fall short of the intention. The Author can truly say, that a third perusal of these sermons, with a view to this imperfect Memoir, has considerably increased his admiration of them. There

is to be observed in them, certainly not less than in the Boyle Lecture Sermons, a combined depth of wisdom, and clearness of style, denoting an intellect of no ordinary stamp. Also, they breathe throughout, a tone at once fearless and considerate, and are evidently pervaded by a sentiment of pious veneration for their subject. The few extracts which it has seemed right to make, are incidentally so many examples of this, and strongly express the heart's desire of the Lecturer, that all should read the Scriptures with understanding; his aim simply was, to keep them from the perversions of fanatical and superstitious, and of foolish and presuming men. The circulation of these Lectures has consequently exceeded the usual circulation of volumes, possessing so decidedly a learned character. During the first year of their publication, five hundred copies were disposed of; a second and a third edition have been since required.

At the time when Dr. Van Mildert preached the Bampton Lectures, and was appointed Regius Professor of Divinity, the Writer of these sheets was resident in Oxford as an undergraduate. Hence he was frequently a guest at the table of his relative, and can well remember his habit of adapting

his conversation at once to please, and inform, and impart wisdom to the young; his readiness to say something interesting on all occasions; and his watchfulness to encourage the timid and reserved, by kindly taking up, and repeating in his own felicitous way, their imperfect sentences and ideas. He can also remember with what high gratification he listened to him, both in the pulpit of the University, and in his lecture-room. But he will not attempt from recollection a distinct account of his divinity lectures, lest he should be guilty of doing them discredit. In proof, however, that his admiration was not the result of a mere undiscerning predilection, he is able to state, that the attraction of them was more than ordinary, and that the hearers were always remarkably numerous and attentive, and departed with expressions of satisfaction. Respecting the business in general of the University, Dr. Van Mildert chose not much to intermeddle with it; except that, of course, he took an interest in the appointment of public Preachers, and in the concerns of the Clarendon Press, of which he was appointed a Delegate. In this latter capacity, from his extensive acquaintance with theological bibliography, his services were peculiarly useful to an institution which of late years has been instrumental in republishing, either wholly or in part, the writings of our eminent Divines.

Yet, as to the above period, be it subjoined, in proof of the high reputation of the Divinity Professor, that he appears to have been consulted on theological points, by men of no mean consideration;

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two of whom have since adorned the episcopal bench. There have been found letters addressed to him by Heber and Jebb, requesting professional advice, with copies of the answers which he returned. These however, though still interesting, and highly creditable to both parties, are not of a kind to be here laid before the public. A chief objection is, that besides occupying too much space of themselves, they might hardly be intelligible without some additional notices of the writings to which they refer. At the same time, it is proper to mention, that in 1816, by request of his Patron, the Earl of Liverpool, he preached the annual sermon, on Trinity Monday, before the Corporation of Trinity House; in which, from the text "None of us liveth to "himself," Rom. xiv. 7, he ably points out and enforces the social design of Christianity, or the connection between genuine benevolence and pure religion, with an application to the peculiar objects of that society.

In the spring of 1819, Dr. Van Mildert was promoted to the episcopal bench. The See of Llandaff, which had become vacant by the translation of Dr. Marsh to Peterborough, on the lamented death of Dr. Parsons, was offered to him, and, after a short deliberation, accepted. Upon this he resigned the Preachership of Lincoln's Inn, but still for a time retained the Regius Professorship, with its appendages. Being thus set in authority, he appears to have undertaken and carried on the duties of his new office with a happy mixture of righteous zeal and discretion. One of his first steps on this ap