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Fub, Oct.1826, for the Congregational Mag. by BJ. Holdsworth, St Pauls Church Yard. London.

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REV. THOMAS PENTYCROSS, M. A. AND THE HON. DR. DRUMMOND, LORD ARCHBISHOP OF YORK.

MR. PENTYCROSS may be classed with that important body of clergymen, who were brought forth to preach the Gospel faithfully in the Established Church through the abundant labours of the early Calvinistic Methodists. He was born of pious parents in 1748, received his grammar learning at Christ's Hospital, and completed his professional education at Pembroke College, Cambridge. In that university he became acquainted with Messrs. Decoetlogon, Simpson, Rowland Hill, and a few other students, who, possessed of genuine piety themselves, were zealously devoted to its propagation amongst others.

This spirit led some of them to commit fearful irregularities, in holding meetings for prayer and preaching, at which Mr. P. not only attended, but also took a part in the exercises. This brought upon him college censures, and the earnest expostulations of his friends, who exhorted him to be a regular and consistent member of the church. Though he submitted most dutifully to this discipline, yet it appears his conduct was not forgotten when he applied for ordination to the Archbishop of York. The refusal he received on that occasion led him to record the substance of the conference, a copy of which he sent to the eminently pious and philanthropic John Thornton, Esq. of Clapham, who was the friend and patron of all good men.

From the letter which accompanied it, dated January 10, 1771, it appears he had obtained ordination from some other prelate, and that he was licensed to a curacy; for he remarks, "I am more and more convinced that the divine hand was in my rejection by the Archbishop. The Gospel could not have been sent to a more unenlightened part of the kingdom, I believe, than to Horley, near Reigate. All that prudence and regularity can conscientiously do, I shall think it my duty to submit to, to preserve and promote the Gospel there. The opposition secretly made to it, must be expected. The same cause, in like circumstances, will produce the same effects."

We doubt not but the conference will entertain and instruct our readers and Mr. P.'s closing reflections deserve the notice alike of Churchmen and Dissenters. It may be necessary to add, that these papers are transcribed from the original documents once in the possession of Mr. Thornton.

Mr. Pentycross occupied the living of St. Mary's, Wallingford, in 1774, which he retained till his decease, in 1808.* "WELL, Sir," said his Grace, "is man a free agent?" "Yes, my Lord, perfectly so," was my answer. "Are we, then, by our natural faculties able to understand the Scriptures and our duty?" "Yes, my Lord," I replied, "if we have the illumination of the Holy Spirit."-" I can't under

stand you, Sir; what do you mean by the illumination of the Holy Spirit ?" "My Lord, it is just that to the spiritual world, which the light of the sun is to the natural; all the objects are present to be seen, we only want light to see them by."-Abp. "I can't understand you, Sir; I declare I

*For a more full view of his life, the reader is referred to the Evangelical Magazine, vol. xvi. xvii. pp. 171, 453, 497.

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can't, indeed." 66 Why, my Lord, the Apostle speaks the same language; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, is the very expression."-Abp. " This is a de"This is a detached sentence, Sir; what was the occasion of the Epistle, and to whom it was written, should be considered. It belongs to Gentiles converted from idolatrous ignorance to the light of Christianity, and not to persons already made Christians." "My Lord, I humbly apprehend the state of Gentiles and Christians to be the same by nature, both alike ignorant of God as to any saving purpose, and alike enemies to God as it is written, the carnal mind-of Jew or Gentile, it matters not-the carnal mind, in abstract, is enmity against God."-Abp. "See there, now; there is another detached sentence; and to prove things by detached sentences is equal to finding one word here and another there in a book, and so forming a sentence to our purpose. Pray, Sir, who was the Apostle writing "To the believing converts at Rome, my Lord?". "And what was his design?" said the Archbishop; "look into the first of Romans; read what he says upon natural conscience accusing or excusing them, and by disobedience to which they became guilty." "True, my Lord, both Jews and Gentiles are here proved guilty; and this being done, the Apostle proceeds to show them God's method of salvation, leaving his Epistle as a standing rule of faith and practice to all Christians throughout the world for ever." Here we debated on the subject of natural conscience, while I argued in defence of the Spirit's operations and light; adding withal, that my opinion concerning the operations was not such as agreed with real enthusiasm, but could be explained on the principles of reason: for I saw the judgment of God due to my sins, and (what

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was rational) sought for deliverance from it; and before I was thus converted, if I am converted, I yielded to every temptation that came in my way with suitableness and opportunity: but ever since I have been uniformly endeavouring at least to be pious; and that wherever I have been since, I have left behind me at least a spotless moral character.-" Ay, Sir," said the Archbishop, you are weakly and tender-nerved, easily impressed: this may account for your imaginary conversion by terror to piety; though I do believe you are a well-disposed youth, yet mistaken. Indeed, respecting the influences of the Holy Spirit, I believe myself nemo vir magnus sine lumine: but then God's grace is given to all." "True, my Lord, common straining grace is, but not supernatural grace, making all that have it good and holy and wise to salvation."-Abp. "Why, Sir, it is said God giveth his Holy Spirit to them that ask him." "Yes, my Lord, to them that ask him; but I believe none do ask, but who are taught to ask by the Holy Spirit." -Abp. "What, Sir, you think I suppose as Lord Herbert of Cherbury did, who could not publish his book without a manifestation from the Holy Spirit." "No, my Lord; there is such a thing as enthusiasm rightly so called; his own natural faculties might have informed him whether the book was likely to do good."-The Archbishop went on, and said, there had been such enthusiasts as I was from Montanus's time down to the present day! How did they act in our country! The meek, said they, are to inherit the earth: now are we the meek; therefore we'll knock you all on the head. "Oh! my Lord, this conduct I utterly disapprove; and whatever offers itself as a dictate from God, not conformable to reason, ought to be rejected, in my

opinion; because this would be to make God contradict himself, in telling us one thing by that dictate, and the contrary by reason, which is his gift and dictate also." -Here the chaplain interposed"My Lord, you should consider how many there are already of this stamp, in the western part of your diocese in particular." Abp. "Sir, let me ask you a question. Take one of my servants, the postillion, for instance; let him do his duty to God, to me, to his family, and the like; what! would you go and say to such an one, that he has not the Holy Spirit, and therefore it is all of no purpose?" "No, my Lord; I would ask him from what principle he did these things; if from a right principle, I would say he had the Holy Spirit."-" And suppose he had not the Holy Spirit, what would you go and tell him ?" 66 My Lord, I would tell him to wait upon the Lord till he had the Holy Spirit.""Ay, wait upon the Lord! this is one of your cant phrases. But upon what principle would you have him work? Is not a soldier doing his duty in mounting a breach? and the mechanic serving God at his business?"

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Lord, they may, and they may not, I apprehend; for persons may be sober, honest, and steady, in performing all the externals of duty, from a principle of convenience or necessity. For instance, no one will deal with him who is not honest and something similar may be said of all the rest. Thus it suits men to be virtuous." "Well, Sir," said his Lordship, "for my part I can conceive no one acting upon a higher principle than because God has commanded any thing." "But, my Lord, there are so many lurking bye-ends that induce us to action, that if pure love and affection to God be not in our obedience, and the spring of it, it is no obedience

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at all. For our Saviour says, on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets, viz. love to God and to man. And to this agrees the first prayer in the Communion Service, next the Lord's Prayer."-" I know what you mean," replied his Lordship, "in that prayer; but for my part I can't understand any higher obedience than that of doing God's commandments: though this is just the way some French writers talk about the love of God being the only principle of obedience; Madam Bourignon, and the rest.” "Why, my Lord, it is the principle alone that constitutes moral actions good or bad. Two men (suppose) each drop a shilling into a poor person's hand: the one does it from a principle of true pity and affection to his fellow-creature in distress, and the other"- Ay, I know what you mean, from a principle of ostentation," says the Archbishop. "Yes, my Lord, and the difference of principle makes the same physical action in both to be a virtue in one and a vice in the other. And indeed, my Lord, this is the strain of our Church Articles. Oh! my Lord, (opening the Book of Common Prayer on the thirteenth article, as it lay on the table,) here is the very thing I have been saying, in the very words: Works done without the grace of Christ, and before the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, have in them the nature of sin.' This relates exactly to what we have been discussing in the supposed case of your Lordship's postillion; to whom I would only say, Sir, you have works! Now, mark! if those works are done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have in them. the nature of sin. This is all, my Lord, I would say to your servant."-Abp. "Well, Sir, I know plainly the whole system you embrace, full of things which I

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