THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK ON BAP TISMAL REGENERATION (From the Watchman, June 13.)

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 380, 5 December 1849, Page 3

THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK ON BAP TISMAL REGENERATION (From the Watchman, June 13.)

On Monday week, the new Archbishop, Dr. Mu<sgravi>» commenced his piimnry visitation at Thirsk. A lurgo attendance! of the clergy was assembled. The ClmifV of his Grace occupied upwards of an hour in dclivi*-y, and the liccoi d, from which wo are about to cite a poition of it, anys, it will long ho remembered for the spirit of humble piety it manifested, nnd the aound and godly admonition it contained. This is well. What we have at present to do wi>h, is the fact (hat Dr. Mt'sgrave has taken this, the very earliest oppoituni y, of enumiuting to the eleigy of his diocese of York, the Doctrine of the Church of England on the bubject of Baptismal Regeneration. That is ths question involved in Mr. GorJiatn'g case, before pi onouno'ng judgment on which Sir It, J. Fust has requested tho assislauce of the Primate. The dictum Hint may emanate from Ccintoibury ia the subject only of surmise; that from Yoik is now public, and sufficiently explicit. "One of the important questions novr occupying u large share of attention in the Church was that of Baptism. On the subject of adult baptism, little difference of opinion prevailed ; but on infant baptism a great deal of discussion was taking place. This much, however, was quite clear, that the compilers of the services, both in the sixth of Edward nnd alio in thai of Queen Elizabeth, held the peculiar doctrines of Culvin, almost without exception, on the doctrines of election, predestination, and iitiul perseverance. Hence they taught and believed, that spiritual regeneration in baptism could only be partaken of by the elect, ami all men weie not elected, and thus they <O'ild not bo supposed as believing it to be received by all, nor could frame it (o convry such a meaning, unless with the gross dishonesty prac ised by some parties now. who tench one doctrine, and at the same time believe another. No such hypocrisy was theirs; they did not believe it to be, and you are not caVed upon to take it aSj a rule of theJChurch, that all who are baptised arc spiritually regenerated. No such doctrine is taught by the Articles, and you are not to force upon them a construction they will not admit. Our Iteformeis took the doctrines as they found them in the Scripture-, on infnnf baptism ; they neither added to them nor diminished from them. In the case, of adults they restricted the benefits of baptibm to the worthy reception, and left it open in infants, but different from nnd exclusive of the or operalo of the Church ol Rome. The service is in the language ol Martin Luther, and the words are intended only t > bo expressive of hope and charity. Some paitios contend that they left the language so open us to be c ipable of cithur in* ' terpretation, but no bucli feelings actuated the Reformers, and they were incapable of stntimr it in thnt manner, and we must express it as the Rcformsis did. Both tl.o sacraments must be received as means of grace—the one as an admission to the privileges and blessings of the visible Church, and the other as a mark of union and continuance to it. An thcr question connected with this, was the forgiveness of sin bo« fore and after baptism ; but to suppose eithci out of the range of forgiveness is to deny the asset tion of our Lonf. St. John also says—" If we confer our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to clca se us from all unrighteousness ;" and auotlior fipostle, in the same spirit, urges us to come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy • Tnc Scripture* are full of theofl'ois (if grace and repentance ; and as to sins, both before and after baptism, " Chiifcl is able to *aye to the uttermost all who come unto God by him." They who rely on him for satva- ; tion will surely be pardoned ; for "ha who spared not his own Son, but freely delivered him up for us all, [ will he not with him also freely give us all things."

Colonization.— We learu from a recent letter of Dr. Lung, thai lie lias two new schemes on the anvil, lie i^ endeavouring to form a colony of " Welch CaN vanis'ic Methodists," on the bunks of the Chirrnco Kiver •, und has been applied to by a number of " Christian Negroes," who aro dissatisfied with thenlot in the West ladies* and whom Ik> hopes to be enabled to aetilc m the Wide 11 ay disuict.*— Sydney Herald.