Sermon I. First Sunday in Lent.
Of the Nature of Sin: As to its Personality.

Sermon II. Second Sunday in Lent.
Of the Effect of Sin: In Its Guilt.

Sermon III. Third Sunday in Lent.
Of the Remedy for Sin: Through the Sacraments.

Sermon IV. Mid-Lent Sunday.
Of the Knowledge of Sin: By Self-Examination.

Sermon V. Passion Sunday.
Of the Removal of Sin: By Sacramental Confession.

Sermon VI. Palm Sunday.
Of the Holiness after Sin: In the Renewed Life

Appendix. On the Sacrament of Unction.

PREFACE

At the desire of the Incumbent of S. Alban's, these Sermons on Sin were written: at the wish of some persons in the Congregation they are published.

With the exception of verbal corrections only, and the addition of a few sentences in some of them to make the meaning more clear, the Sermons are printed as they were preached. This fact will account for some of the more obvious faults in the following pages. The paragraph, however, in the third Sermon, on page 47, which treats of the Sacrament of Unction, is printed as it was written. A Note on the subject of Unction is added in an Appendix: and a Treatise, a portion of which discusses the question more at length, will shortly be published under the title of 'The Seven Sacraments.'

The necessity of preaching upon the Holy Gospel for the Day, in the Office for Holy Communion, and a request that the Sermons should be short (a request, I fear, not always complied with), will account for other faults, not less obvious, chiefly in matters of omission. To preach briefly at one time on two subjects prevents a full discussion of either. Hence, these Sermons were intended to act merely as suggestive helps to those to whom they were spoken, in the consideration of a few points in the wide subject of Sin.

These statements are not made to disarm criticism, but to afford an explanation of certain results.

For much of the line of thought contained in the third Sermon I am indebted to a friend, whose name I will not mention, lest he should be held to be responsible for the argument to which his thoughts afford their support.

[vi] On the question of the Sacramental Confession of Sin, and its use in the Church of England, the Reader is referred, for further information, to two Essays in the forthcoming and Second Series of The Church and the World, respectively entitled 'Private Confession and Absolution,' and 'A Layman's view of Confession;' as well as to a Treatise on the eve of publication, under the title of 'Priestly Absolution; Scriptural,' which will form No. I. of a series of 'Essays on Theological Subjects,' to be called Tracts for the Day, to be published by Messrs. Longman.

Any profits which may arise from the sale of these Sermons will be added to contributions now being collected for defraying the expenses of a Suit, consequent on the prosecution lately commenced against the Incumbent of S. Alban's for the use of the 'lawful Ritual' of the Church of England.

Contributions to the S. Alban's Defence Fund may be paid at the Office of the ENGLISH CHURCH Union, 11, Burleigh Street, Strand, W.C.; at Messrs. Barnett, Hoare, Hanbury, and Lloyd's, 60 and 62, Lombard Street, E.C.; to Mr. J. T. Hayes, 5, Lyall Place, Eaton Square, S.W.; or to any of the CLERGY of the Church, at S. Alban's Clergy House, Brooke Street, Holborn, E.C.

ORBY SHIPLEY.

Holy Week, A.D. 1867.

Note to the Fourth Edition.

"Unction of the Sick" has been treated at further length in No. 6 of Tracts for the Day. Since the above was written, the Tract on "The Seven Sacraments,"' No. 3, of the Series, together with the Second Series of The Church and the World, have been published by Messrs. Longman.

Epiphany, 1868.

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