con

his own soul. That this same princi- a shelter for Tractarian heresy, and ple applies to both sacraments alike, are calculated to mislead the multiis evident from the concluding words tude. Mr. Thelwall says, that the of Article XXV.,-"And in such only mooting of such a question is “unas worthily receive the same, they profitable, that « christian Rehave a wholesome effect or operation: formers had deeper, clearer, and more but they that receive them unworthily scriptural views of the nature of bappurchase to themselves damnation, as tism, and of the principles on which St. Paul saith.” The words they and alone liturgical services are them refer, it is clear, to both the sa- structed, than those who are now procraments, to Baptism just as much as posing to alter them;". that he to the Lord's Supper. Yet many who thinks these services “fairly defensitremble at the thought of receiving sible," and, he has "no confidence the latter, make very light indeed of whatever in any existing party or the former! They seem, indeed, to body of men to whom he could think Baptism a mere matter of course. “conceive it possible that the work of Are we faithful, in endeavouring to revision could or would be entrusted;" give them better instruction in regard that our Articles and Homilies speak to an ordinance of such unspeakable an unmistakeable language, that they moment? Do we preach as if the so- are all on the Evangelical side; that lemnity and responsibility of Baptism those who are not prepared delibewere just as great as those of the rately and resolutely to maintain Lord's Supper? Or do we, in our own Evangelical and Protestant truth, as families, and in catechetical instruc- it is stated in these documents, should tion, carry out into practice the Ex- quit our Church ;—that those who do hortation with which the Baptismal maintain this truth as expounded in Service concludes ?

them, will be able “rightly to underThese are some brief and imperfect stand, and duly to use our excellent hints as to the improvement of our and scriptural Liturgy in all its exposition and advantages, when we tent,” and without scruple, that if a rightly understand them. Much more person be a fit subject for baptism, or might be added; the subject, indeed, if he ought to have christian burial, grows upon me as I proceed. But our Services for such occasions are I have already trespassed too long most suitable and beautiful; that the upon your patience, and that of your real grievance is not that such perreaders. May the Lord pour out upon

sons should be baptized “ with a parall His faithful ministers in our Church ticular service, but that they should the spirit of power, and of love, and have been baptized at all.” That of a sound mind!

every individual, whether infant or I remain,

adult, who is baptized, is received Yours, faithfully in the Lord, and embraced by the Church, “as A. S. THELWALL. being in promise and profession re

generate,” and that “No changes in our Liturgy,–

-no possible exercise of

discipline," —could relieve us from the To the Editor.

difficulties and grievances of which Sir,-With all respect for Mr. Thel- we complain. wall, I must say, that I never read This, I believe, is the substance of letters that appeared to be more beside Mr. Thelwall's argument. Does Mr. the question that he undertakes to T. really think that because he can discuss, than those which bear his make use of all the expressions in signature in your last two numbers. these Occasional Services without hesi

Shall some few passages in the tation, that to endeavour to relieve Prayer-Book be amended? This ques- those whose consciences are outraged tion has been answered in the affirma- whenever they use those expressions, tive by numbers whose consciences is an unprofitable labour ? Does he are wounded by the use of those pas- think it an unprofitable labour that sages,—who consider that they afford we should endeavour to deprive Dr.

our

Pusey, and those who think with him, the Bible, instead of the old one, of the appeal which he now makes—and the Office of Baptism for those of makes triumphantly—to the Prayer riper years,—the Form of Prayer to book, in justification of the unscrip- be used at Sea,—the Form for the tural errors which they hold and Martyrdom, - and that for the Restrenuously propagate? Will our Ar- storation of the Royal Family added."* ticles and Homilies be less a support It is true, indeed, that the very to “Protestant and Evangelical truth” party which made these extensive alif the language of our Liturgy is in terations in the Prayer-book, while all respects made to harmonize with they added the story of “Bel and them?' Is it an unprofitable labour the Dragon,” to the Apocryphal lesto endeavour to prevent the mass of sons, refused to make that “further our people from being led into the expurgation of our Formularies," dangerous notion, that every child which it appears from the extract of baptized by a regularly ordained mi- Peter Martyr's Letter to Bullinger, nister, is, by that act, and by that as quoted by Mr. Fynes Clinton, our alone, born again of the Spirit, and Reformers contemplated, and thereby made a child of God? A notion mainly contributed to the ejection of which is directly upheld by the lan- such men as Calamy, Bates, Owen, guage of our Baptismal Service, and Howe, and Baxter from the Church. which, in spite of the aid of elaborate But this result has not deterred arguments, large pamphlets, hypothe- many excellent men from aiming at ses, and the like, can convey no other the same object, amongst them we may notion to an untutored mind. Would mention Lowth and Porteus, both of

“whole position” be less "ten- them Bishops of London; the former able,” should we be the less able to of whom had actually presented a “maintain it in all its extent?" should revised copy of the Liturgy to George we be the less “prepared rightly to the 3rd, a few years before his death; understand, and duly to use, our ex- and to borrow the opinion of Peter cellent Liturgy,” if, instead of abso- Martyr, “we are not a little confident lutely predicating that this stupendous that that may be accomplished at this change had been wrought at the very time which has hitherto failed of moment of sprinkling, we were to success.” content ourselves with praying for it?

I am, Sir, yours, The omission of the predication would

A LAYMAN. not affect the work, neither would it

P.S.-I cannot help hoping that interfere with the opinions of those who hold the doctrine of baptismal regene- able to shew by an actual revision of

some of your correspondents may be ration, but it would spare the consciences of those that can find no

the Occasional Services, that those

who desire to see them reformed, have warrant for such a doctrine in scrip

no wish to pull the Prayer-book to

pieces. Why should it be more difficult to find competent persons now to amend some few words in the Prayer-book, than it was in Edward the 6th's time

To the Editor. remove from it all things that could nourish superstition?

Sir,-Your correspondent C. D.,

or in Charles the 2nd's time, when “several (whom I think I recognize,) in his lessons in the Calendar were changed (p. 511,) suggests a reprint of seven

letter inserted in your last number, for others more proper for the days, the Prayers upon particular occasions papers on “the Jesuits of old, and of disjoined from the Liturgy, – the subsequent times,” which appeared in

“The Churchman's Monthly Review,' Prayers for the Parliament, that for All Conditions, and the General

from March to September, 1844. Thanksgiving added; several Collects

These papers, revised by the author, altered, the Epistles and Gospels

• Nicholl's Preface to the Book of Common taken out of the last translation of Prayer, p. 10.

ture.

to

W. Osburn, were collected and pub- The miserable illusions of some of the lished in a small volume by the Pro- early sects, or of the Covenant and the testant Association, in 1846, under the Fifth Monarchy men of later times, are title of “Hidden Works of Darkness,"

now only matters of curiosity and conand may be had at the office, No. 4, tempt; but the papal scheme was a magSerjeant's Inn, Fleet Street, or of the

nificent design, worthy to be recorded in publisher, W. H. Dalton, Cockspur prophecy; it has endured for a thousand Street, or ordered through any book

years, and is still the same awful and en

ergetic organization. During that time seller,-at a very moderate price.

its policy has been matured by greater Also, there is a series of 12 vols. (of vicissitudes, disciplined by a more ample which the above work forms one,) experience of good and evil, and carried consisting of Standard Protestant down in a more perfect continuity of deWorks, at the moderate price of one sign, than any other government that ever pound: among which may be men- existed; and the statesman who now untioned, as particularly suitable at the dertakes to cope with it, is matched against present time,

the worldly wisdom of every age and every Serious Dissuasives from Popery, by country in Christendom.” (Vol. ii. p. 101.)

Archbishop Tillotson, and Bishops All this is well worthy of the Hall and Jeremy Taylor;

deepest consideration. If this worldly The Idolatry of the Church of Rome, wisdom,—this concentrated craft of by the Rev. A. S. Thelwall;

all

ages and nations,—be not opposed No Peace with Rome, by Bishop Hall; by downright christian simplicity and Accusations of History against the unflinching integrity; if this master

Church of Rome, by the Rev. G. piece of Satan be not encountered Townsend; and

with the sword of the Spirit, which is Letters on Tractarian Secessions to

the word of God; no statesman upon Popery, by the Rev. G. Stanley Fa

earth can pretend to cope with it. This ber, B.D.; And 'many tracts and handbills; wisdom and policy of governments; it

“mystery of iniquity” laughs at the among which may be mentioned, despises the power of fleets and ar“Facts and Documents in regard to mies; it tramples on all laws: but it Diplomatic Relations with Rome,

trembles at the word of God, in the which (with scarcely any alteration) hands and in the mouth of the hummight have been written and pub- blest true believer. It has therefore lished in immediate reference to the

no resource but (whenever it can) to present crisis. It is chiefly (almost tie those hands and stop that mouth entirely) extracted from the second by the torture, the dungeon, the sword, volume of the “Digest of the Evi- and the stake; and to burn that blessed dence taken before Select Committees

Word wherever it can find it spreadof the two Houses of Parliament, ap- ing among the people. pointed to inquire into the state of

I am, Sir, &c. Ireland, 1824, 1825," -- which, per- A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE OP haps, beyond any other work that

THE PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION. could be named, is full of authentic

December, 1850. and most valuable information re

P.S. The Protestant Association has specting the character and policy of also some copies of "A Statement of the Church and See of Rome; espe- Facts, respecting the Instruction given cially when considered with reference to Students for the Romish Priesthood, to the recent aggression.

at Maynooth,”-full of information: In that work there is one passage and Wertheim & Macintosh have just so striking, that I must beg permission published two tracts on the Canon to transcribe it.

Law; one by the Rev. Dr. M'Caul, Every class of Christians has had, in

and the other a lecture recently deits turn, some notion of a millenium; the livered by the Rev. Dr. M'Neile; both Church of Rome alone has succeeded in well worthy of perusal by all Progiving it a permunent and imposing form. testants.

He says, –

Reviews, and short Notices of Books. AIDS FOR

DETERMINING SOME Dis- within the chancel, as whereby the minisPUTED PointS IN THE CEREMONIAL

ter may be more conveniently heard of

the communicants in his prayer and minisOF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. By tration, and the communicants also more WILLIAM GoodE, M.A., F.S. A. conveniently, and in more number, com

municate with the said minister. And pp. 110. Hatchard. 1851.

after the Communion done, from time to MR. Goode is an able champion in

time the said Holy Table to be placed the Protestant cause, and the public where it stood before.' (Wilk. Concil. iv.

188.) And such was the custom for a is in no small measure indebted to him for the patience and judgment seizing, with characteristic sagacity, upon

long period. But Archbishop Laud, he has manifested in the discussion

an accidental circumstance of the bread of subjects which have been forced of being once carried off by a dog, from late upon its attention. He meets his the table, in his Metropolitical Visitaopponents upon their own grounds,and tion, in 1635, ordered the table to be shews that, with all their boasted defer- surrounded by low rails as it stood at ence for Rubrics and Canons, they in

the east end of the church, which, of consistently attempt the revival only of course had the effect of leaving it persuch ceremonies as seem likely to

manently in the place where the altar favour their Romish predilections, stood,' which was one step gained towards

its recognition as an 'aliar.' Now, as it while they are silent respecting others

is not impossible to keep doys out of the which militate against their views.

church, and low rails are not a very ef

fectual guard against a hungry dog, some “Our professedly strict Rubricians people thought that the order had a

who requires to be worshipped in dom of Du Bourg, as the general
spirit and in truth, such secondary reader can desire.
matters as ceremonial observances Anne Du Bourg, a nobly-born gen-
should so fully engross the attention tleman, an able ecclesiastical counsel-
of a large section of the Christian lor in the parliament of Paris, and a
Church. The unbeliever, it may be, member of the Secret or Reformed
looks on and laughs; while Christians Church of that city, in 1559, drew
of other denominations regard us upon himself the displeasure of a
with mingled pity and surprise; yet, king, worked upon by cardinals and
who that has considered the subject, bishops, through his bold denuncia-
but knows that there is a close and tion of the cruelties with which the
intimate connection between cere- Protestants were pursued. The scene
mony and doctrine, that the novelties of his unflinching opposition to eccle-
recently introduced among us with siastical tyranny was the Mercuriale,
regard to the former are designed to a court so called because its sittings
pave

the
way

for every vital error in were held on Wednesdays, and which the latter, and that consequently it is had been established by Charles VIII. incumbent upon all churchmen who for the censorship of morals in the value their Bibles, and would be faith- other courts and parliaments of the ful to their God, to resist all such kingdom. The king (Henry II.,) who novelties, although, abstractedly con- was present on the occasion in quessidered, they are of little importance. tion, ordered the arrest of Du Bourg, We believe there are Tractarian and others, who were of a tolerant places of worship where the preach- spirit. Du Bourg, in particular, was ing, although not evangelical, is, as the object of the king's resentment, far as it goes, devoid of positive error, as he had pointed his discourse against the main reliance for imbuing the the private vices of the court. Henry people with Romish tastes and senti- vowed he would see him burned ments being placed on the semi-popish alive with his own eyes." ceremonies exhibited before them. The learned counsellor was now in As, therefore, the discussion of such prison. He had but recently retopics is unavoidable, we are glad to nounced the errors of the Romish see men like Mr. Goode employing Church; and his faith, in some retheir time and talents in their calm spects weak, had now to sustain the and impartial investigation.

severest test. An illegal commission was appointed by the crown, and

Du Bourg's trial was proceeded with Du Bourg; OR, THE MERCURIALE: a in the Bastille. Several examinations

Sketch of the Secret Church of Paris took place, in which he firmly mainin the Middle of the Sixteenth Cen- tained, from the word of God, his al

legiance to the truth; the result being, tury; being an Episode in History on

a sentence pronounced by the Bishop the points at issue between the Refor- of Paris, degrading him from his ormation and the Papacy. By M. A. S. ders as Deacon, and delivering him

over to the tender mercies of the secuBARBER, pp. 186. Nisbet.

lar power. This is an interesting little work,- Another king ascended the throne partly historical and partly biographi- of France; but the change affected cal,- not the production of the mo- not the condemned confessor of Christ. ment, but conceived and carefully Du Bourg made appeals, indeed; but prepared before the excitement of the they were fruitless. At one time, his great Papal aggression. The subject confidence in God forsook him, and of the chronicle is one of whom Eng- he signed an ambiguous recantation. lish readers know but little. In the His God, however, had not forsaken work before us we have the result of him; he renewed his first confession, an examination of original authorities, and, putting his seal to the document, conveying as detailed an account of exclaimed, “I have sealed it with the imprisonment, trial, and martyr- my seal; I am ready to seal it with