rity of the same, that from and after the passing of this act, it shall and may be lawful to, and for the archbishop of Canterbury or the archbishop of York, for the time being, together with such other bishops as they shall call to their assistance, to consecrate persons being subjects or citizens of countries out of his Majesty's dominions, bishops for the purposes aforesaid, without the king's licence for their election, or the royal mandate under the great seal for their confirmation and consecration, and without requiring them to take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, and the oath of due obedience to the archhishop for the time being. Provided always, that no persons shall be consecrated bishops in the manner herein provided, until the archbishop of Canterbury or the archbishop of York for the time being, shall have first applied for, and obtained his Majesty's licence by warrant, under his royal signet, and sign manual, authorizing and empowering him to perform such consecration, and expressing the name or names of the persons so to be consecrated, nor until the said archbishop has been fully ascertained of their sufficiency in good learning, of the soundness of their faith, and of the purity of their manners. Provided also, and be it hereby declared, that no person or persons, consecrated to the office of a bishop in the manner aforesaid, nor any person or persons deriv ing their consecration from or under any bishop so consecrated, nor any person or persons admitted to the order of deacon or priest, by any bishop or bishops so consecrated, or by the successor or successors of any bishop or bisbops so consecrated, shall be thereby enabled to exercise his or their respective office or officers within his Majesty's dominions. Provided always, and be it further enacted, that a certificate of such consecration shall be given under the hand and seal of the archbishop who consecrates, containing the name of the person so consecrated, with the addition as well of the country whereof he is a subject or citizen, as of the church in which he is appointed bishop, and the further description of his not having taken the said oaths, being exempted from the obligation of so doing by virtue of this act.

[NO. XII.]

Form of a Testimonial from the General Convention, required by the bishops in England.

WE whose names are underwritten, fully sensible how important it is, that the sacred office of a bishop should not be unworthily conferred, and firmly persuaded that it is our duty to bear our testimony on this solemn occasion without partiality or affection, do in the presence of Almighty God, testify that A. B. is not, so far as we are informed, justly liable to evil report either for error in religion or for viciousness of life; and that we do not know or believe there is any impediment or notable crime, on ac count of which he ought not to be consecrated to that holy office, but that he hath led his life for the three years jast past piously, soberly and honestly.

[NO. XIII.]

Testimony from the members of the Convention in the State from whence the person is recommended for consecration, required also by the bishops in England.

We whose names are underwritten, fully sensible how important it is, that the sacred office of a bishop should not be unworthily conferred, and firmly persuaded that it is our duty to bear testimony on this solemn occasion without partiality or affection, do in the presence of Almighty God, testify, that A. B. is not, so far as we are informed, justly liable to evil report either for error in religion, or for viciousness of life; and that we do not know or be lieve there is any impediment or notable crime for which he ought not to be consecrated to that holy office. We do moreover jointly and severally declare, that having personally known him for three years last past, we do in our consciences believe him to be of such sufficiency in good learning, such soundness in the faith, and of such virtuous and pure manners and godly conversation, that he is apt and meet to exercise the office of a bishop to the honor of God, and the edifying of his church, and to be an wholesome example to the flock of Christ.

On the inexplicable Mystery of the Trinity.

From a very interesting and entertaining work, just published, entitled " Memoirs of a Traveller now in retirement, written by himself," vol. v.

IF there be any one mystery, to endeavor to comprehend whose nature would be fruitless, it is certainly that of the Trinity; but this is not a reason for doubting of the mystery. We believe in so many things that we cannot comprehend, because they are above our capacity, that being once persuaded of the Christian Religion, by incontestible evidence, the mysteries it presents for the exercise of faith ought not to shake that faith. When a philosopher is convinced of the existence of an attractive power in bodies, and has calculated its laws, he believes in it without com prehending its nature. Do we know how the soul is united to the body? Have we, however, any doubt of this union? We see a musician at a harpsichord, playing a piece of music to express the first note he must have the will to place a certain finger upon a certain key; another finger upon another key, to express the second; and so successively, to execute a sonata of ten thousand notes. Here are ten thousand acts of the will, which follow each other so rapidly, that individually they are imperceptible. There is no doubt, however, that every touch of a key is, by an express and distinct act of the will, directing the fingers, one after the other, to particular notes. Is it known how the will thus influences each movement of the finger? Has any one conceived the least idea of the nature of this mechanism? Yet, we do not deny the influence of the will on every movement of the body.

I do not call to mind where I have read the following reasoning, respecting the mystery of the Trinity; but it appears to me so satisfactory, that I cannot refrain from stating it. I am fully per

suaded of the necessity of revelation; that of the Evangelists, founded upon the prophecies, the miracles, and the purity of its doctrine, affords irresistible proofs of its divine origin, and which no other can furnish. I find in the Holy Scriptures this proposition : "There are three witnesses in Heaven, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." From which, as well as from many others passages in the Scripture, I know that there is a distinction made in the Divinity, under the three names of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and I find these terms sufficiently proper to express what we know of this mystery. I cannot find in the scriptures any information respecting the nature of this distinction, except that the Son is begotten, and that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son. I conclude that there must be something more than a mere nominal distinction, since we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; whence we may understand something more than if the command had been given in these terms: "Go and baptize all nations in the name of Jehovah, Elohim, and Adonai." And if nothing more was intended, than that the Apostles were to baptize in the name of God, this would merely have been a vain tautology. I conclude, moreover, that there are not three distinct Spirits, or there would be three Gods, contrary to what we are taught both by reason and the Holy Scriptures from all which I infer, that there is in the Divinity something more than a nominal distinction, and something less than a distinction of three separate Spirits; and finding throughout each person singly, or all conjointly, named God, and adored as God, I say with St. Athanasius, "I adore the Trinity in Unity."

Although it is impossible to bring this subject absolutely within the reach of the human understanding, the following illustration may afford some satisfaction. The sun engenders rays; and from the sun and the rays proceed light and heat. Thus God the Father

begets the Son; ahd from the Father and the Son proceeds the Spirit of light and grace. But as the sun is not before the rays, nor the rays before the light and heat, but they are all simultaneous: thus neither is the Father before the Son, nor the Father and the Son before the Holy Spirit; except as to their order or relation to one another. in which respect only the Father is the first person of the Trinity. Among a thousand passages of Scripture which confirm the above arguments, see Genesis i. 1. 26; x. 7. St. Matthew iii. 16, 17; ix. 4, 6. St. John, the whole of the first chapter; ii. 24; xiv. 8, and following; ix. 30, and following; xvi. 13, 14, 15 xx. 28; St. Paul to the Romans ix. 5; to the Philliprans - 5, 6; to the Collosians ii. 9; Timothy 1. iii. 16; first St. John v. 7, 20.

Anecdote of William Whiston.

THIS eccentric but ingenious man, affected more than ordinary skill in expounding the dark prophecies of scripture; and by his mathematical knowledge, thought he had discovered the precise time of the commencement of the millenium, and the calling of

the Jews; which period having nicely computed, he himself happily outlived, and having reviewed his calculation and corrected his error, outlived this prediction also; at length upon another review, he fixed it for the year 1766, which he was not likely to live to see -about the time of his uttering this prophecy, he offered a small estate for sale, to a gentleman who was well acquainted with the obstinacy with which he maintained his opinion in these matters: and having asked the gentleman thirty years purchase for it, he appeared astonished. Mr. Whiston demanded the reason of his surprise, as he had asked no more than other people gave? I dont wonder at other people, said the gentleman, because they know no better; but I am surprized that you should ask thirty years purchase, when you know that in half that time all men's property will be in common, and no man's estate will be worth a groat.

Dr. Jonathan Shipley, Bishop of St. Asaph.

THIS amiable prelate, whose daughter was married to Sir William Jones, was a man of great liberality. A violent Welch squire having taken offence at a poor curate, who employed his leisure hours in mending clocks and watches, applied to the bishop with a formal complaint against him for carrying on a mechanical business. His lordship having heard the complaint, told the squire he might depend upon it, that the strictest justice should be done in the case accordingly the mechanical divine was sent for a few days after, when the Bishop asked him, "How he dared to disgrace his diocese by becoming a mender of clocks and watches ?" The other, with all humility, answered, "To satisfy the wants of a wife and ten children!" "That wont do with me," rejoined his lordship, "I'll inflict such a punishment upon you, as shall make you leave off your pitiful trade, I promise you ;" and immediately calling in his secretary, ordered him to make out a presentation for the astonished curate to a living then vacant, worth one hundred and fifty pounds a year.

THE ancient mode of building houses was with battlements, around the edges of the roofs, which were flat and plaistered. Hence it became easy for Rahab to hide the spies sent out by Joshua in "the roof of the house (Josh. ii. 6.) Hence it became easy likewise for David to walk upon the roof of the King's house, (ii. Sam. 11, 2.) Peter could retire there to pray, (Acts x. 9. The consideration of this mode of building explains that language of our blessed Saviour, "What ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the house-tops." (Mat. x. 27. Luke xii. 3.)

ERRATUM.

The reader is desired to correct an error in the title to a piece commencing page 182. Instead of Efficacy of, it should be Essay on, &c.

THIS learned prelate was born in the city of Dublin, January 4, 1580. His father, Mr. Arnold Usher, one of the six clerks of chancery, was of the ancient family of the Ushers, alias Nevills, whose ancestor (usher to king John) coming over with him into Ireland and settling there, changed the name of his family into that of his office, which was customary in that age. His mother was Margaret, daughter of James Stanihurst, speaker of the Irish house of Commons in three Parliaments, Recorder of Dublin, and one of the Masters in Chancery. But that which will ever render the name of Mr. Stanihurst famous, was his being the first mover in Parliament, for the founding and endowing of a College and University at Dublin, which was soon after consented to by queen Elizabeth. The uncle of our archbishop, by his father's side, was Henry Usher, archbishop of Armagh, a wise and learned prelate, who was also a great benefactor to the same University. By the mother's side, he had an uncle, Richard Stanihurst, who was a zealous Romanist, but a man of great learning, as appears by several of his works now extant. Our prelate often mentioned two of his aunts, who were blind from their cradle, and so continued till their deaths; yet were blessed with admirable understandings, and of such tenacious memories, that whatever they heard out of the holy scriptures, they always retained, and became such proficients, that they were enabled to repeat much of the Bible by heart, and were the first who taught their nephew to read English.

In 1593, Trinity College was finished, and James Usher, then in the thirteenth year of his age, being adjudged by his schoolmasters sufficiently qualified for admission into the university, was accordingly matriculated. Here he set himself earnestly to the study of the languages and liberal arts, not neglecting ecclesiastical history and antiquity, in all which he improved to admiration; for before he was sixteen, he had drawn up in Latin an exact chronicle of the bible, as far as the book of Kings, which work appears to have been a rough draught of his Annals.

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