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heaven, and of the saints (a mere substitution for that of the heathen deities under other names), prevailed. All that was base and abominable amongst the Jews in the worst periods of their history, and in heathenism, was renewed in this so-called Christian era; and darkness again covered the earth, and gross darkness the people. The sword of the Spirit gave place to the sword of the crusader; whilst the power and wealth of kings and nobles were laid at the feet of the Church, to advance her magnificence and promote her glory.

Here we pause again. We have arrived at another awful period in the Church's history: light had come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, and reaped the bitter fruit of their perversity. But a time of mercy returns, the witnesses are not destroyed-eternal truth never can be. God's word and Spirit, so long unheeded, are again commended to man's acceptance, and (as in all His dealings with His people) by the simplest, and apparently the feeblest agency. It is not to be denied that, through the dark period of the middle ages, there were many instances of real piety, in spite of the deadly doctrinal errors which were commonly received as truth, but no one had the courage to stand up for the truth as it is revealed in God's word, unadulterated by the Ritualism which had gradually fastened the fetters of Popery upon the Christian world. This period at length arrived.

In the fourteenth century, Wycliffe gave the first shock to the Papal system, by his translation of the Bible into English, and exposure of the leading errors of Popery: and from this time we find a succession of witnesses and, martyrs for the truth raised up, amongst whom Cobham, Huss, Jerome of Prague, and many other noble spirits-of whom the world was not worthy-were suf ferers till the great event of the Reformation blazed forth with a potency which the united efforts of priestly and

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| imperial tyranny could not extinguish. And to carry on this glorious work, an obscure monk, in his solitary cell, ponders over the Scriptures of truth, which it pleased God, in His providence, to bring before him, and by His Spirit to incline his heart to receive.

From this time God's word and Spirit triumphed overy Popery and Ritualism. The breach was made; the two stood distinctly opposed as light and darkness. The contest between the two powers was carried on through the instrumentality of the poor monk, armed with the Sword of the Spirit-the word of God-against all the powers of this world. Again, wherever the Divine word had free course, Christianity was reduced to its own simple elements; and when this was effected, vital godliness revived and flourished. History tells us the dreadful struggle it had to undergo on the continent of Europe with the rulers of the darkness of this world; and in too many instances how these were, in a way that seems mysterious to us, permitted to triumph. In our own land the struggle, though carried on during years of doubtful result, issued in the victory of truth so far as the word of God was made the basis. Ritualism made many attempts to obtain the victory, but the simplicity that is in Christ was too strong for it; and just in proportion as this was maintained, vitality increased. England, however, Ritualism (of which the Reformers left too many remnants, hoping thereby to conciliate the Popishly inclined) fought hard for the sole ascendency; and its advocates and promoters-the reformed hierarchy and the court-employed the grossest cruelty and injustice to enforce it. The contest was long and arduous, both in England and Scotland, with different results. In England the hierarchy, from its very nature, inclined to it; whilst in Scotland, where the Reformation had made a thorough sweep of everything ritual, nothing could reconcile the peo

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ple to the slightest return to it; and although they fell, perhaps, into the opposite extreme even this is of a more hopeful tendency than the other, inasmuch as a spirit of inquiry is at the least kept alive, which the other serves to deaden and extinguish; and as the tares have sprung up amongst the wheat, in all seasons of the Church's history, so do these two principles of evil still show themselves amongst professing Christians even now. Of the Ritualism left to vegetate in the English Established Church, we are now seeing the fatal effects, as a nursery for Popery, and the impracticability of any attempts to put down the growing evil, which is increasing in intensity and audacity; its perpetrators setting all control at defiance, and deluding the people with imitations of the mummeries of Popery. Again, we see the most gorgeous buildings rising up in every part of the kingdom. Churchbuilding is the great fashion of the day, and the evil attendant upon this state of things, viz. dependencies upon the unscriptural and soul-deceiving notion, that those who are bestowing money in this way are thereby honouring God, and promoting His glory, is again extensively at work. We hear of offerings to the Lord of this character; and it was only a short time since I was gravely informed of a thank-offering" of a splendid clock, given by some school-boys to a chapel which they attended, because they had been preserved from the cholera; and this encouraged by a minister calling himself evangelical! This is one of numberless instances of the kind; and as respects the utility of church-building, it appears to be taken for granted, that the building of churches in our densely populated localities, abounding in all the beauties of ecclesiastical architecture, is a sufficient guarantee that religious cultivation in that neighbourhood must follow; whilst it is painfully obvious to the Christian observer that the people

are being deluded with the most erroneous views of what the gospel really is, and the better prepared by the diluting processes of High Churchism and Tractarianism, to come under the teaching which Popery is putting forth all its efforts to extend throughout the land.

Rationalism, too, is doing its fatal work, by its various shades of false philosophic reasoning upon the deep things of God-not confined, as heretofore, to the open impugner of God's word, but by the more specious and destructive method of a profession of great desire for its vindication, or better comprehension; whilst its truth is secretly undermined, and its spirituality got rid of, and a spiritual discernment of its precepts ignored, or treated with contempt.

Sir, I think I may, without being considered an alarmist by any but superficial observers, say, that, in the midst of all that is apparently most fair and flourishing, never was there a crisis of greater danger to the best interests of the people of this realmtheir Protestant, their spiritual, their eternal interests. It is to be feared that the rising generation, those especially of the higher classes, both in station and in intellectual attainments, are becoming deeply imbued with the frivolities and superstitions of Popery on the one hand, or the speculations of a false philosophy on the other; and that, as far as present appearances indicate, a few years will present a maturity of most disastrous issue; and to this state of things the two influences which have formed the groundwork of these remarks have mainly contributed.

What, then, is the duty of the people of God of every denomination? There is surely no question as to the necessity of an immeasurable increase of the moral agencies we have at work to counteract the mischief now in fearful progress. The means are now in our hands, under His blessing, who will

make them available to any extent, if His people will work them; since the blessing follows the means. As well might we expect our fields to yield their fruit without culture, as to see the truth of God extending itself unaccompanied by the earnest efforts of those whom He has called to be labourers in His vineyard. And are these efforts going on in any degree commensurate with the extent of the emergency? Surely, when the whole kingdom is raising its voice almost universally, and without distinction of denomination, against Popish aggression, there should follow as universal a system of well-arranged Christian effort to counteract it. As it has been well observed, merely preaching against Popery from the pulpit will be of little avail, if people are not visited from house to house, both in town and country. The gospel must go to the people; for if we wait till they come to it, the agents of Ritualism and of darkness will be too much for us in their unceas ing activity. To increase the operations everywhere of town and city missions, and of schools for the lowest classes of society, should be our object; and whilst we know that all which has yet been done for the City Mission alone, is inadequate for more than its maintenance in its present status, and that the means are wanted on every hand for the dissemination of sound Scriptural knowledge throughout every portion of this vast empire, surely it is a matter deeply to be regretted, that evangelical Christians should be found wasting their money, and occupying their minds, on church architecture, steeples, and other adornments and baubles, which are not only useless in themselves, but positively adding fuel to the flame; by thus gradually drawing men's hearts from

that which is the essential characteristic of the gospel,—simplicity and spirituality,-to that which has ever been its greatest bane,-external show and Ritualistic observance; appealing to the worldly element to increase their influence, at the very moment when it most becomes those who profess to make the Scriptures alone their guide, to show to the world what their principles are really worth; and, instead of succumbing to a vitiated, worldly-directed taste, and bringing down their principles to suit the pride of the "upper strata of society," how much more consistent with the mind that was in Christ and His apostles to maintain a noble, dignified simplicity in all their outward arrangements; thus proving to a vain world their unshaken confidence in the power of Divine truth to stand upon its own intrinsic excellence. And whilst Popery, and its vile and worthless imitator and promoter, Tractarianism, are uniting their efforts to lead the world back to the outward splendour and Ritualism of the middle ages, let Christians, of all denominations, set their faces like a flint against practices so opposed to the spirit of the gospel; so contrary to its character; so deeply injurious to its vital influence upon their own hearts. Let them beware of the temptations which are assailing the people of God on all sides, "to deceive, if it were possible, the very elect;" and give in to nothing which is not sanctioned by the spirit of the gospel, and which they do not feel assured is qualified to promote, unequivocally, the glory of God, the salvation of perishing souls, and their own progress in self-denying humility and nearness to Him.

March 17, 1851.

C.

DR. ARNOLD'S VIEWS OF TRACTARIANISM.

LETTER FROM THE LATE DR. ARNOLD.

(Page 284, 2nd Vol.)

real honesty of a subscription appears to me to consist in a sympathy with the system to which you subscribe, in a preference to it, not negatively merely, as better than others, but positively, as in itself good and true in all its most characteristic points. Now the most characteristic points of the English Church are two: that it maintains what is called the Catholic doctrine as opposed to the early heresies, and is also decidedly a Reformed Church, as opposed to the Papal and priestly system. It seems to me that here is the stumbling-block of the Newmanites. They hate the Reformation-they hate the Reformers. It were scarce possible that they could subscribe honestly to the opinions of men whom they hate, even if we had never seen the process of their subscription in detail.

You seemed to think that I was not so charitable towards the Newmanites as I used to be towards the Roman Catholics. I think so too, but with this grave difference: that they are Roman Catholics at Oxford instead of at Oscott -Roman Catholics signing the Articles of a Protestant Church, and holding offices in its ministry. Now, as I know you are a fair man, and I think that Oxford has as yet not deprived you of your wideness of mind, it is a real matter of interest to me, to know how the fact of these men being Roman Catholics in heart, which I quite allow, can be other than the most grave charge against them, till they leave Oxford and our Protestant Church. I cannot at all conceive how you can see this otherwise, any more than I can conceive how you can acquit Tract 90 of very serious moral delinquency. For surely the Feathers Undoubtedly I think worse of Roman Tavern petitioners would have been Catholicism in itself than I did some quite as much justified in retaining their years ago. But my feelings towards a preferments as and are justi-Roman Catholic are quite different from fied in remaining in our ministry. | my feelings towards a Newmanite; beNeither does it seem to me to be a just argument respecting the Articles, any more than about other things, to insist that they shall be everything or nothing. I very gladly signed the petition for alterations, because I agree with you in thinking that subscriptions cannot be too carefully worded; but, after all, the

cause I think the one a fair enemy, the other a treacherous one. The one is the Frenchman in his own uniform, and within his own præsidia; the other is the Frenchman disguised in a red coat, and holding a post within our præsidia, for the purpose of betraying it. I should honour the first, and hang the second.

THE SLANDERER.

A CIRCUMSTANCE occurred, not many years since, which, coming under the immediate observation of the writer, may well serve to illustrate the character of the class of persons to whom we would direct the attention of the reader.

At an evening party at Mrs. -'s,

where friendship, harmony, and Christian charity ought to have prevailed, and more than ordinary enjoyment been realised, for the want of some useful and pleasing topic being started for general discussion-the best mode of passing away time on such occasions

the company were seen separating and forming themselves into detached groups, seeking amusement for themselves by alternately talking over domestic matters, and animadverting on the real or alleged failings of their friends and acquaintances.

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In one of those temporary and partial abatements of the buzz which a number of voices talking altogether occasions, the following remarks were overheard, uttered by a lady, from whose manners might have been hoped better things:"I do not wonder at anything I hear about Mrs.: I can quite believe it true; I have been told many things of her, worse than what you state; and some, too, not very much to the credit of her husband. It is a matter of surprise to not a few, how Mr. —— has amassed such a large fortune so suddenly; for, you know," it was significantly added," not many years since he was quite on a footing with ourselves. Though I would not judge them, I must confess there is much that looks suspicious, to say the least; against which no impartial persons can close their eyes."

Just as another series of strange reports and singular appearances was about to be detailed, a gentleman who had heard what passed, to the honour of his Christian principles, as some would think, calmly, yet fearlessly, and with an emphasis that could not be resisted, put to the lady the following question:-" Allow me to ask, my dear madam, of whom you might be speaking just now?" Oh, it was only a friend, sir," was the somewhat confused reply, which was not a little increased by the rejoinder: "Indeed, a friend, was it? I thought, too, I heard the name of mentioned; was it so?" The confusion of the lady, however, did not deter the gentleman from repeating the inquiry, whether Mr. and Mrs.

were not the persons to whom allusion was made. On receiving an answer in the affirmative, he inquired,

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'But where are Mr. and Mrs. Of course they are present?" he remarked, looking around the room, as though waiting for them to answer to their names. The colour heightened to a warmer tint on the cheek of the lady; a dead silence, too, prevailed; and the question was repeated, with the request that, if present, they would come forward and defend the charges alleged against them. As no one appeared, the only alternative remaining to the lady was to acknowledge her ungenerous mention of faults of which she had only heard through the intervention of others, who, from malice and disregard of truth, had perpetrated an injury on their friends, on themselves, and on society.

Taking advantage of the opportunity thus afforded, the gentleman expressed his disapprobation of the lady's conduct, in terms such as he thought the case justly warranted. " What," said he, "is so base, yet, alas! what so common, as sporting with individual reputation!" and reproof was further communicated through the few following questions, which served as a tacit condemnation, and, perhaps, pierced deeper than any more palpable remarks would have done:-" May I inquire," said he, "what was the motive that induced the remarks which you made on Mr. and Mrs. this evening, madam? Have you seen them lately? How did you speak to them? I know how you speak of them. Have you told them what is said of them, and heard their side of the question? Mr.is very rich, is he not? Your husband, if I remember rightly, has been very unfortunate in business? Mrs. I believe, is considered a very handsome woman, very clever, and very accomplished, is she not? Can you tell me her age? Several years your junior, I think, madam?"

There were signs of increased uneasiness on the part of the lady, who, though she found it easy enough to

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