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CHRONOLOGICAL PAGE FOR AUGUST, 1849.

SUN RISES & SETS

FAMILY BIBLE READING.

MEMORANDA.

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Venus and Mars visible in mornings.
Saturn south-east about midnight.
Sun duc east 7h. 4m., morning.
Moon rises, 39 min. past 6, evening.
Twilight begins 1 h. 31 m.

Clock before sun, 5 minutes, 52 seconds.
Full Moon, 52 min. past 3, morning.
Moon rises, 44 min. past 7, evening.

Sunday School Union Lessons,
Luke xiii, 1-17, Psalm li.
1844, Prince Alfred born.
Moon rises, 44 min. past 8, evening.
Moon sets, 58 min. past 7, morning.
Baptist Irish Committee, 6, evening.
Moon sets, 10 min. past 9, morning.
Moon rises, 35 min. past 9, evening.
1791, Dr. C. Evans (Bristol) died, æt. 54.
Moon rises, 10, night.

1812, Lawson arrived at Calcutta.
Moon rises, 30 m. past 10, night.
Dog Days end.

Moon's last quarter, 33 min. past 1, aftern.

Sunday School Union Lessons,
Matthew xiii, 1-23, Isaiah lv.
1792, Queen Adelaide born.

Clock before sun, 4 minutes, 35 seconds.
Moon rises, 31 min. past 12, morning.
1457, First printed book issued.
Moon rises, 26 min. past 1, morning.
Moon sets, 21 min. past 5, afternoon.
Moon rises, 31 min. past 2, morning.
Moon sets, 10 min. past 6, evening.
1761, Dr. Carey born at Paulersbury.
1786, Duchess of Kent born.
New Moon, 33 min. past 5, morning.
Moon sets, 29 min. past 7, evening.

Sunday School Union Lessons,

Matthew xiii, 24-53, Judges ix. 1-29.
1800, J. Fountain (Dinagepore) d., aged 33.
Moon sets, 18 m. past 8, evening.
Day breaks 2 h. 31 min.

Baptist Home Mission Committee at 6.

1485, Richard III. died, aged 42.

Moon sets, 10 min. past 9, evening.

1806, Chater & Robinson arrived in India.

Moon sets, 34 m. past 9, evening,
1662, Act of Uniformity enforced.

1844, Dr. Carson died, aged 68.

1795, Dr. Samuel Stennett died, æt. 68. Moon's first quarter, 56 min. past 4, aftern.

Matt. viii. 18-27, Mark iv.35-44, Jonah i. 1819, Prince Albert born.

Moon rises, 3, afternoon.

Moon sets, 49 m. past 11, evening.

1839, John Chin (Walworth) died, æt. 67.
Moon rises, 49 min. past 3, afternoon.
Clock before sun, 45 seconds.

Moon rises, 34 min. past 4, afternoon.
Moon sets, 30 min. past 1, morning.
Moon rises, 15 min. past 5, afternoon.
1688, John Bunyan died, aged 60.
Day decreased 2 h. 57 min.

REVIEW S.

Assertion of Liberty of Conscience by the Independents in the Westminster Assembly of Divines, 1644. Painted by J. R. HERBERT, R.A. Engraved by SAMUEL BELLIN. Published by Thomas Agnew, Printseller to the Queen and Prince Albert, Exchange Street, Manchester, December 16, 1848. London Agent, Owen Bailey, Wholesale Printseller and Publisher, 3, Quicksett Row, New Road, Fitzroy Square.

The courtesy of the publisher in forwarding to us a copy of this beautiful engraving demands our most respectful acknowledgments. It might have been thought that remarks which have already appeared in our pages would indispose him for such a costly act of politeness; but he probably felt that as a work of art the performance might defy hostile criticism, and gave us credit for ability to distinguish between questions so essentially different as the accuracy of a widely circulated statement, and the skill with which the supposed facts have been presented to the eye. For the truth of the history, it could not be expected that we should hold those gentlemen responsible whose names are attached to the print; and for the ability which they have displayed in their respective departments, they are indisputably entitled to the highest praise. We never saw a production of the kind in which the painter and the engraver had done more to command admiration.

The Westminster Assembly, it is well known, was a company of theologians convened by parliament in the latter part of the reign of Charles I. The prelates had been removed from the House of Lords; a bill for abolishing the hierarchy had been passed; and the

legislators, supposing that they must establish something in the place of that which they had removed, issued an Ordinance "for the calling of an assembly of learned and godly divines and others, to be consulted with by the parliament, for the settling of the Government and Liturgy of the Church of England, and for vindicating and clearing of the Doctrine of the said church from false aspersions and interpretations." At such a convention it is evident that baptists had no business: they were the anti-state churchmen of the times, and if any were invited, which is not probable, it is certain that none of them attended. The acceptance of a seat in the Westminster Assembly was a virtual admission of the right of parliament to legislate on those subjects respecting which the divines were called together to give advice; and from the eighth year of Constantine the baptists had been accustomed to repeat the question, "What has the emperor to do with the church?" Of episcopalians, independents, and especially presbyterians, there was a goodly array; ten lords, twenty commoners, as lay assessors, and one hundred and twentyone divines.

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Baillie, Rutherford, and Henderson, our readers would not be content, for in ministers from Scotland; and on his left, Love, Gouge, Reynolds, Ash, and Hoyle. Many others, men of known eminence, are behind the president, and a still larger number sitting or standing before him. It is an impressive sight. The intellectual majesty of many of the countenances, and the gravity and earnestness of their aspect, fix the attention at once and awaken curiosity. It is observable, also, that the chief men are in a state of excitement. Philip Nye is speaking, and it is evident that what he is saying is unpalatable to the principal personages, who hear his address with a mixture of surprise and alarm. Beneath are the words,

"ASSERTION OF LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE BY THE INDEPENDENTS IN THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES, 1644.

"WE WERE ALL HIGHLIE OFFENDED

WITH HIM ALL CRYED HIM DOWNE

Baillie's Letters, Vol. II., p. 146."

Additional explanation is afforded in a printed prospectus, which, after expatiating on the importance of the assembly, and the services rendered to truth and liberty by those who obtained the appellation of "the dissenting brethren," adds,-" The moment seized by the artist is, while Philip Nye is declaring, in the name of his associates, their settled judgment that, by God's command, the magistrate is discharged to put the least discourtesy on any man, Turk, Jew, Papist, Socinian, or whatever, for his religion. They were for union in things necessary, for liberty in things unnecessary, and for charity in all:

The question whether these words were ever uttered in the assembly by Philip Nye or not having been mooted already in our pages, it is not possible to pass it over unnoticed on the present occasion. Were we inclined to wave it,

their judgment as well as in our own, truth is a gem of inestimable value, which must be purchased whatever it may cost, retained at all hazards, and worn upon the breast openly. There are among them men to whom truth in common life, truth in history, truth in theology, truth everywhere, has become an object of intense desire and every day pursuit. Now they have seen in the Baptist Magazine for October, 1847, a review of Lectures entitled, "Liberty of Conscience illustrated," which had been delivered in connexion with the exhibition of Mr. Herbert's painting in Liverpool, Birmingham, and other places, by the Rev. Dr. Massie. There can be no impropriety now in saying that that review was written by our friend E. B. Underhill, Esq., as he has since republished it, with some slight additions, appending his name. Το that we refer our readers for an elaborate view of the facts, no attempt having been made to disprove Mr. Underhill's argument, we believe, though certainly we have seen observations in print indicating a strong desire that it should be disregarded, and a want of sympathy with that solicitude about truth in small particles which in such men as Mr. Underhill has become a habit. Though it is not necessary, therefore, that we should go into the subject in all its length and breadth, we seem called upon for some remarks upon the scene presented to us in this enchanting specimen of pictorial art.

The picture itself we are happily able to regard with great complacency. We regret that by a sort of poetic license some eminent men are introduced to grace the assembly who did not belong to it: neither Cromwell, who is one of the most prominent and interesting figures, nor Owen, nor Milton, is to be found in the list of names contained in the ordinance by which the

assembly was called, nor in the list of their antagonists caused the country

additional members, who were termed "the superadded divines." It is possible, however, that they may have been admitted as visitors, though they were not members. In all other respects, we believe, the picture gives a just and impressive view, not only of the assembly which sat year after year, but also of an interesting scene which, on one occasion, actually took place. It was not, however, a scene occasioned by a declaration "that by God's command the magistrate is discharged to put the least discourtesy on any man, Turk, Jew, papist, Socinian, or whatever, for his religion," but by a speech delivered by Philip Nye against presbyterianism, in which he argued that it was unfavourable to civil liberty.

"We were all highlie offended with him-all cryed him downe." These are the words below the picture, and for these we are referred to "Baillie's Letters, Vol. II., p. 146." On page 146 we find the words. But in what connexion? What was the cause of the displeasure? We will present the passage to our readers at length, with these words distinguished by a variation of type, and if he does not decide that the indignation was excited by an attack upon presbyterianism, we must submit to be non-suited. Let it be observed, however, that the independents did contend for a toleration far more exten

sive than the presbyterians were willing to grant. The presbyterians contended for uniformity, the independents for toleration. The presbyterians would have established presbyterianism, and punished independents, baptists, and others, for schism; the independents contended for the toleration of all whose errors were not fundamental. The independents were for a limited toleration, and even to that the presbyterians declared they could not consent. They complained, too, that the emissaries of

people to think "that the Assembly did cry down the truth with votes, and was but an anti-christian meeting which would erect a presbytery worse than bishops. For to remedy these evils,” adds Baillie, April 2, 1644.

"For to remedy these evils, and satisfy the minds of all, we thought meet to essay how far we could draw them in a private, friendly way of achad well near crushed that motion in the very commodation, but Satan, the father of discord, beginning. After our first meeting with some three of the assemblie, Marshall, Palmer, Vines; and three of them, Goodwin, Burroughs, Bridges, with my Lord Wharton, Sir Harie Vane, and the Solicitor, in our house, and very fair appearances of pretty agreement, Mr. Nye was like to spoil all our play. When it came to his turn in the assemblie to oppugne the presbytrie, he had, from the 18th of which he could never get in a syllogisme, the Matthew, drawn in a crooked, unformal way, inconsistence of a presbytrie with a civil state. In this he was cryed down as impertinent. The day following, when he saw the assemblie both houses, he did fall on that argument full of the prime nobles and chief members of againe, and very boldly offered to demonstrate, that our way of drawing a whole kingdom under one national assemblie, is formidable, yea pernicious, and thrice over pernicious, to civil states and kingdoms. ALL CRYED HIM DOWNE, and some would have had him expelled the assembly as seditious. Mr. Henderson shewed he spoke against the government of ours, and all the reformed churches, as Lucian estates against the Christian religion. WE and the pagans wont to stir up princes and WERE ALL HIGHLIE OFFENDED WITH HIM. The assemblie voted him to have spoken against

the order; this is the highest of their censures. Maitland was absent, but enraged when he heard of it. We had many consultations what to do; at last we resolved to pursue it no further, onlie we would not meet with him, except he acknowledged his fault. The independents were resolute not to meet without him, and he resolute to recal nothing of the substance of that he had said. At last, we were entreated by our friends, to shuffle it over the best way might be, and to go on in our business. God, that brings good out of evil, made that miscarriage of Nye a mean to do him some good;

for, ever since, we find him in all things, the most accommodating man in the company.”— Baillie, pp. 145, 146.

But though there is nothing about "Turks, Jews, and Papists," in this paragraph, and we have not been able to find evidence that they were ever mentioned in the Westminster Assembly the at all by Nye or any of his associates, words occur more than once in Baillie's

Letters, when he is writing of other parties who went beyond the Five Dissenting brethren in their notions. In particular he charges this ultraism on an anonymous writer, who was, it seems, an independent minister in Coleman Street, named John Goodwin, but who had no seat in the Assembly. Thus, in writing to a cousin residing in Holland, Mr. William Spang, in May, 1644, Baillie says,

M. S. against A. S.,' is John Goodwin of Coleman Street; he names you expressly, and professes to censure the letter of Zeland. He is a bitter enemie to presbytrie, and is openly for a full libertie of conscience to all sects, even Turks, Jews, Papists, and all to be more openly tolerate than with you. This way is very pleasant to many here."

Again, he represents M. S. as saying this, expressly acquitting "the Five" of concurrence in the sentiment; other independents who agreed with M. S. said so, but "the Five" would not say so. In a postscript to Mr. Spang, he says, “The independents here, finding they have not the magistrate so obsequious as in New England, turn their pens, as you will see in M. S., to take from the magistrate all power of

taking any coercive order with the vilest heretics. Not only they praise your magistratewho, for policy, gives some secret tolerance to divers religions, wherein, as I conceive, your divines preach against them as great sinnersbut avow that, by God's command, the magistrate is discharged to put the least discourtesy on any man, Jew, Turk, Papist, Socinian, or whatever, for his religion! I wish Apollonius considered this well, the Five he writes to will not say this; but M. S. is of as great authority here as any of them."

But we have not only Baillie's declaration that "the Five," including Nye, would not say this, but his testimony,

VOL. XII.--FOURTH SERIES.

also, that in the assembly Nye and Dr. Thomas Goodwin actually opposed the reception of a document which did say it. In a letter dated January 1, 1644, we find the following passage :—

"A day or two thereafter some of the anabaptists came to the assemblie's scribe with a letter, enveighing against our covenant, and carrying with them a printed sheet of admonitions to the assemblie from an Old English anabaptist at Amsterdame, to give a full libertie of conscience to all sects, and to beware of keeping anie sabbath, and such like. The scribe offered to read all in the assemblie. Here rose a quick enough debate. Goodwin, Nye, and their partie, by all means pressing the neglect, contempt, and suppressing all such fantastick papers: others were as vehement for taking notice of them, that the parliament might be acquaint therewith, to see to the remedie of these dangerous sects. The matter was left to be considered as the committees should think fit; but many marvelled at Goodwin and Nye's vehemencie in that matter."Vol. II., p. 121, Edinb.

Our

Any one who may wish to verify these quotations, and who has not access to Baillie's volumes, may find the passages correctly quoted in the "Historical Memorials" published by the Congregational Union, as collected by Mr. Hanbury,-a gentleman of whom it is right to say that though we sometimes differ from his conclusions, we have never found reason to complain of want of accuracy in his extracts. statement also shows that there is not the slightest reason why denominational feeling should mingle itself with this investigation. It is evident that there were independents at the time, as well as baptists, who did go the whole length of pleading for religious liberty in its completeness, though the independents who were members of the Assembly were not of this class. Nye and his colleagues too were enlightened and liberal-minded men, who in fighting the battle with predominant factions rendered important services to the community, though they were not prepared to go as far in

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