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of English merchants and their servants at Antwerp; a protestant dissenting minister from the established church of Rome, a most determined enemy to prelacy, as he doubtless would have been, had he lived long enough, to the protestant episcopacy and the presbytery.+

From the time of his having finished the New Testament, he had been actively and laboriously employed in translating the Old Testament also. A very singular event happened in regard to this work; the rage which was excited made it necessary for him to remove to another of the Hanse towns, Hamburgh. The pious John Fox says, "But Satan, the prince of darkness, maligning the happy course and success of the Gospel,

Tyndale thus renders Acts, xiv. 23. "When they had ordained elders by election in all the congregations."

+ That Sir Thomas More considered him an enemy to an established hierarchy and a national endowed church appears from what he says, in reply to Tyndale's remark, that "his [More's] darling Erasmus had translated the word ecclesiæ into congregation and priest into elder, as himself had done." "If,"

said Sir Thomas, "my darling Erasmus hath translated those places with the like wicked intent that Tyndale hath done, he shall be no longer my darling, but the Divell's darling,' Bad as Luther was, in the estimation of this popish chancellor, Tyndale was much worse, and therefore we conclude he was the better Protestant of the two reformers. "He raileth against the [seven] sacraments," saith More," much worse than Luther, for whereas Luther left yet some confession, and reckoned his secret confession necessary and profitable, though he felt a rude liberty therein. Tyndale taketh it away quite, and says it was begun by the Devil." So speaking also of the holy Mass, he says, "Luther, mad as be is, was never yet as mad as Tyndale is, which, like himself, so raileth upon us in his frantic book of 'Obedience,' that any good christian man would abhor to read it."-But Tyndale's defending Luther's marriage with "his nunne," as Sir Thomas called her, was his crowning sin.

set to his might, also how to impede and hinder the blessed travels of that man, as by this, and sundry other ways, may appear. For at what time Tyndale had translated the fifth book of Moses, called Deuteronomium, minding to print the same at Hamborough, he sailed thitherward, when by the way, on the coast of Holland, he suffered shipwreck, by the which he lost all his books, writings, and copies, and so was compelled to begin all again anew, to his hindrance and doubling of his labours. Thus having lost by that ship both money, his copies, and time, he came in another ship to Hamborough, where, according to his appointment, Master Coverdale tarried for him, and helped him in the translating of his whole five books of Moses, from Easter till December, in the house of a worshipful widow, Mistris Margaret Van Emmerson, anno 1529, a great sweating sickness being the same time in the town; so having dispatched his business at Hamborough, he returned afterward to Antwerp again."

This first part of the Old Testament in 12mo., published 1530, " land of Hesse, by me, Hans Luft," emprinted at Malborow in the appears to have been circulated in distinct books, as there is no uniformity in the printing, several of them being in the old black, and others in the Roman letter. Some of the prologues prefixed, too, were printed and circulated as separate treatises. In the year 1532, the whole Bible was completed,

There is no copy, it is presumed, to be found of this Bible. Lewis says, "When the Popish bishops obtained leave of the King to burn the New Testament, they took the liberty of taking another step and burned the Old also."-History of Translations, p.143.

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ment."

The popish priests, with their clergy, were now almost driven to madness. Fox says, "They were incensed and inflamed in their minds, although having no cause, against the Old and New Testament of the Lord, newly translated by Tyndale; and conspiring together, with all their heads and counsels, how to repeal the same, never rested, before they had brought the King at last to their consent. By reason whereof, a proclamation in all haste was devised and set forth under public authority, but no just reason showed, that the Testament [Bible] of Tyndale's translation, with other works more, both of his and of other writers, were inhibited and abandoned."

The King having repudiated Queen Katherine, married Anne Boleyn, November 14, 1530. In September, 1531, Elizabeth (afterwards the celebrated queen) was born. The succession to the throne was now the great matter of struggle between the papists and protestants: the former wishing it to be in Mary, the daughter of Katherine; the latter in Elizabeth, the daughter of Anne. The following

Tyndale's phraseology greatly offended this popish champion, Sir Thomas More; as, when he says, "The seven stars are the messengers of the seven congregations, and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven congregations.—Unto the messenger of the congregation at Ephesus.-I, Jesus, have sent my messenger to testify these things in the congregations," &c. &c. Coverdale's, Matthews's, and Taverner's editions use the same terms.

address from Tyndale, in exile,
shows the influence his name had
upon the protestants in England.
It is entitled, "A Supplication to
the King, Nobles, and Subjects of
England." He, in the first place,
mentions the vast expense of po-
pery to the kingdom, as a reason
for promoting the Reformation; and
"For the Frenchman (as
then says,
it is said) of late days made a play
or a disguising [a masquerade] at
Paris, in which the Emperor danced
with the Pope and the French King
and wearied them, the King of
England sitting upon a high bench
and looking on; and when it was
asked why he danced not, it was
answered, that he sat there but to
pay the minstrels their wages!”

London.

J. I.

(To be concluded in our next.)

HINTS ON FASTING.
To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine.
DEAR SIR,

I

IT must afford pleasure to all the
true followers of our self-denying
Master to find that the attention
of the Dissenting Bodies is being
directed to the now almost obsolete
but scriptural observances of fast-
ing, humiliation, and prayer.
hail it as a very interesting and
important feature of the present
them. It is interesting, because it
times that we are trying to revive
shows that we are, in some degree,
aware of our deficiencies and luke-
warmness in the spiritual and salu-
tary exercises of religlon. It is
important, because we are encou-
raged to expect that the divine
blessing will follow them, if ob-
served from pure motives in a de-
votional spirit.

I would not have troubled you,

This appears to have been published separately, but the chief part is an extract from "The Practice of Prelates," which had been published three years before.

with the salutary exercises we found necessary to support us under them, or we have been amusing ourselves in the sunshine, forgetful of the beneficent author and origin of light.

did I not hope that some abler pen | enjoy ourselves after the fatigue of would be drawn on the subject, the day, we have fallen asleep and through marking my deficiencies. forgotten our troubles, together It has struck me, however, that some reasons may be found, without going far, for the almost entire disuse of the custom of observing days of humiliation and prayer, a custom so common in the days of our pious ancestors, and so salutary and profitable in itself, that one almost wonders where we have been and what have been our thoughts, that it should have fallen so far into the shade.

If you will allow me a corner in your pages, I will state the reasons that appear to me to have operated in producing the indifference we observe on the subject.

1. The cessation of persecution, and consequent calm the Church has enjoyed. Since the Revolution and passing the Toleration Act, excepting the last days of Queen Anne, we have heard comparatively nothing of confiscations, fines, and imprisonments for non-conformity. We have had an outward calm; the obloquy and reproach that attended a conscientious attachment to scriptural principles and practices has gradually passed away. We have seen all the penal statutes that affected our liberties removed, one by one, till there are none left, not even the disgraceful Test. These are triumphs that have been celebrated, triumphs that every true born Briton ought to hail, and for which we shall demonstrate our gratitude (as dissenters) by persevering loyalty and attachment to our beloved Monarch and his civil Government. But it is to the present purpose to inquire what has been the effect of this cessation of persecution and reproach on our internal economy. Has it not lulled us into a love of ease? has it not seriously militated against the influence of practical principles? We have sat down to

2. The very prominent place doctrinal preaching has had among us, to the partial neglect of practical truth, may be regarded as another cause.-Do not suppose I mean to undervalue doctrinal preaching; the doctrines of the Gospel are my hope, my foundation, but I fear we have, in some sections of our denomination, given them an undue prominence, and have not sufficiently blended them with the practical. We all know what effect the practice of the epicure will produce on the human system; filled to the full, even to the loathing of dainties, the physical powers are unfitted for salutary exercise, and an aversion is contracted for every thing that wears the aspect of labour or self-denial. Some such consequences on the spiritual system will always follow crude doctrinal preaching; we have of this too many proofs in the vitiated taste of many professors, their inaptitude for self-denial and contempt of every thing that wears the appearance of duty. But where doctrinal and practical truths are wisely blended, we see it operate on the habitual temperament of Christians like a moderate degree of food, attended with regular exercise on the bodily system, producing soundness, health, and vigour.

3. On the other hand, too great a disposition to speculate in religion may have had its share in producing this state of things. This is an age of refinement, of intellectual march, nor would I discourage it,

but rather lend my feeble energies
to help it forward : but while many
are pleasing themselves that they
are not what is termed high or
doctrinal, and are very severe upon
those who are, they run into the Banks of the Cray, Kent.
opposite extreme, they can relish
nothing but what is elegant and
tasteful, can hear none but intel-
lectual preachers, read religious
novels, and run through the fashion-
able religious jargon of the day,

and Good Friday named as the day;
perhaps our friends of each deno-
mination could form some plan.
Your's,
VIATOR.*

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ON MAN'S REPUGNANCE TO THE

GOSPEL.

"No man receiveth his testimony."

John, iii. 32.

until they lose the savour and spirit THE spirituality of the religion of of true piety, reject the severe prac-Jesus Christ, the moral purity of tical parts of the system as un-its precepts, and the simplicity of friendly to their habits, or incon- its worship, were so opposite to the sistent with their pursuits. ingenious theories and splendid rites Fasting! antiquated stuff!" of the Pagan and the Jewish syssaid a professor the other day. tems which then prevailed, as to "We shall have auricular confes-render it matter of little astonishsion ere long. I have no objection ment that its first publication should to pray, but I leave fasting to Rome have generally excited hatred and and her sons." Ah! thought I, contempt. 'tis time we began to recover ourselves out of the snare of the Devil, in which we have been so long; here is proof of the tendency of lax practical principles. "Tis "high time to awake out of sleep." We have much to humble us and to mourn before God, but we have the promises of God to encourage us, the example of Christ to animate us, and the Holy Spirit to bless and crown our endeavours.

The publication of the Resolutions recommending a day for fasting and prayer, I most heartily approve, and, so far as local circumstances admit, shall adopt, but I should like to see a simultaneous movement in the whole dissenting body on the subject.*

Can no plan be adopted (having timely notice given) that we may all, as one man, on one day throughout the kingdom, unite in the exercise. There has been a proposal,

It is with pleasure we announce that the wishes of our correspondent are likely to be realized, of which further notice will be given.-ED.

The degenerate and selfish Jews, giving a literal interpretation to the figurative language of prophecy, were looking for a hero, who, as in the former periods of their history, should be invested with temporal grandeur and power by the visible interposition of Omnipotence; who should once more assemble the scattered host of Israel, lead them to certain conquest, and, after the subjugation of all their enemies, make Jerusalem the seat of a universal and everlasting empire.Oppressed by the Roman yoke, and eagerly anticipating deliverance and revenge, they viewed the "meek and lowly" Jesus with disappointThe obment and abhorrence. scurity of his birth, his lack of pompous circumstance, his disclaim of all earthly dignity, and his constant affirmation that his "kingdom

We are happy to find that Mr. Hargreaves has amplified his excellent "Circular Letter" into a shilling pamphlet. What he has written on fasting and prayer well deserves the most serious attention of all our churches.-ED.

But

was not of this world," widely differ- | futurity, and so far as their opered from their hopes and conceptions ation tends to give his character of the promised "Shiloh, unto whom that form and complexion which the gathering of the people should must distinguish it for ever. be." Taught from infancy, also, to consider themselves the peculiar favourites of heaven, and to regard all other nations as excluded from participation in divine solicitude, their hearts had become too narrow to comprehend or welcome that spirit of universal benevolence, which pervaded almost every sentence that dropped from the lips of Him, the essence of whose character was love.

though the approach of an immortal and immutable state of being is almost universally admitted, it has failed to produce an equally extensive anxiety for acquaintance with its nature, or preparation for its coming; while any perception, however indistinct, of a hitherto unknown principle in the physical economy of nature would at once excite a general feeling of interest, induce an active investigation, direct into a new course the united

To the people of the world at large, whose very worship was de-energies of acute minds, assume a secrated by gross impurity and prominent station in public esteem, profane licentiousness, and who did and confer honour on the individual not suppose the possession of sen- whose research should lead to its sual appetites inconsistent with discovery. The inspired writers Divinity, it must be obvious that were perfectly aware of this unithe abstraction of those doctrines versal indisposition to the acceptwhich affirmed the immateriality ance of revealed truth; and, in of God and declared that he could publishing their divine message, only "be worshipped in spirit and particularly anticipate and dein truth" was, indeed, but "foolish-scribe the coldness of its reception. ness."

Though thus easy to account for the aggregate repugnance of the ancient world to the admission of the gospel, from the influence of the existing state of affairs, which is called in Scripture "the times of ignorance which God winked at," we must assign other causes for its personal non-reception then, and even now, in an age and country where it is generally considered disgraceful to deny its truth, and where, to neglect its external observances, is actually a breach of human law.

When we consider man as capable of an immaterial, and destined to an eternal existence, we can look upon him here but as in the infancy of his being; and the trains of circumstances through which he may pass upon earth can be viewed as important only with reference to

When Paul, with the fervour of inspiration superadded to his native eloquence, preached to the inquisitive, enlightened Athenians, we are told that some contemptuously inquired, "What will this babbler say?"" that "some mocked," and that others coldly said, "We will hear thee again of this matter."

Those who have happily experienced the consolation, joy, and purifying influence of faith in the gospel can doubtless look back on a period when, though exhibited to their minds by the same external means and in the same language it is now, they, too, rejected its invitations and contemned its threatenings; and they feel conscious that some powerful though invisible agency must have been employed to remove "the veil from their hearts" and “ open their understandings to understand the Scrip

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