Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

And since we are not able to give any certain proof of it, (for, between ourselves, we have no difficulty in avowing, that we cannot prove that which we believe and teach respecting traditions, and that we have, in this respect, only conjectures,) we, notwithstanding, acknowledge its truth, because the Romish Church teaches it also.-P. 645.

The reason which they give for vigorously opposing the progress of the Reformation is ingenuous enough.

The concern is not then about indifferent things, but about the prosperity and conservation even of your See, and of the preservation of us all who are its members and creatures; for, from the time of the Apostles, (we ought to avow it here without disguise, but it must be between ourselves,) and even some years after the Apostles, there was question neither concerning Pope nor Cardinal; it is certain that the immense revenues appropriated to the bishops and priests did not exist; churches were not built at so great cost; there were neither monasteries, nor priories, nor abbeys; much less did they admit our doctrines, our laws, or our present customs; and, indeed, they did not know of the great dominion which we now-a-days exercise over the people; moreover, the ministers of all churches, not excepting the Romish Church, submitted themselves with the fullest accord to kings, princes, and magistrates. Your Holiness may imagine what we should become, if, by an unhappy destiny, we should be replunged into the original state of poverty, of humiliation, and of slavery, and obliged to obey an authority foreign to that of the Church. It concerns us, therefore, as we said before, as a thing of the heaviest importance.-P. 645.

·-

The origin of the power of the Romish Church is thus described:

We see, in intimately examining this question, that the Church has not acquired the glory, the authority, and the power which it now possesses, but when it had at its head bishops full of address and sagacity, who, on all occasions, pressed the Cæsars to use their authority and their power in conferring on the See of Rome the primacy and the sovereign power over other churches. It appears that Boniface III., amongst others, obtained this privilege from the Emperor Phocis. Besides, we see that the church has, from day to day, gained an increase, from the epoch when cardinals began to be created, the number of bishops to be augmented, and our numerous, and excellent orders of monks and nuns were instituted.

There is no doubt, that these popes, cardinals, bishops, monks, and nuns, by their shrewdness, by their additions to the ancient precepts, by their usages and their ceremonies, made the Church to deviate from that primitive doctrine which it held in its poverty and its humility, and gained to itself, by such means, the credit and authority which it enjoys. We must then, to maintain it in this state, employ the same means which have served to attain it; that is to say, we must use much slyness and sagacity, and must augment the number of cardinals, bishops, monks, and nuns.-P. 645.

It is thus, then, in the opinion of three Bishops, sufficiently distinguished to be consulted on an especial occasion by the Pope, that the errors and abuses which have separated us from the Church of Rome, are not to be dated from the Apostolic times! But we must proceed. The following morceau proves that nothing is changed in Spain, and that it is not incredulity, but faith, which is dreaded by the Romish Church.

Spain venerates, more than any other country, the person of your Holiness, your laws, and institutions; she is unchangeable (nihil innovat, nihil mutat) by time and circumstances. On this side, therefore, there is nothing to fear; for there are but few Spaniards who have not the Lutheran doctrines in horror; and if there are infidels amongst them, they deny the advent of the Messiah,

or the immortality of the soul, rather than forget your authority, and that of the Romish Church; and, doubtless, this heresy is less dangerous for us than that of the Lutherans. The reason is evident; for, if these Moors neither believe in Christ nor in a future life, at least, they keep silence in general on these subjects; at the worst, they make them the subject of ridicule amongst themselves, but they cease not to obey the Romish Church; whilst the Lutherans, on the contrary, openly declare themselves against it, and make efforts to shake and to overturn the edifice which it has erected.-P. 646.

After this preamble, follow the different means recommended by the three bishops to the Pope, for strengthening his power. The first is, to create in France and in Italy one hundred new bishops, and fifty cardinals, amongst whom there ought to be thirty or forty chosen from the most able and best versed in the knowledge of courts, of politics, and of civil and ecclesiastical power, (... sagaces, inque aulicis publicisque negotiis exercitatissimi, ac Pontificis Civilisque juris peritissimi) as privy-counsellors: the others ought to reside in their dioceses, to amuse the citizens by games, plays, and entertainments of all kinds, (omne genus deliciis); they ought to display great pomp, both in the church and out of it, and appear frequently on horseback in public (assiduè equitando populo sese conspiciendos exhibeant). The result of these truly evangelical measures is thus stated:

:

It will immediately happen, that the people, who every where admire this pomp and these ceremonies, and at which the presence of rich men furnishes occasion of obtaining wealth, will submit to the yoke of your prelates; and all at length attracted, some by their own inclinations, others by their interest, will range themselves on your side.-P. 646.

The advice which follows is not less edifying and instructive :—

It is right, then, that your Holiness should take care, that the Cardinals and Bishops should prefer the children of citizens to ecclesiastical benefices (civium liberis sacerdotia conferant). That is an admirable way, and the most sure of all, of keeping them in the faith. There are a great number of your flocks who, a long time ago, would have embraced the Lutheran doctrine, if they had not been hindered solely by the motive, which either they or their brethren, their children or their parents, received from the revenues of the Church.-P. 646.

The next thing to be noticed, is the project of sending into France and Italy a great number of priests, of a particular class (ingentem numerum sacerdotum illorum quos vulgò Chietinos vel Paulinos nominant).

For, (continue they,) the ordinary priests and monks have in such a way abused the mass, say it in such a hurry, and lead a life so impure and irregular, that it is with reason men will not allow themselves to be persuaded, in spite of all the efforts of our sophists, that an abominable and impious person (sceleratum et impium aliquem) can make Christ descend upon the altar, draw souls from purgatory, and give absolution of sins.-P. 646.

Mention is then made of several new monastic orders; these orders having, by confessions, assemblies for worship, and practices which they themselves have introduced, (quos ipsi introduxerunt) contributed much to the strengthening of the papal power. Then follow a multitude of directions, of which these are the principal;To institute new brotherhoods in honour of this or that saint, as Stella had done successfully; to introduce into public worship "great pomp, images, statues, wax-tapers, lamps, the playing of organs, and of

other instruments; things," add they, "which the people love above all things, and which makes them almost forget that doctrine which is so destructive and pernicious."

[In our next Number, if possible, we will conclude the examination of this precious document; and, in the mean time, beg our readers to carefully consider the conclusions which must be deduced from what we have already stated.]

AMEN.

[ocr errors]

MR. EDITOR,-It has been observed, you know, by Wheatly, Dr. Bisse, and others, that the "Amen' at the end of the Confession, Lord's Prayer, Creeds, and Doxology in the Liturgy of the Church of England, ought to be pronounced both by the minister and congregation. As a proof of which opinion they remark that, in these forms, the "Amen" is printed in the same character with the forms, as a hint to the minister that he is still to go on, and, by pronouncing the "Amen" himself, to direct the people to do the same; but at the end of all the collects and prayers, which the priest is to say alone, it is printed in italic, a different character from the prayers themselves, to denote that the minister is to stop at the end of the prayer, and to leave the "Amen" for the people to respond. In that situation it is to be considered as a part of the form: in this it is subjoined only as

an answer.

as a sincere admirer

As a clergyman of the Established Church, of our incomparable Liturgy,—and as one who wishes "all things to be done decently and in order," allow me to ask you, Sir, or, through your valuable publication, some of your numerous readers, Do not the clergy generally omit the pronouncing of the "Amen" at the end of the Confession, &c., and leave it to be repeated by the congregation, or, as is often the case in some churches, by the clerks only? If so, is not this an omission which ought to be corrected? Or can any argument be offered to excuse this neglect? If not, and it appears to be the duty of the minister to pronounce the "Amen" audibly in the places alluded to during the reading of the Liturgy, is it not equally his duty to repeat it with the Lord's Prayer, in the pulpit, before the sermon?

I am, Mr. Editor, your constant reader and obedient servant, SCRUTATOR.

JEWEL'S APOLOGY RECOMMENDED FOR PRIEST'S ORDERS. MR. EDITOR,-Having lately read with pleasure your very just commendation of Mr. Isaacson's edition of JEWEL'S APOLOGY, I beg to suggest whether it would not be very advantageous, both to the clergy and people of Great Britain, if the Bishops would require an acquaintance with that admirable work, and a readiness to be examined in it, as one of the qualifications for Priest's Orders. When the friends of Popery are endeavouring once more to palm off its impositions upon the public of Great Britain, an acquaintance with such works as the Apology of Bishop JEWEL is highly desirable.

I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,

JOHANNES.

A TRANSLATION OF BUCHANAN'S HYMN ON THE ASCENSION

OF CHRIST.

By the Rev. J. M. JONES.

LOUD shouts of high triumphant
praise,

Let the glad church exulting raise;
See the victorious leader rise,
He scales the temple of the skies,
And to his Father's bosom flies.
His blood-stain'd breast, his wreathed
crown,

He shews to prove the battle won.
The lofty clouds descending meet,
Obsequious, at the ruler's feet;
Celestial gates of massive gold
At his divine approach unfold;
The victor and his num'rous train
An entrance through heav'n's portals
gain.

The crystal canopy above

Sparkles with light, with joy, and
love;

Melodious notes by angels giv'n,
That breathe the very soul of heav'n,

Swell through the host, and loud pro-
claim

The King, the King of glory's name.
Th' astonish'd world, in full amaze
At the stupendous glory, gaze.
Hell, pallid, trembles at his word;
Death, weeping, falls beneath his sword:
Now let the christian warrior fight,
With Christ in view, with heaven in
sight.

O, Holy Spirit, straight descend,
Thou art the humble suppliant's friend;
Offspring of God and of the Son,
Forming the blessed Three in One,
Assist us with thy heav'nly light;
Arm us for conflict and for fight.
In christian panoply array'd,
With hopes immortal, undismay'd,
May we our glorious Conqueror meet,
Laying our triumphs at his feet,
And own his victory complete.

[blocks in formation]

ILLUSTRATIONS OF SCRIPTURAL FACTS AND CUSTOMS,

By analogous Reference to the Practice of other Nations.

HEAT BY DAY AND COLD BY NIGHT.

Genesis xxxi. 40.-" Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night."

We found the nights cool and the mornings quite cold, the thermometer varying sometimes 30° between the greatest heat and the greatest cold. The difference was sufficiently sensible to enable us to comprehend the full force of the complaint which Jacob made to Laban, in the above verse; the thermometer, at the end of the month of May, varying in the heat of the day from 98° to 103°. Morier's Persia, p. 97.

MONTHLY REGISTER.

CLERGY MUTUAL ASSURANCE SOCIETY.

Established and Enrolled under Act of Parliament, 10 Geo. IV. c. 56.

THIS Society have issued the following circular:-

This Society does not pretend to offer equal advantages at much lower rates than those of other offices; it is not so much by the cheapness of its rates of insurance, as by the nature of the insurances themselves, which are adapted to the peculiar circumstances of the Clergy, that this Society desires to recommend itself to the notice of the Clergy and their families, as well as to the patronage of the Laity. The object of the Society will be best explained by considering the nature of its insurances, which are comprised under the four following heads, and in each of which it pursues principles, either not acted upon at all by other Societies, or such as are much more to the advantage of the family of the insurer.

1. An insurance whereby a Clergyman may secure for himself a provision, when prevented by sickness or infirmity from performing the duties of his profession; and, thus, if he is a curate, avoid the sad consequences of total loss of stipend, or if he is an incumbent, be enabled to provide assistance in the duties of his parish, without diminution of income.

2. An insurance for endowments of children, whereby a Clergyman or any relative of a Clergyman, may provide for a child of a Clergyman, any sum not exceeding 500l. to be paid at 14 and 21 years of age, or certain annual allowances not exceeding 100l. nor less than 10%. commencing from 10, 14, or 18 years of age, and continuing to 23.

3. An insurance for a life annuity, whereby a Clergyman may make an annual provision for himself, his wife or children, to commence from 25 years of age and other subsequent periods.

4. An insurance for any sum not exceeding 1000l. to be paid at the death of the insurer, to his wife or children, or, if he has none, to some

near relative nominated by the in

surer.

It may be observed with reference to the first class of insurances above mentioned, that no similar plan for providing relief for the members of any liberal profession, whilst incapacitated by illness or infirmity, temporary or permanent, from the discharge of official duties, has ever yet been devised. The advantage that may result to the Clergy from the formation of such a fund is obvious.

Few young men at their first admission into the Ministry of the Church are apt to take such a prudent view of the casualties incident to human life, as seriously to consider what would be their lot, if blindness, or paralysis, or loss of voice, or some chronic disease, should befall them, whilst curates, whereby they would find themselves deprived of their only income. Fewer still, perhaps, who have prospect of certain provision as incumbents, consider in the time of-health, what a comfort it would be to them, when surrounded by a wife and family, and disabled from personal exertion, to have provided beforehand such an allowance as would pay the curate, whom the law compels the incumbent to appoint in such a case, and whose stipend not unfrequently amounts to the whole revenue of the living. Surely that is but a small sacrifice to be made by a young Clergyman, which, upon payment of one, two, three, or four guineas annually, would secure to him at any period of his life a provision during sickness, at the rate of 261., 521., 78l., 1047., per ann.

The Directors of the Clergy Mutual Assurance Society, would most earnestly direct the attention of the Clergy at large, and of the younger Clergy in particular, to this most beneficial and interesting portion of the Society's designs, as being the most satisfactory method of establishing a Clergy superannuation fund, of a nature suited to the feelings of men of

« AnteriorContinuar »