the priests of Rome shall not speak lies only as heretofore, when they tell us 'That in England, they abolish the Church Sacraments the means of salvation-they either raze or rob churches wheresoever they come, and make stables of them : that they will neither have temples nor form of religion, nor do they serve God any way; yea, the English nation is grown so barbarous that they are very cannibals, and devour one another.'* God knows, my soul abhors to think, much more to name, those things that are acted and done amongst us; nor should my pen be fouled with the mention of them, were not they visible to so many eyes, and did not necessity of defending impugned truth and an abused Church constrain me. But I would have all papists understand-for to that end do I thus speak-that we, who are of the true Protestant Christian religion, do abhor and loath these practices as much as any, and are persecuted to death, by them that do them, for our dislike of them." Come we now to the worse than papal cruellies exercised upon loyal Churchmen. The rebels had mentioned the outrages committed by the "tigers of Ireland," and insinuated that they, with the whole of the papists in Europe, had joined what they call, the "prelatical and court faction" against the Protestant religion. Mr. Symmons rebuts the foul charge, and adds, "concerning the bloody tigers of Ireland,' we do abhor their cruelties, and be lieve that their 'damnation slumbereth not,' but shall, in God's due time overtake and overwhelm them: but we must add further, that the tigers' of England many of those whom they call the Parliament side-have been full as bloody nay, more bloody and base than those of Ireland, who have persecuted with fire and sword from among them those only that were of a differing religion and nation unto themselves; but these here have handled them of their own religion and country after the same manner. Never any tigers' so thirsted after the blood of their nearest kindred and best friends as -even *Sandys' Euproæ Speculum, p. 119. There was a great outcry made against the King, because "he had permitted to serve him in his army some Roman Catholic officers-persons of great abilities, and not factiously inclined." But the rebels employed papists upon a large scale :-"That which did the most surprise everybody was, that they found amongst the dead, at Edge Hill-of those which were slain on the Parliament side, several popish priests, for although, in their declaration, they call the King's army a popish army, thereby to render it odious to the people; yet they had in their army two companies of Wallooms and other Roman Catholics. Besides, they omitted no endeavours to engage to their party Sir Arthur Aston, Knight, an eminent popish commander." -A Priest of the Church of Rome, quoted by Dugdale. those in England have done. Nor can any villany be named, that was acted by them in that kingdom, which hath not been done -and outdone-by those in this. These [English tigers] also have raised a rebellion against their sovereign; and, in pursuance theref, have killed, slain, and destroyed men, women, and children in some places where they have come. These also have stripped people of both sexes naked, and then shut them up in churches together, or other places, and afterward have come and, in a barbarous and beastly manner, have whipped and scourged them. These also have roasted Christians at the fire, and burned them by piecemeals-their toes from their feet, and their fingers from their hands -striking upon half a dozen drums, in the meantime, that the shrieks and cries of the tormented might not be heard, to move pity in any towards them ; which was the custom of them in old time that sacrificed children unto Moloch. Was it ever heard that the tigers in Ireland,' or the Spaniards in the Indies, did ever act any such cruelties upon them of their own faith and nation? Indeed, modesty restrains from expressing all their doings; and did I delight to make men odious, as well as sin, I could name the persons by whose command and authority some of these things have been acted, and the places where they have been done. And confident I am, if Master Fox were now alive, to search into all the places where the Parliament' tigers' have gone, and to write their doings, the volume would be three times as big as his former, and replete with as savage actions as ever yet were recorded by the pen of man." 6 Mr. Symmons thus describes the horrible immorality of those rebellious times :-"Indeed, it makes all modest men blush to hear what harlotry and filthiness is voiced to be practised and countenanced-even by them that would be esteemed reformers of our Church and nation-since the courts which punished that sin have been suppressed notwithstanding God's heavy judgments upon the nation ever since. Nor must men now speak their minds freely, for fear of being accounted disaffected persons, enemies to the State, and to the privileges of Parliament. But as St. Paul said in his time to the Corinthians, so I must say for I am God's Minister-to those above-board in these days:-'I hear there is such fornication committed,' and such filthiness suffered to go unpunished amongst you as is not to be named among saints' much less to be connived at-by them that would be esteemed members of the high and supreme court of justice. It was not so when Episcopacy was in force, nor when Bishops had their place of Parlia ment. O, might there but come forth an ordinance to warrant and encourge all men to bring in complaints against bawds, panders, and harlots, with their abettorsas there was once to invite all that would bring in accusations against God's mi. nisters-the world might then haply see, or hear, some new centuries of ill-livers; yea, and proofs, too, into the bargain. Yea, perhaps they might hear how some unworthy members have attempted to ravish and deflour ladies of honour, and no punishment inflicted for the same; how some others, neglecting their own wives, have kept divers lewd women; yea, and allowed yearly pensions to filthy bawds to furnish them with such commodities for the satisfying their brutish lusts and base appetites; how some have defloured young virginswhose parents-in respect of their abused children-are unwilling to publish their dishonour to the world; how some, having committed this vile wickedness with young gentlewomen, have used-or advised to; how some, having undone gentlemen of good quality, by taking away their estates, have taken advantage of the poverty of their children, and allured means * * their daughters-personable and proper women-unto their own baseness, to the loss of their honours and precious souls for ever; and to continue in these courses without controul is thought by many to be One of the chief designs which divers of these new reformers aim at: I say, these and many such like things might haply be evidenced to some men's shame-if they have any left in them-might but as free leave and countenance be granted to impeach such persons as was once to accuse God's Ministers. Well, some men imagine this to be one reason of the abolition of Episcopacy-that the Fathers of God's Church might not have power to punish and suppress such kind of offenders." Such is the humiliating picture, drawn by a man of God, of the state of things when as Southey remarks-" puritanism was triumphant." Some of the worst parts of Mr. Symmons' melancholy narrative have been omitted, for reasons which will readily be perceived; but from what has been transcribed, our readers will be able to judge for themselves what was the real character of those times. THE CHURCHMAN S USE OF GOD'S HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS. (CONCLUSION OF THE SERMON.) BY THE REV. EDWARD HOBLYN, A.B., VICAR OF MYLOR-CUM-MABE, NEAR FALMOUTH, CORNWALL. Preached at St. Peter's Chapel, Flushing, on Sunday, 6th February, 1842, the Chapel having been opened for Divine Service, by licence, on Wednesday, 2nd. ST. MARK, xi. 17. "And He taught, saying unto them, is it not written, my house shall be called of all nations the House of Prayer? Ir is to be esteemed one of our pre-eminent blessings in this country, that the Church of Christ has been the Church of England from times almost, if not absolutely coeval with the Great Apostle of the Gentiles. For, it is presumed from historical records, that in the first century of the Christian era, St. Paul sent over a bishop from Rome to Christianise the ancient Britons; and that the Bishop so sent was no other than Aristobulus, who is spoken honourably of by the sacred historian. (Rom. xvi. 10.) Various were the fortunes of the early Christian Church in our land. Sometimes it prospered; sometimes it was a persecuted Church; and sometimes it was disfigured by superstition. But the time at length arrived in the dispensations of a kind Providence when our Church was purified from all its dross; both internally from erroneous and strange doctrines, and outwardly from vain and unchristian ceremonial observances, such as neither St. Peter nor Paul ever thought of imposing on the faithful, and which are inconsistent with the simplicity of the Gospel scheme. Again it shone forth resplendent in all its primitive singleness of object, and was reclothed in the garb of sincerity and truth. The destiny of the Christian Church is to attain universal prevalence and dominion; and therefore we are sent forth as the ambassadors of Christ, and are commissioned to "beseech you in Christ's stead and name to be reconciled unto God." For "He will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Our Lord has said, "Lo! I am with you, even unto the end of the world." If, then, our nation and our national Church, and all true Church-members are the watchful care of Divine Providence, and regarded with so loving a superintendence of our Lord God-of Jesus Christ-of the Holy Ghost the Comforter-and of Angels -surely we should have some degree of feeling for our own national good, for the flourishing of our national Church, and for our own individual happiness and prosperity, both in time and in eternity. A Church of England man is one who is mindful of his Christian vows. He desires to believe as his Church believes," in the fundamental doctrine of the Bible; and endeavours to act as the Church directs, God being his helper, by living in the love of God, and by working out his salvation from day to day with fear and trembling. He regards the Church of Christ as to its outward visibility, not as the creature and engine of State policy, but as the institution of a Lord of love. He views it as a Church adopted only by the State, and as being temporally under the guidance and direction of religious governors, who follow the directions of Heaven, in.making true religion and public-outward worship, a matter of national concern; thus using the means of drawing down a national blessing. He regards his Church, not as a mere establishment for State purposes, as a sect or a party might be established, but as "the body of Christ" for, it is written:" Christ is the Head of the body, the Church." (Col. i. 18.) He regards it as the visible body invested with, and existing in, invisible privileges: for St. Paul tells us that, 66 we have an altar whereof they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle." He regards it as the temple of the Holy Ghost, as the depository of God's truth and God's grace. A Church of England man is not a follower of any particular man, who may have at any time taken a conspicuous and leading part in purging the Church from abuses, error, and idolatry; such as Luther or Calvin. He is not a follower of such as aim to advance their own popularity and advantage; seeking to gain proselytes to their own private interpretation and opinions on certain points of Christian faith and doctrine; opinions which tended to contract and narrow the scheme of Christianity, which our Lord and His Apostles opened and spread exceeding wide, even as a net which was spread to catch fishes of every kind; a gracious scheme, which was to embrace in one family the people of all the nations of the earth. Much less is a Church of England man a follower of any of those more modern sects, which have arisen in such multitudinous numbers as to distract the minds of men, and to estrange them from the simplicity of the Gospel truth as it is in Jesus. But he aspires and endeavours to be a follower of Jesus Christ, walking in humble fear and circumspection, even as the early disciples followed their much loved Lord in the first century of the Christian Church. The doctrine taught by the Church of England is so pure and orthodox, as the Book of Common Prayer is witness, as to bear the closest scrutiny and comparison with the inspired pages of the Bible. Brethren, we bid you imitate the Bereans, who were commanded by the Apostle, because they searched the Scriptures daily, to see whether those things were so, as they were preached to them. Whosoever believes and lives up to the life of our Church, may cherish the Christian assurance of eternal life through our Saviour Jesus Christ; nor is there anything in our Church creed, or practised formulary, to be found so objectionable as to warrant any of its members on any account to disturb its peace, to break its harmony, or to renounce its communion. A Church of England man is one who would, on no consideration whatever, call himself after the name of a brother Christian; for, we are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, who died for us. When St. Paul wrote to the early Corinthian Christians, he blamed them for their divisions, and because they were "not perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (Cor. i. 10.) "It hath been declared unto me, of you, my brethren, that there are contentions among you. I, says one, am of Paul :a Paul-ite. I, says another, am of Apollos :- -an Apollos-ite. I, says a third, am of Cephas or Peter:-a Cephas-ite; and I, says a fourth, am of Christ :a Christian." "What! exclaims the astonished Apostle-is Christ divided? -was Paul crucified for you, or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?-ye are yet carnal; for while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos-are ye not carnal and walk as men? Let no man glory in men." (Cor. iii. 21.) Now, brethren, if we attentively consider the foregoing passage of Holy Scripture, or, indeed, the three first chapters of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, shall we not be led to this conclusion, that if St. Paul had been alive among us at this period of the Christian world, and were he to witness the divisions which exist among Christians of the present day, he would have reason to apply to many among us the same language as he did of old to others? Would he not expostulate with us, and say, Ye Christians of the nineteenth century, "are ye not carnal, and walk as men; even as babes in Christ?" For, why, would he say, do you call yourselves after the name of Luther, or of Calvin; or after the name of Brown, or independents; or, after the name of Wesley, Wesleyans; and not rather content yourselves all to bear one designation, even the Catholic name of-Christian? Brethren, if the persons are right who do such things as are here censured by St. Paul, why then the Apostles themselves were wrong who condemned such things. But the Apostles, we know, and feel assured, were influenced by the Holy Ghost in what they wrote and uttered, and therefore their word is truth. 66 Brethren, the Christian "law of liberty" allows a man to entertain his own private opinion on a religious subject, and to "be fully persuaded in his own mind." But the word of God forbids him to attempt at disturbing the peace of the Christian community, by seeking to make proselytes to his faith," i. e., to his private persuasion or opinion. For what says the Scripture? "Hast thou faith," or an opinion? "Have it to thyself, and before God be fully persuaded in thine own mind. But seek not to destroy with thy meat (or, what is the same thing, with thy opinion) thy brother, for whom Christ died." (Rom. xiv.) : "That man cannot be called a humble believer in God's revealed word, profess what he may, who shall presume to sit in judgment on that word, and to pronounce what parts are essential and what are unessential. For instance, we read (Acts, ii. 42), that the character and constitution of the primitive Church, as drawn and written down by God himself, was this:-"And the disciples continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." "With the above text before us, dictated by the spirit of God (for holy men of old wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost), and besides, written as giving the perfect model for the imitation of each succeeding age of the Church, how shall any one presume to pronounce which of the above four marks of the true Church is essential, or which of them unessential; or to say that the reception of any single one of them, to the rejection of the others, is a sufficient requisite to establish the character of the Christian Church? Who will dare to pronounce that the Apostles' doctrine of faith is alone essential, and that fellowship," or Church-union with the Apostles, and the two sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and stated prayers in God's house of prayer, are unessential ? As well might Abraham have answered God that he thought circumcision was unessential to his salvation, because he had been before pronounced justified by faith." Christ gave a religion to mankind. For the space of three years, he went about preaching the kingdom of God, telling his followers and disciples what was essential for them to believe, and shewing them, by his own spotless example, what they should do to be saved. His Apostles established in the world, in an orderly manner, the Church, which our Saviour Lord instituted at first. That Church so ordered, although it has been at times disfigured by the follies, the vices, and the inventions of men, is nevertheless existing still, in all its divine purity and truth, in our favoured land. The Church of England is a branch of the true Church of Christ; and therefore it is the true Church, independently of its being the Church adopted by the State, for the happy circumstance of adoption does not constitute it the true Church. Our Church claims the regard of every one who loves God's House, built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles' faith in a crucified Redeemer. Let us rejoice, too, in the possession of the Bible, which we would fain see in the hands of every one, and its truths deposited in their hearts, so as to bring forth the fruits of righteousness, godliness, and peace. Let us also cherish the welfare of our Church by every means in our power; and make it appear so amiable and attractive by its good influences upon our own lives and conduct, that our light may so shine before men, that they seeing our good works maay be induced to join in our worship in God's house of prayer, and unite with us in glorifying our Father who is in Heaven. One great boon and blessing we of this land have been allowed to possess from God-and surely we ought to prize it-is the parochial system. Every parish has its church, or churches; and every church its Minister, lawfully appointed to it. Surely, Christians ought to value such a possession as is a building for a house of prayer, whereunto they may resort as to a place more immediately attended by God's presence, it being wholly dedicated to His worship and service, and where they may pour out their hearts before Him in acts of thanksgiving, prayer, and praise. For here, Brethren, we meet to thank God for all his blessings bestowed on us; here we meet to praise God for all his mercies shed on our Church and nation; and here we meet to pray for ourselves and for one another, and especially to pray for the unity of the Church of Christ all over the world, that it may be Catholically the same in godly faith and in righteous practice. As Ministers of God's word, we meet here to pray for grace, that we may speak and be heard, as "speaking the oracles of God"-as people, to pray that God would enlighten our hearts, and dispose us heartily to keep all His laws. Time was when parishioners felt it their duty, as well as made it appear to be their pleasure, their wish, their love, to flock to their parish church each succeeding Lord's Day, whenever they could possibly attend. There are, indeed, times and circumstances and occasions, which will prevent a regular attendance. Any inconvenience of such sort, however, which might have been the means heretofore of interrupting a regular attendance at your parochial church by persons living near this spot has now been provided against. For, behold! God has blessed and prospered the undertaking of your friends-the work of those who love our Sion, and who have an earnest desire for the salvation of souls. A house of prayer has been provided for you, even at your own doors. I beseech you, brethren, that you would take advantage of this personal accommodation, and that your hearts may urge you to say one to another, “O! come, let us worship, and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker; we will rejoice and be glad to go into the House of the Lord." The Church of Christ is emphatically called, the House of Prayer. It is not a house of preaching merely; for preaching the Gospel is indeed a religious act, but it is not the whole of religion; it is neither thanksgiving, prayer nor praise:-it is not worship :—but it may be sanctified by prayer, and by the power of God, be made a means of praise and of grace. Preaching is intended to convey instruction and exhortation for living righteously, and to inform congregations in the doctrine of their common faith, but you must beware, brethren, how any of you substitute the hearing of preaching, for religion; and how you prefer sermons to our admirable Liturgy and heartfelt form of prayer. A caution is needful on this point, in these days of relaxed notions of religion; when so many amongst us have what St. Paul styles, |