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"WINDSOR, SUNDAY.-The anthem, a new one composed by Dr. G. J. Elvy, "Behold, O God;' chorus, Behold, O God, our defender, and look upon the face of Thine anointed;' quartet and chorus, O Lord, grant the Queen a long life, that her years may endure throughout all generations:' quartet, 'In her time let the righteous flourish, and let peace be in all our borders;' chorus, As for her enemies, clothe them with shame, but upon herself let her crown flourish.' Amen.' "It is only necessary to call attention to this revolting mixture of disgusting adulation and profanity. That such a parody-scarcely a degree less blasphemous although without the sedition of Hone-that such a parody should have been permitted in the Chapel Royal, is calculated to excite the greatest astonishment. Our beloved Sovereign cannot be supposed to have been at all acquainted with the character of the anthem, or of the shameful desecration of the words exclusively applicable to the Messiah, the Anointed One, Emanuel, God with us. It is no new thing for courtly sycophants to attempt to offer the worship due only to the Almighty to an earthly monarch. It is only when they are accepted or countenanced, that guilt is contracted by the occupier of the throne. The angel of the Lord smote Herod because he sanctioned the blaspheming sycophants of Cæsarea and gave not God the glory; but Canute acted a worthier part when he repelled such homage as an insult to himself, and refused to become a partaker in the sinful folly of his flatterers.

"Who Dr. Elvy is we know not; we do not remember to have before heard his name mentioned, and it seems from the following extract from a letter published in the Times, by a clergyman, the composer, whoever he be, is guilty of plagiarism even in his parody. The Papists have been beforehand with him, and in their idolatrous worship of the Queen of Heaven,' have blasphemed the sacred words of the inspired prophet. The following is the extract alluded to:

"I say nothing of the disgusting adulation of this-I speak, as a clergyman, of the bold effrontery and profanity of applying a prophecy of Messiah to such a purpose as this. Sure the Roman Catholic Psalter of our lady' is not more audacious, and is certainly one shade less absurd, than this.

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'Ought not the Archbishop, or the Dean of the Chapel Royal, to interfere to prevent at least any repetition of this outrage on the Christian feelings of the nation at large? Dr. Elvy's anthem is called 'new.' The Doctor ought to be informed that it is older than he fancies (so far at least as the ingenious adaptation of words is concerned). St. Bonaventura has applied the same exalted sentences to the Virgin Mary; so, on the score of novelty, Dr. Elvy will have no claim for canonization for lady-worship.

"P.S. Are we to conclude that Dr. Elvy prays for an immortality on earth for Queen Victoria? He certainly seems to do so, for he wishes her to live to all generations, and to have peace in our borders at the same time.'

"We trust that notice will be taken in the proper quarter of this profanation of sacred things, and in such a manner as to prevent the repetition of a like enormity. We could not but feel ashamed of the low ground on which Mr. Macaulay placed the impropriety of the conduct of Lord Cardigan on a late occasion, when he said, that to order a military punishment to be inflicted on the Lord's-day was improper, because it was revolting to the habits and feelings of the people of this country. We are happy to know that such things are revolting, but it is so because the people of this country are taught to look for the standard of right and wrong to something far higher and holier than the fluctuating habits and feelings of any nation or body of men.'

In a subsequent Number, for April 26, the subject is again discussed :

"We willingly give insertion to the following letter on the subject of the notice taken in our last number of what was announced, as if by authority, in the Court Circular, concerning the anthem 'A new one composed by Dr. G. J. Elvy :'—

" TO THE EDITOR OF THE RECORD.

'Sir,-Are you aware that the words of Dr. Elvy's anthem recently performed at Windsor, are taken from the service of the Accession, as printed in all the Oxford and Cambridge Prayer-books of the present reign? The adaptation of the

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sacred words in the Psalm to her present Majesty is found in the verses there appointed to be used on tho 20th June instead of the Venite exultimus. You would, I think, do good service to the Church, were you to draw attention to this circumstance; and it is due also to Dr. Elvy (whose name stands very high in his profession), to acquit him of the blame, under which he now labours of having originated this (as I must call it) very irreverend perversion of Holy Scripture. Assuredly, as you say, the Roman Catholics may very justly retort upon us the observations often made in our Church upon the Psalter of the blessed Virgin.' "Our Correspondent is not altogether correct in stating, that the whole of Dr. Elvy's new anthem' is to be found in the Service of the Accession. It is true, that the worst and most offensive adaptation of the sacred words of Scripture is there found, and we lament the fact. For who can reflect calmly, and approve of the words exclusively appropriated to the great Intercessor between God and man being parodied or accomodated so as to apply to any earthly sovereign? Even in a heathen triumph, a slave was employed to whisper in the ear of an Imperial Cæsar, Remember thou art mortal; and can it be, that in a Christian country we are taught to lift up our voices to heaven, and in reference to any fellow-creature, however exalted, exclaim before God, Behold, O God, our defender (or shield), and look upon the face of Thine anointed?' Our hope is, that in the Accession Service this application is not designed; but surely the words stand in so doubtful a position that the scandal ought to be removed by the same authority, through which the Service was so recently appointed. But there are other words comprised in Dr. Elvy's chorus, which are not in the Accession Service. The words, 'O Lord, grant the Queen a long life,' are there, as in all the previous forms of Accession Services; but the following words are added, that her years may endure throughout all generations. A clerical Correspondent of the Times very pertinently asks, in reference to these words, 'Are we to conclude that Dr. Elvy prays for an immortality on earth for Queen Victoria?' He certainly seems to do so, for he wishes her to live to all generations, and to have peace in our borders' at the same time. "Another Correspondent, signing himself A Real Catholic,' meaning, we presume, a friend to Popery, has also written to us on the same subject, but in a very different tone and spirit from that of our unknown friend whose letter we have inserted. A Real Catholic' seems, like ourselves, to have overlooked the fact, that part of the words of Dr. Elvy's anthem are to be found in the Accession Service, but he tells us the Church has already done precisely the same act in the service for the day of the martyrdom of King Charles I.' We are, however, quite aware of this fact; and, we may add, very fully persuaded that if the Church had been consulted on the subject, the unbecoming profanation of Holy Scripture to be found in several parts of the Service for the Thirtieth of January, would never have been permitted. It has been alleged, that the service in question owes its origin to one of the Papists, who was about the Court of the profligate and unprincipled Charles II. Certain it is, that Bishop Burnett tells us, that it, as well as the Service for the Restoration, were rejected by the Convocation, and others of a more moderate strain were preferred to them.' But Sancroft afterwards succeeded in getting these offices to be published by the King's authority.' Under such circumstances the Church cannot be charged with any criminality in the matter, unless it be in not using more vigorous exertions to have them altered. If any one can approve of the words applied to the Son of God in the second Psalm being brought down to the level of King Charles I., we suppose they will also approve of the other passages in the same Service; drawing a parallel between the sufferings of the Messiah, we presume they will also approve of such an adaptation to King Charles as the following: 'The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, Under His shadow we shall be life.'

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"Such language never can be applied to any creature however exalted. It would be blasphemy if appropriated to an angel; how much more when applied to man, of whom we are taught to believe that at his best estate' he is 'vanity!'"'

3. CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.

The following may be of use, as expounding the distinction between jurisdictions often confounded in the "far south."

VOL. XIII.

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"The Kirk Session is composed of the minister and his elders or deacons. These elders or deacons are uniformly chosen by the minister, and not by the communicants. This court is intended to enforce the discipline of the Church; but its business is more especially to attend to the wants of the poor......The next court in the rising order is the Presbytery, which is constituted by a given number of ministers and elders, located within a certain district, and specially empowered to examine and licence probationers; to ordain to the pastoral charge; visit all the schools within its bounds, and transact such other local business as may seem necessary to promote the interests of the Church. It also forms a court of appeal from the Kirk Session, and is specially enjoined by the 'books of discipline,' or formula of the church, to instruct and enforce the greater and lesser excommunication.' ....The Synod' is a court of appeal from the Presbytery, and is entitled to review all its acts. It comprises the whole resident clergy of a county, together with an elder from each Kirk Session, and generally sits once every six months. Overtures to the General Assembly on questions of public importance are fully discussed at the Synod, and the resolutions of the body are generally considered to be of importance; but it has no legislative character......The General Assembly is the head court of the Church of Scotland. It sits only once a year at Edinburgh, and the time of its sitting is limited by an Act of Parliament. It is described by an able authority in Church matters as 'the connecting link between Church and State, in evidence of which the head of the State sits in it by commission.' The same authority says, 'It is competent for the Assembly, when alterations of the constitution of the Church become expedient, to apply to the Legislature for its concurrence in clearly specified and defined terms, but it is quite incompetent to make any innovation or alteration whatever, before the sanction of the State has been actually and legally obtained.'......When the legal time of the General Assembly's sitting expires, another court with delegated powers from the Assembly takes up business of inferior interest. This court is called the Commission of the Assembly, and is, in point of fact, an open committee, without any power to originate or decide any matter of leading consequence. The commission meets as occasion requires. For the better conducting of the business of the Assembly, a legal gentleman is employed, who, as a procurator for the Church, takes charge of all the legal business. The Assembly is composed of delegates from the presbyteries, ministers, and ruling elders, some of the latter being the representatives of municipal corporations of royal burghs. To simplify the election of these delegates, both lay and clerical, it was the practice for many years to nominate and appoint them from the roll of the presbyteries in the order in which they stood there; but this system having been departed from at the last meeting of the Assembly for the purpose of keeping a moderate clergyman out of the office of moderator, the presbyteries have, in most cases, followed the example, and elected their representatives by vote......Besides the General Assembly there is a Court of Teinds, or Tithes, which is exclusively a legal court, and specially empowered by Act of Parliament to allocate new parishes, and regulate the amount of stipends in those benefices which are less directly under the patronage of the Crown."

4. QUOTATIONS FROM SCRIPTURE, APPLIED TO THE CORN LAW QUESTION. Without even hinting an opinion upon the Corn Laws, we have often felt that passages of Scripture have been most grievously misapplied in discussing them. We might instance that text-" He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him" which has been quoted as quite decisive of the question. We hardly expect to find Dr. Pye Smith falling into this error, but at a late Anti-Corn Law Meeting, we have him speaking as follows:

"As he was anxious to say a word or two on the religious bearing of the question, he had only to express his regret that he stood alone, when he ought to have been surrounded by the ministers of every religious denomination. If the moral bearings of the question had been rightly understood, the room ought to have been filled with the Clergy and Dissenting ministers of London. It was impossible that

they could resist such a call upon them, for they could not but feel that the objects of the Society were founded in justice and humanity and tended to the welfare of their fellow-countrymen. If they referred to the precepts contained in the Old Testament, they would find that denunciations against no class of crime were so frequent or so solemn as those against persons who oppressed the poor. Although the expansive genius of Christianity, which was a religion for all times and for all men, had superseded many of these precepts, yet the moral principle still remained. Ministers of religion who loved God and their country, and who had imbibed the spirit of Christianity, ought to strain every effort in the cause of the poor, and desist not until their efforts were crowned with success; for if that success were not obtained, they would have to witness the fearful alternative of the ruin of their country. On the other hand he found the Prophet Isaiah holding out the promise of the greatest blessings to him who despiseth the gain of oppression. He hoped every one there would consider this question as became a man and a Christian, and that they would persevere strenuously in working out the ends they had in view. He felt highly honoured in being permitted to second the motion." Upon this passage The Record properly enough remarks—

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Every one admits that the poor ought not to be oppressed. Every Christian desires to ameliorate their condition. But to say that there is oppression in the Cornlaws, is to beg the question. As well might it be said that it was oppression to limit the supply of bread or water on a sea voyage. The question is, Do or do not the Corn-laws conduce to the general welfare of the whole community? If they do, then they ought to be supported in spite of clamour; if they do not, then they ought to be repealed. It will not do to say, that in any one given year the poor would have been better off if the restrictions had been withdrawn. The question is, whether a more constant and enduring supply of food is not secured by protecting home cultivation than by encouraging foreign importation? We are rather disposed to think that the importance of the question is over-rated on both sides; but surely Dr. Smith's argument from the Scriptures is wholly futile."

ANECDOTE OF DR. MARSHMAN.

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER, DATED CALCUTTA, 5TH FEBRUARY, 1831. "Dr. Marshman, you may know, is, and always has been, an insatiable reader. He seizes and carries off, without ceremony, every book, of every kind, that falls in his way; a lost book is always first sought for in the Doctor's study.' One evening he told me how his passion first displayed itself; and when I left him, instead of going to bed, I wrote down the narrative, because I thought you would like to have heard it. It is as follows:

"I was eight years old, and one evening my father related to me the story of David and Goliath, and afterwards, at my request, pointed it out to me in the Bible. I read it immediately, and wishing to know how it came about, went back several chapters and got all the story. This roused my curiosity so much, that in thirteen months, I found time to read all the histories in the Old Testament, which I have never since forgotten. Soon after this happened, I went to Marsh* Fair, where there chanced to be an old bookstall; I had never thought there were so many books in the world, and I quickly commenced an examination of them. I found, amongst others, The Annals of English History; in turning over which, I lighted on the story of the achievements of Wallace, with which I was so fascinated, that I remained standing at the stall two hours, until I had finished reading it. From this time I used to search every house to which I had access, for books; and at baker Ingram's found several, all of which I read again and again. One or two of these related to the East; and others were, Robin Hood's Garland, Voltaire's Candidus (from this the doctor often quotes now, though he has not seen it since), De Foe's His

* Ditton's Marsh, in the parish of Westbury, Wilts.

tory of the Devil, and Marmontel's Belisarius. One Sabbath day a boy, John Robbins of Fairwood, enticed me to dine with him, by promising to show me some books, though I was almost certain of a beating when I returned. He lent me a novel called Cynthia. At this this time Iwas about nine and a half years old. One Sabbath, at meeting, being in a strange seat, I discovered in a Bible the Apocrypha, which I had never before seen. With this I was perfectly delighted, and used to go home and swallow my dinner as fast as possible, and run to the meeting in order to read it. Mr Marshmant having heard how much I was attached to reading, brought me several books, and among others, Josephus, and a thin quarto Salmon's Geography. The latter of these I used to carry buttoned up between my waistcoat and shirt, and by so doing, it had at last scarcely a straight leaf in it; consequently I gained a bad name for my usage of books.'

"This story, in common with all Dr. Marshman's conversation, is so graced by modesty and simplicity in the delivery, that the effect produced is infinitely superior to that which you will perceive from my narration."

Review of Books.

ANCIENT HISTORY. History of the Egyptians. From Rollin and other authentic sources, both ancient and modern. With two Maps. pp. 116.

Price 2s.

Religious Tract Society.

THE authors, who prepare original works for this noble Institution, have certainly acquired the capacity of writing calmly and impartially upon the subjects, to which they address themselves; es chewing those exciting topics, on which Christians differ, and the necessary dis

cussion of which is so full of snares for

the temper, they occupy themselves in the safer work of setting forth the matters, on which all who "hold the Head" are agreed. It cannot be doubted, that a habit of mind is thus promoted, singularly favourable for historical writing.

The present volume is an exceedingly creditable production in all respects; its cheapness is especially remarkable. It contains, we think, a larger quantity of matter, than we have yet seen the Society furnish at the price. The maps also are admirable. It takes first the physical history of Egypt-then its topographical history-next the history of its polityand then a chronological narrative, terminating at the beginning of the Christian era. It is a valuable work.

and yet it may be well to say a word or two of this little book. It is the biography of a death-bed-narrating the few happy months passed by a child of God in the near view of eternity, into which triumph. It is an artless and simple in her thirteenth year she entered with and precious sayings. There is evident account; and is full of touching things, enough a clear view of the only way of a sinner's salvation, and a scriptural conand leaning upon Him, the spirit went viction of acceptance in the Beloved; up out of the wilderness to its home. the soul, that has found joy and peace in is a book to make the unconverted envy the anxious, with hope in the Lord of all believing; and to cheer the fearful and consolation. There is but One, who can hood, or loosen the tenacity of life in age; take away the dread of death from childand He is the "same yesterday and toHe will be found of thee." day and for ever." "If thou seek Him,

It

SPIRITUAL DESPOTISM. By the Author of the Natural History of Enthusiasm." Second Edition.

Holdsworth and Ball, Berners Street. THIS is the second edition of a work in which the able author sets himself to prove the fallacy of some opinions, which, of late years, have gained extensive influence. One of these opinions is, that Spiritual Despotism owes its origin and continuance to the alliance between Church and State; whereas he considers A fifth Edition speaks its own praise; that history (rightly interpreted) proves,

A MOTHER'S JOURNAL, during the last
illness of her daughter, SARAH CHIS-
MAN. With a Preface, by Jane Taylor.
Fifth Edition. pp. 172.

Religious Tract Society,

+ The pastor of the Baptist Church at Westbury Leigh, Wilts, a distant relative.

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