Neither Christ nor his apostles ever made the sign of the cross, or other sponsors besides the parents, necessary to a child's baptism; nor did they ever make kneeling a necessary term of receiving the sacrament supper; but both those you make necessary. -P. 12. To this we shall first reply, in the words of the 30th canon: The Church of England, since the abolishing of Popery, hath ever held and taught, and so doth hold and teach still, that the sign of the Cross used in Baptism is no part of the substance of that sacrament: for when the Minister dipping the infant in water or laying water upon the face of it—as the manner also is-hath pronounced these words, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, the infant is fully and perfectly baptized. So as the sign of the Cross being afterwards used doth neither add any thing to the virtue and perfection of Baptism, nor being omitted doth detract any thing from the effect and substance of it. If it were necessary to add any thing to this plain refutation, we might say, that in the office of private baptism, THE SIGN OF THE CROSS IS NOT USED AT ALL, nor are ANY sponsors required; and yet the rubrick in that office expressly says, "let them not doubt, but that the child so baptized is LAWFULLY AND SUFFICIENTLY BAPTIZED, and ought not to be baptized again." If this assertion of Mr. Towgood, that the Church of England makes the sign of the cross and sponsors necessary to baptism, be merely a mistake, (and we seek not to press it with any heavier charge,) how shall such a mistake be excused, when the authentic formularies of the church, books in the hands of every body, might have corrected it at a glance? How shall such a controversialist obtain the confidence of a reader? With regard to kneeling at the Sacrament, that subject has been discussed before. Mr. Towgood is MISTAKEN in saying that the Church considers kneeling a part of the Sacrament. The Church, as we think we have shewn, never regarded the posture as a constituent, although Mr. Towgood, indeed, appears sometimes to view it in that light. The Church, as she was bound, prescribes postures throughout her services, regarding them in themselves as non-essential things, but thinking it, if not essential, at least decent and consistent, that all the congregation should observe the same posture, at the same time. With this view she has ordered the posture of kneeling at the time of the Sacrament: not as a necessary part of the Sacrament, but as a significant gesture; and even cautiously explaining herself, to avoid misconception. Besides, if kneeling were necessary to the Sacrament, it could never be administered to the SICK. And if Mr. Towgood, after all this labour to escape mistake, would blunder, the blame must rest upon his own obtuseness or perversity. FABER'S CALENDAR OF PROPHECY. MR. EDITOR, I beg permission, through the medium of your columns, to do an act of literary justice, equally to Mr. Archdeacon Wrangham and to myself. The development of the Apocalyptic number 666 in the Greek word Apostatès, as given without acknowledgment in my Sacred Calendar of Prophecy, is the original property of that gentleman. It will naturally be asked, why such development was adopted by me, while the due acknowledgment was omitted? The object of this article is to give the requisite explanation; and I am the more inclined to give it, because the statement will show the close connexion between the actual operation of my own mind, and my full discussion of the Apocalyptic number in question. During the progress of writing my work, a recollection seemed one day to flash across my mind, that I had somewhere seen Apostatès alleged as the real name which contained the fated number 666. I forthwith sat down to calculate its letters, obviously writing the word in full doorárnc. The result was a complete disappointment; for the component letters were found to bring out a totally different number. Upon this, I examined every work on prophecy which I possess, and those works are certainly not a few; but in not one of them could I find the slightest notice of the word Apostatès. Such being the case, I concluded myself to have been mistaken, and entirely dismissed the subject from my thoughts. After a very considerable interval, an interval (to the best of my recollection) amounting at the least to a year, my eye was accidentally caught by the Greek expression of the number in Rev. xiii. 18: the number is there expressed, not in words, but in the arithmetical letters x. It immediately occurred to me to try whether Apostatès, if written with the ciphers, instead of with the letters σr, would produce the sum of 666. The trial was made, and the success was as complete as the former disappointment. Still, however, I vainly attempted to recollect or to discover where I could have first seen the idea, that the number 666 was contained in the word dπosárηs: but every effort was fruitless; and I at length concluded, that the discovery must have been my own; though, by that singular blending of thoughts, of which (I believe) every person, who had read and written much, is conscious, I had been led to imagine that I had seen it in some professed work on prophecy. The consequence was, that I adopted the word and the calculation, without making that acknowledgment which circumstances rendered impossible. Several months after I published the Calendar of Prophecy, I happened, while staying with a friend, to lay my hand upon the miscellaneous works of Mr. Archdeacon Wrangham. Here I found the word Apostatès adduced and calculated; and from this source, after an interval of very many years, I immediately perceived that my hitherto inexplicable recollection must have originated. I lost no time in making the requisite private acknowledgment to Mr. Wrangham; and my wish, that this private acknowledgment may become public, simply as an act of justice to both parties, is the reason of my troubling you with the present communication. I have the honour to be, your obedient humble Servant, Long-Newton Rectory, May 15, 1829. and of deans to their deaneries, as well in England as in Ireland, have been settled and established by law; be it therefore enacted, that if any person, after the commencement of this, other than the person thereunto authorized by law, shall assume or use the name, style, or title of archbishop of any province, bishop of any bishoprick, or dean of any deanery, in England or Ireland, he shall for every such offence forfeit and pay the sum of one hundred pounds." In open defiance of this law, within a fortnight after its enactment, there appeared in a popular Irish paper an advertisement, announcing the consecration of a Catholic Cathedral at Newry," the ceremonies prescribed by the ritual of the Catholic church to be performed by the Most Rev, Dr. Curtis, Roman Catholic Primate of all Ireland, assisted by the Most Rev. Dr. Murray, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, and all the other Catholic Bishops of the province of Ulster. The sermon will be preached by the Right Rev. Dr. Doyle, Roman Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin." This infringement of the Act being suffered by the Attorney-Generalto whom is reserved, by a section in the Bill, the right of prosecuting all offences committed against it-to pass unnoticed, the precedent has been followed in a provincial paper, in the same country, which announces the appointment of a Roman Catholic Bishop to the diocese of Leinster. After these flagrant violations of a law, enacted, as it was said, expressly for the preservation of the Protestant Episcopal and Presbyterian Churches, established by law in the United Kingdoms, being thus allowed to escape with impunity, how long may we look to see the remaining securities treated with greater respect? Does not connivance at the transgression of one, necessarily lead to the disregard of all the others? men are frequently met with among the mountains, and alarming reports are in constant circulation along the north of the province; but the Count D'Espagne is on this frontier with a force sufficiently considerable to excite fears that this attempt may be attended with fatal consequences to those who may be engaged in it. It is stated to be the intention of the insurgents to dethrone Ferdinand, and bestow the crown on his brother, Don Carlos, having previously received from him securities for the establishment and preservation of the constitution. It is now certain that the Queen of Portugal will shortly return to Brazil. The vessel in which she arrived in this country is now preparing to convey her home. A regency in her name will be established in the Island of Terceira, by the Marquis de Palmella, who will probably proceed from thence to Rio Janeiro, according to the instructions he may receive from Donna Maria and Count Barbacena when he sees them in London, whither he is returning from Paris. RUSSIA AND TURKEY.-A bloody and well contested action has been fought at Prarodi, in which the Turkish troops are stated to have behaved with great skill and courage against the regular Russian forces: but the Grand Vizier, Redschid Pacha, who commanded in person, was unable to pursue the advantages he decidedly obtained, having received news that the main body of the Russian army was on its march to Silistria. Leaving, therefore, 24,000 cavalry to keep possession of the surrounding heights, he retired to Shoumla, in order to be nearer the beleaguered fortress, and in the centre of operations. He is spoken of as a man of great talent and energy, who, since his arrival in the army, has infused a degree of spirit into its councils hitherto unknown. He has obtained of the Sultan the exchange of the Russian prisoners, which was at first obstinately refused. They are already better treated, and will be sent to Odessa as soon as the convention for the exchange shall have been signed by both parties. Little progress has been made by the Russians since they took the field; and it is certain that, unless they shall before Midsummer have moved a powerful force to the entrance of the Bolhan, this campaign, as far as concerns the north of that great mountain barrier, will end much like the preceding one. Accounts from Wallachia state, that in consequence of a sally made by the Turks from Widdin, there had been an obstinate engagement with the Russians, in which the Turks had been repulsed; but the intention of the Russians to cross at this point had been for the present prevented. The French and English ambassadors are on their return to Constantinople, a measure which gives great satisfaction to the Ottoman cabinet, as they seem to consider the reestablishment of a friendly intercourse with those countries as a guarantee for the integrity of their empire, even supposing the Russians to have greater future successes than they can hitherto boast of. GREECE. The affairs of Greece continue in a very favourable train. They have recovered almost the whole of the territory allotted to them. The proposals relative to the independence of the country, which have been laid before the Porte, provide that the line of demarcation between Greece and Turkey shall run from the Gulf of Arta to that of Volo: that a million and a half of piastres shall be paid annually by the Greeks to the Porte: that Greece shall remain under the sovereignty of the Sultan, but shall be immediately governed by a Christian Prince, chosen from some European royal family, not those of England, France, or Russia, and that a mutual amnesty shall be agreed upon. BROMPTON.-The new church of the Holy Trinity, at Brompton, has been consecrated by the Lord Bishop of London. CLIFTON. The foundation stone has been laid of a new church to be erected at Clifton Hotwells, in Gloucestershire, which will contain sittings for 1800 persons, a very large proportion of which is to be free. This building, which is to be of the Grecian style, will be accomplished by means of voluntary subscriptions. HEREFORD.-Contributions amounting to 1,500l., including a grant from the Society for Building Churches and Chapels, have been made for restoring the church of St. Martin, Hereford, which was destroyed in the civil war, during the siege of that city. HOLBECK.-Preparations are being made for the laying of the first stone of a new church at Holbeck, in Yorkshire, which is to be of the first Gothic, or early English style of building, and is to accommodate 1,200 persons, of which number of sittings one third is to be free. MARGATE.-The new church at Margate has been consecrated by his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury. OMBERSLEY.-The new church at Ombersley, in Worcestershire, has been consecrated by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese. Ross.-The fine spire of Ross Church has been completely restored to its original beauty. SEDGLEY.-Very shortly will be opened the beautiful Gothic church built for the Parish of Sedgley, Staffordshire, by the Earl of Dudley. |