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of Medicine is extensive, and I believe exclusively devoted to subjects connected with the healing

art.

We next went to the church and library of St. Genevieve. This church is sometimes called the Pantheon, on account of its portico being built in imitation of the Pantheon at Rome. It is, in my estimation, though not equal to St. Paul's, one of the most imposing pieces of architecture in Paris. Its magnificent and airy dome, nearly three hundred feet high, may be seen from almost any part of the city. The Pantheon, I believe, was repaired and nearly finished by Napoleon, who intended it as a kind of Westminster Abbey-a repository for the ashes of what are called great men. The vaults beneath are skilfully arranged for this purpose. The bodies of Voltaire and Rousseau were deposited here, but their tombs, or stone sarcophagi, have been removed from their original situation to some obscure corner. St. Genevieve is now used for publick worship. The interior of the dome is ornamented with rich paintings, representing a number of the French monarchs, and other dignitaries, worshipping the patron saint, who is seen descending on a cloud.

The library attached to the church, occupies the upper story of the ancient Abbey of St. Genevieve. It contains 112,000 printed volumes, and 2000 manuscripts. The vast room in which the books are arranged, is in the form of a cross. We saw here about fifty students, busily reading and transcribing. At one end of the room there is a large model of the city of Rome, which afforded me a better idea of that wonderful capital, than I had before entertained. On the staircase, against the wall, there is an immense drawing of the moon at her full, showing all the lakes, mountains and volcanoes, supposed to exist on her surface. The lower

portions of the Abbey are occupied as a boarding-school for boys. I saw them at dinner: they made a tremendous clatter, with their plates and knives and forks.

According to a previous arrangement, I called upon D. B. Warden, Esq., who, till within a few years; had been a long time our consul at this capital; and we went together to Cuvier's soirée. Mr. W. is one of the most attentive, and substantially polite men in the world. Every American who calls upon him will cheerfully subscribe to this. His attentions are not the vox et præterea nihil, so common in France and elsewhere; but they are of that useful and practical kind, which every stranger wants. Mr. W. is a member of the Institute, and author of several valuable works. The party at Cuvier's differed from all other scientifick parties I ever attended, either at home or in England, inasmuch as ladies were present. I saw a number of distinguished individuals, but want of conversational familiarity with their language prevented much intercourse. The Baron introduced me to his daughter, who speaks English with great fluency and naiveté, so that my evening passed delightfully. The party was closed with the usual supper.

Sunday, July 27.-Every day since my arrival here, I have received some act of kindness from B. Curtis, Esq., an American merchant, who has resided for some years at this place. To-day he accompanied me to the ancient church of the Oratoire, the largest of the four places of Protestant worship in this city. It is a sadly dirty, ugly, inconvenient place. The seats are straw-bottomed chairs, very illy arranged. The morning service was in French. A young man in the clerk's desk read the chapter, and gave out a psalm, in a very careless and undevout manner. After this an elderly man

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from the south of France, gave us one of the most fervent prayers, and one of the most impassioned sermons, I ever listened to. The peculiar train of argument and style of declamation of the preach er, forcibly reminded me of what I suppose must have constituted the eloquence of Massillon.

In the lower part of what appears to have once been a tower to the Oratoire, a small chapel has been erected, by the enterprise of a few American and English dissenters. Here the Rev. Mark Wilks preaches in English, at two o'clock P. M., to a congregation of rarely more than one hundred. Mr. Wilks is, I think, an able and persuasive speaker. The psalm, which was from Dr. Watts, was set by one of the ladies, and as the notes of old hundred, from about thirty voices, mingled with the sounds of the six hundred thousand inhabitants of this unchristian metropolis, I felt a peculiar emotion-and remembered that even the cities of the plain would have been saved from destruction, if but ten righteous persons could have been found in them. Not many years since, the Abbé Barruel estimated that out of a population of 600,000 souls, which he supposed Paris to contain, not more than 40,000 were in the habit of attending any church; and of that number he supposed about 20,000 to be actuated by a spirit of piety. Since the establishment of Bible societies, and a more liberal system of religious toleration, the ratio in favour of religion has no doubt increased. My inquiries on this interesting subject were frequent and minute. Mr. Monod, editor of the Archives du Christianisme, and son of one of the four pastors who officiate at the Oratoire, is fully of opinion that the general indifference to religion which has so long prevailed, is yielding to a spirit of inquiry. Parents of all ranks are desirous of having their children educated at

VOL. VIII-Ch. Adv.

Sunday schools, which are becoming popular. In his school, which inculcates the doctrines of the reformation, and which is quite a large one, many children of Catholick parents constantly attend. He is now translating Scott's family Bible into the French: the first number is published, and a large part of the edition has already been sold in Paris alone. I was also glad to learn from Mr. Servier, a Protestant bookseller and publisher, that there was a great and an increasing demand for religious tracts, and other small works on practical piety. Mr. Monod has treated me with much kindness. The other evening I noticed in his library, a copy of your Christian Advocate, as far as published, in very handsome binding: it was this circumstance indeed which led me to notice the work: he tells me, that he reads your monthly numbers, regularly, with great interest. (To be continued.)

ORIGINAL LETTER OF REV. W. ROMAINE TO MR. JOHN THORNTON.

with the following original letter, We have been much impressed

which we extract from the Chris

tian Observer of April last. It appears that Mr. Thornton had written a letter of reproof to Mr. Romaine, for some cause which is not mentioned. The letter, however, found Mr. Romaine-as a real and eminent Christian, such as he was, will often be found-in a state of mind to receive the reproof, although he could not perceive why it was given-not only without resentment, but with deep humility and submission-sensible that if the reproof was given through mistake, as to its immediate object, a thousand reproofs were due, for sins and omissions known to him who received it, and perhaps to him only-Mr. Romaine was well

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assured of the sincere friendship of Mr. Thornton.

Hon. Sir, I cannot see the motive for your reproof; but whatever it was, I fall under it, and stand corrected. I have not a word to say for myself before God or man. I cry, Peccavi. My mouth was never more stopped about selfdefence, than at present. Although I am persuaded of God's special love to my soul, and of the free for giveness of sins, yet I feel it daily hard fighting against them,-now at the close of the battle, very, very hard; yea, so hard, that I am stripped of every great and high conceit of myself, and am forced every moment to renounce all self-confidence. There is not a man in the world more exercised with the body of sin, or more plagued with its continual opposition to God's most holy will. In these sore conflicts, there is not a sin that can be committed, but I find it in me; and, if God leave me to myself, may be committed by me. In this situation your reproof found me, acknowledging that salvation never did come, nor possibly can come, to one less deserving of it than I am.

Go on then, sir. Repeat your charges. Make one fault a thousand. Multiply that by thousands, by tens of thousands, yet still you are far short. I feel more than you can number. I have nothing in me, nothing done by me, nothing I can even think of, which is mine own, but what, God knoweth, I loath and abhor myself for. If ever I said or did any thing praise-worthy, it was the Lord's entirely. The will, the power, the success was his. He has all the honour. What was blame-worthy, it was altogether mine own. I take the shame of it to myself, and wish for more of that true humbling which he felt, who confessed, "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Every thing that brings, and keeps a deep sense of this alive

in my soul is profitable, because it is the means of keeping up communion with the Almighty Saviour. It affords a fresh conviction, that I have no failings pardoned but through his blood, nor subdued but through his grace. And I trust I am living to learn to magnify Him for both. In which if you will give me your prayers, it is the only favour I have to ask of you, and a great favour it is: the Lord incline your heart to do it fervently, in brotherly love, such as I feel towards you. O pray (and may the Lord bless you to pray) for

W. ROMAINE.

EXTRACT FROM SCOTT'S CONTINUATION OF MILNER'S CHURCH HISTORY.

We take leave to recommend to all theological students who peruse our Miscellany, and to all our young brethren in the ministry, a particular attention to the following extract.

One thing with which we cannot fail to be struck, in these heroes of the reformation, is, the high character which most of them possessed for talent and learning. A great proportion of them had flattering prospects opening before them, on account of their celebrity of this kind-all which they willingly sacrificed, and "counted loss for Christ." But we see that their acquirements all told, with the most powerful effect, for the great work which God had excited them to undertake. They gave a weight to their character, and an authority to their decisions, which could not otherwise have been attained: they enabled them to bring the scriptures to light, to render them, by translation, accessible to the people, and to restore the true interpretation of them; to beat down their enemies in argument, and to refute them in their favourite appeal to antiquity;

in short, to recover the ancient
faith of the church of Christ, uncor-
rupted by novelties and extrava-
gances, whether their own or those
of other teachers. Without their
high literary attainments, humanly
speaking, they could never have
been qualified for the work which
they performed. Let sound learn-
ing never be undervalued. Let it
never be surmised, that it is not
conducive to the service of God.
The pride of learning, and the abuse
of learning, are fatal evils; and
without the possession of it, no
doubt, the man of devoted piety,
with merely the vernacular scrip-
tures in his hand, may be even emi-
nently useful; but there are higher
and more extensive spheres of ser-
vice which he is clearly not qualifi-
ed to occupy. Learning, when cm-
ployed not for ostentation, but for
use; not to set up human wisdom
in opposition to divine revelation,
but humbly, patiently, and labori-
ously to trace out, to exhibit, to as-
sert, and to defend the revealed
truth of God, and to apply it to all
the varied purposes for which it was
made known; is of the highest va-
lue. And let every younger stu-
dent remember, that he knows not
to what scene of service he is des-
tined: let it be his humble aim, de-
pending upon and seeking the di-
vine blessing, to become as well
qualified as possible for that sta-
tion, be it what it may, to which it
shall please God to call him. And,
in this view, let him duly consider
the diligent study, the indefatigable
labour, and the patient zeal of these
great and good men-who, devoted
to learning as they ever were, yet
did not pursue it for its own sake,
or lose themselves in a contempla-
tive life, but denied themselves, and
studied, and prayed without ceas-
ing, in order that they might act
with wisdom and success, to the
glory of God, and the highest good
of their fellow men. Therefore
their memory is blessed. pp. 385,

386.

FOR THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.

Was the Apostolick Decree, recorded Acts, xv. 28, 29, intended to be of temporary or of perpetual ob ligation?

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"For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which, if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well."

The eating of blood was forbidden by one of the seven precepts delivered to the sons of Noah. The reason of the prohibition to them, and also, subsequently, to the Jews, was doubtless founded on the system of sacrificing. The blood was the life of the animal-and God had shown his willingness to accept the life of a sacrificed victim, instead of that of the transgressor: and the blood, or life of animals, was typical of the atoning blood of him who was "to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Hence the blood of animals, under the Mosaick dispensation, was appropriated to the purpose of atonement; and on this account an idea of sacredness was attached to it, which rendered it improper that it should be eaten, or applied to any common Wherever, therefore, this system of sacrificing prevailed, there the prohibition to use blood, for any other than a religious purpose, was in force.

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For the same reason, the Jews were forbidden to eat the fat of animals. In 3 ch. Levit. 17 v. shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood." And again, 7 ch. 22 v. "Ye shall eat no manner of fat of ox, or of sheep, or of goat; for whosoever shall eat the fat of the beast of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people." Here, it will be observed, the ground of the

prohibition is explicitly stated to be,
that the fat of the animal was offer-
ed in sacrifice; but cessante ratione,
cessat lex. Now, when the system
of sacrifices is entirely done away
that the great sacrifice,
which was the antitype, has been
offered up
"once for all," a reve-
rence for the blood and the fat of
animals is no longer necessary, and
the injunction to pay that reverence
by abstaining from the common use
of these articles, can be no longer
obligatory.

Why then, it may be asked, did the apostolick decree enjoin on the gentiles to abstain from blood, and from the other things mentioned in that decree?

sinful, have never been commanded on any account, or under any circumstances. Yet things in themselves lawful, have often been prohibited on the ground of expedience. Upon this principle Paul acted, when he said "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient."

The Jewish converts, as we have remarked, did not at once and entirely abandon the ceremonial law. They relied, indeed, on the righteousness of Christ for salvation, and not on the law, as they had done before; yet they could not bring themselves to shake off all attachment to Jewish ceremonies. These ceremonies, and other customs inculcated by the law of Moses, were so highly esteemed by the Jewish Christians, that for a time they formed a complete barrier between them and the gentiles; so that all friendly and familiar intercourse with the gentiles was, by these laws and customs, utterly precluded:-Now this barrier was to be removed gradually. The strong prejudices of men are not to be obliterated in a moment human nature, without a miracle, does not admit of this. But as Christ had come to break down this partition wall, and to do away, ultimately, all distinction between Jew and gentile, the apostles were directed, in the existing circumstances, to make a kind of compromise-to take a sort of middle ground

We answer, these injunctions were rendered proper by the then prevailing habits and customs of the people, their dispositions, and their prejudices; and their general estimate of the importance of the outward observances of religion. It must be remembered that the old dispensation, with its ceremonies and observances, was not, so far as the Jews were concerned, abolished all at once. There was a gradual removal of the ancient ceremonial, and as gradual an introduction of the new dispensation. The end of the old and the beginning of the new blended, like the colours of the rainbow; just as the end of the patriarchal blended with the beginning of the Mosaick institution. When the Mosaick and the Christian dis--to free the gentiles entirely from pensations might be thus said to mingle, the church required far different regulations for the conduct of its members, than are either necessary or proper since she has thrown off entirely the yoke of Jewish bondage, and when the age of types and shadows has completely passed away.

The divine wisdom has ever adopted those measures for the government of the church, which expediency and the exigency of the times demanded-subject always to this limitation, that things in themselves

the bloody rite of circumcision, and from all the most burdensome parts of the Jewish ritual; and yet to consult the Jewish prejudices, so far as to induce the gentiles to abstain from blood, and things strangled, and. things offered in sacrifice to idols. These were the things against which the Jewish prejudices were the strongest-the eating of blood, as we have seen, was even punished with death: and at the same time, these were things from which the gentiles might abstain with the least inconvenience, and as we shall pre

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