: for the spiritual profit of their hearers. Yet in no age did Almighty God ever more clearly show, by the effects, what was agreeable in his sight, than in the present. What a number of learned and elaborate sermons have been preached to no purpose! Even the truth of the doctrine that is in them, is rendered, in a great measure, useless, by the wisdom of words with which it has been clothed while plain, artless, colloquial addresses to the populace, by men, fearing God, and speaking of divine things in fervour and charity, have been attended wiih demonstration of the Spirit and of power, and souls have been rescued, through their means, from sin and Satan. Classical and ornamental knowledge is not the first thing to be aimed at by a pastor. If he is yet very young, his time, indeed, is laudably employed in cultivating his faculties in this respect. And if his genius for eloquence be strong and acute, he will soon learn the justest rules sufficiently for the purpose of his profession. There is, indeed, an eloquence in the Scriptures, but it is an eloquence adapted to the subject, plainly divine. A pastor who has talents for speaking, attended with superior learning and endowments, will study to attain a "diligent negligence," that he may never overshoot the capacities of his audience, either by refined reasonings or by artificial elegancies of diction. Plain, downright, above all things perspicuous and intelligible, without being rude or clownish, he will descend to the lowest comprehension of his audience; and his grandeur and sublimity will appear in things not in words. He will gladly give up his reputation to the fastidiousness of critics; for he has souls to bring into Christ's fold, and is not solicitous of the praise of men. He will show, without designing it, from time to time, that he can speak more elaborately, and more elegantly; but eloquence will follow his subject, not go before it. This will be the plan of a man of genius and learning in the work of the pulpit: he will humble himself, that Christ may be exalted. But Christ can do his work by workmen of slower and more ordinary capacities; and he has often done so. At "Let our Christian orator," says Augustine, "who would be understood and be heard with pleasure, pray before he speak. Let him lift up his thirsty soul to God, before he pronounces any thing. For since there are many things which may be said, and many modes of saying the same thing, who knows, except He who rules the hearts of all men, what is most expedient to be said at the present hour? And who can cause us to speak what we ought, and as we ought, unless He, in whose hands we, and our words, are? And by these means he may learn all that is to be taught, and may acquire a faculty of speaking as becomes a pastor. the hour itself of speaking, a faithful spirit will think his Lord's words adapted to his circumstances: think not what or how ye shall speak, for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of the Father which speaketh in you.' If the Holy Ghost speak in those who are delivered up to persecutors for Christ, why not also in those who deliver Christ to learners? But, on the other side, if any say that men need to know no rules, nor follow any studies; if the Holy Ghost make men teachers; it might be said, also, men need not to pray: because our Lord saith, 'your Father knoweth what ye have need of before ye ask him." E. R. Poetry. THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. This is the day of holy rest, Meet emblem of that happy state This is the day the Lord hath made; To Him who death and hell did spoil, Rest; and enjoy this holy day To yours, and wide creation's King: And hold communion with the good; W. S. VARIOUS OPINIONS OF CHRIST. What think you of Christ? is the test I durst not confide in his blood, Unless I was sure he was God. Some call him a Saviour, in word, : If doings prove rather too light, If ask'd what of Jesus I think? Reviews. An Exact Reprint of the Roman Index Expurgatorius, the only Vatican Index of this kind ever published. Edited with a preface, by Richard Gibbings, A.B., Scholar of Trinity College, Dublin. Dublin, Milliken & Son, W. Curry, jun., and Rivingtons, London, 1837, 12mo., pp. 608. (Concluded from p. 180.) The manner in which the Fathers have been corrupted by the Romanists, will be more easily understood by a specimen taken from the treatise on the Unity of the Church, which was written by Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, in the third century. It is well known to all learned men, that Cyprian was amongst the most strenuous defenders of the equality and independence of Bishops, and that he gave the most determined opposition to the spirit of encroachment, which even at that early period began to manifest itself in the Roman Court. In the passage which we shall submit to our readers, he is showing the danger of heresy and schism, from the fact that there is but one Church of Christ. He shows that there is but one Episcopate of which all the Bishops on earth have an equal share; and that, though all the Apostles had equal dignity and power, yet one Saviour, to manifest the Unity of his Church, chose to make its origin begin with one of them. shall now give the passage both in Latin and English. The words inclosed in brackets have been inserted by the Romanists in the printed copies, since the Reformation, contrary to the text of all the old editions, and of all manuscripts of any value. We "The Lord saith to Peter: I say unto thee, saith he, that thou art Peter, and on this rock will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed also in heaven. And again after his resurrection, he saith: Feed my sheep. On [that] one he buildeth his Church {and vis Apostolis omnibus, parem potestatem tribuat et dicat: sicut misit me Pater, et ego mitto vos, Accipite Spiritum Sanctum. Si cui remiseritis peccata, remittentur illi: Si cui tenueritis, tenebuntur; tamen, ut unitatem manifestaret [unam Cathedram constituit, et] unitatis ejusdem originem ab uno incipientem sua auctoritate disposuit. Hoc erant utique et cæteri Apostoli, quod fuit Petrus pari consortio præditi et honoris et potestatis, sed exordium ab unitate proficissitur [Primatus Petro datur) ut ecclesia una [et cathedra una] monstretur; [et pastores sunt omnes, sed grex uuus ostenditur; qui ab apostolis omnibus unanimi consensione pascatur] quam unam ecclesiam etiam in Cantico Canticorum Spiritus Sanctus ex persona Domini designat et dicit: una est columba mea, perfecta mea, una est matri suæ, electa genetrici suæ. ecclesiæ unitatem qui non tenet tenere se fidem credit? qui ecclesiæ renititur et resistit [qui cathedram Petri, super quam fundata est ecclesia deserit] in ecclesia se esse confidit ? "* Hanc commandeth him to feed his sheep.] And although he giveth to all his Apostles equal power, and saith; as the Father hath sent me and I send you, receive you the Holy Ghost, whosesoever sins ye remit, they shall be remitted, and whosesoever sins ye retain they shall be retained: Yet, that he might manifest unity, he [constituted one chair and] appointed by his authority that the origin of the same unity should begin from one. The rest of the Apostles, therefore, were endued with an equal share of both honour and power as Peter was, but the beginning commenceth from unity. [The primacy is given to Peter] that it might be shown that there is but one Church, [and one chair. And they are all shepherds, but there is but one flock, to be fed by all the Apostles with unanimous consent,] which one Church also in the Canticles,† the Holy Spirit in the person of the Lord pointeth out, and saith; · My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her." He who holdeth not this unity of the Church, doth he believe that he holdeth the faith? He who opposeth and resisteth the Church [who deserteth the chair of Peter, on which the Church is founded] doth he trust that he is in the Church? The reader will observe, that the words inserted in brackets are simply forgeries inserted into the text of Cyprian, by the Romish party, so as not only to destroy all meaning and connexion in the argument, but to make one of the most illustrious defenders of the equality and independency of Christian Bishops, advocate such claims as the Bishops of Rome had not at that time, nor till long after, ventured to put forward. By such a process an author may be made to say anything. And what sort of respect for the Fathers can men have, who will take such liberties as this? Our But it is time to turn to Mr. Gibbings and his most valuable reprint of the only Index Expurgatorius, which has ever issued from the Vatican Press. readers will bear in mind that the Court of Rome has employed two sorts of Indexes by which to effect the suppression or mutilation of obnoxious books. The first sort is the "Index Librorum Prohibitorum," which contains lists of all books forbidden to be printed, sold, or read-amongst which stands the Word of God in any vulgar tongue whatsoever. "Biblia Vulgari quocunque idiomate conscripta." The second sort is the "Index Expurgatorius," which contains an enumeration of all passages to be altered or erased in the notes or text of works allowed to be read by Roman Catholics. Of this sort of index, the only one published in Rome, is that which Mr. Gibbings has with vast labour and expense reprinted. It is, in fact, the first volume of an Index, of which the remainder never was published; but it is peculiarly valuable on account of its containing the alterations to be made in the " Bibliotheca Patrum," as by this Index all subsequent editions of that work have been corrected. Mr. Gibbings' Preface contains a mass of information on these subjects, and does great honour to himself and to the University of Dublin. * See Bishop Fell's edition of St. Cyprian, p. 106-108, + Cant. vi. 9. He begins with an account of the Decree of the Council of Lateran in the year 1515; and after mentioning the various condemnations of Luther and his works, proceeds to an enumeration of the early indexes or lists of prohibited books. It appears that in 1559, ten years after the publication of the first Italian catalogue, a most severe proscription of authors was issued by Pope Paul IV., whose successor Pius IV., with the sanction of the Council of Trent, composed an Index, reversing, in several instances, the directions of his predecessor. Mr. Gibbings has taken notice of many books, in their judgment of which these and other Popes were by no means agreed. He then enters upon the subject of the Expurgatory Indexes. He shews that this purifying of books was intended to have been accomplished in secrecy and darkness, and explains in what manner the design was frustrated by the discovery of the first Index, when the agents of the Roman court had been privately at work for 15 years. Mr. Gibbings proves, that the volume which he has republished received the full sanction of the church of Rome, and was not suppressed but from a fear of the system being exposed. We have already observed that, since the date of this Index the "Bibliotheca Patrum" has come forth corrected, and this one Index (which until now had been so scarce as to be almost unattainable) furnishes an irrefragable demonstration that Romanists, by their own confession, dare not abide by the test of original, unmutilated, uncorrupted antiquity. Mr. Gibbings has pointed out one most interesting fact, that, although in numerous instances the text of the Fathers has been corrupted by means of expurgatory Indexes, yet it was thought advisable to appear to deal gently with these early writers; and, therefore, a plan was adopted which seemed calculated to effect this object, with less appearance of dishonesty. This was, to destroy all marginal notes and all references in the Indexes of the volumes to those passages in the works of the Fathers, which could not be reconciled with Papal novelties. Any one who reads a few of the cautions which this Index orders to be annexed to the words of the Primitive Writers, will be able to judge how far the chief members of the Roman church are inclined to trust unadulterated testimony. Dr. James truly and wittily remarks, we are "kindly beholding unto them; first, for sending us unto the best books, by their Catalogues of Books prohibited; and secondly, for directing us unto the best places to be read in those books, by their " Indices Expurgatory.”* Amidst all the difficulties of the Church in Ireland, it is truly encouraging to see men coming forward, as Mr. Gibbings has, to study the Romish controversy in the spirit of our English reformers. The Reformation in these countries, can be carried on by no other means than that by which it was at first commenced and established; the word of God, in the hands of a devoted and learned Clergy. Our glorious reformers knew nothing of that maudlin piety which sneers at learning. They knew the security of the position which they had taken up, and they maintained it. 'My issue is this," says our illustrious Cranmer, "let all the papists together shew any one authority, either of Scripture or of ancient author, either Greek or Latin, that sayeth as they say, that Christ called not bread and wine his body and blood, but Individuum vagum, and for my part I shall give them place, and confess that they say true. And if they can shew nothing for them of antiquity, but only their own bare words, then it is reason that they give place to the truth; " or "if any learned man of our adversaries," says Bishop Jewell, "or all the learned men that be alive, be able to bring any one sufficient sentence out of any old Catholic Doctor or Father, or General Council, or Holy Scripture, or any one example in the Primitive Church, whereby it may clearly and plainly be proved during the first six hundred years: I. That there was at any time any private masses in the world: [and then he enumerates five-and-twenty points of popery, and concludes thus]: XXVII. Or that ignorance is the mother and cause of true devotion, [by which it appears that at that time this had not yet become a Protestant doctrine]. The conclusion is, that I shall then be content to yield and subscribe."‡ It was such antagonists as these that drove the champions of Rome to give up *Table of Divinity Books, p. 465. † Cranmer's Answer to Gardiner, b. iii. Remains vol. iii. p. 181, also p. 184, and vol. fi., p. 376, Oxford, 1833. Life of Bishop Jewell, p. 47-49, prefixed to his Apology, London, 1825. antiquity altogether. "To speak ingenuously," says one of their writers, “in questions which touch the mysteries of the faith, I would believe one Pope sooner than a thousand Augustines, Jeromes, and Gregories."* On the whole, we cannot but warmly recommend Mr. Gibbings' labours to the encouragement they so well deserve. His book is beautifully and most carefully printed, even the mistakes in the original edition having been religiously preserved. Few of our readers can form any idea of the labour and difficulty of bringing such a work through the press. We most sincerely hope Mr. Gibbings may not lose by the publication. In point of character he can lose nothing. Every one capable of appreciating his work must see that as long as learning and Protestantism exist in either country, his name will be remembered with honour by all true friends of the Reformed Religion. A Brief History of the Church in Upper Canada; containing the Acts of Parliament, Imperial and Provincial; Royal Instructions; Proceedings of the Deputation; Corespondence with the Government; Clergy Reserves' Question, &c., &c.; by William Bettridge, B. D., (St. John's College, Cambridge,) Rector of Woodstock, Upper Canada; one of the Deputation from the late Bishop of Quebec, the Bishop of Montreal, and the Archdeacons and Clergy of Upper Canada. 8vo., pp. 143. W. E. Painter, 342, Strand, London. THIS work, which is dedicated by permission, to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has taken a deep interest in the state of the Canadian Church,will prove highly acceptable to all the well-wishers of the Church in our Colonies. According to the first part of this history, "The conquest of the Province of Quebec was completed in the year 1759. In the treaty which preceded the surrender, the French commander, a member of the Church of Rome, manifested a very earnest zeal for the maintenance, to that Church, of all the privileges granted to it by the French king. He succeeded in his efforts, perhaps beyond his own expectations, certainly beyond the wishes of the Protestant population of the Northern States of America, who solemnly expressed, (in 'States' assembled,) their regret that such concessions should have been made to a conquered people. The rights, privileges, lands, or seigneuries held by the Romish Church previous to the conquest, were primarily secured by the articles of capitulation, and eventually confirmed by a solemn act of the British Parliament, in 1774, (14 Geo. III., c. 83.) By this act it must be admitted, that, in Lower Canada at least, the Church of Rome is recognised as the Established Church; or, if not the, certainly an Established Church. And thus at a period when we might have hoped better things, we behold the first inroad made upon that distinctive Protestantism which pervades our entire constitution; and which, indeed, is the very foundation-stone of our monarchy. It does not appear that this departure from the principles of our constitution attracted any particular attention in the Mother Country, although, as already hinted, the measure was resented and deeply reprobated by the Colonies of North America, who had, themselves, greatly contributed towards the success of our enterprises against the French. The effects of this first concession to the Church of Rome, which, as in her error, so in her enmity to the Protestant faith, boasts of being semper eadem,' have been too plainly manifested to escape the attention of the reflecting portion of our people. The Established Church of England was not, however, entirely neglected in this legislative measure of concession to Romanism, for it is expressly provided therein, that It should be lawful for his Majesty, his heirs or successors, to make such provision out of the rest of the said accustomed dues and rights, for the encouragement of the Protestant religion, and for the maintenance and support of a Protestant Clergy, within the said Province, as should, from time to time, be thought necessary and expedient.' "The Clergy of our Church were thus placed in the prospective hope of participating in the rest of dues and rights' which remained, after a most bountiful provision for the Romish Church had been conceded. It is not, perhaps, generally known, that these 'dues, and rights, and lands,' thus secured to the Church of Rome, are productive of a vast revenue. Not a cure, or parochial priest in Lower * The original is quoted by Mr. Gibbings, Pref., p. 69-70. |