PREFACE. WHEN We glance over the goodly array of our nineteen volumes, and recal the fear and trembling with which so responsible though humble a task was first engaged in, great indeed is the thankfulness excited, to the Lord first, in whose Name, and for whose glory the lowly attempt was originally made, and by whose blessing alone it has so prospered; and next to the encouraging friends who have borne with our many mistakes and short-comings, aided us when weak, and cheered us on when opposition arose-for these are not days when the truth may be plainly spoken with impunity. We have always stood ready at any moment to relinquish our office, beloved and cherished as it really is in our inmost heart; but resolved by God's grace to yield no point of Christian verity; nor even to be silent in any matter where the truth of the gospel is assailed. It has recently pleased the conductors of that very a able, but somewhat eccentric publication the Quarterly Review, to dub Charlotte Elizabeth " a muslin divine." It is far from her wish or province, to intrude into the arena of theological controversy; but when cambric, lawn, and crape are all agitated by such extraordinary winds of doctrine, muslin will also flutter in the breeze. Women have souls, and any attempt to corrupt the saving knowledge whereby alone a sinner may attain to eternal life becomes an attack upon individual faith, to be individually repelled and answered. On this ground we respectfully crave of our brethren, Reverend and literary, freedom of speech, at least among ourselves: and we would thankfully remind them that the muslin attire of Anne Askew, and many others, caught the flames of martyrdom no less constantly, no less joyfully than did the Episcopal lawn of our honoured Latimer, Ridley, Cranmer, Hooper and Farrar. Should those days return, we hope our Protestant men will find their Protestant wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, not a whit behind those of the Reformation, in strengthening them to suffer for Christ, and in shewing all joyous readiness to suffer by their side. Another topic may be here adverted to: the zeal with which we have contributed our feeble aid to help forward the course of the Anglo-Jewish press. If in this, among religious publications, we seem to stand alone, it is only because, in our eagerness to catch the very first faint streak of a dawn that shall soon brighten into glorious day, we have, perhaps, climbed to a peak of the mountain more eastward than the spots selected by our follow watchers; and thus may detect a change in the horizon before it is quite evident to them. However, a very short space of time will put an end to every doubt on that subject. The sun of Israel is indeed rising: the bloodred meteor of Popery is flaming abroad, but to be more signally quenched in everlasting darkness. We would conclude by urgently pressing upon our friends the state of Ireland, and imploring them to be instant in prayer for that suffering country; that the Lord may wrest the weapons of destruction from hands now brandishing them aloft; and re-kindle the pure, peaceful light of divine truth where it long beamed forth upon surrounding lands, to the honour of His Most Holy Name. Soon shall we have to take up that lofty song, The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved : He uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge! June, 1843. |