6 2. But again, as at the present time, by the recent acts of the Legislature, our time is limited and our powers restricted for teaching religious knowledge, it becomes a matter of the utmost importance that we make much of the Diocesan inspection, and by the awarding of prizes prove to the children that we desire to encourage excellence in that kind of knowledge, and that we value in the highest degree the opportunities given us in the Sunday school and in the church. Never was there a time when the Sunday school was so important as it is now. And it becomes every year more important that the old system of catechizing in church should be more generally restored, and that there should be more simple expositions of Holy Scripture given from our pulpits. 3. Further, we ought to bear in mind, that by the appointment and command of Christ Himself, His Church is commissioned to be the educator of His children. Of every pastor it is an inalienable duty to 'feed His lambs,' and He makes that to be the practical answer to the question which He puts to each of them, 'Lovest thou Me?' while to all who are engaged in the work of education, to clergy and laity alike, He says, as Pharaoh's daughter said of old to Moses' mother, Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.' Hence the duty of the Church is clear-to resist and protest against the doctrine, which is now so prevalent and popular, that she is but a creature of the State, and is only one out of the many sects which abound; and to labour diligently, that at all permitted opportunities she may instil into the hearts and minds of the rising generation that it is her province and privilege to educate them for eternity; and that, however great or various may be the vicissitudes of times and nations, there is but 'one Faith,' as there is one Lord, one Baptism, one God and Father of all,' whose children they are, and that it is her high and holy office to train them up for Him, and for His kingdom. 4. And let our last thought be that with which Solomon closes this book, and on which he bases his 'conclusion,' that to fear God and keep His commandments is the whole of man ;' "for," he says, "God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.' Let us set the remembrance of that judgment' ever before our own minds and the minds of our children. Let us work, and teach them to work, not merely to win a favourable report at the Government or Diocesan Inspector's examination, but let us remember that an examination far more strict, an inspection far more momentous, lies in the future before them and us, and that its issues will decide our place in eternity. If at that great day it shall be found that all our children have been taught of the Lord, great shall be the peace of our children,' and to us who have prayed and laboured for them that promise of exceeding blessedness shall then be fulfilled: they that be wise,' (or, as it is in the margin, they that be teachers') shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.' ST. ATHANASIUS. HE city of Alexandria was once not only the capital of Egypt, but of Christianity itself; for there were the headquarters of sacred learning, and its Primate was the only Church dignitary who, in the first centuries of the faith, bore the title of Pope. He filled the Chair of St. Mark' and presided over 'the Evangelical See,' and after the Council of Nicæa he was often called 'Judge of the World,' and 'Head of the World,' exercising an influence approaching to that of the Western popes of a later day. Of these Egyptian primates the greatest was Athanasius, whose name is so familiar to us in our Prayer-books, which contain the Creed that has been ascribed to him. He was born at Alexandria about the year 296. The Archbishop Alexander saw one day from the summit of a tower some young children playing on the seashore, and, struck by the solemnity of their movements, he sent for them, and when they were brought into his presence he taxed them with playing at religious ceremonies. They confessed that they had been imitating 'baptism,' and that one of their number had dipped them, and gone through all the forms of the rite. This little boy was Athanasius. The Archbishop, on inquiry, finding that the ceremony had been correctly performed, pronounced the baptisms valid; and admiring the precocious zeal of the child, he adopted him into his own family, and had him well educated. When Athanasius grew up he formed a friendship with the hermit St. Anthony, and frequently visited him in the desert. In due course he was ordained deacon, and he only held that position in the Church when as a young man, less than thirty years of age, he was appointed one of the members of the famous Council of Nicæa, A.D. 325, and assisted in framing the Nicene Creed. On the death of the Primate Alexander in the following year, Athanasius was elected Archbishop of Alexandria, and then he entered on a course of troubles which only terminated with his life. He had been the most resolute opponent of the heretic Arius, who, though condemned by the Council of Nicæa, had, at the command of the Emperor Constantine, been received again into the Alexandrian Church on his making a sort of retractation of his errors. The Arians now strove, by every means in their power, to destroy their great enemy, and they used falsehood and slander to accomplish their end. Athanasius was accused of sacrilege, and of murdering * Arius denied the equality of the persons of the Trinity, asserting that the Son was created by the Father. and cutting off the hand of Arsenius, Bishop of Hypselis in Upper Egypt; and he was at length summoned before the Council of Tyre, to answer the charges against him. Arsenius had been bribed to conceal himself, but he was detected and secured by the Orthodox party. When Athanasius was accused of the murder, he brought into the midst of the Council a man muffled up in a cloak; and uncovering his face the assembly saw before them the supposed dead man. Then Athanasius drew out from the folds of the mantle first one of the hands he was said to have cut off, and then the other, saying, 'Let no one ask for a third; for two hands, and two only, has every human being received from the Creator of all things.' Notwithstanding his acquittal by the Council, his enemies never ceased in their efforts, till at last they succeeded in prejudicing the Emperor's mind against him, and he was deposed from his see and banished to Gaul. From the time of his election to the Archbishopric of Alexandria his life was one long battle against the Arians. Forty-six years he was primate, and twenty of these he spent in exile; five times he was banished, and as often he returned again amid the acclamations of his faithful people. On his restoration to his see at the death of Con stantine he entered Alexandria in triumph; he rode upon an ass; the way was spread with carpets, and the multitudes who went out to meet him waved palm-branches in their hands, and scattered rich perfumes in the air; and at night the city was illuminated in his honour. In the reign of the Arian Emperor Constantius the infamous George of Cappadocia was appointed archbishop. In the year 358, as Athanasius was keeping vigil with his flock at midnight, the soldiers of Syrianus, the Governor of Egypt, burst into the church and slaughtered the defenceless worshippers. Athanasius escaped, and found refuge amongst the hermits who dwelt on the banks of the Nile, whilst the partisans of George committed the most horrible outrages in Alexandria, and the name of religion was made a pretext for robbery and murder. But in a tumult raised by the pagans George was himself killed, and Athanasius was once more restored on the accession of Julian to the imperial throne. After being alternately exiled and restored under different Roman emperors, Athanasius died in peace at Alexandria in A.D. 373. Though of extremely small stature, he had such heroic courage that no danger appalled him, and he boldly faced his enemies at the risk of his life to repel the calumnies which ever and anon were raised against him. He was the author of many works, and besides being gifted with extraordinary eloquence, he had a keen sense of humour. One day, as he was passing through the square of Alexandria, a crow flew croaking over the hads of the pagan crowd, who asked him in derision what the bird said. 'Do you not hear?' said Athanasius: 'it says, "Cras! cras!" which is in Latin "To-morrow," and means that to-morrow something unpleasant will befall you, for to-morrow your pagan festival will be suppressed by an Imperial decree.' Which event actually occurred, to the confusion of the pagans. A. R. ST. ATHANASIUS. HE city of Alexandria was once not only the capital of Egypt, but of Christianity itself; for there were the headquarters of sacred learning, and its Primate was the only Church dignitary who, in the first centuries of the faith, bore the title of Pope. He filled 'the Chair of St. Mark' and presided over 'the Evangelical See,' and after the Council of Nicæa he was often called 'Judge of the World,' and 'Head of the World,' exercising an influence approaching to that of the Western popes of a later day. Of these Egyptian primates the greatest was Athanasius, whose name is so familiar to us in our Prayer-books, which contain the Creed that has been ascribed to him. He was born at Alexandria about the year 296. The Archbishop Alexander saw one day from the summit of a tower some young children playing on the seashore, and, struck by the solemnity of their movements, he sent for them, and when they were brought into his presence he taxed them with playing at religious ceremonies. They confessed that they had been imitating baptism,' and that one of their number had dipped them, and gone through all the forms of the rite. This little boy was Athanasius. The Archbishop, on inquiry, finding that the ceremony had been correctly performed, pronounced the baptisms valid; and admiring the precocious zeal of the child, he adopted him into his own family, and had him well educated. When Athanasius grew up he formed a friendship with the hermit St. Anthony, and frequently visited him in the desert. In due course he was ordained deacon, and he only held that position in the Church when as a young man, less than thirty years of age, he was appointed one of the members of the famous Council of Nicæa, A.D. 325, and assisted in framing the Nicene Creed. On the death of the Primate Alexander in the following year, Athanasius was elected Archbishop of Alexandria, and then he entered on a course of troubles which only terminated with his life. He had been the most resolute opponent of the heretic Arius, who, though condemned by the Council of Nicæa, had, at the command of the Emperor Constantine, been received again into the Alexandrian Church on his making a sort of retractation of his errors. The Arians now strove, by every means in their power, to destroy their great enemy, and they used falsehood and slander to accomplish their end. Athanasius was accused of sacrilege, and of murdering * Arius denied the equality of the persons of the Trinity, asserting that the Son was created by the Father. |