atmosphere made for man's life, and man's life the very life that was made to breathe man's atmosphere? A thousand forces go to disturb these proportions; every creature that breathes the air absorbs the oxygen, and throws out at every respiration nitrogen and carbonic acid gas; and every fire that burns, and every lamp that is lighted, consumes the oxygen and gives out carbonic acid gas. How is it, then, that it does come to pass, that with fires and lamps and millions of living creatur s, men and cattle on a thousand hills, consuming the oxygen and pouring out carbonic acid gas in its stead, the atmosphere in course of years does not become so deteriorated and vitiated that its proportions are altered, that it becomes unfit for man to respire? Why does not this very likely result happen? The beautiful provision, the result of wise design, to obviate such result, is this -whilst animals absorb oxygen and give out carbonic acid gas, all vegetable substances absorb carbonic acid gas, and give out oxygen. And thus we find the vegetable world and the animal world exactly counterbalancing each other; what is poison to the one, is the very nutriment and life of the other. Can this be chance? Must it not be the arrangement of a wise and designing God? (To be continued.) EARLY ECCLESIASTICAL CORRUPTION. THE following extract from one of Chrysostom's homilies, will give the reader an idea of the excellence of the Nicene age, of which the Tractarians boast. "If, therefore, any one, seated on high, could behold all human things, think what folly he would condemn, what tears he would shed, how immoderately he would laugh, with what hatred he would hate. For we do things which are deserving of laughter, fury, tears, and hatred. This man keep dogs to capture wild beasts, who himself has fallen into the condition of a beast. Another keeps asses and oxen, that he may convey stones, and overlooks men, who are perishing with hunger. He spends boundless gold to make men of stone, but he overlooks those who are really men, and who become hardened like stones from calamity. Another, collecting with much labour, gold dust, covers his walls with it, but when he perceives the stomachs of the poor naked, he is not moved by it. Some devise new garments in addition to their old ones, whilst another has not wherewith to cover his naked body. One devours another in the judicial courts. One man consumes his money upon harlots and parasites; another, on buffoons and dancers; another, in splendid buildings, and in the purchase of fields and houses. Another, again, calculates usury; another, usury upon usury another composes writings full of murders, and watching for the ills of others, does not even enjoy the repose of night. When day appears, they run, one to unjust gain, one to obscene expence, one to public peculation. There is great eagerness for things superfluous and forbidden; there is no mention of necessary things. Those who judge, have the name of judges, but are really thieves and manslayers. If any one examines the lawsuits and the testaments, he will find therein, again, numberless evils, frauds, thefts, snares, All leisure is spent in these; but there is no mention of spiritual things, and they crowd the churches only for the sake of seeing. * * * * Those who occupy the tribunals of justice, resemble lions and dogs; those who are in the market-places, resemble foxes. Those who lead an unprofessional life, do not make use of their exemption from business as they ought to do, consuming all their leisure in theatres, and the evils which proceed from them, and there is no one who reproves what takes place; but there are many who envy and bite, because they cannot do the same.' "* These sermons were delivered at Antioch. Ει τις τοινυν εφ' υψηλου καθισας παντα κατιδειν δυνη θειη τα ανθρωπινα, εννόησον οσην καταγνώσεται αλογίαν, όσα δάκρυα οισει, όσον γελασεται γελωτα, οσον μισησει μισος. Τοιαύτα γαρ πραττομεν ως και γελωτος, και άνοιας, και δακρύων, και μισους ειναι αξια. Ο δεινα τρεφει κύνας, ινα θηρια αγρια σαγηνευση, αυτος εις θηριωδίαν εμπίπτων· Ετερος όνους και ταύρους, ινα μετακομίζη λιθους Ανθρωπους δε περιορα, λιμω τηκομένους. Και χρυσιον μεν απειρον δαπανα, ένα λιθινους ανθρωπους εργασηται τους δε οντως ανθρωπους, λιθινους γενομενους υπο της κακουχίας, υπερορα Ετερος ψηφιδας χρυσας συλλέγων μετα πολλης ταλαιπωριας περιβαλλει τις τοιχους τας δε γαζέρας των πενήτων γυμνας ορων, ουκ επικαμπτεται" Και οι μεν τοις ιματίοις αυτων ιματια παλιν επινοουσιν ετερος δε ουδε αυτο το σωμα γυμνον περιβαλλειν εχει. Εν δικαζηρίοις δε παλιν αλλος αλλον κατεπιεν αλλος εις πορνας αναλωσε και εις παρασιτους ετερος εις μιμους και ορχηστρας εις οικομοδας ετερος λαμπρας, εις αγορασίας αγρων και οικιων. Παλιν ομεν τοκους αριθμει, ο δε τοκες τοκων, ο δε γραμματεια συντίθης, πολλων γεμοντα φονων, και ουδε την απο της νυκτος αναπαυσιν καρπούται, επι τοις ετερων κακοις αγρυν πνων. Ημερας δε γενομενης, ο μεν επι κερδος αδικον, ο δε επι δαπανην ασελγή, οι δε επί κλοπην δεδημοσιευμενην τρεχουσι. Και των μεν περιττων και κεκωλυμενων πολλη η σπουδη Των δε αναγκαίων ουδεις ο λογος. Οι δε κρινοντες το μεν ονομα δικαζων εχουσι, το δε εργον ληζων και ανδροφόνων Καν τας δικας τις εξεταση, καν τας διαθήκας, μυρια παλιν ευρήσει και ενταυθα κακα, δολους, κλοπας, επιβουλας. Και περι ταυτα απασα η σχολη, των δε πνευματικων λογος ουδεις αλλα την εκκλησίαν υπερ του μονον ιδειν ενοχλουσιν άπαντες. * * * * * * οι μεν γαρ εν τοις δικαζηρίοις λεσσιν εοίκασι και κυσι, οι δε εν ταις αγοραις, αλωπέζιν. Οι δε τον απραγμονα ζωντες βιον, ουδε ουτοι εις δεον τη απραγμοσυνη κεχρηνται, της σχολην απασαν εις θεατρα και τα εκείθεν κακα αναλισ κοντες. Και ο μεν επιτιμων τοις γενομενοις, εδεις. Οι δε ζηλούντες και δακνόμενοι, οτι μη ισα αυτοις πραττουσι, πολλοι. κ. τ. λ. Chrysostom Bened. Edition, Paris, 1836, In Joannem homil. 82. BERMONDSEY OPERATIVE AUXILIARY. Mr. L -, Missionary. VISITED four Roman Catholic families,-read part of the third chapter of St. Matthew,-shewed that John the Baptist sounded the Gospel trumpet in the wilderness of Judea, saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; and shewed that the Saviour, in the iv. c. 17 v. preached the same doctrine of repentance. Here I took occasion to remark, that repentance signified sorrow for sin, while the word penance, by which it is rendered in the Roman Catholic version, signified doing something which is enjoined by the priest or confessor, and which is considered as doing something that will merit pardon or salvation, while, as poor, sinful, and polluted creatures, we can do nothing towards our justification in the sight of a pure and holy God. None but Jesus Can do helpless sinners good. Visited two families,-read Rom. 5. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," &c. Here I stated, that every blessing which we receive and enjoy, is all through the merits and all-sufficient atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, -that there is no merit in us poor sinful creatures, but all our salvation comes from God through Christ. Held a long conversation with a Roman Catholic, who endeavoured to prove that all was wrong who were out of the pale of the Church of Rome,-that her doctrines were pure and apostolic,-that she did not, nor cannot err. I inquired of him, if the Saviour or his apostles preached the doctrine of human merit, of purgatory, the invocation of saints and departed men and women, and various other erroneous doctrines, now in use in the Church of Rome? I endeavoured to prove, that Jesus Christ, by the merit of God, tasted death for every man, that in him, and him alone, we are accepted, -that, while God is just, yet he is the justifier of all who believe in Jesus. Visited different Roman Catholic families, but nothing of mportance occurred: left some short tracts. HAMMERSMITH AUXILIARY. THE working Auxiliaries have the pleasure to inform the parent Committee that the tracts have been well received in the two districts they are working. The tracts are evidently better received than ever; they have succeeded in getting eight Roman Catholics to take the tracts that never received them before, and they seem anxious to read them for themselves in spite of the Priests. They found one possessed of the rosary, which on explaining to her she appeared much cast down and embarrassed, took a tract, and resolved to read for herself. Again, in the Bay, we found that there are two Roman Catholics that have received our tracts with some degree of kindness, which foretell good things for our cause. These few things encourage us very much, and onward' is our motto. Yours truly, A. STRONG, Secretary to Hammersmith Auxiliary. |