Moreover, the Anglican Church confessedly stands in need of an organized female agency,—were it for nothing else than to counteract the proselytizing influence of the Sisters of Charity,-those benevolent schismatics who are extending their labours over the length and breadth of the mother country. There is abundant evidence to shew that many of the perversions of the lower orders to Popery, which have lately taken place, have been mainly owing to the instrumentality of this well-trained sisterhood. And sure are we that pious females,-visiting from house to house,-under proper Clerical and Episcopal sanction,―would mightily strengthen the hands of God's ministry, and carry out more effectually than has yet been done the perfect and scriptural theory of our beloved Apostolic Church.

Ir may not be irrelevant to allude, from time to time, to works which, though from the date of their publication, can scarcely be within the compass of our review, yet are so far in accordance with our views and designs, as to deserve special notice. Among these is a little work of great merit, commonly known among Scottish Churchmen as the Blacksmith's Letter.'

The real title of it

is, A Letter from a Blacksmith to the Ministers and Elders of the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland, in which the Manner of Public Worship is considered, &c. &c.'

It was first published in London in 1759, and has since passed through many editions. The sixth edition was published in London in 1845, with a preface by a clergyman of the Church in Scotland.*

The real history of the pamphlet is involved in obscurity. It can scarcely be believed that it was written by a mechanic, at a time, too, when a mechanic, gifted as the author of this pamphlet must have been, could scarcely by possibility have existed in Scotland. In it, however, everything will be found which can be said upon the subject of what is commonly termed extemporaneous prayer; but what, in fact, is nothing more nor less than the jumble of words to which a pulpit preacher gets accustomed by the system adopted. This is, in the first place, to get a prayer or two by heart, and then, according to caprice or circumstances, to add, vary, and so forth, which in practice soon becomes extremely easy, nay, a mere matter

* London, 8vo. 1845. Pp. 68. The original publisher is not living, but it may be had of the publishers of this Magazine, in Hanover Street, Edinburgh.

of habit. If nothing else comes uppermost, texts of Scripture are always at hand; and thus a rambling mixture of prayer, praise, thanksgiving, and narrative, is combined, which is made to last a given time, and considered a solemn congregational address to the Almighty, although no individual in the audience (as they ought to be called) can guess, except from recollection of former harangues, what the minister is praying for, until he has concluded a sentence, or what he is about to say. Under these circumstances, it is morally impossible for a congregation to pray devoutly, because they have no knowledge what the prayer is to be, which is offered in their name, until it is delivered; and thus they have to exercise several faculties of the mind, as memory, reflection, and judgment, before they can yield their assent to what has been said for them. All this is well discussed in the 'Blacksmith's Letter;' and we sincerely advise those who wish to appreciate our own Scriptural Liturgy, to peruse a work which exposes so admirably the contrary system.

BONDAGE OF BODY AND SOUL.

SELDOM do we allude to the state of slavery in the neighbouring Republic, disapproving, as we do, of the proceedings of the Abolitionists,—and convinced that foreign agitation of the question is both improper and inexpedient. There is something, however, so infernal in the following transaction, that as members of the great family for whom Emmanuel shed his blood, we are constrained to record our abhorring protest against it.

In August last, Martha Christian was tried before the Court of Common Pleas, Wood County, Virginia, for a crime, the nature of which may be best described in the words of the Indictment.

'WOOD COUNTY, TO WIT.-The grand Jurors empanelled and sworn to inquire of offences committed in the body of said county on their oath present That Martha Christian, late of said county, being an evil disposed person, on the fourth day of July, in the year of our blessed Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty seven, at Righteous Ridge, in said county, not having the fear of God before her eyes, but moved and instigated by the Devil, wickedly, maliciously, and feloniously, did teach certain black and negro woman, named Rebecca, alias Black Beck, to read in the Bible, to the great displeasure of Almighty God, to the pernicious example of others in like case offending, contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth of Virginia.'

Without hesitation we affirm that a parallel atrocity to this Virginian Indictment cannot be furnished out of the pit of perdition. At the instigation of the Devil a poor slave is taught to read the Bible, and that 'to the great displeasure of Almighty God!!' But what ensued? Accustomed, as our readers are, to the respect which in a British Court of Justice is ever paid to the decencies of religion, they might anticipate the Indictment would have been stopped at once, and the Grand Jury censured for having framed such a revoltingly blasphemous document. They order these matters, however, differently in Virginia. The criminal was tried-found guilty of aiding and abetting Satan to propagate the Gospel-and adjudged to suffer ten years imprisonment in the Penitentiary! To complete the picture, the Judge, in passing sentence, commented upon the enormity of the convict's offence, and the great lenity and favour which had been exercised towards her!! We dare not trust ourselves with one word of comment ;—and, indeed, language is altogether inadequate to heighten the horrors of the bare statement of fact.Toronto Church.

THE concern of a Parish Minister is, to make the lowest of his congregation apprehend the doctrine of salvation, by Repentance, Faith, and Obedience, and to labour, that when they know the way of life, they may walk in it. Smooth discourses, composed partly in fine words which they do not understand, partly in flowing sentences which they cannot follow to the end, leave them as ignorant and unreformed as ever, and lull them into a fatal security. Your expressions may be very common without being low; yet employ the lowest, provided they are not ridiculous, rather than not be understood. Let your sentences, and the parts of them, be short, where you can. Avoid rusticity and grossness in your style; yet be not too fond of smooth and soft and flowing language, but study to be nervous and expressive; but bear the censure of being unpolished, rather than uninfluencing.

Every man's voice and utterance belongs to himself alone; and it is in vain to think of looking or talking like such or such a one. Therefore preserve what is native to you; free it from adventitious faults improve it if you can: but remember that you may deprive it by the endeavour; and certainly, if you change it essentially. Speak to your people as you would undertake to inform or persuade a friend in a concern of great moment; only with more deliberation, more strength and energy in proportion to the numbers, and vary both your style and elocution, as in conversation you always do, suitably to your matter. For monotony soon deadens attention. is worst indeed when uniformly unnatural, by degenerating into a kind of chant.-Archbishop Secker.

It

Printed by GRANT & TAYLOR, 21 George Street, Edinburgh.

THE

SCOTTISH MAGAZINE,

AND

CHURCHMAN'S REVIEW.

SEPTEMBER 1848.

THE SPIRIT OF THE BIBLE, AND THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.

THERE are, at this very moment, two kingdoms in antagonistic position, the Church and the World--the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Antichrist. Each has its respective maxims and subjects. The one is guided by the spirit of the Bible,'-the gospel of salvation; the other by the spirit of the Age,'-'the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.' All are by nature members of the world, but by holy baptism become subjects of Christ -soldiers attested manfully to fight under His banner against the world and the devil.' The holy, the pure-hearted, and the penitent, are the faithful soldiers of Christ's kingdom. The unholy, the impure, and the impenitent, are those who, although they may have been enlisted into Christ's service, have treacherously joined the standard of Satan.

'But nothing,' remarks the celebrated Jones of Nayland, will shew us the difference between the world and the Church so effectually, as when we consider who is at the head of each society. Christ is the head of the Church, and the Devil is the prince of this world, who is also called the God of this world. They who are in the Church, are in the kingdom of Christ; which, though not of this. world, as not deriving its power from thence, is yet in the world. They who are of this world, are in the kingdom of Satan, and under his power, as the heathens are said to have been before they were redeemed from it, and brought over to the kingdom of GOD; which translation was signified by the redemption of the Hebrews from

under the power of Pharaoh. . . . . As the world is under condemnation, the Church is under grace and pardon of sin: its baptism washes away original sin, and gives a new birth to purity and righteousness; its other sacrament of the Lord's Supper maintains that spiritual life which is begun at baptism, as meat and drink support the life we receive at our natural birth. As the world is without hope, the Christian hath hope in death, through the Resurrection of Christ, and is assured, that he who is united to the life of GOD, can never die; for GOD is not the GOD of the dead, but of the living. While the wicked are to perish with the world which they inhabit, the children of GoD are heirs with Christ of an eternal kingdom.'

But, before proceeding further, it may be proper to state, that our present subject is suggested from a perusal of the Rev. R. Montgomery's 'GOSPEL In Advance of tHE AGE,'* and that, in discussing our topic, we are freely to avail ourselves of that writer's ideas and language by selecting and classifying such passages of his work as suit our subject. Our impressions in regard to Montgomery's volume will readily be conceived from this announcement. We cordially acquiesce in the eulogies which it has received from the leading periodicals, and join them in pronouncing it a remarkable and powerful work, wherein there is much which is most valuable and full of thought and originality. Some passages on the baptismal doctrine would do honour to any pen.' It is decidedly the Author's grandest effort, and must be hailed by all faithful and earnest-minded Churchmen, inasmuch as its teaching is truly and fearlessly Catholic, and hence, as much opposed to the vagaries of Geneva and Rome as to all Rationalistic and Pantheistic heresy.

be

But to return from this digression: The spirit of the Bible,' or some of its maxims, for the guidance of the faithful Christian, may be learned from the following quotations: All Scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of GOD may perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.' Christ is the Head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.' For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.' 'Christ * The Gospel in Advance of the Age: being a homily for the Times. By the Rev. R. Montgomery, M.A., Oxon. Third Edition, Revised, Re-Arranged, and considerably Augmented. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 38 George Street. London: Hamilton, Adams, & Co.