Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

side, who says, "there are some things which are hard to be understood." True, some things, still he does not say "the way of salvation" is hard to be understood? "A wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err therein." The Scrip

[ocr errors]

tures are able to make thee wise unto salvation," (Paul to Timothy.) They judge, therefore, that, as the Scriptures are so dangerous for ordinary people to meddle with, it is preferable to put it out of that reach, which, they consider, would occasion self-destruction! Behold, oh! reader, "How fair the glove,

Drawn o'er so foul a hand!"

But, did Peter, because some unlearned and unstable souls wrested the Scriptures, forbid them, or others, however weak, to read them? Had it been so, weight would have accompanied his request. But, just the contrary! for, in the following verses, the counsel he gives Christians, is," to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour." Now, how is this knowledge to be obtained, but from Holy Writ? And who would not report to the fountain head when so accessible? As light is the chariot, which conveys the influences of the sun, so is the knowledge of Christ the forerunner of his glorified influence. If, then, Papists will not allow a knowledge of Christ to be obtained, except through their ministrations, is there not a very significant sign of deception in their refusing even the Scriptures to be made the test of their doctrine ? "To the law, and the testimony, if they speak not according to these, it is because there is no light in them." In Paul's sermons, Acts xvii. 11, the Bereans were commended to do, what Rome says ought not to be done, "Search the Scriptures!" Which is the greatest authority; and, consequently, which should we follow? But, again, how can the people know, that what the Romish Church preaches is true, unless they have the Scriptures, to which, as unto the true touchstone, they may bring their doctrines to be tried? And, again, suppose they do preach the truth, can they warrant that their words will not be perverted, and misunderstood by their hearers? If, then, they cannot warrant this, why are they suffered to preach in a vulgar tongue, when they denounce the reading of the Bible, by the poor, for the very same reason? "Oh! children of the devil; full of deceit !" If God is restrained from speaking in the vulgar tongue, why should the friar? Confession, probably, is the only time when priest and

Then,

people understand one another. he is paid for that which Christ offered to do for nothing! "Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price!" The trash which the Romish Church vends would never go off their hands if they did not keep their shop thus dark !

Luther was bitterly complained against, for spoiling the Catholic market; and one of their shave-lings said, "that, but for him, they might have persuaded the people of Germany to eat hay!" Wherefore are laws made but to be promulgated? and the Scriptures written but to be read? It is true, some wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction, and so do some for want of care in eating choke themselves; must all, therefore, starve, for fear of being choked?

If some children wound themselves with swords, must the whole army be disarmed, and only a few chief officers be allowed to have them? If this, then, is their argument, we must not only seal the Bible to the poor and unlearned, but also to the learned, and great doctors of divinity, for the grossest errors and heresies have bred in the finest wits! Behold the sophistry of Arius, and the ignorance of Etius. If proud men will be wiser than God, their foolish minds will soon darken, and eventually end in their losing the reason and understanding of men. I will close by quoting the remarkable counsel given to the Pope by the Papal bishops, assembled at Bononia, sometime after the reformation had begun. They met to consult about the upholding and confirming of Popery; where, and when, they gave the following as their best advice, and as the greatest and weightiest of all! "That by all meaus as little of the Gospel as might be, especially in the vulgar tongue, should be read to the people, and that that little which is in the mass ought to be suffi cient; neither should it be permitted to any mortal to read more. For so long as men were contented with that little, all things went well with them, but quite otherwise since more was commonly read. That, in short, the Scriptures is that book, which, above all others, hath raised those tempests and whirlwinds with which we are almost carried away. And, in truth, if any one diligently considers it, and compares it, with what is done in our Church, he will find them very contrary to each other, and our doctrine to be, not only very dif ferent from it, but, repugnant to it."* THOMAS CHURCH.

* See Sermon xxx., Tillotson's works.

115

Poetry.

A PRAYER FOR IRELAND.

Written more than forty years ago, by the wife of a now aged Irish Missionary.

ARISE! bright Sun of Righteousness!

Shine forth in Gospel day!

Jesus, arise! the nation bless;
Thy saving pow'r display.

Fill all thy ministers with zeal,

And hold them in thy hand,
And by their word thyself reveal,
Through this benighted land.

Vast is the harvest, Lord, and ripe,
But few the LABOURING men;
O! that thou wouldst an host equip,
And reap thy harvest in.

Where Popish darkness reigns, and sin,-
There, Lord, thy pow'r display;
Bid the poor slaves be free from men,
And throw their chains away.

Then, bless'd industry shall prevail

Throughout this happy isle; Oppressions cease; nor wars assail; But peace and plenty smile.

Then shall the people, blest in thee,

Their Saviour glorify,

From all their lusts and errors free,
And happy live and die.

[blocks in formation]

Repeal! who does not wish repeal?

Who dares to answer, No?

Who rightly estimate, and feel

Their fellow-subjects' woe.

Repeal the union, still will be

The fervent cry of all The friends of real liberty,

Who hate a tyrant's thrall.

Repeal then, let the stirring sound
With every hour increase;
Till in each dwelling shall be found
That talisman of peace!

But what Repeal-political ?
Ah, no, 'twill be in vain !-
Repeal decrees heretical,
Let error cease to reign!

[blocks in formation]

"They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn."-ZECH. xii. 10.

How can I read that Christ was slain,
And yet so dull and cold remain ?

As if 'twas nothing unto me,
That Jesus hung upon the tree.

How can I think of all the woe
He suffer'd when on earth below,
And never shed a single tear,
Or feel the slightest grief or fear!
How can I hear of sins forgiven,
Of life and death, of hell and heaven,
And never turn my thoughts within,
To all my load of guilt and sin?

Surely I can't believe the word
Which tells the sorrows of the Lord,
Or I should seek to have a place
In his redeeming love and grace.

Jesus, thy precious blood alone
Can soften this sad heart of stone;
One drop from thy dear bleeding side,
Would melt my unbelief and pride.

O let me know that blood was spilt,
To save my soul from sin and guilt;
Show me thou hast so loved me,
And this shall kindle love to thee.

W. H. C.

AN IRISHMAN'S SOLILOQUY.

Say, what the sources, whence arise Our wretched country's woes? Because we hate our greatest friends, And love our greatest foes.

We spurn the kindness which desires To meliorate our state;

And madly join the partisans

Of discord and debate.

And why? Because we have been chain'd In ignorance so long,

We can't distinguish truth from lies,

Or right discern from wrong.

THE IRISH MISSIONARY MAGAZINE,

From Britain holy Patrick came,

And Gospel doctrine taught ; * Thence too the second Henry came, And Popish error brought.+ Reforming light on Britain rose, And chas'd away the ill; Preferring falsehood to the truth, We sit in darkness still :

Or should among us any dare

His reasoning power to use; And for himself to think or act,

To choose or to refuse.

The tyrant of his conscience, arm'd
With execrations dread,

Hurls all the vengeance of both worlds
At his devoted head.

But, oh! how senseless he, who shrinks
Before a human curse,

When they, who disregard it most,
Are not a jot the worse.

The thunder of the Vatican

Once shook all Europe round:
Who fears it now?-it has become
A weak and harmless sound.

Can then a petty parish priest
Much longer hope to wield
which ev'n the Papal throne
power,
Has been compell'd to yield?

A

Vain expectation !-Gospel truth Will soon the spell dissever. Which ignorance alone sustains,

And drive it hence for ever.

Look round the lands by various tribes

Of blinded Pagans trod,

In all religious forms we see
Without the word of God;

And looking o'er the Papal realms
We see, alas! the same;
Heathens in worship and in works,
And Christians but in name :

The same prostration before gods
Of metal, stone, and wood;

Austerities, impurities,

And shedding guiltless blood.

And, hence, while Britain's soil exults Preeminently bless'd,

We, heathen-like, beneath a load

Of misery sink oppress'd.

* This assertion is made on the authority of St. Patrick's confession, in the book of Armagh; translated by Sir William Betham, and published in Part 2 of his Irish Antiquarian Researches. Dublin, 1837.

+ The Roman See never completed its conquest over the Irish Church, till it received the aid of the English sword; although by its secret and open gents, it had for centuries been sapping its purity." Antiquarian Rese rches, Part II. p. 282.

So fare we in Italian fields,

In Spain's perennial smile; And here, 'mid nature's richest gifts,

In green Hibernia's isle.

Dear God on impious heretics

Continual favors show'r,

And on his true and faithful church, His vengeful vials pour?

Believe it not:-" who honour me, I too will honour them;"

So he declares, "but they who slight My laws shall suffer shame."*

Then let us, with the dignity

Of independent minds, Shake off the foul degrading yoke,

Which superstition binds;

And, following the precedent
Our sister Britain gives,
To our ancestral faith return,
And by it form our lives. +

Faith in the sacrifice of Christ

Through whom ALONES is given. Repentance. pardon,¶ righteousness,** And entrance into heaven.++

Let us no longer spurn the boon

She willingly imparts;

But let us in one common cause, Unite our hands and hearts.

The cause, all causes else beyond, The cause of truth and love; With every blessing in its train,

Descending from above.

Thus, every jealous fear remov'd,
We shall henceforth behold,
Both flocks beneath one Shepherd plac'd,
Both gather'd in one fold.

* 1 Sam. ii. 30.

+ It is no virtue to imitate the example of our forefathers, unless that example be a good one. Pure Christianity, however, was the first faith both of Great Britain and Ireland, to which the former only has returned.

Hebrews x. 14.

§ Isa. xliii. 11; xlii. 8; Acts iv. 12; John xv. 5; Heb. xii. 2.

Luke xxiv. 47; Acts v. 31 ;-xi. 18.

¶ Matt. i. 21; John i. 29; Acts xiii. 38; Ephes i.7; Col. i. 14.

** Jer xxiii. 6; 2 Cor. v. 21; Gal. ii. 16; Rom. iii. 20-28; v. 19; Phil. iii. 9; Acts xii. 39; Tit. iii. 5,6; Ephes. ii. 8-10; 1 Cor. i 30; Col. i. 19-22; ii. 10.

++ Heb. vi. 19, 20; x. 19; 1 Pet. i. 3,4.

Reviews.

“Pictorial Catechism of Botany." By ANN PRATT. London: SUTTABY and Co., Stationers' Court.

All

The fair author of this work is already favorably known to the reading public, by her former elegant little works, of a kindred character:-"Flowers and their Associations;" "The Field, the Garden, and the Woodland;" and "Dawnings of Genius." In the present instance, she has adopted the pictorial form, now so widely popular, to a subject which peculiarly admits it; nay, even requires it, for its satisfactory elucidation. After some introductory remarks on plants and their physiology, subsequent chapters are devoted to the following subjects:-1. Roots. 2. Stem. 3. Buds. 4. Leaves. 5. Appendages. 6. Flowers. 7. Inflorescence. 8.Classification. 9. Sap. 10. Localities. 11. Herbaria. these details are profusely illustrated by wood-cuts, which must greatly facilitate the learner's progress. In order to conduce to this end, every chapter is furnished with a number of queries, calculated to enforce attention, and insure a complete understanding of the various matters successively brought under review: for, although a very attractive little volume, both as to external dress and internal decoration, it is not a mere toy. Its object is to teach botany; and, accordingly, "the instruction, rather than the amusement of the young, has been regarded." The following passages, however, combine both:

66

Besides the appendages common to many vegetables, there are some curious ones belonging only to a few. Thus the pitcher-plant, which is a native of Ceylon and Amboyna, and is often reared in the hot-houses of this country, has a hollow appendage, shaped like a pitcher, placed at the end of its slender stalk. This pitcher contains a clear liquid; and has at the summit a lid which opens with a valve. This water is not caught from the rain, but is a juice of the plant itself. The liquid is a clear water, very pleasant and refreshing to the palate; and is from a quarter to a half-pint in quantity. The people of Ceylon call this plant the monkey-cup; and say, that when the monkeys are thirsty, they drink of its contents. An American plant, called the side-saddle flower, has also tubular leaves, which hold a liquid of a similar nature. Then there is a plant which has, at the end of its leaves, a flat green piece, covered with a clammy juice, and set round thickly with sharp teeth; which are so irritable, that if an insect, attracted by the juice, settle upon them, they close over it like a steel trap. This is called Venus's fly-trap."-pp. 79-80.

The Missionary Ship." By JOHN WILLIAMS. London: J. SNow, Paternoster

row.

What reminiscences! What associations! does the name of this little volume produce in the mind. Who does not think of the Duff-the Messenger of Peace-the Camden-the "John Williams," and the devoted men who embarked in the vessels so named? many of whom have now entered the haven of eternal rest. The various circumstances connected with their departure from their native land, their arrival in "distant barbarous climes," their labours among the heathen, their prayerful, patient waiting for the spiritual harvest which they ultimately reaped, all pass in review before us, till, excited, by the vision, we exclaim with grateful emotion, What hath God wrought?' This little book is calculated to excite and perpetuate such emotions, and, therefore, we most cordially commend it to all the friends of the missionary cause, especially to the young, many thousands of whom so cheerfully contributed to the purchase and equipment of the vessel which bears so appropriately the name of "The Martyr Williams."

"Kate Connor: or, a Text for all Things." Written in easy language, and intended for distribution among the Irish peasantry. Dublin: JOHN ROBERTSON, 8, Graftonstreet. London: R. GROOMbridge.

This is a very unpretending, and what is still better, in this day of strife and division, a very unsectarian little book. It is a simple tale of every-day Irish life among the peasantry of that country, which the author has made the vehicle of conveying the most important Scriptural truths. We admire the title of the work-" a text for all things" was a happy thought! These texts are very judiciously chosen for all the circumstances and incidents narrated: so that the Scriptural character of the work, is admirably adapted for those who are forbidden by priestly authority from reading the sacred volume. But while this little book is peculiarly suitable for circulation among the poor in the sister land, its perusal may prove very useful in England, in directing the same class to that source of spiritual consolation and counsel, which distress and poverty so much require. It is also a very suitable book to place in the hands of young persons, to excite in their minds a deep interest in behalf of Ireland. We trust, its extensive circulation will accomplish the benevolent design which the author had in view by its publication.

Miscellaneous.

THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS.

To the Editor of the Irish Missionary
Magazine.

The Mass (or Messa, sending forth ob lations) is a ceremony in which it is believed that Christ is again really and truly offered by the Popish priests as a sacrifice for the sins of the people. Bishop Hall observes, "The priestly office of Christ is not a little impeached by the daily oblation of the missal sacrifice, for what doth the (Popish) priest offer? the same sacrifice that Christ hath offered, or another. If another, then, not propitiatory, for only Christ is our propitiation, if the same, then not an unbloody sacrifice, for Christ's sacrifice was a sacrifice of blood; then the natural being of Christ should again be destroyed; then the blood of the Mediator (which I abhor to imagine) must be of first-rate value and power, yea, Christ himself did not sacrifice on the table, but on the cross; for, if the sacritice offered in his supper were perfect and fully propitiatory, what needed he to die afterwards; wherefore was his blood shed upon the cross, which, by his transubstantiated blood, not yet shed, had formerly redeemed the world.

"But, if it be unbloody, then it is not propitiatory; for, without shedding of blood, saith the apostle, there is no remission.

То

"Or, what opposition is there, betwixt the order of Melchizedec and Aaron, betwixt Christ and the priests of the old law, if this office do equally pass and descend in a long pedigree of mortal successors; or, why were the legal sacrifices of the Jewish synagogue so often repeated, but because they were not perfect? and how can, or why should that, which is most absolutely perfect, be reiterated? conclude, what can either be spoken or conceived more plain than these words of God, once offered, one sacrifice, one oblation? Heb. ix., 28, and x., 12, 14. And yet these Popish shavelings-devout men, take upon them to crucify and sacrifice Christ again, and while they solemnly offer the Son of God up to his Father, they humbly beseech Him, in a religious blasphemy, that He would be pleased to bless and accept that oblation. It is not for us, I confess, to be so devout. We will remember the holy sacrifice of Christ, and celebrate it with a thankful heart; we will not repeat it. We will gladly receive our Saviour, offered by himself to his Father; and offered to us by his Father: we will not offer him to his Father; which one point, while we stick at, as we

needs must, we are strait-stricken with the thunderbolt of the anathema of Trent. Here can be, therefore, no possibility of E. B. peace with Rome."

A PRAYER

FOR THE PRIESTS' PROTECTION SOCIETY FOR IRELAND. Suggested to be used, in whole or in part, with the usual prayers at family worship.

O, THOU, Eternal Spirit! whose office it is to cleanse, fertilize, and refresh thy Church, we humbly beseech thee to pour down upon us those gracious influences which thou hast promised to thy believing people, and more especially to thy servants whom thou hast called to the ministry of the word. Given to them, we most humbly beseech thee, a mouth and wisdom whereby they may be enabled to deliver faithfully the message of salvation to those who are ignorant and out of the way, and that they may become the instruments of turning many sinners from darkness to light.

We especially entreat thee, O Heavenly Father, to look down in mercy and compassion on this guilty and benighted land. Multiply the number of the disciples of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and grant that many of the priests, who are now blind leaders of the blind, may be obedient to the faith; that thy Holy Spirit may take possession of their hearts, and so enlighten their minds that they may not only be induced to come out of the spiritual Babylon, in which they are at present in such danger of perishing, but become faithful ministers of the everlasting Gospel. And grant, O Lord, that following their example, many of the people may be led to give up their errors and superstitions, and become humble and sincere followers of the meek and lowly Jesus.

Bless and preserve those who have already renounced the fatal errors by which they were so long deluded; and by the secret teaching of thy good Spirit, make them steadfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

Quicken, we beseech thee, every effort of "THE PRIESTS' PROTECTION SOCIETY" to promote the glory of God. Breathe into the counsels of its managers the spirit of wisdom and of a sound mind; give them judgment and discretion, that they may, by their humble endeavours, be made instrumental in advancing that great and good work in which they are engaged.

These varied blessings we humbly entreat in the name, and for the sake, of our only Mediator and Redeemer, to whom with the Eternal Father, and the ever-blessed Spirit, be all power and glory, world without end. Amen.

« AnteriorContinuar »