lords, and we shall be quite happy. Only two things trouble the reviewer. The people are not quite so learned as they should be, for, first of all, education is dear, and the Norwegians do not care for the march of intellect one farthing. Then it is such a sad thing that there is no religious dissent! However much this (the lack of dissent) may add to the domestic happiness among a people, it must detract from their intelligence, acuteness, and value for religion! A land of conformity is one of apathy or superstition! So that these pure democrats are very happy, but ignorant, stupid, and careless about religion, or superstitious. When altered in all these things, is the reviewer sure that they will quite certainly remain pure democrats, as he thinks they are now, not troubling himself, as great reasoners seldom do, with any troublesome facts alleged by history? What, too, does he think of the learning of his party and his own, when they never heard of these pure republicans till the year 1837? So far off, too, as Norway? So much for Edinburgh Review politics. As to its religion, the following passage is highly amusing. The reviewer far prefers Mahometanism, which maintains itself by the sword, but pays no priests, to any religion which does not persecute but does pay! "In Cairo each mosque is presided over by a nazir or warden, who is the trustee of the funds bequeathed for its support, and appoints the ministers of religion, as well as the inferior servants. Two imams are usually employed to officiate in each of the larger mosques; one of them preaches and prays before the congregation, while the other recites, at the stated times, the five daily prayers. There are neither tithes nor church rates, nor indeed any analogous impost in Egypt, or in other Mahommedan countries. The imams, those persons who perform the lower offices, are all paid from the funds of the mosque, and not by contributions exacted from the people." Nor is this all-then follows a long extract, stating, that the imams are generally very poor tradesmen, that they are appointed by the wandens, and can be discharged by them at pleasure. The salary of a khatub (or preacher) is 24d per month, that of an ordinary imam, a shilling. On being discharged, they return to their former trades, and have no more chance of being again employed in the service of the mosque than other persons, "This is no doubt a very shocking state of matters, and must appear strange to those who have been accustomed to consider the maintenance of any religion as essentially dependent upon the existence of an establishment, and a regularly trained priesthood. Islamism, however, supports itself without possessing either of these accessories, in the sense in which they are understood in Europe. It is a religion that entwines itself with the habits of daily life, which it has mainly contributed to form; and being ever present to the mind, and continually affecting the actions and conduct of its votaries, it acquires a hold on their natures, sufficient to maintain itself, even with the poor means provided for the celebration of its worship. And this tenacity appears to be strengthened by its intolerant character; which by engendering fanaticism keeps alive the zeal of the faithful, and fosters their pride, whilst it inculeates as a duty, that persecuting spirit, which other and more benign creeds are intended to repress. In short, Islamism is the only religion that ever gained a footing in the world which has formally and explicitly enjoined persecution. To this it was mainly indebted for its original propagation; and to the same principle, modified by time and other causes, it in a great measure owes the ascendancy which it still maintains over the minds of its votaries." IRELAND. (1.) The Church Home Mission. THERE has been an angry controversy in the Dublin Record, in consequence of that paper accusing the congregationalists, &c. of joining with the Socinians. A Mr. Charles Meares, a dissenter, thus writes (in the Dublin Record of May 15) of the Church Home Mission: "I sincerely regard the Church Home Mission, for I verily believe that mission to be composed of truly pious, evangelical men, who, as evangelists, have been and are doing infinite good in this land; and most heartily do I bid them God speed. But yet they are fallible men; and, as a proof of it, in their starting, they declared their purpose mainly to be, to put down dissent in Ireland. Now, I believe, they see their mistake; but did dissenters take offence or complain of the avowal so made? No; for, on the contrary, independents at least (and of them I can speak with certainty) said that great good must follow a faithfully preached gospel, no matter by whom that gospel might be so proclaimed; and I willingly bear my testimony to the fact, that great good has been done. But has it hindered or retarded dissent? Not in the smallest." (2.) Irish Preachers. In the last Number it was mentioned that a writer in the same paper described the avidity with which Irish clergy are sent for to England to livings and curacies, and the improvement which they are able and likely to effect in English evangelical preaching. The following hand-bill, circulated at Oundle, in Northamptonshire, gives some notion of the style adopted. It is printed on that account only, without any intention of commending attacks on the parish ministers' sermons, however wrong or foolish they may be. Silly, wrong. headed sermons must be borne in patience, like other evils which are, in human affairs, unavoidable in good systems. "A PLAIN ADDRESS TO THE CHURCHMEN OF OUNDLE;-OCCASIONED BY A MOST UNCALLED FOR SERMON. "Oundle, March 22, 1837. "BROTHER CHURCHMEN,-I can easily fancy you were, with myself, astounded at the peroration, or concluding part of our minister's discourse on Sunday last, when he interdicted, as it were, the use of The Companion to the Altar;' and also 'Bishop Wilson's Guide, or Week's Preparation;' denouncing the one as false, the other as useless: in both which conclusions I beg, not only most humbly to differ from him, but also to entertain some misgivings, both as to the depth, as well as to the solidity, of his acquirements in divinity. The books which he so unceremoniously condemned are of considerable antiquity and great piety, and were compiled from the works of men who were (what, be assured, the objector never will be) giants in their knowledge of the Christian religion. These little books have been approved of by the most learned divines of succeeding ages, and they have respectively enjoyed a place in the catalogue of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; and it is more than probable that, until Sunday last, they have never been designated either false or useless by any fanatic belonging to the Protestant church All the quotations made by the Reverend Objector to prove his hypothesis were erroneous in the extreme, and betrayed a mind more calculated to cavil at, than capable to mend, an error, had one existed. "The first objection was made to the following, which he read from the Companion to the Altar, which says, Another end, or design, of this strict preparation is, that we may be accepted of by God as worthy communicants.' This he declared to be false, and that no one can be worthy to receive the sacrament. Now, neighbours, if this be the case, what becomes of the sacramental service itself?—in the second exhortation of which we find these words: which (that is, the sacrament) being so divine and comfortable a thing to them who receive it worthily, and so dangerous to them that will presume to receive it unworthily;' and again, in the third exhortation: 'So is the danger great, if we receive the same unworthily.' It is very odd that falsehoods like these should have escaped the notice of the compilers of our liturgy, and that it should have been reserved for this learned Theban of the eighteenth century to detect them. But if you will take the trouble to turn to Ephesians, chap. iv. ver. 1, Col. chap. i. ver. 10, Thess. chap. ii. ver. 12, you will find ample authority for this fulse doctrine. I beseech you,' says the first, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called;' and the second, "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work:' again, the third says, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you to his kingdom and glory.'-The other two objections urged are really too silly to mention, although, from the manner and the place in which they were adduced, they are calculated to do an infinity of mischief, and are, in every sense of the word, worthy of reprobation. "The excellency of the Golden Rules of Pythagoras needs no commendation; and if, as the Companion to the Altar' recommends, every one would, before he went to bed, run them over in his mind, and then, if he find he has done evil, to be troubled, and if good, to rejoice, I am inclined to think the world would assume a better character, and that we should all be much more worthy communicants than we are. "It appears to me, brother churchmen, that our minister considers that we are as uncultivated and as unenlightened as the barbarians of the north of Ireland, from whence he has so lately made his escape, and talks to us in a style of familiarity which is by no means suited to those who have made a trifling progress in civilization; and it was with extreme regret I heard it, in a Protestant church, delivered by the minister from the pulpit, that there was no occasion for preparation for the sacrament, and that the excellent little books in general use for that purpose were either false or useless. "Now I am one of those who have lived for more than half a century, and have been in the habit of approaching the Lord's table in the temple of my forefathers; kneeling in the places where they have often knelt, and using the books which they were wont to use; and, really, I shall require some better authority for deviating from their paths than that laid down by the illuminati of the present age. "Our reverend minister may be amiable and well-meaning-may be sincere in what he says, and what he does ;-I impugn it not: but, at the same time, I think his plans are marked with such want of judgment, that I would respectfully remind him that zeal without discretion is so nearly allied to faith without works, that it becomes no better than the sounding brass or the tinkling cymbal; and I beg to assure him (and I am not singular in my opinion) that, were a little of his misplaced fervour applied to a more effective reading of the beautiful service of the church, he would be doing more for the glory of God, and the benefit of man, than by pouring out his anathemas on books which have obtained the highest sanction, or interfering with those the communicants themselves may think proper to adopt for their previous meditations. "I remain, with sincere regard, AN OLD-FASHIONED CHURCHMAN. "N. B.-Query. Does not the Reverend think that worthy means meritorious, instead of its real signification ?" Thus, it seems, that one merit of these Irish preachers is, the reprobating certain tracts approved of and circulated, as they know, by a large portion at least, of their English brethren. (3.) Popery. OPPOSITION TO THE PRIESTS.-EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THE COUNTY OF CORK. (From the "Dublin Record.") After what has been passing near us, you will expect some report from Desart: and I know you are taking interest in it. It is under very peculiar circumstances at present, which, I feel thankful to say, rather tend to the spread of scriptural instruction, and the filling of the schools with Roman catholics, than anything else.— The Roman-catholic parishioners are now at open war with their priest-the curate, (the parish priest being passive in the parish.) Last Sunday was the seventh Sunday that they have refused him admittance into the chapel, and no mass has been cele brated in the parish for that period. Time seems only to have made each party more determined. The Roman-catholic bishop, siding with the priest, insists upon his being retained, and threatens an interdict of seven years if they persist in disobedience. The people, on the other hand, seem as resolute and determined to resist till they can relieve themselves of their priest, whose heartless and even extraordinary exactions have roused them almost to a man against him, while many others are justly incensed against him on other accounts. Many of the most dreadful cases of his unfeeling oppression are reported which make one shudder. You may have some idea of his being in a minority in the parish when I tell you I heard that at the chapel, when he endeavoured to get in, with the assistance of the Bandon priest, the chief opposers offered, that if even three were found to lift up their hands for him, they would allow him in to celebrate mass; but there were not three found to do so. He has summoned several before the Ballynem petty sessions, I hear; but he will in all probability act as on a former occasion, and avoid appearing before his flock, who are determined to oppose and expose him. It certainly is a curious thing in the history of popery-something like throwing off the yoke and coming out from superstition; for many of those now foremost in opposition would, four or five years ago, have shrunk from his very look. It has had, at least, the effect of adding to the number of Roman-catholic children at various schools in the parish. May it please God to make this extraordinary state of things an instrument in His hands of bringing many to a knowledge of the truth. ENORMOUS LIVINGS. ONE of the candid and charitable dissenters has been publishing in the Leeds Mercury, a list of seventy-six enormous livings, adding that a hundred more could be furnished. It is well, therefore, just to copy out from authentic records what will shew how the case is: There are only 18 above £2000 32 above 1500 and under £2000 Thus in all there are 507 livings out of near 11,000 above 7501. a year! And in most of the enormous cases, the deductions for curates, &c. &c. are as enormous. Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, St. Margaret's Church, Westminster... May 21st. May 21st. May 21st. |