ted by the practice of inspired men, should ever have been per divine original, instead of continuing to be chiefly employed in those divine compositions, -To all true tastes excelling, Where God is praised aright, and godlike men, The holiest of holies, and his saints! "This profanation and debasement of so divine an art," says Dr Watts in the preface to his Lyric Poems, "has tempted some weaker Christians to imagine that poetry and vice are near akin; or at least that verse is fit only to recommend trifles, and entertain our looser hours, but is too light and trivial a method to treat any thing that is serious and sacred. They submit indeed to use it in divine psalmody, but they love the dullest translation of the psalm best. They will venture to sing a dull hymn or two at church in tunes of equal dulness; but still they persuade themselves, and their children, that the beauties of poesy are vain and dangerous." is inserted as an appendix in the second volume. The period is happily gone by which once af-verted to purposes unworthy of its forded the natives of Iceland an opportunity to acquire wealth and honours by their successful cultivation of elegant literature, and especially of the poetical art. During the barbarism of the middle ages, their celebrity on these accounts was unrivalled throughout the north: they were admitted to the courts and into the councils of princes, and returned to their native country laden with the honourable distinctions which they had obtained, often to be the elegant historians of the most important events which they had witnessed, and in which they had been engaged. The revival of letters on the Continent, and the reformation of religion which followed, at once completed their exclusion from the theatre on which their talents had formerly been displayed, and by the introduction of a purer system of religion happily gave a different direction to the reviving energies of the national genius. The taste of the Icelanders for literature has not been extinguished by the calami-gyman of Backa conducted him ties of their country: many writers of great merit appeared in the course of the last century, and the poetical genius in particular, dedicating its agreeable endow-"I was much edified by his pious ments to their primitive and most conversation, and he seemed no legitimate use, has produced ma- less interested on the other hand ny sacred compositions of great by the accounts I gave him of the sweetness and beauty, among which instruments employed by Proviare various translations from the dence in these latter days, for adpoetical parts of Scripture. How vancing the reign of righteousness much is it to regretted, that an and peace." Leaving Mirka, art of such persuasive power to Dr H. procured a guide to accommove and control the affections, pany him over a dangerous.yokul which first appeared as the hand-which now crossed his route; and maid of religion, and is consecra- descending into the fine valley of But to return from this digression to our traveller.—The cler up the valley to Mirka, where again he was introduced to the priest, a venerable and intelligent man of seventy-three years of age. Hialtadal, he soon arrived at Holum, where he met with a cordial reception from Mr Gisle Jonson, formerly con-rector of the school taught at that place, the removal of which to the south, as well as of the Episcopal see, he appears deeply to regret in common with all the most enlightened of his countrymen. By him Dr H. was shewn the church, and the tomb of Bishop Thorlakson, the chief instrument whom it pleased God, to employ in placing the Reformation in Iceland on a permanent basis, by the extensive diffusion of scriptural knowledge. "The following just eulogium of his character is inserted in the annals of his country. The venerable and most learned bishop Gudbrand Thorlakson, was one of the most distinguished and useful men ever Iceland produced. He was most active in the propagation of the word of God, by means of those books and pamphlets which for many years he not only translated and printed, but also bound and prepared at Hólum, and which have obtained a wide circulation throughout the island. Nor shall his memory cease while Iceland continues to be peopled, and the vernacular language to be spoken by its inhabitants. Dr H. requested to see the press at which Gudbrand printed the first edition of the Icelandic Bible, and which in his last will he bequeathed to the bishopric as a perpetual pro perty, for the purpose of securing a constant supply of the Sériptures and other useful books. Alas! said Mr Jonson, we have also been deprived of our press, and the office has been converted into a stable! The history of Bishop Gudbrand's printing-press, from VOL. VI. the time of its first appearing in the island, might be connected, like "the Velvet Cushion," with the most important circumstances in its ecclesiastical history. We have promised not to with hold from our readers some interesting particulars relating to the progress of the Reformation in this country, which are to be found in the Appendix, No. I. and we now present them with the fol owing extracts:— "Notwithstanding the extreme distance of Iceland from the spot where the light of the Reformation first dawned on the benighted nations of Europe, that zone of the moral hemisphere was early irradia ted with its beams. "Oddur Gotshalkson, whose father filled the episcopal see of Ho. lum, was the instrument employed by Providence for the purpose of effecting this important and beneficial change. In his sixth year he was sent over to Norway to the care of his uncle Guttorm, a lawyer in that country, by whom he was introduced into the school of Ber gen, at that time taught by the pious and learned Magister Petreus. Happily for himself and for Iceland, he continued abroad till the doc trines of the Reformation began to excite a general sensation throughout the north of Europe. doctrines attracted the attention of Oddur, who assiduously weighed their merits, and, even while others slept, made them the subject of close and impartial investigation. He ly different from the principles with soon perceived that they were vastwhich his mind had been imbued from his infancy; but which of them were consonant with the will of God, was a question which gave him no small perplexity, and to These which it was some time before he obtained a satisfactory solution. At last he was directed to the only way in which it was possible for him to arrive at the truth. Conscious of D his lack of wisdom, and his liability to error, he asked of God, who giveth unto all liberally, and upbraideth not." For three successive nights he prostrated himself, half. naked, on the floor of his apartment, and besought the Father of Lights that he would graciously be pleased to open the eyes of his understand ing, and shew him whether the principles of Rome, or those of Luther, were from heaven. The result was, a firm conviction that the cause of the reformer was the cause of God and truth. A.. "Not long after this he left Ber. gen, and proceeded to Germany with the view of prosecuting his studies, and of obtaining a more thorough acquaintance with the doctrines he had espoused. mongst other places he visited was Wittenberg, where he heard Luther and Melancthon, from whose sermons and conversation he derived much spiritual improvement. It is not improbable that it was here he first conceived the idea of translat ing the New Testament into his native language, and that he returned to Iceland full of the pious and no ble design. "The difficulties, however, which Oddur could not but anticipate, were sufficient to have deterred any ordinary mind from engaging in such an undertaking. Ogmund, bishop of Skalholt, into whose employ he went, on his return from the conti nent, was the sworn enemy of every thing of the kind.-Yet, it was at the residence of this haughty and bigotted prelate, by one of his own servants, and partly at his expense, that this blessed, but by him detest ed book, was to be translated into the vulgar tongue! ved a blessing to thousands, and which will continue to operate in its saving effects on thousands yet unborn. He was otherwise employed here in transcribing ancient" ecclesiastical statutes and constitutions, on shewing his progress in which to the bishop, he obtained fresh supplies of paper and other writing materials, by means of which he was enabled to prosecute his favourite enterprise." When his translation was completed," as he found it would be in vain to think of printing it at the press which the Bishop of Holum; had established in his diocess, he sailed the same year to Denmark, in which country he hoped, from the progress the Reformation had there made, to meet with men who would espouse the cause he had in hand, and facilitate the execution of his noble undertaking. Nor was her disappointed in his expectations. His Majesty, Christian III. patroni-, zed the work; and, on its being approved by the university, issued an edict authorizing its publication.' 1 The Bishop of Holum, above. alluded to, was Jon Areson, the last Catholic Bishop, who had brought over this press from Sweden for the purpose of printing missals, and other books, which might tend to uphold the Roman hierarchy; Christian III. on the establishment of the Protestant religion in Denmark, having given orders that the Papal authority should be put down, and the pure doctrines of Scripture taught in Iceland,-a decision which was violently opposed by most of the clergy, and especially by that turbulent and ambitious prelate. He was actively engaged in scattering the firebrands of dissension, when he was at length taken in arms, and beheaded by the King's offi cers and God, who takes the "It is a remarkable fact, that, the first Icelandic New Testament owes its birth to a place similar to that in which the glorious Subject of its testimony entered the world. To escape detection, Oddur made choice of a small cell in a cow-house, in which humble apartment he laid the foundation of a work which has pro-wise in their own craftiness, and causes the wrath of man to praise him, was pleased to raise up as his successor a man eminently qualified to give the final blow to that expiring cause of which he had undertaken to be the champion. Gudbrand purchased the press which Areson had procured for so different a purpose, and with great labour prepared a very excellent translation of the whole Bible, which was printed under his immediate superintendance, and owed the goodness of its typography chiefly to this excellent bishop's own industry and mechanical skill. He lies under the altar in the church at Holum, where a simple stone records his hope of a resurrection to eternal fas a sinner under the care of the Redeemer, Gudbrandus Thorlacius Jesu Christi peccator. [To be concluded in our next.] Religious Intelligence. DOMESTIC. Return of Messrs Campbell and Philip to Liverpool, and sailing again. WE mentioned in our last that the above gentlemen sailed from Liverpool, in the ship Westmoreland, on Wednesday Nov. 18. For a time they had a fair wind; but it soon changed and continued adverse, so that they could make little and way, crossed the Irish Channel again and again; but on Wednesday, Dec. 2. the wind proving favourable they proceeded on their voyage, hoping soon to get into milder regions; but a painful disappointment shortly oc curred-it was discovered that the mainmast was rotten, and that it would be dangerous to proceed. They were therefore under the necessity of returning to Liverpool for a new mast. This was speedily pro cured; and they sailed again on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 10. Painful as this disappointment proved at the moment, after having traversed the channel for a fortnight, and some of them having endured much from sea sickness, yet the dis covery of the bad state of the mast, while so near the port where it might quickly be repaired, must be esteemed a singular mercy, and the means probably of their preservation from imminent danger. They are followed by the prayers of a multitude of pious persons in Liverpool and London, and doubtless in many other places. SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE GLASGOW THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY, UNDER THE CARE OF MESS. EWING AND WARDLAW. The plan of Education for the Ministry, agreed upon by the Constituents of this Academy, has been prosecuted as usual, during the past year. The Students have been engaged in reading the Scriptures in the original languages; in attending Lectures, given by the Tutors, on doctrinal theology, biblical criticism, church history, and pastoral duties; in the exercises of composition and speaking from Scripture ; and in pursuing, at College, and with private teachers, various branches of classical and philosophical lite rature. Mr Begg left the Academy, in November 1817, that he might complete his course at the University in Aberdeen, which he had all along attended. During the winter he assisted the Pastor of the Church in George's-street there; he has been constantly employed since, in preaching in Aberdeenshire and other parts of the north; and has recently been ordained, in consequence of a unanimous invitation, to the pastoral office in the church of Christ at Fraserburgh. At the close of the last Session of the College in this city, Mr Swan and Mr Spence, whose proposed time of attendance was then finish. ed, also left the Academy. Mr Swan, having offered his services as a missionary to the Missionary So. ciety of London, was invited to attend the Annual Meeting in May; and his offer having been most cordially accepted, he soon after sailed for St Petersburgh, where he is now engaged in preaching to an English congregation, and in studying Russ, and other languages, with the ulte. rior view of missionary labours in Siberia. Mr Spence received an appointment to succeed Mr Alexander Ewing at Inverness, whither he went, soon after leaving Glasgow, and where he still remains very laboriously and usefully employed, as a preacher of the gospel, while his predecessor, who had been invited to proceed to Thurso, has received a unanimous call from the church in that place, and has lately been ordained there to the pastoral office. In the room of these three Stu. dents, who left the Academy, three others were received into it, in the course of last winter and spring: one from the church in Kirkcaldy; one from the church in Albionstreet, Glasgow; and one from the church in Nile street. The number in attendance, therefore, namely, eight, has been generally the same, this year, as that mentioned in last Report.-Another Student, a member of a Church in London, whose circumstances exempt him from depending on the funds, has recently applied for admission into the Academy, and is daily expected to arrive; when, if his application be agreed to, the number in attendance will be increased to nine. The three senior Students are re-gularly engaged in preaching the gospel; either assisting the Tutors, in Glasgow, or supplying churches in different parts of the country. During the vacation, Mr Woodrow was employed in Perth, and its neighbourhood; Mr M'Kechnie again visited the island of Arran; and Mr Jack was appointed to Helensburgh, which he has continued to supply, as constantly as other engagements would permit, during the whole season. Frequent supply is also furnished, from the Academy, to the churches in Stirling and Falkirk, which are both at present destitute of pastors; and the senior Students join with some Christian friends, in preaching every Lord's day evening, at the neighbouring town of Rutherglen.-The junior Students are no less closely employed in teaching Sabbath Schools, as a preparatory exercise, highly important in itself, and well calculated, with other things, to qualify them for more public exertions. All the Students, the Committee are happy to say, have conducted themselves, this year, perfectly to the satisfaction of the Tutors. Those of them who preach are generally acceptable; and the rest are making hopeful progress in their studies, excepting one, whose attendance has been repeatedly interrupted by indisposition. Six applications for admission into the Academy, which appeared highly worthy of attention, the Committee have been reluctantly o bliged to decline, on account of the deficiency of the funds. They regret not only the disappointment of the individuals immediately concerned, but also the want of that constant and growing supply of labourers which Providence offered, and which, there is reason to fear, the churches may feel and lament at a future period. Should it please God to put it into the hearts of his people to furnish the necessary means, in greater abundance, the Committee will be happy to invite |