"the form of godliness," but I fear they "deny the power thereof." (1 Tim. iii. 5.) Oh I knew one, he said, (his dear eyes filling with tears) whose father, and grandfather-aye and great grandfather too, were all witnesses for the gospel of Christ, and laid their many talents at the Saviour's feet; but he is rashly tampering with the pernicious doctrines of Antichrist.' Poor Mr. Frederick (continued old Stephen) was exhausted with saying so much, and he lay silent for some moments, while I sat by him eagerly waiting for every word he would say to me. When he had recovered sufficient strength, he said; Stephen Bradford, you have children, and grandchildren; do not fail to warn them of the snares which will be set for their feet, not only in the world, but in the church itself. Rome will do her worst now, and some of her baits will look very pleasant, and beautiful, so like true devotion, that it will go hard with them to walk safely; but bid them take their bibles in their hand, and whenever they see the name of church, or minister, saint, or angel, placed where they know that of God their Saviour should be, let them open that blessed book, and they will soon find directions how to avoid the danger.'

But (interrupted John Mitchell) no one but a real papist, would put the name of the church, or the minister, where that of Christ should be. I know that the Romanists call the Pope, "his holiness," and I believe still more awful names, and that they look up to him as God's representative on earth; but surely no one in a Protestant Church, would do anything like this?'

'No Protestant Church countenances them in so doing, (replied old Stephen); but do you remember John, that I went down into Staffordshire last year, to see my younger brother Ben, and his family. One day, while I was there, the clergyman of his parish called in, and seeing me engaged with my Bible, he began talking with me upon religious matters; at first we conversed very happily upon the passage of scripture that I had been reading, and I began to rejoice, that poor Ben was blessed with so faithful a counsellor as this gentleman seemed to be; when he startled me very much by saying, God has prepared great things for those who love Him, by giving them His Church to guide them safely in the way of truth.'

6

'And what did you say to this?' asked John Mitchell.

'I said nothing at first, but I believe I looked very much amazed; so he repeated the same words, adding, Only follow her guidance, and you are safe.' By this time, I recollected myself and said; that is not the doctrine of the Church of England, I think, Sir; for the nineteenth Article says, that "the church of Jerusalem, of Alexandria, and of Antioch have erred." Now, if the standards of our church allow that the first of all churches, that at Jerusalem, and some of the first Gentile churches have erred, it is surely possible that the church of England may err too, and I am sure our Reformers never meant to say it could not-we want a surer guide than even the church, Sir, I added.'

Was he displeased with your freedom, in venturing to dispute with him?' said John Mitchell.

'I took care to say what I had to say, in so respectful a manner,' answered Stephen, that he could not well be displeased; besides, he was a very mild gentlemanly man, and he said gently, the Church 1844.

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founds her doctrines on holy Scripture, and requires nothing to be believed as an article of faith, which may not be proved thereby.' This I readily granted, for so the Sixth Article of the Church of England says. When he saw how readily I agreed, that our Church was founded on the Bible, he went on showing me how I might become a better Churchman. I cannot remember all the directions he gave me, but he told me his first advice to me was to live by the calendar of my prayer-book!' After naming some other rules, he said; 'when the Church marks the memory of some saint, or martyr, endeavour, in your devotions, to fix your mind on his deeds, and faith there can be no more holy or profitable exercise.' Now John tell me where a man's mind should be fixed, when he is at his devotions?'

'Why on our Lord and Saviour, to be sure;' answered John, eagerly.

You see then, Mr. Frederick Lindsay was not mistaken in warning me and mine against those who would put the name of saint or angel, where only should be the name of the King of saints. When the clergyman had finished giving me the rules how to walk by the Church, he rose up and, as he was going away, he said very solemnly to my brother's two boys, may God preserve you in the paths of his most holy Church. If you neglect her ordinances, I think it is scarcely possible, by any substitute, to sanctify your daily life, or preserve a lively faith; but if you avail yourself of her help, she will strengthen and sanctify your youth; counsel, and keep you in the vigorous days of manhood, and sustain you with her comforts in the evening of your age.' I had no time to say much in opposition to all this, and indeed my heart was too sad for argument; but do you not think the Church was put in a wrong place here, John?'

'I do indeed, (said John); none but the Lord can sanctify, as the catechism says; "And in God the Holy Ghost who sanctifieth me and all the elect people of God."

We must go beyond the catechism to prove him wrong, John, (answered old Stephen); my brother Ben and I sat down, as soon as he was gone, with our Bibles in our hands, and compared his parting speech, sentence by sentence, with the word of God. We found the way to sanctify our daily walk in Psalm cxix. 11. "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee," and the 105th verse of the same Psalm, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a

light unto my paths."

And what did you find, (asked John) against the notion that the Church will strengthen and sanctify us

?'

There was no difficulty in that," said Stephen Bradford; 'every well instructed child in Mr. Lindsay's Sunday school could have found an answer to that. My brother's youngest boy, (a lad about fifteen years of age,) got his Bible, while we were searching for verses, and read out the ninth verse of the twelfth chapter of St. Paul's second epistle to the Corinthians. "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." When I saw how the boy knew where to find the sufficient grace, and the perfect strength, the saying of David came into my mind, "I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation." (Psalm cxix. 99.)

We have wandered very far away from our subject;' said John Mitchell 'we began with Father Mathew, you know.'

'We have not wandered quite so far as you suppose,' said Stephen Bradford; for though priest Mathew, and the Staffordshire clergyman have no union with each other, they are doing the same workboth preparing us for return to Rome; for the unscriptural advice that I have been repeating to you, has nothing to do with the Church of England, though it seemed to be in honour of it. There is only one Church that would tell us to fix our minds on the deeds of the saints while at our prayers, and that is the Church of Rome.'

They will tell us to say our prayers to the saints next, I suppose,' said John.

'One step the wrong way generally leads to many more,' answered Stephen, and you may notice how Satan suits his temptations to every man's temper. Some are told of the authority, and laws, the power, and care of the Church, in such a manner, that they begin to fancy the Church is some kind of a goddess, instead of being, as our Article has it, "a congregation of faithful men." Others, who have more romance than religion in them, are caught by solemn strains of music, and old buildings, or new ones build in old superstitious forms! These talk about the piety of their forefathers, and the deep devotion of the old times. When I hear them talk this way, I can with more earnestness than ever join in the beautiful prayer in the Litany, "Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers.". But then you know there are a great number of people who would laugh at such romantic talk, and who do not care a straw for Church authority.'

'The dissenters I suppose you mean,' said John.

'Dissenters, and Churchmen both,' answered old Stephen; 'there are careless people of all names, John, and a great many who have not much true religion, would be greatly taken by anything that looked like universal benevolence, or a plan of usefulness for all, without, what they call, "anything sectarian " in it.'

Oh, I see it all now,' said John, Father Mathew is just the man for them. It is a deep scheme Stephen; I shall certainly not go near N- to-morrow, and I will try if I can stop my brother from going. We must keep a sharp look out against all these popish devices, and have nothing to do with them.'

The best way to walk safely in these dangerous days, 'said Stephen Bradford,' is first to be quite sure that we are in the right road. It will be of very little use to call ourselves either Churchmen or Dissenters, if we have not attended to our Lord's admonition, "strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many I say unto you shall seek to enter in and shall not be able." (Luke xiii. 24.) Now the strait gate does not mean Baptism, or the Church, or any Church ordinances, for then you know all nations would have entered in at it, instead of the few that Christ says find it.' (Matt. vii. 13.)

"What do you think is meant by the strait gate, and narrow way?' asked John.

'The way of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,' answered old Stephen; "that "faith which worketh by love;" (Gal. v. 6,) and "overcomes the world." (1 John v. 4.) This faith is a rare gift, John; it "is the gift

of God" (Ephes. ii. 8.) who has also promised to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. Now, if you have the Holy Spirit, "He will guide you into all truth," (John xvi. 13.) and so keep you safe from all false ways, trusting only upon Him who said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.' (John xiv. 6.)

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'I don't hear much about good works in this plan of yours,' said John.

'I have been speaking of the only root from which good works can spring though,' said Stephen Bradford; and, if a man has not good works, he may be quite sure he has not the faith that will save him; for that faith changes the whole heart, and makes us hate sin and love holiness. Now one of Priest Mathew's teetotallers may be in other respects a very bad man; he only vows to give up one sin, and may be a liar, or a passionate man, or one that covets his neighbour's goods; but the religion of Christ makes war against all sin, and every sin-the sins of the heart, as well as of the life, John.'

'Well, at any rate,' said John, 'I will persuade my brother and two or three more, that I know were going to N- to-morrow, to stay at home, for certainly it is a shame, to see Englishmen and Protestants, kneeling before a Romish priest, as if they could not avoid drunkenness, without help from the Pope, and I begin to think there must be some deeper scheme in this mission of Father Mathew's, than only reforming drunkards. But they will say I am a sad enemy to temperance, Stephen, if I go about persuading people not to take the pledge.'

They will not say so if you take the right way with them, John,' replied Stephen Bradford. 'If they say that a vow, or promise, would make them more strict in keeping sober, then remind them of their baptismal vow, in which they promised "to renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil; " but above all, be sure you give them from the word of God, a sure rule for all their behaviour.'

Saying this, Stephen Bradford drew his Bible from his pocket, and read from the nineteenth to the twenty-fourth verse of the fifth of Galatians. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections, and lusts."

A. H.

Review of Books.

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CAUTION IN THE USE OF CERTAIN FAMILIAR WORDS.-A CHARGE delivered in the Autumn of 1843, at the Visitation in Hampshire. By W. DEALTRY, D.D. F.R.S. Rector of Clapham, and Chancellor of the Diocese of Winchester. Second edition. 8vo. pp. 43. London. Hatchard, 1843.

DR. DEALTRY has, on several occasions, done good service to the cause of truth, and to the church of which he is a distinguished ornament. We remember with gratitude his masterly defence of the British and Foreign Bible Society, from the furious onslaught of Dr. Herbert Marsh, afterwards Bishop of Peterborough, and author of the eightyseven questions, which were designed to supersede, under the pretext of interpreting, the thirty-nine Articles, in his examination of candidates for Holy Orders. We were gratified, in more recent times, with his temperate yet firm resistance to the schemes of modern dissent, which aimed at nothing less than the utter subversion of our excellent establishment. And we are now very happy to see him again, taking the field against the modern heresy, which is deeply infesting the church. He does not, in this warfare, stand forward as a principal, to grapple with the general question at issue between the two contending parties, a work for which he is fully competent, but he has rather chosen to take a subordinate, though still a very useful part. He has become the pioneer, who clears the ground by calling on the belligerents to explain their terms, before they proceed to their polemic warfare. He shows distinctly, that the use of a word in a lax or improper sense, is often made the basis of an argument; and that therefore nothing is more necessary, as a preliminary step, than great caution in the use of principal terms to which the ear has become familiar.

The words of this class, on which he comments, are, ALTAR, SACRIFICE, PRIEST, CHURCH, &c. On the word Altar, he comes to the conclusion, that it is "a term which has not the sanction of the church: His reasoning runs thus: The first Prayer-book of Edward VI. in 1549, may be regarded as a connecting link between the Missal and our present Prayer-book. It might be expected to contain some remains of the former, which would still need to be removed. Now this book contained the term altar, which the next revision in 1552, in every place, expunged, substituting in its stead "the Lord's table."

It could not well, under any circumstances, be thought that such a change was accidental, or that it signified nothing. But we are not left to conjecture in this instance; for we find that in the interval between the publication of these two books-namely in the year 1550-Bishop Ridley put forth injunctions to his Clergy requiring the removal of altars, and the substitution of tables in their stead; and the king, in council, gave effect to these injunctions. Thus the acts of the Reformers gave unquestionable evidence of their true design in the alterations they made on this point in the Rubric.

The Bishop of Chichester refused obedience to the Royal command, on the ground, that to take down altars was "an abolishment both of