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Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men but of God." And this is one mode of usefulness which has facilities for all, for it may happen that in many places, and under many circumstances, where it is impossible to reprove the nominal professor by our verbal remonstrances, yet he may perceive, when you turn away from him, that there is much in him of which you disapprove -much which, in a moral and religious sense, is repulsive. Besides which, my friends, it is by a holy separation, that we give a practical evidence of the real difference that subsists between the world and the church. For if our state, in some degree, appear to be alike, where is the visible distinction, which is to be put between the two parties? And though we ought always to be very cautious of judging of the state of a man's heart, yet, at the same time, there are positive and decided and conclusive evidences, brought home to us by the conduct and spirit and general demeanour of individuals, that are strangers to the grace of God-that no solicitations on earth, nor any motives whatever, should induce us to violate our obedience to the command, "from such withdraw thyself, and turn away."

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On a review of this subject, which has been discussed this evening, learn, I pray you, wherein consists the real substantials of genuine piety.

Do not, I pray you, take it too readily for granted. Do not say you drew your first breath in a Christian country; favoured with religious opportunities, you were early brought to the house of God, where you learnt the formularies of your catechism, was induced (shall I utter what I was going to state? Yes,) to get the hand of the bishop placed on your head who told you that from that day you was a confirmed Christian. You was led afterwards to attend upon the sacramental ordinances, and when you got some further light, you attached yourself to some Christian society. Why, neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." Begin the spiritual life; if you want a prayer, let this be your petition: "Let my heart be sound in thy statutes, that I be not ashamed." If

you want a promise, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit

will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Rest not satisfied with your having regularly attended the house of God, with your being able to state that for years you have been able to maintain a moral conduct; but look within, for there God looks, and he rejoices not in outward appearances merely, but he searches the heart, and tries the reins of the children of men. Ascertain whether your love of Christ is advancing; ascertain whether you have received the incorruptible seed, which abideth for ever; whether you are leaving the attachments of the world; whether you are labouring to acquire more spirituality of mind, which is life and peace; whether you are wishing to enjoy more of the witnessing of the spirit of adoption, that you are the children of God; whether you are seeking the blessings which are full of immortality, and giving your attachment to things that are seen and eternal. Rest not content then, till you have reached some satisfactory conclusion; till you can conscientiously say, "Search me, O, God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.'

I will only say, in fine, that you may learn from the topic of this hour, wherein true and real fellowship in religion consists.

It does not consist in worshipping in those walls that are consecrated. It does not consist in being attached to a communion which practices the same outward forms. No, it is a union of spirit with spirit, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. It is a compact of religious principles; principles of regeneration. It is the embrace of hallowed affections; it is fellowship in the same holy privileges, and in the enjoyment of the same holy hopes, and it is this kind of union that not only ties you by the firmest bonds, but brings you to associate with the spirits of just men made perfect, who form the church triumphant above.

"The saints on earth and all the dead,
But one communion make;
All join in Christ their living head,
And of his grace partake."

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CHURCH AND STATE.-With respect to the great superiority which the clergy had over the laity in temporal matters during the feudal ages in England, the learned Sir Henry Spelman observed, that about one hundred and sixty high chancellors and keepers of the great seal, about eighty treasurers, and nearly all the keepers of the privy seal, had been clergymen. And he gives it as a most remarkable fact, that in the 39th of Edward III. 1365, all the following great officers were ecclesiastics; the lord high chancellor, the lord treasurer, the keeper of the privy seal, the master of the rolls, ten masters in chancery, the high chamberlain of the exchequer, the receiver and warden of the king's treasure and jewels, the chancellor of the exchequer, the clerk of the privy seal, the treasurer of the king's household, the master of the wardrobe, one of the chamberlains of the exchequer, the treasurer of Guienne and Calais, and the treasurer of Ireland.

RECIPE FOR THE PAINS OF PURGATORY.Of lay ignorance seven drachms, as many drachms of monks devotion as you can get, half a score of plenary indulgences, and a dozen of well contrived equivocations, venial sins as many as you please, and a pocket full of dispensations. Boil them in a jesuit's brain pan, and put thereto the doctrines of probable opinions and seminary priests' loyalty. After fermentation, clap in nine modern miracles performed as by the assigns of Father Crespie. To give it a tincture, sprinkle a small dash of penance, and roll up the whole in a mass of the Pope's infallibility, and take it in a cup of absolution at the hour of death,-Bibl. Sloan. 1691.

HISTORICAL SKETCHES

OF

DISSENTING CHURCHES.

"Let no one blame an historian who does not begin before his records: it is not his fault, it is his virtue."-ROBINSON.

NO. II.-ST. KATHERINE'S.

No one should be more exact in his chronology than an ecclesiastical historian; for, without an especial regard to dates, his readers will be unable to verify his statements. If he assert, for instance, concerning a former state of the church, that its pastors were all pious, learned, zealous, and disinterested; that its members were united, orthodox, benevolent, and spiritually-minded, a sceptical reader might ask the simple question, When? and any, the least delay in furnishing an answer, would excite suspicion with regard to the author's veracity.

Having determined to give our readers some account of "St. Katherine's, near the Tower," and of the Dissenters there, we had introduced the subject with "St. Katherine's Church is situated eastward of"when the foregoing reflections induced us to alter our language. Time works worders; but modern skill and ingenuity give to him new wings, for, in this case, and within a few short months, religion has given place to commerce; ships and warehouses now occupy the space formerly allotted to the sanctuary and the cloister; while St. Katherine, anxious that the church so long patronized by her might be mentioned in future ages along with the famous Casa Santa, of Loretto, took flight with it to another consecrated spot. But, as the Church of England is more modest on the subject of miracles than that of Rome, our lady was content to alight with her burden in the Regent's Park.

In the year 1148, Queen Matilda did, with the consent of her husband, Stephen, found, and richly endow, an hospital, dedicated to St. Katherine, "in pure and perpetual alms," for the repose of the souls of her son Baldwin, and her daughter Matilda, who both died in her lifetime. She obtained the ground whereon it was built, from the monastery of the Holy Trinity, and for which she gave the monks a yearly rent of six pounds, out of a manor in Hertfordshire; and as they had then a high reputation for sanctity, she granted to

them the perpetual custody of the new hospital, reserving to herself and the future Queens of England, the nomination of the master or warden, upon every vacancy. This grant was confirmed by Pope Alexander II., with the very gracious intimation, That, if any man should presume to infringe on this confirmation, or rashly attempt to oppose it, he would incur the indignation of God Almighty, and of the blessed apostles, Peter and Paul.* But consistency in those days formed no part of infallibility. Popes did not scruple to break or repeal their own laws; nor did the most devoted Roman Catholics hesitate to oppose the successor of St. Peter, and to brave pontifical thunders, when it suited their ambition or interest. The said convent having enjoyed the right thus religiously secured to them, until the year 1255, Queen Eleanor, wife of Henry III. attempted to obtain a surrender of this right; and what is more remarkable, she succeeded, by the aid of ecclesiastical authorities, after she had appealed in vain to the courts of law.

The Prior and Canons, when examined by the Bishop, made a singular defence. Being asked why they had placed one of their own body at the head of the hospital, they said, "that finding the brothers of this hospital used to get drunk and quarrel every day, they had constituted one of their own body master, in order to reform them, and bring them to a sense of religion, sobriety, and devotion!" It was well for the souls of Baldwin and Matilda, that their "repose" did not alone depend upon the piety and prayers of this devout brotherhood!

The convent having, in 1261, surrendered to Queen Eleanor all right to the government of this hospital, "totum jus quod habent, habuerant vel habere poterant," it was, by her authority, dissolved, and she founded a new hospital, in 1273, dedicated to the same Saint; for a master, three brothers, chaplains, and three sisters, ten poor women, called bedeswomen, and six poor scholars.

The hospital was further endowed and patronized by kings, princes, and priests, especially by that religious, though weak prince, Henry VI.; who, by his charter, confirmed "all privileges, liberties, and

"Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostre confirmacionis infringere vel ei ausu temerario contraire: si quis autem homo attemtare presumserit indignaciones Dei omnipotentis et beatorum Petri et Pauli apostolorum eum se noverit incursurum."

immunities, which had at any time been granted to it by any apostolic bull or bulls;" and, among several additional privileges, granted a fair to be held upon Tower Hill for twenty-one days, yearly.

John, third Duke of Exeter, who died in 1446, made several bequests to this hospital: first-that his own body should be buried there "atte north ende of the high auter yat is ordeyned for me," and, what was of far more importance, plate, and jewels, and revenues. "That I III. honest and cunnyng priests be ordeyned yerly perpetually to pray for my soule in the forsaid chappell and for the soule of Anne my first wyffe-the soule of my suster Constaunce, and for the soule of Anne, my wyffe, yat now is, whan she passeth oute of yis worlde, and for al the soules of my progenitours."

By an account, contained in a manuscript in the Harleian library, (No. 5912) it appears that in the reign of Henry VI. the plate and jewels of the hossital were of considerable value. The following are among the items :

"Two books with pictures on them, silver gilt, weighing with the book, 179

ounces.

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"The image of St. Katherine, garnished with several pieces of silver, and gilt with a chave and tablet, 46 ounces."

An account of the revenues of the hospital was taken 26th Henry VIII. by which

appears that the annual clear income was £315. 148. 2d., without reckoning the houses, court-yards, &c. within its precincts.

By an act, passed in 1545, (37th Henry VIII.) the lands of all the charities, fraternities, brotherhoods, and guilds belonging to this hospital were, with all others in the kingdom, given to the crown. Henry dying early in the next year, the act was renewed in the first year of Edward VI. As not even the Universities were exempted in this act, but were in danger of being included in its operations, it is impossible to say by what species of goodfortune, the hospital was allowed to retain its revenues.

Dr. Thomas Wilson, who was master of this hospital in the early part of Queen Elizabeth's reign, surrendered the charter of Henry the VI, and obtained a new one, artfully leaving out the liberty of the fair by which contrivance he was enabled to sell the said fair to the corporation of London for seven hundred marks, and he was only restrained from fur

ther encroachments by a spirited petition of the inhabitants, presented to Mr. Secretary Cecil, setting forth that the establishment had existed three hundred years that it was parcel of the Queen's dowry, and that it was established for religious purposes-that they, the inhabitants, were tenants of the hospital-had built on its lands whole lanes and streets, where before was nothinge but donghills, laystoffs, and voide groundes," and had brought greate commoditie and profite to it," that, therefore, they were entitled to her Majesty's protection. This remonstrance preserved the revenues of the hospital.

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Although such abundant provision was made by our" pious forefathers," for the repose of the dead, little attention seems to have been paid to the instruction of the living. Chaunting, prayers, and masses without end; but no public preaching. After the Reformation, the inhabitants, who had greatly increased, themselves paid some attention to this defect, for in 1616. a lease was granted by the hospital to Thomas Saunderson and others, of "all that messuage or tenement in the south-east corner of the cloyster," for forty-six years, at the annual rent of four shillings, to be paid quarterly. “That the benefit and occupation of the premises shall, during the whole term, remain and be to the use of a conformable preacher to be resident, and dwelling there in person, and that shall every Sunday, by himself or some other sufficient minister, preach in the forenoon and afternoon, and one sermon upon every Wednesday in the afternoon. To be absent only one month in the summer vacation, and then the Feoffes to be at charge to provide one for that time. The minister to be elected by the vestrie, and presented to the master, when the place shall be void, and by him approved."-Harleian Miscel. 5097.

This lease was renewed before its expiration, as appears from the Parliamentary survey of Church Lands in the year 1650.

"Item, we present, that in the precinct of Katherine's, neare the Tower of London, we have a collegiate church belonging to the hospitall there scituated, where the inhabitaunts of the said precinct enjoye the benefit of the ministry of Mr. Richard Kentish, who has lyved with us allmost eleaven years, and was, according to our custome, chosen by the people, and receives annually, towards

his maintenance from the said hospitall, twenty pounds, and from the inhabitants about fortye-five pounds (though they are generally very poore) in all about threescore and five pounds per ann. together with a convenient dwelling-house, which was granted by the hospitall to the inhabitants to the use of their preacher, for the tearme of forty yeares, there being but one expired; they paying quarterlye to the hospitall one shilling.'

This Mr. Richard Kentish became a brother of the hospital in 1646, and died in 1658.

It is not certain in whose hands the revenues of this hospital were placed during the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, but Mr. Samuel Slater succeeded to the ministry, by the nomination of the Protector, June 18, 1658, and the same year the trustees, for maintenance of ministers, ordered the yearly sum of forty pounds to be granted, for the increase of his maintenance. He continued to perform the duties of his office until he was ejected by the Act of Uniformity, on St. Bartholomew's day, the 24th of August, 1662. And about the month of September following, a church was formed upon congregational principles, he being chosen the pastor.

Before we leave this venerable establishment, to follow the Nonconformists, we may be allowed to inform our readers, that the structure of St. Catherine's church was a beautiful specimen of Gothic simplicity. The east window was supposed to be the largest in or about London, being thirty feet high, twentyfour wide, and containing five hundred and sixty-one superficial feet of glass. It possessed, also, a curious historical pulpit, the ornaments of which exhibited the hospital in its very ancient state: on its six sides appeared the following inscription:

EZRA THE SCRIBE
STOOD UPON A
PULPIT OF WOOD

WHICH HE HAD
MADE FOR THE
PREACHER.*

This church, and the buildings connected, with the hospital have been taken down, to make room for the St. Katherine's dock, under the provisions of an act passed in 1825, by which the heirs,

The reader may see some engravings of this singular piece of workmanship in the Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica, No. 5.

executors, administrators, relations, or friends of any person whose body had been interred, or whose monument had been placed in the church or burial ground, were empowered to remove them to some other consecrated spot. And it was further provided, that nothing in the Act should "prejudice, diminish, vary, alter, or affect" the rights and privileges of the Patron, Master, Brothers and Sisters of the hospital-but that their meetings should be as valid in the new hospital, "to be hereafter erected, as they had been heretofore in the Chapter-room of the present hospital."

The new hospital is now erected in the Regent's Park, and Sir Herbert Taylor, Bart. is the present master.

BIBLICAL ESSAYS.

'Speaking in our own tongues, the wonderful works of God."

NO. III.-AUTHORISED ENGLISH BIBLE.

In a preceding paper, our notice of the English translations of the Bible, was brought down to the time of Elizabeth, when the edition superintended by Matthew Parker, and from the official character of the persons employed upon it, called the BISHOPS' BIBLE, received the sanction of royal authority.

From this time, no important translation or revision of the English Bible was undertaken, till the reign of James I., when our present authorized version was executed, by his special order and appointment. In 1604, he nominated fifty-four learned men, chiefly professors and divines from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, to re-translate, revise, or correct preceding versions, so as to produce as perfect a translation as possible. Of these, only forty-seven actually engaged in the work, the others having died, or declined the engagement, or having been selected as overseers of the whole.

Our readers will not think it a waste of time, if we treat pretty copiously upon this edition of the Scriptures; for as it is the only one accessible to many thousands of our fellow Christians, its fidelity as a version, is to such persons, a question of vital importance.

In the preceding paper we have spoken of the present authorized version, as being in some measure founded upon the

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earlier editions, of the critical character of which, we have there spoken; and it will be immediately obvious to the attentive reader, that if the persons engaged upon this undertaking were not acquainted with the learned languages, the amount of their labours, however great or well intentioned they may have been, cannot be estimated at a very high price. they were not thus qualified for the undertaking to which they were called, has been strenuously maintained by a recent critic, whose complaints against our common version, have been both loud and deep. Mr. John Bellamy has affirmed, in his preface to a new translation of the Scriptures, that there was not a critical Hebrew scholar among them; the Hebrew language, so indispensably necessary for the accomplishment of this important work, having been, in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I., most shamefully neglected in our Universities. On this gentleman's motives for thus exhibiting the translators of our English Bible, and thence inferring its total inadequacy to the purposes of scripture instruction, we will not sit in judgment, but we may express our deep regret that any person should undertake to pronounce unqualified judgment upon a subject, of the cir cumstances of which he is utterly ignorant, especially in a case of such great importance as the one in question. That Hebrew and Oriental learning in general, was not so neglected in the time of Elizabeth and James, as is here represented, any person desirous of so doing, may readily satisfy himself. The cultivation of the Oriental tongues was among the ordinary studies at the two Universities, in the time of Elizabeth; and Fulke speaks of many youths at Cambridge, in 1583, who were intimate with the Hebrew and Chaldee. (Defence of Translations, p. 340.) That, in public schools, emulation to this effect was excited, may be exemplified in a notice of examinations at Merchant Taylors' School, where, in 1572, the Bishop of Winchester, I tried the scholars in the Hebrew Psalter;" and where "the famous Richard Mulcaster," as he has been called, was then master, distinguished also for his skill in Eastern literature; under whom one of the first scholars of this time, and as a linguist, a second Mithridates, Dr. Lancelot Andrewes, was educated. (Todd's Life of Walton, i., p. 102.)

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With this venerable name, the order of

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