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alone and unconnected, if it sprang from no inward principle, and were attended with no very bad consequences, it might be accounted an inadvertence, a human imperfection, an object of pity, but not of blame; but whoever traces this practice in this country to its real spring, will find it proceeds from an infernal disposition, capable of producing the blackest crimes.

There is a great deal of sound knowledge in that memorable saying of the apostle James, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is equally guilty of all.” Why? Because, he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. If a lawgiver issue out ten commands before a sub

would not object to go, but the wind is high, the clouds are heavy, the way is long, the roads are dirty, and the place is cold. Let us not disgrace humanity, by describing its folly. Let us lay aside such childish evasions. Let us remember all things are naked and open in the eyes of him with whom we have to do. To him the hearts of men are without a covering. You have not committed murder; that is, you have not hanged yourself: but you got drunk; that is, you drowned yourself. You went to a place of worship once in the day; but the rest of your conduct showed your contempt of all you heard. You sold nothing during church-time. Why not? Did not your customers come? or were you afraid of the constable?ject can break one, he must deny Sordid wretch! had the fear of God restrained thee, thou wouldst have thought him as much thy master at eight o'clock as at eleven. And you, sorry prevaricator, who send this servant to worship, and that to work, what art thou doing, but as far as in thee lies saying, This servant I appoint to be instructed, that I doom to ignorance this servant is for virtue, that for vice; this is an offering to God, that a victim to the devil? And you who shudder at Sunday inconveniences of cold and dirt, where was all your prudence yesterday, when you dressed accordingly, put on the old great coat, and went to market. Ah! woe be to you, ye hypocrites. ye strain out a gnat, and ye swallow a camel. The truth is, you do not love God; if you did, you would obey him.

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5. Manner of estimating sin. The general method of estimating moral or immoral actions, is partial, erroneous, and dangerIf Sabbath breaking were

ous.

the power of the lawgiver to enjoin that one; and when he hath denied his power to make that one law, he hath in effect denied his power to make the rest. Now this principle, that God has no right to bind his creatures, once admitted, a man is prepared for every crime. Accidental circumstances may keep him from the commission of enormous vices, but the chief difficulty is got over, if the fear of God does not stop him, and if he does not proceed further, it is because it does not suit him.

A Sabbath-breaker is a bold

sinner. He practically denies God's right to be publicly adored; he says in effect, that his wisdom is not an object of admiration, his goodness is not an object of public gratitude, his power is not to be dreaded, his superintending providence is not worth asking for. Yea, it is not worth while to keep up the idea of such a

being in the world. A man capable of all this must have a

very depraved heart, a heart | a just estimate of an action, capable of nourishing the most should consider it in all its coninfanious passions.

nections, the principle from which it proceeds, and the end to which it tends. A little of this consideration would destroy the empire of sin. Should a loose companion say to a sober youth on a Lord's-day morning, Go with me to-day, ruin your health, blast your reputation, kill your old father and mother with grief, be a companion of prostitutes, rob your master, and be hanged at Tyburn, scorn God, and plunge yourself into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone for ever-certainly the undebauched lad would tremble and flee; but the tempter concealing all this, only says, Don't go to a place of worship to-day, spend the day with me; all the rest follow of course, for a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

6. No excuse for Sabbathbreaking.

If such persons were capable of thinking, they might be addressed in the language of scripture; and had they feelings, one question would rend their hearts asunder,-Wherefore do the wicked contemn God? Contemn God! -what a shocking idea! The wickedest of mankind, in some circumstances, are incapable of this. When thunders roll, and lightnings flash, when the wind comes roaring out of its caverns, and when waves swell like mountains, man, bad as he is, is not wretch enough to contemn God. He trembles even before his works; and fire, and water, and air, are objects of his horror and dread. But who thinks of this on a fine Sunday-morning in May? Yet, is the Omnipotent less a deity on a fine day, than in a storm? Is the human heart to be mastered only by terror? Are We said just now, whoever there no charms in goodness? traced Sabbath-breaking in this Is there no ingenuousness in man? country to its source, would be When all nature smiles on me, obliged to own it sprang from a shall my gloomy soul frown at very bad heart. The reasons God? Far from us be such a are, we have in this country no thought. But wherefore do the plausible pretence for the profawicked contemn a patient God? nation of the Lord's-day, and we A wicked boy contemns him, be- have every inducement to observe cause his wicked father contemns it. In heathen countries were him. The wicked father con- people ever so desirous of keeptemns him, because his neigh-ing a Lord's-day holy, there are bours contemn him. Poor no public assemblies, no buildneighbours in the parish con- ings to meet in, no pious people temn him, because their masters to meet with, no ministers to inset them the example. But struct, no gospel to preach; but surely in this case, Men of low people do not absent themselves degree are vanity, and men of here from divine worship for high degree are a lie: to be laid these reasons. In popish counin the balance, they are altogether tries, some Protestants think it a lighter than vanity. The exam- less evil to spend a Lord's-day in ple of a whole world should not visiting, than in attending public move us, for what are millions service in an assembly where of worlds in comparison with the worship of God is dishonourone God? He who would make ed with a mixture of idolatry,

and where silly superstitions | flock, he endeavoured more to pass for devotion: but these stum-impress on their minds the genebling-blocks are removed out of ral truths of the christian system, our way. In times of persecu- than the particular dogmas of tion, penalties might affright, the Catholic church. Above all, nights, woods, solitary places. he inculcated the uselessness of Nor can an excuse be taken from observing external rites and cerethe insufficiency of any particu- monies to the exclusion or neg lar minister, or the impropriety lect of internal piety. Charity, of any particular mode of wor-justice, and all the moral and ship; for liberty of conscience social duties, were more frequenthath opened so many places of ly on his lips, than the virtues of worship, and such variety of masses, the power of relics, or ministers are employed, that no the pains of purgatory. This plea is left here. No excuse can conduct did not suit the vicarbe made on account of distance, general of his diocese. The Curé danger, or disrepute; for the was summoned into his presence, word is near us, no risk is run, reproached for his laxness and no shame is acquired. What moderation, and desired hencecould have been done for us forth to evince more Catholic more than has been done? Nor zeal, or to leave his cure. The can it be said, the motives are good man returned to his village stronger to profane, than to keep undismayed by the menaces of his a Lord's-day. See a London ecclesiastical superior. He called company on a wet Sunday-even-his flock together with the seigneur

ing.

* * *

CONVERSION OF A VILLAGE.

A village called Mulhaused, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, consisting of about sixty families of three hundred souls, was, at the commencement of the present year, entirely Catholics. At the present moment, forty-eight of these families, or four-fifths of the population, are Protestants, and the greater part of the remaining fifth are expected to join their former co-worshippers. The following is the manner in which this surprising change has been effected. The Curé of the village was a man of remarkable good sense, and great assiduity in his pastoral duties, esteemed for his christian virtues, and admired for his learning and moderation. In his sermons to his

+ The Editors have not altered even

the form of this paper, that it might preserve all its originality.

of the village at their head, and having recapitulated both the doctrines which he had preached, and those which the vicar-general required him to adopt, he assured them that his conscience would not allow him to change his system, but that he would continue to be their pastor as heretofore, if they followed him in the old course, and protested against the superstitious bigotry which was attempted. to be enforced. The seigneur, and upwards of forty families, immediately joined him, and for ever separated themselves from the Catholic communion. A petition was sent to the government to appoint another Curé for those who contined Catholics, but it is now supposed that the expense may be spared, as they are rapidly uniting themselves to the congregation of their old pastor. If the inquisition had existed in Baden, this curate and his flock would have been condemned to an Auto-da-fe!

THE GREEKS.

(An Extract from Milton's Letter to the renowned Leonard Philaras, the Athenian.)

valour, to assert the liberty and independence of the Greeks? But we ought besides to attempt,

"To the writings of those what is, I think, of the greatest

illustrious men which your city has produced, in the perusal of which I have been occupied from my youth, it is with pleasure I confess, that I am indebted for

all my proficiency in literature. Did I possess their command of language, and their force of persuasion, I should feel the highest satisfaction in employing them to excite our armies and our

fleet to deliver Greece, the parent of eloquence, from the despotism of the Ottomans. Such is the enterprise in which you seem to implore my aid. And what did formerly men of the greatest courage and eloquence deem more noble or more glorious, than by their orations or their

Greeks with an ardent desire to moment; to inflame the present emulate the virtue, the industry, the patience of their ancient progenitors; and this we cannot hope to see effected by any one but yourself, and for which you seem adapted by the splendour of your patriotism, combined with so much discretion, so much skill in war, and such an unquenchable thirst for the recovery of your ancient liberty. Nor do

I think that the Greeks would be

wanting to themselves, or that any other people would be wanting to the Greeks. Adieu."*

London, January, 1652.

* Prose Works of Milton, by Symmons, Vol. I. p. 20.

Miscellanea.

HISTORICAL
ESSAYS.

No. XXIII.

On the Corruption of Christianity in
Britain during the Reign of Henry
VII. A. D. 1485-1509.

66

WE left the Earl of Richmond, in our last essay, master of the field of battle, with the sad satisfaction of witnessing the destruction of his opponent, Richard III; an advantage which he and his followers did not fail promptly to improve. Long live King Henry VII!" resounded from rank to rank, and a temporary crown was presented him, as the earnest of that with which, if successful, he should be invested. He soon directed his march towards the capital, and was received with every demonstration of joy in the towns and villages through which he

passed, and with exultation by the Londoners themselves.

Although virtually in possession of the throne, he was anxious, as far as possible, to supply the defect in his title to it; for such are the dignity and beauty of virtue, that there are seasons when the most vicious affect to be virtuous. He had recourse to a power which unhappily had not yet lost its influence, procuring from Rome a bull, in which was recited every imaginable pretension of the applicant to the crown, and excommunicating all who should disturb his reign; and, to add to the terror of the punishment, no one was to be excused its direful consequences, but in the very act of dying, and that only by the Pope himself, or one of his immediate deputies.

It not a little contributed to Henry's popularity and success, that he who was of the Lancastrian family, had promised to espouse Elizabeth of the house of York. Every lover of peace rejoiced in the

heaps of gold. If no warlike preparations afforded a pretext for taxation and imposition, every circumstance of the least plausibility was seized as an occasion of extortion; the forfeiture of property became an ordinary mode of punishment, the amount of which was more frequently regulated by the wealth of the offenders, than by the nature of the crime-by the will of the king, rather than by any welldefined law. His agents were well selected for his pitiful purpose; and the influence of this passion on his mind was still more strikingly shown by his habitual watchfulness over them, minutely examining their accounts, and passing them as an auditor with his own hand.

prospect of so pleasing a termination of the disgraceful quarrels of the two houses, and of the consequent civil wars which had so long afflicted England. Henry, however, could not commence his reign without showing the powerful influence of party spirit, which overcame in his mind the suggestions of policy, and the tender and more interesting requirements of affection that he ought to have felt and manifested towards his amiable companion. It marred his domestic happiness, diffused dismay and suspicion among his subjects, created him enemies, and stamped an indelible stain on his reign, by leading him to seek and effect the destruction of one after another of the distinguished members of the house of York. This Another impostor disturbed the evil disposition of his heart was soon middle of his reign, by personating perceived by his subjects, and the young Duke of York, who, it alienation and rebellion followed. was pretended, instead of being In the neighbourhood of York a murdered by his uncle, as had been commotion arose, which, however, vulgarly believed, had judiciously his presence, his courage, and his concealed himself until some faprudence, were instrumental in sub-vourable opportunity should invite duing. An impostor arose in Lambert Simuel, who pretended to be the Earl of Warwick, escaped from the Tower. He commenced his short career in Ireland, where he was received as Edward VI. and was assisted to invade England.nanced by many; it was the inteHenry was completely successful in the battle which ensued, and taking his opponent prisoner, showed the greatness of his mind in making him a scullion in his kitchen, and ultimately a falconer in his household.

his appearance. As it is among the inconsistencies of our nature to believe what accords with its wishes, even in the absence of evidence, and often contrary to it, Perkin Warbeck was believed and counte

rest of foreign princes to show him favour, (if we judge of interest by the rules of worldly policy); and, among others, the king of Scotland not only received him at his court, but provided him a consort of rank, and accompanied him in his unsuccessful incursions into England. As the chief use Henry made of this event was to demand new supplies, the brave Cornishmen refused pay

of London to expostulate or resist: but they were quickly dispersed. This pretender, however, soon lost his influence, and was finally executed at Tyburn.

Unhappily the tranquillity which ensued was not employed by the monarch in studying the improvement and happiness of his people. In addition to his unconquerable aversion to the house of York, avarice,ment, and marched to the very gates and a love of military glory, were powerful inmates of his breast. The state of the Continent afforded ample scope for the manifestation of the latter; and the preparations which he occasionally made, or talked of making, afforded pretexts for indulging the former. Avarice was, however, evidently the ruling passion of his mind; and as is particularly the case with this propensity, its influence increased with age, and left its possessor poor amidst his

A third impostor, personating the unfortunate Earl of Warwick, now appeared, which but led to the execution of that nobleman, who was accused of disturbing the king's government. Henry had been so successful in bis suppression of rebellion, in the detection and expo

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