ORIGINAL POETRY. CREATOR'S POWER. "What tho' I trace each herb and flower, What tho' each hill and dale proclaim In all their varied ways. Their colour'd hues express; And thus an influence prove. But thou, O man! with reason blest If God by thee be not confess'd, If thou in him put not thy trust, How vain is all thou know'st or do'st, "FINIS POLONIE." BY M. FENAUGHTY. 'Tis said that Poland's foes convene Henceforth in Cracow to remain ; To stamp their gory hoofs unclean, And seal their future tyrant reign. But our best fortune-teller-TimePoints onward to that golden clime, And tells, by horror moving on With all her swarming reptile brood, And all that fell-hounds there have done, That they have "not come there for good!" Hertfordshire Kent Lancashire Leicestershire.. Lincolnshire Middlesex Monmouthshire Norfolk .. Nottinghamshire .. 3 Flintshire Total of Churches and Chapels in England and Wales, 540. SCOTLAND. Churches and Chapels. Total of Churches and Chapels in Scotland, 82; besides 22 stations where Divine Service is performed. This day, 2s. cloth, or 2s. 6d. leather, The Cook-Maid's Complete Guide, and the Art of Cookery made Easy. Being the best and easiest methods of correctly performing all the business of the Cook-maid in respectable Families. With proper instructions for steaming, and the most exact directions for preparing to cook, for cooking and serving-up all sorts of provisions, from a single Joint of Meat with Vegetables, to the finest seasoned dishes of Game, Poultry, Fish, Sauces, Soups, and Made Dishes-Jellies and Custrads; and also for making and baking Pies. Tarts, Patties, &c. The whole written from experience. BY A LADY. London: DEAN and Co., Threadneedle-street; and all onfectioner's and Pastry-Cook's Confe GUIDE; as practised at the best Establishments in London and Paris. With the Art of Sugar-boiling. GEORGE READ, Pastry-cook and Confectioner. Is. 6d. cloth. 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At Wanted, by Dr. Powell, 16, Bles sington-street, Dublin. Agents in the principal towns IMPORTANT TO THE PUBLIC. DR. WISEMAN ON ST. PAUL'S. In a supposed visit to St. Paul's Cathedral, in company with a heathen, the writer says, that he would bid his companion look among the tombs and costly monuments which surround him for some intimation of what god is here worshipped, and what virtues taught. There he sees emblems indeed in sufficient number; not the cross or the dove, or the olive branch, as on the ancient tomb, but the drum or the trumpet, the boarding-pike and the cannon. Who are they whose attitudes and actions are deemed the fit ornaments for this religious temple? Men rushing forward sword in hand, to animate their followers to the breach, or falling down while boarding the enemies' deck-heroes, if you choose benefactors to their country, but surely not the illustrators of religion. Sea and river gods, with their oozy crowns and outflowing vases; the Ganges, with his fish and calabash; the Thames, with the genii of his confluent streams; and the Nile, with his idol the sphynx; Victory, winged and girt up as of old, placing aurels on the brows of the falling; Fame, with its earthly ancient trumpet, blasting forth their worldly merits; Clio, the offspring of Apollo, recording their history; and, besides these new creations of gods and goddesses, Rebellion and Fraud, Valour and Sensibility, and some of these, too, with an unseemly lack of drapery, more becoming an ancient than a modern by all Booksellers, Stationers, and Newsvenders in the United temple. r. William Powell, 16, Blessington Dr. street, Dublin, begs to inform the Public that his SPECIFIC for the above Diseases may now be had in packages, prices 1s. 6d., 2s. 6d., 6s.. and 10s. 6d. cach, with full directions for their use. The Half-Guinea Package contains eight times the quantity of the Half-crown. On receipt of a Post-office Order, or Postage Stamps, directed as above, the Medicine will be forwarded by return of post, until agents are appointed in the different counties. Published at the Office, 2, Crane-court, Fleet-street; and sold Kingdom All communications for the Editor to be addressed to the Office, 2, Crane-court, Fleet-street. TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY. [PRICE 1d. made the HOLY GHOST the source of variation, and therefore of error. In these our days we see the evils of such steps. In his last speech to his Parliament King Henry VIII. said : "I see here daily, that you of the clergy preach one against another, envy against one another, teach one My Lord Archbishop,-Again I intrude upon your contrary to another, without charity or discretion. un-apostalic leisure and dignity. As Pope of England Some be too stiff in their old mumpsimus, and others -under the head Pope, our most gracious Queen-you too busy and curious in their new sumpsimus. Thus have little to do. That little ought, therefore, to be all men, almost, be in variety and discord, and few or done well. I find in the Book of Common Prayer a none preach truly and sincerely the word of God, as form for "the Visitation of the Sick." A reverend they ought to do. Shall I judge you charitable persons, doing this? No, no. I cannot do so. Alas! gentleman at Somers-town has declared to his parish-how can the poor souls live in concord, when you, ioners that he has discontinued visiting the sick, and preachers, sow amongst them, in your sermons, debate one at least of his flock-a rich man withal-died and discord? Of you they look for light, and you without the last consolations which his minister could bring them to darkness." afford. My Lord, was this right? The case certainly did not occur in your immediate diocese. But as primate of all England, if the Bishop of London neglects his duty by not remonstrating with this recusant parson, should not your Grace step in with your superior authority, and vindicate your church discipline and the Book of Common Prayer, by enforcing his duties upon this reverend but sadly negligent clergyman? When he "discontinued visiting the sick" he did not cease from receiving his splendid stipend? Is the Book of Common Prayer any authority or not? It is said in it "It is the essential duty of a Christian Church to watch over the condition of all its members, and to impart to them instruction, counsel, and consolation fitted to each particular state and trial through which they may have to pass. Especially, therefore, when sickness assails any of his people, is the minister of Christ called upon to be present at the bed of suffering. Affliction is of God's dispensing, and the servant of God should be at hand to give a voice and language to the silent messenger of his will: he should also be there to satisfy the doubts of the broken spirit, to arouse the slumbering from its indifference; to afford comfort, or to repeat the warnings called for by the urgency and danger of the case: he is needed there, moreover, to declare with greater distinction, if possible, than ever, the terms on which salvation, through Christ, is granted; to receive the confession which the gospel inculcates as a prime duty of repentance and humility; and, lastly, to pronounce that assurance of pardon and eternal happiness to the penitent and believing soul, which the Lord has granted him authority to repeat in his name. The order for the Visitation of the Sick here given by our church makes reference to all these particulars, and is founded on the firm basis of Scripture truth." I assure you I do not seek thus to engage your attention without justifiable grounds. Last week it was shown how the framers of the Book of Common Prayer | Is not his a true picture of the discords of our own times? Let us look at the New Liturgy of Edward VI. By it the priests were directed to perform divine service in "white albs." If a clergyman now attempts to go through the divine service in a "white alb," he frightens many-sometimes all—of his congregation out of the church. This occurred only last week in England. In the church was a company of pious soldiers, under the command of some hyperorthodox officers. The valiant defenders of their country took fright at the white surplice, and ordered their men out of the church, who, by their solemn military tramp, drowned the voice of the preacher. My Lord, are not these sad exhibitions? Can piety or edification be otherwise than injured by them? And yet for all of them we have to thank the "Book of Common Prayer," its variations, its inconsistencies, and its absurdities. My Lord, that Prayer Book enjoins CONFESSION;-and yet what do we find? Why, that, in the eye of the Church of England, it is a crime for a Protestant cleric to do what the Book of Common Prayer tells him to do! This was proved the other day in the case of the church curate of aristocratic LEAMINGTON. The Bishop of Worcester called him to account for "Holding doctrines and exhibiting practices having a tendency to the Church of Rome, especially on the question of transubstantiation, and in inducing a young female to come to the confessional. The Bishop of Worcester having put himself in communication with the reverend gentleman upon the subject, the latter requested a few weeks' time to consider of his reply, and at length the correspondence between him and the bishop is published. Mr. Bittleston denies the alleged heresy in all points, and says he has no thought, purpose, or intention of leaving the Church of England for that of Rome, or of beguiling any soul away from the fold of the Established Church. The bishop, in reply, acquits Mr. Bittleston of heresy, but convicts him of great indiscretion; and, in regard to the doctrinal questions which were the subject of controversy, says that many points might be adduced in which a clergyman, under cover of certain doubtful phrases, purposely, perhaps, retained in our Prayer Book with a view to conciliate Roman Catholic converts, at the time it was prepared or revised, may insensibly create Romanising tendencies in the minds of his people, and yet keep within the strict letter of the articles and formularies of the church. The bishop consents to countersign Mr. Bittleston's testimonials." His lordship of Worcester seems clearly to understand the nature and tendencies of the Common Prayer Book. He says that "confession" is not "heresy" against the English Church? Still he dismisses the clergyman for encouraging the practice of it;-and then he countersigns his testimonials to go and encourage the practice of it somewhere else. Now, my Lord, what was here done to the Leamington preacher was wrongly done, if the Book of Common Prayer be right. Or, even if the proceeding was correct, what is justice to one is justice to another. Very recently the Rev. Dr. Pusey preached in Christ Church, Oxford, a sequel sermon to his former celebrated discourse on absolution and confession. As usual, the cathedral was crowded by an attentive audience, whose countenances severally bespoke the hopes and fears which hung on the words of the preacher. The Bishop of Oxford was present during the discourse, which was from, "For if we judge ourselves, we shall not be judged," 1 Corinthians, ii., 31. The rev. professor took occasion to reiterate his former doctrines on the efficacy of confession to obtain the benefit of absolution from the priest, for whom he claims the absolute power of forgiving sins, as holding the power of the keys." He censured the Reformers for their inconsistency in introducing injunctions, special confession of sins as they declared, by the aid of the Holy Ghost, and then two years after excluding them; and he did not consider that such exclusion proved any thing as to the rejection of the practice of the present church. Indeed, he proceeded to say that he knew thousands and thousands in the Church of England who now used auricular and secret confession to a priest to their great comfort. The sermon concluded with an appeal to the younger members of the university to make special confession of their sins at the commencement of a new advent; assuring them that penitence would quench hell fire, and that nature dictated to them to make up their account with God, and say, Now is the acceptable time. The Bishop of Oxford heard all this, and much more-many others of the university authorities also heard it; but neither the academic nor the ecclesiastical authorities have taken any official notice of it. Mr, PALEY, of John's, Cambridge, has lost his tutorship. Mr. Ward lost his degrees: the clergyman at Leamington has lost his curacy-but Dr. PALEY goes free and uncensured. Is this equal justice to all? The Bishop of Worcester says the Common Prayer Book is calculated to "create Romanising tendencies." Why, then, punish by deprivation and censure those who obey the impulses which that book originates? My Lord, the form of absolution contained in your How, then, can confession be repudiated by your church, unless the Book of Common Prayer is a fraud ? And now one word as to the use of the surplice and of ceremonies. Certain ceremonies were ordered to be used by II Edw. VI. Five years after another act abolished those ceremonies; and directed the use of a "surplice onely." Then comes the Book of Canons, which enjoined other ornaments. The 24th canon enjoined the use of CAPES, which were rigidly prescribed in the rubric V. Edw. VI. Le Strange remarks: "The 17th canon enjoyneth all fellows, scholars, and students (though boys), as well as masters of colleges and halls, upon Sunday, holidays, and their eves, to wear surplices at divine services; and graduates to wear the hoods of their degrees: whereas the order in the Liturgy enjoyns surplices only to ministers in the times of their ministration, and not to others." Are not these early contradictions the foundation of the present contests? Can your lordship, or any other man, contend that the use of the surplice in the pulpit, the use of candle. sticks, &c., is not sanctioned by the Book of Common Prayer? That book's mutations have been many and great? One rubric required every parishioner to communicate at least three times in a year. How many hundreds of parishes are there in which not one in a hundred of the population communicate throughout their whole lives? Another of Edward VI.'s rubrics requires that every person upon being married shall communicate. Such is not the case now. Hence that which is truth and duty, as expounded by the Prayer Book at one time, is not truth or duty at another. Is it upon such a fluctuating and uncertain stream that we are to lannch the bark of our confidence? Is it to such a pilot that we are to entrust the guidance of our obedience and submission? Only one point, my Lord, and for the present I have done. I will quote from an old tract, bearing the imprimatur of Junii 18, 1663, of Gilbert, Bishop of London. The quaint old writer says: "If any man be indicted or sued at law, upon the statute of Elizabeth I., cap. 2, for not reading of, or coming to hear, the Book of Common Prayer, and the defendant pleaded not guilty,' and deny these books to be legally confirmed till the plaintiff should prove them to be of record, is not the plaintiff bound to prove them so? and until such be proven is not the defendant to be free from punishment ?" There is not a lawyer living, not even an Ecclesiastical Court lawyer, but must say that the plaintiff in such a case must give the proof above required. Here, then, arises the question: Which of the many Books of Common Prayer is THE Common Prayer Book? Statute is against statute. Statutes, royal ordnances, synodal decrees, canons, &c. &c., are all at loggerheads with each other. Under the statute THIS is the right Prayer Book: under another, THAT is the right one. Under another statute NEITHER of them is right; but it is stated that another is; and then comes another, and another, and another, and another statute, putting TRUTH's alleged stamp upon another candidate for short-lived veracity, which in its turn is declared to be wrong. Really, my Lord, such a state of things should be remedied! The Book of Common Prayer is taken to be every thing. In reality it is NOTHING. The law cannot define it. As it at present exists in form, the Prayer Bock is different far from others which still exist, because the statutes confirming them are unrepealed? And is this incongruous, this unidentifiable, this self-contradicting, self-refuting, self-convicting, theologicallycrippled and government-crutched book; is this to be the reading made easy" for the students of duty and truth as aspirants for real orthodoxy and heaven? My Lord, the power of the sybilline leaves is lost lost for ever. In conclusion, I shall briefly revert to a subject on which I have in this letter already touched, viz., the "Visitation of the Sick." Christianity enjoins the duty; the example of its Divine founder does the same; and the same does the Book of Common Prayer-that book which claims the Holy Ghost as its framer; that book which many acts of parliament have confirmed. Yes! that book enjoins visitation of the sick as one of the most solemn duties of the Anglican parson-hood. But, in opposition to the Book of Common Prayer, the eighth rubric comes forward and states, that "In the time of the plague, sweat, or such-like contagious times of sicknesses or diseases, when none of the parish or neighbours can be gotten to communicate with the sick in their houses-upon SPECIAL REQUEST of the diseased, the minister may only communicate alone, without having those to take the communion with him." Another Protestant writer of the early part of the 17th century says: "Must a minister, who hath the charge of many souls, adventure his health and life to gratifie an infectious person in that which (as by what hath been before alledged) is in no way of necessity to the sick man's salvation? Must the minister do this, or be punished with deprivation, or otherwise? What cruelty is this? Nay, the very canons of 1603, can. 67, provided more mercifully then so; which runs thus: When any person is dangerously sick in any parish, the minister or curate (having knowledge thereof) shall resort to him or her (if the disease be not known, or probably suspected to be infectious) to instruct and comfort them, &c. Here is a dispensation in case of the plague, or other infectious disease, for so much as visiting the sick." My Lord, this is not the system with the Catholic priests. They do not shun "infection." They fear not to breathe its deadly atmosphere. They do not shrink from the bed of fever. They brave contagion in the name and hope of Him by whom they are sent to minister the words of promise and repentance to the throne of the Mediator. The attentive ear of OUR priest is close to the fevered lip of the dying sinner, whilst the crucifix rests upon that poor man's heaving breast. Let fate and famine do their worst ; though the poor cotter of Ireland is shut out from every earthly hope, the priest, despite "probable infection," holds out to him another and brighter torch, lit from heaven, and he prays it may guide him there. My Lord, I am Your obedient servant, MATTHEUS. NEW YEAR'S ADMONITION.-Let there be a good store of books laid up as a part of the provisions for the enjoyment of the year.-Horace. CROMWELLIAN VISITS TO CATHEDRALS. No. 5.-PETERborough. D. Patrick's narrative of the rifling and defacing the Cathedral Church of Peterborough, in the year 1643, is as follows: "In April, the aforesaid year, some rebel forces came to Peterborough, being under the command of the afterwards usurper, Oliver Cromwell. These, breaking open the church, threw down and broke in pieces two organs that were in it. Then entering the choir, they tore in pieces all the Common Prayer Books they could find, tearing the Apocrypha out of the Bible. Next they broke down all the seats, stalls, and wainscot, which was adorned with pas sages of Scripture, a Latin distich being in each seat, to declare the story. The old Leiger-book of the church, being found there by one of these sacrilegious rebels, was redeemned by some person belonging to the church, who said it was a Latin Bible. Having defaced the choir, they broke down and burnt the rails about the communion-table, which they also threw down, took away the cloth on it, and a Bible and Common Prayer Book in velvet covers, a silver-gilt bason and silver candlesticks, which last were lost, the other things being restored by the command of Colonel Hubbert. In July following another gang of rebels broke open the vestry, and carried off what they found there. Behind the communion-table there stood a curious piece of stonework, much admired, painte, and gilt, which rose up almost as high as the church, in a row of three lofty spires, with other less spires growing out of each of them; this they pulled down with ropes, and laid level with the ground. Over this place, in the roof of the church, in a large oval, yet to be seen, was the picture of our Saviour seated on a throne, with the four EvanThis gelists and other Saints on each side. they defaced by many musket shots made at it. At Yaxley, a neighbouring town, these holy soldiers defaced the font, and baptized a horse and a mare, using the solemn words of baptism, and signing them with the sign of the cross. When they had done all the other mischief they could at Peterborough, they fell to rifle the tombs and monuments, tearing off the brass that was upon them, the figures on them, because they were punted with defacing the inscriptions, and breaking in pieces all Passages of Scripture, and were reckoned some of the finest in England." -See Heylin's History of the Presbyterians, pp. 450, 451. It is time that honour should be awarded on higher principles than have governed the judgment of past ages. Surely the inventor of the press, the discoverer of the compass, the men who have applied the power of steam to machinery, have brought the human race more largely into their debt, than the bloody race of conqureors, and even than many beneficent princes. Antiquity exaited into Divinities the first cultivators of wheat and the useful plants, and the first forgers of metals; and we, in these maturer ages of the world, have still greater names to boast in the records of useful art. Let their memory be preserved to kindle a generous emulation in those who have entered into their labours.- American Writer. WAR. In the French war, began in 1793, the numbers estimated slain or perished of British alone are 700,000. |