sent Creator: "O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me; thou knowest my down-sitting and my uprising; thou understandest my thoughts afar off: thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo! Ó Lord, thou knowest it altogether.”* "Perhaps you may say, We cannot be always thinking about God, because we are told that we must also think about a great many other things.' This is true, but you may, in your busiest hours, be aware of his presence, without exactly thinking of him. When your parents or masters are in the same room with you, you know that you can go on with your lessons, or your other employments, without directly thinking about them; while you are at the same time sufficiently aware of their presence, to avoid doing any thing which would displease them. And this sort of constant thought you both may and ought to have of the presence of God: you should perform your daily business with a constant view to his approbation."t As, then, God sees you at all times, by night as well as by day, and nothing can escape his notice and observation; since he knows every want we feel, and supplies all those wants which he sees to be needful and proper for us, it is your duty to worship him, that you may have the opportunity both of thanking him for the good which he has done you, and of humbly asking him for all the further good which he may see to be fit for you. And if you have sinned against him, (as which of us has not?) endeavour to make your peace with him, by asking his forgiveness, and resolving to act in future more agreeably to his holy will. And do not pray to him as if he were afar off, but remember that he is close round about you. If you ever kneel by the side of your parents, remember that he is nearer to you than they; for he knows all your thoughts. If you kneel down to pray when you are alone, remember still that he is there, in the very place where you are kneeling. Never fear to be alone with God." ‡ Moreover, as he sees it to be fit to honour with his approbation none but those who are good, and do what he commands them, and as he cannot be imposed upon or cheated by us, because he sees us always, and knows every *Psalm cxxxix. 1—4. + Addresses, pp. 6, 7. Addresses, p. 8. thing we do, it is absolutely necessary that you should obey as well as worship him. Study to learn every thing that will be acceptable to him, and be careful to observe and do it; being just and kind to all around you, prudent and temperate in your private behaviour, and cherishing in your minds a constant regard to him, and an earnest desire to serve and please him. Then you will be sure to be rewarded by him. For God is good as well as powerful, and will do good to all those who trust in him and please him. Therefore, as he is both able and willing to reward all such, do you never fail to trust in him, with a full persuasion that he will never fail to bless those who love him and keep his commandments. We have thus finished the First Part of this Catechism, which relates to the nature and perfections of God, and our duty to him, as far as its obligation appears from a contemplation of his perfections. But as it also appears, from a review of the history of the world, and from a survey of the present state of those parts of the world which are still without the knowledge of revealed truth, that man, when left to himself, is liable to be led astray into the worship of false gods, and into all the corruptions and vices which are the natural consequences of idolatry, it will be our next agreeable task to inquire into the rule which hath been given us as the guide of our faith and obedience, even the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, which contain the word and will of God, and are justly described in the next part of your Catechism, as able to make you wise unto salvation. ATHANASIAN CREED. [We have received-we presume from the author-the following singular printed letter, which we insert in the hope that it may awaken the attention of the members of the Church of England to a strange part of their worship.] To the Minister, Churchwardens, and Select Vestry of Walcot Church, in the City of Bath and County of Somerset. REV. SIR, AND GENTLEMEN, The FACT of my having been called upon by an accredited agent for the payment of a Rate which has been levied on the inhabitants of Walcot Parish, for the purpose of de fraying the expense that has been incurred in "beautifying and repairing" the Church of the said parish, obliges me, great reluctance, to state, that I cannot conscientiously assent to the payment of such a demand, until I shall have been assured, that it is your joint pleasure and desire that the aforesaid demand be forthwith paid. The ground upon which I found my objection to the payment of the said rate, it is my duty to declare. I will endeavour to do so as briefly as possible; and I feel assured that, as honourable and conscientious men, you will duly appreciate the feeling by which I am induced to urge this protest on your notice. with due respect, yet with off You cannot but be aware, that there are many days appointed by the Church of England for the reading of "the Creed of St. Athanasius;" now, this Creed I hold to be contrary to the Truth as it is in Jesus:"-I UTTERLY DISBELIEVE IT; and, consequently, I discard it from my Christian regard. But that which grieves me to the very heart, is not the consideration that I cannot believe the contradictory declarations contained in a creed which many great and good men receive as the truth; but, it is the staggering-the overwhelming consideration-that the Minister, Churchwardens, and Select Vestry, congregated in Walcot Church on Easter Sunday, (the 6th ultimo,) dared to declare, in the sacred presence of MY GOD and Father, that I (his child and offspring), WITHOUT DOUBT, SHALL PERISH EVERLASTINGLY. This appalling denunciation will again be awarded against me on the approaching WhitSunday; but, I thank my God, that he has emboldened me with courage to DENY, and to throw back with holy indignation, this horrible and unmerited denunciation; for I unhesitatingly affirm that it is FALSE; and I dare to assert, in defiance of the united declarations of all the CLERGY of the "Established Church," that, WITHOUT DOUBT, I SHALL NOT PERISH EVERLASTINGLY ! A better and a nobler destiny awaits me; and woe be unto that man who shall persist in giving utterance to this unholy and unrighteous judgment against me. I trust that, as "wise men," and "as men of understanding," you will calmly consider this matter before next Whit-Sunday; and I doubt not but that you will then tremble at the thought, and almost expect the very church in which you shall be assembled to tremble beneath your feet, if you again DARE to face your God and Father, and my God and Father, with such an awful denunciation on your lips against your BROTHER and your FELLOW - SERVANT: for, "all we are brethren ;" and "Who art THOU, that judgest another man's servant?". "One is our master, even Christ."-REMEMBER! that "with what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged ;" there fore, let your judgment be tempered with mercy! Having said this much, I again advert to the demand which has been made upon me for the payment of a sum of money toward defraying the expense of "beautifying and repairing" a Church, the Minister, Churchwardens, and Select Vestry of which Church, when assembled for the professed worship of Almighty God, usurp the prerogative of God," sit upon the throne of God," and denounce judgment against a child of God, by declaring (virtually) that I (GEORGE BAKER), "without doubt, shall perish everlastingly." Rev. Sir, and Gentlemen,-under these circumstances, and after having, in the integrity of my heart, made this my solemn protest, I cannot consent to pay the said Rate unless I shall be compelled to do so; but, if I should be compelled to pay the demand, I shall leave you to judge whether, if in my situation, you would not consider the demand for such a payment-if not a wanton insult—at least a grievous and vexatious persecution, and totally at variance with the professed toleration which this country affords to every Christian sect! And let me, moreover, remind you, that enforcing a compulsory payment under the peculiar circumstances which I have recited, would not prove the most judicious method of securing a spirit of for bearance in those who conscientiously dissent from the "Protestant Episcopal Church."-It is my deeply-rooted and most solemn conviction, that the Church of England MYST FALL, and that speedily, unless she rid herself of this uncharitable (and therefore anti-christian) Creed, together with "all false doctrine, heresy, and schism." I trust that I shall never be ashamed to vindicate the character of that Being whom I love and venerate as the Giver of all my friends and all my comforts.-The late Mr. CANNING truly predicted that the next war would be a "WAR OF OPINION;" and I humbly, yet confidently, venture further to predict, that men will be then disposed to sacrifice, not only a portion of their property, but their lives also, in defence of their opinions; at least, such, I trust, would be my feeling in reference to the cause which I have espoused, namely, THE UNIVERSAL BENEVOLENCE OF THE MORAL GOVERNOR OF MAN ! I have now only to appeal to you as to Gentlemen and Christians, and to request that you will inform me whether it be your unanimous desire and command, that I forthwith pay the rate which has been levied on me for "beautifying and repairing" Walcot Church. I am, with due respect, Rev. Sir, and Gentlemen, Your obedient and humble Servant, P. S. Allow me just to ask, whether it would not be highly repugnant to your feelings to be called upon to pay a rate toward repairing and beautifying" a Roman Catholic or a Unitarian chapel? And yet, what would be the hardship in your case, when contrasted with mine? For, to speak plainly, I am literally sent to the devil to perish everlastingly," and then required to pay for the preservation of the edifice in which this unceremonious denunciation is fulminated against me! "It must needs be that offences come; but-woE TO MAN BY WHOM THE OFFENCE COMETH !"-Matt. xviii. 7. THAT A LETTER OF BISHOP HOBART'S; WITH A FEW PREFATORY REMARKS. May 1, 1828. [I LATELY saw in a provincial English newspaper * the letter which I now transcribe for insertion in the CHRISTIAN REFORMER. The editor of that paper professes to have taken the article from an American journal: nor have I reason to doubt the genuineness of the communication, since, while it wants a specific date, it bears, however, external marks of truth, and the sentiments and the lauguage, assuredly, characterize it as Bishop Hobart's.t *Keene's Bath Journal, April 7, 1828. |