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great and holy privileges, even as Jerusalem was called 'the holy city,' notwithstanding the sinfulness of many of its inhabitants. In truth, the visible church upon earth is a net, which encloses all manner of fishes, both good and bad; or a field, in which the wheat and tares grow up together, and are not to be separated till the great day of harvest."

Gresley's "Portrait of a Churchman."-The name Protestant, it is said, was not known in primitive times: neither was the term Papist or Roman Catholic. The Protestant religion, however, is only another name for Primitive Christianity, but Popery is the corruption of the Gospel. After the return from the Babylonian captivity, the enemies of the Jews, like modern Papists, might have asked, "Where was your Church before Ezra ?" the Jews would have replied, "Our religion was in the Books of Moses, but our Church was in bondage, from which it was delivered by Ezra." So, before Luther, our religion was in the Bible, but our Church was in bondage in mystical Rabylon. It is true, we left the Church of Rome, but we did not leave the Scriptures, nor the primitive Church, nor the doctrines of the first four Councils."-Lathbury.

"It is a common question, 'Where was your religion before Luther? To which we answer, our religion was where it always was, and where it still is, and where Popery never can be found-it was in the Bible. Our Reformers were not destroyers, they were restorers. Not one stone was added to the edifice. The untempered morter, by which the building had been for many ages almost concealed, was merely removed, and the ancient structure was exhibited in all its original beauty."-Lathbury.

TREASURY.

"The newspapers, which in this retired place are the chief sources of our intelligence, give us but a dark view of what is passing. A spirit of discord is spreading in the nation, and we have hints and items respecting ecclesiastical matters, which, I hope, are premature and without sufficient ground. But whatever storms may arise, there is an infallible and almighty Pilot, who will be a sun and a shield to those who love him. I endeavour to answer all fears respecting political matters with the sure declaration of the Word of God. Such as Psalm xcix. 1, and xxix. 10, 11, Is. viii. 12-14, and li. 12, 13,

John iii. 35, &c. Jesus is King of kings, and Lord of Lords, King of the Church, and King in the nations who doth His pleasure in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. Therefore by faith in Him we may adopt the triumphant language of Psalms ii., xxvii., xlvi., and cxviii., for the Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and knoweth how to deliver them that trust in Him. O, Sir, what a light does the Gospel of Christ throw upon the world when our eyes are open to receive it! Without it all would be uncertainty and perplexity; but the knowledge of His person, blood, and righteousness: of the love He bears us, the care He exercises over us, and the blessings He has prepared for us; this knowledge gives peace and stability to the soul, in the midst of all changes and confusions. And were it not for the remaining power of unbelief in our hearts, which fights against our faith, and damps the force of divine truth, we should begin our heaven even while we are upon earth. We have need to adopt the Apostle's prayer, and to say, 'Lord increase our faith.""-Newton's Letters.

"When thy conscience is thoroughly afraid with the remembrance of thy sins past, and the devil assaileth thee with great violence, going about to overwhelm thee with heaps, floods, and whole seas of sin, to terrify thee and draw thee from Christ, then arm thyself with such sentences as these :-Christ the Son of God was given, not for the holy, righteous, worthy, and such as were his friends, but for the wicked sinners, for the unworthy, and for his enemies; wherefore, if Satan say, Thou art a sinner, and therefore must be lost-then answer him and say, No; for I fly to Christ, who hath given himself for my sins, and therefore Satan, in that, thou sayest I am a sinner, thou givest me armour and weapons against thyself, that with thine own sword I may cut thy throat, and tread thee under my feet."-Luther.

THE REV. LEGH RICHMOND'S PARENTAL ADMONITION ON DRESS.

"Aim at great neatness and simplicity. Shun finery and show."

"Be not in haste to follow new fashions."

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Remember, that with regard to dress, Christians ought to be decidedly plainer and less showy than the people of the world. I wish it to be said of the females of my houseWith what evident and becoming simplicity are the daughters of Simplex attired.'"

POETRY.

MIDNIGHT MUSINGS.

BY ROBERT STORY.

(For the Village Churchman)

'Tis not by day, however bright
The beauty of the day may be-
'Tis in the night, 'tis in the night,
My holiest musings dwell on thee.

'Tis true thy glorious hand I view

In every leaf that decks the tree,
And not a flow'ret blooms in dew

But wakes some lovely thought of Thee!

"Tis time the mountain soaring high,
The river rolling to the sea,

The blue and boundless stretch of sky
Bid the awed spirit turn to Thee.

But few and brief such feelings are—
From business and from day they flee;
Ten thousand nameless chances jar
On bosom-chords attuned to Thee.

'Tis in the night-when nought around
The ear can hear, the eye can see-
When all seems laid in sleep profound,
Except my watching soul and Thee.

'Tis then, my God, I feel thy power
And love, from all distraction free;

M

y uch is Heaven in that high hour-
Thou'rt round me- -I am wrapp'd in Thee!

TO THE CLERGY AND MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

The Editor of the VILLAGE CHURCHMAN desires to solicit the kind assistance of the Clergy and Members of the Church of England in its circulation amongst their friends. From the very low price at which it is sold, it can only be continued by an extensive circulation. A very slight effort would be necessary to make it widely known.

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The Editor desires to inform the readers of the " Village Churchman," that the article extracted from the Herald, and inserted page 18 of the January number of this Magazine, was not inserted by his authority.

PRINTED BY W. E. PAINTER, STRAND, LONDON.

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AT a time like the present, when every thing connected with Protestantism is so deeply interesting, we have thought that a brief account of the Persecutions and Expatriation of the Protestant Exiles of Zillerthal, on separating from the Romish Church, and embracing the Protestant Faith, cannot but be acceptable to the readers of the Village Churchman, If further information be desired, we refer to a small work, under the same title as this Article, translated from the German of Dr. Rheirwald, of Berlin, by John. B. Saunders. 12mo. London: Hatchard and Son; Nisbet.

As the Zillerthal, or the Valley of the Ziller, does not afford sustenance for the whole of its native population, the inhabitants are accustomed to travel into the neighbouring countries for commercial purposes. During these journeys some of them became acquainted with the pure doctrines of the Gospel, and on their return home they carried with them the Holy Scriptures and other religious books. The Bible found a well prepared soil, and, amidst the darkness of Popery, a revival of true religion commenced, which continued to make rapid progress. Between the years 1830 and 1832, two hundred and forty persons were disposed to renounce the errors of Popery. In 1832, when the late Emperor Francis II. visited Innspruck, they sent three of their body as a deputation, whom he courteously received, but expressed his dissatisfaction

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