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the Churches even of our own country, which call | depreciated by others. Erasmus never was, and never themselves Protestant. But we hasten to our quotation:

A man, full of vivacity and wit, named Gerard, a native of Gouda, in the Low Countries, formed an attachment to the daughter of a physician, named Margaret. The principles of the Gospel did not govern his life; or, to say the least, his passion silenced them. His parents, and nine brothers, urged him to enter into the Church. He fled, leaving Margaret on the point of becoming a mother, and repaired to Rome.

The

shame-struck Margaret gave birth to a son. Gerard heard nothing of it; and, some time afterwards, he received from his parents intelligence that she he loved was no more. Overwhelmed with grief, he took priest's orders, and devoted himself to the service of God. He returned to Holland; and lo! Margaret was still living. She would never marry another; and Gerard remained faithful to his priest's vow. Their affection was concentrated on their infant son. His mother had taken the tenderest care of him. The father, after his return, sent him to school when he was only four years old. He was not yet thirteen, when his master, Sinthemius of Deventer, embracing him one day in great joy, exclaimed, "That child will attain the highest summits of learning." This was Erasmus of Rotterdam.

About this time his mother died; and shortly after, his father, from grief, followed her.

When

The young Erasmus, alone in the world, felt the strongest aversion to the monastic life, which his tutors would have constrained him to embrace. At last a friend persuaded him to enter himself in a convent of regular canons, which might be done without taking orders. Soon after, we find him at the court of the Archbishop of Cambray, and, a little later, at the university of Paris, the great resort of men of learning. There he pursued his studies in the greatest poverty, but with the most indefatigable perseverance. ever he could obtain any money, he employed it in the purchase of Greek authors, and then of clothes. Often the poor Hollander solicited in vain the generosity of his protectors; hence, in after-life, it was his greatest satisfaction to contribute to the support of young and poor students. Devoted incessantly to the investigation of truth and learning, he yet shrunk from the study of theology, from a fear lest he should discover therein any error, and so be denounced as an heretic.

The habits of application which he formed, at this period, continued to distinguish him through life. Even in his journeys, which were generally on horseback, he was not idle. He was accustomed to compose on the high-road, or travelling across the country, and, on arriving at an inn, to note down his thoughts. It is in this way that he composed his celebrated Praise of Folly,' during a journey from Italy to England.

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Erasmus very early acquired a high reputation among

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could have become a Reformer; but he prepared the way for others. Not only did he in his time diffuse a love of learning, and a spirit of inquiry and discussion, which led much farther than he himself would follow, but, in addition to this, he was able, sheltered by the protection of great prelates and powerful princes, to unveil and combat the vices of the Church by the most pungent satires.

"The

66 The sum of all

Erasmus laboured to recall divines from the scholastic He did more; not satisfied with attacking abuses, theology to the study of the Holy Scriptures. highest object of the revival of philosophy," said he, "will be to discover in the Bible the simple and pure Christianity." A noble saying! and would to God that the organs of the philosophy of our days understood as well their proper duty. "I am firmly resolved," said he again, "to die in the study of the Scripture. In that is my joy and my peace." Christian philosophy," says he in another place, "is reduced to this: To place all our hope in God, who, without our deserts, by grace, gives us all things by Jesus Christ; to know that we are redeemed by the death of his Son; to die to the lusts of the world; and to walk conformably to his doctrine and example, not merely without doing wrong to any, but doing good to all; to bear with patience our trial, in the hope of a future recompense; and finally, to ascribe no honour to ourselves on the score of our virtues, but to render praise to God for all our strength and works. And it is with this that man must be imbued until it becomes to him a second nature."

But Erasmus was not content with making so open a confession of the evangelic doctrine; his labours did more than his words. Above all, he rendered a most important service to the truth by publishing his New Testament, the first, and for a long time, the only previous to the usual date of the Reformation. He critical edition. It appeared at Bâle in 1516, the year accompanied it with a Latin translation, wherein he boldly corrected the Vulgate, and with notes defending his corrections. Divines and learned men might thus read the Word of God in the original language; and at a later period they were enabled to recognize the purity of the doctrine of the Reformers. "Would to God," said Erasmus, in sending forth this work, “would to God it might bear as much fruit for Christianity as it has cost me labour and application." His wish was realized. In vain did the monks clamour against it. "He pretends to correct the Holy Ghost!" said they. The New Testament of Erasmus shed a brilliant light.

This great man also diffused a taste for the Word of God by his paraphrases of the Epistle to the Romans.

Erasmus served as a stepping-stone to several others. Many who would have taken alarm at evangelical suffered themselves to be drawn on by him, and hetruths, brought forward in all their energy and purity, came afterwards the most zealous actors in the Reformation.

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But the very causes that made him a fit instrument to prepare this great work, disqualified him for accomplishing it. "Erasmus knows very well how to expose error," said Luther, but he does not know how to teach the truth." The Gospel of Christ was not the fire that kindled and sustained his life, the centre around which his activity revolved. He was first a learned man, and secondly a Christian. He was too much influenced by vanity to acquire a decided influence over his contemporaries. He carefully weighed the effect that each fresh step might have upon his own reputation. There was nothing that he liked better to talk about than himself and his own glory. The Pope' he wrote to an intimate friend, with a childish

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His

vanity, at the period when he declared himself the ad- | custom of the Turks to bury without coffins, in graves versary of Luther, "the Pope has sent me a diploma three or four feet in depth.-Mr Whiting's Journal at full of good-will and honourable testimonials. Beirout. secretary declares that it is an unprecedented honour, and that the Pope himself dictated it word for word."

In our next we shall insert the masterly comparison which D'Aubigné gives between Erasmus and Luther.

THE GRAVE.

FROM THE GERMAN OF SALIS.

THE grave is deep and still,

Terrors around it stand;
It covers with a darksome veil
The mighty unknown land.
The nightingale's sweet notes

Pierce not the chilly ground,
And friendship's roses wither

Upon the moss-grown mound. Forsaken widows weep,

And wring their hands in vain ; The father hears no more

His orphan babes complain. Yet vainly after peace

We weary pilgrims roam; 'Tis only by this dreary gate That man can reach his home. The weary heart oppressed,

Of countless storms the seat, Ne'er finds the wished for rest

Till it has ceased to beat.

MOSLEM FUNERAL IN SYRIA.

THIS afternoon our attention was arrested by the noise of a multitude passing in the road not far from our house. The servant said it was a Moslem Mahommed funeral. I went to the roadside, where I had a good view of the procession, but did not arrive till many of the people had passed. The procession consisted of men and boys, who marched without the least regard to order, all crying with loud voices, and without intermission There is no other God but God—there is no other God but God.-Mohammed is the prophet of God.' These words were repeated incessantly by almost every individual in the company; and with so much rapidity, that scarcely a syllable could be distinctly understood; and in a tone and manner indicating any thing but the solemnity of feelings suited to a funeral. The body was preceded by a man carrying on his head a copy of the Koran, an immensely large volume, over which was thrown a loose piece of cloth, that hung down six or seven inches below the book. On this cloth were written, in large Arabic characters, the sentences which the multitude were repeating. This book was, as I suppose, the one that belonged to the deceased-it was to be buried with the dead body. This man was followed at a little distance by another bearing a large ensign of black and red stripes, on which the same sacred sentences from the Koran were inscribed. The corpse was borne by four men. It was laid, not in a coffin, but on a kind of bier, or rather board, placed in a little frame, somewhat in the form of a common bier. This was partly covered, apparently with canvass. The top was strewed with green leaves. Small green boughs were also set up at the head and feet. The bier, though partly covered, was so far open at both ends, as to leave the body, (which was closely wrapped in cloths,) exposed to view. The bearers, and indeed the whole company, walked on just as carelessly, and about as fast as the porters whom I have seen carrying burdens in the city. I did not go to the burial, but am informed it is the

CHRISTIAN TREASURY.

Directions to the afflicted.—1. Wonder not at your trials be they ever so strange and grievous, and distressing. "All is well." Some secret end is to be answered which you see not. God is in all, the hand and love of a father is there. They are to purge from sin, to wean from the world, to bring you to the footstool of God, to show you that your rest is not here, that it lies beyond the grave. What though they make you

smart, they do you the more good, this argues your sensibleness under the rod; that is not a rod which does not cause smart. There is not one of our many trials which we could well spare. 2. Do not think any trial sanctified till you have a suitable frame to the trial whatever it be. Are you humbled? Are you prayerful? Are you submissive? Have you looked inward and confessed your sins, saying, "take away all iniquity?" If affliction has not brought you to this it has done you no good. For all you may have borne his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 3. Do not think of other means whereby God's end in visiting you might have been as well answered, that is, in fact, to quarrel with God in what he has done, or is doing. Have a care of your thoughts, unsubmission slips in at that door before one is aware. "It is well," is the only soul quickening and God glorifying frame. God that has appointed the end, has settled, and he will order the means, rest there and "all is well."-HILL'S It is well."

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Why do you go to Church ?-If a professing Christian were asked, "For what purpose do you go to church?" the answer would very probably be the same in substance with either, or both, of the following, viz., "To worship God," or, "for the purpose of getting my soul edified." Doubtless, every one ought to go there for these and similar purposes. Again, if any professing Christian were asked, whether he went for the purpose of sleeping, there can be little doubt that he would be highly offended. But while it is not presumed that any one goes to church for this express purpose, yet certain it is that a very great many are to be seen sleeping as regularly as they are to be seen there. It cannot charitably be supposed that such persons are aware of the extent of this sin, otherwise they would not indulge in it so very heedlessly. It is, to say the best of it, "insulting the Almighty to his face." Who can compute how much spiritual edification such persons lose by this sinful practice? If a man were to entertain a party of friends, what would he think, how would he feel, if, in the midst of the entertainment, and in spite of all his efforts to make his guests happy, a considerable portion of them fell fast asleep? And what person, in his senses, would dare to insult the master of the house, by suffering sleep to gain the ascendency over him on such an occasion? And yet how many think nothing of mocking God by sleeping in his house instead of listening to his Gospel ministers! From this it is plain, that their fellow-sinners are paid all due respect, and that God is made the exception to their love and homage, instead of the object of both. They seem to think (if, indeed, such persons can be said to think) that they are entitled to treat him as they please,-even Him "in whom they live, move and have their being,"-who hath given them every thing which they enjoy and possess in this world, and hath, by Jesus Christ, done all that he can, so to speak, for their eternal salvation. No doubt many will be ready to defend themselves by saying that their pressure of business on Saturdays is so fatiguing that they cannot help feeling heavy in church, and insensibly falling

asleep. Perhaps, as regards a few, this may be the case; but ought this to be the case? Will God be pleased with this apology? Will he actually hold them guiltless who intentionally disqualify themselves from worshipping him in sincerity? Surely no sincere Christian can think so; and therefore every such Christian undoubtedly will make arrangements to qualify himself, by taking sufficient refreshment during Saturday night, to go to the house of God, and worship him with their whole heart. But while it is true that many fall asleep from the fatigues of the previous day, it is to be feared that many more do so from absolute indifference to the worship of God, and that, were they any where else than in church, they would feel no such thing as a disposition to sleep, nor manifest any signs of heaviness whatever. Let all church sleepers pause, ponder, repent of, and forsake speedily and for ever, the very sinful practice of sleeping in the house of God.

Godly sorrow.-Godly sorrow is an affectionate return to God-a renewed act of communion with him; and must draw forth grateful thanks to Christ, the giver of the blessing; for him hath God exalted to give repentance and remission of sin."-CECIL.

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On the Importance of the Christian Ministry.-I know I need not remind you, for I am confident you daily think of it, that the great principle of fidelity, and diligence, and good success, in the great work, is love; and the great spring of love to souls, is love to Him that bought them. He knew it well himself; and gave us to know it, when he said, "Simon, lovest thou me? Feed my sheep-feed my lambs." Deep impression of his blessed name upon our hearts will not fail to produce lively expression of it, not only in our words and discourses in private and public, but will make the whole tract of our lives to be a true copy and transcript of his holy life. And if there be within us any spark of that divine love, you know the best way not only to preserve them, but to excite them, and blow them up into a flame, is by the breath of prayer. Oh, prayer! the converse of the soul with God, the breath of God in man returning to its original, frequent and fervent prayer, the better half of our whole work, and that which makes the other half lively and effectual; as that holy company tells us, when setting apart deacons, to serve the table, they add, "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word." And is it not, brethren, our unspeakable advantage, beyond all the gainful and honourable employment of the world, that the whole work of our particular calling is a kind of living in heaven; and besides its tendency to the saving of the souls of others, is all along as proper, and adapted to the purifying and saving of our own. But you will possibly say, what does he himself that speaks these things unto us? Alas! I am ashamed to tell you. All I dare say is, that I think I see the beauty of holiness, and am enamoured with it, though I attain it not; and how little soever I attain, would rather live and die in the pursuit of it, than in the pursuit, yea, or in the possession and enjoyment, though unpursued, of all the advantage this world affords. And I trust, dear brethren, you are of the same opinion, and have the same desire and design, and follow it, both more diligently, and with better success. To the all-powerful grace of our great Lord and Master, I recommend you and your flocks, and your whole work amongst them.-ARCHBISHOP LEIGHTON. (A Letter to the Synod of Dunblane, dated 6th April 1671.)

The Sinner's unwillingness to Repent.-Our own corruption, then, is the cause why we will not come to the Redeemer, that we may have life. We are now in love with the works of darkness, the end of which is death. Death and life have often been set before us, and we have often been called on to choose which master we

would serve God or Mammon, and we have never made up our minds to declare for the one living and true God. We have deliberately chosen to remain in our allegiance to sin and Satan. This world-that enormous idol of clay-has witnessed our prostrations and received our homage; and in spite of all the earnest solicitations of a Father who wills not the death of any of his creatures, but rather that all would return unto him and live, we recklessly persist in our ungodly career, and laugh at the doom we are so busily securing for ourselves in eternity. We are thus compelled to conclude, that with man himself lies the reason why the gate is strait and the way narrow. And will not this be confirmed by a simple reference to your own consciousness? There are few, we are inclined to believe, who have not at some period or other of their history been so touched in their consciences by a sense of guilt, that they have resolved through grace to abandon their iniquity, and return unto that gracious and kind God from whom they had so long and so grievously revolted. In their moments of serious reflection, brought on, perhaps, by some unusual visitation of Providence, either upon themselves, or some of their near and beconduct in its true colours, stained with the crimson loved relations, they have been made to perceive their and scarlet hues of guilty ingratitude and wilful impenitence; and they made up their minds, therefore, to forsake their evil ways, and no longer to live unto themselves. And such persons may recollect, how all these impressions became weaker on the return of a new day, and that the morning cloud and the early dew had scarcely disappeared, when they again relapsed into the apathy of their wonted lethargic carelessness. The settled resistance of previous habits was more than a match for the feeble efforts of a new and strange resolution; the carnal man was but like a giant lulled into temporary repose, and the beloved music of a world lying in wickedness would no sooner sound in his ears, than he would awake with all his sympathies as entire and vigorous as ever; and the self-deluded sinner would find that the gate through which he imagined he had passed, was not even approached, and that he was still thus that repentance-genuine, evangelical repentance "in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity." It is -is so difficult and so repugnant to our natures; for it is our own evil habits that people its precincts with horrid shapes, and that hang forth the fiery sword which waves us away from the entrance to the paradise of life; and thus it happens that there be few that find the strait gate and the narrow way that leadeth unto life.—THE REV. DAVID ARNOT. (The Strait Gate and the NarTow Way.)

SERPENT CHARMERS AND JUGGLERS IN EGYPT.

IT is most interesting to observe the light which the researches of modern travellers have thrown upon the Sacred Writings. To such points we shall frequently call the attention of our readers, as tending to confirm still more and more the truth of divine revelation. As an illustration of this kind, we may observe, that in the 58th Psalm we find the following character given of the wicked: "Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely." In this passage there is an obvious allusion to an art practised in these early times of charming serpents. To the same purpose Solomon says, Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better." And the prophet Jeremiah thus speaks: "For behold I will send ser

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pents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charm- | tions, they attract as much applause as they do by ed; and they will bite you, saith the Lord." That the practice of charming serpents is still resorted to in the East, travellers have often asserted; and we quote one of the most recent accounts from Mr Lane's excellent work on the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians.

Many modern writers upon Egypt have given surprising accounts of a class of men in this country, supposed, like the ancient Psylli of Cyrenaïca, to possess a secret art, to which allusion is made in the Bible, enabling them to secure themselves from the poison of serpents. I have met with many persons among the more intelligent of the Egyptians, who condemn these modern Psylli as impostors; but none who has been able to offer a satisfactory explanation of the most common and most interesting of their performances, which I am about to describe.

Many Rifa'ee and Súadee durweéshes obtain their livelihood by going about to charm away serpents from houses. A few other persons also profess the same art, but are not so famous. The former travel over every part of Egypt, and find abundant employment; but their gains are barely sufficient to procure them a scanty subsistence. The charmer professes to discover, without ocular perception (but perhaps he does so by a peculiar smell,) whether there be any serpents in a house; and, if there be, to attract them to him; as the fowler, by the fascination of his voice, allures the bird into his net. As the serpent seeks the darkest place in which to hide himself, the charmer has, in most cases, to exercise his skill in an obscure chamber, where he might easily take a serpent from his bosom, bring it to the people without the door, and affirm that he had found it in the apartment; for no one would venture to enter with him after having been assured of the presence of one of these reptiles within: but he is often required to perform in the full light of day, surrounded by spectators; and incredulous persons have searched him beforehand, and even stripped him naked; yet his success has been complete. He assumes an air of mystery, strikes the walls with a short palm-stick, whistles, makes a clucking noise with his tongue, and spits upon the ground; and generally says, "I adjure you by God, if ye be above, or if ye be below, that ye come forth: I adjure you by the most great name, if ye be obedient, come forth; and if ye be disobedient, die! die! die!"-The serpent is generally dislodged by his stick, from a fissure in the wall, or drops from the ceiling of the room. I have often heard it asserted, that the serpent-charmer, before he enters a house in which he is to try his skill, always employs a servant of that house to introduce one or more serpents: but I have known instances in which this could not be the case; and am inclined to believe that the durweéshes above mentioned are generally acquainted with some real physical means of discovering the presence of serpents without seeing them, and of attracting them from their lurking-places. It is, however, a fact well ascertained, that the most expert of them do not venture to carry serpents of a venomous nature about their persons until they have extracted the poisonous teeth. Many of them carry scorpions also within the cap, and next the shaven head; but doubtless first deprive them of the power to injure; perhaps by merely blunting the sting.

Performers of sleight-of-hand tricks, who are called Hhöwah, (in the singular Hhawee,) are numerous in Cairo. They generally perform in public places; collecting a ring of spectators around them; from some of whom they receive small voluntary contributions during and after their performances. They are most frequently seen on the occasions of public festivals; but often also at other times. By indecent jests and ac

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other means. The Hháwee performs a great variety of tricks; the most usual of which I shall here mention. He generally has two boys to assist him. From a large leather bag, he takes out four or five snakes, of a largish size. One of these he places on the ground, and makes it erect its head and part of its body; another, he puts round the head of one of the boys like a turban; and two more over the boy's neck. He takes these off; opens the boy's mouth, apparently passes the bolt of a kind of padlock through his cheek, and locks it. Then, in appearance, he forces an iron spike into the boy's throat: the spike being really pushed up into a wooden handle. He also performs another trick of the same kind as this: placing the boy on the ground, he puts the edge of a knife upon his nose, and knocks the blade until half its width seems to have entered. The tricks which he alone performs are more amusing. He draws a great quantity of various-coloured silk from his mouth, and winds it on his arm; puts cotton in his mouth, and blows out fire; takes out of his mouth a great number of round pieces of tin like dollars; and, in appearance, blows an earthen pipe-bowl from his nose. In most of his tricks he occasionally blows through a large shell, (called the Hhawee's zoommárah,) producing sounds like those of a horn. Most of his sleightof-hand performances are nearly similar to those of exhibitors of the same class in our own and other countries. Taking a silver finger ring from one of the bystanders, he puts it in a little box, blows his shell, and says, "Efreet, change it!" He then opens the box, and shows in it a different ring: shuts the box again; opens it, and shows the first ring: shuts it a third time; opens it, and shows a melted lump of silver, which he declares to be the ring melted, and offers to the owner. the latter insists upon having his ring in its original state: the Hháwee then asks for five or ten fuddahs to recast it; and having obtained this, opens the box again, (after having closed it and blown his shell,) and takes out of it the perfect ring. He next takes a larger covered box; puts one of his boy's scull-caps in it; blows his shell; opens the box; and out comes a rabbit: the cap seems to be gone. He puts the rabbit in again; covers the box; uncovers it; and out run two little chickens: these he puts in again; blows his shell; uncovers the box; and shows it full of fateérehs, (or pancakes,) and koonáfeh, (which resembles vermicelli :) he tells his boys to eat its contents; but they refuse to do it without honey: he then takes a small jug; turns it upside-down, to show that it is empty; blows his shell; and hands round the jug full of honey. The boys having eaten, ask for water to wash their hands. The Hhawee takes the same jug, and hands it filled with water in the same manner. He takes the box again, and asks for the cap, blows his shell, uncovers the box, and pours out from it into the boy's lap, four or five small snakes. The boy, in apparent fright, throws them down, and demands his cap. The Hháwee puts the snakes back into the box, blows his shell, uncovers the box, and takes out the cap.-Another of his common tricks is to put a number of slips of white paper into a tinned copper vessel, (the tisht of a seller of sherbet,) and to take them out dyed of various colours. He pours water into the same vessel; puts in a piece of linen; then gives to the spectators to drink the contents of the vessel changed to sherbet of sugar. Sometimes he apparently cuts in two a muslin shawl, or burns it in the middle, and then restores it whole.

Published by JOHN JOHNSTONE, 2, Hunter Square, Edinburgh; J. R. MACNAIR, & Co., 19, Glassford Street, Glasgow; JAMES NISBET & Co., HAMILTON, ADAMS, & Co., and R. GROOMBRIDGE, London; W. CURRY, Junior, & Co., Dublin; and W. M'COMB, Belfast; and sold by the Booksellers and Local Agents in all the Towns and Parishes of Scotland; and in the principal Towns in England and Ireland.

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SCOTTISH CHRISTIAN HERALD,

CONDUCTED UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF MINISTERS AND MEMBERS OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH.

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THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH LED TO THE REFORMATION IN GERMANY.

BY THE REV. JAMES BRYCE,
Minister of Gilcomston Parish, Aberdeen.

THE direct causes of the Reformation lie on the surface, and are familiar to every reader of ecclesiastical history, but it is only the careful student who can tell all the circumstances, remote and indirect, by which this great event was accelerated. The history of the Waldenses, and the preaching of Wickliffe in England, and even the operations of John Huss and Jerome of Prague, are passed over, not because they had not an effect in bringing on the Reformation, but because they obviously occur to the most cursory reader. We fix our attention on causes somewhat less apparent and direct, which suggest to the mind the interesting truth, that Providence, for several ages, had been pointing with a true and steady aim at the restoration of scriptural religion. If we consider the Popedom as a system of dominion, which had been gradually improved and matured by succeeding generations of men, no human power can be conceived to be fixed on a more stable foundation, or so likely to remain durable. The basis of this dominion is the infallibility of the Pope, which was the characteristic, not of any individual, but of every one whose brows might chance to be encircled by the triple crown. Hence all the successors of St. Peter were equally infallible, and this claim was, after a certain period, and after a severe struggle, conceded by all the nations of Europe. The apostolical succession was matter of universal belief, and was always taught by the Romish Church, as being applicable to the Pope and his bishops, in the same absurd and unscriptural sense in which it is maintained at this day by the semi-papist party in the Church of England. Nothing could, perhaps, be so well devised to lay hold of the feelings and passions of men as the fact, that the reigning Pope was the successor of the Apostle Peter; that in his perzon resided all the qualities which belonged to No. 3. JAN 19, 1839.—1şd.]

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that gifted and inspired disciple of our Lord; and that he was directed by infallible guidance to the truth in all his decisions. It was on this foundation that the dominion of the Popes was raised it was enlarged, till it held in its tenacious grasp the property and the consciences of men; it was the source from which emanated the rights of sovereigns to their kingdoms, and to every new discovery which might be made; from the same source learned bodies received their charters, and the decisions of the courts of law their sanctions; in short, there was nothing so trifling or minute to which it did not extend, and in which it was not acknowledged, and yet it contained within itself the principles of decay. The whole range of history contains nothing so well calculated to illustrate the trite observation, that the wisdom of man can devise no scheme, however ingenious, which is perfect and durable.

The first proof of the imperfection of the papal system is the personal character of the individuals. The Popes were but men, some of them not the best of men; and, under the influence of unsubdued passions, especially of grasping ambition, they were induced to pronounce decisions which, even in the opinion of their most attached votaries, brought their infallibility into question. These decisions were frequently unwise, and sometimes unjust. The present interests of the reigning Pope were uniformly preferred to the prospective advantages of the holy see, and the system of nepotism, a term of which the particular application is somewhat doubtful, had occasionally the effect of exhausting the sacred treasury. As these circumstances were made known, serious doubts began to be entertained in reference to the infallible judgment of the successor of St. Peter; and lest these doubts should evaporate, the Pope did not fail to pronounce de

[SECOND SERIES. VOL. I.

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