sary, that the church should have learned pastors of blameless life, (bishops, priests, and deacons, as was usual in the primitive church,) to preach the word of God, to administer the sacraments, and to watch over the flock of Christ according to rules of good and holy discipline, after the example of the primitive church.*

XXXI. We believe that God has appointed kings, princes, and magistrates, for the protection of the people; and that we should obey them, (agreeably to this precept, "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power but of God, &c.Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake,") in all things that agree with the word of God, who is " King of kings, and Lord of lords."

XXXII. Lastly, we declare that we receive the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, as rules of faith and conduct; from which we believe that we should not recede, even in the least degree.

Such is the confession of our faith, which we, the Waldensian pastors residing in Piedmont, oppose to the calumnies published against us, and printed in the London journals; and this our professed faith we have not received from Waldo of Lyons, nor from Luther, nor from Calvin, but we have inherited it from the earliest times, from our forefathers, who had received it in like manner from their remote ancestors; as is evident from various confessions presented to our princes, the dukes of Savoy, and princes of Piedmont; and from a work of the most reverend James Usher, formerly archbishop of Armagh, and primate of all Ireland, which contains an historical explanation of the important question respecting the continued succession and condition of Christian churches, especially those in the west, from the time of the apostles to the seventeenth century.

In this faith we desire to live; and we desire still to persevere in it to the

• The confession of 1655 gives some extracts from the formularies of the Vaudois church, in proof of their belief on this subject. It has not the word bishops.

end; and to be ready to evince our attachment to it, even, if required on that account, to endure torture and torments, the loss of our possessions, and death at the stake.

Moreover, we declare that we cheerfully accede to the sound doctrine taught in the reformed churches of England, the Netherlands, Germany, Prussia, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, &c.; and we humbly entreat all those churches, and others settled in America, to regard our's, though few and destitute, as members of the mystical body of Christ.

With regard to the style of this composition, which is not in every instance distinguished for classical purity, it is the less necessary to offer an apology on this score to our readers, since even Cicero allows, that "whatever is perspicuously expressed on a useful or important subject, should be considered as well expressed; to lavish embellishments on subjects of that nature, being in fact a puerile attempt, since it is quite sufficient for a learned and intelligent man to state them in a clear and perspicuous manner.'

JOHN RODOLPHE PEYRAN, Pastor of the Church of Pomaret, and Moderator of the Waldensian Churches, (with the consent of all his brethren.)

It would be beyond the limits and design of the present paper, to detail the various reflections which must occur to every thoughtful mind, on the perusal of the above-cited documents. The pious Protestant cannot but feel deeply grateful to the great Head of the Church, for having, in the darkest ages of

popery, raised up and maintained a Christian communion, whose articles. are in the main so strongly marked by the great outlines of scriptural truth. The member of the church of England, in particular, will rejoice to find in the articles of this sister church-a church cemented by the blood of innumerable martyrs for the cause of Christ—a confession resembling, in many important respects, the articles of his own revered communion; though, upon careful comparison, he will be disposed to give a very decided preference for his own, ag more full, and less marked by the pe

culiarities of human system. Alas! that with the Scriptures in our hands, and professedly adopted as the rule of our faith and practice, any such formularies should be necessary; yet, necessary they are, and will be, as long as men are found to corrupt the truth for secular and selfish purposes. The minor discrepancies in these documents in the churches of Protestant Christendom, are triumphantly quoted by the Roman Catholic to disparage our ecclesiastical reformation, and, by the infidel, to wound Christianity itself; but, amidst many differences, there is also much in common, and that which is in common happily includes, in almost every instance, whatever is most essential to purity of faith, and to the advancement of a holy and devoted life. PASTOR.

From the Christian Observer for June, 1826.

On the improper Application of the Texts of Scripture.

IT is undoubtedly the duty of every Christian, in reading the Scriptures, which were written for our learning," to endeavour to derive from them the instruction which they were intended to convey, by no means excluding the historical, parabolical, and other parts, the practical use of which is not always so immediately evident, as that of the more directly doctrinal or horatory passages. But, at the same time, we should beware of allegorizing the narratives of the Bible, or of eliciting from circumstances which were only intended to complete the description, (as is frequently the case in the parables,) a meaning which, however in itself useful or instructive, they do not legitimately afford. It is with some surprise that I observe, even in such works as Cruden's Concordance, and Goode's Essays upon the Names and Titles of Christ, (vol. iii. p. 95) the fatted calf mentioned as one of those titles, with a reference to Luke xv. 23:-"Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound." I cannot see any one single circumstance in the passage to justify the application of this title to the Redeeemer: the cir

cumstance seems to have been added, merely to represent the festive joy which followed the return of the prodigal to his father's house. Mr. Goode considers it as a feast and a sacrifice; but I think he confounds the sacrifice of joy, and the sacrifice of propitiation. He writes-" Bring forth the fatted calf, says the Eternal Father, and kill it; or, in prophetic language more expressive and significant, Awake, O sword, against my Shepherd, against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord Almighty."""The fatted calf," he adds, "is indeed represented as slain when the prodigal returned; whereas this sacrifice is already finished, never more to be repeated. But even in this we may be led to admire the fulness and all-sufficiency of the Redeemer's sacrifice, and the unchangeablenes of its virtue. As he is said to be crucified again by the, rejecting of him, so he is set forth as crucified afresh to every returning sinner, and again exhibited in all his dying love to the eye." Mr. Goode here evades the objection; and, like Samson from his antagonist, obtains "sweetness from the strong, and meat from the eater."

There are various other passages of the Bible which might be mentioned with the same view; one of which is an expression used by Solomon, when, in his prayer at the dedication of the temple, he beseeches God to "hear in heaven what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all his people Israel, which should know every man the plague of his own heart,” (1 Kings viii. 38.) This phrase is a well-known Hebraism, and corresponds in meaning with the words in 2 Chron. vi. 29, "his own sore and his own grief." "The former petitions," (says Mr. Scott, in his Commentary, very justly) "particularly respected public judgments and distresses: but this passage related to private afflictions and trials, and whatever should fill the heart and conscience of any individual with anguish and dismay."—"This interpretation," Mr. Scott proceeds, "doubtless includes, though it is not confined to, that meaning which is very frequently given to the expression, 'the plague of his own heart;' namely, the

prevalence of indwelling sin, which, as a plague, or pestilential disease, is the grief and sore of every true believer." A marginal note, in Charnock's excellent discourse on Providence, also remarks, "Sin is called the plague of the heart," (1 Kings viii. 38.) Now, I do not see how the expression, as it stands in the prayer of Solomon, in close connexion with the preceding verse, "If there be in the land famine, pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be," can be interpreted to refer to indwelling sin. This interpretation seems to have arisen from the use of the word plague. Had the Hebrew word been translated sorrow, affliction, or distress, the idea would not perhaps have occurred. The expression in Prov. xiv. 10, is exactly parallel. "The heart knoweth its own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with its joy;" and though it might with truth be applied to indwelling sin and spiritual joy, yet I think it is evident, that, as in his prayer at the dedication, Solomon here refers to individual and temporal sorrows.

1

I would not object to every quotation of a text except in its strict and literal sense. Passages of the Old Testament are frequently cited by accommodation in the New; and much valuable instruction may often be derived from the practical application of an bistorical passage. But when the interpretation is unauthorized by the original, and is incongruous with the context, such an application of Scripture, besides being improper in itself, tends to injure the cause which it is intended to strengthen, and excites prejudice in the minds of those who are but too ready to imbibe it. N.I.N.

curately composed, or be so imbued with the spirit of the Gospel, as not to afford either substantial or plausible ground for severe criticism. Mere dunces can criticise; and, because they can criticise, they think they can write. They acquire a knack at criticising, (I will not call it by a more dignified name) and they love to indulge their skill, and they feel a sweet complacency in sitting in the critic's chair, and exposing the defects of the work of some master of eloquence.

I fear this business is carried to an extreme in a preparation for the sacred office; and in the means employed for improvement in the ministry.

Men will never be eloquent as long as they think of criticism, and rhetorician's rules. Rhetoricians make men eloquent! Criticism make men eloquent! The speakers whom I have seen catch every eye of their audience, and excite one feeling in every heart, have been men who would laugh at criticism, and who would trample Quinctillian's rules under their feet.

In mere declamation, no word must be out of place; no motion must be awkward, or contrary to the rules of rhetoricians; but where an object is to be gained; where an orator speaks on a topic of the deepest moment to his audience, and of the deepest interest, therefore, to himself, I wish to see him so absorbed by his subject, as that he cannot think of criticism and rhetorical rules. Then he will be eloquent as far as his intellectual powers will allow him; you may call his gestures uncouth; his illustrations homely; and his language coarse and often ungrammatical: but the effect on your own mind will tell others he is eloquent; the general aspect of the audience will declare that he is eloquent.

There must be warmth; there must be boldness; there must be entire ease and indifference about all criticism, or we shall never have genuine eloquence in the pulpit. Let us have none of this fastidious criticism, then.

A sermon is well written, the language is fine, the thoughts are correct; they are even original; the method is clear, and important truth is exhibited, and it is delivered in an audible voice,

and in words correctly pronounced. What then? The hearers, or those who should be hearers, are slumbering. I doubt not, I could lull many a person asleep in a congregation, even by reading the noble, heart-stirring addresses of Saurin or Massillon.

Does a man declare evangelical truth clearly? Does he utter it earnestly? Does he proclaim and apply it with feelings corresponding to his nature? If he does, he is eloquent. If he aims directly at this, he takes the turnpike road to eloquence. You may fill a speaker's head with all the precepts of Cicero and Quinctillian, Campbell and Blair; and if his heart is cold, he will never move an audience. You may rake over the coals on a hearth, and transpose the fuel all day, but if there are no sparks of fire, you will raise no flame.

We cannot urge too much the importance of ministers being eloquent: but, the more we criticise, the more we multiply rules, the farther we shall be from true eloquence. Our ministers, especially our young ministers, must not dread the keenness of criticism; they had better not know what nice criticism is. A sincere desire to win souls will most effectually make them eloquent. When they have a thorough, systematic, scriptural view of divine truth; when they have carefully observed the manner in which men are moved by preaching; when they have made themselves acquainted with mankind, and have conversed with-them much on religious subjects; and when they have an anxious, deep-felt concern for their salvation-then they will be eloquent.

M. N.

First Annual Report of the Theological Scholarship Society of St. Thomas's Church, New-York, attached to the General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States.

At the annual meeting of the Theological Scholarship Society of St. Thomas's Church, New-York, held at the church on Tuesday afternoon, 5th of June, 1827, the following report being submitted, was unanimously accepted,

apd, together with the constitution, ordered to be printed. And, immediately thereafter, an election being held, the following gentlemen were chosen to constitute a board of direction :—

The Rev. Cornelius R. Duffie, ex officio, president; John Pintard, John Slidell, and J. Florentius Cox, vicepresidents; Robert Gracie, secretary; John Rogers, treasurer.

Managers. Beverly Robinson, William H. Jephson, Henry Hone, Ć. N. S. Rowland, William C. Rhinelander, H. Baylies, M. D., Isaac C. Kendall, Benjamin M'Vickar, M. D., Robert Gill, V. R. Ten Broeck, M. D., Eleazar Parmly, John M. Forbes, J. W. Kearney,Robert C. Ludlow, and Henry Ogden.

--

Report.

The object of this society, though generally understood, may, perhaps, still require to be explained. It is to raise such a sum of money, as that the interest thereof will entitle this church and congregation to have always one student maintained, during the prosecution of his studies, at the General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church, established under the authority of the General Convention, and now permanently located in this city.

The amount proposed to be raised for this purpose, is $2,500, which, when placed in the hands of the treasurer of the seminary, will constitute "The Scholarship of St. Thomas's Church, in the city of New-York."

The trustees of the seminary will thenceforward be pledged to pay over to such scholar as shall be designated by the rector, wardens, and vestrymen of this church, the annual income of the above fund, or otherwise to apply it for his use and benefit, agreeably to the rules of the seminary. The instruction itself being in all cases gratuitous, this provision for the support of the student admits him to all the advantages of the institution free of charge.

No one can doubt how important such an arrangement is, in order to remove the difficulties which often lie in the way of pious young men, anxious to avail themselves of the great oppor