be in the mother tongue of the people? Reforms in the pompous ceremonial of the Church. Communion in both kinds. Abuses in the lax administration of the Holy Communion "in articulo mortis." Reform of abuses in Confession and Absolution. Reform of abuses connected with the doctrine of Purgatory and Indulgences. Abuses in the worship of saints, "tending to Polytheism." 4. Discipline: abolition of celibacy of Clergy. 5. The introduction of the "Lay Element" into Church Synods. 6. Abuses in religious confraternities. These are the subjects which are discussed by Dr. Hirscher in his Essay; and his learning and high position give additional interest to his work, especially in these times. May 16; Bâle, Hôtel de la Cigogne.-Early in the morning walked to the bridge over the Rhine. Very picturesque; lofty houses with high pitched roofs; windows with bright green shutters; lofty turrets with variegated tiling of rich colours, like porcelain; gardens interspersed among the houses, with acacias in full bloom, and creepers mantling over the edge of the river, which was flowing in a rapid, clear, dark green stream, sweeping along with a glorious "pomp of waters." The city clean and cheerful. The old Cathedral-now in the hands of the Reformed or Calvinists-stands on a noble site; a high terrace over the left bank of the Rhine. On the north side is a very interesting old doorway with sculptures representing the Last Judgment. The venerable Cathedral is kept in good order. Beautiful stained windows, from Munich. Modern Calvinism is much more tolerant than its former self; witness these windows at Bâle, and the magnificent recent additions to Glasgow Cathedral. Bishop Sanderson would not have any occasion to preach such a sermon' as he did to the people of Lincolnshire, who in their zeal for reformation destroyed the stained windows of Boston Church. Norman clerestory; apse; where the high altar once stood, are seats in parallel lines for the principal male members of the congregation. The women are separated from the men on benches in the nave, which are ingeniously contrived with backs moveable, so that the persons who occupy them may look either to the east 1 On Rom. iii. 8. The or west. There is a large new organ. congregation rarely kneels. There is not daily service; but only service on Sundays, and two week-days. The Holy Communion is administered once a month: the Ecclesiastics sit behind (i.e. to the east of) the Table, which, singular enough, is of stone, and the communicants come up to it, one by one, and receive standing. One of the most interesting remains of mediæval art is the golden altar-front given to this cathedral by the Emperor Henry II. (about A.D. 1000) and his wife Cunegonde as a Thankoffering to our Blessed Lord for his recovery from sickness, and with the following inscription containing a singular mixture of various languages, and showing the transition of ver sification from quantity to accent. It is now in the Hôtel Cluny, at Paris: 66 Quis sicut Hel' fortis, medicus, Soter benedictus? There is a beautiful old Font in this Cathedral: but it is never used. Baptism is administered with a silver basin on the altar: the 2 El, Hebrew for GOD. 4 3 Soter, Greek for SAVIOUR. Usias, Greek for (ovoías) beings. father is always present and gives the name. But they have also three God-parents, or rather Witnesses. There is a hymn book-but no prayer book for the people. The "Herr Antistes," (is not this title a practical testimony to Episcopacy?) or other minister, uses a book with prayers. I applied for a copy and was supplied with one (it is a small volume of 250 pages in large type) for five and a half francs in sheets; the reason why its price was so high is that only a few copies are printed for the use of the Clergy only. The Church of Rome withholds the Scriptures from the People: and keeps her Prayers shut up in a dead language, for the most part"whenever she has her own way, and excludes the people from participating in them, and does not allow them to obey St. Paul's precept, "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also"." But may not those Protestant Communities, which confine the use of liturgical offices to their Ministers, and do not invite the People to participate in them, be chargeable also with a want of due. 5 1 Cor. xiv. 15. appreciation of the true character of public prayer,—of common prayer? Are they not even in some degree liable to the imputation, with which the Church of Rome is justly charged, of making divine service into an "opus operatum"-a work transacted wholly by the Minister? However, let us be thankful for the liturgical offices, in the vernacular tongue, which are still preserved among them. I have been agreeably surprised by much that is contained in this little volume to which I have re ferred, which was printed at Bâle in 1826. It is a Ritual for the use, not only of this Church, but of all the Evangelical Churches of the Canton. Its Preface, which bears the signature of Hieronimus Falkeisen, "Antistes und Archidecanus," expresses. a desire that uniformity of worship may be maintained in all the Churches of the Canton. It begins with forms of Prayer to be used before and after sermons on Sundays and weekdays. There is also a form of Prayer for the monthly day of supplication. These forms of prayer are very long, and not broken by responses; and the whole work of offering prayer -as far as its outward expression is concerned. |