P.S.-I had wished here to bring before you the names of all your former colleagues, who in less than a year have left the Romish Church, whether in France or in Germany. You know that they reckon by hundreds, at this time, in the latter country; but you are, perhaps, ignorant that in the bosom of your own country, many clergymen have abandoned the Romish faith in connexion with a religious movement altogether independent of that which is now taking place beyond the Rhine. I could name to you twenty, recently converted; but in order to attach a short notice to each name, I am compelled to make it the subject of a new pamphlet, which you will find according to the address placed at the beginning of this.*

From a Correspondent.

THE TEST; OR, WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURE?

BY X., A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF England.

PREFACE.

IT may be objected, that the following pages merely contain the thoughts of other men far less ably expressed. I beg leave to state, however, that, with the exception of the quotation respecting the mode of celebrating the Passover, the only book to which I referred whilst noting down my own reflections, was my Bible, without note or comment. Subsequently I compared some parts, upon which I had bestowed much thought and study, with parallel places from that learned and highly-gifted commentator, Dr. A. Clarke, and found my ideas perfectly coincided with his view of such passages. I am, therefore, enabled to add my hnmble testimony to that of others, that the Word of God is of itself sufficient to guide men into all truth. This study has been eminently blest to my own soul, inasmuch as it has still farther convinced me that the Church of which I rejoice and bless God that I am a member, ventures not to take one step without "leaning upon her Beloved." I have also thereby acquired a deeper insight into all the truths of the holy faith I profess; and, satisfied of its purity and strict conformity with Apostolical doctrine and practice, daily implore my Heavenly Father to maintain me stedfast therein; for, without unceasing prayer and watchfulness, how can I, so weak, so every way inferior to my brethren in Christ, hope to escape the net spread by Satan to ensnare all who, while indulging in excursive flights, forget to look upward, and are driven hither and thither at his will.

As a ship, however well built, without ballast, cannot pursue her course-nay, must overset-so those, however richly endowed, who close their Bibles and trust to their own unaided reason, will find her light as gossamer, the sport of every breeze-a wandering star that sets in darkness! They have left behind them the compass that should guide them, and have ventured without it, to navigate the boundless ocean of uncertainty, whose rocks and shoals must strand them; or their starless course may terminate on the shore of Infidelity!

* Paris, chez Delay, Libraire, 2, Rue Trouchet.

Oh! that all (should, indeed, any deem these pages worthy their perusal) would try for themselves what, from experience of its efficacy and sufficiency, I am enabled to recommend, and which I do most fervently and affectionately, a daily prayerful study of the Christian's Charter-the Bible.

TO CHRISTIANS OF EVERY DENOMINATION.

"Prove all things, hold fast that which is good."-1 Thess. v. 21.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear."-1 Pet. iii. 15.

MY DEAR BRETHREN,-Have we, each one for himself, fulfilled this injunction of St. Paul and St. Peter? Have we duly considered the immense importance of examining for ourselves the foundation of our faith, and proving "that it standeth sure?" And, since we must individually render up our account, are we really satisfied "it is well" with our immortal souls? Is our faith sound? based solely upon that unerring rule and test of truth-the Bible?—the pure, unadulterated Word of God! If, upon careful and diligent investigation, it will stand this test, it then farther behoves us to add to our faith virtue; seeing that the apostle says (James ii. 26), "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." For, though justified solely by faith in Christ's atonement, our faith must be shewn by our works, as "a good tree" cannot but "bring forth good fruit," as a natural consequence. Let none of us then rest secure, "speaking to ourselves peace when there is no peace,"-no confident assurance warranted by Scripture that we have dug deep and laid our foundation upon "the Rock of Ages," "the Man Christ Jesus." If we have built upon any other foundation we may be sure the edifice, be it never so skilfully or artfully planned and erected, must fall; for "Thus saith the Lord." Believe me, it will not be deemed a valid excuse at the bar of God, when, before assembled men and angels, every man must answer for himself-alone and unsupported!-that we embraced this or that notion because our fellow-men told us that thus it was; for, as "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness," what shall we then answer, if we now "neglect so great salvation?" Let us then, furnished with the only infallible test of truth, proceed to examine the grounds of our belief, but let us apply the test fairly and honestly: we must not first form a notion and then take a solitary text that by ingenious exposition may seem to countenance such notion, as that is clearly what the apostle means, by his caution that we should not "wrest the Scriptures to our own destruction:" no, such is the very striking and admirable concordance of the Old and New Testament that each explains the other, we must therefore" compare Scripture with Scripture," and where a text appears obscure we shall thus find all amply explained. Our Saviour, the

Light of Life, would never have issued such a command as "Search the Scriptures," if, having done so in an humble child-like spirit, with fervent prayer for the guidance and assistance of the Holy Spirit promised "to those who ask Him," we should still be left to wander on in darkness! The Sadducees denied the resurrection. Why?"Do ye not therefore err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God?" says our Lord. Had they consulted the Scriptures, they would have learnt that God is able to perform that which finite minds can neither understand nor explain, viz., "that God should raise the dead." Do we not also lay ourselves open to misconceptions and misapprehensions, by following the example of the Sadducees? Again, the Socinian may say, he is perfectly justified in denying the existence of the Trinity in Unity; for he can prove the Unity of the Godhead by "Hear, oh! Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord;" and thus, by neglecting the Scriptures, or by receiving only a part or parts of them, and rejecting the rest, we may all support our favourite preconceived notions, while we sternly and boldly venture to deny all credence to what would in an instant overthrow them; "but ye have not so learned

Christ." Hear what our Saviour himself says: "And many in that day shall say, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name cast out devils, and in Thy name done many wonderful works?"" Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me," &c. Does not this prove to every one of us the urgent necessity of candidly, honestly, and impartially "judging ourselves if we would not be judged?"

A cold, barren assent to received opinions is not enough; we must be satisfied those opinions are founded on truth: and how are we to be satisfied, if we will not be at the pains of examining them? We may, by such wilful and therefore inexcusable ignorance, be nourishing a fatal error-one that, like a canker-worm, gnaws at the very root of the tree of Christianity! Can it then be well with our souls, while there is a shadow of doubt on so momentous a subject? Oh! remember, this solemn inquiry regards not time only-it involves eternity. St. John tells us (1 John iv. 1), "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world." The morbid sensitiveness, therefore, that would shrink from the performance of this imperative duty, proclaims lurking disease; for the sound limb winces not to the touch! Truth is in its nature so pure, so transparent, the slightest mixture of error cannot fail to be discerned. Suppose a large and fair estate were offered us in a far distant land, the route thither clearly traced out for us by one who, having travelled through the same country, was fully qualified to direct us, being well acquainted with all the perils and obstacles we might have to encounter. Suppose that, instead of following the track laid down for us in the chart with which this kind friend had furnished us, we diverged from it, and struck into another, being attracted by something glittering in the distance, which we conceived to be diamonds, but upon a nearer approach discovered, to our infinite cost and vexation, that all this brilliant appearance was caused solely by the reflection of the sun's rays upon some broken pieces of glass!-that, continuing nevertheless our journey, we

were conducted to the edge of a precipice, where, being wearied, we seated ourselves, and presently fell asleep-would dreaming that we were secure, ensure our safety? Farther, if we would form a correct estimate of things, and of their intrinsic value, we must not suffer our reason to be hoodwinked, nor a strong narcotic to be administered to our judgment; and whilst truth applies her touchstone, impartiality with her nicely-poised balances must fairly weigh whatever is deposited therein; no prejudice, no bias, should be suffered to take possession of our minds; we must tie down our secret inclinations, lest they, by throwing themselves into one scale or the other, cause an undue preponderance. To those, therefore, who may be at the trouble of perusing the following pages, I would fain express my hope, that they will kindly overlook all defects of style, and be disposed to accompany me in my inquiry, in a charitable and candid spirit, with a determination not to be biassed by prejudice, but to receive or reject only as God's Word directs. This is the spirit in which I not merely carefully perused but diligently studied and compared with the Scriptures the work which, unsolicited, unsought for by me, accidentally fell into my hands, and from which I have made large and faithful extracts. I conclude with entreating all who value the safety of their immortal souls, to take nothing upon trust, to let no one beguile them into a belief that they are right in neglecting a privilege conferred upon them by Christ himself, viz., to "Search the Scriptures," and as St. Paul says, "daily." Whoever would withhold this Charta, we have reason to suspect. Is it not because "they fear coming to the light, lest their deeds should be reproved?" I beg to assure my Christian brethren, that, while humbled to the dust under a deep sense of my own unworthiness, my utter weakness and manifold imperfections, I am yet animated with an anxious and affectionate concern for the welfare of all mankind, and only desire to fulfil our Saviour's command. "And this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God love his brother also," 1 John iv. 21.

(To be continued.)

THE PROPOSED MARRIAGE OF THE QUEEN OF SPAIN WITH

COUNT TRAPANI.

Barcelona, Jan. 2.

THE papers of this city, of all shades of opinion, have directed their attention, for several days past, to a consideration of the marriage of the Queen with the Count Trapani, supposed to be resolved on by the Government, and which supposition is to a great degree borne out by the rumours afloat here, on the authority of the bishop of the diocese, to which I referred in a former letter. The organs of all parties condemn, in no measured terms, this alliance:—

"If a Jesuit in feelings, principles, and education," says one journal, "become the co-partner of the throne of Spain, we may look forward to see the Inquisition, in all its horrors, again staring us in the face. It is but a too well-known and melancholy fact, that there exists in Spain an important and numerous party, who would hail with delight

a reaction even to this extreme, because that party never have learned nor will learn anything from past events. Their prejudices surround them with a triple wall of defence, into which the march of events cannot penetrate; and we find these intolerant champions of obsolete systems ever ready to take the field in support of principles no longer applicable to the age in which we live. It is fortunate that they are the fewer in number, and that the majority of the Spanish nation are firmly resolved, let what will be their differences on the general principles of government, never to allow clerical domination to assume the sway of past ages. The placing of a Jesuit, however, by the side of our Queen might awake a hope in the minds of profligate Churchmen that their day of triumph was at hand; their influence behind the throne might induce them to suppose it practicable again to fetter men's minds by inquisitorial trammels."-Morning Herald, Jan. 12.

ROMISH ASCENDANCY.

SIR,-This is surely the time when every man, who knows the true value of the true Christian religion above that of the destructive Infidel and witchcraft of Popery, ought to contribute his mite to the gaining to the true Christian members a decided majority in the House of Commons. If ever the Papist gain a decided majority in that House of Parliament, then there will be an end of all the comforts and blessings of peace, and safety of person and property of the true Protestant. The religion of the Papists is, from the Pope down to the artful parish priest, a system of artful cunning, to gain the ascendancy. It springs from ambition and avarice! Ambition, in wishing to have it in his power to depose any sovereign or governor he pleases, and to set up a creature of his own. From avarice! Why so, that if they, the Papists, get a great deal of the landed property, household property, and funded property into their hands, they, the Papists, would not let an acre of land or a house to any but a Papist. The priests would from the altar command all Papists not to buy or sell, or indeed, not to have any dealings with Protestants, whom they, the Papists, call heretics!! An handbill, called by the name of a card to all Protestants, printed on rather better paper, and in a large type, and circulated plentifully, before a single election of a single member for the House of Commons, but still more plentifully before a general election to the House of Commons, seems absolutely called for. Let the Papists get a decided majority in the House of Commons, then they have only to stop the supplies, and propose plans of their own. The proposal for a Protestant Club is a glorious proposal, and I hope and think would be attended with GOD'S BLESSING!!! Many who have not votes themselves may have considerable influence over those who have, and would beg them to vote for Christians, rather than Infidel Papists!!

AN OLD SUBSCRIBER.

* The Committee of this Club are carrying on active operations.-Ed. P. M.

VOL. VIII.-February, 1846.

G

New Series, No. 2.