as 1836, p. 359*-yet we ought not to conclude, without proof, that the officers of the Christian Knowledge Society omitted it from party-spirit, and not with a view to abridgment. The Society's Tracts from the Reformers are expressly entitled "Selections;" and our correspondent's own heading for those in question is "Extracts from Tyndale's Prologues;" and as we have not blamed the Tract Society for giving "Selections," so neither ought we the other Society, where there is no clear indication of intentional unfairness. The Tract Committee give only extracts from several of Tyndale's publications; but we conclude that they transcribe what they consider most for edification. We say of the Christian Knowledge excision of part of Tyndale's Prologue on Exodus, as we said of the Tract Society's deviation from the edition of Jewell of 1685, which it professed to follow, "If this was done with some theological bias, it was grossly unfair; and the Committee ought to be called to account for it." But whatever were the cause of the omission we should wish to see the passage restored; for, though not faultless, it contains Scriptural truth infinitely important at all times, and specially pertinent to pending discussions. The marginal summaries are as follow. (Russell's Edition, p. 21 & seq.) "God had Two Testaments, that is, the Old and the New. The Old Testament was built upon the observation of the law. The law could not give life. The law is not the utterer of sin. The law was given by God to shew what sin was. Ceremonies are not to justify the heart, but to signify our justification by Christ.-Ceremonies cannot justify. -The New Testament are (is) the everlasting promises made to us in Christ. - Faith only justifieth. -Good works spring out of the love we have to God. - Where true faith is, there good works do flow and abound. The New Testament was from the beginning. Our temporal laws spring out of the law of nature - Love counselleth the faithful to work. We must not presume in our well-doing, nor condemn others that run astray: the last which turneth to God is as far forward as the first."

Edition of 1815 was printed when the controversy upon Regeneration in Baptism was in agitation.

EDITION OF 1800.

Collect for Christmas Day (p. 59) is called a Prayer "for Regeneration."

Index: under the word "Conversion:" "A Prayer for the Conversion of Infidels, Heretics, 406. For Conversion from Sin, 38, 149. See Regeneration."

Index : "Regeneration:" "A Prayer for Regeneration, 59. For Renewal of our Minds, 381. See Conversion."

EDITION OF 1815.

Collect for Christmas Day (p. 59) is called a Prayer "for Renovation."

Index: under the word "Conversion:" "A Prayer for the Conversion of Infi dels and Heretics, 406. For Conversion from Sin, 38, 149. See Renovation."

Index: "Renovation:" "A Prayer for Renovation, 59. For the Renewal of our Minds: See Conversion, 381."

These secret changes in the publications of Societies, made by the managing officers for the time being in order to adapt them to their own notions, ought to be strongly protested against, and prevented for the future. We have, however, a copy of Nelson's Fasts and Festivals (the third edition, 1705; nine years before Nelson's death), which does not contain any one of the above-quoted words. There is no heading whatever to the Collect for Christmas Day; there is neither "regeneration" nor " renovation" in the Index; and there is nothing in the Index under the word "conversion" except "conversion of infidels might probably be attempted." What edition the Society had printed from, previously to 1815, we do not know.

* Our extract was given from the beautiful folio edition of Tyndale's Works, collected by Fox, and printed by him, together with those of Frith and Barnes in folio (black letter) 1573.

But, fourthly, so far from our being open to the accusation of partiality, as if

we had spared noticing this omission in the Christian Knowledge Extracts from Tyndale's Prologues, it so happens that it was specially mentioned and complained of in our pages, shortly after the publication of the Tract (Christian Observer, 1838, p. 622), and as soon as it came to our knowledge; and in the very same page in which there was a complaint of the Religious Tract Society's truckling to the Anabaptists.

We repeat that we are sorry our Correspondent has forced us to renew our remarks on the Tract Society's party-spirited mutilations of authors, because having discharged our conscience we wished to drop the subject. Not that it was, or is, exhausted. Even in that one single passage which we quoted at pp. 322-325 from Ridley, and which we did not go out of our way to select, but took at random, as being the very first portion of the Tract Society's "Treatises and Letters of Dr. Nicholas Ridley," -the opening pages, and therefore a fair specimen of the whole, we did not notice much that occurred to us in the Society's alterations. Our readers will judge for themselves whether the alterations of phraseology, where there is no party-purpose to serve, are useful or in good taste; whether it renders the style more easy to change the old terminations for modern; or more grammatical to substitute the indicative mood for the subjunctive after hypothetical particles, (as in the passage quoted, p. 326: "If it is found," "if the true solution is," where Ridley had properly written "be"); or more symmetrical to mix two styles, changing eth into s in one part of a sentence, and leaving it in another; or "be" into "is" in one line, and keeping the subjunctive as the author wrote it a few lines further on in the same construction (as above, p. 325, where Ridley says "except he be born;" changed to "except he is born;" yet two lines after retaining "except he be regenerated;") or whether the unlearned English reader understands words derived from the Latin better than those from the Saxon, so that "hang" (p. 326) is less plain than "depend; " or why "bottomless," page 323, ought to be changed to "unfathomable," which is not an easier word, and weakens the sense. These and similar corrections involve merely matters of judgment; but to omit part of Ridley's quotation from St. Matthew, because it mentions saying grace after supper, and secretly to change "wicked Anabaptists" into "wicked men," involves disingenuousness. Again, what right had the Committee silently to alter Ridley's quotation from St. Paul, p. 323, "accursed from thee," to "accursed for them?" If they thought Ridley had mistranslated, they should have said so; but not have falsified his words. And, to add but one instance more, why did they alter Ridley's "Thy Church of England, &c." to " The Church of England?" We speak, however, rather of the system than of these particular illustrations.

HYMNS FROM THE PRIMER (ANNO 1546.)

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

In the "Primerset forth by the King's Majesty and his Clergy, to be taught, learned, and read; and none other to be used throughout all his Dominions; imprinted at London, within the precinct of the late dissolved house of Grey Friars, by Richard Grafton, Printer to the Prince's Grace, the 17th day of August, the year of our Lord 1546;" there are several Hymns, three of which I will transcribe, hoping they will not be unacceptable to your readers. The first is that introduced into the Matins, headed

There are in the Primer five other Hymns; but these three seem the best to your constant reader

A COUNTRY CURATE.

"THE BAPTISTERY," BY THE AUTHOR OF "THE CATHEDRAL." To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

I have lately stumbled upon a very adroit illustration of the memo. rable dictum : "Give us the poetry, and then who will may have the prose."

It is a work by the Author of "The Cathedral," a work whose title page maintains that a proper translation of the expression "Via vitæ æternæ," is "The Baptistery." A poetic licence this, which no lover of synonymes, worthy of credit, would have ventured upon in former days!

It is not my intention to review the 300 pages of seductive poetry which are honoured with this characteristic title, "The Baptistery, or the Way of Eternal Life: by the Author of 'The Cathedral.' Such a task I must leave to abler hands; but as an admirer of engravings old or new, I am anxious to say a few words upon the embellishments of which the volume in question has to boast. I will not even refer to the poetry which explains a figured "Frontispiece,' whose centre contains an oval compartment, having an irradiated FONT as its point of importance, and around it, bending in lowly and protestant-like adoration, cherubs and seraphs duly winged.

I may however venture to refer to an unfortunate piece of prose, which forms a Gentleman Usher with Black Rod for the twentythree "Images" that adorn the volume! and increase the value of its poetry!!

دو

It so happens that I have in my possession a fair old specimen of Popish divinity, published at Antwerp in the year 1630, and written in Latin, by one Father Anthony Sucquet-" Societatis Iesu Theo. logus!" It is accordingly dedicated to Christ and his Mother! “D. O. M. Regi Regum, et Reginæ Cælorum B. Virgini Matri Mariæ." Its "Index Materiarum are under three heads, having portions for daily meditation. "Quo quisque uti potest, ut aptè meditationem die quolibet sibi sumat." The first head is thus announced : "Pro via purgativa. Diebus Lunæ." Its second head is "Pro via illuminativa. Diebus Martis, Mercurii, et Jovis." Its third head is "Pro via unitiva. Die Veneris, Die Dominica, Die Sabbathi." The volume contains 113 pages, small quarto, as well as 32 admirable old engravings; and in my copy, when I purchased it second hand, was written this short remark: "The prints are from very extraordinary designs, the devils truly ludicrous-extremely rare." Now concerning these engravings, at least 23 out of 32, what says the Author of "The Baptistery," -a Poet who tried hard to get possession of an important chair at Oxford ? In the unfortunate piece of prose already referred to, he says, by way of Advertisement,' -" These illustrations, which bear evident marks of great thought and genius, are by Boetius à Bolswert, and are found in an old Latin work, called Via Vitæ Æternæ.' They gave rise to the reflections in verse, in the same way that those of Herman Hugo seem to have suggested Quarles's Emblems. Great care has been taken to omit every thing which our Church might disapprove; but it is possible that in such a multiplicity of objects, one or two such here and there may have escaped notice."

6

So much for the Foet's prose! His "Reflections in verse," it seems, took their rise from Popish illustrations, to whose "devils" I cannot fix so light a phrase as "truly ludicrous," though absurd they are, and would be ludicrous if it were a jesting matter. Of course the Popish prose being in Latin, gave no tinge to his English verse. Would he very much regret if his readers were to compare the two?

Again, he says: "Great care has been taken to omit every thing which our Church might disapprove." My own opinion is, that none of his omissions are more fully entitled to "our" Church's disapproval, than the figment which occupies the oval compartment in his "Frontispiece," which figment belongs not to Boetius à Bolswest, but to the author of "The Cathedral;" for in the original this said oval contains the title of the work, and not a FONT with adoring attendants!! So much for the Poets "great care!"

From what I have already said, I must leave my readers to put their own value upon the Poet's admitted possibility, "That in such a multiplicity of objects, one or two such, here and there, may have escaped notice," and therefore be exposed to our Church's disapproval!

C. C.

REMARKS ON THE REV. C. WORDSWORTH'S APPEAL TO HERMAS.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

In the observations which appeared in your Magazine of last month, upon Mr. Wordsworth's Sermon on Evangelical Repentance, I made some cursory remarks on the value of the testimony of the work entitled the Shepherd of Hermas. This work is several times referred to in the notes to the Sermon, as a witness of some importance, and in the Appendix is appealed to as standing next in chronological order to Clement and Ignatius, in support of the assertion that "the discipline of penance. is attested by the Fathers, as the constant practice of the first and purest ages of the Christian Church." Supposing now this witness to be deemed inadmissible, and St. Clement, as I think I have shewn, to be rather against than in favour of Mr. Wordsworth's opinions, there will be scarcely a shadow of evidence to justify his assertion till near the close of the second century; for Ignatius, as he himself allows, is hardly " conclusive upon the practice of discipline;" and the testimony of Irenæus, who is cited next to Hermas, and who was made Bishop of Lyons, A. D. 177, consists (so far as Mr. Wordsworth's quotations are concerned) merely in his use of the verb ἐξομολογέομαι before noticed, and at most would prove (unless the context require a different interpretation) a public acknowledgment of guilt. As for the remark of Grabe, upon the second passage, "Publicam Pœnitentiam et satisfactionem in conspectu Ecclesiæ ex hoc loco colligit Feuardentius," we can scarcely be expected to admit this as evidence. Mr. Wordsworth, I suspect, would not adopt all the inferences which that Divine would draw from the Fathers. "Ex libro 1, vis. 3 (viz. of the Pastor of Hermas) purgatorium suum construunt nonnulli Pontificii, et inter hos Franciscus Feuardentius : Theomachiæ Calvinist. lib. 12, c. 18," says Itigius, in his Dissertatio de Doctrinâ Hermæ, xxi.

With respect to the Shepherd of Hermas, two questions evidently arise, in relation to the value of his testimony upon any point of doctrine or practice; what his statements really mean, and whether those statements can fairly be taken as evidence of the doctrine or practice of the Church at the particular period for which he is adduced.

The second of these questions will necessarily lead to an inquiry into the age and authority of the writer; and these, it is well known, have been the subject of repeated discussion, and the fertile causes of much controversy. To balance the conflicting opinions which different writers have maintained upon them, so as to come to a satisfactory decision, is no easy matter. Admitting, however, that more has been said in disparagement of Hermas than the case will warrant, still the very fact of so great a diversity of opinion having prevailed, and that too at so early a period in the history of the Church, is surely sufficient to diminish from the weight of his testimony, even were it ever so plain and decisive upon the point on behalf of which it is alleged.

In the remarks which I shall offer upon this part of the subject, I shall not presume to express any opinion of my own, my only object being to shew that there has been such a contrariety as to invalidate, in great measure, if not entirely, the authority of the wit