CALUMNIES AGAINST LUTHER. ART. III-Calummies invented and published against Luther: Bayle.-Seckendorf: Historia Luth. Lib. 3, p. 510. The Romanists invented and published many ridiculous stories to slander Luther. Not content with making the day and hour of his birth inauspicious by the rules of Astrology, they went further back and would have it that an Incubus or evil spirit was his father. According to them, he was a drunkard, a sensualist, an irreligious jester, an unbeliever in his own doctrine: and by the usual rule of treating Arch-heretics the manner of his death was reported, in a variety of lying tales, to have been most unhappy. The most pleasant part of the matter is, that Luther himself had the satisfaction in 1545 of reading an account of his own exit from the world, published in Italy, and accompanied with circumstances well suited to that superstitious climate. Being dangerously ill, it seems, he desired to communicate, and died as soon as he had received the Viaticum. His request that his body might be laid upon the Altar being neglected, he was buried, and at the interment arose a furious tempest, as if the world were at an End. The terror was universal. They who lifted up their eyes to Heaven, perceived that the Host, which the deceased had presumed to take, was suspended in the air. It was gathered up with great veneration, and laid in a sacred place. The tempest then ceased for a while, but it raging again, the next night they opened his sepulchre. The newly buried heresiarch had disappeared; while, to leave no doubt whither he was gone in such haste, there remained a sulphureous stench, which nobody could bear. It was a matter of course to add, that this miracle had occasioned many to return to the Catholic Church. The Reformer did not let slip this occasion of exposing his enemies. He caused the account to be reprinted and added a postscript. The Romanists now attempted to wipe off their infamy by persuading the world that the whole was invented by Luther himself, or by some of his friends! Even in this case their credulity in entertaining the story would have been equally shameful : and there is too much of the genuine Monkish air in it to permit us to allow them this subterfuge. ART. IV.—Remarks on Scripture passages: continued. Acts ii, 38-41. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand C souls. Acts, xxii, 16. And now, why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Some of the Apostles baptized [or caused to be baptized], by affusion, those Jews or Gentiles who had believed through their word;' and this operation on the persons of the converts was preceded or followed, indifferently, by the effect (of which the washing with water was a significant type) of the purifying influence of the Holy Spirit on their minds. See further, Acts viii, 12, 36-38: x, 47, 48: xvi, 14, 15, 32-34: xix, 1-7, and compare 1 Cor. xii, 13. The washing with water being clearly a separate operation from the influence of the Holy Ghost on the spirits of the converts, it may very safely, I think, be regarded as still ceremonial, though done under the Gospel. And we may find, in this distinction, an apology to the modern Church in behalf of those who decline the use of water baptism believing that it suffices, if they (without the outward typical act) experience the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which of itself is declared in Scripture to be of saving efficacy. See Tit. iii, 5. That the washing with water was not, of itself, a saving process, sufficiently evident from the case of Simon, who having 'believed,' on the evidence of miracles and signs,' was baptized-and yet, upon his offer to make a trade of the influence of the Holy Spirit, the immediate gift of God, received the sentence Thy money perish with thee.' Consequently he could not have been any further advanced by that operation than to the outward public profession of Christ-which, if a Jew or Gentile took upon him, by the outward public act of undergoing the typical washing with water, he was said to wash away his sinsthose sins which the Law of Moses, or the utmost that Heathen doctrine or practice could do for him, would have left still unremoved and liable to imputation on his head. But let us proceed from such a case to that of the offspring of Christian parents, born in the profession of Christ (whose parents are surely sponsors for them herein) brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, Eph. vi, 4. Is it needful for such, in order to salvation, to undergo the typical washing with water? We, the society of people called Quakers, think it is not: we find an essential difference between the two. In the case of the former, as ceremonies (even those of the Law) were not yet wholly capable of being disused-so closely does habit cling to us, and so much does custom influence our mindsa rite was practised, on the change of profession, closely typical of the change of heart which should accompany it; and serving also to publish to all whom it might concern the change of religion of the party. And we have seen that the thing typified, the real washing of regeneration, the baptism with the Holy Spirit, did not necessarily accompany (much less was contained in) but indifferently either preceded or followed the typical act. In the case of the latter, if an adult, the change from a dark to an enlightened, from a hard and selfish and impure state by nature, to a better condition, the work of grace, has been already (we have a right to assume) in good measure effected in ANECDOTES OF MINISTERS. the process of education, the profession also being already put onif an infant, there is no consciousness of the act in the subject. It is purely ceremonial, and consequently follows the ordinance of any church (the members of which can agree in one mind on the subject) as to its use or disuse-since nothing is positively ordained in scripture for us moderns as to this thing. The most common case of all remains to be mentioned: that in which the act is not only merely ceremonial, but so completely regarded thus as to become a matter of great indifference (so it be complied with for decency and order's sake) both to the party and his friends for ever afterwards. And that which under this indifference keeps it still in use is, manifestly, the interest of the officiating minister, whose craft is in measure supported by it. Ed. A 1 Peter, ii, 7. Unto you which believe he is precious.' Friend quoting this text lately, in my hearing, rather strangely coupled it with Jas. ii, 19, taking only the words the devils also believe ;' and intimating that to some who believed (of course as the devils, trembling") Christ was not precious. Now the belief of the devils (here alluded to) as appears by the context, was in the proposition that there is one God-not a belief, or faith, implying dependence on God, (or on him whom he hath sent) for salvation. I thought the application strained, and the doctrine cloudy. While there is faith in the Redeemer, or even a belief that he came into the world to save sinners, it is rather beside charity to call this the belief of devils. It is one thing to believe in a proposition, (coldly and nakedly) and another to exercise a lively faith-but, here, the very propositions differ too much, for us to involve the parties in the same predicament. The one party believe, that there is a God, who can and will punish their impiety and arrogance: the other, that there is a Christ, who is the Mediator between God and man, and who can and will save them from Eternal death; upon their sincere and penitent application to Him in spirit. Let us now suppose that, at present, the matter goes no further; 'works meet for repentance' are yet wanting-still is there a very wide difference between the condition of these, and that of the devils. We should look at the context when we are dealing with such doctrine. Ed. ART. V.-Anecdotes of silenced and ejected Ministers: From Calamy. "Mr. Joseph Baker of St. Andrews, in the city of Worcester, was a learned man of a blameless life; one who preached constantly and catechized the people, and conferred with the several families (especially before he first admitted them to the Lord's supper) personally. One of extraordinary prudence, calmness, patience, gravity, and soundness of judgment. Neither for prelacy, presbytery, nor independency, as formed into parties, but for that which was sound in all-and for concord upon Catholic terms. The parish of St. Andrews where he was Minister, had but about six pounds a year maintenance; of which he took none, but gave it to a woman to teach poor children to read, living upon his own, and some small augmentation granted by the Parliament. Mr. Joseph Read asked him upon his death bed, what thoughts he then had of Nonconformity. He answered, that he gladly would have continued the exercise of his ministry, if he could have had liberty for it without sin against God: but when it came to that, there was no remedy" [but to retire.] It should seem, from the remark above quoted, that it is something unsound-something in excess or defect-in the several denominations, that prevents their being Catholic, and makes and keeps them 'parties.' Let us look to our zeal for externals, and a worldly interest, and our charity towards those who cannot see these in the light we do-and try if some portion of the unsoundness does not lie here! I believe it would be no difficult thing to find in this author a number of instances of MINISTERS WHO PREACHED FREELY, giving up the income of the Living to some charitable use, or refusing to take it of the people. We may be sure that persons (or parsons, as my printer put it lately, where I had written it bona fide in the more significant way) representing the Church' in such conduct as this, would be silenced and forced to retire, or else ejected with a vengeance. Nothing more prevalent against any vile practice than the example of a better, in persons of influence from the station they hold in society! Perhaps I may find occasion to produce a list of such characters, for the edification of the churches, hereafter. Ed. (To be continued) ART. VI.Church Anthems; their origin, and disorders arising from their use. "The Arians [about the beginning of the 5th Century] having their Conventicles in the suburbs of Constantinople, when the Festival meetings used among the Christians were come, viz. the Saturday and the Sunday [the Sabbath of the Jews not having then wholly merged into the Church-meeting-day of the Christians] the Arians devised Hymns of their faith; and gathering themselves together into the porches of the City gates, sang interchangeably such songs as they had devised, alinost throughout the whole night. And as the day began to dawn, they were wont to go through the gates of the city to their places where they met-singing as aforesaid. Which when John Chrysostome, bishop of Constantinople, understood, and how they had passages [such] as this-Where be these fellows that affirm them to be but one power? fearing lest the simple sort should be beguiled, caused several of those of the faith of 'One substance to go singing such Anthems in behalf of that creed; partly to suppress the Arians, and partly to confirm (as he thought) those of the same belief with himself— but it proved otherwise. For when the Arians found that the Anthems DERIVATIONS OF WORDS. 13 of the other [the Orthodox] had more majesty and reverence, and with a more melodious and sweet harmony were sung in the night season, and because a little before their side had gotten the upper hand and prevailed, they were swoln and puft up, saith the History, [probably Socrates, the Ecclesiastical historian, whom my author had lately cited] and boyling with revenge they took arms, and set on the others: in which conflict many were slain on both sides. And Briso an eunuch of the Empress, who favoured the faith of 'One substance' and the hymns for that purpose, was struck in the forehead with a stone, which wonderfully incensed the Emperor; who thereupon gave commandment, that no more hymns should be sung. The Empress Eudoxia was so far in these hymns, for those of the faith of 'One substance,' that she found silver candlesticks made in Crosswise for the bearing of the tapers and wax-candles. Now for the original of the Anthems. It is said that Ignatius of Antioch in Syria, the third bishop in succession from Peter the Apostle, (as saith the History) saw a vision of angels, which extolled the blessed Trinity (as it's said) with hymns that were sung interchangeably, and delivered to the church of Antioch the order and manner of singing expressed in the vision: from whence it came to pass (saith the History) that every church received the same tradition. Whether this were so or no, I leave the Reader to judge as he thinks fit-Angels and quiristers are two things."— From George Bishope's Looking glass for the Times': being a Tract concerning the Original and rise of Truth, and the original and rise of Antichrist, &c. London printed in the year 1668.' The author of which book seems to think that Church Anthems (their effects and consequences considered) cannot have had their origin from any of that heavenly host whom the shepherds heard sing, when Jesus was born, Glory to God on high, on earth peace, good will unto men, (not destruction) and such was his doctrine also who said, He came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Bishope p. 149. ART. VII.—Derivations of words with examples, and remarks on their uses. The Arabic aleph, food, is the origin of the Gothic hlaif, and of the English loaf. Name: this noun is naam in Persic, namo in Gothic, and (as every schoolboy knows) nomen in Latin-which is mentioned to shew that the French nom is from that source, and our name from the Eastern one, Come: This verb seems to mean Use thy legs.' Legs' is quaem in Arabic, quiman in Gothic, cyman (hard) in Anglo-saxon. Cochineal: Coccinilla, Lat. is the diminutive feminine of Coccus, the noun and adjective used for the colour dyed with this insect, which |