of this seer of visions, no doubt "by the light of his own mind, which is the direct inspiration of the Almighty," THAT CANT IS DEAD!

Then we hope these inspired penmen will no longer cant against cant; but let it lie quietly in its grave: otherwise, we shall be apt to transpose our title into as felicitous an expression as Carlyle's "Sterling Coin ;" and instead of the Dispatch of Cant, write over our lucubrations," the Cant of the Dispatch."

But if this antique personage be really deceased, his enemies should melt into a generous sorrow, whilst his friends should assume at least the decency of grief, and not dance at the funeral. The writer we have quoted, should not insult the ashes of his friend; the announcement ought to have been surrounded with a black border. Let all the muses weep for the beautiful adonis:- Cant is dead. Even Carlyle, whose huge teutonic word club, scattered the brains of the unfortunate, and thus put the critic into a flutter of confusion, was not aware of the extent of his achievements;—" the writer of this book, calls it the Life of John Sterling; WE call it the death of theologic cant." Poor Carlyle, thou little thinkest what thou hast done! Thy occupation is gone; it was to cry down cant, and thou hast knocked him down dead, with thy murderous club, and now, what canst thou say or write more?

It is the wisdom and interest of the cat, to play with the last mouse, and not to kill it outright; since by this, pussy risks expulsion from the eden of the boudoir, and the paradise of the drawing-room, with chivalrous martyrdom." Still "he stalks forth and belabours all lusty" mice, "till they" squeak "again :" the "act is doubtless daring, magnanimous, heroic;" since the cat lives by the mice,-directly or indirectly. The absence of vermin, is the loss of her occupation; other nuisances are her apology: just as the knight errant against cant, is dismissed when cant is dead. Success ruins his trade: he overshoots the mark by hitting it.

It may however be feared, that if the "Life of John Sterling" was the death of cant; the death of John Sterling, proved the resurrection of cant; and thus philosophically accounts for the appearance of the above criticism on "Sterling Coin."

But perhaps some further employment may be found for the club of this modern Hercules, in killing newspaper cant; for whilst the three professions of law, physic, and divinity, according to the Dispatch are filled by men who make a gain of "the hypocrite and fanatic," it is just three to one that editors are not particularly honest, and may, like lawyers, occasionally "suppress here, and colour there."

We do not see why "parsondom alone can only save its credit at the expense of its understandings;" although "the best educated, and, in some respects, necessarily the ablest and most thinking members of society."

For if "the THREE learned professions require you at the threshold to constitute yourself an impostor," what must we say of the unlearned profession, or the learned profession of weekly criticism? Shall we say that it 66 saves its credit at the expense of the " reader's "understanding," and so make a distinction of dishonesty?

"For our part, uncharitable as we may be called, we cannot help thinking with Carlyle, that Egyptian Magi, Roman Augurs, and Popish

priests, are not the only impostors," "who patrol with horse meat and man's meat, this afflicted earth;" though we have never seen any of the four learned professions, invading the province of costermongers and butchers' boys. It is only Mr. Carlyle and his critic, who understand this patrolling business.

Still, we must confess, the "force of" compliment "can no further go," than in this handsome recognition by the critic of his fellow labourers. Even Carlyle is only a "recruit" to the cause of honesty, having (6 come out from the mass of those who stand as coward mutes," and therefore, but lately he stood amongst them; how lasting his late conversion may be, is left for the trial of experience; he has however " come to suspect," and may become suspicious of those who claim him, and in the eyes of "the coward mutes," whom he deserted but yesterday.

"The message of truth has come to Carlyle, and with genuine apostleship he hastens to tell what he has been told;" but he does not tell us who told him. This is the province of our genuine critic-" hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches!"-what spirit?-"the light of your mind, which is the direct inspiration of the Almighty!" The light of whose mind? Not any of the learned professions, but the light of the new Pope, the inspired and infallible Sham, who cries out against shams, as some persons would elude the police by crying stop thief.

This new way of knowledge, from direct inspiration, is the method of Swedenborg, and Joe Smith, and many other fanatics besides critics, and is a royal road to knowledge; only, unfortunately, it is an unbelievability to start with.

If there be any persons who imagine "there are no stars but certain old Jew ones, which have now gone out," their consolation is at hand in the kindling of the Dispatch's fire balloon, before which, sun, moon and stars will hide their diminished heads."

This is the great light, and those who "assert there is no religion unless an ass became a prophet," will find their desire now fully gratified. Unfortunately, even Balaam's ass never aspired to any such distinction: whether it spoke or not, we may judge, (at least, as to its possibility,) from those who speak now-a-days; and who imagine, that any others imagine, that Christianity rests on either Jonah or Balaam, and who assume that the miracles of Moses were conjuring tricks.

How competent this organ of public opinion is to deal with other questions, offensively, hostilely, and unfairly stated, as "that three are one, and one is three; may be decided by some previous comments in the same paper; wherein it was stated, that men might be Christians without Trinitarianism, because Paul found some converts who had not even heard of the Holy Ghost: and yet were Christians! If the critic had read the account, before writing about it, he would have lenrned, that those converts were disciples of John the Baptist, and not Christians at all, any more than Balaam's ass was a prophet.

Accordingly we read that Paul made Christ known to them, told them of the Holy Ghost, and they were baptized in the name of Jesus, and receiving this spirit, became Christians.

Beforehand they knew no more of Christ, than of the Holy Ghost; and therefore were very notable Christians. (Acts xix. 1—6.)

This at least may serve to caution such men from dogmatizing on

Christianity, however certain they may be about their own "direct inspi rations."

In another piece of criticism, in the same organ, we are told, "it is our creeds which curse and debase us. The popular faith is false, mean, Pagan. Progress is only seen in infidelity, and atheism among masses of ignorance. The only faith among us is baseless and bad. The press must prophesy, because the recognized prophets are false." But is not the press here aiding "the progress of infidelity and atheism among the masses of ignorance?"

These writers however, are much mistaken if they hope to hold a monopoly of the press, and equally mistaken if they suppose that their press is adapted to lead men into truths of the highest moment, by such hasty, burlesquing and slanderous articles, at once an insult to Christianity and to the learned professions.

And though as the critic concludes, it may be true, that "he who begins by striving to credit what is incredible [i. e. an impossibility,] will end by doubting what is true:" it is equally certain that he who begins by misrepresenting and rejecting what is true, will end by believing what is false.

V.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN NATURE.

The Nature of Man as Spiritual, Immortal, and Responsible, will be the most frequent topic of this department: though sometimes we shall introduce MISCELLANEOUS Subjects.

THE GREAT CONTEST; THE BIBLE AGAINST TYRANNY.

No one who examines the signs of the times can be ignorant of the great struggle commenced and now going on, between despotism and liberty, in which the Bible and its free principles form one important

element.

The despots, whether priests, dukes, or emperors, are jealous of the presence of Christ; but he is coming; and it is to be feared, that his second coming in the spirit of his gospel, may be to send a sword on the earth.

In our first number for 1852, we shall review the intimations of his coming, as conveyed by the present aspect of the various nations; in an examination of THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES; which, as we think, require the earnest examination of rulers and peoples; of all true men, whether as Christians, patriots, or citizens of the world."

As preparatory to this investigation, we beg their attention to the WAR UPON BIBLES in Florence; it is a significant fact, and applies to more places than Florence!

We shall first present this important case to our readers; and secondly, make a few brief observations upon the more prominent points in the

narrative.

"WAR UPON BIBLES IN FLORENCE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY NEWS.

"SIR,-Knowing that the journal which you so ably conduct has ever been, from its commencement to the present day, the firm and consistent advocate of civil and religious liberty, I send you a statement of a case of gross injustice and abuse of power, as exercised against two highly respectable persons, natives of Florence; sincerely trusting that the narrative, which is strictly correct, and shall be as succinct as possible, may be deemed by you worthy of a place in your columns, and may, through your aid, enlist the feelings and sympathies of the English public, and, by the expression of those feelings, deter the Tuscan government from acting towards its subjects in a manner so intolerant, unjust,

and unchristian. On the 17th of August last, at about 7 p. m., a visit was made by the police to the house of a certain Francesco Madiai, No. 4,378, Piazza Santa Maria Novella, Florence. Madiai and his wife were both from home, but in their absence the house was searched from the roof to the cellars, and the object of the search revealed by the capture of two Bibles and an English book on a religious subject, the title of which I know not. Francesco Madiai, who had in the meantime come home, was then taken off to prison, in company with three other persons, who were in the house at the time of the arrival of the police awaiting the return of Madiai. One was Captain Arthur De Noi Walker, a gentleman who has known Madiai for several years, and had called that evening. Despite warm remonstrances on the part of all, they were marched off to prison, where Capt. Walker remained 22 hours, and was only eventually released through the exertions of his relations, and the strong representations made by the Hon. E. Bligh, Attaché to her Britannic Majesty's Legation at Florence-as this case is already under the consideration of Lord Palmerston, I shall not refer to it more fully. The other two men, Florentines, named Alessandro Fantoni, and Francesco Manelli, were detained in prison seven days and at the expiration of that time, without trial or even any cause assigned, offered their choice of indefinite imprisonment or indefinite banishment. They chose the latter, and are now severally at Geneva and Turin-their crime that of visiting the house of Madiai, and subsequently confessing the gospel, a man known to read his Bible and openly profess Protestantism. After an interval of twelve days Madiai's wife was also taken into custody and imprisoned.

They both remain in prison in separate cells at the present timetheir crime, reading the Bible and openly acknowledging it. At their examinations, which have been frequent, but hitherto conducted in private, and in the prison, they have boldly and consistently avowed themselves Protestants. Under these circumstances, it having been found difficult to frame a charge which would, if proved, entail a punishment upon this persecuted couple sufficiently severe to satisfy the rancour for it would be a misnomer to call it justice of their persecutors-fresh charges have been made against the man, of endeavouring to proselytize (in this country a very serious accusation,) and his wife of keeping a house for immoral purposes. Now, this latter charge is so diabolical, and one that militates so entirely against the whole course of this poor woman's past life, and one that will doubtless be attempted to be proved by false swearing, subornation, and all the iniquitous modes which are, alas, in this country, so readily at hand, and so largely and frequently made use of, that her only hope of escaping the wiles of her enemies, and proving her innocence, is by appealing to those friends and patrons who, in years gone by, have valued and befriended her. Prior to her marriage to Francesco Madiai, a man of most excellent character, and known to many English families as a trustworthy courier, Rosina Pulini, such was her maiden name, passed many years in England in the capacity of femme de chambre. I have now on my writing table, certificates of character from several ladies, all of which testimonials are worded in the most sincer and almost affectionate terms. They embrace many,