tofd, that before his death, he laid his hands on his Apostles, and appointed them to preach and baptize in his name. We know that these Apostles appointed others; and even to this day, every man who is to speak in the name of Christ, and to administer his sacraments, ought to be lawfully 'ordained by the Bishops of Christ's Church. These are the shepherds whom Christ has commanded to feed his flock; and no man ought to take this honour on himself. All clergymen, before they are allowed to exercise this holy office, are instructed in the religion which God has revealed; and care is taken that they should be properly qualified to teach others. They are the lawful ministers of Christ; the sacraments, which they administer, are given by his authority; the prayers, which they read, are the appointed service of the Church; and the humble Christian, who joins with them in worship, does his duty, and has every reason to hope for all the benefits promised by our Saviour to his Church. Even if the clergyman should not read or preach as well as we could wish, we ought charitably to excuse his defects, and never to forget the respect that is due to his office. The most important part of the service is joining in public prayer, and thanksgiving to God, and hearing his word, in the place and the manner which our Church directs, and under the authority of a minister, (who is lawfully qualified to administer the sacraments, which Christ has ordained. If we leave the Church, and are led by idle curiosity, or tempted by the advice and example of others, to listen to those who intrude into another man's fold, we know not into what errors we may be led. We cannot be certain that we shall hear the true doctrines of the Church; we cannot be certain that we shall hear prayers in which we ought to join; and even if the preacher should appear to us to be a good man, and to deliver to us religious instruction---still, if he leads us from the Established Church, and her lawful ministers, he is at best a mistaken man, for we are commanded to listen to those who are appointed to rule over us, and to shun those who make divisions in the Church. All such divisions should be avoided. There is one body,' the Church, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”—Eph. iv. 4.

6

Desirous, as we are, that our Magazine should be a family book, that it should contain instruction for the ignorant, as well as amusement for the learned, we make no apology for inserting the following exract, as the advice it gives is most excellent, and peculiarly appropriate to the present times:-When a set of men, arrogating to themselves the title of "True Churchmen," buoy up their hearers, into presumptuous confidence, by their doc

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trines

trines of arbitrary election, or terrify them into despair by those of unconditional and irrespective reprobation.

"Jesus Christ established on himself, and on his Apostles, as on a solid foundation, a Church, and a lawful society of ministers, who were to succeed them from age to age for the instruction of all people; to whom he committed that authority which he had received from God his Father, and on whom he promised to bestow the assistance of his grace, his wisdom and his power, to the final end of all things. And shall we despise this authority---neglect the Church, and the ministers that were appointed by God himself, and run after every preacher that we hear of,---be tossed about by every wind of doctrine ? No, my friends,---let us do better things, and act more worthy of the sacred name of Christ. Let us not follow after those vain teachers, whom the Scripture forewarns us, shall come on the earth and deceive many; but let us constantly attend His lawful Church, where we shall never be told any thing that we may not be the better and the wiser for hearing, if we attend to it as we ought. Let us go with humble and penitent hearts to the Holy Sacrament, whenever we have opportunity, in grateful remembrance of that Saviour who died for our sins, and not for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole world, and who expressly commanded us to eat that bread, and drink that cup, in remembrance of Him, thus openly professing ourselves to be Christians, and never doubting but that He will accept our obedience however imperfect, provided it be sincere---nor fearing that we are unworthy, while we do the best we can, and trust in His merits, and not in our own. Let us add to our faith, good works, without which, we are assured in the Scripture, that faith cannot save us. Trust me, my brethren, we shall never go to Heaven, unless we strive to fulfil the will of God, by leading an honest, virtuous, charitable, and pious life upon earth. All our sighings and groanings will not avail us, if we do not do good as well as talk about it. But every Christian has the . comfortable hope, that he shall be saved, if he follows God's commands to the utmost of his power. He has predestined no one to be lost, unless it be his own fault---for He desireth not the death of the wicked; neither has He ordained any man to be: saved, that has not worked out his own salvation by a virtuous life. Let us then strive, as much as possible, to lead this virtuous life---let us live peaceably with all men--let us respect our superiors, reverence the laws---love our brethren, fear our God, and honour our King, and we need not doubt being in the safest road to ensure our happiness in this world, and, what is of much more consequence, that salvation in the next, which is purchased for us by the merits of our merciful Redeemer."

POETRY.

S

POETRY.

THE CRUSADES.

BY MR. JOHN MITFORD,

OF ORIEL COLLEGE, OXFORD.

(Taken from the Poetical Register for 1802.)

(Concluded from page 364.)

ONS of Ambition, how your crest is fallen!
Was this your pomp? was this, that to the sun
The flashing cymbal play'd, the clarion blew
It's clear, full swell, and streaming in the breeze
The crimson banner wav'd? Those mighty shouts,
The preparation, and the pomp of war,
'Taunts of the tongue, and menace of the eye,
Was it for this? Alas, I know you not!
Men of the haggard cheek and hollow eye,
How are ye chang'd! for
ye
have lost your look
Of blood, your hungry cravings after flesh!

---Oh, they are satiate! they have gorg'd their food,
And drank their draught of gore! and now they lie
Upon the cold earth pillow'd, and their feast,
Their glorious feasting ended, and their high
Carousing done, they lay them down to sleep,
Bleach'd by the blast, and rotting in the sun.

Genius of chivalry! from thee arose

The first faint dawn of freedom: from thy hall,
Thy banner'd hall, and tournaments of yore,
Where gorgeous dames and bearded barons sate,
The loud harp rang, and woke to nobler deeds
The sluggish slumbering soul. Again thou call'dst
On Europe's sons, again they couch'd the lance,
And half the globe from it's foundations loos'd
Seem'd staggering to the other: once again
To the swift keel the Euxine billow flash'd,
And the lithe streamer it's reflected hues
Play'd glittering on the wave: with daring prow
They bore their perilous travel, and Despair
Sate lowering on their brow.-Ye men of blood,
Mark not your paths with slaughter! bid the sword
Not blush with carnage! Mercy cries aloud,
And by the orphan's look, the timorous tear,
That speaks the virgin's sigh, more eloquent
Than words can utter by th' emboson'd vale,

The

The shelter'd hamlet, and the fading scene
When breathes the perfumed eve, she cries aloud,
By all that Pity can bestow on prayer;

"Arrest your sword! men of revenge and war,
"Turn, you and yours! lest now that the great flood
"O'erwhelm you; as of old that impious host,
"When the wide waters stretch'd their terrible jaws
"And clos'd them in: in evil hour they sank
"The renegades from God; fit punishment
"For such apostacy. So perish all,

"Who bid the purple sword of slaughter smoke
"In fellow blood!"-Yet bear they fearless on
Their clamorous course, between despair and hope,
Replete with confidence: the' angel of death
Sweeps o'er the walks of war, his iron mace
Wielding aloft, and on his pale horse stalks
From band to band. Nor rest they till they view
Upon the flood the Turkish crescent gleam,
And all their flaming banners they unfurl
Before Jerusalem. Oh, shout for them,
For their long work is done! the perilous flood,
The wilderness, that shews it's lean, pale cheek
Kiss'd by the hurricane, and the worrying foe,
Are past; past are the purple blasts of death
That swept the desart, and the pillars of fire
Walk'd innocent. Yet are they not unseen,
Not unobserv'd, for many a far off league,
By them who on the watch towers frequent sat,
And gave the' alarm, their long, inquisitive search
Not intermitting: yet, as last, they come,
And now before that holy city all

Bend the low knee; soldier and prince and slave
Together join, hard plying their strong work,
Their work of faith.---For forty tedious days,
And forty tedious nights, impell'd they on
Against the sons of Alla: 'till aloft

And o'er the captive battlements unfurl'd

The Christian banner stream'd. 'Twas a proud day
For Europe and her sons. Weep, weep aloud
Ye of Damascus! and through all her streets,
Her silent courts, and long-deserted halls,
Let Bagdad mourn!---Aye, now the work is past,
The work of war; and now the spear has rest;
And in the tent it's steely brows relax'd,
Slumbers the idle casque; befit them now
Raiments of other hue; and where the sword
Furrow'd with deep indented scars the hand,
Oh let the palm-branch wave! Suppliant and slow
Ascend they Calvary, that sacred mount

1

Where

Where bled their Saviour; o'er his long-sought tomb
The warrior bends, and the rough soldier weeps
His tear of joy and sorrow; young and old,
The widow and the orphan, all bend down
In humble adoration. Europe hears

The loud shout;---floats there not a wave, but bears
Good tidings of great joy;---great joy---for war
And towns and battles won: breathes not a gale
But on it's flagging pinions Conquest rides,
And nations bless it as it sails along.

Now was the time accomplish'd, now was come
Man's freedom: o'er the visual orb appear'd
The golden day, and though by blood 'twas bought,
Yet was the price as nothing,-for the feast
Was noble. Now again erect he walk'd
And hail'd the sun; beneath his foot the rod
Of proud Oppression crumbled; the dank shades
Of Night drew back, and all her hideous shapes
And all her squallid spectres shriek'd away.

Meanwhile no glimmering light, no doubtful beam
Came hovering over Europe, but a flood
Of golden radiance the scarce-opening eyes
Of mortals dazzled. From ill oft comes good:
From these romantic exploits, that had laid
All Asia waste, and from her turban rent
Her gorgeous crescent, Learning came, and Peace.
On every shore, upon the Caspian wave,
And where the vast Atlantic heaves it's form,
With huge tornados crown'd, and billowy foam,
The sail of Commerce open'd; danc'd the bark
Upon the freighted billow, and oft bore
The fruits of Afric and of farthest Ind
To Arctic climes. Astonish'd Europe saw,
Amid her desart rocks and wilds of snow,
The verdant palm-tree spread, the citron wave
It's silver gems, the perfumed orange drop
It's golden balls, and every mountain teem
With vegetable life: amaz'd she saw
Another and a sweeter Flora smile;
She saw her with a fairer wreath adorn
Her roseate brow, and in a softer fold

Wave loose her robe of green. The native tore
His clotted fur, and wrapp'd him in the lawn
Of Persia's looms; his sordid cottage heav'd
It's marble dome, it's pillars rear'd aloft,
And glow'd with ornament; the statue breath'd,
And seem'd to live beneath the sculptor's hand.
Hark! on each gale celestial music floats;

And