which crushed us grievously heretofore: and for that relief, which we have received, we bless God, we honour you; and I now heartily entreat and encouh rage the perfecting of that you have so worthily begun. When Sion is set up in beauty adorned, and set up with her watch tower, and officers, then God will be khown in our palaces for refuge."

And that they might have some colour of authority for their seditious doctrine, there came out a paper-April 1643-in print, signed by Isaac Pennington, their new Lord Mayor, who first entered upon his office with a set speech against the Book of Common Prayer, for a direction to the ministers in and about the City of London, both what to pray and what to preach, in these words: "You are required to commend to God in your prayers, the Lord General, the whole army imployed in the Parliament service, and the design* undertaken by them: as also in your sermons effectually to stir up the people to appear in person, and to join with the army to stand up for our religion, and liberties, as is desired and expected by the army, and the committee for the militia in this City."

According to which direction, one of them likened the King to Rehoboam, in forsaking his old council, and then inferred, "It was but justice, that the two Houses should proceed to a new choice." Another, Mr. Strickland, June 9, 1643-on their fastday at Southampton, used these words in his prayer: "Oh Lord, thine honour is now at stake; for now, O Lord, antichrist hath drawn his sword against thy Christ; and if our enemies prevail, thou will lose thine honour." And Mr. Cross-a zealous lecturer-told, July 6, his auditory in the pulpit at St. Mildred's in the Poultry; that "if God did not finish the good work which he had begun, in the reformation of the Church, he would shew himself to be the God of confusion, and such a one, as by cunning [stratagems had contrived the destruction of his own children." Which blasphemous expression was but few days before Sir William Waller's defeat July 13—at Roundway Down.

And now, whilst I mention this overthrow, I cannot omit the notice of a passage somewhat remarkable; which was, that the day of that great and absolute defeat, the rebels in Gloucester held one of their solemn counterfeit thanksgivings for a feigned victory, which they pretended-to abuse the peoplethat, Sir William Waller had at Landsdowne upon the fifth day of the same

month.

Another of their Lectures, in Southampton, prayed thus; "Bless the King, O Lord, mollify his hard heart that delighteth in blood: open his eyes that he may see that the blood of the saints is dear in thy sight. He is fallen from faith in thee, and become an enemy to thy church. Is it not he, that hath sinned and done evil indeed? but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand we pray thee, O Lord our God, be on him and on his father's house, but not on thy people, that they should be plagued." And another blasphemous fellow-Robinson, August 25, in his prayer there, on their fast-day said thus : O God, O God, many are the hands lift up against us; but there is one God; it is thou thyself, O Father, who doest us more mischief than they all."

་་

And for preaching, observe the doctrine of one Kendal-sometimes a coachman, but afterwards preacher at Hamsted, in Hertfordsuire, upon the 1. Cor. vi. 9. "Kuow ye not, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?" "First that by kingdom of God, in this place, was meant the kingdom of Christ upon earth. Secondly, that England was no true Church. Thirdly, that all members of the Church of England, were children of wrath. Fourthly, that at the day of judgment Christ would give up all power to his Father; and would himself become a subject."

And such as did not pray and preach after this fashion, were cavilled withall, expelled, or committed to prison; as one was, by Isaac Pennington, sent to

To extirpate monarchy.

Newgate for singing a malignant psalm. Another committed to that prison which they made of the Lords Peter's house in Aldersgate-street; "because," says his mittimus, “he daily read most malignant chapters.

66

But to proceed with some other particulars of their prayers and sermons: Mr. Evans, preacher of St. Clement's without Temple Bar, expostulated thus with God: "O Lord, when wilt thou take a chair and sit amongst the House of Peers? and when, O God, when, I say, wilt thou vote amongst the Honourable Commons, who are so zealous for thine honour?" And in his sermon before the Earl of Essex-then their General-on the fast-day, September 19, 1643, he thus exhorted the people: Beloved, can you forget the soldiers? I say the soldiers, who have spent their blood for Christ, as Christ did for them; even their own precious blood in God's cause at Newbury.' And Mr. Coleman, in his Exhortation Sermon to the army for taking the covenant, told them, that the covenant was the Parliament's sword and buckler. For when, said he, the cavaliers shall see you come armed with a covenant, they will run from the presence of the Lord of Hosts."

In the behalf of which covenant Mr. Nye, in a set speech, told the people, "that as God did swear for the salvation of men, and of kingdoms; so kingdoms must now swear for the preservation and salvation of kingdoms, to establish a Saviour Jesus Christ in England." For this it was, that one of the Lord Say's tenants, a lay preacher at Bronton, near Banbury, cried out in his prayer, "We know, O Lord, that Abraham made a covenant, and Moses and David made a covenant, and our Saviour made a covenant; but thy Parliament's covenant is the greatest of all covenants.

This it was that ushered in the Scots, for whose invasions these their preachers so much laboured. Mr. Bond, at the Savoy, telling them in the pulpit, that they ought to contribute and pray, and to do all that they were able, to bring in their brethren of Scotland, for the settling of God's cause. "I say," quoth he, "this is God's cause; and if our God hath any cause, this is it. this be not God's cause, then God is no God for me; but the Devil is got up into Heaven."

And if

Another Mr. Pearne, at St. Dunstan's, Dec. 24th-preached, "that Christmas day was a superstitious day; and would, if observed, bring in idolatrous worship." Whereupon the people were commanded to open their shops that day.

One Isaac Massy, a lecturer at Uppingham in Rutland, when he was to administer the Communion at Easter 1644, and had consecrated the wine after his fashion, smote himself on the breast, and said to the people, "As I am a faithful sinner, neighbours, this is my morning's draught": and turning himself round to them, said, "Here's to you all," and so drank up the whole cup full.

Which celebration of the Communion, in this manner, puts me in mind of Mr. Redman, about that time minister of Castle Donnington, in Leicestershire; who, to thwart the order therein prescribed by the law, [Query, CUSTOM; what LAW of our Church forbids it?] administered it to his parishioners in the afternoon, and instead of wine, made use of ale.

Mr. Corbet, also, a lecturer in Glocester, told-July 1644-his auditory, "that nothing had so much deceived the world, as the name of the King, which-he said—was the ground of all mischief to the Church of Christ.”

And Mr. Vines, Colonel Purefoy's chaplain, said in his prayer, at St. Clement's without Temple Bar, “O Lord, thou hast given us never a victory this long while, for all our frequent fasting. What dost thou mean, O Lord, to fling us in the ditch and there leave us?" And Lorking, a seditious lecturer at Greenwich, in his prayer, expressing great wonder that God used to bless his people by kings and princes; concluded with these words;-June 31, 1644,—“O Lord, if thou wilt not bless us with a king, bless us without one."

By which teachers we may guess at the flocks: for instance, at Great Allhallows in Thames Street, when the parishioners were in the chancel receiving -Jan. 1644-the holy sacrament; an herd of new brethren came into the Church,

and brought along with them, beef, mutton, and other provision for dinner; and when the clerk desired them to be gone, they told himthat "the Church was as free for them to eat in as others," and refused to depart, saying they would stay till the communion and their own dinner, was ended.

CORRESPONDENCE.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF SCRIPTURE.

Rev. Sir,-In reading report of Lecture III, on "Agricultural Chemistry," by the Professor Brando, F.R.S., delivered at the Royal Institution, Feb, 10th, I met with the following passage, which, I dare say, will be interesting to all your readers, and useful to such of them as may be making collections of evidence of this character, either for private use, or publication. A cheap book containing familiar explanations of similar passages of the Holy Scriptures, would be very useful.

Yours Rev. Sir, truly.

S. E.

"When combined with lime, sulphuric acid forms sulphate of lime, or GYPSUM. It is found in great abundance in many parts. In the neighbourhood of Paris, as plaster-stone. Satin spar is also a beautiful variety of this substance. It exists in considerable quantity in the rock salt of Cheshire. In some countries it is found to form so large a portion of the rock-salt, even of some kinds which are eaten at the table; that if the table-salt be dissolved from it, it still retains its form as a spongy mass. This will serve to explain an expression of scripture, which is otherwise obscure to us who use salt in a state of purity; respecting salt "losing its savour." If a MASS of rock-salt containing much sulphate of lime be exposed to heavy showers, the table-salt is disolved out, the original shape still being retained. Thus, salt may be said to lose its savour."

REGENERATION AND NEW BIRTH.

SIR,

Hardly a single number of any religious Periodical appears, whose advertising columns do not present us something new on the subject of "Regeneration," a fact that sufficiently shews the importance attached to the subject. And important it really is, on account of the disunion which the discussion of the question has unhappily increased, if not occasioned, between members of the same christian ministry, at a time too, when union is most precious, and most needed to combat the common enemies of our Church.

I think that much of the difference of opinion on this vexata quæstio arises from our not bearing in mind that the expressions "Regenerate and Born anew are figurative; and were not designed by the sacred writers to have the circumscribed meaning which la Definition, or term of art, conveys. They use them with the freedom and latitude which metaphors admit of; never contemplating that their language would be so reduced to the experimentum crucis, or brought into the arena of controversy to be bandied about as the watch-word of party.

Now what is the case with these expressions as they are used in Scripture ?

First of all however let me express my concurrence with your correspondent C. H. D. at p 199, in thinking that in the Judgment of the Church, the terms "Regeneration and the New Birth" are convertible, as appears from Article XXVII., and also Article IX. where she translated the word renatis "" by regenerate, and shortly afterwards by Baptised.

It is well known that the word Regeneration occurs but twice in the New Testament,-first in Matthew xix. 28,-secondly in Tit. v. 35. "By His Mercy He saved us, by the washing (or Laver) of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.

The idea of Birth was very naturally employed by the oriental Jews to express a total change of any spiritual kind, whether of character, or condition, or both. It was the current language of the Jews who applied it to the case of Prosleytes whom they admitted into their Church by the rite of Baptism.

The Apostles would necessarily use it in the popular sense. St. Paul, in Titus iii. 5, used it to designate a change in some degree analogous to that in which the Jews

used it, a change of relation, and admission into the gospel covenant with all its hopes and privileges and obligations. This was a change great enough and important enough to be represented by the metaphor of a new birth. To the warm and imaginative turn of the oriental mind, there was nothing forced or overstrained in the application of such a term to such a change as the passing over from Heathenism to Christianity.

But this was not the only great change to which scripture applies the term Regeneration. In Matthew xix. 28, it is used to denote the day of judgment, when the great final change from mortality to immortality shall take place, and men rising from their graves shall be born again into another state of being.

We have then in Scripture evidently two cases quite distinct, but both cases of a great spiritual change, partly of state, partly of character, to which the term Regeneration is applied by the sacred writers.

But there is yet a third kind of change, a change of external, of condition or state, -but internal, of character. This internal change, gradual and incomplete in this life, is expressed in Scripture variously, by the terms "new or renew," "New Creation," "the inward man is renewed day by day."-2 Cor. iv. 16. "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind ;"-or by the terms, "Born of God," "Born of the Spirit."

Here we find our Church, that ever faithful witness of the truth, following with the simplicity of faith in the steps of Scripture. Whilst, strictly adhering to Scripture phraseology, she restricts the terms renew," "New Creation," to this internal change of character, and generally appropriates the word Regeneration to the Baptismal change of relation,-she does occasionally recognise the metaphorical character of the word by using it with some latitude (as Scripture had already done) and treats it as synonymous with the cognate terms, New Creation, Renewal, Born of the Spirit.

She uses in it this sense (a change of character) in the IXth Art., the word "Regenerated" being obviously, I think, synonymous with "New Creature," a true convert, such a one as was St. Paul, when he wrote Rom. vii. v. 14—23, the very case which that article contemplates.

I agree, therefore, with your correspondent C. H. D. in thinking that our Church makes no distinction between the terms "Regeneration," and "New Birth," but I cannot agree with him in thinking that she means by them no other changes than the internal change of character, of heart, will, and life. She follows Scripture, in using them both to denote either change, the change of state, or the change of character; generally, however, the former ;-whilst she restricts, I believe, the terms 66 Renew," ""Renewal or Renovation," to the gradual change of character. To say nothing of the Baptismal Service, the fact that the word "renatis" is translated both by the words Baptised and Regenerated is decisive that she applied this sort of language to Baptism as a change of state, spiritual (as opposed to natural) though not necessarily internal.

On supposition that Regeneration always means Renewal, or the change of heart, what sense would C. H. D. make of the collect for Christmas-day. "Grant that we being regenerate, [or renewed?] may daily be renewed, &c. ?"

Burton-on-Trent, June 15.

REVIEWS OF BOOKS.

I. Ph. M.

Lazarus of Bethany: Six Lectures on the Eleventh Chapter of St. John, preached at Beresford Episcopal Chapel, Walworth, during the season of Lent. By the Rev. J. W. WATSON, B.A. Walworth: Collins and Papprill, &c.

There is no incident in the transactions of our blessed Saviour's life while on earth, which speaks more feelingly to every heart than his intercourse with the family at Bethany. The Lectures before us have not at all marred the beauty of this interesting narrative; but they have given it an enlargement and application which are suitable to all readers. They breathe the spirit of sympathy into which every member of the domestic circle can most cordially enter, and they possess an elegance of style which is pleasing to all of cultivated taste, and soundness of doctrine which is truly acceptable to all who can appreciate the blessed truths of God's word.

MEMOIR OF EDWARD BURTON, D.D., LATE REGIUS PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY,

OXFORD.

THIS eminent Divine, whose premature death the Church had great cause to regret, was the eldest son of E. Burton, Esq. of Longnor, and afterwards of Lythwood, in the county of Salop.-He was born at Shrewsbury, Feb. 13, 1794; and was successively instructed by the Rev. Richard Montford, and the Rev. Hamlet Harrison, until he removed to Westminster School in 1808, and to Christ Church, Oxford, in 1812. In all these places of instruction his diligence, docility, and talent were evidenced; and such was the estimate formed of him by the Dean and other college officers, that one of the canons of Christ Church appointed him to a vacant studentship in his patronage, at their recommendation, in the year 1813. In 1815, he presented himself for examination in the public schools; and attained both in classical and mathematical learning the highest rank in the classes.

After taking his degree with such distinction, he did not relax in his application to study, but henceforward principally devoted himself to theological pursuits. He spent, however, some time in foreign travels; first in the sum mer of 1816, with his maternal uncle, Mr. Blakeway, and Mr. T. V. Short, now bishop of Sodor and Mann, when he visited great part of Holland, Belgium, and France. After taking the degree of M.A., he spent much of the years of 1818 and 1819, in Italy, and published the result of his researches in an interesting "Description of the Antiquities and other Curiosities of Rome, with illustrations from ancient and modern writers." Indisposition prevented his intended journey to Greece, Asia Minor, and Palestine ; and he returned by way of Ancona, Venice, the Tyrol, Vienna, Dresden, and Holland. In 1821, he published the above-named work, was ordained by the Bishop of Oxford, and entered upon the curacy of Tettenhall, a populous parish near Wolverhampton. Here he entered upon the active discharge of the pastoral duties, with great acceptance and usefulness. But he was all the time a pattern to the young curate, in sedulously and systematically carrying on his theological studies. He "determined at once to proceed to the original authorities, from which, next to the Scriptures themselves, the

MM