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النشر الإلكتروني

Sanguis et vulnera.

A motto of this bloody kind,

Some readers without doubt will fay,
A mind with thoughts of blood and wounds
But too well pleas'd muft needs difplay.
Yes, my good friends, you judge aright,
I freely own moft truc's the word,
In blood and wounds is all my joy,

But 'tis thy blood and wounds, O Lord!

POPISH BIGOTRY AND CRUELTY.

R.

When the Polish confederates determined to put Stanislaus King of Poland to death, three chiefs with thirty feven others were chofen for the purpofe of affaffinating him. They took a folemn oath, and the Papal nuncio at the court of Warfaw, lent his fanction to the enterprize. Inftigated by furious zeal against the diffidents, whom he detefted as heretics, and believed to be protected by Stanislaus, he even proceeded further, and bestowed his benediction on the weapons delivered to the confpirators, who, thus doubly furnished with temporal and spiritual arms, proceeded to execute their horrid defign. The King was faved by one of the chiefs, who had him in his power, being fhaken in his purpofe; but as a proof of the effects of the nuncio's interference on the mind of this man, it is related, that the oath he had taken, and the benediction given to the enterprize, long operated in fuftaining his refolution. Thus in the latter part of the eighteenth century was exhibited a fcene, worthy of the darkest times of Popith Registry.

APPARITIONS, ASTROLOGY, &c.

R.

When I was in France, fays Lord Bacon, I heard from one Dr. Pena, that the Queen Mother, Catherine de Medicis, had caused her husband's (the king's) nativity to be caft, under a feigned name, and the aftrologer gave a judgment that he should be killed in a duel; at which the queen laughed, thinking her husband to be above challenges and duels; but he was flain upon a courfe at tilt, the splinters of the ftaff of Montgomery going in at his beaver.

LORD MOHUN'S APPEARANCE TO HIS MISTRESS ON THE MORNING

HE WAS MURDERED.

Lord Mohun was a fashionable young gentleman in the days of King Charles the First. According to the cuftom of that time, his fenfe of honour led him to refent, in a ferious manner, an affront which had produced a quarrel between him and a perfon of the firft quality, though a foreigner in this kingdom. By appointment, they met in Chelfea Fields, near a place called Ebery Farm, and where Lord Mohun was killed, but not without fufpicion of foul play. At the fame time Lord Mohun kept company with a certain lady, whom he entertained in genteel lodgings in James-ftreet, Covent-garden. Lord Mohun was murdered about ten o'clock in the morning, and at that very time his mistress, being in bed, faw him come to her bed-fide, undraw the curtains, look upon her, and go away; the called after him, but received no answer; the rang the bell for her maid, and afked for Lord Mohun, but the woman replied, the did not fee him, and had the key of the chamber-door in her pocket. This account was attefted, by the lady and her maid, to Mr. Aubrey, who relates it in his Mifcellanies.

CHIEF JUSTICE HOLT.

The following anecdote fhews with what abundant caution all anecdotes of this fort fhould be received.

When Mr. Holt, afterwards Lord Chief Juftice of the King's Bench, was a student, he and fome more young gentlemen, his friends, being out on a fhooting party, became much fatigued, and wanting refreshment, they agreed to go into a public-houfe, and take whatever it afforded; but upon enquiring among one another, it appeared that none of the party had any money; fome ingenuity, therefore, was neceffary; and Mr. Holt, seeing a miserable, old, tottering female, fitting in the chimney-corner, enquired the cause of her condition; the faid, fhe had been forely afflicted, for more than a whole year, with the ague, which baffled all the fkill of the doctors. Mr. Holt immediately declared he would remove her complaint in ten days time; accordingly got a pair of fciffars, and cutting out a circular piece of paper, wrote a line of Virgil in the margin, and bid her wear it about her neck. The old woman had faith, and the ftudents could not prevail on her to take what they offered, but what they had not to give. When Mr. Holt became Lord Chief Juftice, a woman was brought before him for trial, charged with being guilty of witchcraft; his Lordship was very unwilling to try, and much more to condemn her; he, therefore, afked in what inftance the prifoner feemed particularly criminal? Her accufers faid (among other things) that the had a charm whereby the cured agues, which never returned. The Judge called upon the old woman to answer the charge; and the honeftly owned that it was true; but abfolutely denied poffefling any fupernatural power, and faid the did it merely by means of a bit of parchment, or paper, on which was written fomething the did not understand, and which paper had cured her mother of a moft obftinate ague, and was given to her by her mother as a rare and valuable legacy, which the had formerly received from a young gentleman of Oxford. The Chief Juftice required the woman to produce the charm, and was confirmed in his fufpicion, for he found it to be the very charm with which he had fatisfied his own, and his companions hungry appetites. It is almost needless to add, that the witch efcaped, and the Judge found a pleafing opportunity of difcharging the prifoner, as well as compenfating for his youthful frolic.

ARITHMETIC.

Our arithmetical figures were borrowed by the Arabians from the Brachmans who were much íkilled in the knowledge of numbers. The Arabians, before that time, made ufe of letters to count with.

AUSTERITY OF OLD MEN.

There is nothing more unjust than the ill temper which old people fhew against the young. An attempt to check the merriment and sportiveness of youth, is not lefs prepofterous than to be angry with the spring of the year, because it produces nothing but bloffoms; and to expect from the early feafon the fruits of autumn. How different was the humour of Anaxagoras, the Greek Philofopher. That amiable old man,' at the point of death, was afked by the citizens of Lampfacus, what dying command he would wish to enjoin them? His requeft was, that every year during the whole month in which he died, all the children in the city fhould be permitted to keep holiday. DIOGENES LAERTIUS, who relates this ftory, adds, that this custom was obferved in his remembrance.

A NEW

A NEW HISTORY AND ILLUSTRATION OF THE COMMON PRAYER, continued from page 481.

TH HAT the practice of the Church of England, in reading the Holy Scriptures [fo lamentably difregarded by Sectarifis], is nearly coeval with their origin, is juftified by the examples of all antiquity, both Jewish and Chriftian. Its utility feems to be that of “ adding line to line, and precept upon precept.' As to its neceffity, the new covenant, furely ought not to be lefs attended to than the old. The charge of Jofhua to the people, refpecting the law, may, therefore, without violation, be transferred to Jefus, in the gospel:· -"The book of the law," faid Joshua," shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou fhalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayeft obferve to do according to all that is written therein; for then fhalt thou make thy way profperous, and then fhalt thou have good fuccefs."

The very impreffive folemnity with which the Jewish law was firft read in public, as recorded in the book of Nehemiah, is highly worth our notice. A modern commentator upon the Liturgy, is of opinion, that the whole hiftory of the Jews, the dedication of the Temple excepted, does not afford a more affecting ceremony. In our own hiftory, comparing fmall things with great, perhaps there is no circumftance, that comes fo near this impreffive event, as that of the out-of-doors preaching at Paul's Croís, fo frequent before, and during the infancy of the Reformation. Here the Separatist, however, can claim no advantage in behalf of the irregular and unlearned preachers of latter times.-Paul's Crofs was occupied by fome of the most painful, moft learned and venerable divines of that day; and the effects of their homely, but powerful addreffes, is attefted by hiftory.--Similar, in fome degree, we are told, in the book of Nehemiah, that "All the people gathered themselves together as one man, into the street that was before the Water-gate, and they fpake unto Ezra the fcribe, to bring the book of the law of Mofes, which the Lord had commanded to Ifrael. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the feventh month. And he read therein before the ftreet that was before the Water-gate, from the morning until the mid-day, before the men and the women, and those that could understand, and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. And Ezra the priest stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpofe." See Nehemiah VIII, 1, 4. and V. 8, "So they read in the book of the law of God diftinctly and gave the fenfe, and caufed them to understand the words."

That the people fhould understand the words of the Holy Scriptures in general, no church hath taken more pains than our own. It hath not only enjoined the public reading of the Old and New Teftament; but its timing, and the divifion of the feveral portions of facred writ, are admirably calculated to affift the congregations, even in their private studies; because these portions combine doctrinal and hiftorical knowledge. The fmall part of the Apocrypha, which is read "is not applied to establish any particular doctrine, but only for example of life and inftruction of manners;" hence, alluding to those who have no fuch cuftom among them, it has been justly observed that there is more canonical scripture read in our churches, in any two months, even though we should except the Pfalms, Epiftles and Gospels, than in a whole year, in the largest of their meetings.

Those

Those who neglect so wholesome an example ought to remember that, upon the authority of Juftin Martyr, it was a cuftom in his time" to read leffons out of the Prophets and Apoftles to the affembly of the faithful."-In the fourth century, the council of Laodicea ordered leffons to be mingled with the Pfalms.-Tertullian alfo, defcribing the practices of Chriftians in their public affemblies, fays "We meet together to hear the Holy Scriptures rehearfed, according as the circumftances of the present times may require us to forewarn, or to review. At all events, by the facred Scriptures, we fupport our faith, exalt our hope, and confirm our confidence. We further enforce obedience to the divine commands, by repeated inftructions, by exhortations, and by rebuke."

That the Church of England, as far as the reading of the Holy Scriptures is concerned, has performed all these things in a more excellent way, will undeniably appear if we more particularly attend to that divifion and application of the facred writings to times and feafons, to which we have before alluded.

The useful divifion of the leffons for our Church, are two; one for ordinary days, and another for holidays. On ordinary days, the reading of the book of Genefis commences with the civil year, and thus it proceeds regularly through the greatest part of the Bible within that period, only omitting the Chronicles, for the most part the fame with the books of Samuel and the Kings. Several chapters in other books are omitted, because they contain genealogies, names of perfons and places, or fome other matter lefs profitable for ordinary hearers; this is particularly the cafe with the book of Ezekiel and the Revelations. Leffons for All Saints' day, excepted, on account of the mystical visions which they contain.

Solomon's Song is totally omitted; though it has been obferved "the fpiritual meaning of this moft beautiful but myfterious compofition, exhibits like Pfalm 45, the union fubfifting between Chrift and his Spoufe, the Church; which numbers in a mixed congregation, cannot be supposed capable of understanding.

Ifaiah being juftly deemed the evangelical Prophet, is not read with the reft of the canonical books in our Church, but referved for a course between Advent, the commencement of the ecclefiaftical year, and Septuagefima Sundays. Upon the latter Sunday, the reading of Genefis is very fitly begun, as a period of penance and mortification, corresponding with our original mifery in the fall of Adam, and God's fevere judgment upon the world for fin. For this reafon, in the primitive ages, the reading of Genefis was confined to the season of Lent. The leffons marked in the calendar, it fhould have been obferved, are called ordinary or common, while thote for Sundays, and the other holidays are called proper. The most inftructive chapters are appropriated to Sundays the audience being then fuppofed to be moft numerous. And if it be the anniversary of any event, or what fome have called a privileged day, having its hiftory expreffed in fcripture, fuch as Eafter-day, Whitfunday, &c. then the moft ftriking prophecies or paffages relating to it, are appointed to be read.

:

Towards Eafter, and upon Eafter Sunday, the proper leffons are from Exodus, which under the figure of the deliverance of Ifrael from Egyptian bondage, and the inftitution of the feaft of the Paffover, is understood as being typical of our deliverance from the power of fin and death, by the facrifice of the Lamb, flain from the foundation of the world.

Upon faints days, the Church has appointed leffons out of the moral books,

as

as Proverbs and the Apocrypha; their exemplary lives and their fortitude and fidelity in death, are the causes of the Church's folemn commemoration," and her recommendation of them to us as patterns of imitation. In fact, the general defign of all the leffons apppointed for particular days, has been fitly denominated, as being either "to explain the myftery, relate the hiftory, or apply the example to us."

And thus it appears by the prudence of the Church, the old Testament is read over once, and the new thrice in the year, that is with the exceptions before mentioned, conformable to the practice of the ancient Fathers, to the end" that the clergy, and especially fuch as were minifters in the congregation, fhould, by often reading and meditating in God's word, be ftirred up to godliness themselves, and be more able to exhort others by wholesome doctrine, and to confute them that were adverfaries to the truth and further, that the people, by daily hearing the Holy Scripture read in the Church might continually profit more and more in the knowledge of God, and be more inflamed with the love of his true religion. Whereas in the Church of Rome, godly and decent order was fo altered, broken, and neglected by planting in uncertain stories and legends, with multitude of responds, vain repetitions, commemorations, &c. that commonly when any book of the Bible was begun, after three or four chapters were read out, all the reft were unread.

To give all poffible effect to the reading of the Holy Scriptures in our Church, before each leffon, the minifter is directed to give the people notice of the chapter he is going to read, by faying, Here beginneth fuch a chapter or verfe, that the people having their Bibles with them may follow him with the eye as well as the ear. In this inftance, among others our Church has faithfully copied the manner of the primitive Chriftians, their deacons in the fame cafe, being ordered to ftand up, before the leffon began, and fay "Let us hearken my brethren ;" and then he that read, invited the people to further attention, by introducing the leffon with these words "Thus faith the Lord." Our minifters alfo announce the conclufion of their reading by faying, "here endeth the firft or fecond leffon. In imitation of thefe judicious motives for fixing the attention of the people, we have heard in feveral methodistical places of worthip, the notice of the congregation called to the text, by the minifter's exclaiming with peculiar emphafis "hear the word of God." In fine, as among the military, fo among the foldiers of Chrift, there is nothing more likely to produce the best effects among those who are to obey, than that vigilant obfervation which must ever follow the impreffion of a divine authority, as naturally as the wax receives the feal.

Our Church thus folicitous to give all poffible effect to the reading of the word of God, we, in the next place proceed to fome account of the hymns; the two most ancient being Te Deum and the Benedicite. Whether the firft was compofed by Ambrofe, Hilary, Jerom, or Nicetus, Bishop of Treves, who flourished in the Gallican Church nearly 100 years after the death of Ambrofe, is of little weight in our purpose. This hymn is rational and nobly elevated; and its excellence is furpaffed by no human compofition. It is generally believed to be about 1800 years ftanding. It is in every respect worthy of the fpoufe of Chrift, and is therefore retained by the venerable compilers of our liturgy with great propriety in the daily morning fervice. Upon the whole, it is not eafy by any defcription, to do juftice to this extraordinary piece of devotion; perhaps the Rev. Curate of Paddington

has

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