cordial impulse, a presumption immediately arises, that something has gone fearfully wrong; that some dislocation has occurred in those powers and principles by which the social system is maintained. The human affections are naturally ardent, they cannot attach themselves to mere abstractions: they must cling to something that lives, and breathes, and moves: and wherever this their powerful tendency is counteracted, it must be by the application of some unnatural violence. And accordingly, whenever the loyality of the heart is wanting in a nation, we are driven to some alarming supposition to explain so strange an appearance. Either some perverse industry must have been exerted, by those who actually exercise the supreme powers, to repel the tide of attachment which runs so impetuously towards them: -or, the current has been chained up by the freezing breath of a coldblooded metaphysical spirit of reform:-or, the desolating genius of revolution has broken up and destroyed all the ancient legitimate channels of human passion. Such a state of the public mind is therefore to be deprecated as a portentous calamity. It is a comfortless and fearful state of things, when the powers that be' are left to support themselves by their own terrors; and it is little better, when they are aided only by a cautious reasoning loyalty, in which feeling is neutral and indifferent, when they have to address themselves to the cold and guarded understandings of men, without assistance from those generous prejudices which act almost with the certainty and readiness of instinct. The subject of the ninth Sermon is the Parable, as it is sometimes called, of the Relapsed Demoniac, Matt. xii, 4, 5. The last state of that man is worse than the first. This parable has occasioned some perplexity to commentators. Mr. Le Bas considers it, and we think correctly, as pointing out the danger of an imperfect repentance: the language of our Lord being meant in the first instance for the Pharisees and hypocrites whom he was reproving, but by no means intended to be confined to them. These views the preacher confirms by an examination of the parable, and illustrates the description given in it of the several circumstances in which the demoniac is placed, by considering the process of a mind, which has been awakened from the trance of sin; and has again, by the force of temptation, been drawn aside from the paths of life, and plunged into the ways of darkness. He proceeds to draw a picture of the moral and religious state of the man thus fearfully relapsed; and shews it to be now worse," in the same degree that obdurate profligacy and judicial blindness are worse, than the lapses of our calamitous frailty." We subjoin the concluding paragraphs: 86 Suppose the Saviour of the world were, at this moment, in the midst of us, so that we might hear, from his own lips, these dictates of uncreated wisdom; what are the convictions which his words would bring home to our consciences? What is the aspect which the moral of his story would bear towards us? Is the unclean spirit still in 6 undisturbed possession of the abode? Or is he driven out, wandering in search of rest, and anxiously on the watch to resume his station? Or has he, by the aid of others, more wicked than himself, again broken in, and seized on the deserted residence? Is any favourite lust, any unholy temper, any pernicious habit, securely seated in our hearts? Or has it, by a desperate effort of self-denial, been forced from its dominion, though still restless and impatient, and eager for re-entrance on the scene of its former sway? Or has it burst in, once more, with a fearful augmentation of strength, that seems to scorn all renewed efforts for its expulsion? If the first of these be the state of any now present, I would beseech them to fix their thoughts intently on the injunction of our Lord, which exacts of us that we pluck out the offending eye, or lop off the offending limb; since it is better to go thus mutilated and bleeding into the kingdom of heaven, than to spare our members, only that the whole body may be cast into hell! If, however, we are now relieved from our hateful inmate, let us give ourselves to watchfulness and prayer, that we may be permanently 'cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit,' that the abode may not remain empty, but may be tenanted by those holy desires and good counsels' which proceed from Him, who alone can control the legions of darkness. But what shall be said, if we find ourselves in the last state' of the unhappy demoniac? What, if the tyrannical sin has actually recovered its possession, and has fortified the dwelling by a dreadful confederacy of evil passions and principles, that will guard it faithfully against all future intrusions of virtue or repentance? On extremities like these, Revelation looks forth with an aspect terrible and almost exterminating! Its darkest threatenings, however, are always relieved by some rays of divine mercy. The God of all grace never suffers the features of his infinite goodness to be wholly concealed from our sight. We should therefore be slow to speak of despair even to the worst of relapsed transgressors. According to all human estimate, their restoration may be impossible; but it should never be forgotten, that with God all things are possible.' We must, accordingly, abstain from any such interpretation of his holy word, as shall assign a limit to the long-suffering of our heavenly Father. It is intolerable presumption for one sinful creature to pronounce that another is, at any time, or under any circumstances, beyond the reach of sanctifying grace, or finally delivered over to the dominion of a reprobate spirit. "The parable will have the effect designed by our Lord, if it recalls us to a due sense of the difficulty and peril of our moral probation, in all its stages and vicissitudes, and fixes our reliance on the Holy Spirit of God as the only effectual and faithful auxiliary in our Christian warfare. By his aid alone can we succeed in first expelling from our souls the sworn enemy of our salvation. Through Him alone can we hope to protect the mansion against renewed assaults; since none but he can supply those invincible and hallowed affections, which, like a guard of blessed angels with flaming swords, shall protect us against the sevenfold reinforcement of hell. By Him only (and this, through the most gracious and sovereign of his operations,) can we again thrust out the reinstated intruder, with his more formidable confederates in malice. But let us tremble at the rashness of putting his forbearance to this last trial. We may be certain of his help in the first work of deliverance from the dominion of evil, and in the subsequent one of guarding against its return. For this, we have the express promise of the God of all truth. But where is our warrant for presuming on a renewal of those influences which our unholy recklessness has made light of? What reason have we to look for his presence, when we have madly wandered into those regions which touch so closely on the confines of desperation? Let it, therefore, be our endeavour, when once the adversary is driven out, to secure, by vigilance and by prayer, the only power which can make his exile from our hearts perpetual. The highest bliss and glory of a created being is to have his soul filled, as it were, with God, and animated with a love for that in which he delights. He may thus bid defiance to the returning violence of sinful passion, and be preserved in sanetification and honour' as becometh the temple of the Holy Ghost... In the argumentative part of this discourse, Mr. Le Bas strongly urges the necessity of introducing into the heart a sound and incorruptible principle, if we would effectually expel a predominant and favourite lust. The mind will not be left vacant: if, in the room of the evil which is driven out, there is not planted an efficacious principle of religion, the reform will be illusory; the bad spirit will return and occupy the mansion with more absolute authority. There may be a temporary reformation, accompanied with a strong sense of the mischievous and dangerous tendency of the evil habits which have been hitherto indulged; but if these remain in that mind, the love of the evil, which has been professedly renounced, and a secret disposition to cherish in the thoughts what the conscience condemns, "this treacherous inmate will but garnish the dwelling; will silently sweep away all troublesome convictions and incommodious fears; will sueceed at last in getting the whole tenement into the most desirable order for the residence of its old possessor, and then will be clandestinely in readiness to open the door unto him the first time that he presents himself there for re-admission." All experience proves that a mere demonstration of the evil of a prohibited course will do nothing towards permanent reformation; it is only by the influence of a new affection that the old one can be really displaced. (To be continued.). ART. III.-The Holy Bible, translated from the Latin Vulgate, diligently compared with the Hebrew, Greek, and other Editions, in divers Languages: the Old Testament, first published in the English College at Douay, A. D, 1609; and the New Testament, first published at the English College at Rheims, A. D. 1582;, with Annotations, References, and an historical and chronological Index. The whole diligently revised and compared with the Latin Vulgate. Dublin, Coyne; London, Keating and Brown, 1825, 8vo. pp. 1824. Observations on the present state of the Roman Catholic English Bible; addressed to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, and shewing that it has never been edited on any uniform Plan; that the Principles adopted by the Rhemish Translators have been abandoned, and that the Censures of Ward's Errata are as applicable to it as to the Protestant Bible. By the Rev. George Hamilton, A. M. Dublin, Tims; London, Hatchards, 1826, 8vo. pp. 22. ONE of the auspicious results of the Reformation, was the translation of the Scriptures into the various languages of Europe. Between 1535 and 1568, six different translations into English had appeared; but it was not until 1582, that the Romanists, finding it impossible to withhold the Scriptures from the common people, printed an English New Testament at Rheims. It was translated, not from the original Greek, but from the Latin Vulgate. The editors (whose names are not known) retained the words azymes, holocaust, pasch, and a multitude of other Greek words untranslated, under the pretext of wanting proper and adequate English terms by which to render them; and thus contrived to render it very difficult,-not to say unintelligible to common readers. This version was accompanied with notes; of which, as well as of the version itself, two confutations were published by Dr. W. Fulke in 1617, and by Mr. Thomas Cartwright in the following year. The Old Testament appeared at Douay in 1609-10, in two volumes 4to, with annotations. The translators were William (afterwards Cardinal) Allen, Gregory Martin, and Richard Bristow. Our present authorized English version was published in 1611; and, after having undergone the severest critical ordeal, has received the highest approbation for its general fidelity and the perspicuity of its language, from all scholars who are competent to form any judgment respecting its execution. Its fidelity was, however, impugned by one Thomas Ward, who in the reign of James II. published what he called "The Errata to the Protestant Bible." This book, after sleeping in oblivion for many years, was revived at Dublin a few years since, and largely circulated under the patronage of the Romish clergy in Ireland. Two most able and satisfactory refutations of it were published by the Rev. Drs. Gner and Ryan. We have given these details, which doubtless are familiar to our learned correspondents, that ordinary readers may be put in possession of the principal circumstances attending the Roman Catholic English version of the Scriptures. It appears, that Bishop Challoner published a revised edition of the Rhemish Testament in 1752. In consequence of the biblical discussions which have taken place in Ireland, Mr. Hamilton was induced to collate five editions (besides the Rheims Testament) which have been circulated in Ireland under the authority of the R. C. Archbishops of Dublin: and the result is,-that there is not one standard copy extant! He has divided his collation into six classes, which fully substantiate his charge. As his pamphlet is not a large one, we refer our curious readers to it; but we cannot withhold his collation of certain parts of Archbishop Murray's edition with our Protestant version, and with Ward's Errata; which is most honourable to us, and shews that no dependence can be placed by unlearned Roman Catholics upon the editions which are put forth by their ecclesiastical superiors. RHEMISH TESTAMENT.-Not condign to the glory to come. Rom. viii. 18. (True English according to Ward.) PROTESTANT BIBLE.-Not worthy to be compared with the glory, &c. ARCHBISHOP MURRAY'S BIBLE.-Not worthy to be compared with the glory, &c. "They (i. e. heretics) translate not worthy, against merits."-Table of Heretical Corruptions, Rhem. Test. 2d Ed. Ant. 1600. Note. See "Ward's Errata," Dublin Ed. 1807, page 74.—Art. “Protestant PROTESTANT BIBLE.-Idolatry, &c. heresies. Gal. v. 20. Note. Both Ward and the Table of Heretical Corruptions censure the use of Sects for Heresies — though the Rhem. Test. reads Sects. See "Ward's Errata," ut supra, page 103, Art. "Protestant Corruptions and Falsifications"-also, "Table of Heret. Corrup." ut supra. RHEMISH TESTAMENT.-But him that was a little lessened under the Angels, we see JESUS, because of the passion of death, crowned with glory and honour. Heb. ii. 9. (True English according to Ward.) PROTESTANT BIBLE.-But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour. ARCHBISHOP MURRAY'S BIBLE.-But we see JESUS, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour. "They (i.e. heretics) transpose the words against the merit of Christ himself.” -Table of Heretical Corruptions. "In fine so obstinately are they set against merits, and meritorious works, that some of them think, that, even Christ himself did not merit his own glory and exaltation for making out of which error, I suppose, they have transposed the words of this text; thereby making the Apostle say, that Christ was made inferior to angels by his suffering death; that is, says Beza, For to suffer death; by which they quite exclude the true sense, that For suffering death he was crowned with glory, which are the true words and meaning of the Apostle. But in their last translations they so place the words, that they will have it left so ambiguous, as you may follow which sense you will. Intolerable is their deceit!"-Ward's Errata, page 75.-Dublin Ed. 1807. (46.) RHEMISH TESTAMENT. And this is the word that is evangelized among you. 1 Pet. i. 25. (True English according to Ward.) PROTESTANT BIBLE.-And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you. 1 Pet. i. 25. |