of dissent. On the thirtieth of January 1649, the dissenters, yes the dissenters-and I have heard dissenters of this day glory in the deeds of their fathers-yes, in very truth, the dissenters, and none but the dissenters, contrary to all law, contrary to every principle of justice, contrary to the doctrine of God set forth in the Bible; cut off the head of their sovereign, the Lord's anointed. And a presbyterian historian of that day says, "Charles had his head severed from his body at one stroke, the soldiers and schismatics giving a great shout presently." Dr. Bates, physician to Charles I., to Cromwell, and to Charles II. writes, "nor are they satisfied to have exercised their rage and cruelty against him whilst he was alive; they dishonoured his martyred body; wash their hands, and dip their sticks, in his blood; set to sale the block cut into pieces, and the sand underneath it moistened with royal blood, and made money of his hair."

In consequence of this great and dreadful crime, committed against the Lord's anointed, the Church of England has provided a service of humiliation "to implore the mercy of God that neither the guilt of that sacred and innocent blood, nor those other sins, by which God was provoked to deliver up both us and our king into the hands of cruel and unreasonable men, may at any time hereafter be visited upon us or our posterity." And it is hoped, that the coming thirtieth of January will be observed with becoming reverence. And further it is hoped, that the Clergy will faithfully inform their people of the cruel conduct of the dissenting rebels of that day. The history of Puritanism is very little known. It is the bounden duty of the Clergy to inform themselves of that history, and fearlessly to inform their people.

The rebels of former days kept the thirtieth of January, at the Calf's Head Club in order to glory in their shame; and thus provoked the Almighty by their impious conduct. Whether these clubs are now in being, I cannot tell: but this I know well, that dissenters triumph in the bloody deeds of their puritan forefathers. This is another reason why we should observe the day, for if men have been found willing to meet on the thirtieth of January to riot in the foul murder of good King Charles the First, surely there should never be wanting men who are willing to humble themselves on that day before a righteous God, to deprecate His anger "when he maketh inquisition for blood." Having lately met with a volume entitled "The Secret History of the Calf's Head Club;" I will, with your permission, extract from it, an account of the origin and nature of that Club. The book was printed in 1705.

"But what can be offered to extenuate the crime of those atheistical miscreants, who make that a matter of their lewd mirth, which the whole nation has, in the most solemn manner, ever since lamented; and over their cups applaud the most wicked action which the sun ever beheld?

"For this reason, my good nature made me look upon it as a fiction upon the party, until happening, in the late reign, to be in the company of a certain active whig, who, in all other respects, was a man of probity enough-he assured me that to his knowledge it was true, that he knew most of the Members of that Club, and that he had often been invited to their meetings; but that he had always avoided them: adding that, according to the principles he was bred up in, he would have made no scruple to have met Charles I. in the field, and opposed him to the utmost of his power; but that since he was dead, he had no further quarrel to him, and looked upon it as a cowardly piece of villany, below any man of honour, to insult upon the memory of a Prince, who had suffered enough in his lifetime.

"He further told me, that Milton and some other creatures of the commonwealth, had instituted this Club, as he was informed, in opposition to Bishop Juxon, Dr. Sanderson, Dr. Hammond, and other divines of the Church of England, who met privately every thirtieth of January; and, though it was under the time of the usurpation, had compiled a private Form of Service for the day, not much different from what we now find in the Liturgy. That after the restoration, the eyes of the government being upon the whole dissenting party, they were obliged to meet with a great deal of precaution; but now, says he and this was in the second year of the reign of King William III.—they meet almost in a public manner, and apprehend nothing. By another gentleman, who, about eight years ago, went out of curiosity to see their Club, I was informed that it was kept in no fixed house; but that they removed as they saw convenient. The place they met in, when he was with them, was a blind alley about Moorfields, where an axe hung up in the club-room, and was reverenced as a principal symbol in this diabolical sacrament. Their bill of fare, was a dish of calves' heads dressed several ways; a large pike, with a small one in his mouth, as an

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emblem of tyranny; a large cod's head, by which they intended to represent the person of the king singly, as by the calves' heads, before mentioned, they had done him, together with all them that had suffered in his cause; a boar's head with an apple in its mouth, to represent the king by this as bestial, as by the others they had represented him as foolish and tyrannical. After the repast was over, one of their elders presented an Eikon Basilike, a book of devotions written by the murdered king, which was, with great solemnity, burned on the table, whilst the anthems were singing. After this, another produced Milton's Defensio Populi Anglicani,' a book published by Milton to justify the beheading of the king, upon which all laid their hands, and made a protestation, in form of an oath, for ever to stand by and maintain it. The company consisted of Independents and Anabaptists; and I am glad, for the honour of the Presbyterians, to set down this remark. The famous Jerry White, formerly chaplain to Oliver Cromwell,' one of Calamy's ejected ministers, who, no doubt, came to sanctify with his pious exhortation the ribaldry of the day, said grace. After the tablecloth was removed, the anniversary anthem, as they impiously called it, was sung; and a calf's skull, filled with wine or other liquor, was set on, and a brimmer (bumper) went about, to the pious memory of those worthy patriots that killed the Tyrant, and delivered their country from his arbitrary sway. And lastly, a collection was made for the mercenary scribbler of the anthems, to which every man contributed according to his zeal for the cause, and the ability of his purse.'

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Having mentioned the famous Jerry White, as chaplain, both to Oliver the rebel, and to the rebel Calf's Head Club; you will pardon me, if I give you an undoubted instance of the real character of that ejected minister. "The Rev. Jeremiah White," Mr. Cawood (in his admirable review of James's Churchmember's Guide,) informs us, was another meteor chaplain of Cromwell. This religious buffoon was retained in the Protector's family to make prayers, or to make sport, as it suited the wiles, or the whims of the crafty usurper. But Jeremiah had fixed his affections on the Lady Frances, the fourth daughter of Cromwell; nor had the Lady Frances repelled his ardent suit. Cromwell soon learnt from his spies-without spies Cromwell could not govern his own house!—the profane intentions of his pious chaplain. The love-struck man one day entered the apartment of the Lady Frances; Cromwell, guided by his spies, quickly followed, and discovered the unfortunate Jerry on his knees, kissing her ladyship's hand. 'What,' cries the tyrant, 'what is the meaning of this position before my daughter Frances!' The pious chaplain, with deep dissimulation in his heart, and a ready falsehood on his tongue, replied, 'May it please your highness, I have long courted that young gentlewoman there, my lady's maid, and cannot prevail; I was, therefore, humbly praying her ladyship to intercede for me.' Turning to the waitingmaid, Cromwell sternly enquired, what is the meaning of this? Mr. White is my friend, and I expect that you will treat him accordingly.' The delighted waitingmaid desired nothing more, dropped a low courtesy to the Protector, and said, 'If Mr. White intends me that honour, certainly I shall not refuse him.' 'Well,' rejoins Cromwell, call Goodwin, this business shall be completed before I leave the room.' Goodwin came, poor Jerry could not retreat, the marriage was solemnized, and the pious chaplain lived fifty years with the wife of his choice!"-Noble's Memoirs of the House of Cromwell, vol. i. pp. 151, 152.

Such was the tender conscienced chaplain of the Calf's Head Club. And such very pious men as this Jerry White are canonized by Dr. Calamy! "Men to be wondered at," as I heard a living dissenting minister say, some years ago. The times of the great rebellion, the days of Calf's Head Club notoriety, and the present period, to use the language of the title-page of the Secret History, "demonstrate the restless, implacable spirit of a certain party still among us, who are never to be satisfied until the present Establishment in Church and State is subverted."

Such being the case, I will indulge the hope that the observance of the thirtieth of January will be general, and that every minister of the "One Catholic and Apostolic Church," in these realms, will be willing faithfully to explain the circumstances connected with that day.—I am, my dear Sir, yours truly,

Dec. 7, 1839.

A RECTOR.

THE CHURCH MAGAZINE, THE RECORD, AND POLITICS.

SIR, Few circumstances connected with the Christian Church in this kingdom have, during the year which is now at its close, afforded me more sincere pleasure than the successful establishment of your truly excellent Magazine. Such a periodical has long been wanted-very much wanted by the Church. It is true we have an admirable publication [The British Magazine, we presume, edited by the late excellent Principal Rose.-ED.], of some eight years standing, whose learned and admirable founder and editor was, about twelve months since, called from his valuable labours in the Church Militant, to his repose in the Church Triumphant-a publication to which the Christian community is much indebted for the revival of those sound and scriptural principles which are now rapidly spreading throughout the land. But the price of this Magazine-certainly not beyond its worth, necessarily precludes its circulation among the poorer or lower orders of society; while its matter is far better adapted for the educated ranks, than for those whose instruction has been but imperfect. Now the price of The Church Magazine places it within the reach of all classes; its matter, written in a style so popular and interesting, cannot but be intelligible even to the most illiterate individual. The thanks, then, of every faithful follower of the Lord Jesus, are eminently due to you, Mr. Editor, for your admirable exertions as an expounder of the doctrine and ritual of Christ's Holy Catholic Church. I feel no little gratification in stating, that I have been the first to introduce your Magazine (which I have taken in from the commencement), into this populous and extensive parish; and I am further thankful to state, that at least twenty individuals-principally clergymen, have become subscribers on my recommendation. In that district of this parish, which has been placed under my exclusive pastoral superintendence, I am obtaining many supporters. I have introduced it into our Sunday School library; and I rejoice to add that, even already, it has proved instrumental in disabusing the minds of many of my parishioners of those blasphemous calumnies wherewith the sects are so industriously assailing that branch of the Church of the living God, which has been planted in this kingdom by apostolic men. I fully agree with you in considering the Wesleyans no friends to the Church. Indeed, my own oft-repeated experience has fully demonstrated, that if any denomination of religionists is marked by a spirit of deeper and more insidious hostility than another to the Church of Christ, it is that which was founded by John Wesley, just one hundred years ago. I never considered the "founder" of this new religion, which is calculated to supplant that of Christ as the established worship of this kingdom, a "good man." On the contrary, of all the religious teachers on record, who have not altogether apostatised from the Christian faith, I have always considered him the most glaringly inconsistent.

I equally agree with you in your observations respecting that most unchristian, schismatical newspaper, The Record. The experience of ten years in the ministry enables me to say, that a publication more injurious to the doctrine and discipline of the church and more subversive of that Christian spirit which ought to actuate her pastors, it has never fallen to my lot to meet with during that period of time. Many of my early ministerial errors-which I bitterly deplore, and for which I pray God to grant me a more thorough repentance-I ascribe to the influence which that heretical publication once obtained over my mind. It is a melancholy fact, that there is a body of the Clergy who respect its traditions equally, if not more than the writings of a Pearson or a Wheatley, or any of the other shining lights of the Church. Still it is a matter of no little congratulation that the Clergy generally, though late, are at length beginning to see the snare which the Church's enemies have laid for them, and, as a necessary result, are ceasing, not merely to support, but to read, the paper in question.

There is one point, however, and only one, on which we disagree. I trust you will bear with me while I state it; and this I do with every possible feeling of respect for your talented, and gratitude for your successful, defence of that Church of which it is my inestimable privilege to be a minister. I cannot avoid thinking it would be more conducive to the interests of our beloved Zion, if you were, as much as possible, to drop all allusion to the distinguishing epithets of party politics-Whig or Tory, Conservative or Reformer; or rather perhaps, if you, or your correspondents, were not to enter at all on the thorny mazes of political controversy. The object of your Magazine is, to unite all the members of the Church, in one intelligent and hallowed

I

defence of her pure doctrines and her primitive discipline. But this most laudable and much-desired object may perhaps in some measure be frustrated, if, by wandering from the direct point in view, you attack those "liberal views " on matters of civil polity which a few of our Bishops, and some of our Clergy, are known to entertain. Few points there are on which individuals are more sensitive than on those denominated "political." Few like to have their motives arraigned, or their principles maligned. Fewer still will support a publication, however much they may approve of it in many points, where both the one and the other are done. O! then, sir, bear with me when urge, with all the affection of a brother, that you would rigidly adhere to that portion of your prospectus, where you declare your determination of "avoiding those points upon which Churchmen may be found to differ!" On matters of mere temporal policy-matters of comparative indifference, rip not open the apple of discord, when it is so desirable that, on matters of ecclesiastical polity-matters of paramount importance, all should hold the faith and laws of the Gospel, in unity and godly concord. A higher, a nobler object is yours, than the transient affairs, the "mere news," of a wicked world. To this, then, adhere; and while life remains, cease not your labours, until, through the blessing of God, all who profess to obey that apostolic form of Church discipline, which has been the nurse of confessors and martyrs, and the uncorrupted guardian of the word and sacraments, shall "stand fast in the Lord," and be "at peace among themselves."-Your faithful servant W. G.

[There are two matters-The Record newspaper and politics-upon which we will have a word or two with our Reverend correspondent, who has very properly given us

his name.

First in reference to The Record,-we cannot but rejoice that the Clergy are beginning to repudiate and banish from their houses that antichristian, violent, and scurrilous paper, which has perpetrated untold mischief to the Church of Christ in this kingdom. The shameful misquotations, misrepresentations, and downright falsehoods which it contains, can hardly be believed by those who do not take the trouble to examine and test its contents. We could prove to any reasonable and honest man, whether he were professedly a Christian or not, that the conduct of The Record has been such as if committed by a professing Christian or a gentleman, would cause him to be shunned and detested by every honourable mind. We exposed some little of its iniquity in page 208 of our number for July last; but, as we expected, it has wisely avoided taking the least notice of the heavy charges which we there brought against it. And now after waiting awhile, the anonymous slanderers who cater for it, fancying that their crimes have been forgotten, return to their wicked course and add to their guilt, by uttering fresh falsehoods against THE CHURCH MAGAZINE, which it called, and we confess not without some reason, The Proselyting Magazine. We will only give one additional specimen of its reckless disregard of truth. In one of its leading articles in November last, amongst other malicious falsehoods, it put forth the following:"It seems to be the devout aspiration of this Magazine, to reach that summit of falsehood and effrontery, on which the Papists have fixed themselves." This malignant calumny surpasses in atrocity anything which the infidel and Popish, and other dissenting periodicals have uttered against us. And be it observed, that before The Record attacked us we had not uttered one breath against it, nor should we ever have done so but purely in self-defence, and in justice to those holy principles which we hold, but which the Presbyterian conductors of that unchristian publication can neither understand nor appreciate. Well may a highly-respectable, indefatigable, and pious Bishop write to us of "the misrepresentations and abuse of that infamous publication The Record newspaper, which seems to be the caterer-general of sectarian falsehood and abuse." Sincerely do we pray that Almighty God would, in mercy to the souls of the unhappy writers in that paper, forgive them their sins, turn their hearts, and bring them to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus; and, we will add, incline their hearts to practice in accordance with it!

In reference to our correspondent's "allusion to the distinguishing epithets of party politics-Whig or Tory, Conservative or Reformer," we can truly and conscientiously say, that comparatively, we care little indeed about politics, and that little only in so far as they are subservient to the cause of Christ's Church and true religion in the land. And this will appear, when we say that, excepting the dispensation of government patronage, which is shamefully conferred on the sworn enemies of the Church and of the happiness of the country, we see strong reasons for preferring the

present government to a Conservative administration; at least for the present, for the good work is at present going on well; and we much fear, if the Conservatives were to come into power, many Erastian and other unsound Churchmen, thinking that danger was over, would be inclined to relax in their efforts to uphold the Church, and promote her extension and welfare in the land. Besides, the present ministers are prevented by the Conservative party from doing much mischief, and we fear that if Sir Robert Peel and his party were in power, they would, from mere political motives, and in the way of expediency, endeavour to satisfy or gratify certain persons by perpetrating such reforms as would be, like the Popish Emancipation Act, the beginning of incalculable mischief. Our trust is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth, and not in any political party whatever. Only let the Clergy be faithful and true to the holy cause which they are solemnly pledged to support and promote, and we need not care for any political party in the country; as we may then have nearly all our own way, and be the means under the blessing of Almighty God, of saving our Church and country from the dangers with which they are surrounded.

In addition to the above political remarks we may add, that, apparently to us, the great difference between the principles of the Tories and the Whigs consists in this, that while the Tories believe that "by God kings reign and princes decree justice," and that "the powers that be are ordained of God," the Whigs believe, as they have in amount constantly said, written, and toasted, that “by the people kings reign and princes decree justice," and that "the powers that be are ordained of the people," whom they term "the legitimate source of power." There may be many individuals amongst both Whigs and Tories, who have not been accustomed to understand their principles in the way in which we have now contrasted them, and whose practices as individuals have been happily inconsistent with those principles; but the principles of the two parties, as stated by their oracles and as explained by their conduct, prove that we have described their principles and contrasted them correctly. It is therefore unnecessary for us to say that, as Christians and firm believers in the Word of God, we are, according to the definition of principles which we have given and which we believe to be correct, Tories-firm and consistent Tories; or, in other words, believers in the Scriptural truth, that "by God kings reign and princes decree justice." The contrary doctrine is that which now actuates the infatuated Chartists, who are merely carrying out the principles which have been constantly avowed and propagated by the Whigs from the time when the writer of these lines was himself a Whig, and ever since he can remember. No government can possibly be carried on upon the principles of the Whigs. If they govern at all, they can only do so by acting directly in the teeth of their own principles.

But we will close these observations by observing, that we are not of those who believe, or pretend to believe-for no man but the infidel does really believe it-that religion and politics ought to be or can be separated. As Christians, and we hope bold and manly Christians, who are neither ashamed nor afraid to avow our principles nor to act openly in accordance with them, we contend that, without excepting politics or anything else, it is our imperative duty, "whatsoever we do, to do ALL to the glory of God." (1 Cor. x. 31.) If, therefore, we were about to vote for a member of Parliament, we should unquestionably do that to the glory of God, and vote—not for the man who would patronize popery or papists or any other dissenters, and deal out "heavy blows and great discouragement to the Church, and whose own moral character was a disgrace to 1eligion and to civilization, but—for the man who would make religion the grand business of his life and the moving spring of all his actions, not at all less in his official or public character than in his private walk. We think there cannot be a question on this point with any Christian, and much less so with any clergyman; and we hope our Reverend brother and all our kind friends will consider that we do perfectly right in pursuing the course, which we hope never to deviate from,—namely, that of defending the Church of Christ and of promoting vital godliness and holy zeal in the first place, and of noticing politics or political parties only incidentally, and as may be necessary for the welfare of the Church and our country, and the glory of God. We shall only add, that our correspondent is not far wrong in thinking that he heard us preach in the parish church at D- in the autumn of 1833. We shall be happy again to hear from him.-ED.]