Responses in the Communion Service.

Lôrd, have mércy-upón-us, and inclíne our hearts to keep thís láw.

Lórd, have mércy-upón-us; and write all these thy laws in our héarts, we beseech-thee.

I believe in óne Gód, the Father Almighty, mâker of hêaven and earth, And of all things' vísible and invisible.

And in óne Lórd ' Jésus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, Begotten of his Father before all worlds, Gód óf Gód, Líght of Light, very Gód' óf very Gód, Begotten, nót made, Being of one substance with the Fáther, By whom áll-things were made: Who for us mén, and for our salvation, came down from heaven. And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Máry, And was máde mán, And was crucified also fór-us under Póntius Pílate. He suffered and was búried, And the third day he róse-again' according to the Scriptures, And ascénded into heaven, And sítteth at the ríght-hand of the Fáther. And he shall cóme again with glóry' to judge both the quíck and the dead: whose kingdom shall have no'

énd.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord' and Gíver of life, Who procéedeth from the Fáther and the Són, Who' with the Father and the Són' together is worshipped and glórified, Who spáke by the Prophets. And I believe' óne Catholick' and Apostólick Church. I acknowledge óne Baptism' for the remission of síns. And I lóokfor the Resurréction of the déad, And the life' of the world to cóme. Amen.

BRIEF REMARKS ON THE "ART AND MYSTERY" OF THE CATECHIST: ADDRESSED TO ALL TEACHERS.

THE art of Catechising, than which nothing is more important in the education of the young, and for the instruction of the ignorant adult, was systematically attended to by the early Church. It is prominently recommended, and enjoined upon Clergy and Laity, by our own Church. No subject is more frequently and strongly enlarged upon in the charges of our Bishops, whether of these or former times. In no department do Roman Catholic priests more diligently labour; and hereby they are especially successful in the dissemination of their tenets. None, perhaps, deny its importance. But do all those, who have opportunities to exercise it, and whose usefulness mainly depends upon its intelligent performance, sufficiently realize that importance, and endeavour to qualify themselves to act upon the conviction? Not only the parochial minister in his public Catechising, in the Examination of a class in his school, in pastoral conversations, and at the sick bed of the ignorant—but the schoolmaster, the Sunday School teacher, the parent, and especially the mother, will lose many golden opportunities, if they are unprepared to bear their part in this necessary work. The public reading of the Scriptures, and the discourses delivered from the Pulpit, are unspeakably valuable provisions for religious instruction. But the resulting benefits would be increased tenfold, if there was a sufficient preparation of the mind by effective Catechising. For want of this many a chapter is unprofitable; and many a Sermon, of lucid illustration and application, is not understood-perhaps is misapprehended-may leave a salutary general impression, yet fails, in numerous cases, to inform and carry forward the understanding. "Although," said Archbishop Usher, "we preach never so many sermons unto the people, yet is our labour but lost, so long as the first principles are untaught, upon which all other doctrine must be builded."

The mere faculty of reading, however widely communicated, and even the mere learning by rote, however perfectly, the most excellent Catechisms, does not secure the desired end. The inquiry which each thinking person proposes to himself "Understandest thou what thou readest?" should be virtually proposed by the teacher to each one under his instruction, as it was proposed by our Saviour to his disciples-"Have ye understood all these things?"

But

It may be supposed by some, that the very numerous books of questions on the Church Catechism, on the Scripture history, and on many other subjects of secular and religious instruction, supply all that is wanted. And so they do, if rightly used. They are valuable helps to an adult, whereby to examine himself; and suggest questions whereby to examine others. we doubt not that many have found, that in questioning a class of young persons they could not well use such questioning books just as they standthat some questions seemed too difficult-and that something else seemed to be wanting to enable them to get ready answers from their pupils.

It is necessary, therefore, to inquire whether this questioning method, this breaking up of any sentence into short questions, can be reduced to a few simple principles. We think it may; and that a teacher, having made himself familiar with those principles, if he adequately understands the subject on

which he has to examine, and acquires an aptness in the work by persevering practice, will be able to propose the necessary questions himself, and will then use, to the best advantage, such collections of well considered questions as are recorded in very numerous helps to Catechising.

A conviction, after some experience, of the difficulty of Catechising, and some deliberation thereupon after the perusal of many writings on the subject, led the writer to conclude, that all the questions which can be proposed with regard to any sentence, or any subject, belong to one of three classes, viz. Grammatical, definitional, and propositional. If in reading a sentence of our own, or any foreign language, we understand the grammatical relation of all the words to each other, and also know the meaning, i. e. the definition, of each separate word; we understand the proposition, i. e. the statement, doctrines or precept, which the sentence contains.

From the earliest years, from the simplest sentence the child reads ("The way of God is a good way,") let the teacher question the child as to the bearing of words on each other in such simple sentences. He may thus teach the Sunday Scholar GRAMMAR, without the use of any of its technical terms. Let him also question him as to the meaning of any word, respecting which he thinks he may be ignorant. Only a failure in one of these points will leave the English child in ignorance of the proposition of an English sentence. What else makes the student of Latin, Greek, French, &c. unable to construe any author ?-But if a word still remain unknown, because we have had no opportunity of observation respecting the thing describedor if it is an abstract term, as most religious terms are, including several separate notions which are together expressed in one word,-s must be adopted of informing the mind of the student. Every teacher knows that the proposal of a definitional question is received by a class, imperfectly instructed, in awful and perplexing silence. Here is the greatest difficulty. What is the teacher to do? If he tell the class the meaning, or if the explanation is down in the child's book, it may be remembered, it may be repeated by rote, but you must ascertain whether, after all, the child understands the matter.

-some method

In this dilemma, there is a resource for the Catechist, without telling the child; unless the subject be such, that some narrative, or other information, is indispensable. The Catechist will here find the proper occasion for the use of questions, to which the answer is YES, or No. If the child is so questioned so as to bring out such answers, by a teacher who thus breaks up the idea of the word into simple ideas, familiar or attainable by the child, he is indeed indirectly telling him; but still under the more interesting and encouraging form of Questioning, or Catechising. We know that some entirely object to such questions. But we are convinced that, in their place, and for the purpose of teaching the definition of a word, and also for leading to the practical application of any principle or proposition to the understanding and conscience, they have an important and necessary use.

Without further dwelling on the subject at present, we will only again remark, that all questions, in their natural order, are grammatical, definitional, and propositional-and that the yes or no answered question is subordinate. But they will be mixed in the order of practical catechising ; for the catechist must follow, not his book of questions, nor the formal

system here laid down,—but the train of thought, inquiry, or mistake, which arises from the first questions which he proposed. This system will be a guide; books of questions will be a help;-but the answers of the children must modify, suggest, and decide every subsequent query. And especially, the blunders and wrong answers which escape the youthful lips are the sheet anchor of the Catechist. These will arouse his energies, and will call forth his ingenuity; and he will find in this work, as well as in many other cases, that one of the most useful and intelligible methods of establishing truth, is to expose and rectify error. And lastly, the Catechist may be assured of this, that if his work is difficult, it is practicable; that he will find that he derives as much benefit to his own mind, as he communicates to that of his pupil; and that he will continually improve in the art,although we hold that, to be a perfect catechiser, is a higher and more useful attainment than to be a perfect preacher.

L. V. H.

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE LEICESTERSHIRE ADDRESS TO THE RUMP PARLIAMENT.

SIR, Those persons, who are tolerably well acquainted with the history of their own country, know that the Long Parliament of Charles I.-in its head, its middle, and its RUMP-was a desperately wicked junto. Mr. Stephens, in his truly admirable work on the English Constitution, very correctly assures us, that the House of Commons was a close committee of sordid tyrants, who violated every opinion of law and justice, who imprisoned their own constituents for refusing to answer criminating interrogatories, which no judge in England would have dared to ask, or have permitted to be put; who, professing hostility to corruption, could deal secretly for the white washing of the blasted character, or replenishing the empty purse of a useful associate; who, in a word, with patriotism for ever in their mouths, went to deluge their country with civil blood, and hack and mutilate the constitution which they swore they were defending, till it fell prostrate and lifeless at the feet of a military usurper. But such is civil liberty, when administered by the 'devoted friends of the people,' uncontrolled by a king and an hereditary House of Peers."

The fag end of the Long Parliament-called, in derision, THE RUMP-was "raised from the dead," towards the close of the Grand Dissenting Rebellion, having been collected "out of the streets, ale-houses, taverns, even the army and prisons." These men-in number about forty-two-were some of the very worst members of the Long Parliament: twenty two of them had sat as judges of the King, and of these twenty-two, fourteen had signed the warrant for his execution. Upon their resurrection, they began to act over again their ancient deeds, and to astonish men by their tyranny and injustice. To such men did the "ministers of the Gospel," in the county of Leicester, present the following address the hypocrisy of whom must be very apparent to all who compare that address and the character of the Rumpers together. But hypocrisy was the order of the day, when, "under the Puritans, controversy and intrigue usurped the place of pure religion; and immorality and wickedness of all kinds everywhere abounded.”—Stephens,

The real character of those times is but little understood; and it is difficult to persuade people to make themselves acquainted with them. Indeed it is so: but some are beginning to see. The Leicestershire Address is thus introduced by Dugdale.

"To show how zealous their Clergy were generally therein, I shall only give instance of a precious pack of those in Leicestershire; which personally came out of that county to the Parliament, and presented to them a paper, intitled, 'The humble representation of divers well affected ministers of the Gospel, in the county of Leicester, whose names are hereunto subscribed. Which was so well accepted of, that they being called in, one of them as the mouth of the rest addressing himself to the Speaker, said, 'That being all Ministers of the Gospel in the county of Leicester, faithful servants to the Parliament, and imbarqued on the same bottom with themselves, that some of them marched along with their forces to supply the late rebellion of Sir George Booth, and others: and, that they well knowing how much it concerned them with all the true godly of the land, to strengthen the Parliament's hands, in the work of the Lord, were desired by many of their Brethren, ministers of the Gospel in Leicestershire, to tender that their humble representation, in their and their own names; with desire that it might be communicated to the House, the heads whereof were as followeth.

"1. That they did acknowledge it, as the product of divine love and goodness towards the nation, that, notwithstanding the many changes of persons and Government, a godly and preaching Ministry, had been, and still was countenanced, protected, and maintained by the Parliament: and that the Lord had been pleased, after so many years interruption, to restore them again to their places, for the accomplishing of all those just and good things which they formerly prosecuted, in order to an happy settlement.

"2. That, as in duty bound, they desired, with all thankfulness, to own the Parliament, under God, as eminent instruments thereof: looking upon their piety and zeal for God therein; not only as a strong obligation upon their spirits to a more faithful and cheerful discharge of their duties, as Ministers; but also to adhere to them.

"3. That they were the more encouraged thereto, when they reflected upon the late votes for encouragement and maintenance of a preaching Ministry, and also for the vindication of their just rights, as men and Christians.

"4. That they doubted not, but the same Divine Hand, which had begun to lay the foundation of a righteous settlement of peace and truth in this nation, continually blasting the counter-designs of the common adversaries, would in due time rear the top corner-stone, to the comfort of all that did wish well to Zion.

"5. That they could not, but with shame and bleeding of heart, bewail that cloud of darkness, which had lately overspread divers of their old professed friends, who at first deeply engaged with them; yet, through that mystery of iniquity, which did still work in the nation, had been misled and caused to stumble, not only to the hazard of their own lives and liberties, but an involving this poor island in confusion and blood: yea the ruin thereof, if God had not stept in for its relief, by blessing the Parliament's Counsels, and prospering the endeavours of a faithful Army, against the enraged malice of the old common enemy, and the dissatisfaction of such as engaged with them, to hinder the designed work of easing their loads, and of settling their foundations in peace, truth, and righteousness.

"6. That they took themselves bound in duty to let the Parliament know, that-through mercy-their souls had not entered into the secret of the late insurrections; but that they did profess an utter detestation thereof, and that, the Lord helping them, they would not cease crying mightily to him, that he would still pour out upon the Parliament, a Spirit of Wisdom, and of the fear of the Lord, to carry them on in their work, against all discouragements and oppositions whatsoever; the names of the subscribers being these:

F