Imatges de pàgina
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Word of God, becoming incarnate, by that human flesh overthrew sin, in having fulfilled all righteousness, and admitted no taint of sin; and by enduring the death of sinners, as though Himself a sinner, manifested the injustice of sin, in that it delivered up to death a body over which death had no just claim. And this then both overthrew it and put an end to death; for in thus submitting to death through the unjust sentence of sin, while not at all obnoxious to it, in that He never committed sin, did He become the price of redemption of those justly subjected unto death, as one free among the dead: for so he also teaches in what follows, 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For He has paid, says he, our debt, and fulfilled that which the law aimed at: and what then was this? to render them righteous that had received that law. If then the dispensation of Christ Jesus has brought to effect the intention of the law, the law deserves not blame, but praise.

And having thus touched upon the subject of righteousness, he goes on to an exhortation to it, and having said, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, adds, 5. For they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit; and in like manner in another place, (Gal. v. 25,) “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit," meaning here by the Spirit, the grace of the Spirit, and teaching that he who follows it, both thinks and does the things agreeable thereto, and he that is enslaved to the flesh, that is, to the passions of the body, has deprived himself of his freedom. 6. For the inclination of the flesh is death. He says not the flesh, but the inclination of the flesh, that is, the breaking forth of the passions, for the recompense of sinners is death; but the inclination of the Spirit is life and peace, for he who lives after the Spirit gains peace with God; 7. Because the inclination of the flesh is enmity against God. Again he condemns the inclination of the flesh, that is, the tyranny of the passions which he declares are at variance with God. For they are not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be; for how is it possible that he who has admitted the tyranny of the passions, should embrace the service of God, while yet choosing to serve sin? 8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. He does not bid us go out of the body, but be freed from the inclination of the flesh, as is shown by what follows: 9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. For it is evident that they who received these his instructions were not devoid of the body itself, but what he means is, that they were conquerors over the fleshly passions, and enjoyed the grace of the thrice-holy Spirit resident within them; and so in a similar sense does our Lord say that His disciples are "not of the world," (John xv. 19,) not that they came from elsewhere, but that they were dead to the world.

(To be continued.)

CHURCH SOCIETIES.

MR. EDITOR,- It is a subject of deep regret to sober-minded and observant men, that the laity of the Church manifest so little interest as in general they do in its concerns. This may be owing in part to the

defective and confined view which many laymen take of the constitution and position of the christian church, to a forgetfulness that they, in common with the clergy, though holding a different and humbler office, are "very members incorporate in her mystical body," and that being partakers of her benefits, they are necessarily involved in her responsibilities. They are apt to say that the Church should do this or that, not considering that they themselves are component parts of the Church-the term being understood in its most comprehensive sense; and that if the Church be wanting in unity or energy, the fault is rather that of the members individually than of the body corporately. But much error and deficiency is also superinduced by a practical disregard of the means which the Church has herself appointed for increasing and extending her own efficiency. I need hardly say, that the means I refer to are the CHURCH SOCIETIES, upon the connexion of which with the Church I would offer a few remarks.

During the long and disturbed period which intervened between the Reformation and the Revolution, the Church of England seems to have confined herself to the official services of her individual bishops and pastors (of numbers of whom the praise is in all the churches) but to have used no auxiliary means for maintaining and extending the cause of truth; but no sooner was the monarchy established in the family of William, and a more settled state of things was likely to ensue, than the Church began to take measures for promoting more effectually, and extending more widely, those pure gospel principles which her martyrs had bled to restore, which the word of God and the voice of antiquity led her to espouse, and for the defence of which she knew she was set. Thus within ten years from the accession of the Prince of Orange she founded her Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, and three years afterwards her Society for the Propagation of the Gospel was incorporated. Subsequently, in the reign of Anne, population having increased, she saw the necessity for the building additional churches and the division of large parishes, and the government of the day wisely seconded her efforts, and accomplished, though incompletely, the work she had moved it to undertake. At more advanced periods her National School Society, her Church Building Society, and very recently her Curates' Fund Society, were established; established be it remembered under her own auspices, with the full sanction of all her bishops, and with a due regard to the exercise of catholic and apostolic discipline. And let it be carefully noted that these various institutes of the Church were intended not to supersede her own ordinance, or to detract aught from the reverence due to her Divine authority, but simply to increase her facilities for feeding the flock of Christ, and for adding to his fold by ingatherings from the wilderness, for it is impossible that the Church Societies can be properly regarded other than as auxiliaries. Mere christian knowledge, however deep and extensive, cannot make a man a Christian, if he be not admitted by the minister of Christ into the Church at baptism, and afterwards fed, first with milk, and then with strong meat. The erection of christian temples, neither, can make men Christians, if the Church take them not by the hand, and build them up in the faith of the Gospel. National Schools, neither, of themselves can avail much, if they be not regarded as nurseries for the

Church, whose business it is to conduct their catechumens to christian manhood. The sending out missionaries, too, is the peculiar province of the Church, for she constitutes the great Missionary Society of the world: unto her are given "apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers," that each in his order may contribute to the increase of her body, as well as to the edifying of itself in love. It is very important to notice the scriptural principle recognised in the Church's proceedings as above glanced at; the principle, namely, that christian instruction, to answer its full purposes, must be begun, carried on, and completed by the Church, and that, to whatever extent it may be required, it must be given in subordination to herself, by fit agents of her own appointment. This is a principle which strikes at the root of schism under every form, and which, as advocates for church union, it becomes us to embrace and strenuously to contend for; it is a principle which, if consistently carried into operation, would produce, under God's providence, an indefinite amount of solid and permanent good. But, as I have intimated, it is a principle which has not been so much theoretically as practically disregarded; it has not been entirely lost sight of, but only partially acted upon. Indeed in one sense we may say it has been recognised too fully, for we have trusted to it, and gone no further. It is a common saying, that what is every one's business is no one's; and so with regard to the Church, people have forgotten their individual relative duties and their individual responsibility, and whilst they have admitted that the Church should do great things, they who compose the Church have sat still and done nothing, or more properly speaking, only a few of her members have accomplished a little, albeit that little has been abundantly blessed.

Now, had the principle in question been fully carried out in practice, had what the Church declared it necessary to do been done by her members, we should not have seen so much false doctrine, heresy, and schism, as it is now painfully affecting to witness, nor to lament that large proportions of our countrymen are destitute of pastoral instruction and the means of grace; we should not have seen Christians manifesting ignorance and indifference on matters of vast importance, or others only just beginning to inquire "which be the first principles of the oracles of God;" but we should have beheld them going on towards perfection themselves, and qualified in their order to become teachers of others: nor should we have found the churches in our colonies "vexed" and so circumscribed as they are, nor yet such multitudes of heathen "far from the kingdom of God."

I am unwilling, Mr. Editor, to trespass longer on your time and space, though I am well aware that the subject admits of much more being said upon it. The natural inferences deducible from my observations are plainly these, "Repent, and do thy first works: redeem the time strengthen the things that remain: whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." Vast and solemn as the work of the Church is, all that the Church has to do aggregately her members have to apportion among themselves individually; nor may they intermit their labour until the earth be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. Let then each one strive to ascertain his own position, and to occupy himself doing his own work. Let him consider what he can do individually,

congregationally, parochially, by influence and by example, for the edification and enlargement of the Church. To these ends let him join and act with his brethren in the societies the Church has instituted, remembering that whilst the kingdom of God is made to extend beyond him, he must strive for his own sake to have it established within him. Let Paul go on planting, and Apollos watering, and let our united prayer be, that God would pour down the dew of his blessing and give the increase.

Sept. 4, 1839.

ANALYSIS OF THE MASS.
LETTER V.

X.

It

MR. EDITOR,- The Ordinary of the Mass is immediately followed by the Canon,-composed a little before the time of Gregory the Great,-"a quodam scholastico," as he expressly tells us, (lib. ii. Ep. 54, ap. Scram) though some parts of it are much more ancient. has been warmly disputed whether these words ought to be rendered — "by some learned man," or whether "Scholasticus" was the name of an individual, of whom nothing is known independently of this brief memorial; but at all events, the Canon of the Mass does not claim our respect from the remoteness of its origin, or the dignity of its author. It is well known that Gregory was not elevated to the popedom till the latter end of the sixth century, and he died about A. D. 604.

The Canon of the Mass consists of six prayers, which I shall now briefly describe; deriving my historical notices from Roman Catholic authors of credit :-viz. Platina “de Vitis ac Gestis Pontificum," Edit. 1664; Polydorus Vergilius "de Rerum Inventoribus," lib. v. c. 10; and Scram's "Institutiones Theologica," c. xvi. § 1045, &c. Edit. Venetiis, 1794. Tom. iii. p. 323, &c.

THE CANON.

The Priest bowing low towards the Altar, says,

"We therefore humbly entreat thee, most merciful Father, through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, to accept and bless these + gifts, these + presents, these holy and immaculate oblations, which we offer unto thee in the first place for thy Holy Catholic Church, together with our Pope N, and our King N, and all orthodox (Christians.)— "Te* igitur Clementissime Pater," &c.

This was composed by Pope Gelasius (A. D. 492).

"Remember, O Lord, thy servants N, N.

¶ Here the Priest secretly prays for those living persons to whom he wishes specially to apply the benefits of the Mass.

"And (remember) all those who are here present; whose faith and devotion thou knowest, and in whose behalf we offer, or who offer unto thee, this sacrifice of praise," &c.

I. "Estne casu factum quod Canon inchoetur a literâ T?"

R. " 'Nequaquam, sed de industriâ, ut notat Innocentius III. et alii, quia litera T signum crucis præ se fert." &c.-Turlot's " Thesaurus," pars iv. sec. 18, p. 717.

We have here a spiritual sacrifice offered up by the people as well as the Priest. "Commemorating and venerating above all things the memory of the glorious Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, also of thy blessed apostles and martyrs, &c. through whose prayers and merits we beseech thee to grant that we may be in all things strengthened by thy succour, through the same our Lord," &c.

This prayer was anciently called "Diptycha," because the names of the saints, living benefactors, and the dead used to be recited from folding tablets called Diptychs: it is attributed to Pope Siricius, who flourished A. D. 384, and contains the names of Cosma, Damian, and other martyrs, who suffered about A. D. 302.

¶The Priest spreads his hands over the Host and the Chalice.

He entreats the Lord to accept this oblation in behalf of his servants, to grant them peace, to free them from damnation, and to place them in the number of his elect. The first clause of this prayer is by Pope Leo I, (A. D. 440) and the three others by Pope Gregory the Great (A. D. 590.) Another prayer to God to render this oblation "blessed, appro+ ved, r+tified, reasonable, and acceptable; that so it may become the body and blood of thy beloved Son," &c.

The CONSECRATION which follows very nearly resembles our own, and begins, "Qui pridie quàm pateretur," &c. At the word "bene + dixit,” he makes the sign of the cross; and at the words "Hoc EST ENIM CORPUS MEUM."

¶The Priest, having adored upon his knees the body of Jesus Christ, elevates it that it may be adored by the People.

"Likewise after supper, taking the cup into his holy and venerable hands, and rendering thanks unto thee, he blessed it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,—' Receive and drink ye all of this: for this is the cup of my blood of the new and eternal testament, the mystery of faith, which shall be shed for you and for many," &c.

The Priest adores and then elevates the BLOOD; and here let it be noted that the elevation of the Host was not introduced till the middle of the eleventh century. That of the Chalice is much later. In the modern Greek Church, the bread and wine are elevated before consecration. The Romanish additions to the words of Christ have been printed in italics.

"Wherefore, in remembrance of the same thy Son Jesus Christ, we offer unto thy illustrious Majesty of thy gifts and presents + a pure victim, a holy victim, + an immaculate victim ; - +the holy bread

of life, and the + cup of everlasting salvation;-upon which we beseech thee to look with a propitious countenance, and to receive them as thou didst receive the gifts of thy holy child Abel," &c.

Part of this prayer is ascribed to Pope Leo I. (A. D. 440.) The words in italics and the comparison at the end are plainly inconsistent with transubstantiation.

The Priest, making a profound obeisance, prays to God that his Archangel may take these oblations to his holy Altar in the Heavens. "Remember also, O Lord, thy servants N, N, who have gone before us with the seal of faith, and sleep the sleep of peace: to them, O

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