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and in doing so, strongly to recommend the perusal of the whole of this appeal to a Prime Minister who, with all his faults of a false liberality, we believe to have been the instrument of much good for the Church of England.

"In this letter, I have insisted chiefly upon a revision of those occasional, but important services, which have become the cause of increasing embarrasment to Evangelical Churchmen; and which give greater prominence, and much more practical significance to the mischievous principle of sacerdotal exclusiveness, than any other part of the Prayer-book. But, so inconsistent is this principle with scriptural Christianity, with the essential doctrines of the Reformation,—with the feelings of a large proportion of the clergy themselves,—and with the stability of all civil government; that it ought no longer to contaminate any portion of our admirable Liturgy. There should be no more doubt or ambiguity upon this point. The Church ought unhesitatingly to avow, that its clergy constitute a spiritual ministry, and in no sense of the word, a mediatorial priesthood. Such avowal, however, necessarily implies alterations, for the preliminary discussion and arrangement of which it is obvious that neither a purely sacerdotal synod, nor a purely lay assembly constituted like the British House of Commons, can be suitably adapted; although, for their confirmation, the imprimatur of the imperial legislature is undoubtedly both appropriate and necessary."

18mo. pp. 93.

THE MATIN BELL.
Oxford. J. H. Parker.

In an early number of last year's volume we reviewed a silly little Tractarian book called "The Island Choir," and we then said a few words as to the dangerous tendency of such Romish nursery books. We are now sorry to have to notice with strong disapprobation, the little book which bears the title of "The Matin Bell." It is a story for children, written in a very fascinating style, and so dexterously contrived as to interweave all the peculiar superstitions and errors of the ultra High Church or Tractarian school. We shall give a few specimens, by way of showing what

is still poured forth with the imprima→ tur of an Oxford publisher.

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The story begins with the curious conversion of a little child, from frequenting a square low meetinghouse," to attend the services of a church with "slender spire,' ” “gilded vane, pillars wreathed with flowers," "richly carved screen," "stalls," "reredos," windows of "many-tinted glass," and a "vaulted roof above the altar, painted of the deep blue of the sky, and glittering with innumerable stars of gold.'

Our readers may rather wonder why we transfer to our pages any extracts from books of this sort, abounding as they do with such romantic tales, and false colouring of the truths of the Christian Church; but it is well that clergymen and intelligent laymen should be kept alive to the fact, that such insinuating matter is still provided and accepted as the religious reading for our Church schools and families. Let us, therefore, cull a few pages from this "Matin Bell."

"The cottage where Nelly lived, was a lonely spot, far from the old parish church, which indeed had long been falling to decay, and the square low meetinghouse, to which her parents took her every Sunday, had no bell to waken the sleeping, or chide the tardy with its hallowed sound.

"Little Ellen rose softly from her bed, and having with noiseless but eager steps, crept down the narrow and winding stair, for no one was yet stirring, she opened the cottage door and stood in the glad morning light. She listened for the music that had first awakened her, and again she heard the chiming bells, calling all Christians to rise and join the early Service, and, as their echoes swelled and died away and rose again, filling the hearts of the good and pious with happy thoughts, and whisperings that came from

heaven.

"All this, however, was strange to little Nelly. She had indeed often listened with curiosity and delight to her mother's tales of her own childhood, of the beautiful church in which she had once been used to worship, of the white-robed choristers and the mingling voices of priests and people that rose in strains of grateful melody to heaven; but those tales had seemed to her more like dreams of fairyland, than aught having human reality,

REVIEWS THE MATIN BELL.

for she herself bad never entered the gates of a consecrated building. So distant, as is too frequently the case, was the cottage in which she dwelt from the parish church, that many of the neighbours never even thought of attending it. Not long before Ellen's birth, a neat meeting-house had been erected in the village, and her father, who till then had never failed to be at church, once at least every Sunday, contrasted the bare damp walls of that old dilapidated building, the few chill seats assigned to the poor, and the high cushioned pews in which the rich ensconced themselves, with the clean dry meeting-house close at hand; the tight-fitting sash windows and bright little stove fire, making the place, as the farmer averred, so warm, that he needed little fire at home after the evening service. Farmer Ashton, I say, weighed in his mind all these advantages and disadvantages; the solicitations of the dissenting preacher thrown into the scale, decided him, and after the christening of little Ellen he never again entered the church.

"His wife however regretted the change, and often talked to her children of the holy place in which they had been christened and of the old church, which she had attended in her own happy childhood; of the Sunday school, and her favourite teacher; of the examination and the Christmas entertainment, and Midsummer merrymaking which succeeded, and were longed for even more than the prizes then distributed to the deserving.

"All this little Nelly loved to hear, but to her it had seemed more like a dream than reality, till on this one sweet morning of spring, the bells rang out, and the thought, prompted perhaps by her angelic guardian, came into her mind that she would follow that distant sound and find the place whence it proceeded.

She wandered on through several meadows, and across a clear running stream, still guided by the sound of the bell, and had not walked far before she caught sight of a slender spire, with its gilded vane shining gloriously in the morning sun, above a cluster of tall and stately trees.

"She uttered an exclamation of wonder and delight, for she reccllected that her mother had often talked to her of the tapering spire, and shining weathercock surmounting the venerable church which had been the cherished resort of her childhood; but while Nelly paused in wonder and delight the bells ceased, a clock was heard striking the quarters, and running hastily on, she soon found

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herself in a pretty nook surrounded with noble elms, in the midst of which there stood a newly erected church with open doors, inviting the traveller and wanderer, the wayfarer and weary in heart to enter those blessed doors, to rest and pray.

"But Ellen did not know all that those open portals promised, and she stood for a moment under the heavy lych gate of the churchyard, looking wistfully at one or two loiterers who were now hurrying to enter the church. When all were gone, little Ellen moved timidly onwards, wondering at the strange heads on the exterior of the building: the hideous animals and uncouth forms, fleeing as it were from the sacred edifice. Just as she entered the porch, a strain of solemn music swelled upon her ear, the voices of priest and people chanting the morning hymn; her unpractised mind and ear did not recognize the words, but the tone spoke intelligibly of humble adoration, and grateful praise. Then the minister's solemn voice was heard in the low measured tones of reverence and devotion, which yet in the hushed silence of the worshippers around, fell distinctly on the attentive ear. Something whispered to her heart, (perhaps it was again the angel's voice,) that she was in the presence of God, and she bent her knees upon the cold stone pavement of the porch and clasped her little hands together, as she had been taught to do in her morning and evening prayer. Then the minister was silent, and again the worshippers joined in the service, and the clear sweet tones of children were heard, silvery and joyful as the song of angels."

"Full of these thoughts she scarcely noticed that a lady and little girl who passed her on their way to the school house, were gazing with surprise at her agitated, yet fair and thoughtful countenance. They soon questioned her as to her name and what had brought her thither, and the kind lady looked at her with the gentlest pity when told that till that morning little Nelly had never entered nor even seen a church, and she bade her little girl take her by the hand and lead her slowly and reverently round the building. And so, with hushed breath and timid step, the little creature passed through the oaken doors, with their long scrolled and massive hinges; on her left, as she entered, was the font of richly sculptured stone, entwined on that day (for it was the Tuesday after Easter, and the Easter decorations had not yet been removed) with a wreath of snowy lilies, mingled with dark glossy leaves.

"The little girl gazed at it with a halfsuppressed exclamation of delight, but when she entered the nave, and looked towards the chancel, the glorious scene before her spoke so thrillingly to her senses, that after one moment of breathless astonishment, she would, but for the reverent demeanour of the little child whose hand she held, have darted up the nave to examine more closely the splendour of the altar. The lady looked at her with a gently reproving smile, for in truth that church and altar were of no ordinary beauty. Every pillar was wreathed from the base to the summit with flowers and shining leaves, and long clustering garlands hung also from the richly carved screen, dividing the nave and chancel. The windows in the nave, and tall pillars supporting the roof, were sculptured and delicately ornamented, but within the screen all was more glorious far. There was much rich colouring about the stalls and reredos, and the fitful light admitted through panes of many-tinted glass, fell like a carpet of gems upon the chancel floor. The slender arches supporting the groined roof, rose far, far upwards, as if they aspired to reach the heaven, or at least, would thither lead the minds of all who gazed and marvelled at their wondrous height. The vaulted roof above the altar was painted of the deep blue of the sky, and glittering with innumerable stars of gold.

"All that the imagination could picture to itself of gorgeous and divine; all beauty that the loving heart could lavish on the shrine of its fondest worship, had here been given; and if some deficiencies, occasioned by the lack of means to carry out all that the will desired, might at other times have been detected, now all seemed ineffably radiant; for a long wreath of flowers was that day suspended above the altar; the rarest, the brightest and most fragrant of the season; and there too was the cross, the glorious symbol of our faith, formed of lilies like those that decked the font, but mingled with the rose's crimson light, and a few of the sad holy blossoms of the passion flower.

"Ellen would have gone nearer to see and to examine all, but Mrs. Herbert checked her with a look of grave rebuke, and when they had left the church, enquired if she knew not the peculiar holiness of that place, and that none but the ministers at the Communion, or Holy Sacrament, or the assembled communicants, might ordinarily enter there or ascend those steps."

Little Nelly's instructor soon again meets her entranced church-worshipper, and then the following edifying scene takes place :

"When prayers were over, and the congregation had departed, Ellen still lingered, gazing with wistful admiration at the beautiful things around her, but she remembered the lady's reproof, and ventured not to pass the screen, or ascend the steps leading to the altar. Mrs. Herbert, the lady who had spoken to Ellen on the previous morning, was again at church, and had seen her, and remarked her quiet demeanour during the service; when she observed her still looking round she took her hand, and with a smile of winning kindness, asked if she would like to go with her round the church and see every part of it. Little Ellen was delighted, and they walked down the nave to the western or principal entrance, for the lady, who loved to see all things done in order, wished first to shew her little friend the font, placed just within the portal to signify the new birth and the entrance opened for us by Baptism into the Church of Christ on earth.

"As they stood beside the font, with its fair lily-wreath, and marked that the leaves and flowers had begun to droop and fade, for Easter had nearly passed, Mrs. Herbert talked to Ellen about the continual presence of God within those consecrated walls; and of the triune Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Some things the little girl had already learned, and she knew the history of our blessed Saviour's love in suffering and dying on the Cross for men. So reminding her of this, Mrs. Herbert bade her remark the form of the church, the nave and the two side aisles divided by lofty pillars, which, as she told her, were intended to remind all good Christians of the adorable Trinity; and the grand figure of the cross formed by nave, chancel, and transepts, and representing that on which our Saviour died. the different names distinguishing these several parts, our little girl of course knew nothing, but she could see their form, and would never again behold a building similarly constructed, without remembering that it was intended to remind all loving hearts of the death and passion of our blessed Saviour. She told her also that the richly carved screen dividing the chancel from the nave, was to separate the holiest portion of the church; that in which the priests ministered, and where the Sacrament of the

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REVIEWS-THE MATIN BELL.

Eucharist was celebrated, from the outer part where the congregation knelt and prayed, and listened meekly to the Word of God, as proclaimed by His appointed minister. She bade her remark how beautiful was the adornment of that screen, and told her that each figure

'Of saints who had fought and achieved,' had a history attached to it, and a meaning which, when little Ellen grew older and wiser, she too might be able to understand.

"The three steps, ascending to the altar, again reminded her of the Trinity; Mrs. Herbert told Ellen she might walk softly and silently up the steps to look at the rich sculpture and painting of the reredos, or that portion above and behind the altar forming the altar-piece, and when they returned into the nave, explained to her, that the stone seats with canopies of such exquisite tracery, were called sedilia, and set apart for the clergy, and that the oaken desks, placed lower down and richly adorned with open-work and carving, were for the choristers, the little boys whose white surplices and clear sweet voices had attracted Ellen's attention on her first entering the church that morning."

Very soon, Nelly is privileged to behold a baptism, and is so overwhelmed by the scene, that she rushes home, and cannot be satisfied until her own baby sister is baptized. The scene is thus described,

"On entering the church one morning Ellen remarked something unusual in the arrangement of the font; the canopied covering was raised, and on a seat placed at a little distance, were two or three women, the youngest, and most interesting in appearance, holding a baby in her arms. One of the little school children whispered loud enough for Ellen to hear, 'a christening!' and her heart beat quick with pleasure, mingled with curiosity and awe, at the idea that she should now see the font made use of, and, more solemn still, be present while a little child was made a member of the Church, and having been cleansed in the purifying stream of Baptism from every taint of

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sin, accepted pure and regenerate into Christ's mystical body."

:

"As Ellen looked and listened, the thought of her little sister flashed upon her mind; and she remembered that her christening had not yet been thought of, that no holy water had ever washed from her the stain of guilt, that no priestly hand had ever traced the seal of forgiveness on her forehead and yet she was much older than the infant that day baptized. Ellen remembered having often heard her mother say that, 'baby was not nearly so strong as Nelly had been at the same age,' and an undefined terror seized her, lest she should be ill, or perhaps die unchristened."

Poor Nelly's sister soon sickened; but we will just see how Baptism is in itself rested upon, as the ark of refuge, and cleansing operation for a sinful child of Adam:

"But the prayers of the Church were not in this case to be granted. God was recalling to Himself the spirit, whom He had sanctified and purified in the waters of Baptism, ere yet the taint of sin or defilement had passed upon the pure regenerate soul. And truly, all who looked on that childish face, seemed to recognize the presence of a power higher than aught of earthly origin. It was as if the very angel, whose office it was to guard and guide her early years, had quitted his bright place in heaven, where, as Christ Himself hath taught us, 'he beheld continually the face of the Father,' and come to dwell in and to animate that frail earthly tenement, that so all men might recognize the blessed influence of the holy baptismal stream, purifying, chastening, and subduing the wayward tempers and childish petulance of infant years."

Well may our correspondent C. H., and others, whose minds are opened to perceive the danger that actually results from the positive language of the Service, write with faithful boldness for a timely revision. We too truly have within us the fibrous roots which spring up and, too naturally, bear such fruit as the above extracts.

.

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The proceedings commenced on Wednesday, August 20th, by the delivery of the annual Address, from the Rev. Dr. Buchanan, on "the Causes of Schism in the Church;"a subject which the Rev. Dr. handled with great ability, faithfulness, and love. He was followed by the Rev. E. H. Bickersteth, the excellent son of the lamented Rector of Watton, who, after moving the practical resolutions of the London Conference, spoke in support of them in a manner every way worthy of his sainted father. The opening services being finished, the business of the Alliance commenced, under the presidency of Sir C. E. Eardley, Bart. He introduced to the meeting the Rev. Canon Townsend, of Durham, who explained the motive of his fruitless journey to Rome. He declared that "Rome was the pharisee of modern times, who is driving the nails into the hands, as it were, of the crucified Christ." expressed his deep regret that "such men as Manning and Newman, who were honoured for their great scholarship and literature, should have betrayed the cause of our christian brotherhood, and have gone over to the Church of Rome." Dr. Townsend ended by saying,

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"I now invite any five gentlemen to come to Durham, to my house, to see whether it is not possible that our Christian love may be based on a common creed. I have in my pocket a letter from your friend, Mr. Bickersteth, written to me some few days before he died, in which he says: The way to peace is to discover where we differ, and on that to found the basis of Christian love.' quote another, Dr. Chalmers. It is : 'That God's truth may be clothed in God's words.'"

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"By the census, when last taken, the and the expectation was that it would population of Ireland was eight millions, be now nine or ten millions, instead

of that it is reduced to six-and-a-half,

owing to cholera, to famine, and to emigration. The reduction, alas! has been in the Popish population; and I desire never to speak of this point without that word 'alas!' although we have been much misrepresented on this head. Of the six-and-a-half millions there is very good reason to believe that two-and-aquarter are Protestants, consequently about one-third of the population of Ireland are Protestants."

A meeting was held the same evening for the reception of the foreign members of the conference, the Rev. Dr. Leifchild in the chair. The foreign Churches were represented by M. Fische, of Lyons, who mentioned that since their last visit to England, he and others had acquired our language, in order that they might commune with their English friends; the Rev. Professor Baup, of Lausanne; the Rev. E. Panchand, of Belgium; M. Kuntze, of Berlin; M. Aneker; two Israelitish brethren from Holland, Abraham and Isaac; the Rev. Drs. Robinson, Bacon, Alexander, and Jacobus; the Rev. Mr. Bliss from America; and M. Neilson from Sweden, who appears to have been banished from the country on account of his religious exertions.

Dr. Steane read a letter from the Archbishop of Sweden, expressing his sympathy with the objects of the Alliance, and his regret that in consequence of age and infirmity he was not able to be present. We believe that the Archbishop is anxious to have the laws of his country altered, so as to remove all persecution for conscience sake.

On the second day. Aug. 21st, the Rev. J. A. James presided over the devotional exercises, and the Hon. and Rev. B. W. Noel delivered a beautiful address, in which he enlarged upon the real union subsisting between true Christians, in the oneness of their relationship to Christ. The Rev. Dr. King read a paper "On the Progress of the Evangelical Alliance," and

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