certainty and instability, which no man could rely on. But I neither can nor ought to explain to you, in a letter, what great and irremediable mischief would follow, if we allowed this; but this I can do more readily, and with less risk, when we next meet. Wherefore, I beseech you, lay hold of the genuine Christian severity, to correct this work of yours, and, as it is said, sing your Palinodia; for the truth of Christians is far more beautiful than the Helena of the Greeks, and for her our martyrs have fought more bravely against this Sodom (heathenism), than those Greek warriors did against Troy. And this I say not that you may recover again your heart's eyes; for far be it from me to say that you have lost them; but to beseech of you to make use of them (for I know you have them, and that they are both sound and watchful); but nevertheless you have, in a fit of dissimulation, turned them away, so as not to perceive the adverse consequences, if it once should be admitted that a writer of the holy books could, in any part of his works, have uttered a falsehood with honesty and piety." Ep. xl.

This reproof, given to the monk by the Bishop of Hippo, is very faithful; and, though written in polite language, is as strong a dose of correction as could be well digested. It is curious to observe the extremely obsequious title of so free a letter "Augustine, to his most dear Lord and Fellow-presbyter, a Brother who is worthy to be regarded and embraced with the most sincere worship of love." The hint about the heresy of those "who

should forbid to marry" is interesting, inasmuch as Jerome himself was a most mischievous ringleader of that wicked heresy. Neither was Augustine himself free from the taint of the times; for there is extant a scandalous letter of his to a married couple, in which he commands them to abstain from the marriage-bed. Augustine is incomparably the most evangelical of the fathers; but he can by no means be relied on with security, for he is not free from the heresies of Antichrist, which were beginning to grow up towards a luxuriant harvest in his days; though his writings do, nevertheless, abound with insurmountable testimonies against many of the doctrines of popery; and the specimen here produced will satisfactorily prove how little the supremacy of the pope was acknowledged, as well as point out the wretched artifices of the monastic party, in endeavouring to lay a foundation for that edifice of imposture and tyranny.

Luther, in his golden commentary on Galatians, has duly noticed the subtilty of Jerome in defending Peter, and has, in this passage, as well as in many others, shown how entirely ignorant the learned monk was of the gospel; for, though Jerome was master of the words of Scripture, yet the spirit he knew not. He was ignorant of justification by faith, denied the imputed righteousness of the Saviour, and was altogether in the covenant of works: for which reason we need not wonder that the Roman Catholics have made his translation of higher authority than the Scriptures themselves. Sept. 8, 1832.

CASTOREUS.

I HAVE, like many others, given some consideration to the preaching of the Rev. Edward Irving, and the idle communications of many of his disciples; but I never yet found so sensible an exposition of their errors as in the para phrase, or commentary, of the late excellent and worthy John Brown, of Haddington. I have attended to all that passed at the Chadwell Meeting, as well as those at London Wall; but, with all due deference to the learned Scottish ministers who were charged with the judicial office of investigation and de

cision, I have seen nothing so intelligent as our worthy Brown's Commentary.

On the fourteenth chapter of the first of Corinthians-the constitution of Mr. Irving and his disciples-Mr. Brown says (speaking as St. Paul): :-" Let me, there fore, earnestly intreat and charge you to cultivate and exercise the important grace of Christian love; and, in subordination to it, to be zealously concerned to abound in spiritual gifts, provided it be with a view to glorify God and edify your neighbour. And I recommend to you, chiefly, the gift of prophecy, by which, under the

direction of the Holy Spirit, ye may explain and apply the oracles of God, upon the principles, and in the exercise, of Christian love: for, as to the gift of speaking unknown languages, which some of you are so fond of, it is much less useful; for, let a man deliver the most important truths, in a language which the hearers do not understand, they are nothing instructed by all he says; your words are all lost unless you speak in intelligible language, and you might as well speak to the wind unless your hearers understand you. There are, probably, as many different languages in the world as there are different nations in it; and all of these are useful to convey ideas to those who understand them, but to none else; if, then, I should meet with one who talks in a language which I do not understand, and who understands nothing of mine, neither of us could instruct or be instructed by, or even sensibly answer, one another, any more than if we were wild savages of different nations.

It is, therefore, manifestly proper that, in leading the prayers and praises of a congregation, my language should be plain to all who profess to join with me, that they may, with understanding, heartily join in the work. Would not a heathen, hearing and not knowing your strange tongue, condemn you as a number of frantic enthusiasts, or persons possessed of the devil, rather than influenced by the Spirit of God?"

These are the rational and Christianlike arguments of John Brown, a man to whom the religious world is indebted for a faithful service, during a well-spent life, to his Master and Redeemer, and in which he has illustrated many Scriptures in an admirable manner.

This is so apposite to the refutation of the weak arguments of Mr. Irving's partizans that I select it, and even that in an abridged way, to show the opinion of one of the most enlightened of Christian divines.

Sept. 1832.

CHRISTIANUS.

[Our readers must have observed that we did not give our sanction, by any means, to the article upon which "Truth" animadverts: indeed, we thought it wrong in principle, and defective in argument; but respected and loved the writer, and allowed him to speak for himself, fully intending to answer him ourselves if no other one had done so.-ED.]

66

Ir is, in general, with great pleasure I peruse the columns of your magazine, following with cordiality the able and judicious articles contained in them: I therefore much regret the insertion, in your last number, of Mr. Brynmair's letter on Religious Bequests." Mr. Brynmair is evidently unacquainted with the subject on which he has written, and his sentiments on it are founded in error. Mr. Brynmair states, that he considers religious bequests as one of the greatest evils of the present times. I do not find religious bequests in the black catalogue of crimes mentioned in the sacred volume. I would ask, which commandment forbids religious bequests? It may be said of them, as the Apostle Paul said in re

commending the practice of certain virtues -"against such there is no law."

He says "their principle is bad," and makes many other statements, but without giving one proof. The fact is, a right to leave property in trust, towards establishing his plans or principles in the world, after he is dead, so far as such plans and principles are consistent with religion and morality, belongs to every and such man, and every class of men right existed from the foundation of civil society. It can be claimed by Christians, Jews, Infidels, Mahometans, and Pagans.

A Christian may bequeath his thousands towards establishing his religious creed, or form of worship, in the world; but a Papist or a Druid has no right, in the sight of God, to do the same: because we are commanded to teach our children, and our children's children, the wonderful works of God; and again, to worship the Lord our God, and him only to serve. A Christian may devote his thousands for ever to a Bible society, but a Mahometan may not devote his thousands for ever to a Koran society:-the one is the Bible,

the other is blasphemy. A Church of England man may bequeath his thousands for ever to a society for the dissemination of so much of the Prayer-book as is consistent with God's truth; but a Brahmin may not do so for a Shaster society, because it is idolatry. Robert Raikes may bequeath his thousands for ever to a Sunday-school society, because Sundayschools are for the temporal and eternal advantage of mankind; but, as to Baron Rothschild's bequeathing his myriads for ever to a circumcision society," circumcision profiteth nothing."

The will of a Jew is as sacred as a Christian's, and neither Jews nor Christians have a right to force their creeds upon their descendants; but they have no right to do so on their contemporaries. To attach the wealth of after generations to their forms of worship or plans of instruction would be dishonest; but they cannot do so. A man of another world cannot have any will in the management of the riches of this world; but a man has, while living, the power of directing the application of his own riches, after his death. A man does not make his will, as Mr. Brynmair seems to think, as a man of another world, but as a man living in this world.

Mr. Brynmair says he may leave his property to the persons he pleases, but not for the purposes; he may give to the individuals he chooses, but not for the creeds. I will suppose that a man of property, living in a poor village, builds a chapel, at his own expense, and the villagers enjoy the benefit of divine worship there, during the man's life; according to Mr. Brynmair, he may leave this chapel to the deacons, as their own pro. perty, to be used as a chapel, or a playhouse, or sold, as they may deem proper; but, if he stipulate that it shall be used as a place of worship for the villagers, he violates the rights of mankind; and if he add that no Unitarian or Antinomian shall officiate in it, he is a tyrant. The case is clearly otherwise.

Mr. Brynmair goes on in making statements equally untenable. According to him, a man cannot leave his property for his children's education; he cannot stipulate that they shall be brought up in the Protestant religion, or that they shall be taught to read the Bible. According to him, if a man have a child who is an idiot or lunatic, he may leave such child a round sum of money; but, if he leave a sum in trust to supply its wants, he is

usurping the rights of after generations. His arguments are inconsistent with com

mon sense.

He says, the religion and literature of this age are to be supported by this age, and not by past ages. How does he prove this? Is it not in the teeth of the sacred volume, and the experience of every nation under heaven? Are we not indebted for the religion and literature of this age to the support of past ages, even from the creation of the world?

He says, that education in the time of William the Fourth is not to be promoted by the wealth of William the Norman. I am indebted for my education to a man who has been dead 300 years. The founder of a public school has enabled me, with the blessing of providence, to support my family with more comfort than I otherwise should have done; and more to understand divine truth better. Yet, according to Mr. Brynmair, the founder of that school did wrong.

I cannot agree with Mr. Brynmair, that to pay a legacy to a religious institution is a stigma on the memory of the dead. It is, I should say, a sweet savour of his kindness who, after supporting the institution when living, has not forgotten it in his death.

Mr. Brynmair says their tendency is bad; but he again offers no proof.

He says, they tend to suppress, in the bosom of the testator, every disposition to be liberal. Does he think that a man, in his will, remembers religious objects which he does not otherwise remember in his life-time? The fact is, religious bequests come from those who in their life-time were liberal. The man who puts off his liberality until he makes his will, will, on making his will, postpone it until he makes a codicil; and, ultimately, religious objects are no more benefited by his death than they were by his life. Remove this excuse, and the covetous man has many others, equally plausible to himself, for not giving to religious objects.

He says, they tend to cherish a mind not quite evangelical. The same may be said of every other good action. But, in my opinion, such assertions are not founded in truth.

He says, they betray the high notions of the testator of his own wisdom and piety, and his mean views of the wisdom and piety of his descendants. Nay, they betray the testator's high notions of the importance of the objects in question

his own feeling towards them-and his covetousness that all mankind should share with him in the blessings of the gospel.

He says, they evince a want of trust and confidence in God's providence. He need feel no alarm from this source. Many have given from vanity, but none from want of faith. No. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews shows that faith is the stimulus to every good word and work.

He says, they tend to suppress, in the bosom of the testator's friends and kindred, every rising disposition to liberality. This is otherwise. I never heard of any injury to the spiritual interests of survivors, from a man's leaving property to

religious objects; but I have heard of men supporting religious institutions which have become, unexpected by them, the means of their kindred's conversion.

As to their tending to destroy every good feeling in the minds of parties, their constantly subjecting trustees to anxiety, and plunging them into difficulties, and their occasioning trouble to courts of equity, Mr. Brynmair is quite mistaken, which could be shown, but it would too much lengthen this paper.

If you approve of it, I will send you another paper on religious bequests, which I hope may be as serviceable to the readers of your magazine as Mr. Brynmair's letter has been injurious.

TRUTH.

MISSIONARY ENCOURAGEMENTS.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."
PSALM CXXVi. 5.

Go forth to distant lands,
Ye messengers of heaven!
Scatter, with holy hands,

The seeds so freely given,
Across the mighty deep,

Around the arctic pole,-
Where pillar'd whirlwinds sweep,
And crested billows roll,-
In every clime, 'midst every clan,
Proclaim the Saviour's love to man.

Though clouds obscure the sky,
And tempests howl around-
Though tears bedew the eye,

And disappointments wound-
Amidst a hopeless race

Unfold Hope's beauteous bow,
And bid the "Sun of grace'
In polar regions glow:

The savage shall forego his chains,
And carol forth celestial strains.

Firm as the throne of God,
Bright as the vaulted sky,
Sealed with atoning blood,
And fraught with ecstacy-
The promises invite

Your constant toil and care;
Make ready for the fight,

The cross with courage bear: Millennial scenes of radiant hue

Shall soon entrance your raptured view.

Nerved with the Spirit's might,

'Midst darkness, death, and woe, Plumed with angelic light,

Onward, still onward go.

LIFE AND CHARACTER OF GERHARD TERSTEEGEN, with Extracts from his Letters and Writings. Translated from the German by SAMUEL JACKSON, Translator of the Companion to Kempis's Christian's Pattern. 12mo. pp. 440.

Black, Young, and Young.

TERSTEEGEN, who died in 1769, is one of the most favourite writers with the truly evangelical and faithful in Protestant Germany, for the elevated holiness and tenderness of his sentiments, and the touching simplicity of his style. Though he was a scholar of no mean order, his deep humility and love of seclusion (to a degree which we humbly think went beyond the bounds of Scriptural duty) led him to decline more public and agreeable stations in life, and to obtain his bread and water by the labour of ribbandweaving. But he was a burning and shining light of such an extraordinary kind, as made it impossible for him to succeed in putting himself under a bushel. His private conversation, his devotional exercises and exhortations at prayer-meetings, and his letters to persons who gradually sought his correspondence, were rendered, to a remarkable extent, useful in the conversion of souls. Through many years, the circle of his influence widened to that degree that persons of high rank, and residents in foreign parts, as well as the middling classes of society, visited him, engaged him to become their correspondent, and received from him the most valuable returns of spiritual wisdom and instruction, on the most important topics of experimental religion. Proposals the most generous, and pressed upon him with tears, which would have placed him in easy circumstances for the whole of life, he gratefully but invincibly declined. But, when he became incapable of his manual labour, he received some minor, stated, and other donations, whereby he was maintained in his own way of lowly comfort, and enabled to be a generous benefactor to many who were poorer than himself. He was a man of great strength of mind and penetrating judgment. While he entered into the most heart-affecting realities, and the widest comprehension of Christian experience, he kept close to the inspired word of God, and bore a testimony, inflexible yet most kindly conveyed to sincere though erring persons, against pretences to visions, impulses, and supernatural manifestations. He bore a strong protest against eccentricities in religion, even the most plausible, and which came recommended by imposing names; while he loved genuine religion wherever it was found, and embraced those who bore its fruits, to whatever communion or denomination they might belong.

The Moravian brethren, particularly Count Zinzendorf, took very great pains to bring him into their profession; but he constantly declined a connexion with them, disapproving of the familiarity with which they spoke of the blood and wounds of Jesus Christ," and others of their expressions and ways of proceedings, which, at that time, it must be confessed, were often ill-judged, and proved a stumbling-block to many. At a time when he was much tried by these things, he thus expressed himself in one of his letters:

"My sentiments and my religion are these that, as one who is reconciled to God through the blood of Christ, I suffer the Spirit of Jesus, by means of mortification, affliction, and prayer, to lead me away from self and all created good, in order that I may live safely to God in Christ Jesus; and, cleaving by faith and love to him, I hope to become one spirit with him, and through his mercy, in Christ alone, to obtain eternal felicity. I have one and the same religion with all those who are like-minded, and love them as the children of God, equally as cordially as those who belong to the same persuasion and are of the same sentiments with myself. In other respects, I am perfectly satisfied when, with respect to non-essentials, each one chooses that particular path for himself which he deems the most suitable for the attainment of the end he has in view; and I can love all such who do not go to work in hypocrisy and sectarianism. I therefore

heartily esteem all those among the Moravians who are of the sentiments described above, and am united with them as children of God. But I have nothing to do with that which distinguishes the Moravians from the rest of the children of God; nor do I, by any means, accord with them in it. grieves me much that there are already so many divisions in the religious world; but I am much more grieved when new divisions are created."-p. 38.

It

Tersteegen was a poet of no common order. His compositions form a valuable portion of the rich hymnology of Germany. The sentiments are pure and elevated, the imagery often picturesque, the diction simple, and the verse uncommonly mellifluous. Mr. Jackson has translated or imitated a number of his hymns and little poems, in English verse, not infelicitously. But it is scarcely possible that translations of poetry, from any language into any other, should be equal to the original, or even convey a just idea of it. The two beautiful English hymns, "Thou hidden love of God, whose height," and "Lo, God is here! let us adore," commonly ascribed to Mr. John Wesley, were versions made by him from Tersteegen. We trust