the two extremes of Romanism and Dissent-showing that the Church bears her " DOUBLE WITNESS" against them both-and points out a middle path as the one of truth and safety.

MICHAEL AGONISTES; or the Contest of the Spirits, A Song of the Church Catholic. By the Author of

New

dition of a man not particularly inclined to any school or party; but ready to fall in with such views as his experience and increasing knowledge should suggest as most expedient, or most consistent with truth. His story is told in a plain, natural, and interesting manner, and we think every Churchman can follow him with pleasure and profit in his narrative, as he tries to settle for a time into the uneasy condition of an English soi"Christmas Bells and other Poems," etc., etc. disant "evangelical," and then gropes his way up- York: D. Appleton & Co.-This Poem was originally ward as the bright beams of Catholic truth illumine his delivered before the New York Alpha of the Phi Beta inquiring mind. Some good Churchmen perhaps may Kappa Society, at their anniversary in July last, at think that in his gradual ascent from the depths of Union College,-subsequently before the Alumni of extreme low-Churchism, he soared at last into regions Washington College, Hartford, and before the Delta of somewhat too lofty. But we do not so regard him. the Sigma Phi Society, at Geneva College. It is a For while we might make one or two slight objections very neat 12mo. volume of 94 pages. We have been to certain parts of the work, (and we do not remember so constantly engaged since its receipt, that we have ever to have read a book, except the Bible and Prayer- not found time to read it carefully, (for it will bear more Book, to which we could not raise some objections,) than a single perusal, and this is far more than can be still we have such confidence in its general good tend- said of most of the effusions of the legion sons of song ency, that we would rejoice to see the volume in the of these latter days.) A literary friend who is not unpossession of every family that respects the united in-known in Poesy, has promised to furnish a brief reterests of the Gospel and the Church.-"The Forest of Arden" is also an interesting narration of scenes and events supposed to have been connected with the English Reformation. All readers will, we trust, admire the character and principles of the good abbot William Arnold. "The Siege of Litchfield" is an instructive REASONS WHY I AM A CHURCHMAN, or the Episcopavolume containing many real historical incidents con- lian armed against Popular Objections. Hartford: nected with the Great Rebellion. Some portions of H. S. Parsons.-This is a pamphlet of 36 pages, dethe work will not meet the unqualified approbation of signed "to bring distinctly before the mind of the reader the ultra-democrat. The character of the unfortunate a few of the leading arguments in favor of the ministry, royal martyr, Charles I., (in Chap. xx.) is well deline-doctrines, and worship of the Episcopal Church." We ated." Charles Lever" we have not had time to read, think (as the author hopes) "that this little manual but judging from the preface and table of contents we may arm her sons against most of the popular objecshould think it not less useful (particularly for the{tions of the day." We particularly admire the "true English, for whom all these works were more especially written) than the author's other volumes.

TALES OF THE VILLAGE, by F. E. Paget, M. A., Rector of Elford, and Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Oxford. First, Second, and Third Series. New York: D. Appleton & Co.-The first volume of these series illustrates, by a number of interesting tales, the working of Church principles as opposed to those of Romanism; the second, the "way of the Church," as contrasted with the " ways of Dissent;" and the third, the characters of the Churchman and Infidel in contrast. We do not like to "swear in the words of any master," but we are free to confess that we have not met with any recent work that, on most points, so fully expresses our own opinions.

view of the Poem for the next number of the Evergreen. Our readers will be pleased to learn that the author of "Michael Agonistes" is a contributor to our pages.

spirit of the Gospel" in which the work is written. In these times of bitter hostility to the Church, we should endeavor not to return railing for railing. Churchmen have scriptural and historical arguments and facts to support their claims, and have, therefore, not the shadow of an excuse for resorting to ridicule, misrepresentation, and the invention of false facts,-weapons which the sects around us are too much in the habit of employing.

RUDIMENTS OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY AND ASTRONOMY, designed for the Younger Classes in Academies and for Common Schools. By Denison Olmsted, Prof. Nat. Phil. and Astron. in Yale College. New Haven: S. Babcock, 1844.-This work, in its form and character, is well adapted to the young as a first book in Natural Philosophy and Astronomy. Its style THE DOUBLE WITNESS OF THE CHURCH, by the Revis easy and familiar, and the work contains numerous Wm. Ingraham Kip, Author of the Lenten Fast." appropriate engravings, illustrative of philosophical exNew York: D. Appleton & Co.-This is a neat vol-periments. It probably embraces a greater amount of ume, and contains a rich fund of information concern-information on the subjects of which it treats, in the ing some of the distinctive principles of the Church. same compass, than any work with which we are The author has endeavored to draw the line between acquainted.

[SEE ENGRAVING.]

years after the mission of St. Ninian. After his death St. Patrick was sent to Ireland, and found a more favorable reception than his predecessor Palladay. He was accompanied by several teachers, by whose aid he was enabled to found Churches and establish monasteries with schools.

In the year 565, ST. COLUMBA came from one of St. ABOUT three miles south from Staffa, and near the Patrick's monasteries,* and entered upon his mission southern extremity of Mull,-one of the larger of the to the Picts of the northern parts of Scotland, which Hebrides or Western Isles on the coast of Scotland, had never before been visited by any Christian missionis the celebrated Iona.* It is an islet of small dimen-ary. He brought with him twelve other monks, and essions, being only three miles in length and one mile in tablished his famous monastery and school of learning at breadth in its widest part. Its western coast is gener- Iona. The Scottish King of Argyle, Brude, favored his ally rocky, but the eastern, more level. The island enterprise, and gave him a grant of the island; and Aihas long enjoyed the reputation of being uncommonly den, a successor of Brude, paid him the highest reverfertile, but it was probably only fertile by comparison,ence. St. Columba had the sole jurisdiction of his litbecause its soil was more productive than that of the tle island, "which became covered with cloisters and desolate and barren regions by which it is surrounded.churches, and was the residence of a numerous and learned body of monks." The institution which he founded was not governed on the same principles of monastic discipline so common in after ages, but it appears to have been both a seminary for the education of candidates for the holy ministry, and a place of residence for the brotherhood of missionaries-such as our present excellent missionary institution at Nashotah, in Wisconsin Territory. An English writer says "there is scarcely any other institution of the kind, which we have reason to remember with feelings of

This small island has been rendered famous on ac

count of having once been, in the language of Dr. Johnson, "the luminary of the Caledonian regions, whence savage clans and roving barbarians derived the benefits of knowledge and the blessings of religion." There is also much reason to believe that "this isle was a sacred spot even long before it was shone upon by the light of Christianity. Here, the Druids are supposed to have celebrated their mysterious and bloody rites: it is said then to have borne the name of Inish Druinish, (the island of the Druids ;) and a green emi-equal gratitude; for, from this retreat of piety in Iona nence near the eastern coast is still distinguished by the epithet of their burying-place.”

came forth those heralds of the gospel, who taught the greater part of our rude forefathers. And no doubt it was so appointed by God's providence, that Christianity should be planted in North Britain at the very time it was driven outt at the South, that the means of its res

Christianity appears to have been introduced into the southern counties of Scotland by St. Ninian, a British Bishop, about A. D. 400. He is said to have been the means of converting many of these wild peo-toration might be at hand." ple from their idolatry, and to have founded a Church, which was long the seat of other Bishops after him, at Whit-herne, on the coast of Galloway. His successors extended their labors as far north as Glasgow. About A. D. 430, Pallady was ordained Bishop, and sent on a mission to the Scots in Ireland, but meeting with little success there, he crossed over also to the Picts in Galloway, and died among them, not many

* Iona, which is a Celtic term signifying the "Isle of Waves," is also called Hii, I, (pronounced ce, that is, the "Isle,") and I-colm-kill, (that is, the "Isle of Columba's Cell.") The venerable Bede, who wrote in the beginning of the eighth century, designates it by its name of I. By later writers it has occasioally been termed Hyona.

St. Columba must have been a man of deep piety and uncommon learning, and far in advance of the rude and dark age in which he lived. He appears to have been possessed of all the knowledge of his time, and may be considered to have introduced not only the light of the gospel, but also that of literature, into the country of his adoption. He labored with much success among these wild people of the North. The old British historian, Gildas, speaks of these Picts and Scots, before they were converted to Christianity, as a very savage race, "wearing more hair on their ruffian

* Durrogh, in Ireland.

By the Saxons, in the fifth century.

faces than they had clothes on their bodies." But ( For "there can be no question that the spirit of plunwhen Columba and his missionary colleagues began to der was at the bottom of a great many of the proceedadminister Christian baptism to the natives, after hav-ings of those days. It influenced the nobles and all ing instructed them in the glorious light of the Gospel, { classes; and even pious reformers themselves, though, these barbarians appear to have lost much of their original rudeness and ferocity.

St. Columba died A. D. 597. His memorable acts were recorded by Cummeneus Albus, abbot of Iona from the year 657 to 669; and his life was written, in three books, by Adamnanus, who presided at Iona from the year 669 to 704. The discipline which he established at Iona long survived him. His disciples were remarkable for the holiness and abstemiousness of their lives.

we hope, from better motives, encouraged the unjust appropriation of the revenues of monasteries. The result was that large estates, which for ages had been dedicated to God,-including not only the property of the religious houses, but the revenues of bishops, and the impropriations, which of right belonged to the parochial clergy,—instead of being held sacred, or applied to those analagous uses in God's service, which a better knowledge of his will would have dictated, were violently seized, and for the most part applied to the enrichment of private persons; whereby the commu

For several centuries, Iona was the centre of the Scottish Church, and the place where most of hernity, instead of receiving any benefit, was deprived for clergy were educated. The priests were denominated, ever of the advantages which might have been derived not monks, but "Culdees," from a Celtic term which from them." signifies merely "a person given to retirement and solitary meditation." Eventually, however, the introduction of the papal system substituted everywhere for the Culdees some order of regular monks.

A place so conspicuous and so renowned as the "Cathedral Church of the Bishop of the Isles," would not long continue untouched amid such general and sacrilegious devastation. This and the other sacred buildings which once existed in Iona, were then redu

The successors of St. Columba, after having enjoyed some centuries of undisturbed tranquillity, which theirced very nearly to the ruined state in which they may distinguished piety and learning procured for them, now be seen. notwithstanding the frequent contest of the barbarous The principal monuments of the past yet remaining tribes by which they were surrounded, were at last, in at Iona are the ruins of the Cathedral Church of St. the year 807, driven from their sacred and ancient Mary, of five chapels, of a nunnery, and of the Bishabode by the Danes-"those unscrupulous pirates op's house. "The most ancient of all these buildings whom even the Cross rarely deterred when a booty is doubtless much more recent than the time of St. worth the seizing tempted them on"! After this event, Columba. Dr. MacCullough, who published a dethe island remained for many years almost entirely scription of the Hebrides in 1819, is of opinion that uninhabited, till it was again taken possession of by a of the existing ruins, St. Oran's Chapel is the most society of monks of the order of St. Benedict.* These ancient; and it may perhaps be referred to the Saxon occupied it till the period of the Reformation. After age. Next to this edifice, in point of antiquity, may the Isle of Man ceased to be a part of the Scottish do-be reckoned the nunnery. The arches here are round, minions, the church of Iona was the cathedral of the and the foundation of the building may probably be Bishop of the Isles; and that dignity it retained till referred to a period beyond the twelfth century. The the establishment of Presbyterianism. most extensive ruin is that of the Cathedral Church of which our engraving gives a representation. It is in the form of a cross, surmounted at the intersection of the nave and the transept by a square tower of about seventy feet in height. The length of the transept is seventy feet, and that of the body of the church, from east to west, one hundred and twenty feet. Of this building the part to the eastward of the tower is apparently the most ancient; and it may probably be as

At this era, about A. D. 1560, the Presbyterians of Scotland, or, as they called themselves, "the Congregation of Christ Jesus,"+ evinced their lawlessness and fanaticism by committing everywhere furious devastations on the monasteries and churches; and deeming the property of the clergy lawful prize, they took possession, without ceremony, of the far greater part of the ecclesiastical revenues. Under the sacred name of religion, these reformers indulged in the vari-signed to the thirteenth century. The arches are pointous wicked excesses which an unbridled spirit of fanaticism and avarice would not be slow in devising.

These monks were not the regular followers of St. Benedict, but a reformed order of Benedictines, called Cluniacs, founded by Odo, abbot of Clugny, A. D. 928.

ed, and the shafts of the pillars are cylindrical and plain as they are usually found to be in buildings of the Norman age." There is a great window in the eastern gable of this church, which has been much admired.

Many vestiges of the monuments of the dead, who repose under this sacred soil, still remain. Forty-eight

† In an address to the then established Church, these reform-kings of Scotland, four of Ireland, and eight of Norers affixed this title: "To the Generation of Antichrist, the pestilent prelates, and their shavelings, [a contemptuous term for a priest in Scotland, the Congregation of Christ Jesus within the same sayeth," &c.

way, are said to have been interred in Iona, in three separate enclosures, each bearing a Latin inscription, intimating to which class of the illustrious dead it was