had declared himself "ready not to be bound only, but also to die for the name of the Lord Jesus." "I fear your charity," he writes, "lest it should hinder me; for it will be easy for you to do what you choose: but it is difficult for me to attain to God, if you spare me. If you be silent in my behalf, I shall be made partaker of God; but if you love my flesh, I shall again have my course to run. I write to the Churches, and signify to them all that I die willingly for God, unless you prevent. I beseech you that you shew not an unreasonable benevolence toward me. Suffer me to be the food of beasts, by whom I shall attain to God. I am God's wheat, and shall be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of God. Rather encourage the beasts, that they may become my sepulchre, that nothing of my body may be left, that I may give no trouble to any one when I fall asleep. From Syria to Rome I fight with wild beasts, by land and sea, by night and day, chained to ten leopards, who are made even worse by kind treatment. By their injuries I learn the more to be a disciple; yet am I not hereby justified. May I enjoy the wild beasts which are prepared for me! I wish they may exercise all their fierceness upon me, whom I will encourage that they may assuredly devour me, and not use me as some, whom they have feared to touch. But, if they will not do it willingly, I will provoke them to it: pardon me, I know what is good for me: now I begin to be a disciple, nor shall any thing move me, of things visible and invisible, that I may enjoy Jesus Christ. Let fire and the cross, let the companies of wild beasts, let breaking of bones and tearing of limbs, let the grinding of the whole body, and all the malice of the devil, come upon me; be it so, only may I enjoy Jesus Christ. All the ends of the world, and the kingdoms of it, will profit me nothing: it is better for me to die for Jesus Christ, than to reign over the ends of the earth him I seek who died for us, him I desire who rose again for us: he is my gain laid up for me: suffer me to imitate the passion of my God. If any of you have him within you, let him conceive what I feel, and sympathise with me, knowing what a conflict I have. The prince of this world wishes to carry me away, and to corrupt my purpose toward God let none of you present assist him. My love is crucified, and there is in me no fire that loves water (or its own extinction); but living and speaking in me, it says, Come to the Father. I have no delight in the bread that perisheth, nor in the pleasures of this life; I long for the bread of God, the flesh of Jesus Christ of the seed of David, and I desire to drink his blood, incorruptible love." His guard set sail with him for Troas: thence they conducted him to Neapolis, and through Macedonia to that part of Epirus which is next to Epidamnus. Coming in view of Puteoli (in his subsequent course through the Tuscan sea), he expressed a wish to tread in the steps of the Apostle Paul; but, a violent wind arising, forbade him this gratification. Arriving at Ostia, at the mouth of the Tiber, some miles from Rome, he was met there by the Roman Christians, who intimating that possibly the populace might be diverted from desiring his death, he expressed a pious indignation, entreating them to cast no obstacles in He his way, now that he was hastening to his crown. was conducted to Rome, and presented to the præfect of the city. The interval before his martyrdom was spent in prayers for the peace and prosperity of the Church. That his punishment might be the more pompous and public, his execution was appointed to take place on one of their solemn festivals, called the Saturnalia; and at that period of the festival when it was customary to entertain the people with the bloody conflicts of gladiators, and the encounter of wild beasts. To this he alluded in the letter, above quoted, to the Roman Christians. On the thirteenth day of the calends of January, that is, on the twentieth of December, he was hurried to the amphitheatre, and thrown to the wild beasts, at a spot near the temple. His remains, which were a few of the hardest of his bones, were gathered up by two deacons who had accompanied him, and carried by them to Antioch, where they were wrapped in a linen-cloth, and buried with the brethren of that holy Church. The Church of God justly sets a high value on the writings of Ignatius. He stands at the head of those Ante-Nicene fathers who have delivered their opinions in defence of the deity of Christ, whom he calls the Son of God, and his eternal Word. He is also reckoned the great champion of the doctrine of the episcopal order, as distinct from, and higher than, that of presbyter or deacon; and one, perhaps the most important, use of his writings, is the testimony he gives to the authenticity of the Scriptures, from his reference to the very expressions found in the Scriptures as we have them at this day. But he stands forward in one point of view, which may be appreciated by all, even by those who have not the means of studying his writings, as one of that "noble army of martyrs," who have been "set forth as a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men," with whom we should learn to be united in the " fellowship of their sufferings," and "whose faith" we ought to "follow, considering the end of their conversationJesus Christ." PASSING THOUGHTS. BY CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH. Of all the footmarks that betray the con- To a mind not hardened against all right feeling, even the gratification of surveying rare and beautiful specimens of living animals is embittered by a degree of painful sympathy, while contrasting the narrow limits of their dungeons with the wide expanse through which they were formed to roam. I once visited the Zoological Gardens at feeding-time; and, when observing the restless agitation in which a hungry lion traversed the space, where he could scarcely measure half-a-dozen steps, impatient for his miserable pittance of food, the grandeur of Scriptural imagery burst upon my mind "The lions, roaring after their prey, do seek their meat from God." I fancied the same animal coming forth from his native den, beneath the shadows of evening deepened by the masses of his leafy canopy, and striding onward in unshackled majesty, bidding the rude forest echo to his roar. The contrast spoiled my evening's enjoyment. But there is among the brute creation one race, advancing such especial claims of exemption from the general lot of oppressed inferiors, that my indignation scarcely outruns my astonishment when I see him illused. Hateful as are the cruelties exercised on the noble horse, on the patient ox, and harmless, timid sheep, nothing seems so base, so aggravated, as harsh treatment inflicted on the dog. From a child, I have studied the character of that faithful follower of man; and truly it is a marvellous one. The zeal, devotion, and consistency of his attachment; the palpable degree in which his faculties are sharpened by it; his patient endurance, undaunted courage, and more than "half-reasoning" sagacity, in all that concerns the interests of, perhaps, a neglectful or cruel master, these qualities stamp with such exceeding turpitude the outrages committed through the very confidence inspired by them, that it is extraordinary a general cry of loud reprobation does not break forth to intimidate, where it might not shame, the perpetrators. Of course, I now allude to the scandalous practice of using the lesser and more delicate individuals of the species for draught; while even the sturdy mastiff and powerful Newfoundland dog, are urged to painful and unnatural efforts, which their very willingness in attempting them renders it more unmanly to extort. Let any one examine the skin of this ill-requited servant, how liable it is to inflame and break on a slight injury; let him mark the perpetual thirst, excited by any accession of heat or exercise; and then imagine a small part of what must be the suffering induced by the galling harness, the cutting lash, and the dreadful craving for drink which the shackled condition of the poor creature prevents his satisfying, and which is rarely thought of by his selfish employer. It is really becoming a national sin among us; and no sin will more surely find its perpe trators out, or visit them more fearfully in this world. Canine madness will undoubtedly increase to such an extent, under the barbarous system, as to make the extirpation of the race a matter of public safety. And, partial as I am to the dog, I would rather see his name and nature blotted out from the page of creation, than witness what is now a common spectacle wherever we turn the eye. Declaiming is useless; a determined effort ought to be made by every one who does not desire to lose the honest guardian of his property, the playful companion of his walk, and the most attached of his adherents, to put down this disgusting and dangerous nuisance. That "the righteous man regardeth the life of his beast," we know. Gentleness, a fruit of the Spirit, is utterly opposed to every harsh and cruel action; and I should feel no happy assurance of that man's Christian walk, who could look on with indifferent eye, or content himself with a passing expression of disapproval, when such barbarity is inflicted on an animal more friendly to man than man is to his fellow, more humbly confiding towards man than man is towards his God. I have seen the dog freely used for draught under circumstances perfectly justifiable. A peculiar breed, broad-chested, thick-set, and every way fitted for the task of drawing the light sledge over the glassy surface of fixed ice, or where the deep snow-bed would not bear the rugged tread and bulky weight of a horse, are thus employed in Canada. Trained for the work, abundantly supplied, and considerately apportioned, those northern dogs furnish not a precedent for, but a striking contrast to, the abuse of their dissimilar kindred in our stony streets and dusty roads, beneath the oppressive heat of summer. If discouragement in every form were given to those who are guilty of it, by refusing to purchase their wares, or in any way to employ them, a salutary check might be given, the harmless sufferer delivered, and one foul blot wiped out from the checkered page of our national iniquity. THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND NOT GUILTY OF HERESY AND SCHISM.* THE first accusation brought against us by the Church of Rome is, that we are guilty of heresy and schism. If we would believe the Romanists, our Church is no church at all, or at least no sound, healthy portion of Christ's Church; because it abides not in subjection to their Pope, as the universal bishop, Christ's vicar From No. XVI. of a series of very useful tracts, now in progress of publication, by the Rev. Charles Girdlestone, M.A., Vicar of Sedgley, Staffordshire. upon earth. They assure us that they enjoy in their communion an exclusive interest in the promises and covenant of God, and in the ministry and sacraments appointed by our Lord for the perpetual edification of his people. They maintain, that in the Roman Church, which they call catholic, we may find truth without risk of error, an infallible interpreter of the infallible word, and a discipline, to which if we conform submissively, we cannot fail to have peace at the last. They affirm, that as Christ confessedly desired entire unity in his Church, making it the subject of one of his latest and most urgent prayers, so the unity he intended is provided for by means of one sovereign pontiff, to whom all other rulers of the Church are subject, as all the people are to the rulers. And this subjection, they say, includes the tenets of the mind, as well as the outward service of the hands; extinguishes the right of private judgment; and thus perfectly joins together all true members of the Church in one faith, and that necessarily the right faith. Magnificent illusion! which makes Rome once more the mistress of the world, and confers on a saccession of Christian pastors an empire more uni- | versal in extent and kind, than kings and conquerors, in the height of their ambition, have ever presumed to aim at! Extravagant undertaking! to subjugate, by main force, the minds of all men to the mind of one; and to persuade us, that this is actually that nity of faith and love which the meek and lowly Jesus required of his disciples! No wonder that they who take this system for the truth accuse us of heresy and schism! No wonder that they look upon the Established Church as the ringleader of disunion and dissent; founded, as it is, on principles most opposite to these, principles which were current in the Church of Christ long before these were ever heard or thought of. tures to the laity, and the denying them the cup in the Lord's Supper! Witness, above all, the utterly unwarrantable language of that most deadly doctrine, which founds the sinner's hope of standing clear before God, if not more, yet at least as much, on the efficacy of his own good works, as on the meritorious atonement of the death of Christ! It was when these and other like grievous errors were at their height, that the Church now established in these realms cast off the yoke of Rome, pleaded its ancient rights as an independent national Church, exercised those rights in reforming its abuses, and returned, as nigh as the circumstances of the time admitted, to the primitive pattern. By separating from Rome, we returned to the true ancient catholic faith, and at the same time continued in the fellowship of the Apostles, and in most close communion with those many holy men of old who lived and died for Jesus, ere ever the name of pope, or of the mass, had been known in all the realms of Christendom. This, then, we confess unto them, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship we the God of our fathers; "believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets." Yes, we take the written word for our standard; and, finding that they have departed from it so widely, on the strength of vain traditions, we resolve to stand clear of their delusions, to stand apart from the guilt of that treason, which they seem to us to commit against the majesty of our Lord; most carnestly beseeching them to do as we have done, to "prove all things, and hold fast that which is good." (See 1 Thess. v. 21.) And this we believe to be good, and true, and in-▾ controvertible-that the unity of the universal Church must consist in the free consent of enlightened minds, and of independent national Churches; that by such free consent and choice, all Christians within a sufficient neighbourhood ought to form one congregation, all congregations within an adequate district one diocese, all dioceses within each state or nation one national Church, all national Churches one Church universal; that, throughout this universal Church, there ought to be a substantial agreement in doctrine and practice; that agreement not maintained by force, but by conviction; not required in every minute particular, but observed in all the most important points of doctrine, discipline, and duty: and that there ought also to be found every where throughout this united Church, ministers deriving their authority by commission from the one only Head of all, respected and submitted to by the flock for his sake; making all their teaching to consist of his Gospel, and directing all their labours to the advancement of his kingdom. Thus worship we the God of our fathers. Thus be To the charge, then, of heresy and schism, as brought against us by the Romanists, we reply, that their notions of Church unity, and of Church infallibility, are inventions of men, not doctrines of God; and that they are inventions of that perilous kind which might easily introduce, and have actually introduced, into the Church those very abominations which the Apostle calls "doctrines of devils." (1 Tim. iv. 1.) There is no vestige in Scripture, we maintain, no, nor in the practice of primitive antiquity, no vestige of any such supremacy, as they suppose, in the Church or bishop of Rome. There is no proof to be found, that an infallible interpreter of the written word would always be forthcoming, either in pope or council. There is no evidence that ministers, though duly ordained, and ministering in virtue of a divine commission, would be at liberty to lord it over the consciences of the flock, and, in virtue of their spi-lieve we all things written in the Scriptures; and ritual authority, to assume also the sovereignty of the earth. On the other hand, there is evidence, plain, palpable, undeniable evidence, that these powers, thus assumed, led gradually, or rather, rapidly, to the prevalence of most unscriptural doctrines and practices. Witness the worship of images, and the idolatry of the mass! Witness the fable of purgatory, and the fabled virtues of celibacy! Witness the false value put on relics and on pilgrimages, the abuses of auricular confession, the reluctance to impart the Scrip nothing else. O brethren of Rome, who already exercise the right of private judgment, in determining to abide by the teaching of your Church, search, we pray you, and try, whether that teaching be not in some things, and they of great importance, so directly opposite to the word of God, that it is your duty to protest against it, as we do this day! Yea, search the Scriptures, and see whether there be not therein a manifest forewarning of your Church's errors, and a voice of mercy that now calls aloud to every one of you, "Come out of her, my people." (Rev. xviii. 4.) But God forbid that we should wish to prove your Church more in error than it is! God forbid, that, whilst we renounce your real and grievous errors, we should reject, out of perverse opposition, the truth which you hold aright, the things which you do allowably! Far from yielding to any such extravagant reaction, it was the policy, or shall we not rather say the charity of our Church, when it cast off the garment spotted with idolatry; when, instead of the works of man's righteousness, it took for the only meritorious ground of reconciliation unto God the sacrifice of the death of Christ,-this was our Church's charity-to renounce no more than was needful of the things held by Romanists, to retain in things indifferent much that might avail to win them that loved to stand in the old paths. THE CONVERSION OF ST. MATTHEW : BY THE REV. JOHN HAMBLETON, M.A. MATTHEW, ix. 9. "And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him." THESE words give St. Matthew's own account of his conversion, an event for which thousands have had cause to praise God. The true conversion of any man to the faith and obedience of the Gospel, is full of the most important consequences to himself, and to those with whom he may have connexion. But the conversion of one who became a laborious minister of Christ, a faithful Apostle, and inspired Evangelist, surely deserves to be studied with grateful attention by the Church of Christ. It is for this reason that our Church, once in every year, specially directs the attention of her members to the conversion and character of Matthew; not wishing, as some seem to think, unduly to exalt man, but to magnify the Lord in his grace to his servant, and to invite us to follow Matthew so far as he followed Christ. The subject may, however, be studied with benefit at any season of the year by those whose desire and prayer is "to hear meekly thy word, O Lord, and to receive it with pure affection, and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit." Let us, then, in this temper of mind, consider, First, who and what Matthew was before conversion. Secondly, how he was called by Jesus. Thirdly, his obedience and after-life and spirit. I. Who and what was Matthew before conversion ? Matthew was the son of Alpheus. By occupation he was a publican, or tax-gatherer, or receiver of customs; and, when called by Jesus, he was sitting at the receipt of custom, near Capernaum, probably on the shore of the sea of Tiberias, to collect the customs due on goods and passengers conveyed across. This is all we know of the facts of his history before his conversion; and from this you may think we can learn nothing of his character. Judging from modern times, and, perhaps, from personal knowledge, you may conclude that a man might be a good and pious man, and yet be a collector of customs. But you must remember the peculiar situation of publicans among the Jews. They collected the tributes for the Roman government, to which the Jews were at that time subject. Hence, their office continually reminded the Jews that they were no longer a free and independent people. Few, therefore, or none, who had a character to lose, would undertake an office held in such bad repute they who did, were generally persons who preferred gain to character. And, then, the office itself brought strong temptations. The Roman government was far off, and not able, if disposed, to watch narrowly over its almost innumerable tax-gatherers, who, hence, had many opportunities of practising fraud and extortion. And we all know what is the usual result, when want of principle and opportunity of crime meet together. Accordingly, the publicans were usually bad men when they took office, and became worse every year they held it; so that the Jews commonly accounted them the vilest of the vile. Publicans and sinners usually went together, as kindred and synonymous terms in the mind and speech of almost every Jew. The publicans seem to have too well deserved this their ill name. They were open and notorious sinners, though they were not the only sinners in Judea. They met with universal contempt and hatred. It was thought a disgrace to receive them as guests into a house, to sit down with them at table, to be seen walking or conversing with them on the road. Some say that they were not even allowed to give evidence in any cause; and that to cheat or over-reach them was thought no crime. All this tended to make them worse. It more and more deterred respectable men from taking their office. It forced them to associate only with each other, and with persons of the vilest character. Such were the publicans in our Lord's time. And to this class of men Matthew belonged in his unconverted days: and not a word is said to intimate that he was of a better character than other publicans. Had he so been, the thing would surely have been recorded as a wonder. Such, then, was Matthew the publican. Without breach of the charity which thinketh no evil, we may and must think of him, before conversion, as a man, whose god was Mammon-who cared only for money-whose reputation was gone -whose companions were like himself. The very best you can make of him, with the most liberal of judgments- suppose him to have been that wonder, a more decent and honest publican;-even then, what have you? A man immersed in worldly business, intent on gain, to the neglect of Christ and the concerns of his soul. For, surely, no one will suppose that he was a Christian before he was converted, or a good and pious man when he became a publican. But the former idea of his character is, I doubt not, the correct one. Matthew was, like other publicans, of a covetous, overreaching, sinful character, before Jesus called him. And when he called, Matthew was not seeking Jesus, but was sitting at the receipt of custom, plying his old trade, with his hands counting money, giving out tickets, keeping his accounts, with his mind full of anxieties, his heart and soul in his work; his chief sorrow, if his trade did not prosper; his highest joy, to see his wealth increase, with little care whether it were by fair means or foul. Some of you, it may be, almost admire the man, and would praise his diligence in business, and his skill in turning every thing to account, and would commend him as a prudeat man; but still he was an unconverted man. There are many false judgments on this point. If a man contrive to gain riches, numbers will admire and envy him, without caring how he came by them, or to what use he employs them. Whereas, Christians, if we believed our Bibles, we should feel a real concern for every rich man, remembering "how hardly shall they that have riches enter the kingdom of God" (Mark, x. 23): and if we know a man to have become rich by dishonest means, we should pity his danger, and labour and pray for his conversion. Yea, further, in your own cases, if any of you find the heart set on worldly gain, to the exclusion of all higher things; if the receipt of custom, the shop, the exchange, the mart, have all your attention and concern; if, even while sitting in the house of God, you have found your thoughts again and again wandering to the golden gains of yesterday, and the hoped-for gains of to-morrow; if any, not satisfied with six days out of every seven for the receipt of custom, must even turn the Lord's day into Mammon's day, and buy and sell, write business-letters, and keep accounts, even as on other days; then I hardly think that you can deceive yourselves, or that any one could succeed who should try to deceive you, with the idea, that you are truly converted persons. The very mention may excite a laugh. But there is a wo for them that laugh now. "Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew, xviii. 3). Thus, then, let Matthew the publican stand as the representative of a large class of unconverted persons, whose heart and soul are in the world-whose idol is wealth, before which they bow with an ardent zeal, worthy of a better cause. They may, or may not, resemble Matthew in the worst parts of his character. I charge them notGod forbid that I should-with the extortion and fraud of a publican of old. They may, from common worldly principles, be upright in business, pay every one his due, and while they look with a keen eye to their own interest, yet no man may be able to charge them with dishonesty of dealing. They may be all this; and yet I may be obliged to tell ' them,-"Yet one thing is wanting, and that an essential thing; the heart is not right with God: you are still unconverted men." For consider, what is your main object and desire in life? Is it to prepare for eternity? Can you carry riches thither? Is it to reach heaven? Can wealth bribe the keeper of heaven's gate? Is your desire to get through the world as safely as ye may? to be as little encumbered with its cares as possible; to love God with all the heart; to serve him in the Spirit; to have your will conformed to his? Now, how can ye do this with the heart so engrossed in that one object; with the mind and body harassed and jaded with chasing that golden phantom, which, like some spectre of romance, swells in magnitude as you pursue it, first appearing as a necessary maintenance; then, as a little competency; then, a moderate fortune; then, a handsome provision; and then,—yes, and then, your foot stumbles on the grave-the phantom is vanished- the bubble is burst-you are in eternity-you stand at the bar of God -the question is put, "What hast thou done with life and its opportunities, with the soul and its energies?" "I have spent my life, I have thrown away my soul, in pursuing a golden phantom, in worshipping a golden image, which the god of that world had set up." To save from that terrible mistake of a whole life, let us now consider, how Matthew the publican was called by Jesus. This is our second part. II. "And as Jesus passed forth from thence," namely, after healing the man sick of the palsy, and teaching the multitude by the sea-shore, “he saw a man, named Matthew, |