tributed to the ignorance and negligence of divers religious persons there;'-and, to the English Bible by God's grace upon the reading and preaching of its wholesome and heavenly precepts, he looked for the cure of all those crying evils. The Prior is accordingly enjoined to provide a whole Bible in English, to be laid fast chained in some open place, either in the church or cloister of the monastery. Again, it is enjoined by the Bishop, that every religious person there, should have at least a New Testament in English, by the Feast of the nativity of our Lord next ensuing.' He orders also, that a Lecture of Scripture shall be read every day in English among them, save Holy-days;' and that 'whenever there shall be any preaching in the monastery: then, that all manner of singing and other ceremonies shall be utterly laid aside in the preaching-time, and all other service shortened, as need be,' and that all religious persons do quietly hearken to the preaching;' also, that every Religious person be at every lecture of the scripture, from the beginning to the ending. The Prior is likewise charged to have a chapter of the Bible read, from the beginning to the end of the Scripture in English, at his dinner and supper, and to have edifying communication of the same; and the like instructions are given to all the other monks in the convent.

ter.

6

But Latimer did not long hold his bishoprick. The famous act of the six articles, set forth by the popish party, was brought before Parliament and passed the House, notwithstanding the strenuous opposition of Cromwell, Cranmer, Latimer, and the other reformers; and on the last day of session, Latimer resigned the bishoprick of WorcesHe came home from the House of Parliament, and throwing off his robes and leaping up, declared to those who stood about him, that he thought himself lighter than he had ever found himself before. And now he left the court and the town, and retired into the country. He was an old man, for he was in his seventy-first year, and of infirm health and body; he felt that he was no longer fitted for the active duties of public life. He desired not ease or rest, but a more private sphere of labour toward the close of his earthly course. He little knew that the most toilsome and painful period of his public life was yet to come. An injury which he received from the fall of a tree, which defied all the skill of his country doctors, forced him to return to London. There he could not remain in quiet. The wily Gardiner was, it seems, on the look-out for him. The accusation was brought against him, that he had spoken against the act of the six articles-and he was sent to the tower, where he remained a prisoner till the death of Henry the Eighth.

When Edward the Sixth came to the throne, Latimer was not only set at liberty-but taken into high favour. His bishoprick was again offered to him, but he declined accepting it. He entered however with renewed vigour, upon a course of active exertion in the glorious cause of the Reformation, desiring to spend and be spent in the service of his Lord and Master. At the urgent request of his friend Cranmer, he took up his residence with him at Lambeth Palace, and set himself to the work of hearing the complaints of all who came to him there, and to the redress of all just grievances, with all the power and authority which he was enabled to exert. He preached constantly before the king, and with greater energy and eloquence than ever; directing the

most powerful attacks against abuses of every kind, which were at those times frightfully common among all classes.

2

But the young and pious king was soon removed from his earthly throne, and good old Hugh Latimer was one of the first victims to those persecutions which have caused the annals of the reign of Mary to be written in characters of blood.

Come with me, reader, to Oxford. Notwithstanding the heresy that has sprung up in the bosom of that venerable and ancient seat of learning, among men who are the ordained clergymen of our Protestant Church, but who have not ceased their efforts to confuse and undo the great work of the glorious Reformation; there are true hearts and sound and faithful sons of the Reformation there.

Come with me into the church of St. Mary Magdalen. You see that ancient door of thick dark oak, slightly polished, and strengthened with iron bars, which is fastened to the wall of the north aisle. That ancient door once opened into a cell of the old Bocardo prison, the very cell in which Cranmer, and Latimer, and Ridley, were confined at the time they were condemned to die for their firm adherence to the truth as it is in Jesus; that ancient door enclosed them-even when in prison,-in the quiet sanctuary where they prayed and meditated, and conversed together over the holy and inspired volume, which they loved better than life. And there did they prepare to meet a martyr's death, with that strong faith and enduring constancy which pure gospel truth can alone inspire. Come with me to the street called Broad, which passes close to the walls of Baliol College, and look down upon the cross which is marked out in the middle of the pavement. That is the very spot where Ridley and Latimer expired in the flames; and where the heart's-blood of honest Hugh Latimer once dyed the earth with its deep crimson stain. And come with me to the Woodstock Road, and you will see that the Protestants of these days have not forgotten the glorious martyrs of the Marian persecutions. The cross which they have erected, near the spot where Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley suffered, is very beautiful. Look down upon it through that avenue of fine old trees, with the ancient churchtower rising behind it, and read the inscription which tells to every passer-by, that the godly deeds of our great spiritual forefathers, still live in the hearts of those who are the true children of the Reformation.

TO THE GLORY OF GOD.

AND IN GRATEFUL COMMEMORATION OF HIS SERVANTS,

THOMAS CRANMER,
NICHOLAS RIDLEY,

HUGH LATIMER.

PRELATES OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND,

WHO NEAR THIS SPOT,

YIELDED THEIR BODIES TO BE BURNED,

BEARING WITNESS TO

THE SACRED TRUTHS WHICH THEY HAD
AFFIRMED AND MAINTAINED AGAINST THE

ERRORS OF THE CHURCH OF ROME,

AND REJOICING THAT

TO THEM IT WAS GIVEN NOT ONLY TO BELIEVE IN CHRIST,

BUT ALSO TO SUFFER FOR HIS SAKE.

THIS MONUMENT,

WAS ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION,
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD GOD,

MDCCCXLI.

THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA.

No. IV.

THE CHURCH OF THYATIRA.-REV. 11. 18-29.

:

MR. Lindsay's account of Thyatira is as follows:

'Ak-hissar, the ancient Thyatira, is said to contain about 30,000 inhabitants; of whom 3000 are Christians, all Greeks except about 200 Armenians. There is, however, but one Greek Church, and one Armenian. The superior of the Greek Church, to whom I presented the Romaic Testament, esteemed it so great a treasure, that he earnestly pressed me, if possible, to spare another, that one might be secured to the Church, and free from accidents, while the other went round among the people, for their private reading. I have therefore since my return hither, sent him four copies.'

Mr. Hartley thus speaks of his visit to Thyatira :

:

From Sardis we took the direction of Thyatira; and first had to cross the celebrated plain, on which Cyrus overthrew the empire of Lydia. Upon arriving on the banks of the Hermus, we found that the ferry-boat had been destroyed; and that it would be necessary, in consequence, to ford the river: this appeared to be rather a dangerous enterprise, as the river is both wide and deep; happily a fine Turkish youth undertook to be our guide; and, riding gallantly at our head, he conducted us to the other side in safety; the water reached to the breasts of the horses. We now approached the immense multitude of lofty barrows, or tumuli, which have so justly attracted the admiration of travellers they cover a very large extent of ground, and are, in general, of very regular formation: we were of course, particularly struck with that which is considered the tumulus of Halyattes; and which is, probably, the largest artificial hill in the world: but the tout ensemble, more than all, engaged my attention. What a most extraordinary burying ground! Here you are ready to exclaim, with the prophet, "all the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house." Isaiah xiv. 18. Beyond the tumuli, we passed the Gygæan lake to the right. After a ride of six hours and a half we arrived at Mermere. This is a fine large village, with a northern aspect, and defended on the south by a rocky and precipitous hill: two mosques with domes and minarets are very conspicuous. I heard only of five or six Greek houses, and one church.

Thyatira, April 27, 1826.-I have now the favour to write in the fourth of the seven Churches. It is about four hours distant from Mermere. On the way we observed many columns and antiquities, notifying an ancient town. Mr. Arundell discovered an inscription containing the words, 'from Thyatira.' Ak-hissar, the modern Thyatira, is situated on a plain, and is embosomed in cypresses and poplars. The buildings are in general mean: but the Khan, in which we are at present residing, is by far the best which I have yet seen. The Greeks are said to occupy three hundred houses, and the Armenians thirty. Each of them have a Church.

'Here we witnessed a fine Turkish spectacle. The new Mutselim of Aidin arrived from Constantinople, with a retinue of 200 horses. They were all extremely well-dressed and mounted: their turbans were white as snow, and the renowned scymitar of Turkey hung gracefully behind them. I was much struck with the lordly air which they displayed. "It is well," I thought, "for Europe, that such cavaliers have no discipline."

'We paid a visit to the Church of the Greeks: it is a wretched structure: upon opening the door, we had to descend four or five steps into the body of the building. We found a priest, a native of Milo, who was engaged in hearing the confessions of the people. On returning to the Khan, I conversed for a considerable time with four or five Greeks on the study of the scriptures-the predicted apostacy from true Christianity, and the means which were furnished for detecting it—the inutility of arms for the salvation of man-the necessity of forsaking sin, &c. Nicolas afterward sat up with the same party till midnight, reasoning with them on the most important subjects. I presented the most interesting of these young men with the New Testament, and cannot but indulge the hope that a useful impression has been made on his mind.

'The language addressed to Thyatira, (Rev. ii. 18-29,) is rather different from that of the other Epistles: the commendations (verse 19) are scarcely surpassed even in the epistle to Philadelphia, while the conduct of some (verses 20, 21) was impious and profligate the Church thus exhibited a contrast of the most exalted piety with the

::

very depths of Satan. In too many parts of Christendom we observe

a similar state of things, even at this day: how important, then, the admonition, "That which ye have already, hold fast till I come!'

'And this language is not only designed for those who have recently been brought to the knowledge of Christianity. It is a caution very needful for those who have long been acquainted with its infinite value. The most ostensible danger to Christians is rather after a perseverance of some years, than in the commencement of their Christian career. When religion appears to have become habitual, we are in much greater danger of being thrown off our guard, than when we have just been awakened to observe its great importance and our own weakness. Let the follower of Christ be therefore especially careful, lest he lose his crown after he has won many victories. Let the joy which he feels, under the conviction that he is approaching nearer to the end of all his wishes, be ever tempered with the recollection, that he is still possessed of a heart which is "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked," and that he is still encompassed by a "world which lieth in wickedness." When the disposition of "fearing always" is united to the character of watchfulness, courage, and simple dependence on the divine aid, then will be realized obedience to the caution, “Hold fast that which ye have."

"The address to the unfaithful part of the Church at Thyatira is at once alarming and inviting. It contains one of those many denunciations of divine anger, which place it beyond all doubt that "God will by no means clear the guilty." Nothing will save them from the indignation of Him, who has revealed himself as a consuming fire to the wicked.

"The sacred writer of the Acts of the Apostles informs us, that Lydia was "a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira; " and the discovery of an inscription here, which makes mention of the "Dyers," has been considered important, in connection with this passage. I know not if other travellers have remarked, that, even at the present time, Thyatira is famous for dying. In answer to enquiries on this subject, I was informed, that the cloths which are dyed scarlet here, are considered superior to any others furnished by Asia Minor, and that large quantities are sent weekly to Smyrna, for the purposes of commerce.

'June 15.—Near Thyatira, we still find very beautiful vegetation: the neighbourhood has a most fertile appearance: the white rose is extremely abundant, and scents the air with a most delightful odour.

At Thyatira we had very delightful intercourse with the Bishop's Procurator, and with five priests. Christ crucified was the subject of our conversation; and Mr. King addressed the children of the school, forty-five in number. We also distributed many tracts, and gave away two New Testaments; and regretted much that we had not with us a larger supply of books, as a great desire for them was displayed. No one surely will doubt the importance of distributing useful books, after hearing the following fact, of which we were informed by a Greek of this place. Two Missionaries, he said, who were doubtless the Rev. Messrs. Fisk and Parsons, had visited Thyatira five or six years ago, and distributed books. They had presented him with one, which he had actually lent to more than two hundred persons.'

ANECDOTE FROM RAUSCHENBUSCH'S LIFE.

'He often penetrated deeply into a person's heart, with a single striking word. At the sick-bed of one member of his church, whom he frequently warned to leave off an irregular manner of living, he opened the conversation with saying, 'Have I not many a time told you, that it would come to this; and now it is all taking place!' By that brief appeal, the sick person's whole past life was brought before him in such a light as he had never viewed it in before, and he acknowledged that God had visited him justly, and had chastened him as he deserved; he then confessed his sins. Another such person seemed as if he could not say enough to represent himself in the strongest language as the greatest of sinners. Is, then, all this really true,' said Rauschenbusch, which I have been hearing of you?' At these words, the sick man raised himself up in his bed, and said, 'What have you heard of me, Sir? No one can say anything against me:' and then the 'poor sinner,' that had just been saying such humbling things of himself, became eloquent in commending his own past life, and in execrating as enemies and backbiters, those, whoever they might be, who had said anything bad of him. It is not from enemies and backbiters,' answered Rauschenbusch, but from your ownself that I have just heard what a bad man you have been; but now I see, that you yourself do not believe it.'