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CREATIVE GOODNESS.

one loaf into a hundred, and if the unusual thing were, that a little seed cast into the earth shot up and grew into ears of corn, we should call the latter the miracle. We live amid miracles: every pulse of our heart is a miracle, every inspiration and expiration of our lungs is a miracle, the movement of the arm by the volition of the mind is a miracle; but we are so accustomed to these things, that we call them natural occurrences, and only when the same result is achieved by a more rapid or a more startling process do we call it a miracle. God occasionally suspends the ordinary process, and interferes by an extraordinary one, to teach man that creation is not God, and that in God all creation lives, and moves, and has its being.

But there is one touch in the picture inimitably beautiful, which one cannot pass by. It is the prudent economy manifested by the Lord, who had omnipotence adequate to the supply of twenty times five thousand more. For He says to His disciples, after He had performed this miracle and fed them, "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." In performing the miracle He moved in the orbit of a God: in saying, "Gather up the fragments that remain," He re-assumed His place, re-accepted the laws, and re-entered the domain of man. In the first, you have the proof that there was present the mighty God; in the last, you have the proof that there was the dependent man. What a strange combination! Bounty the most profuse, economy the most rigid. We cannot but notice of this fact,-and I like to notice such as these, because they are better even than lectures upon evidence,-I say, the very utterance of these words in the middle of so stupendous a miracle, is to me evidence of the inspiration of the writer. If I had been writing a story, or getting up an account from my own mind, Ï should have taken good care never to have put in any thing that would seem contradictory, or that would detract from the glory of the stupendous miracle that had been wrought. Mere human writers would have argued

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thus: If we state that our hero, whoever he was, performed such a miracle, and show him bidding those about him to gather up the crumbs that remain, it will be said, here is inconsistency in the story, here is contradiction; the shading will detract from the grandeur of the figure in the fore-ground, and we must do every thing to heighten, not dim that. But John wrote by the guidance of the Spirit of God, stated fact, described fact, wrote truth; and therefore you have here the combination of creature economy with creative power; a trait that no uninspired narrator would have given. And yet those who are best acquainted with the laws and processes of nature, know that this is in perfect keeping with what they find in the world. It is most remarkable that, fallen as this world is; darkened, injured, shattered, as it is; there is a most wonderful combination of exuberance and saving, of profuse bounty and severe economy. There are no unnecessary things in nature; there is no needless waste; and thus we see, in the Lord of the miracle, the very counterpart of the Lord of nature; we thus learn that both results come from the same God, who is over all and in all.

The fragments that remained amounted to twelve baskets full. It is a very remarkable fact, that in the miracle where four thousand are fed, another word is used for baskets, σupidas, but in this miracle, the word used is кopwovs, the Greek word from which our word coffin comes,―a very strange derivation, and some commentators have tried to show that the one indicated the basket which the apostle carried with him to supply his daily wants, and that the other referred to baskets of larger dimensions. This, however, a very immaterial point, and I only notice it in passing. The twelve baskets full of fragments were a greater quantity than the original five barley-loaves and two fishes. And what does this teach us? That love augments, not exhausts itself; that beneficence never becomes poorer by its exercise; that the Christian receives in the ratio in which he gives, so that the greatest

giver is always the greatest receiver; and the Christianity that unfolds itself in missionary sympathy, by a beautiful reflex operation, becomes deeper and richer in the heart of him that has it.

The miracle produced a very great impression upon the minds of the people. It was so like the miracles performed by Moses, that the people saw at once in it evidence of the presence of the great Prophet like unto him. Instead, however, of looking at the impression it produced upon the people, let me draw some lessons instructive to ourselves. The very first lesson we learn is, here was the evidence of a God. Let us recollect the following distinction: when the Apostles performed a miracle, they always said, "In the name of Jesus;" when Christ performed a miracle, He did so as the I am, in His own name, by His own authority. Now, herein is a distinction so palpable, that I cannot conceive how we can escape the conclusion, that if Jesus was not God, He was something infinitely higher than man: but He was God; for who could do such miracles in such wise except God?

And there was in this miracle, I may notice, something greater than in any of the other miracles which I have endeavoured to explain. When Christ healed the lame, when He opened the eyes of the blind, when He unstopped the ears of the deaf, these were restorative miracles; they were restoring nature to what nature was, or what nature should be.

But in this miracle there was not a restorative or redemptive act, but clearly a creative act of power.

We notice, too, another fact in the miracles of Christ; He never performed a miracle, if I may use the expression, in vacuo; he always laid hold of a substratum to work upon. This seems an analogy to teach us that God is not going to supplant this earth by another earth, and to supersede our present bodies by other bodies; but out of the present earth to construct a glorious one; and out of our present bodies, to raise incorruptible from corruptible, and immortal from mortal, till death is swallowed up in victory. And so in regeneration: when God makes a natural man a Christian, He does not extinguish him, and substitute another in his place, but He retunes him, He restores him, He disentangles his affections, He dips them in the fountain of living waters; He re-quickens his soul and makes a new creature evolve out of the old creature; He does not create another creature perfectly distinct and different.

Let me notice another lesson deducible from this. In the miracles of healing, we had the evidence that Christ was the great Physician; in the miracle of raising from the dead, we had the evidence that Christ was Lord of life; in this miracle, the feeding the hungry, we have the evidence that by Him all things were made, and that He is the Creator of all, as well as Lord of all.

MARRIAGE-HOW FIRST CALLED A SACRAMENT.

HAVING shewn in a former article that the idea of mystery in the sacraments may be traced to the indiscriminate use of the two words in various senses, and to their having been used synonymously to designate the ordinances of the Christian Church,* we wish now briefly to draw attention to the probability, that the fact of the ceremony of marriage having been raised to the rank of a sacrament may be traced to the same source.

* See Christian Guardian for Sept., 1851.

We will first recur to the various senses before noticed, in which the word sacrament has been used.

1. An oath or solemn engagement, taken from the sacramentum of the Roman soldier to his sovereign.

2. A religious ordinance or cere mony.

3. An outward and visible sign of inward grace, ordained by Christ. 4. A mystery.

The fourth sense, that of mystery, we have traced to Tertullian's use of

MARRIAGE-HOW FIRST CALLED A SACRAMENT.

the word sacrament, where the sense of the original requires the word mystery. We shall be excused for recurring again to Eph. v. 31, 32: "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church." Here is the sublime mystery, the distinctive characteristic of the New Testament Church, the union between Christ and His Church, plainly alluded to as a fact, and a fact of such a nature as to meet that craving for mystery which is natural to the mind of man; for the more he studies it, the more it will expand and enlarge his ideas, and he will find in it a length and breadth, and depth and height, which he cannot fathom; so that the spiritual faculties will have full exercise. The true translation leaves a distinct impression of an unseen mystery of a highly spiritual character. But change a single word, and the sense is spoiled, and the thoughts are directed into a different channel; confusion, which is Satan's favourite element and most effectual weapon for disturbing the Church, ensues, and an impression is produced that remains in many of the ancient Churches to this day, that marriage is one of the sacraments. Tertullian, and the Vulgate after him, read the passage thus: "For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife. This is a great sacrament." We exonerate both parties from any intention to mislead; but it is impossible not to see that theological writers, reasoning upon this expression, would naturally infer, that the Scriptures declared the ceremony of marriage to be a sacrament.

Thus the mind is turned from the real mystery alluded to by St. Paul, to the marriage union, which is no mystery at all, but merely the symbol of the mystery. Marriage is not a sacrament in the sense in which we now use the word; it is not "an outward and visible sign of an inward

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and spiritual grace," ordained by Christ himself; for He gave no directions with regard to the ceremonial, though He proclaimed that it was according to the mind of God that man should have but one wife. We therefore entirely dismiss the third and fourth significations of the word sacrament, as inapplicable to marriage. Yet if we go back to the primitive meaning of the word, which is simply that of an oath or solemn engagement, it does apply to marriage; and we sometimes find allusion made to the sacramental character of the marriage service, meaning thereby the solemn and binding engagement between the parties,and as this is ratified by a solemn religious service, we may concede to this subject both the first and second significations of the word, and safely assert that, though not to be classed with Baptism and the Lord's Supper, yet marriage is a solemn engagement, ratified in the Church of Christ by a religious ceremony appointed for that purpose by the wisdom of the Church.

In all matters of controversy, it is of great moment to come to a right understanding of the terms we make use of. In combating the doctrine of the seven sacraments with the Roman Catholics, it might be well to trace the manner in which five of their ceremonies have been lifted out of their proper subordinate places, and perhaps we should find the misapplication of words a fruitful source of the false teaching in that Church. Our own Church might have escaped much painful controversy, if, at the time of the Reformation, we had adopted the word ordinance in the place of sacrament; but we fear now that long usage will so have endeared the term that it would not be easily given up. It is therefore important that we should define our own meaning, and show clearly that by the use of it we do not mean to cherish error in any shape, or to make it a part of that sliding scale by which error has found its way into the Church.

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SPECIMEN OF A REVISED BAPTISMAL SERVICE.

MUCH has been lately said of the desirableness of a Revision of the Liturgy-and especially of the Baptismal Services. In nothing, however, is the old adage of "look before you leap," more to be regarded than in any attempt to bring about such a revision. And difficult as it ever must be to effect it, under any circumstances, the difficulty will of necessity be vastly increased, if they who desire such a Revision cannot come to anything like an agreement among themselves, respecting the nature and extent of the changes which should be proposed and attempted. Under these circumstances, it seems desirable to submit for public consideration a specimen of a revised Baptismal Service, in order to enable persons to form some sort of judgment how far any attempt at revision could be devised, which would be likely to give general satisfaction. The writer well knows that it is, to adopt the language of the Preface of our Prayer-book," impossible (in such variety of apprehensions, humours, and interests, as are in the world) to please all;" and he fully expects that some would not "be satisfied with anything that can be done in this kind by any other than themselves." He does not put this revised form forth as in every particular the best that can possibly be devised. But, since all persons cannot have their own emendations adopted; since some form-suited, as far as possible, in its general tenorto the consciences and the tastes of all, must be agreed upon, if any revision is to take place at all; the writer submits this specimen to the consideration of the Reforming Public, in the hope that, if they do not altogether approve of its contents, yet that the detection of its errors and defects will at least lead to the production of something better, of which all may be enabled to approve. Or if, perchance, it shall be found that nothing can be so agreed upon, that then all may become more reconciled to our present authorized forms, and remain better

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With respect to the most important alteration which has been proposed in the Service, it is only needful to state that while baptism was designed to be a badge of Christian union (Ephes. iv. 5), the use of the ambiguous and disputed term "regenerate" in the baptismal service, has caused it to become the watchword of "party strife, and the source and centre of the most grievous discord and endless confusion. While, therefore, the Archbishop of Canterbury gives this candid testimony, "Nothing which I find in the law of God gives me reason to believe that I should be acting in conformity with His will, if I refused Mr. Gorham admission to the cure of souls, on the ground of his hesitating to affirm the Spiritual Regeneration of every baptized child," (Letter of Abp. Sumner to the London Church Union, 8th Aug. 1850); and while many persons consider that the use of the baptismal service, in its present form, does require such an "affirma

tion" it is to be observed that the substitution of the term "dedicated," is not only in exact harmony with the Church's language, as expressed in the seventh collect of the baptismal services, but is the adoption of the very term which Divines of every school of Theology naturally and spon

SPECIMEN OF A REVISED BAPTISMAL SERVICE.

taneously use in describing the nature of the baptismal ordinance. In proof of this, see the language of Bishop Jebb (Pastoral Instructions, vi. pp. 104 and 114); of Bp. Jeremy Taylor, as adopted by Bp. Mant, (Bampton Lectures vi. pp. 344-5); of Rev. D. Whitby, in his Commentary in the Dissertation on the Note on Matt. xxviii. 19, and Titus iii. 5; Abp. Sumner (Canterbury Charge of 1849, p. 29); Rev. C. Simeon (Hora Homilectica, vol. ii. No. 136, p. 205); Rev. E. H. Hoare (Baptism according to Scripture, pp. 29, 34, 57, 63, 69); Rev. C. Bridges (Sacramental Instruction, v. p. 82); Rev. J. B. Marsden (Discourses for the Festivals, p. 405); and Rev. J. N. G. Armytage (Baptismal Regeneration Discussed, p. 146, 2nd edit.): and among Nonconformist Divines, Matthew Henry, as quoted in Bridges' Sacramental Instruction, p. 84; and Rev. Dr. J. Cumming in his Baptismal Font, c. iii. p. 29.

That this was also an ancient- and probably Primitive and Catholictitle, we conclude from its use by Justin Martyr in his Apology, c. 79, and by Clement of Alexandria, who speaks of Baptism as a "dedication to the blessed Trinity," (quoted by Sir P. King, pt. ii. c. iv. s. 4. See also c. iii. s. 7, and c. iv. s. 2).

C. H. D. THE MINISTRATION OF PUBLICK BAPTISM OF INFANTS, TO BE USED IN THE CHURCH.

The People are to be admonished, that it is most convenient that Baptism should not be administered but upon Sundays, and other Holy-days, when the most number of people come together; as well for that the Congregation there present may testify the receiving of them that be newly baptized, into the number of Christ's Church; as also because in the Baptism of Infants every man present may be put in remembrance of his own profession made to God in his Baptism. For which cause also it is expedient that Baptism be ministered in the vulgar tongue. Nevertheless, (if necessity so require,) Children may be baptized upon any other day.

From "as well for" to "in his Baptism," might be omitted without any great loss. (See the American form.)

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¶ And note, that there shall be for every Male-child to be baptized two Godfathers and one Godmother; and for every Female, one Godfather and two Godmothers; ['and Parents shall be admitted as Sponsors, if it be desired.'† And 'here is to be noted,' that no 'person' shall be admitted Godfather or Godmother to any child,... before the said person so undertaking hath received the holy Communion'].§

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When there are Children to be baptized, the parents [or sponsors] || shall give

they can be had," which is quite superfluous.

The American Rubric here adds "when

For if the proper sponsors cannot be had, it would be far better to adhere strictly to "the Office of Private Baptism," than to deviate from the rule of the Public Office, since that office is not limited to cases of sickness but may be used in any case of "great cause and necessity." The child's spiritual guardians are called "God

fathers and godmothers" because they are to

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act as parents in things pertaining to God; sponsors" because they promise for the child: and "sureties" because they give security to the Church that the child shall be trained up in the principles of the religion into which he is baptized-security for his Christian education. See Wheatly, p. 329.

This addition is taken from the American Prayer-Book. Even now our own Prayer-book makes no exception against parents as sponsors for their own children. And since the 68th Canon threatens a three years' suspension as the penalty for refusing or delaying to baptize according to the "Book of Common Prayer," it seems to set aside the necessity for adhering to the 29th Canon in this respect. On the subject generally, see the Bishop of St. Asaph's (Dr. Short's) History of the Church of England, s. 672, p. 496, note.

From the Rubric prefixed to the Burial Service.

This addition is taken from the 29th Canon -an injunction which, says Adn. Sharp, "is supported by so just and evident a reason, that I hope we are all careful to execute it to the best of our knowledge." (Charges, No. vi, A.D. 1739, p. 106.) For writes Rev. J. Baylee, "the Christian who does not go to the Lord's Supper has no real regard for his soul, and there fore is unfit to take the charge of another's. It would be of unspeakable benefit were this regulation strictly enforced. How many children might be saved from ruin had each of them three sponsors who felt as they ought the weight of their responsibility." (Prophetic Herald, vol. i. p. 320).

From the American Prayer-book.

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