idea of the original. Perhaps the greater dignity of the Reformed Confession is no less owing to the difference of doctrine than of style. Both are, undoubtedly, to be considered. The Catholic Confession is little more than a catalogue of saints; whilst the Protestant is a pathetic enumeration of omitted duties, negligences, and offences, which relate to the daily interests of mankind, and are most affecting to the human heart. As to the language, the Latin is rude and barbarous ; whilst the English, in spite of " the gouty joints and darningwork of whereuntos, wherebys, thereofs, therewiths, and the rest," is the pure style of a vigorous and wholesome period of English writing. The theatrical character which pervades the worship of the Romish church, is to be remarked in the prettiness of striking the breast at each self-accusation, in the words 'mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.'

"Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beatæ Mariæ semper Virgini, beato Michaeli Archangelo, beato Joanni Baptistæ, Sanctis Apostolis Petro et Paulo, omnibus Sanctis et vobis, fratres" (or by the people," tibi, pater): quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, et opere." (percutit sibi pectus, dicens)" Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideò precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, beatum Michaelem Archangelum, beatum Joaunem Baptistam, Sanctos Apostolos Petrum et Paulum, omnes Sanctos, et vos fratres, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum."

"I confess to almighty God, to the blessed Virgin Mary, to the blessed Archangel Michael, to the blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all saints, and to you, brethren" (or, by the people, " to you, Father:) that I have sinned too much in thought, word and deed:" (he strikes his breast, three times, as he repeats) my fault, my fault, my great fault. Therefore, I beseech the blessed Virgin Mary, the blessed Archangel Michael, the blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all saints, and you, brethren, to pray for me to the Lord our God."

66

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we from time to time most grievously have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against thy divine Majesty, provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous unto us; the burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive all that is past, and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life, to the honour and glory of thy name."

If compared with the General Confession in the common service, this contrast is still more striking. Of the Gloria in Excelsis,' from which the English is a pure translation, we shall simply observe the difference of the readings in the first sentence.

We have it, "Glory be to God on high, and in earth peace, good will towards men." How much more convenient, and how muc hmore accordant to practice, is the Latin version, "in terra, pax hominibus bonæ voluntatis"-" in earth, peace to men of good will!"

Of the Nicene Creed, which follows, something may be usefully said both to the Latin and English, the Catholic and Protestant, reader, in the way of verbal explanation.

Faith, says the Apostle, comes by hearing; but unless hearing convey ideas, we should hear in vain. We are fully persuaded, that by nine-tenths of the hearers of the Nicene Creed, not a glimpse of its real meaning is perceived. The words as they stand are unintelligible; they require the key of interpretation.

"Credo in unum Dominum, filium Dei unigenitum ;—the only-begotten Son." But why, only-begotten?

We are told, in the Appendix ad Leviathan, that before the publication of this creed, there were certain heretics who taught that Christ was not the begotten, but adoptive Son of God: others held him to be the Son, but after a different sense from that received by the church. This, therefore, together with the words "Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine, verum Deum de vero Deo,-God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God;" that is to say, God begotten of God, is a declaration against that obsolete heresy. For a similar purpose were inserted the words "Genitum, non factum-begotten, not made.”

Luther

as it

The phrase "Light of Light" is more obscure. found a type of Consubstantiation, in red-hot iron; contained both light and heat, (or fire and metal, we forget which,) so the sacrament comprised both the body of Christ, and the element of bread; in the language of the schools, paneity and deity. This analogy, however ingenious, wants the merit of novelty. The primitive fathers had adopted a similar mode of illustrating the doctrine of the Trinity. They found their similitude in the triple essence of fire, heat, and light the fire they assigned to the Father, the light to the Son, and the heat to the Holy Ghost. It unfortunately happens, that these are not three Hypostases, being merely accidents of matter; but the grossness of the age was satisfied with this fantastic simile. Christ, therefore, being the Light, to ensure the doctrine they had just propounded, of his being God begotten of God, they added by way of illustration, that he was also Light of Light; not as attributing a new essence, but only " pro adjutorio fidei," for the confirmation of faith; and to prevent the possibility of error, this was further clenched by the expression" Very God very God."

of

The remaining obscurity of this creed is contained in the

St.

expression," one baptism for the remission of sins." Cyprian, about seventy years before the council of Nice, held a provincial council in Africa, in which it was deemed that heretics should be re-baptized before reception into the bosom of the church. The Nicene divines intended to reprobate this dogma, by the words " One baptism."

Having cleared up these obscurities, we may observe, that in this creed we meet with the fatally celebrated phrase of "consubstantial with the Father." The contests which arose between those who maintained the Saviour to be "of the same substance," and those who held him to be" of the like substance with the Father," entailed an endless succession " of bickerings, banishments, and homicides," on the ancient church.

Beyond this, there is little to remark on the Nicene Creed. The original Greek partakes of the coarseness of the times, and the Latin more so. This symbol has been retained long since the occasion has passed away, to which its composition was owing; but this is little to be regretted in one respect, since it has been made the subject of some of the most splendid compositions of which the music of the church can boast.

The Preface, or the prayers introductory to the consecration of the sacrament, are sublime in both languages: but here, in spite of the Latinity, it is impossible to deny that the original is rather weakened than elevated by the translation. It is one of the finest parts of either Catholic or Protestant devotion. The commencement is singularly beautiful; if that term may be applied to words so solemn and majestic.

V. SURSUM CORDA.

R. Habemus ad Dominum.
V. Gratias agamus Domino Deo

nostro.

R. Dignum et justum est. Vere dignum et justum est, æquum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere, Domine Sancte Pater Omnipotens, æterne Deus: Per Christum Dominum nostrum, per quem majestatem tuam laudant Angeli, adorant Dominationes, tremunt Potestates, Cœli Cœlorumque Virtutes ac beata Seraphim sociâ exultatione concelebrant: Cum quibus et nostras voces, ut admitti jubeas deprecamur, supplici confessione dicentes, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth: Pleni sunt cœli et terra gloriâ tuâ. Osanna in excelsis: Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini: Osanna in excelsis.

P. Lift up your hearts.

A. We lift them up unto the Lord.
P. Let us give thanks unto our
Lord God.

A. It is meet and right so to do. It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God: Through Christ, our Lord, through whom the Angels praise thy majesty, the Dominations adore thee, the Powers tremble, the Heavens and the Virtues of the Heavens, and the blessed Seraphim celebrate thee with one exultation amongst whom we intreat that our voices may be admitted, humbly confessing thee, and saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth, Heaven and earth are full of thy glory: Hosanna in the highest: Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

Et ideò cum Angelis et Archangelis, cum Thronis et Dominationibus, cumque omni militiâ cœlestis exercitus hymnum gloriæ tuæ canimus, sine fine dicentes, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth: Pleni sunt cœli et terrâ gloriâ tuâ. Osanna in excelsis: Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini: Osanna in excelsis.

Therefore, with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominations, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name, continually praising thee and saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts; heaven and earth are full of thy glory; glory be to thee, O Lord most high.

We decline the task of criticising these productions: we merely observe, that whatever may be gained in doctrine, by omitting the pageant of the celestial hierarchy-" the Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers"-something, it will easily be admitted, is lost in poetry.

Instead of pursuing the regular service of the mass, we shall now turn aside to some of the least unpoetical portions, which we find scattered throughout the services set aside for particular days. One of the most celebrated is the hymn for the great feast of Corpus Christi, a composition of St Thomas Aquinas. We select the following stanzas.

Our translation is a loose one; we have no time to be more literal; but of this the reader may be assured, that it is difficult for any version not to excel the original.

The first stanzas of the hymn to the Holy Ghost, appropriated to the feast of Pentecost, contain a touch of poetry, and a few lines of something resembling pathos, which are far more worthy to be cited.

Veni, Sancte Spiritus,
Et emitte cœlitus

Lucis tuæ radium.
Veni, pater pauperum,
Veni, dator munerum,
Veni, lumen cordium.
Consolator optime,
Dulcis hospes animæ,
Dulce refrigerium ;
In labore requies,
In æstu temperies,

In fletu solatium!

*

Come, Holy Ghost! One ray of love
From that perennial fount above,
Shoot down into my breast;
Come, father of the fatherless,

Whom none, but thou, console or bless,
Hearts' hope, hearts' light, hearts' rest.
Thou art our souls' most loving guest,
Of all her comforters the best,

Her stay and solace here;
Rest to the weary and the poor,
Who suffer long and travail sore,
With none but thee to cheer!

*

The

For our last example, we shall select the Service of the Dead. There is no feeling of the human heart which so naturally inclines it to religion, as the hopeless regret for the departed; and the wisdom of our reformers may be questioned, if not their orthodoxy, in rejecting the most affecting, the most pathetic, the most poetical, and, what is more, the most pious and devout service which human lips can utter to the Deity. pure and unmixed love of God will never be so fervent, as that reliance on his Providence, which is mingled with human feelings. This is the true secret of the fervent piety of Fenelon, and the mystics of his and all religions. Filled with ardent benevolence to mankind; or, as is a more common case, with passionate regret for departed friends, or equally passionate regard for living ones; they mingle this feeling in their prayers, and call it all love of God. The observation is any thing but new; we believe it to be unquestionably accurate. Even in the barbarous jargon of the Catholic service, it is difficult, it is impossible, to hear without emotion this pious prayer, and much more to utter it ::

Suscipe sacrificium, Domine, quod tibi pro animâ matris meæ offero; eique gaudium sempiternum in regione vivorum concede; meque cum illá, felicitati sanctorum conjunge."

46

Accept, O Lord, this sacrifice which I offer for the soul of my mother; grant that she may partake of everlasting joy in the Land of the living, and that I may rejoin her in the happiness of thy saints!"