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gion of Egypt had to offer to the dying sinner. Yet even this thorny pillow was madly sought after by the masses of classical antiquity of the later periods,—many forsaking the Greek mythology altogether and becoming worshippers of Serapis and Isis, while others endeavoured to combine the two systems; but all, or nearly all, seem to have more or less favoured the Egyptian system,-expending enormous sums in the erection of temples, the sculpture of votive statues and tablets, and the presenting of costly offerings; and all, because this tissue of coarse and clumsy falsehood spoke with authority and certainty concerning the future life. It is with such a creed as this before us, and after we have endeavoured to realize to ourselves the feelings of a votary of it at the thought of dying, that we can best understand the depth of our obligations to Him who came into the world " that through death He might deliver them who, through the fear of death, were all their life-time subject to bondage ;" and then it is also that these short and simple annals of the first believers who sleep in Jesus, make their most touching appeal to the heart and the affections.

In these days of painted windows and tabernacle-work, when Institutes and Associations are formed, apparently with the express design of disinterring the idols of Popery from the moles and the bats to which they were most justly cast at the Reformation, in order to set them up again to be worshipped, what can be more seasonable than the following extract?

"It has been assumed by antiquarians as a matter of certainty, that the ancient Christians employed symbols to distinguish the tombs of their martyrs. History being profoundly silent on this point, abundant room has been left for the exercise of imagination, in deciding what symbols would have been proper, and likely to be so used. Antiquarians have fixed upon several, which can only be disproved by direct evidence; and this is furnished in many cases by the dates of interment, and in others by the name or condition of the person deceased. The history of the Symbols of Martyrdom' is consequently little more than a description of superstitions reluctantly abandoned from time to time: from being almost numberless, they have been reduced to one-a cup of blood beside the grave. To give the reader an idea of the signs formerly considered decisive of saintship and of martyrdom, it will be necessary to quote a few instances from the antiquarians of the three last centuries.

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"The learned Benedictine, Mabillon, while engaged in turning over the papers in the Barberini library, met with some correspondence relative to a pseudo-saint supposed to have been discovered in Spain. Some well-meaning persons had there met with an ancient stone, inscribed with the letters S. VIAR.' and concluded it to be the epitaph of a Saint Viar. Nothing daunted by the singularity of the name, or the total want of evidence in support of his sanctity, they boldly established his worship. But the zeal of his admirers, though it had conferred the honours of saintship, was unable to secure his immortality; for, on their application to Urbanus for indulgences, the Roman antiquarians required some proof of his existence. The stone was therefore forwarded to Rome, where it was immediately seen to be the fragment of an inscription to a PræfectuS VIA Rum, or Curator of the Ways.

We are apt to pity the condition of those who wasted their prayers and praises on the imaginary Viar, but in what respect were they worse off than the supplicants at the altars even of St. Peter and St. Paul?

"A remarkable instance of carelessness in the manufacture of saints is mentioned by Mabillon, as having occurred at Tolosa very shortly before he wrote. An inscription was found in the Roman Catacombs, running thus:

D M

JVLIA. EVODIA. FILIA. FECIT

CASTAE. MATRI. ET. BENEMERENTI

QVAE VIXIT · ANNIS LXX

"Upon the strength of this epitaph, raised by Julia Euodia to her chaste and well-deserving mother, containing no signs of Christianity, but rather the reverse, the bones found in that grave were esteemed holy, and were attributed to St. Julia Euodia, instead of her chaste mother.' From the number of Pagan tomb-stones applied to Christian purposes in the later times of the emperors, we require some specific evidence to assure us of the Christian origin of any tablet found in the catacombs.

"The romance of the eleven thousand virgins is said to owe its existence to the inscription,

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which was read, ‘Ursula and eleven thousand virgins;' instead of ‘eleven virgin martyrs.'

The history of St. Veronica exceeds all other legends of pseudo-saints in the pertinacity with which it has been supported by the Roman Church, in opposition to the learned of her own communion, and in the entire absence of traditional evidence. Its origin and progress have been brought to light by the researches of Romanist antiquarians.

"About the darkest time of the middle ages arose the custom of painting the countenance of our Saviour upon pieces of cloth: the accuracy of the supposed likeness, or icon as it was called, was attested by inscribing beneath it the words Vera icon,' gradually corrupted into Veronica. Many writers mention these veronica; as observed by Mabillon, who has cited passages from Romanus, Petrus Casinensis, and Augustinus Patricius. Mabillon also mentions the petition of a certain Cistercian abbess, dated 1249, to Jacobus de Trecis, the Pope's chaplain, that he would send her a copy of the picture contained in St. Peter's. He complied with her request, and begged her to receive the copy as a holy Veronica, Christ's true image or likeness.' The next stage in the growth of the legend (for it does not seem to be of older date), was the discovery that the original Veronica was an actual impression of our Saviour's features, miraculously taken at some time or other: according to Mabillon, during the Agony in the garden; to Ducange, on the way to Calvary; and by another class of persons, as noticed by Baronius, supposed to have been left upon the head-dress in the sepulchre. But the story still wanted something, and Veronica was at length found to be the name of a holy woman who followed our Lord to Calvary; and who, while piously wiping the Redeemer's brow with a cloth, received as a reward the miraculous impression of His countenance. Of this woman, whom Baronius calls Berenice, there is a colossal statue in St. Peter's at Rome; and what is worse, her image occupies a prominent place in the hearts of an igno. rant people.

"The authorities, so far from discountenancing the fiction, have offered a premium upon its belief: John XXII. who assumed the tiara in 1316, issued a prayer, by repeating which devoutly, looking meanwhile upon the face of Christ, an indulgence of 10,000 days may be obtained.' In this

1846.

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hymn the most ignorant version of the story is maintained by the 'infallible' poet.

"Salve, sancta facies
Mei redemptoris,
In quâ nitet species
Divini splendoris.
Impressa panniculo
Nivei candoris,
Dataque Veronica
Signum ob amoris.
Salve, decus seculi
Speculum sanctorum,
Quod videre cupiunt
Spiritus cœlorum.
Nos ab omni maculâ
Purga vitiorum,
Atque nos consortio

Junge beatorum," &c.

"The handkerchief of St. Veronica is publicly worshipped in Rome on stated occasions, and the ceremony is performed with the utmost splendour: perhaps there is no part of the Romish ritual more calculated to strike the imagination. The prostrate multitude, the dome of St. Peter's dimly lighted by the torches in the nave, and the shadowy baldacchino, hanging to all appearance in mid-air, form a spectacle not easily forgotten.”—(pp. 131—136.)

"These be thy gods, O Israel!" It was such double-distilled fictions as these, that the Church of Rome propounded to the implicit belief of her votaries, in the palmy days of her prosperity. It was upon the intercession of these shadows of shades she bid them trust for the salvation of their souls, in those "ages of faith," which now-a-days are lauded and lamented over by so many clergymen of the Church of England, both in prose and verse. To their eulogies and threnodies we leave them. We have only one remark to offer upon the question: and that is, from the ground of our hearts, Thank God for the Reformation!

The fifth chapter, on the symbols used in the catacombs, will be found deeply interesting. It is valuable, as an illustration of some of the customs of the primitive Christians of Rome; and still more so, as an exposure of the tremulously delicate foundation in ancient usage, upon which the adoration of the cross, and some other idolatries of the modern Romanists, were based. Of the same character are the two following chapters "on the offices and customs of the ancient Church," and "on the origin of Christian art." We had noted many passages for extraction, but we feel that we have already sufficiently enriched our pages from Dr. Maitland's admirable work.

So deeply interesting is the immediate subject of this fascinating volume, that we have omitted to notice the passages that bear with

telling effect upon the controversy which has long raged in our own Church, between the Biblists and the Traditionaries. We select the following almost at random :

"Up to the year 350, Christians were uniformly accused of worshipping Christ; after that time, of worshipping saints. Can the non-existence of saint-worship in primitive ages be more satisfactorily disproved?

"It has been attempted, in the foregoing pages, to describe with accuracy and honesty some features of the Church of ancient Rome: a church founded by St. Paul, presided over by St. Peter, and numbering in after-times a matchless succession of martyr-bishops. In a day when the Romanist claim to primitive resemblance is half credited by some, who might be forward in furnishing a refutation to the assumption, it must be consolatory to every dutiful son of our Church, to find that most of the points on which the question of Catholicism turns, require no subtle refinement for their mastery. We may leave to the learned and pious defenders of our establishment the nicer questions of doctrine which properly lie within their province: while they, with the reed furnished by the inspired Word, 'measure the temple of God, and them that worship therein,' we need but walk through the outer courts of the sanctuary, to see how unlike to all that now occupies the sacred site was the first erection of apostolic hands. The details of one period cannot by any possibility be transferred to the other. To which of the two, it may be confidently asked of the least informed in church history, belongs the bishop who greeted his correspondent, from Paulinus and Therasia his wife, sinners? When lived in Rome that Marcus whose parents expressed their belief in his immediate blessedness after death? When was the fear of detection from the smell of wine an inducement with the persecuted laity to defer their morning Eucharist? When was held that Council in Carthage which was opened by the declaration that none here setteth up himself as bishop of bishops?' If the voice of truth is to be found in papal decrees, how shall the long-neglected worship of the Virgin be forgiven to the apostolic age?-how the non-preservation of blood and ashes enough to impregnate Christendom with the odour of heavenly sanctity? O infantine and undeveloped religion, without mythology, shrines, or images: taught by a priesthood ingloriously moral, unqualified to create their Creator,' and sharing the cup of blessing with the meanest of the laity! And vainly was St. Paul admitted to witness the glories of the third heaven, debarred from their ultimate enjoyment by the decree, If any one shall say that justifying faith is none other than a trust in the Divine mercy forgiving our sins for Christ's sake, or that it is that trust alone by which we are justified, let him be accursed."-(Council of Trent, session vi. canon 12.)-pp. 308-310.)

This admirable passage needs no eulogy. Dr. Maitland's work abounds in such passages. With this remark we conclude. Our object has been to induce our readers to peruse the book for themselves, and we are conscious we can say nothing that will so effectually recommend it to their notice.

1. CHURCH IN THE COLONIES. No. 1.-THE CHURCH IN CANADA. A Journal of Visitation to the_Western Portion of his Diocese. By the LORD BISHOP OF TORONTO, in the Autumn of 1842. Second Edition. London: Rivingtons. 1845.

2. CHURCH IN THE COLONIES. No. 2.-THE CHURCH IN CANADA. No. II. A Journal of Visitation to a part of the Diocese of Quebec. By the LORD BISHOP OF MONTREAL, in the Spring of 1843. Second Edition. London: Rivingtons. 1845.

3. CHURCH IN THE COLONIES.

No. 9.-THE CHURCH

IN CANADA. A Journal of Visitation to parts of the
Diocese of Quebec. By the LORD BISHOP OF MONTREAL,
1843 and 1844. Part II. With Statistical Returns for the
Diocese. London: Rivingtons. 1845.

4. REPORT OF THE INCORPORATED SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL IN FOREIGN PARTS, for the year 1845, with the Anniversary Sermon, &c. &c. London: Clay. 1845.

A GREAT change has been adopted, within the last few years, by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, in respect to the publication of intelligence. Formerly, the Annual Report was the only channel of communication between the Society and its subscribers. In the year 1833, the Society began to print at uncertain intervals, the more uncertain despatches which, from time to time, were sent home: but it was not till July, 1839, that the regular issue was commenced of "Quarterly Papers," containing extracts from the correspondence of the several Bishops and Missionaries. More recently still the Society has begun to print a series of Journals and Visitation Tours by several of the Bishops, as well as detailed accounts of its more strictly missionary operations under the title of "Missions to the Heathen." Several numbers of each series have already appeared,' and for the purpose of

The Nos. already published are:-" Church in the Colonies."-No. I. Journal of Visitation by the Bishop of Toronto.-No. II. Do. by the Bishop of Montreal.-No. III. Do. by the Bishop of Nova Scotia.-No. IV. New Zealand. Part 1. containing Letters from the Bishop of New Zealand to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, &c. -No. V. Australia. Part 1. Journal of Visitation by the Bishop of Australia.-No. VI. Ditto. Part 2. Two Journals of Missionary Tours in the Districts of Maneroo and Moreton Bay, New South Wales, in 1843.-No. VII. New Zealand. Part 2.-No. VIII. Ditto. Part 3.-No. IX. Journal of Visitation, &c., by the Bishop of Montreal."Missions to the Heathen."--No. I. Mission of Sawyerpooram, in the District of Tinne

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