No. 65 is the hymn, known and sung wherever the English language is made the medium of worship," Come, said Jesus' sacred voice." In the fourth verse, it is well known to every choir, there are two lines each with an excess of a foot: and, "In strong remorse for guilt who mourn;" "A wounded spirit who can bear?" The late Mr. Aspland, when preparing, in 1811, for the press his "Selection of Psalms and Hymns for Unitarian Worship," pointed out to Mrs. Barbauld these two faults in her rhythm, and received authority to alter the lines thus: "Guilt in strong remorse who mourn;" and, "Troubled conscience who can bear?" The Birmingham Editor has adopted the first alteration, but taken no notice of the second. It is to be regretted that Miss Aikin, in publishing her aunt's Works in 1825, did not make the required and authorized alterations. Of the text of No. 74, "Behold where, breathing love divine," we have no complaint to make, the only alteration being an omission of some verses. No. 125 is a new and any thing but improved version of the fine hymn on religious joy, beginning, "Joy to the followers of the Lord." Never did paraphrast more succeed in taming "the ecstacy" of a poet's "too deep adoring." In No. 192, the hymn by Mrs. Barbauld begins, "Sweet is the scene when virtue dies! When sinks a righteous soul to rest." The Birmingham verse begins, "How blest the righteous when he dies! When sinks a weary soul to rest." In the original, the third verse is majestic in conception and felicitous in phrase: "Triumphant smiles the victor brow, And where, insidious Death! thy sting?" Instead of this golden verse, the Birmingham Editor has dared to attempt to pass base coin: "A holy quiet reigns around, A calm which life nor death destroys; It is possible and probable that the Editor was unconscious of the great wrong he was doing our great religious poetess, that he only followed in the track of some previous interpolator. If this be so, does it diminish his fault? We think not. There is no Preface to explain the principles on which the selection has been made. We looked curiously in search of one, wishing much to comprehend, if possible, the Editor's idea of a Psalm or Hymn. We will not be very rigorous in this matter when a short and beautiful poem, imbued with the devotional spirit, seeks admittance; but some poems have found their way into this volume which have nothing more of the complexion of either Psalm or Hymn than, or, "John Anderson my Joe;" "Ye gentlemen of England, Thus, No 140 begins, "I slept and dreamed that Life was Beauty;" and No. 168, is a fanciful poem about a rose, and love, and dew, and a gem, and sunshine, and a cloud, and a rainbow, Memnon, &c. It is quite sufficient to quote its opening verse: "I am the Rose so softly through Upon my blossoms streaming." After this singular specimen of "Psalms and Hymns," no reader need be astonished to hear that the collection includes Longfellow's beautiful but mystical poem entitled Excelsior, or Mackay's spirited song, rendered familiar in two hemispheres by the genius of the Hutchinson family (No. 178), We observed in looking through the volume some errors of the press. The noble hymn (No. 37), “Father of our feeble race,” by John Taylor, of Norwich, is assigned to Jane Taylor, who was a member of the Ongar family. No. 123, "All yet is well, the mother said," was composed by Mr. James Cox. Pure Christianity superior to the Popular Forms of Theology. By J. D. Casewell, of Evesham. MR. CASEWELL has in this short pamphlet given to the world a statement of the new and cheering views of religion which have induced him to abandon his ministry amongst the Baptists, and to become a preacher of Unitarian Christianity. His remarks are general and popular, rather than scriptural and critical, and exhibit the results rather than the process of his religious change. Feeling as he does the blessedness of his new opinions, he is anxious to extend them to others. We hear with much pleasure that Mr. Casewell is now conducting the religious services of the little Unitarian church at Torquay. PERIODICALS. The Irish Unitarian Magazine, September, 1846.-This very cheap Magazine continues its course with great spirit. The series of papers by Dr. Montgomery on Irish Presbyterianism is now brought down to the memorable siege of Derry in 1689. They will, we trust, be hereafter published in a collected form. A large portion of the No. is devoted to "Intelligence." That which records the proceedings of the Remonstrant Synod at their annual meeting is well deserving of attention. There is one article in this No. which we have read with deep regret. It contains so gross an outrage on Christian charity, that it never ought (at least unaccompanied by a protest) to have been admitted into any Unitarian periodical. We allude to a letter on "American Slavery and Mrs. Dana." The writer appears to resent the praises which have been given to that lady's Letters, and the hearty welcome offered her as a convert by the Unitarians of this country. The logic and the charity of this effusion are about on a par. The writer says, "Mrs. Dana lives in a Slave State; she must, therefore, be an upholder of that system which is at war with all that is great and noble and godlike in man's nature," &c. &c. If any thing can stay the onward course of Abolition, either here or across the Atlantic, it will be fanaticism like this. The demand of this intemperate friend of the Slave, that Mrs. Dana should, contemporaneously with her declaration of Unitarianism, have put forth her creed on the subject of the Abolition movement, reminds us of the proceedings of the Chartists in this country a few years ago, who madly hoped to advance their cause by stopping all public meetings, for whatever purpose they might be called, unless the proceedings were permitted to begin with a declaration in favour of the Five Points. Let the friend of the Slave feel the immoveable position and giant strength of his cause, and, leaving to others denunciation and violence of every kind, trust to argument and persuasion alone. If he wants an example, let him look to that man who has just brought to a successful conclusion one of the most extraordinary instances of political agitation which the world's history records, and who, from first to last, was as much distinguished by the gentleness of his demeanour as by the strength of his arguments,-who in a seven years' struggle did not make one personal enemy. Mr. Cobden would probably tell the Abolitionist that the greatest difficulties he had to overcome in the prosecution of the repeal of the Corn Laws were occasioned, not by the lukewarmness, but by the imprudent violence, of some of his followers. The English people will pay little heed to one who (however good be his cause) begins by losing his temper and calling people bad names. Objectionable as we deem this article in the Irish Unitarian Magazine, we have felt pain in recording our censures; and we abstain from naming in our columns the writer, because we know that he is respected and beloved by some for his ardent philanthropy. We give him credit for good intentions, but he has allowed his zeal to outstrip his charity and discretion. We aim to serve the cause he has at heart by the expression of our disapprobation of his intole rance. Little Magazine of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge. 6 volumes.-Mr. Thomas Bradshaw, of Dollar, near Alloa, has, we much regret to learn, been compelled to suspend the publication of this very entertaining and useful juvenile periodical, in consequence of inadequate support from the public. This is certainly an ungrateful return to a very serviceable and pleasant writer. The volumes of the Little Magazine, unlike their little readers, will not grow old or obsolete, and we recommend them with confidence to the attention of the managers of Book Societies and Sunday-schools, and of parents who are interested in the proper furniture of the nursery library. Such persons, if they require any quantity, may obtain them at a very low price, and they will be serving a worthy man if they apply direct to the author. GERMANY. INTELLIGENCE. touching the interests of religious li German and English Efforts after Chris- berty, and arising out of the progress tian Union. Once, in the long course of nearly two thousand years, an ecclesiastical assembly, convened by royal authority, has rendered a service to religious liberty. For this gratifying sign of the times we must not look to England, where religious liberty halts pitiably behind civil liberty, but to the country of Luther, who produced the Reformation, and of Ronge, who is now completing it. We refer to the great Synod recently held in Berlin, which, commencing its sittings on the 2nd of June, 1846, was composed of seventy-two members, nine for each of the provinces of Brandenburg, Pomerania, Posen, Prussia, the Rhine, Saxony, Silesia, and Westphalia. Each province of the Prussian monarchy was represented in the Convocation by four clergymen, and Brandenburg by five; each, except Posen and Westphalia, had there also a professor in theology and another in law; and each had, besides, three lay deputies. There were present when the Synod opened, thirty-three ministers of religion, six professors of theology and six of law, and twenty-four laymen, making in all sixty-nine. The clergy consisted of superintendents of districts, secretaries of provincial synods, presidents of consistories, or courtpreachers. The laity were mayors, burgesses, noblemen, or professors, having among them three professors and the Lieutenant-General, von Hiller. To four, the name of Bishop is prefixed, namely, Neander, Ritschl, Freymark, Ross. The Synod comprised a most competent representation of the highest German culture in religious concerns. The President's chair was as of right taken by Eichhorn, Prussian State Minister for Ecclesiastial Affairs. The election of Vice-president lay with the Synod. It gave occasion to a severe contest. Bishop Neander gained the honour over a layman, namely, Bethmann Holhveg, of Bonn. The business was divided among eight Committees, who reported to the General Assembly, with whom lay the right of adoption and rejection. Many of the questions, relating to local and disciplinary matters, may be passed, as being of little interest to our readers. The great question was one intimately of mind made in religion especially during the last century. This question involved the validity of creeds, the right of imposing, the duty of accepting them. These points were decided in the negative by a large majority. The exact shape in which the question was brought under discussion regarded the ordination of candidates for the ministry. Was the door of the church to be open or closed; and if closed, what was to be the key? The decision, we are happy to say, was in favour of open doors, and this a short time before "the Holy," we mean "the Evangelical, Alliance" in London decided even to carry on their discussions with closed doors, to the exclusion of the public and the press. We translate the words of a letter from Berlin, dated the 7th August, and addressed to the Augsburg Gazette:-"The Synod a few days since brought to a termination the question of creeds, and its decisions will not fail to produce a considerable and happy effect on our religious concerns: the point for decision was, whether ministers, in order to receive ordination, should be required to acknowledge the creeds and certain_dogmatic writings received in the Protestant Church. By a large majority the Synod has refused to establish any requirement of the kind, leaving to each minister to follow those standards or not, or to follow them to such and such a point. This decision is so much the more worthy of praise, because the majority of the Synod belong to orthodoxy (would that our English orthodoxy were of the same spirit!). All the restriction that the Synod has seen fit to appoint is found in a recommendation that preachers should not carry on an active warfare against the creeds, seeing that on them reposes the faith of the great body of Protestants. These liberal views of the Synod, surpassing public expectation, are the object of universal eulogium." In truth, the public mind was much excited. Fears for the safety of religious liberty prevailed, which found expression in petitions addressed to the Synod, among which one from Breslau is of special merit. These fears had been in a measure calmed by two excellent addresses delivered by the President Eichhorn, who, speaking in a truly liberal tone, declared the intentions of the Government, namely, to preserve the old with a firm but gentle hand, and to prepare and lead the way to such modifications of the old as would meet and satisfy the requirements of systematic knowledge and the wants of the age. Thus, in Germany, speaks a Minister of State before a great religious assembly convened to compose and adjust religious differences-renouncing the very essence of orthodoxy, namely, the invariableness of dogmatic forms-at the very time that an Alliance free from Church-and-State trammels is making the absurd attempt, in the metropolis of the British empire, to re-invigorate obsolescent metaphysical notions, and to form a union throughout the world on the basis of nine (still, nine are less than thirtynine) articles of faith, requiring, among other things, that men, as the only saving faith, shall believe that by nature they are utterly depraved, and that the majority of the human race, God's children though they are, will in hell suffer endless torments! Surely, among men of this stamp, Professor Tholuck, orthodox though he is considered in Germany, must have found himself sadly out of place. Glad, however, are we that he has been among them, for he will see with his own eyes who, and of what spirit, are the men in this land that are employing English influence and English gold in order to bring Continental churches under restraints and into fetters like their own; and, on the other hand, it is not, we would fain hope, impossible that the liberal and enlightened German may awaken better thoughts, and encourage better aims, among these little Protestant popes. In these words, which, among others, Professor Tholuck spoke in Exeter Hall, a tone of thought is found, the due carrying out of which would produce a great improvement in our popular religion :The substantial unity of the Church is a thing which already exists, and the Evangelical Alliance has only to proclaim it to the world. All who are here must deplore the differences which exist in Christendom. But how can you put an end to them? You must make the attempt only in the way of exhortation, by the encouragement of mutual instruction. In the words of one of the Reformers of the Protestant Church-of a man who reformed not only its doctrines, but its life-I will say that there is no church, no Chris : tian party, which can claim to possess pure truth-truth absolute in all points of view; and if these words are true, I will take the liberty of adding, that there is no church nor Christian party on the earth which may not learn something from other churches and other parties. It was thus that they might realize a grand and true union, of which we now see only the commencement." Tholuck followed up these (and other) remarks by presenting to the unionists of Exeter Hall a copy of the Form of Consecration adopted by the Synod of Berlin, which, treating the old creedbooks as respectable witnesses and historical memorials of past states of mind, requires in ministers only a general adherence to Christianity, and the acknowledgment of the authority of the Sacred Scriptures. The following is a translation of this important document: "Whosoever is lawfully called to teach in the Evangelical Church, must be consecrated by prayer and by the laying on of hands, and must publicly make profession that he is a believer in the faith common to all the Protestant Church. Wherefore, he must first declare that he will take as the rule of his faith, not his own private opinions, nor any other human dogmas, but only the Word of God, as it is contained in the writings of prophets and apostles. "Secondly, he must promise that, by God's help, he will faithfully, diligently and firmly persist in that exposition of the Holy Scriptures which, according to the gift of tongues, is from the Holy Ghost, in harmony with the confession of the universal Christian Church, and with the ancient confessions of Protestantism; considering them as testimonies to the fundamental facts and fundamental truths of salvation, and as types of sound doctrine.” Then the officiating ministers shall add, "We ask of you emphatically, if, in common with the whole Protestant Church, you confess Jesus Christ, the first-born Son, who for our sakes did make himself humble, and did take the form of a servant, to be the only Mediator between God and man; recognizing the fact, that, as a Prophet sent of God, powerful in words and works, he has proclaimed peace, and that, as an eternal High-priest, he has by his death reconciled us to God; that, having delivered himself up for our sins, and risen for our justification, he is seated on the right hand of God; that he has eternal power as Chief of his Church, |