bulk contains many tons of solid rock, turn upon very small points, and make no noise as they turn. And so events which are the turning points in a man's life or a nation's prosperity seldom seem great at the time; and, though the consequences which follow from them are vast and important, yet at the time the event takes place scarcely any thing peculiar marks it as the pivot on which such consequences turn and hinge.

to be seen. And, when it came, no such convulsions shook the world as to make the world at large know that such a crisis was being past. And even in Jerusalem the solemn wonders of that day were soon forgotten; while its consequences have reached back to the very beginning of this world's being, and will reach forward to the very close of its existence in its present state, and throughout eternity.

When Jesus Christ spoke the words of our This fair world was once God's kingdom, text, he spoke of an event (then close at hand, under man, its glorious viceroy. But Satan now past and as matter of history) on which," deceived the woman:" she thought only of as on a point, the world's destiny was to turn. becoming as a God; she thought only of On that event the everlasting state of untold knowing good and evil: she lost the good and unthought millions hinged. Every other she had known, and found the evil she wished event, however stupendous, was to it as to know. "The man was not deceived:" he nothing, "less than nothing, and vanity."" loved the creature more than the Creator," The awful grandeur of the flood, the dark and sinned with her. And so this fair world pall spread over the watery grave in which became Satan's kingdom. "All that is in a world's rebellious inhabitants lay dead, the world" became his. He set up his was as nothing to this. The vollied light- throne in this lower air, as the prince of the nings, the pitchy rain, the liquid fire stream-power of the air. He lives as "the ruler of the ing down from above, the inflammable soil darkness of this world," he rules in "the chilburning up from below, the fires of earth and dren of disobedience." Every man born sky, arching over the guilty cities and their into the world is born his natural subdoomed inhabitants in one fiery furnace, that ject; for he is by nature the child of wrath, burnt up the very soil, and sunk a deep, and under the power of Satan; and, by the dreadful, seething cauldron, where all was as chains of sinful habit, the deceivableness of the garden of Eden before, was as nothing unrighteousness, the pleasures of sin, the lusts to this. That day, in which sun and moon of many things, the darkness of an ignorant stood gazing at each horizon on the slaughter, mind, the hardness of a corrupt heart, the when God avenged his people of their ene- obstinate selfishness of the stubborn will, he mies, and the sky thundered, and the holds all men naturally as his willing or mighty hailstones fell upon the retreating struggling captives. The dark places of the soldiers, and slew more than Israel's swords earth were ever, as they are now, the habitahad slain, was as nothing to this. The tions of cruelty. He rejoiced in the screams day, that saw the dark waters of this then of the poor babe as it felt the blistering touch watery globe first sparkle with the new-born of the grim idol Moloch, and rolled into the light-the day, that saw the bare, bald earth fires beneath. He revelled amidst the imflush into green, that saw the trees rise in purities of their idol sacrifices, the revelstately dance, that saw the glorious sun ries of their feasts, the darkness of their blazing in the blue heavens, and the silver groves. He ruled as much in the philosopher moon hang out her bright looking-glass in of Greece and Rome as in the most degraded the evening sky, that saw earth alive with of the rabble; using their learned lips and its countless living creatures, as they up- polished periods to teach revenge; and urging heaved its soil and sprung to life and light them, while they could speak of wisdom and beauty, and that then saw man, and refinement, to do in secret what cannot little lower than the angels," ruling it over "be so much as once named among us, as his subject kingdom, was as nothing to this. becometh saints." The disobedient child, and This was to be the crisis of the world's the parent without "natural affection," the moral history. The god of this world was truce-breaking nations, and the promiseto be struck at with a mortal blow: the breaking man, the people oppressing their conserpent's head was to be crushed. Death quered enemies, and the lordly master treating was to become mortal, and the dark valley his thousand slaves as so many cattle, the of his dwelling changed into the very spot bloody sports of the amphitheatre and the on which the foot of that wondrous ladder polluting scenes of the drama, the utter should be placed, which should reach to the absence of truth and honesty, purity and very throne of God, and carry the mounting chastity, where no man's life was safe from spirit into his own presence. And yet there the murderer's knife, no man's character were no tokens of such an approaching crisis from the slanderer's tongue, no man's wealth

a

THE CONTROVERTED PORTIONS OF THE BOOK idea of the apocryphal books being regarded as

table, of which it is expressly affirmed that "the to be frivolity, or even from error)*, and are church doth read" them "for example of life and sometimes bound up with the bible in the same instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply volume, for convenience sake alone, just as the methem to establish any doctrine" (6th article).trical versions of the psalms sometimes are with Moreover, the titles prefixed to the tables of les- the prayer-book, of which they form no part. sons in the prayer-book do not speak of them as "lessons of holy scripture" (as is the case in the American prayer-book), but simply as "lessons;" thus, proper lessons,' ""lessons proper for Sundays," and "for holy days," "the calendar with the table of lessons." It is plain, therefore, that such of the apocryphal books as are appointed in the calendar, for public reading or as first lessons on certain holy-days and week-days* (viz., Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, Susannah, and Bel and the Dragon, which are the only books publicly read, and the only books therefore which we are required to defend), are read not as holy scripture, but simply as useful, human, and uninspired-and therefore, of course, fallible-compositions (like the homilies, which though as a whole they contain "godly and wholesome doctrine," are yet not free from what now appears the offertory sentences in the communion service (two of which

are taken from the book of Tobit), does not term them "

sen

tences of holy scripture," as they were termed in the liturgy of 1549, but merely "sentences." The alteration was made in 1552, and has ever since remained. The reading of them is left to the minister's "discretion." In the homilies the

apocrypha is occasionally quoted as scripture, it is true. But, may not this be merely an accidental mistake? At all events, the 35th article establishes the general doctrine of the homilies only, as a standard of the church, and not every sentence and expression which they contain (see bishop Burnet on the 35th article). In the ordination services, belief of "the canonical scriptures," is alone required of the candidates for the ministry. And it is only "all holy scriptures" which the prayer-book teaches that the "blessed Lord" hath caused" to be written" by inspiration "for our learning."

With this agrees the testimony of our ablest divines. Thus Hooker maintains that, though "we read in our churches certain books besides the scripture, yet as the scripture we read them not" (B. v., c. 20, s. 10). Again, archbishop Secker declares that these books" are read in the congregation, not as divine, but as venerable for their antiquity, and for the spirit of religion that breathes in them" (see bp. Mant's Prayer-book, p. 23). And at the Savoy Conference in 1661, when the puritan divines desired "that nothing be read in the church, for lessons, but the holy scriptures in the Old and New Testament," it was answered that the reasons which they had assigned for the basis of their request "would exclude all sermons as well as apocrypha," and that, "if, notwithstanding their sufficiency, sermons be necessary, should not be useful, most of them containing there is no reason why these apocryphal chapters excellent discourses and rules of morality. ... It their fear be that by this mean these books may come to be of equal esteem with the canon, they may be secured against that by the title which the church hath put upon them, calling them apocryphal" (Cardwell, pp. 341, 342). Some good remarks also on the true character and legitimate use of the apocryphal books as useful uninspired writings by good, though fallible men, may be seen in bishop Gray's Key to the Old Testa ment," in the concluding pages of the general preface (p. viii.), and in the preface to the apocryphal books (pp. 272, 277, 278 of Tegg's edition, 1842). With regard to the apocryphal books, then, nothing can be more clear than the testimony respect

"While" the church "has allowed some parts of the apocrypha to be read for example of life and instruction of manners' on week-days, as being, so to speak, man's days, when any other works of human composition might be read, she has excluded it entirely from being read on Sundays, noting the complete rejection of their canonicity and allowing any but the Lord's own word to be heard on the Lord's inspiration, both in our formularies and in the own day. Not a single apocryphal lesson is appointed to be writings of some of our most able and learned read on any Sunday; a clear indication, as it appears to us, divines. And to this may be added the candid that it ought never to be read on a Sunday, even though that and impartial testimony of a learned presbyterian Sunday should be a saint's day" (Jenner, p. 10). With this opi- divine of the established kirk of Scotland, Dr. J. nion agree both Wheatly (c. iii. s. 10 p. 135, and c. v. p. 188, see also abp. Secker in Mant, p. 23); and also rev. S. Rowe, in Cumming, who, in his admirable work on the order, as he says, " to mark the distinction between the sabbath Christian evidences, "Is Christianity from God?" which God himself hath hallowed, and all holy-days of mere thus bears witness to the fact: "Some may be human institution, however seemly and proper they may ap- disposed to ask-' Does not the church of England pear" (Appeal to the Rubric p. 44; compare pp. 75, 76). As receive the apocrypha?' That church does not to the holy-days, Mr. Rowe also quotes from "Shepherd's Elucidation" i. p. 178, that, because some of the Romanists receive it as sacred scripture. She expressly states, had exalted the virgin mother above the Son of God, "this that parts of the apocrypha may be read only as perhaps was the reason why apocryphal lessons were assigned containing moral lessons, but that no doctrine is to the purification and annunciation of the blessed virgin. It to be proved thereby; in other words, that the was probably upon similar principles that the first lessons apocrypha is not inspired, though portions of it, directed to be read on the greater part of the saints' days are taken from the apocrypha." Mr. Rowe appears to acquiesce of which some are good, may be read, just as one in this view, as intimating "the deliberate opinion of the of her homilies may be read, to the congregation. Anglican fathers, as to the marked distinction between the This is decisive as to the opinion of that church inspired word of scripture and all other writings whatever, as on the non-inspiration of the apocryphal books" well as with regard to the essential difference between the (c. viii. p. 157). It may also be observed that services appointed for the commemoration of the saints of Hooker offers the following remark, viz., that,

the Most High, and those ordained for the worship and adoration of the divine King of saints himself" (Appeal, p. 40, and pp. 41, 42). It may be just observed that for the 27th Sunday after Trinity, the proper lessons appear to be those of the 6th Sunday after Epiphany, Isaiah lxv. and lxvi., as Wogan in his work on the proper lessons shows. So, also in 1845 determined the bishops of Gloucester and Bristol, and of Down and Dromore (Drs. Monk and Mant). This Sunday will in 1856, fall (as it did in 1845) on 23rd November, for which day the lesson in the calendar is Bel and the Dragon.

66

as often as those books are read" in our churches, "and need so requireth, the style of their difference may expressly be mentioned, to bar even all possibility of error" (B. v., c. 20, s. 10). This

See, for example, the homily on excess of apparel, where the English love of dress ridiculously discussed; also the occasional references to the apocrypha as scripture, in some of the homilies,

therefore of course fallible, productions of good men. The apocryphal lessons are read merely as human writings, just as the homilies are, and as the various cxhortations in our liturgical services are such as "dearly-beloved brethren," the exhortations in the communion-service and in the commination, &c.—and they are to be received as of no higher authority than such other uninspired compositions. The reading of these lessons is surely, therefore, no reasonable ground of serious objection. For there can be no greater intrinsic objection to reading the uninspired productions of a servant of God from the reading-desk, when announced as such and read from a volume distinct from the bible, than in reading the homilies, or delivering our own uninspired compositions from the pulpit? Proceed we now to consider the other objection;

end may be answered by announcing the apocryphal lessons in some such form as this, "Here beginneth theth chapter of the book of the apocrypha called' Tobit," or Wisdom," or "Ecclesiasticus," &c.*. Furthermore, Hooker gives the following caution: "It greatly behoveth the church to have always most especial care, lest through confused mixture at any time human usurp the room and title of divine writings" (B. v., c. 20, s. 10). This remark at once reminds us that the church of England, as such, has never (so far as the writer of this paper has yet been able to ascertain) commanded, or even sanctioned, the prevalent custom of supplying the reading-desks of our churches with bibles containing the apocrypha in the same volume. In supplying books for the desks of new churches, therefore, or new books for the desk of any church, it would seem very desirable-especially now that popery is once more lifting up its proud head among us-to give a practical illustration of our "protestant" principles, by furnishing our church-desks with bibles "without the apocrypha," and the apocrypha, in separate volumes; for in this form it is published in several sizes by the venerable Society for Pro-And therefore it is in behalf of these alone that it moting Christian Knowledge, the largest of which -the "pica royal octavo"-is of a very suitable and convenient size and type for use in the readingdeskt.

2. That, even if not read as holy scripture, yet the character of these books is such that they are totally unfit to be read at all for moral instruction in the public services of the sanctuary. The only books so read are (as was before observed) the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, Susannah, and Bel and the Dragon.

is here needful to offer any remarks. Now, it is fully admitted that these books are not free from error; for what human composition is ? But the hard sentences pronounced upon them are chiefly The answer to this objection may, then, be by persons who have scarcely ever read them, or summed up as follows: it must ever be remem- by separatists, who exercise their ingenuity in bered that there is no church in which the reading finding out faults, and who exhibit those faults in of the holy scriptures occupies so prominent a the strongest light. We must remember that those place as it does in the church of England, since books were appointed to be read at a time when ber members are never assembled for public books were scarce, and good books scarcely exprayers without at least one lesson of holy scrip-isted. At the Reformation perhaps hardly any ture being read in the course of the service; but, while she expressly excludes the apocryphal books from any claim to be considered as the inspired word of God, yet finding many portions of them to be highly instructive and profitable, she presents these to her members as the uninspired, and

• See Rowe's Appeal, p. 36, where we are reminded that it is expedient thus to keep fully before the congregation the marked distinction "between holy writ and all uninspired writings, however venerable," since "we cannot too carefully guard against the apocryphal writings being relied on for the establishment of any doctrine, especially in the present day" (p. 36). Some clergymen say, "Here beginneth the chapter of the apocryphal' book of -;" but the other form appears more explicit, as well as more rubrical.

books could have been chosen which did not contain even greater errors than these. The moral in them is generally good, and even that of Bel and the Dragon is not without its use. "The books of Wisdom and of Ecclesiasticus contain most mag. nificent and instructive passages relating to God and his providence, as well as to his redeeming mercies, which are well suited for reading in the congregation" (Baylee's Institutions, p. 48). And, whatever may be our private opinion as to the abstract advantage of reading as "lessons" chapters of inspired scripture alone, instead of any from the apocryphal books, yet it must be confessed that, had the latter not been thus ap

would probably (like many other good books) have sunk into total oblivion, instead of now existing for our edification and instruction in a form easy to be obtained by any one.

been raised to particular passages in the apocryphal To consider in detail the objections which have books would far exceed the limits of the present subject of discussiont. The books to which objections are chiefly raised are Tobit, Judith, Susannah, and Bel and the Dragon. With respect

This course has been actually adopted in several reading-pointed to be publicly read in our churches, they desks, to the writer's knowledge. It would probably be difficult to obtain the large "folio" bibles" without apocrypha," unless they were "ordered unbound," and "bound to order" by the publishers. But in many reading-desks the "medium quarto" sized bibles and prayer-books are used; and they are really far more convenient for use than the large folio books. The "great primer, medium quarto" prayerbooks are published at a very low rate to subscribers to the Christian Knowledge Society; and the "English type, medium quarto" bibles exactly match them, and are published "without the apocrypha" (as well as with it) by the society, at a very low rate; by giving an express order for a copy "without the apocrypha" they could easily be obtained for any desk. For very small desks the "great primer demy quarto" prayer book, and "English type demy quarto" bible (which can also be had "without the apocrypha") are more convenient, perhaps, than the "medium quarto," being one size smaller, but of the same type. The "pica, royal octavo" apocrypha, in a separate volume, will suit either set of books. For the Lord's table the "great primer, demy octavo" is a very suitable and convenient size.

*Bishop Gray, in his "Key," considers that many of the blemishes in the apocrypha are attributable to the carelessness with which it was translated (p. 278).

† On this subject the writer may refer any reader who may be desirous of seeing such a discussion of details to an article of his on "the apocryphal lessons," in the Christian Observer, July, 1848, p. 458, where most of the passages so objected to, which are read in our churches, are considered in

detail.