obliged to labour for their daily bread, and are so completely occupied through the week, that they have no time for any thing else; and if they should leave their brethren, and make pretty wide excursions on the Lord's day, they could not well bear the expense which even this would occasion. There are others among us who possess gifts for this work, but are in the same predicament with respect to circumstances; and such of them as might be able to bear the expense are much confined by the attendance which the nature of their business requires. Now, if it is in our power, in some measure at least, to remove these obstructions, and to render the gifts which we already possess more extensively useful, it certainly is our duty to do so. In order to this we would suggest the following things. 1. That all the churches in the connection should take this important subject into their most serious consideration, and be fervently engaged in prayer to God for wisdom to direct them to the use of proper means, and for his blessing to render these successful. 2. That they should make the spread of the gospel a common concern, and co-operate with one heart and soul in the most effectual means for accomplishing that important end. qualified for that work, may have a more extensive sphere of usefulness. And now, brethren, if our zeal bear any proportion to the importance of the cause; if our prayers are sincere that the Lord of the harvest would send forth labourers into his harvest; if we have faith in Christ's promise that he will be with those who faithfully execute his commission even unto the end of the world; let us give solid evidence of this by concurring heartily in every scriptural measure for advancing the kingdom of Christ, and for promoting, through the divine blessing, as far as in us lies, the salvation of immortal souls. Subscribed in the name and by Elders. VOLTAIRE's ACCOUNT OF IGNATIUS LOYOLA, FOUNDER OF THE ORDER OF THE JESUITS. IGNATIUS of Loyola was an illiterate gentleman of Biscay, born with a romantic genius, fond of books of chivalry, and inclined to enthusiasm: he served in the Spanish army, while the French in vain attempting to recover Navarre out of the hands of its usurpers, had laid siege to the castle of Pampelona in 1521. Ignatius was then about thirty, and upon duty in the castle, where he was wounded. They gave him the 4. That to assist them n this, a lives of saints to read, during his small sum of money be collected, illness; this, together with a fanin the most eligible mode, (sup- cied vision, determined him to pose by a monthly collection), to perform a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. be applied in procuring places for From that time he devoted himpreaching, if needful, and also to self to a religious life. It is poassist in defraying the extraor-sitively averred, that he passed dinary expence of journies, &c. 3. That it be recommended to elders, and preachers, regularly appointed, to extend their labours as far around the places of their abode as possible. By adopting this plan, the gifts already employed, as well as persons who afterwards may be found seven days and seven nights, without eating or drinking: a thing almost incredible, and which indicates a weak imagination, with a 12 VOLTAIRE'S ACCOUNT OF THE FOUNDER OF THE JESUITS. vain did the Cardinal solicit him to be a member of this community; the ambition of being a founder hindered him from enlisting under any other commander. The roads to Jerusalem were dangerous; so that he was obliged to stay in Europe: But, having learnt a little grammar, he devoted his time to the instruction of children. His disciples discharged this duty with great success: but this very success proved a source of disturbance. The Jesuits were opposed by rivals, in every university where they had interest to be admitted members: and where they taught in competition with the university, it was nothing but a scene of broils and confusion. very robust constitution. Ignorant as he was, he preached about from village to village. The rest of his adventures are well known; how he watched his arms, and set up for knight of the blessed Virgin; how he wanted to fight a Moor, who had spoken disrespectfully of her to whose service he was devoted; and how he left the affair to the determination of his horse, who took a different road from the Moor. Desirous of preaching the gospel among the Turks, he proceeded as far as Venice; but reflecting that he did not understand Latin, a language, however, very useless in Turkey, he turned back to commence his studies at Salamanca, at the age of thirty-three. He was imprisoned by the in- If, on the one hand, the desire quisition, for pretending to direct of instructing youth, though indevout women, and making them spired by charity, was productive turn pilgrims: but upon recovery of such pernicious consequences; of his liberty, he went to pursue on the other, the humility with his studies at Paris. Here our poor which this founder and his people stranger got acquainted with some renounced all ecclesiastical preof his countrymen, who were in as ferments, was the very thing that low circumstances as himself: established the grandeur of the These men entered into an asso-order. Most sovereigns took Jeciation; and having been after-suits for their confessors, that they wards joined by a few Frenchmen, might not be tempted to give a they set out for Rome, towards the bishopric for an absolution; yet year 1537, to present themselves the post of confessor is oftentimes in a body to Pope Paul III. in the of more importance than an episquality of pilgrims, that intended copal see. It is a secret ministry, to travel to Jerusalem, and there whose power increaseth in proto form a particular society. Ig-portion to the weakness of the natius and his companions had prince. some virtues; they were disinterested, patient, and zealous. On the other hand, we must acknowledge, that he was fired with the ambition of being founder of an order. This kind of vanity, with which the desire of domineering is apt to mingle, takes a deeper root in the human breast, in proportion as the other passions are subdued, and operates with greater efficacy when united with virtues. If Ignatius had not been actuated by that passion, he and his comrades would have entered the order of Theatins, founded by Cardinal Cajetan. In At length Ignatius and his companions, in order to obtain a bull of approbation from the Pope, at that time a very difficult matter, were advised to make, over and above the ordinary vows, a fourth of obedience to his holiness; and it is this fourth vow which afterwards produced so many missionaries, who extended the religion and glory of the supreme pontiff to the most distant corners of the earth. In this manner a spirit, the widest in the world from politics, gave birth to the most political of all the monastic orders. In matters of religion, the foundation is generally laid by enthusiasm; but it is art and abilities that finish the building. We have seen the Jesuites directing the courts of Europe, possessed of high reputation in consequence of their studies, and of the instruction of youth, reforming the sciences in China, converting Japan for a little while, and giving laws to the people of Paraguay. They are about 18,000 in number, dispersed all over the world, all subject to one perpetual and absolute general, and connected together, by their vow of obedience to one single person. Their government is now the model of monarchy. They have poor, and they have very rich houses. Don John of Palafox, bishop of Mexico, wrote thus to Pope Innocent X. about a hundred years after their foundation. "I have found almost the whole wealth of these provinces in the hands of the Jesuits. Two of their colleges possess three hundred thousand sheep, with six great sugar works, some of which are worth near a million of crowns: they have very rich mines of silver: mines so considerable, that they would be sufficient to maintain an independent prince." These complaints, though perhaps exaggerated, seem to have some foundation. Nothing seems more contradictory than this public hatred, and this regard for the same society; that warmth with which they were banished out of several countries, and honourably again restored; such a prodigious number of enemies, with such popularity. But there have been examples of the like contrasts among the mendicant orders. In a numerous society, employed in literature and religion, there will be always a variety of members, some of a restless disposition, who make them. selves enemies; others men of learning, who acquire reputation; others of an insinuating character, who form cabals; and others of a political cast, who take advantage of the labours and the reputation of their fellow members.-Univ. His. Vol. ii. ch. 113. FROM what I have hitherto seen of the New Evangelical Magazine, I am led to infer that you are a friend to free enquiry, and, if so, I dread no censure from you on the account of myself being one of that class. Though capable of thinking but little, I like, as much as I possibly can, to think for myself. I used to imagine that thinking was no part of my business, but This order was established with that it was quite sufficient that I great difficulty in France. And believed what others thought; like how could it be otherwise? It had old Patrick, the Irishman, whom its rise and progress under the my father once interrogated as to house of Austria, and by that same his knowledge of the way of salhouse it was protected. The Je-vation? "Indeed, master” replied suits, at the time of the league, Patrick, "I know nothing about were pensioners to Philip II. The it, but if you will enquire of Father rest of the religious orders, who Plowden he can tell you." For were all concerned in this faction, some time past, however, I have except the Benedictines and the been much dissatisfied with the Carthusians, stirred up the fire no plan of leaving others to think for where but in France; but the me. Indeed, transpiring circumJesuits were blowing the coals stances have compelled me to think from Rome, from Madrid, from for myself. There are certainly Brussels. Happier times extin-many capacious minds, to whose guished those flames. decision I should be much inclined 14 ON FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND ENQUIRY. to submit, was it not for the very opposite and contradictory accounts which they give of the very same things. For instance-two great and learned Divines of the same denomination, occupying for several years the same pulpit, | though not at the same time, preaching to the same congregation, give me the most contradictory accounts of the same thing; and something suggests to me that they cannot both be right. The article to which I refer is, the Liturgy of the church of England by law established; and the two divines are the late Robert Robinson of Cambridge, and the present Robert Hall of Leicester. These two great men have each given me his opinion of this same Liturgy, and I yield them credit for their sincerity. The latter in very brilliant speech, delivered at the second anniversary meeting of the Leicester Auxiliary Bible Society, April 13, 1812, gave this Liturgy the following high encomium: "I trust none in the present assembly will do me the injustice of supposing that any reflection is intended upon the Liturgy. Though a Protestant Dissenter, I am by no means insensible to its merits. I believe that the evangelical purity of its sentiments, the chastised fervour of its devotion, and the majestic simplicity of its language, have combined to place it in the very first rank of uninspired compositions." Mr. Robinson, fifteen years before this, in his plan of "Lectures on the Principles of Nonconformity," page 20, gave it as his opinion that this same Liturgy is a defective book in every point of view; its authority" he says, "is entirely human; it is composedofgenuine and apocryphal scriptures; of creeds opposite to each other; its prayers are drawn from the scriptures, the fathers, the mass book, of political maxims, and state designs; infants are questioned; boys taught falsehoods and aferwards confirmed; bread and wine are consecrated; the sick are absolved; services are said for the Stuarts; heretics are execrated, &c.; there are errors of every kind in it, literary, philoso phical, philological, and theological! The very scriptures are] burlesqued, by being turned into question and answer; the whole is unnecessary and unwarrantable; and the imposition of it despotical." Now is not this a nose of wax? whatever it be, in different hands it takes a different form. I cannot avoid thinking of the travellers who disputed about the colour of the cameleon; and am tempted to conclude that the conflicting opinions of such high authorities must have a very unhappy tendency on such as have not yet come to a determination to think for themselves, though they think ever so little. Will not such opposing sentiments cause the mind of the enquirer after truth to vibrate continually between truth and error, while that of the sceptic will continue sarcastically to enquire What is truth? I am, yours, Y. Z. We congratulate this correspondent on the happy improvement which he has made of his past experience, and recommend his example to the imitation of others. Robinson, whom he quotes, has somewhere remarked, in his quaint manner, that "the human mind is a fine vessel, but it frequently rots in harbour for want of freight." As to the point of difference between the two great men to whom he refers, it is some consolation that the subject itself is not fundamental: and perhaps the person who differs from them both, and adopts an opinion between the two extremes would come nearest to the truth. It is the misfortune of some great men, that they are ever in extremes; whether they praise or blame, whether they love or ON DEFECTIVE ACQUAINTANCE AMONG BRETHREN. hate, they do it with all their heart. They are constantly dealing in the marvellous. This procedure ultimately defeats its own end, in process of time; and we have heard it remarked, concerning one gentleman in particular, who is much addicted to this habit, that his manner is now so well understood, that, without ever imputing to him a disposition to deceive, his friends never think of giving him credit to a greater amount than about one half of what he says either in the way of praise or censure. EDITOR. To the Editor of the New Evangelical SIR, 15 your medium. We wish, therefore, to inform you of these things, that your Magazine may be of use, not only for doctrine and instruction, but, also for correction in righte ousness. Wishing every blessing on your efforts, and praying that your Magazine may become a mean by which the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth, We remain your's sincerly. Bristol, Dec. 6, 1815. P. S. The Editor thinks himself, and his publication honoured by the favourable opinion which is expressed of both, in the foregoing letter; and assures the writer, and his friends, that he shall always be happy to co-operate with them, in In this city there are a few young the most strenuous exertions to remen of pious character, united to fute eroneous notions on the subChristian churches, who live inject of religion, to eradicate invethe exercise of Christian friend-terate prejudices, and further the ship, and in the reciprocal inter- interests of truth aud virtue. change of those kind offices which we hope are the genuine effects of SIR, Magazine. EDITOR. I beg to call your attention to a subject which I conceive to be of very superior importance, which, like others of that nature, is by far too much neglected in the present day, i. e. the defective acquaintance of church members with each other: an evil which exists to a very considerable extent in the Churches of the Metropolis. Of many of them, especially the larger ones, it may be truly affirmed, that one third of the members are almost, if not altogether unac the religion of our Lord Jesus To the Editor of the New Evangelical Christ. We take in your Magazine, which, in some instances, has corrected our errors; and in many others has been to us a source of information and of pleasure. We wish to give it every support, as we conceive it answers the end for which it was designed, namely, to become a vehicle of truth, by imparting right notions on the most important subjects. We wish not only to read and recommend it, but, should should our poor ability admit, now and then, to contribute, by filling up a column, or part of one, with some just sentiment, which in our op-quainted with the remaining two inion, as in yours, Sir, is of more thirds of their brethren. Notwithvalue than volumes of splendid standing that they statedly aserrors, fine spun theories, and semble together, and unite in the idle speculations. Situated in this commemoration of the dying love city, we see and hear, not without of their common Saviour, and thus painful feelings, erroneous senti- exhibit the external marks of the ments, wrong applications of the most endearing affinity; yet, in rescriptures, inconsistent practices, tiring from the house of God, we and old corruptions of christianity may see one saluting another renewed-These things cannot be in a formal and complimentary exposed or checked, but throughway with as much warmth as pro |