fant baptism an apostolic tradition, it is | knew. And would there have been an divested of all its force by Neander's entire silence respecting such a tradi observation respecting it, in his History of the Christian Religion, vol. i. p. 314. "Origen, in whose system infant baptism could readily find its place, declares it to be an apostolical tradition; an expression, by the way, which cannot be regarded as of much weight in this age, when the inclination was so strong to trace every institution which was considered of special importance to the apostles; and when so many walls of separation, hindering the freedom of prospect, had already been set up between this and the apostolic age." Matthies, Exp. Bapt., p. 194, makes a similar remark on this declaration of Origen. It would, indeed, be singular, if there had been a tradition which could be clearly traced to the apostles, or which was extensively, from the very first, believed to be thus traceable, that Tertullian should not have known it, a man so learned, so frank, and so fearless in saying what he thought, and what he As an illustration of this, though at a later period, Cyprian, about the year 250, speaking of the custom, when a bishop was to be set over a people, of the bishops in the province assembling at the place in order to fill the vacancy in the presence of the people, represents the observance as derived from apostolical tradition. See Neander's History, vol. 1., pp. 199, 200. But who believes that an Apostle ever authorized such an arrangement? It should not be forgotten, that, previously to the time of Origen, the idea of apostolic tradition was fondly cherished by the bishops of the Church of Rome, especially as securing a sanction for views and practices prevailing at Rome. See Neander, vol. i., p. 214. Even so early a writer as Irenæus ingenu. ously acknowledges" that tradition often originates in, and is propagated by, simplicity and ignorance," See Neander, vol. i., p. 215. In view of these ten dencies, and of the uncritical character of the early centuries, it is not easy to maintain one's gravity at reading the following remark of Wall in his History of Infant Baptism, quoted by Dr. Woods: "Since Origen was born, A D. 185, that is, eighty-five years after the apostles, his grandfather, or at least his great-grandfather, must have lived in the apostles' time. And as he could not be ignorant whether he was himself baptized in infancy, so he had no further than his own family to go to for inquiry, how it was practised in the times of the apostles." tion in every Christian writer from Clement of Rome down to Origen? That such an opinion had gained currency in Origen's day is easily conceivable; and that it was the growth of disputes respecting baptism is also very credible, for, as Neander observes, vol. i. p. 314, note: "In Origen's time, too, difficulties were still frequently urged against infant baptism, similar to those thrown out by Tertullian." Dr. Beyond this point of time, the examination need not be extended. No one who is at all acquainted with ancient Christian writers, or with credible history, from the time of Tertullian, can reasonably doubt the existence of infant baptism, at least as occasionally practised in that writer's time. Woods proceeds to mention Cyprian, Optatus, Gregory, Nazianzen, Chrysostom, Augustin, thus bringing the evidence down to the fifth century. All these are unexceptionable witnesses to the fact, and so are other contemporaneous writers. Historical light in reference to the subject begins to shine from Tertullian's pages; all the writers preceding his time, even that important writer, Clement of Alexandria, having nothing to impart on the subject; for certainly the passage in Irenæus is of such a nature that a similar passage on any subject of philosophy, or of civil history, would not for a moment be regarded as sufficiently clear to occupy a prominent position, if a position at all, among testimonies. From the time of Tertullian, in the natural order of events, the stream of historical evidence widens, so that, should we take a retrograde course, pado-baptism can be historically traced from the present day to the time of Tertullian. But there the chain ends; from that point, say A.D. 200, to the times of the apostles, all the intelligible testimonies and allusions recognize only the baptism of persons lessons of ecclesiastical history, that the who avowed in baptism a personal ordinances of religion need to be obreception of the Christian religion. served in close conformity to the will of Should we take the natural course of their author. If their original purpose history, making the Gospels our first be misapprehended, they become means documents, and proceeding in the order and occasions of the grossest superstiof time, we obtain the following result. tion; if that purpose be correctly unThe inspired records contain no trace derstood, and the ordinances observed of infant baptism; the succeeding Chris- in their original simplicity, with strict tian writers, down to the time of Ter- conformity to their founder's will, they tullian, are barren of any trace or in- have a singular efficacy in preserving or timation of infant baptism; from the restoring purity of principle and practime of Tertullian, onward in the course tice. At the same time, he who is of history, the notices of infant baptism deeply imbued with the spirit of Chrisincrease. In other words, the further tianity, while he acknowledges his down we come from the time of the Lord's authority in the ordinances, does apostles, the more numerous are the not feel bound, like a slave, to any outhistorical traces of infant baptism; ward form as having in itself some while, going back from the present time peculiar holiness, or power to communitowards that of the apostles, the nearer cate or increase holiness. Ritual obwe approach their time, the less nume- servances ordained by heaven, he yet rous are such traces, until at last they subordinates, and makes tributary to absolutely disappear from the page of that true holiness of heart which is the history, and only traces of a wholly ultimate object of all God's discipline different character meet our notice. and culture. From the outward he directs his thoughts and desires, like an affectionate child, to that Spirit whose inworking alone can fit him for his humble station in the kingdom of God on earth, and here mould him for his destined activity and glory in the kingdom of God on high. I rise from this examination with increased and satisfied confidence, that the voice of God in history, properly heard and reported, is not at variance with his voice in revelation. My convictions become also deepened by the CHRONOLOGICAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE PSALMS. FROM WEISS'S NEW TRANSLATION. The irregularity with respect to the | many of the most obscure Psalms were arrangement of the Psalms, Weiss composed (and indeed they do not seem justly observes, "contributes largely to to have endeavoured to find it out)—of the seeming obscurity of many of them, the individuals therein addressed or especially of those whose titles do not concerned-of the peculiar circumindicate the occasion on which they stances of the sacred author at the time were written, or those the titles of of their composition-they failed to diswhich have been lost. This was also cover their proper meaning. It is the chief barrier in the way of the therefore the chief design of the author translators and expositors of the Psalms. in this volume to restore, as far as Being ignorant of the occasion on which possible, every Psalm to its proper began to search the book of Psalms for himself-to direct his continuous and diligent inquiries in the manner before mentioned-the Lord has enabled him by these means to see many of the most seemingly obscure songs of Zion in quite a different light." If the Psalms be read according to the following order, taking the twenty-third Psalm first, and thus going on to the hundred and second, great pleasure and advantage will be received. 76. Psalm CXLVI. 114. Psalm LXXXIV. 77. CXLVII. 115. LXXXIX. CXLVIII. 116. XX. 2. CXXXVIII. 40. 3. CXI. 41. 78. 338 LIGHT LITERATURE. rature of the age may evanescent, yet not in its wide and rapid cir act more powerfully on graver and abler trea authors, if unprincipled serve but too well the indignant Nicole gave ratively decorous dram mance writers of Fran time-a title which his first so warmly resented WE err grievously if we suppose that the frivolous is necessarily uninfluential, and that when the word passes, its effects also pass with it. The spark struck from the iron heel of the labourer may have disappeared ere the eye could mark its transient lustre, yet ere it expired have fired the train which explodes a magazine, lays a town in ruins, and spreads around a wide circuit alarm and lamentation, bereavement and death. Trifles may have no trivial influence: what is called the lighter lite-lic poisoners.”—Dr. W. I SUNSET. ENSHROUDING the valley, empurpling the mountain, The last brilliant showers from light's golden fountain It whispers of gladness and joy from afar; From out their deep prisons, the waves' careless music Thus calm may I be as my earth's day is closing; With Him to awake in the realms of the blest. REVIEW S. The Idol Demolished by its own Priest. An again been resorted to. Assertions Answer to Cardinal Wiseman's Lectures on Transubstantiation. By JAMES Sheridan Knowles. Author of Virginius and other Dramas, &c. London, Longman and Co. 1851. CARDINAL WISEMAN's introduction to the notice of our countrymen was one of a highly favourable kind. The learning, the candour, the freedom from bigotry, that were characteristic of his "Lectures on the Connexion between Science and Revealed Religion," inspired many with feelings of respect for a Roman Catholic theologian who for once laid aside the insolent dogmatism of his church, and treated religious questions in a scientific and philosophic manner. His appearance afterwards as a preacher in Moorfields drew crowded audiences, who listened with delight to the dulcet tones, the apparently fair argumentation, the appeal to scripture, and the forcible eloquence which stood forth prominently in his lectures on the "doctrines and practices of the Catholic church." It was a new thing to hear a Roman divine appeal to the holy oracles, boldly take his stand on the divine record, and prove, or at least attempt to prove, from that source the divine origin of "doctrines and practices" that protestants have been wont to regard as springing up in subsequent ages of darkness, or as the fruit of unauthorized tradition. He were passed for facts, assumptions But if the firm utterance and persuasive manner of the lecturer covered The cardinal's recent descent on up at the time the false assumptions English soil has recalled the attention and unfair adductions of facts that of many to his early literary produceverywhere abounded in his oratorical tions, and among others Mr. Sheridan displays, the closer examination of the Knowles has given himself to the printed lectures soon dispersed the examination of the cardinal's views on illusion. The old arts of Rome had transubstantiation. The three lectures |