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MISCELLANEOUS.

"Preface to a Defence of the True and Catholic Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ, &c. By Thomas (Cranmer,) Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, and Metropolitan. A.D. M.D.L. "Our Saviour Christ Jesus, according to the will of his eternal Father, when the time thereto was fully accomplished, taking our nature upon him, came into this world from the high throne of his Father, to declare unto miserable sinners good news; to heal them that were sick; to make the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak; to set prisoners at liberty; to shew that the time of grace and mercy was come; to give light to them that were in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to preach and give pardon and full remission of sin to all his elected. And to perform the same, he made a sacrifice and oblation of his own body upon the cross, which was a full redemption, satisfaction, and propitiation for the sins of the whole world. And to commend this bis sacrifice unto all his faithful people, and to confirm their faith and hope of eternal salvation in the same, he hati ordained a perpetual memory of his said sacrifice, daily to be used in the Church to his perpetual laud and praise, and to our singular comfort and consolation; that is to say, the celebration of his Holy Supper, wherein he doth not cease to give himself with all his benefits to all those that duly receive the same supper, according to his blessed ordinance.

But the Romish Antichrist, to deface this great benefit of Christ, bath taught that bis sacrifice upon the cross is not sufficient hereunto, without another sacrifice devised by him, and made by the Priest; or else with out indulgences, beads, pardons, pilgrimages, and such other pelfray, to supply Christ's imperfection. And that Christian people can not apply to themselves the benefits of Christ's passion, but that the same is in the distribution of the Bishop of Rome; or else that by Christ we have no full remis sion, but be delivered only from sin, and yet remaineth temporal pain in purgatory due for the same, to be remitted after this life by the Romish Antichrist and his ministers, who take upon them to do for us, that thing which Christ either would not, or could not do. O heinous blasphemy and most detestable injury against Christ! O wicked abomination in the temple of

God! O pride intolerable of Antichrist, and most manifest token of the son of perwith Lucifer exalting his seat and power dition extolling himself above God, and

above the throne of God! For he that tak

eth upon him to supply that thing which
he pretendeth to be imperfect in Christ,
must needs make himself above Christ, and
so very Antichrist. For what is this else
but to be against Christ, and to bring him
in contempt? as one which either for lack
of charity would not, or for lack of power
could not, with all his blood-shedding
and death, clearly deliver his faithful, and
give them full remission of their sins, but
that the full perfection thereof must be had
at the hands of Antichrist of Rome and his
ministers? What man of knowledge and
zeal to God's honor, can with dry eyes see
this injury to Christ; and look upon the
state of religion brought in by the Papists,
perceiving the true sense of God's word
subverted by false glosses of man's devis-
ing, the true Christian religion turned into
certain hypocritical and superstitious sects;
the people praying with their mouths and
hearing with their ears they know not what,
and so ignorant in God's word that they
could not discern hypocrisy and supersti-
tion from true and sincere religion?
was of late years the face of Religion with-
in this realm of England, and yet remain-
eth in divers realms. But thanks be to
Almighty God and to the King's majesty,
with his father, a prince of most famous
memory, the superstitious sects of monks
and friars (that were in this realm) be
clean taken away; the Scripture is restored
unto the proper and true understanding,
the people may daily read and hear God's
heavenly Word, and pray in their owu lan-
guage which they understand; so that their
hearts and mouths may go together, and be
none of those people of whom Christ com-
plained, saying: These people honour me
with their lips, but their hearts be far
from me. Thanks be to God many cor-
rupt weeds be plucked up, which were
wont to rot the flock of Christ, and to let
the growing of the Lord's harvest.

This

"But what availeth it to take away beads, pardons, pilgrimages, and such other like Popery, so long as its chief roots remain unpulled up? whereof so long as they remain, will spring again all former impediments of the Lord's harvest, and corruption of his flock. The rest is but branches and leaves, the cutting away whereof is but like topping and lopping of a tree, or

* Matt. xv.

cutting down of weeds, leaving the body standing, and the roots in the ground; but the very body of the tree, or rather the roots of the weeds, is the Popish doctrine of Transubstantiation of the real presence of Christ's flesh and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar (as they call it) and of the sacrifice and oblation of Christ made by the priest, for the salvation of the quick and the dead. Which roots if they be suffered to grow in the Lord's vineyard, they will overspread all the ground again with the old errors and superstitions. These injuries to Christ be so intolerable, that no Christian heart can willingly bear them. Wherefore, seeing that many have set to their hands, and whetted their tools, to pluck up the weeds and to cut down the tree of error, I not knowing otherwise how to excuse myself at the last day, have in this book set to my hand and axe with the rest to cut down this tree, and to pluck up the weeds and plants by the roots, which our Heavenly Father never planted, but were grafted and sown in his vineyard by his adversary the devil, and Antichrist his minister. The Lord grant that this my travail and labour in his vineyard, be not in vain; but that it may prosper and bring forth good fruits to his honour and glory. For when I see his vineyard overgrown with thorns, brambles, and weeds, I know that everlasting woe appertaineth unto me if I hold my

peace, and put not to my hands and tongue to labour in purging his vineyard. God I take to witness, who seeth the hearts of all men throughly unto the bottom, that I take this labour for none other consideration, but for the glory of his name and the discharge of my duty, and the zeal that I bear toward the flock of Christ. I know in what office God hath placed me, and to what purpose; that is to say, to set forth his word truly unto his people, to the uttermost of my power, without respect of person or regard of thing in the world, but of him alone. I know what account I shall make to him hereof at the last day, when every man shall answer for his vocation, and receive for the same good or ill according as he hath done. I know how Antichrist hath obscured the Glory of God and the true knowledge of his word; overcast ing the same with mists and clouds of error and ignorance, through false glosses and interpretations. It pitieth me to see the simple and hungry flock of Christ led into corrupt pastures; to be carried blindfold, they know not whither, and to be fed with poison in the stead of wholesome meats,

"And moved by the duty, office, and place whereunto it hath pleased God to call me, I give warning in his name, unto

all that profess Christ, that they flee far from Babylon if they will save their souls; and to beware of that great harlot; that is to say, the pestiferous see of Rome, that she make you not drunk with her pleasant wine. Trust not her sweet promises, nor banquet not with her; for instead of wine she will give you sour dregs, aud for meat she will feed you with rank poison. But come to our Redeemer and Saviour Christ who refresheth all that truly come unto him, be their anguish and heaviness never so great. Give credit unto him in whose mouth was never found guile nor untruth. By him you shall be clearly delivered from all your diseases; of him you shall have full remission, à pœnâ et à culpâ. He it is that feedeth continually all that belong unto him, with his own flesh that hanged upon the cross; and giveth them drink of the blood flowing out of his own side; and maketh to spring within them, water that floweth unto everlasting life. Listen not to the false incantations, sweet whisperings, and crafty jugglings of the subtle Papists, wherewith they have this many years deluded and bewitched the world, but hearken to Christ; give ear unto his words, which shall lead yon the right way unto everlasting life, there with him to live ever as heirs of his kingdom. Amen.”

This curious and valuable trea

tise, from which we have already taken occasion, in the course of our work, to make several extracts, is thus concluded;

"But thanks be to the eternal God, the manner of the Holy Communion, (which is now set forth within this realm,) is agreeable with the institution of Christ, with St. Paul and the old Primitive and Apostolic Church, with the right faith of the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross for our redemption, and with the true doctrine of our salvation, justification and remission of all our sins by that only sacrifice.

"Now resteth nothing, but that all faithful subjects will gladly receive and embrace the same, being sorry for their former ignorance; and every man repenting himself of his offences against God, and amend. ing the same, may pledge himself wholly to God, to serve and obey him all the days of his life; and often to come to the Holy Supper which our Lord and Saviour Christ hath prepared: and as he there corporally eateth the very bread and drinketh the very wine, so spiritually he may feed of the very flesh and blood of Jesus Christ bis Saviour and Redeemer; remembering his death, thanking him for his benefits,

and looking for none other sacrifice at no priest's hands for remission of his sins, but only trusting to His sacrifice, which being both the High Priest, and also the Lamb of God, prepared from the beginning to take away the sins of the world, offered up

Lady inhabitant of the town. The object is to furnish certain articles of dress twice in the year for the children, who on their parts are to bring a weekly penny, if they can

himself once for ever in a sacrifice of sweet be recommended by a Gentleman

smell unto his Father, and by the same paid the ransom for the sins of the whole world; who is before us entered into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of his Father, as patron, mediator, and intercessor for us: and there hath prepared places for all them that be lively members of his body, to reign with him for ever in the glory of his Father; to whom, with him and the Holy Ghost, be glory, honour and praise,

for ever and ever.

Amen."

or Lady who becomes answerable for an additional weekly penny. These sums are returned to the children in the shape of useful articles of dress, chiefly made by the girls during their afternoon school. The benefit to the School resulting from this simple and easily conducted plan are the following, Ist, That as irregularity of attendance by the rules of the school disqualifies a subscribing Child from re

To the Editor of the Remembrancer. ceiving benefit, the parents are very

SIR,

PERMIT me to communicate a plan which I have found very beneficial in increasing the numbers, and securing the attendance of the children of my parish school.

The school was set on foot in 1813, in a country parish with small means, and among a population averse to any mode of instruction, which had not in view the worldly advantage of their children; it has been yearly increasing in numbers, in religious knowledge, in regularity, and what is of prime importance, accompanied with a manifest change in the opinions of the parents with respect to the advantage of such education. The number now on the boards is 220, and what is chiefly to be considered, the average daily attendance is nearly 200. For this regularity we are chiefly indebted to the obvious benefit of the National System of Education, now at length becoming manifest to the parents, by the improvement of their children in orderly conduct and religious knowledge, but in no small degree to the effect, of what in this case will be allowed, I think, to be perfectly legitimate, a Penny club, which was put in motion about three years since, and is still conducted by the industry and benevolence of a

exact in sending them to school for fear of forfeiting the advantages. 2dly, As the articles of dress are for the most part made in the school, the girls, under their working mistress, are instructed especially in that sort of work, which will be useful to them in domestic life; and 3dly, As decency of apparel has been followed by a greater general attention to cleanliness, a manifest difference has taken place in the appearance of all the children, and a great improvement in the feelings of the parents towards the school. If the sum of 8s. 8d. the yearly amount of each subscription, be thought by any one too inconsiderable for any very beneficial purpose, let such an one reflect on the small quantity of materials for children mostly under eight, the exceeding cheapness of all common articles for dress, when purchased in the gross, and the gratuitous making in part, and it will cause no wonder that the benefit of having a child in the Penny club is not only considered by the parent as a blessing, but that the school itself, using it as a gentle means of enforcing regularity, should have been progressively improving, as well in decency and good manners as in religious and useful knowledge. In the hope that what I have found thus use

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To the Editor of the Remembrancer. SIR,

AMIDST the mass of official documents from time to time presented to the consideration of our legislature, there are none I think more interesting and important than those returns of the population of England, which are made every ten years under the act of parliament commonly called the Population Act.

By means of tables formed from the materials contained in these returns, the statesman and the political economist are enabled to judge of the comparative strength of the country, and the condition of the people at large. The members of the medical profession exult in the proof which these reports afford of the superiority of the modern prac. tice of physic, and appeal to the numerical increase of the population as a testimony that myriads of lives are now preserved from the effects of diseases, which in former times were the precursors of death. And the capitalists, who, as dealers in annuities or insurances, make merchandize of the few years we have to live, derive from the same source the means of calculating their profits and losses for years to come, and of regulating the concerns of their trade.

But whilst the above-mentioned classes look with such a degree of interest upon the numerical statement of the population, I cannot but wish that the Clergy would avail themselves of the advantage which they may derive from this branch of knowledge, and apply it to ascertain the effect of their la

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This calculation, though not mathematically exact, is sufficiently near the truth for every practical purpose; and it will enable every parish priest to learn whether his schools contain a large or small proportion of the children of his parish; whether the number of youths he presents for confirmation to the Bishop be as great as might be expected, were he to judge by the number of those who are of age to receive that ordinance, and living in the parish.

But the most important application of the principle thus laid down, will be found in the means it affords of ascertaining the proportion of communicants in the same parish at different times, and at different parishes at the same time. For instance, were I a rector of a parish which contained one thousand inhabitants, the above table would teach

and looking for none other sacrifice at no priest's hands for remission of his sins, but only trusting to His sacrifice, which being both the High Priest, and also the Lamb of God, prepared from the beginning to take away the sins of the world, offered up himself once for ever in a sacrifice of sweet smell unto his Father, and by the same paid the ransom for the sins of the whole world; who is before us entered into hea. ven, and sitteth at the right hand of his Father, as patron, mediator, and intercessor for us and there hath prepared places for all them that be lively members of his body, to reign with him for ever in the glory of his Father; to whom, with him and the Holy Ghost, be glory, honour and praise, for ever and ever. Amen."

Lady inhabitant of the town. The object is to furnish certain articles of dress twice in the year for the children, who on their parts are to bring a weekly penny, if they can be recommended by a Gentleman or Lady who becomes answerable for an additional weekly penny. These sums are returned to the children in the shape of useful articles of dress, chiefly made by the girls during their afternoon school. The benefit to the School resulting from this simple and easily conducted plan are the following, 1st, That as irregularity of attendance by the rules of the school disqualifies a subscribing Child from re

To the Editor of the Remembrancer. ceiving benefit, the parents are very

SIR,

PERMIT me to communicate a plan which I have found very beneficial in increasing the numbers, and securing the attendance of the children of my parish school.

The school was set on foot in 1813, in a country parish with small means, and among a population averse to any mode of instruction, which had not in view the worldly advantage of their children; it has been yearly increasing in numbers, in religious knowledge, in regularity, and what is of prime importance, accompanied with a manifest change in the opinions of the parents with respect to the advantage of such education. The number now on the boards is 220, and what is chiefly to be considered, the average daily attendance is nearly 200. For this regularity we are chiefly indebted to the obvious benefit of the National System of Education, now at length becoming manifest to the parents, by the improvement of their children in orderly conduct and religious knowledge, but in no small degree to the effect, of what in this case will be allowed, I think, to be perfectly legitimate, a Penny club, which was put in motion about three years since, and is still conducted by the industry and benevolence of a

exact in sending them to school for fear of forfeiting the advantages. 2dly, As the articles of dress are for the most part made in the school, the girls, under their working mistress, are instructed especially in that sort of work, which will be useful to them in domestic life; and 3dly, As decency of apparel has been followed by a greater general attention to cleanliness, a manifest difference has taken place in the appearance of all the children, and a great improvement in the feelings of the parents towards the school. If the sum of 8s. 8d. the yearly amount of each subscription, be thought by any one too inconsiderable for any very beneficial purpose, let such an one reflect on the small quantity of materials for children mostly under eight, the exceeding cheapness of all common articles for dress, when purchased in the gross, and the gratuitous making in part, and it will cause no wonder that the benefit of having a child in the Penny club is not only considered by the parent as a blessing, but that the school itself, using it as a gentle means of enforcing regularity, should have been progressively improving, as well in decency and good manners as in religious and useful knowledge. In the hope that what I have found thus use

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