which he makes to the history of our reformers is not at all such as we should find in a member of the English church. Would a mem→ ber of the English church appeal to "the knowledge of the fact, that, rather than submit to the idolatrous deceit, the founders of our church were prepared to give their bodies to the stake, and some of them actually perished in the flames?"—" Planè hospes."

the

But if not from Rome, whence can this writer come? In a recent history of the church in a sister country, under the year 1562, (the very year, be it observed, in which our articles were agreed upon, and in which the Council of Trent passed its decree concerning the doctrine of the sacrifice of the mass,") I find the following remark :"The domination of the popish hierarchy had now passed away; but it was only to give place to a still more despotic thraldom, imposed by the ascendency of abstract tenets, in opposition to the long, rule of despotic authority. It was found accordingly, that the followers of Knox assumed a direction of the faith and worship of their disciples not less absolute than was ever claimed by a papal legate."* Can it be that the writer is of this school, and that his "church" is 66 very discipline" which was "planted" in the age of the reformation? For a founder it had," verily, among the reformers, and one, moreover, of whom it could be said, that "of what account the Master of Sentences was in the church of Rome, the same and more amongst the preachers of reformed churches, Calvin had purchased ... his books almost the very canon to judge both doctrine and discipline by... The church of Scotland, in erecting the fabric of their reformation, took the self same pattern, till at length the discipline, which was at the first so weak that, without the staff of their approbation which were not subject unto it themselves, it had not. brought others under subjection, began now to challenge universal obedience, and to enter into open conflict with those very churches which, in desperate extremity, had been relievers of it. . . Amongst ourselves... there came admonitions directed unto the High Court of Parliament, by men who, concealing their names, thought it glory enough to discover their minds and affections, which now were universally bent against all the orders and laws wherein this church is found unconformable to the platform of Geneva."+ Is it possible that "the trumpet of God's evangel" is that which is now sounding in the "Record ?" If the blast is from Scotland, all is explained as to the manner in which reference is made to the fact, that, rather than submit to the idolatrous deceit of the sacrifice of the mass, some of the. reformers of the English church "actually perished in the flames;" for it is remarkable to those, that the few who were brought to the stake in Scotland for their opposition to popery, were not martyred, as were the reformers of our church, for refusing to take part in that in which, since they considered idolatry to be involved in it, they thought they could not conscientiously" partake.

But from whatever quarter the article in question may come, let one thing not be forgotten-the constant machinations in past time of

Russell's History of the Church in Scotland, vol. i. p. 261.
+ Hooker's Preface to Eccles. Pol.

"that perpetual and implacable enemy of the peace and happiness of our nation." I must refer to the Appendix to Mr. Crossthwaite's two sermons for proof of the fact, that the death of Charles I. was brought about by the secret suggestions of papists lurking in the Parliament army. But in reference to the beginning of those troubles, may I trespass on your pages still further with a passage from Clarendon :

...

"The papists had for many years enjoyed a great calm, being upon the matter absolved from the severest parts of the law, and dispensed with for the gentlest. . . They were looked upon as good subjects at court, and as good neighbours in the country; all the restraints and reproaches of former times being forgotten. But they were not prudent managers of this prosperity, being too elate and transported with the protection and connivance they received; though I am persuaded their numbers increased not, their pomp and boldness did, to that degree, that, as if they affected to be thought dangerous to the state, they appeared more publicly, entertained and urged conferences more avowedly than had been known before; they resorted at common hours to mass at Somerset House, and returned thence in great multitudes, with the same barefacedness as others came from the Savoy or other neighbour churches. The priests, and such as were in orders, (orders that in themselves were punishable with death,) were departed from their former modesty and fear, and were as willing to be known as to be hearkened to. And for the most invidious protection and countenance of that whole party, a public agent from Rome (first, Mr. Con, a Scottish man, and after him, the Count of Rozetti, an Italian) resided at London in great port. They had likewise, with more noise and vanity than prudence would have admitted, made public collections of money to a considerable sum, upon some recommendations to the Queen, and to be by her majesty presented as a freewill offering from his Roman-catholic subjects to the King, for the carrying on the war against the Scots, which drew upon them the rage of that nation, with little devotion and reverence to the Queen herself, as if she desired to suppress the protestant religion in one kingdom as well as the other by the arms of the Roman catholics. To conclude, they carried themselves so as if they had been suborned by the Scots to root out their own religion." Is there no Con lurking anywhere now? among the Romanists. Have they forgotten how ultra-protestantism may serve their turn. I am, yours faithfully,

There are wise men

N. N.*

SUBSTITUTION OF DAYS FOR YEARS.

MY DEAR SIR,-Will you allow me to enter a brief protest against the statement of your correspondent "W." (December, page 714) that "prophetic days are admitted, on all hands, to stand for years.' I am inclined to believe that an opposite opinion already prevails to a considerable extent; and I think that I could point out, even among your correspondents in this Magazine, at least half-a-dozen clergymen, all of them persons of more than usual attainments, all known to the public as the authors of works bearing their names, and all fully con

The specimens of the "Record's" proceedings, given in this letter will sufficiently explain the resolution mentioned in the last Number, and adhered to now, of having no more controversy with it. It is now trying to provoke farther notice, by giving replies, which should have been given weeks ago, and threatening all sorts of disgrace if they are not noticed. It has been defied so often, and it must know that its worst abuse is a matter of such utter indifference, that it is not worth while to repeat that defiance, or the belief that the object of its abuse and his character will survive whatever it can say. The only remark now to be made is, that the reason why a better opinion of it was expressed three years ago was the simple fact, that it was less known. In proportion as more has been seen of it, respect for its ability has ceased, and conviction of its cunning has arisen.-ED.

vinced, after serious inquiry and several years of reflection, that the system of Mede and Bishop Newton, and their followers, which attempts to interpret the prophecies by substituting a period of 1260 years for 1260 days, is a mere delusion. There may probably be more, (for I need not tell you that I have no peculiar advantages for knowing who writes to you,) but these gentlemen, I am very thankful to say, are among my personal friends; and I am morally certain that they have all been in print in your pages. I do not wish to intrude into them (except just in this sort of bye-way, now and then) a controversy which might be easily made to cover them entirely; but the subject appears to me to be of great importance, and I do not like to pass by any fair opportunity of promoting inquiry. I do not know what you think on the point, but, you know, you can put this in without annexing any note.* Yours, truly, S. R. MAITLAND.

SEVENTH DAY.

SIR,-With reference to the "British Magazine," December 1836, p. 710, will your correspondent "B." allow me to ask him whether he considers the seventh day to mean the seventh in order, counting from the first day that ever was, or simply one day in seven ?

I.

In reply to "R. S." ("British Magazine," December 1836, p. 719,) everything which is not sanctioned by the rubric, or by act of parliament, is an interruption of the service, which the clergyman has authority to prevent. Perhaps the best course is to state, that if such interruption should be attempted, he will feel compelled to stop the service till it is withdrawn. H.

NOTICES AND REVIEWS.

The Book of the New Covenant of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, pp. 470. Annotations to the Book of the New Covenant, with an expository Preface, with which is reprinted J. L. Hug, " De Antiquitate codicis Vaticani Commentatio." By Granville Penn, Esq. pp. 509.

Duncan.

Ir is very agreeable to meet with a book on the criticism and interpretation of the New Testament from the hands of a scholar who has

Many thanks for this note. With respect to its concluding remark, the Editor can only say, that he avoids giving an opinion which he should be called on to defend at a fearful expenditure of time. For, whatever be the reason, there are no writers who are so inexhaustible and so unwearied as the writers on prophecy. No one, unless he had a year or two of leisure before him, for which he has no use, would do wisely to give an opinion on this subject; for he might depend on a very long controversy being the consequence. But if any two good champions, of opposite opinions on the question of substituting years for days, like to fight it out in this Magazine, their letters shall be used, on this condition, that they never exceed four pages; that four letters on each side shall be inserted; and that if either does not answer in each number the letter in the last, there shall be an end. Hard terms these, but the question is one of deep importance; and yet, for the reasons before assigned, the writers on it must be limited.-ED.

carefully matured his own thoughts on the subject, and whose professed object is " to extend light to the most unlearned members of the Christian church." In the first volume of this work Mr. Penn has revised, with considerable diligence, the authorized version, in the hope that he may put every English reader in possession of "the pure text, free from all spurious accretions, and adapted to the level of minds least practised and disposed to attention and reflection." The second volume consists of a preface, concerning some of the most fruitful sources of error in ancient MSS., and the principles on which the present revision has been made; a reprint of a tract of J. L. Hug, on the Antiquity of the Codex Vaticanus, the paramount authority of that MS. being asserted by Mr. Penn; and a body of original annotations, confined chiefly to the elucidation of the text, and the grounds of its departure from the received version; the perusal of which cannot fail to give the reader a high opinion of the diligence, candour, and piety of the author.

As to the revision itself, after noticing some alterations which pervade the whole, perhaps the best means to enable the reader to form a judgment on its value would be to cite several passages indiscriminately, where it varies materially from the authorized version. Thus, dianen is uniformly rendered by covenant, vevμa by spirit, (except where it occurs in the phrase apnкe to tνevμa, and in Luke, viii. 55, which seems to be an oversight,) ovdes by no one, ayanη by love, εκλεκτος by chosen, προορίζω by foreordain, καταλλαγη by reconcili ation. The signs of the future tense, "will" and "shall," have been attended to, the former being used wherever a result is simply foreshewn, &c. (vol. ii. p. 80-85.) To give separate passages-John, i. 13, is referred to Christ, "Who was begotten not of blood," &c.; Acts, xvii. 22, "Ye are much disposed to divine worship;" Acts, xxvi. 28, "Then said Agrippa to Paul, Art thou persuaded that thou wilt soon make me a Christian? And Paul said, I would to God that soon or late not only thou," &c.; Rom. iii. 28, "Man is justified by faith, apart from a law of works;" Rom. ix. 10, "When Rebecca, the stranger, had conceived by our father Isaac;" Rom. xiii. 8, "Ye owe no one anything," &c.; 1 Cor. x. 3, "They all drank of that spiritual rock that followed it," (viz., the manna, the miracle being subsequent in the order of time;) 1 Cor. xi. 10, "The woman ought to have something above her head, on account of the angels;" Gal. ii. 20, "For by renouncing the law, I died to the law, that I might live to God;" Gal. iv. 25, "Hagar is the name of Mount Sinai, in Arabia;" 1 Tim. ii. 15, "Nevertheless she will be saved, as all others, through her child-bearing," (see Gen. iii. 15, 16;) Heb. i. 3, "Making all things manifest by the word of his power;" Heb. ii. 9, "We only see Jesus, who was made a little lower than angels by the suffering of death, (that he might taste of death, apart from God, for every one,) crowned with glory and honour;" Heb. ix. 2-4, "The shew bread, and the golden altar for incense, which tabernacle is called holy; and secondly, after the veil, the tabernacle which is called the holy of holies, which contained the ark of the covenant," &c. ; 2 Pet. i. 10, " Wherefore, brethren, strive the more earnestly to make

your calling also a sure choosing," &c.; 1 John, iv. 3, "Every spirit that separateth Jesus from Christ, is not from God."

It must, however, be confessed, that disappointment arises at finding that the chief traces of the fulfilment of the promise in the titlepage, that this work was "a critical revision of the text, and translation of the English version of the New Testament, with the aid of most ancient MSS., unknown to the age in which that version was last put forth by authority," seemed to be the omission of several passages usually found in the Bible; Mark, xvi. 12-20; Luke, ix. 55; Luke, xxii. 43, 44; John, v. 4, with the latter clause of ver. 3; John, viii. 1-11; John, xxi. 25; Acts, xxiv. 7, with part of verses 6 and 8, as well as several other clauses and words, are expunged in this book, as also Mat. i. 17; this latter omission being made, as it seems, without the sanction of a single MS. The epistle of St. Jude is printed in a small type, its inspiration being questioned by Mr. Penn. It is to be feared, also, that the author's anxiety to present the English reader with a version of the New Testament unfettered by the authority of the Vulgate, has led him, in some instances, to depart unnecessarily from the common interpretation. What else could tempt him to translate the received text of John, v. 17, "My Father worketh hitherto, and now I work," now being in italics, to intimate that it is not in the original. One must explain, upon the same principle, his dropping one λ in aroλλve, (Rom. xiv. 15,) so as to translate it "Separate not by thy food," &c.; his changing λenμevos into youμɛvos, (1 Cor. vii. 25,) both which readings are, as we believe, unsupported by any authority; his determination to render dukalovvn, wherever it is applied to man by justification (e. g., it becometh us to accomplish the whole justification, Mat. iii. 15, unless your justification exceed that of the Scribes and the Pharisees, Mat. v. 20;) his version of John, x. 8, "All who come before me, the door, are thieves and robbers," (where we have as a note in the margin," come before, i. e., keep without, enter not, see Rev. xxii. 14, 15";) Rom. ix. 3, rendered, "I boasted, that I myself was set apart by the Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh."

There is one further variation from the received version which it is necessary to notice, as the reviewer is utterly unable to account for it. The latter clause of Acts, xx. 28, is rendered thus" To rule the church of God, which he hath purchased with the blood of his own Son." It is stated in the notes, that "the Vatican, and all the most ancient MSS., the Coptic version, and Irenæus, read dia rov aiparos TOV idov, with the blood of his own-" It cannot be supposed that Mr. Penn would always so render a plain Greek sentence, e. g., is TOV τοπον τον ίδιον (Acts, i. 25) or κατα τας ἐπιθυμιας τας ίδιας, (2 Tim. iv. 3.) It is, indeed, suggested further, that from the similarity of the termination of idov and viov, the latter word might easily have been dropped; and reference is made to Rom. viii. 32, for a similar statement, the note being concluded with a quotation from La Crone "Certe quod ad me attinet pertinax sum fidei Nicene et orthodoxæ; VOL. XI.-Jan. 1837.