[Gate of Penitence.]

"WHEN an Israelite committed a sin, on the morrow it was found written either on his forehead or the door of his house. He then went to a place which is now included in the Great Mosque, and called the Gate of Penitence, there he performed penance, and when that penance was accepted, the miraculous writing disappeared."-MEDJIREDDEN, Fundgruben des Orients.

The mode of making a Recluse was very summary.

ENTENDIO el Confessor que era aspirada,
Fizo con su mano soror toca negrada
Fo end a pocos dias fecha emparedada;
Ovo grand alegria quando fo encerrada.

GONZALO DE BERCEO, S. Dom. 325.

[The Baptized and the Unbaptized.] ONE of the Missionaries whom Virgilius, the Bishop of Salzburg (vir sapiens et bene doctus de Hiberniâ insulâ) sent among the Slavonic people, made the converted serfs sit with him at table where wine was served to them in gilt beakers, while he ordered their unbaptized lords to sit on the ground, out of doors, where the food and wine was thrown before them and they were left to serve themselves. When the lords demanded why they were treated in this manner, he replied, "You, with your unbaptized bodies are not worthy to sit with those who have been regenerated in the sacred font, but rather to take your food out of doors like dogs."-De conversione Baioariorum et Carinthanorum ad Fidem Chris

tianam,-apud Scriptores Rerum Bohemicarum, p. 18.

[Rash Judgment reproved.] "THERE is a generation of men that teach it is unlawful to salute men with, Good

day, God be with you, or Leave be to you. They will salute none with a good wish unless they know his business: as if every man's business required so little haste as to tarry the leisure of their acquaintance. If all men should pledge them in their own cup, they might pass their whole life without a God speed. They say, we cannot tell whither he goes, or about what; it may be he's going to the tavern to be drunk. It's but a peradventure that he is going to be drunk; but without all peradventure thou art not sober that darest so rashly judge thy brother."-T. ADAMS's Exposition upon the Second Epistle of S. Peter, 1633.

[Whole Service read by the Parish Clerk.]

WESLEY says that the whole service of the church was read in some churches by the Parish Clerk, perhaps every Lord's Day. He seems to say that this was particularly the case in the west of England. The pamphlet in which this assertion is made is dated in the year 1745.-WESLEY'S Works, vol. 12, p. 351.

["Loqui variis linguis nolite prohibere."]

THE Romanists of a later age were at no loss for an invention which should invalidate the permission given to the Moravians. The following curious passage occurs in the lives of St. Cyril and St. Methodius, published by the Bollandists in their great collection, ex MS. Blanburano. "The apostolic Father and the other rulers of the Church reproved the blessed Cyril because he had dared to set forth the canonical hours in the Slavonic tongue, and thus to alter the institutions of the Holy Fathers. But he humbly answering, said, Brethren and Lords, observe ye the words of the Apostle, saying, loqui variis linguis nolite prohibere, forbid not to speak with various tongues. Following the apostolic precept, I did that which ye reprove. But they

said, Although the Apostle may have advised to speak in various tongues, yet hath he not willed that the divine solemnities should be chaunted in this tongue wherein thou hast set them forth. But when the altercation between them concerning this thing waxed more and more, the blessed Cyril brought before them the words of David, saying, it is written, Omnis Spiritus laudet Dominum, let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Now if every thing that hath breath should magnify the Lord by praising him, wherefore do ye forbid me to have the solemnities of mass and of the hours modulated in the Slavonic tongue." Siquidem si quivessimus illi populo aliter aliquando cum ceteris nationibus subvenire in linguâ Græcâ vel Latinâ, omnino quæ reprehenditis non sanxissem.—Acta Sanctorum. Martii, t. 2, p. 23.

[Reading of Sermons.]

109

"THE Lesser Council of Lausanne, in Switzerland, has addressed a circular letter to all the pastors of the Canton, purporting that they have learned that many of them have adopted a too convenient method of reading their sermons in the pulpit, contrary to the ecclesiastical ordinances, instead of delivering them from memory. The Council have therefore made known that no pastor must read his sermons without special permission."

I copy this from a Magazine of 1806.

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[An Hour-the Sermon's length in former days-not more.]

GEORGE HERBERT says, "the Parson exceeds not an hour in preaching; because all ages have thought that a competency; and he that profits not in that time, will less afterwards, the same affection which made him not profit before, making him then weary, and so he grows from not relishing, to loathing."-A Priest to the Temple, p. 28.

[St. Catherine of Sienna.]

S. CATHERINE of Sienna had a curious mode of proving that she was the cause of

all the sins that were committed. She prayed, she said, for the conversion of sinners and they were not converted; now the cause of this failure could not be any defect in the Creator, in whom there is no defect: therefore it must be in her want of faith and divine love sufficient to make her prayers efficacious;-so that all the sins which were committed were in this manner attributable to her, and were indeed so many convincing proofs of her own unworthiness. Her crafty confessor admired this new mode of humility, and though some objections to the logic occurred to him, he was too humble to advance them. But I

[Johnson on the Expulsion of Methodists from Oxford.]

"I TALKED," says BOSWELL, "of the recent expulsion of six students from the University of Oxford, who were Methodists, and would not desist from publicly praying and exhorting. JOHNSON. Sir, that expulsion was extremely just and proper. What have they to do at an university, who are not willing to be taught, but will presume to teach? Where is religion to be learnt but at an university? Sir, they were examined, and found to be mighty ignorant fellows. BoSWELL. But was it not hard, Sir, to expel them, for I am told they were good beings? JOHNSON. I believe they might be good beings; but they were not fit to be in the University of Oxford. A cow is a very good animal in a field; but we turn her out of a garden.-Lord Elibank used to repeat this as an illustration uncommonly happy."

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[Dr. Johnson's remark on Wesley's incontinent Haste.]

"JOHN WESLEY's conversation is good," said DR. JOHNSON "but he is never at lei

sure. He is always obliged to go at a certain hour. This is very disagreeable to a man who loves to fold his legs and have out his talk, as I do."

[Man's Unreadiness to Godwards.] "I AM often grieved to observe, that although on His part the gifts and callings of God are without repentance; although He never repents of anything he has given us, but is willing to give it always, yet so very few retain the same ardour of affection which they received, either when they were justified, or when they were (more fully) sanctified."-WESLEY'S Works, vol. 16, p.

261.

[Justification and Sanctification.]

"ALTHOUGH it usually pleases God to interpose some time between Justification and Sanctification, yet we must not fancy this to be an invariable rule. All who think this must think we are sanctified by works, or (which comes to the same) by sufferings. For otherwise, what is time necessary for? It must be either to do, or to suffer. Whereas if nothing be required but simple faith, a moment is as good as an age."—WESLEY's Works, vol. 16, p. 63.

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[Marvellous Present of a Relic.]

WHEN Macarius, the Patriarch of Antioch, was at Yassy, he made the Bey of Moldavia "a present of immense value: it was the lower jaw of St. Basil the Great, of a yellow colour, very hard and heavy, and shining like gold. Its smell was more delightful than amber, and the small and large teeth were remaining in it unmoved. It came into our hands at Constantinople, says Paul the Archdeacon, (Historiographer to the Patriarch on his travels) where it had been treasured up by the relatives of

BAXTER

111

[Why the Young are more Zealous than the Middle-aged.]

"I HAVE been often musing upon this, why the generality of Christians, even those that really are such, are less zealous and less active for God, when they are middleaged, than they were when they were young? May we not draw an answer to this question, from that declaration of our Lord (no less than eight times repeated by the Evangelists). To him that hath (uses what he hath) shall be given; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away that he hath. Α measure of zeal and activity is given to every one, when he finds peace with God. If he earnestly and diligently uses this talent, it will surely be increased. But if he ceases (yea, or intermits) to do good, he insensibly loses both the will and the power. So there is no possible way to retain those talents, but to use them to the uttermost." -WESLEY'S Works, vol. 16, p. 253.

[Baxter's extreme Notions on the Efficacy of Prayer.]

BAXTER believed that the woman whom he afterwards married was healed by means of prayer, when far gone in consumption, and after medicine, change of air, and breast-milk had been tried without effect. "My praying neighbours," he says, "had often prayed for me in dangerous illness, and I had speedy help. I had lately swallowed a gold bullet for a medicine, which lodged in me too long, and no means would bring it away, till they met to fast and pray, and it came away that morning."

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[Nearness of our Departed Ones.] "I HAVE heard my mother say, (says MR. WESLEY, in a letter to Lady Maxwell,)

that my father's spirit was with me, as if I had seen him with my eyes.' But she did not explain herself any further. I have myself many times found on a sudden so lively an apprehension of a deceased friend, that I have sometimes turned about to look; at the same time I have felt an uncommon affection for them. But I never had any thing of this kind with regard to any but

those that died in faith. In dreams I have had exceeding lively conversations with them and I doubt not but then they were very near."

[Wesley and the Statute of Mortmain.]

"To oblige a friendly gentlewoman," says WESLEY, (Journal, 10, p. 21) "I was a witness to her will, wherein she bequeathed part of her estate to charitable uses; and part during his natural life, to her dog Toby. I suppose though she should die within the year, her legacy to Toby may stand good. But that to the poor is null and void, by the statute of Mortmain."

[Vade ad Apem.]

"PLINY names one Aristomachum Solensem, that spent threescore years in the contemplation of bees: our whole time for this exercise is but threescore minutes, and therefore we say no more of this but Vade ad Apem, practise the sedulity of the Bee, labour in thy calling."-DONNE, Sermon 70, p. 713.

[St. Antholins.]

"I do hope

We shall grow famous, have all sorts repair
As duly to us, as the barren wives
Of aged citizens do to St. Antholins."
CARTWRIGHT'S Ordinary.

"You will encourage J. T. (says MR. WESLEY,) to send me a circumstantial account of God's dealings with her soul. Mr. Norris observes, that no part of history is so profitable as that which relates to the great changes in states and kingdoms; and it is certain no part of Christian history is so profitable as that which relates to great changes wrought in our souls: these therefore should be carefully noticed and treasured up for the encouragement of our brethren."-WESLEY's Works, vol. 16, p.

123.

[Passive Prayer.]

"AT some times," says WESLEY, “it is needful to say, 'I will pray with the Spirit, and with the understanding also.' At other times the understanding has little to do, while the soul is poured forth in passive prayer."

[Perseverance in dry Duty.]

"THE most desirable prayer is that where we can quite pour out our soul, and freely talk with God. But it is not this alone which is acceptable to him. 'I love one (said a holy man) that perseveres in dry duty. Beware of thinking even this is labour lost. God does much work in the heart even at those seasons.

And when the soul, sighing to be approved, Says could I love! and stops; God writeth loved."

WESLEY'S Works, vol. 16, p. 127.

[Wesley an Exacter of Discipline.] He was careful to enforce the discipline of Methodism. In a letter to Mr. Benson he says "We must threaten no longer, but perform. In November last, I told the London Society Our rule is, to meet a class once a week; not once in two or three. I now give you warning: I will give tickets to none in February, but those that have done this.' I have stood to my word. Go you and do likewise, wherever you visit the classes.-Promises to meet, are now out of date. Those that have not met seven times in the quarter, exclude. Read their names in the Society; and inform them all, you will the next quarter exclude all that have not met twelve times; that is, unless they were hindered by distance, sickness, or by some unavoidable business. And I pray, without fear or favour remove the leaders, whether of classes or bands, who do not watch over the souls committed to their care as those that must give account.' WESLEY'S Works, vol. 16, p. 286.

[Wesley and Quakerism.]

"FINDING no other way," says WESLEY, (Journal, vol. 6, p. 66,) "to convince some who were hugely in love with that solemn trifle, my brother and I were at the pains