Review.

A new Covering to the Velvet | sidering them: certainly a cha

Cushion.

PP. 180. 1815.

Second Edition, racteristic event. But, seriously, Gale and Fenner. what would follow, if maxims, opposite to these, were acted upon to their extent? Suppose you admit as a principle, that you may make men pay for whatever religious instruction the state may adopt; it will apply as completely to preachers of idolatry, as of christianity; and if you may

IN December last, we gave a review of the Velvet Cushion, a work which, since that time, has passed through several editions; has undergone some alterations, but is the Velvet Cushion still. It very much wanted a new co-make people pay for instruction, vering and now it has got one.

Before it fell into the hands of the ladies who gave it its present dress, it had learned some wisdom; it had learned, that neither churchmen nor dissenters were pleased with its garrulity on a variety of subjects. Indeed, what was to be expected from a popish cushion, but a secret inclination to many things which came from Rome? First thoughts are the native sentiments of the mind; these the author committed to the world in his first edition; since then he has seen fit practically to retract some things which he had asserted, by leaving them out in subsequent editions. But, in the last which we have seen, "the great maxim of the dissenters, that every man must have entire liberty to worship God as he pleases," is still brought forward as one of the reasons for preferring an establishment. "Another favourite maxim of theirs" is then mentioned, which is, that no man should be made to pay for religious instruction, before he himself desires to have it;" and the old vicar, we are toid, fell asleep while he was con

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you may also make them receive it. What would have been the consequence, if the first " great maxim of the dissenters" had not been acted on at the reformation? The protestantism of our English establishment depended upon it.

For a few moments we will suppose ourselves churchmen. We think, that we could look at the conduct of the reformers only in one of these two views; either, that it was right for them to break off from the church of Rome, because the ruling party was disposed to do so; or, that they were right in striving against po pery, from a conviction, that in all the points of difference, its doctrines were deviations from New Testament truth, and its practices departures from the simplicity of the gospel. In our first of these views, we could consider the establishment as only an act of parliament-church; and then the reformers were nothing more than the agents of the rulers in thrusting out popery, and placing the religion of the country, and the ecclesiastical power of the church, more exclusively

than before, in the hands of go- | weakness; when he drew from vernment. Were we churchmen, his bosom a paper, containing his

we think that we should never put the defence of the establishment on this ground. For though it would do well enough for mere statesmen, it would never satisfy Christians.

But we should say, that the second was the only true view which we could take of the conduct of those eminent men, who "loved not their lives unto death." And we should appeal to the blood shed in Smithfield, Oxford, Gloucester, Coventry, and other places, where martyrs suffered, as proofs of that high excellency of character which first pleaded the cause of God, and then finished their testimony at the stake. We should dwell on the scenes painted in history; we should mark the calm fortitude, the holy hope, and the prophetic glance into futurity, which distinguished these admirable men. We should observe, with peculiar interest, Cranmer, the man to whom the reformation, and especially the establishment, is so deeply indebted, the influence of whose labours continues to this day; who was raised to the highest ecclesiastial station in the kingdom; who afterwards was degraded, clothed in rags, and exhibited to the people on an eminence in the church, as a gazing stock to all men. There he heard his own funeral sermon, and felt the pungent insults of the preacher, who represented, what he was bitterly deploring in his heart as his fall, blazoned forth as his conversion! We should point out the closing scene as a display of divine grace, in restoring his soul, and giving him power, in such an emphatic manner, to bear testimony for God, while he was proclaiming his own

faith, and, with many tears, recanted his own recantation. We should then follow him to the stake, to which he was instantly taken, and observe how much he regained of what he had lost. While he was an example to others to take heed, we should, with deep interest, mark how he closed his life with the manly courage of a genuine penitent, and the ardent hope of a sincere Christian.

We should boldly

ask, Could any man brave such a scene, after hearing his dying words, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," without being strongly convinced that the prayer would be heard, and that the Saviour himself would wipe away all tears from his eyes? We should be ready, in hallowed indignation, to exclaim, These, O popery, are thy triumphs! Nor could we forget either the description in the revelations, or what follows it; "And I saw a woman sit on a scarlet-coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns; and the woman was decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls; having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication; and upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.... And the woman which thou sawest, is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth.". Rev. xvii. 3, 4, 5, 6, 18.

But, in the conduct of the reformers, what is the principle which we all admire and ap

plaud? Is it not this, that the reformers read the New Testament for themselves, and, judging of the will of God by the best light they had, nobly determined to obey God rather than man? Was this praise-worthy and glorious in them, and is it not right in others to do the same? Had they an exclusive patent for examination and action, which others have not? Whether we contem

pure and complete! Are its articles, canons, and liturgy, paramount to revelation? Ought we merely to compare them with the Bible, but not deviate from them, even where we are convinced that they are not conformable to the scriptures? If this cannot be pleaded for, who is to limit the freedom of man in the worship of his God?

But the Cushion has got a new covering. The good old vicar died; he was buried: the numbers who attended his funeral, and the varied expression of the best feelings of man, were testimonies of his worth, The burial service seemed exactly suited to his character. The next day, a young profligate clergyman, who

plate the persecution of a mitred archbishop, or of a poor non-conforming anabaptist, the same language was held out to each; it was turn or burn; and why ought not the one, as well as the other, to have "the entire liberty to worship God as he pleases?" Only deny "the great maxim of the dissenters," and let the church-had fallen a victim to his iniquiman defend himself, if he can.

ties, was also buried in the same parish; and the service was, of course, read again. But the dif ference of effect was manifest. In the first case, every expression of hope and confidence excited conviction that it was just: in the last, though uttered by the same authority, the language ap

We beg pardon for this digression; but the PRINCIPLE which the Cushion, in the days of its ignorance, represented as wrong, is so important, that we can scarcely too much endeavour to impress it. We are not cold latitudinarians in sentiment, who are wishing, or willing to sink the doc-peared glaringly improper. The trines of the gospel, and substitute in their place real carelessness, under the false name of liberality. We trust that we have felt the power of the gospel; the glow of heart in beholding the Saviour's dignity; and that, in the highest sense, we can say, Christ is all, and in all. But whence were the sentiments derived, which have produced these effects? From the New Testament. And is it both our duty and privilege to derive them thence, and ought we not to apply them in the "entire liberty to worship God," according to what we believe is his holy will? Does the establishment contain every truth, every duty of the word of God,

Cushion remarked this, which, together with some other things that happened about the same time, excited in it a number of perplexing dissenting scruples. It was, however, grown old: it confessed that it had severely felt the hard rubs of the pulpit Bible against its velvet sides: and, at length, it was taken down, and sold to some dissenters for the pulpit cushion in their meeting! As a preparation for its new situation, it was committed to two ladies, who agreed to give it a new cover. The poor cushion was now in a great fright, but its fears proved imaginary; for the characters and conduct of its mistresses raised its admiration, ́

about the tendency of dissent. He who was against the dissenters read a passage from a pamphlet, said to be written by Mr. Cunningham, stating, that the situation of religion in America was a proof of the necessity of an establishment. The other, after some reasoning on the subject, took a letter from his pocket, and read a paragraph, which stated, that the aggregate amount of the communicants of one dissenting denomination in America, together with those who were adherents to the same general cause, though they might not be actually communicants, amounted to more than one fifth of the popu

It was doomed, however, to hear a good deal that was opposite to its former prejudices; but not having lost its faculty of observation, it continued to make, and record its remarks. One day the churchwarden called to see it, and expressed his regret that it had been sold. In the course of the conversation arose a little debate about the church's power to decree rites and ceremonies. A brother of the two ladies came to see them—a naval officer, with all the bluntness of the sailor about him. He was too late when he landed, to receive the sacrament, and was obliged to stay another month, that he might qualify for his last promotion, and thus helation of the United States, and had the opportunity to come and see them. His sisters, knowing how unfit he was to receive the Lord's supper worthily, stared with astonishment at his conversation respecting it. To add both to their grief and surprize, he told them that he had been round into Wiltshire, to see poor Ned, (a younger brother), who was there dying; but who was very safe, for he had had the clergyman to read to him the absolution. This excited a new subject of sorrow, of amazement, and of discussion. They began to talk, in their way, about repentance, and faith, and forgiveness of sins coming from God only: but he insisted upon it, that he knew a shorter road; and he would have the prayerbook brought, that he might shew them the proof of it. The cushion was sent to a neighbouring town, to a fringe-maker's, for some decorations which were thought proper for it, and found the place in a great bustle; there was a confirmation there on that day. While it lay on a table in the room, into which it was brought, two gentlemen fell into a debate

territories! Some of our readers will ask, what denomination can that be? The Cushion does not tell. We think it ought to have told, for we are persuaded that it knew. And, besides, such a piece of information would have gratified some, and done good to others. Immediately after, three talkative, giddy girls came into the room, who had been confirmed. Their remarks had a great deal of levity in them; and, we fear, that there are too many persons of the same class, who crowd to a confirmation, and who, alas! return worse than they went. Some, doubtless, do go with a degree of seriousness of mind and intention. But this ceremony, connected as it is with the opinions of the church, respecting baptism and regeneration, lays the establishment open to attack in a quarter where it has no defence. In the office for infant baptism, the baptized child is declared to be " regenerate, and grafted into the body of Christ's church;" and then God is thanked for having regenerated the child with his holy Spirit.