Thou art wrapp'd in garments

mean,

Lying in a cave unclean:
Man is proud, yet Deity
In so mean a hut doth lie.
Jesu, by the Father sent
To bear our due punishment,

Leave us not to be undone
By such deep abasement won.
Endless praise to Thee be paid,
Jesu, born of mother-maid;
Thee, with Father evermore,
And with Spirit, we adore."

Christian Names.

YOUR Christian name reminds you of your having been made a Christian-that is, a member of Christ-in your baptism but besides this, which we should all think of, have you ever been told that many Christian names have each a particular meaning of their own? This is an amusing thing to think of; and, like many other amusing things, it may be useful too. You may consider the meaning of your own name, and the names of your playfellows; and if you find a good meaning, you may try to be like what your name signifies. So here is a list of names. Those which are taken from the Old Testament, and called Hebrew names (because the Jews' language is called the Hebrew), will remind you of the histories in the Old Testament, and the reasons that there were for these names being given-as Noah, Moses, Samuel, David. You will also find names which you meet with in the New Testament as John, Peter, Timothy. And you will find some names of ancient bishops and martyrs, whose histories you may perhaps know something of--as Gregory and Ambrose. Besides these you will find names of later times, taken from different languages.

Church-History in England.

ST. ALBAN.1

THE light of God, which at the creation was given to man, has never been put out. From the patriarchs it descended to the prophets, and from the prophets to the apostles; but there were many who wandered, and lost the light, and their offspring became inheritors of darkness. Thus it fared with our forefathers. We know not when, or from whence, they reached the British islands: Scripture has not recorded it; and it was in times beyond the reach of other history. There is reason to believe that they brought with them some glimmerings of the faith of the patriarchs, and some knowledge handed down by tradition of their history.

Their priests, the Druids, are said to have kept the belief of one God over all, all-wise, all-mighty, and allmerciful, from whom all things which have life proceed. They held also that the soul is immortal; but in many other things they taught vain deceits, the inventions of men. They taught the people that there were other gods besides Him in whom we live, and move, and have our being. By favour of these false gods whom they had added to the one true God, the Druids pretended to foretell future events. They required the people at the beginning of winter to put out all their fires on one day, and light them again from the sacred fire of the Druids, which would make the house lucky for the next year. They held the mistletoe in great honour; and when any was found upon an oak, on which tree it seldom grows, the Druids went there solemnly; and all things were made ready for sacrifice and for feasting. Two white bulls were fastened by their horns to the tree; one of the Druids went up, and cut the mistletoe with a golden knife; others stood below to receive it in a white woollen cloth; and it was carefully preserved, that water in which it had been steeped might be used as a remedy against poison, and for other purposes. The best and most beautiful of their flocks, and herds were then sacrificed. But they had worse customs than this; for they often offered up men and

From Southey's "Book of the Church" and Churton's "Early English Church."

women in sacrifices; and on great occasions they made a large figure of wicker-work, and filled it with men; then heaped straw and wood round it, set fire to it, and burnt it, with all that it contained. These, and many other wicked practices, were common among our forefathers, after the light of the patriarchs was lost among them, and before they received the light of the Gospel.

[Stonehenge-the Remains of a magnificent Druidical Temple }

When the Romans conquered Britain (as our country was then called), they put down the worship of the Druids; but they set up their own idolatry, which was as bad. It was not so bloody as that of the Britons; but it suffered people to go on after the wicked devices of their own heart without check from the fear of God, and gave them no hope beyond this life; for the Romans had lost the knowledge of the one true God even more than the Britons had.

It

We cannot tell who first preached the Gospel in this country. It is said in the early Church-histories, that St. Paul fulfilled his intention of preaching the Gospel in Spain (Rom. xv.); and that he went to the utmost bounds of the West, and the islands that lie in the great sea. has, therefore, been supposed that he was either himself in Britain, or that he sent some of the companions of his travels to make known on these shores the name of Christ. It is certain that a Christian Church was planted here in the times of the apostles; and, as it would appear, at the date of St. Paul's travels to the West, 63 years after our Lord's coming.

At this time the Romans had power over the Britons. They were a much more learned people; they knew more of the arts, that is, of the way to make weapons of war, and clothes, and houses, and all things that are useful and pleasant. The Britons lived in huts, and clothed themselves in skins; and though they often fought against the Romans, yet they were overcome, and kept under their rule. But both nations were alike ignorant of the knowledge which the apostles were sent to teach.

There is some reason to believe that Claudia, who is spoken of together with Pudens by St. Paul (2 Tim. iv.), was a British lady, and one of the household of a British prince, who was carried captive to Rome, and there heard the word, and received it. But these things are doubtful : "the light of the world shone here," it has been said; "but we know not who kindled it."

After many converts had been made to the true faith, a time of persecution came upon the Church in Britain, as it did elsewhere; for the Emperor Diocletian, about 300 years after our Lord's coming, caused the houses of God every where to be pulled down, the Scriptures burnt, and the priests and bishops slain with their flocks. Only in Britain they had a governor, who did not willingly obey these orders, and spared the Christians as far as he was able: this was Constantius, the father of Constantine, who afterwards became the first Christian emperor.

The first man who laid down his life in Britain for the Christian faith during this persecution is said to have been St. Alban. A Christian priest, flying from his persecutors, came to the city of Verulam, and took shelter in the house of Alban, who was a Roman soldier stationed there. He, not being of the faith himself, concealed the priest out of pure compassion; but when he observed the devotion of his guest, how fervent it was, and how pious, and the consolation he seemed to find in prayer by day and night, his heart was touched, and he listened to his teaching, and became a believer.

Meantime the persecutors found out where the priest was hid, and came to seek for him in the house; but Alban, putting on the cassock commonly worn by his teacher, delivered himself into their hands, and was carried before the Roman governor, while the man whom they sought was able to escape. Because Alban refused