The legislature ought to take this mat- ANSWERS TO authority so far as his diocese is con cerned; and his Right Reverend brother of Calcutta has republished his Charge, as being, in his view, of great service against the Tractarian errors and innovations. And yet what is practically the result? Assuredly not peace or uni- Under these circumstances, it appears to us to be the wisdom of the Church to take care that its good is not evil-spoken of, and to pursue its high aims with zeal, but with as little as possible that may disturb or perplex the minds of men in matters not of serious import. Even the revival of some unobjectionable customs at this particular moment, may be attended with more of inconvenience than benefit; and serve as a pretext for those who have evil will at our Zion, to do it much damage. The length to which we have extended our remarks, induces us to forbear troubling our readers at present with some thoughts which we had penned upon the Oxford inquiry respecting Dr. Pusey's sermon; the St. Asaph and Bangor question; the state of Ireland; and last, not least, upon the recent anniversary meetings of religious and charitable Societies. We greatly rejoice at the prosperity of the chief of these invaluable institutions for promoting the glory of God and the salvation of man. CORRESPONDENTS. W. M.; D. M.; Editor; Omega; T. K.; and Pastor; are under consideration. THE SIX SEALS OF THE SIXTH CHAPTER OF THE APOCALYPSE. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. THE HE redemption of Israel from Egyptian bondage is a complex type of our redemption by Christ; a type embracing in itself several distinct and subordinate types. Moses the deliverer of Israel, the judgments executed upon Pharaoh, the institution of the Passover, the passage through the Red Sea, and Israel's supernatural mode of existence in the wilderness, are severally types of Christ, the Captain of our salvation; of the judgments inflicted, and to be inflicted, on the Prince of this world; of Christian baptism; and of the true Christian spiritual life, sustained by the bread which came down from heaven, and by the power of the Holy Ghost. But in one important feature the church in the wilderness presents a perfect contrast to the visible church of Christ in her infancy. The multitudes who had just escaped from a state of abject slavery had not a heart to enjoy their liberty, or to appreciate the political and religious privileges so graciously bestowed on them. Every privation and hardship they had to encounter, provoked them to murmur and rebel; and "in their hearts they turned back again unto Egypt." But the multitude of every nation, kindred, and tongue, who were members of the infant visible church of Christ, satisfied with the enjoyment of the blessings of redeeming love and mercy, cheerfully endured the severest privations and sufferings; counting all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord. In truth, the visible church of Christ in her infancy was a new thing in the earth, and had no parallel in the history of mankind. The world beheld, for the first time, multitudes of persons, of various nations, languages, manners, and habits, forming themselves into one corporate body, professing the same holy principles, and exhibiting the power of those principles in their daily life and conversation. Their ministers, armed "with the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left," and with the power of working miracles, made rapid conquests simply by preaching the blessed gospel of peace. And considering the formidable enemies to whose power and rage they were continually exposed, their success was remarkable and unparalleled. The Scriptures justify our expectation that the visible church will one day recover her purity, which she has lost by a too close contact with a world that lieth in wickedness; that she will again go forth, in her primitive character and CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 67. 3 D : strength, and finish the conquest once so nobly begun, and become completely triumphant. The day is approaching when "the sanctuary shall be cleansed;" when "the little stone shall become a great mountain, and fill the whole earth;" "when the kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ;" when "the Saints shall possess the kingdom;" when "unity, love, and peace shall everywhere abound." If a mighty warrior be successful at the outset of his career, and triumphant in the end, it may be truly said of him, that he went forth conquering and to conquer, though a long period of disaster and dishonour intervene between his first victories and those which are crowned with ultimate and permanent success. It is in this sense, I conceive, that the primitive church of Christ went forth conquering and to conquer. The white horse which issued forth at the opening of the first seal, seems to be an emblem of her power and purity; the arrows discharged from the bow of the rider, to represent the arrows of conviction which pierce the hearts and consciences of men; and the crown given unto him, a pledge of the kingdom she will enjoy when her warfare is accomplished. The conclusion at which we seem to have arrived is this that the symbol disclosed at the opening of the first seal, is an emblem of the power displayed by the ministry of the visible church of Christ, as a faithful and holy preacher and propagator of the blessed Gospel of Christ. But the Church in her best estate had some tares amongst the wheat. The apostles warned their disciples against "men who caused divisions;" who "served not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies;" who "turned the grace of God into covetousness, lasciviousness, and maliciousness;" who were "enemies of the cross of Christ;" who "loved to have the pre-eminence." It appears from the Epistles of St. James and St. Jude, that worldly-minded and sensual men, who professed the Gospel, were become very numerous when these epistles were written; and we have abundant reason to conclude that the number of professors of this character, when compared with the faithful disciples of Christ, were far more formidable at the beginning of the fourth century. The Apostle Paul not only complains of such characters, but, by the spirit of inspiration, informs us that they would become the dominant party; that the church would be converted into a great apostacy; that the head of that apostacy would sit in the temple of God, and claim and exercise all the prerogatives of the Most High. By the authority of the Apostles and their successors, who were generally like-minded, and by the constant dread of pagan persecution, such false professors were restrained and kept in subjection; but when, by the increase of their numbers and influence, they became the dominant party, the church assumed a new character-a character opposite to that which she had previously sustained. When Constantine the Great embraced the Christian profession, many causes conspired to produce a change like this; of which four deserve particular notice. First, the introduction of absolute power into the bosom of the church, without any laws or conditions to regulate, restrain, or limit its exercise. Irresponsible power of such magnitude would have been extremely dangerous, even had Constantine and his successors been men of eminent piety. But when it fell into the hands of men who knew little or nothing of Christianity but the name, it violated all the principles and precepts of the Gospel, and generated or encouraged evils which rapidly extinguished the spirit of the Gospel. Next, the sudden transition of the church from a state of danger, degradation, and suffering, to a state of security, honour, and affluence, was as injurious to her spiritual character, as it might have been conducive to her temporal comfort. The character of individuals is seldom, and that of communities perhaps never, improved by sudden exaltation; and the exaltation of the church at this period seems to be without parallel in the annals of mankind. Again, the church had just lost her best members in the Dioclesian persecution, and had recovered many of her worst at the close of that persecution. Numbers of traditors, and multitudes of apostates, gladly returned to her communion when they could do so not only without hazard, but with a fair prospect of temporal advantage. And lastly, a multitude of pagans, induced by their master's example, became professing Christians. Many of these, from interested motives, espoused the cause which the Emperor favoured, and brought with them into the church the influence which they had previously exercised as citizens, and the notions which they had inherited as pagans. The history of the church in the days of Constantine and many of his successors, plainly shews that a large body of her influential members was composed of such men as the Apostles condemned, and against whom they warned their faithful followIt is also obvious that the influence of her faithful ministers was rapidly declining, and was rarely felt amidst the discord, tumult, and violence which distracted the Church and Empire in those unhappy days. ers. The Donatist schism and the Arian controversy were nearly contemporary with the adoption of the Christian religion by Constantine the Great. The former had its origin at Carthage in the year 311, and was mainly introduced by a number of bishops who had been traditors: and the latter at Alexandria, in the year 317. To these was opposed a numerous body of clergy called Orthodox, whose opinions were confused and ill defined upon the point in debate, but substantially correct. The controversies between the Donatist and Orthodox parties afflicted Africa about a hundred years. The obstinacy of the Donatists, and the fanatical fury and atrocious crimes and outrages of the Circumcelliones, who espoused their cause, so enfeebled Africa that it fell an easy prey to the Vandals in the year 427. The controversy between the Orthodox and Arian parties distracted the whole empire, from the centre to its utmost bounds. The Western part of the Empire was not wholly free from the disorders it occasioned till the beginning of the seventh century; when all the barbarous nations which had settled there submitted to the authority of Gregory the Great. In the East, the Arian heresy was crushed by the strong arm of Theodosius the Great, towards the close of the fourth century: but the brutal assault made on Chrysostom, in the reign of Arcadius and Theodora, is a lamentable proof that the ferocious passions which have been kindled or aggravated by the flames of controversy are not easily extinguished. To Arianism in the East succeeded Nestorianism A. D. 428, and Eutychianism A. D. 448. These may be considered as certain modifications of the Arian heresy, as they held peculiar opinions respecting the person, nature, and dignity of Christ. Between these latter heresies a sharp contest ensued, as disgraceful to the Church, as it was prejudicial both to the Church and State. Of the Eutychian heresy there were many ramifications, of which the Monophosites were the principal branch; whose conflicts with the Orthodox party were of the most awful character, and greatly facilitated the success of the Saracens, by dividing the Eastern Empire against itself. All ranks and conditions of men, from the monarch to the mob, and from the patriarch to the catechumen, engaged in these controversies with zeal and earnestness, and kept the whole empire in a state of continued fermentation; and the fierce conflicts of these parties which frequently occurred in the principal cities, were attended with tumult and sanguinary violence. The contest at Rome between the rival Patriarchs Felix and Liberius; and a like contest at Constantinople between Paul and Macedonius, in the reign of Constantius; that between the Emperor Anastasius and another Patriarch, also called Macedonius; and the installation of Apollinaris at Alexandria, in the reign of Justinian, A. D. 551; may serve as specimens of the unprincipled ferocity which animated the deluded combatants. When the successor of a deceased Emperor espoused the opinions of the oppressed party, Patriarchs, together with hundreds of Bishops, were deposed. Some were punished with banishment, some with fines and confiscation, and some fell victims to the hardships and privations to which they were exposed. It affords some satisfaction to observe that the Orthodox party, whose sentiments on a subject so awful as the name of Jehovah were substantially correct, displayed far more fortitude and patience under suffering, and generally far more moderation in their prosperity, than their Arian opponents. Yet the weapons of their warfare were not spiritual, but carnal. Most of them manifested abundantly the character of political partisans, but in few of them can we discover even a faint resemblance of the Apostles, or their immediate successors. The Arians scrupled not to use any means, however unprincipled and desperate, to oppress and overwhelm their opponents; and the Orthodox disdained not those secular artifices and court intrigues, or even those popular tumults, which are usually employed by worldly men to accomplish the same object. They sought not, like the Apostles, to convert their foes into friends, by the meekness of wisdom and the force of truth; but to overwhelm and subdue them by the strength of the imperial arm. They used not the Gospel as a bow to discharge the arrows of eternal truth into the understanding and conscience of their opponents; but they availed themselves of the great sword which providence had given them, the sword of the supreme magistrate, to confound and to destroy them. The spirit of these contending parties presents a striking contrast to the spirit which animated the Apostles and faithful Evangelists, and this contest is aptly represented by the colour of the horses which appeared at the opening of the first and second seals. The spirit of these controversialists was sanguine, selfish, impetuous, oppres sive. The spirit of the holy Apostles and Evangelists was peaceful, disinterested, patient, and harmless. The latter won their opponents by the preaching of the gospel of peace; the former crushed them by the weight of the secular arm. On the whole, I am persuaded that a careful examination of this controversy, and of its dire effects, warrants the conclusion, that the symbol which appeared at the opening of the second seal is an apt emblem of the power displayed by the ministry of the visible church of Christ in the character of a zealous controversialist, aggravating the evils of contention by the means which it employed to heal them, and taking peace from the earth. Had the Emperors still adhered to Paganism, the strife of the church might have afforded matter of amusement to the State, as it supplied theatrical entertainment for those who still clave to the ancient superstition: but from the hour when Constantine embraced the Christian profession, the State was involved in these controversies, and in all the troubles and calamities which they occasioned. We should greatly deceive ourselves were we to imagine that the State alone was responsible for the evils which these contests generated, and that the church was exempt from blame. On |