Jews, who spoke that language as they now generally speak German. These elements were united by sacred records written in Greek, and were governed mostly by members of Greek descent......... If, therefore, Greek was at that time the ecclesiastical, and, perhaps, the liturgical, language of the Church of Rome, it was not because Greek was a sacred tongue, unknown to the people; but because the majority understood it better, or as well as that of Latium."

66

Every one who is even slightly acquainted with the subject knows that the first three centuries abounded in sects whose distinction lay in maintaining this or that lamentable error. Yet, perhaps, too much prominence has been given to these in ecclesiastical annals. Some of them were small, and the heresiarchs have been magnified. It is refreshing to think of the body of real, living Christians, in generations past, as acknowledging one Lord, one faith, one baptism." A glance at the Roman Church, as it existed early in the third century, will detect many things which the eulogist of antiquity may wish-like the painter-to "cast discreetly into shade." But there are happier features; and these our limner selects for delineation. Our task is that of abridging and adapting a few of his details.

According to his belief, the worship of the Church, when Hippolytus flourished, agreed, in material points, with that of the primitive Christians; and presented a strong contrast to the material and sensuous formalities which displaced it, on the banks of the Tiber, in later times. The idea of prayer and praise was uppermost. It appears, from the earliest liturgies that are extant, that the assembly consisted at first of catechumens and believers,-the men and the women apart from each other. The service commenced with a psalm, chanted in antiphon, or with an act of confession, followed by a hymn. Old and New Testament lessons were read, and a brief didactic sermon closed this first part of the engagement. On the catechumens, then about to retire, the benediction was pronounced. Afterwards the kiss of peace was given-the men thus saluting the men, and the women the women; on which all approached the Lord's table, and the service proceeded according to a liturgy (called that of St. Mark) which Dr. Bunsen gives in his fourth volume. One or two passages of this ancient communion-service may be here inserted :—

On the part of the kneeling people.

"Eternal Lord, who knowest what is hidden: Thy people have bowed down to Thee their heads, and have laid down before Thee the hardness of heart and flesh. Look down upon them from Thy established habitation, and bless these men and these women. Strengthen them by the virtue of Thy right hand, and protect them from all evil suffering. Be Thou their Guardian, as well of their bodies as of their souls. Increase to them and to us faith and fear through Thy only Son, in whom be to Thee, with the Holy Spirit, praise and power, for ever and in ages of ages. Amen. "The Deacon.-Let us look up.

"The Bishop.-Holy things to those who are holy.

"The People.-One alone is holy, the Father :

"One alone is holy, the Son:

"One alone is holy, the Spirit."

"The Bishop.-The Lord be with you all. "The People.-And with thy spirit."

Prayer after Communion.

"Lord, Ruler of all, Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: we render Thee thanks that Thou hast vouchsafed to us to partake of Thy holy mystery. May it not be to us to judgment nor to condemnation, but to the renewing of the soul, of the body, and of the mind, through Thy only Son, in whom, &c.

"The People.-Amen.

"The Presbyter.-The Lord be with you all."

"Eternal Lord, who governest all things, Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ bless these Thy servants, and these Thy handmaidens. Protect, and help, and save them, by the power of Thy angels. Keep and strengthen them in Thy fear, through Thy majesty. Enlighten them, that they may think of what is of Thee; and grant to them that they may believe what is of Thee. Give to them concord, without sin and wrath, through Thy only Son, &c.

"The People.-Amen.

"The Bishop.-The Lord be with you all. "The People.-And with thy spirit.

"The Deacon.-Go home in peace."

In a prayer "as used in the time of Hippolytus," the following comprehensive sentences occur :

"We most earnestly beseech Thee, O Thou Lover of mankind, to be mindful of the one holy catholic and apostolic church, which is spread over the face of the whole earth. Be mindful, O Lord, of all Thy people, the flocks of Thy fold. Send down from heaven into our hearts that peace which the world cannot give, and that of this world also.

"Guide in peace the king, the armies, the commanders, the senate, the councils, the people, the neighbourhood, our coming in, and our going out. "O King of peace, give us Thy peace; keep us in love and charity. Be our God, for we know none beside Thee. We call upon Thy name: grant unto our souls the life of righteousness, that the death of sin may not prevail against us, or any of Thy people.

"Visit us, O Lord, and heal those that are sick, according to Thy pity and compassion; turn from them, and from us, all sickness and diseases; restore them to, and confirm them in, their strength. Raise up those who have lingered under long and tedious indispositions; succour those who are vexed with unclean spirits. Relieve those that are in prisons or in the mines, under accusations or condemnations, in exile or in slavery, or loaded with grievous tribute: deliver them all, for Thou art our God, who loosest those who are in bonds, and raisest up those who are oppressed; the Hope of the hopeless, the Helper of the helpless, the Lifter up of those who are fallen, the Haven of those who are shipwrecked, the Avenger of those who are injured. Give Thy pity, pardon, and refreshment to every Christian soul, whether in affliction or in error. And O Lord, Thou Physician of soul and body, heal all our infirmities, both of soul and body. O Thou who art the Overseer of all flesh, watch over us, and heal us by Thy saving health. Be a Guide at all times, and at all places, to our brethren who are travelling, or about to travel, whether by land or by water: whatever way they pursue their journey, bring them all to a quiet and safe port; be with them on their voyages and on their

road; restore them to their friends, and let them receive each other in joy and health. Preserve us, also, O Lord, in our pilgrimage through this life, from hurt and danger. Send rain out of Thy treasures upon those places which stand in need of it; renew and make glad the face of the earth by its descent, that, bringing forth, it may rejoice in the drops thereof. Raise the waters of the river to their just height; renew and make glad the face of the earth by the ascent of them; water its furrows, and increase its produce. Bless, O Lord, the fruits of the earth, and preserve them incorrupt for our use, that we may sow and reap from them. Bless also, O Lord, and crown the year with the riches of Thy goodness, for the sake of the poor, the widow, the fatherless, and the stranger; for the sake of all us who put our trust in Thee, and call upon Thy holy name: for the eyes of all wait upon Thee, O Lord, and Thou givest them their meat in due season. O Thou that givest food to all flesh, fill our hearts with joy and gladness; give us always what is sufficient for the relief of our necessities, that we may abound in every good work in Jesus Christ our Lord.

"Grant unto us, that we may finish our lives as Christians, wellpleasing to Thee, and free from sin, and that we may have our portion and lot with all Thy saints. Receive, O God, into Thy holy heaven.........the eucharistical praises of those that offer sacrifices and oblations to Thee; of those who would offer much or little, privately or openly, but have it not to offer; of those who have this day brought their offerings. Receive them, as Thou didst the gifts of Thy righteous Abel, the sacrifice of our father Abraham, the incense of Zacharias, the alms of Cornelius, and the widow's mite. Receive their offerings of praise and thanksgiving; and, for their earthly things, give them heavenly; for their temporal, eternal."

(To be continued.)

MINISTERIAL EXPERIENCE.

It seems to me that if you would set aside a page of your Magazine for ministerial experience, and if the page were written briefly and accurately, you would add a useful and interesting feature to your work.

In the sciences, and in philosophy, we all know that observation and experiment are of the very highest value; and there can be no doubt that, if the facts and events of ministerial experience were recorded in a scientific form, innumerable and valuable rules could be deduced from them by an easy application of the inductive philosophy.

A young Minister has to think and act in new positions. He may have

* Intelligent readers will qualify these latter sentences, as it is meet. The main omission, above, is that of a few lines of intercession for the souls of departed friends, and of "patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, bishops, saints, just men, and the soul of every one who is gone before us in the faith of Christ." While we sigh over this unscriptural addition, we cannot but mark the later progress downward. If these ancients prayed for saints, the Papists pray to

them.

+ So writes a correspondent of the "Christian Observer."-We, too, shall be glad to avail ourselves of the useful hint, if our Ministers will supply memoranda of what is new, animating, peculiar, or perplexing.-EDITORS.

read didactic books on the pastoral care, but they are necessarily of such a general character as to help him often but a very little in particular and practical circumstances; whereas a large mass of the dear-bought experience of others, circumstantial and particular, is just the very thing he

wants.

It may be said, that gradually a Minister gathers experience for himself. True; but who would think of making such a remark in reference to a man of science? Suppose natural philosophers to refuse a community of experience, and each one to gather an isolated mass by himself, and for himself! We know that science could never advance in that way. To this effect it was exceedingly well said by the Emperor Julian, that a man who derives knowledge from his own habits, rather than the principles of some great theory, is like an empiric, who, by practice, may cure one or two diseases with which he is familiar; but, having no system or theory of art, must necessarily be ignorant of all the innumerable complaints which have not fallen under his own observation.

This experience has always seemed to me to be one of the best fruits of our Clerical Meetings. I had been tempted to think that I could get a better exposition of a passage in my own library than at those Meetings; but the brief illustrations derived from life and practice have proved exceedingly valuable, and not so easily gotten at home.

Let me give a specimen in proof. At a Clerical Meeting which I attended in Hampshire some time ago, the subject of conversation was, "Young Ministers." Several Clergymen related their experience and observations, from which I made the following memoranda at the time:1. A young Minister's presence is not in general a check on worldly society.

2. The world tries to draw an earnest Minister into society, in order to have his sanction.

3. Should we not qualify ourselves for giving a tone to society?

4. Going into society is a relaxation; and relaxation is not a loss of time, if the relaxation be not too long continued.

5. Ministers might restrict themselves to a certain number of times in going into society.

6. We should always be on the watch to speak a word for Christ: God may make openings for us.

7. Archbishop Leighton lamented that his visits were often either a blank or a blot.

8. Perhaps the people often wonder why their Minister does not speak

out.

9. There is a danger in beating too much about the bush.

10. Alleine's Alarm is a good specimen of how we should deal with the people.

11. There is a danger of trusting to general dexterity, rather than preparing for pastoral work.

But, Mr. Editor, if you were to open your Magazine for the introduction of such elements as I am recommending, it would be necessary that men should relate not only their successes, but their failures. Vanity might easily paint a bright and sunny picture; but it is benevolence that describes her own mistakes and shipwrecks in order to be a beacon to others.

RICHARD WILLIAMS IN FUEGIA.*

"Blessed be my dear SAVIOUR, in prayer I have had such fellowship with Him as would warm me in Greenland, comfort me in New-Zealand, and rejoice me in the valley and shadow of death."-Samuel Pearce, of Birmingham.

IT was on December 5th, 1850, that the "Ocean Queen" cast anchor in Banner Roads; and we are enabled, by Richard Williams's journal, as quoted in a deeply-pathetic volume lately announced in our "Select Literary Notices," to trace the first proceedings of the Missionary pilgrims on the cold, dreary, surf-beaten shores of Fuegia.

"At noon we proceeded in the ship's gig to a small island called Dothan, lying betwixt Garden and Picton islands. Here we read an appropriate psalm, and offered prayer, and sang the doxology. The natives had followed us, and they stood gazing with wonder while we were so engaged. One passed into the centre of our circle, and now and then made an observation; and when we sang, they all joined heartily with us. We then took possession of the island, and cut away the trees for a place where to fix our tent; but, upon more consideration given, we abandoned Dothan, and chose our site in Garden Island.......... In the course of the evening, what from being very tired and cold, and the rush of impressions being very great and forcible upon my mind, my whole body seemed to shrink from the hardships that were palpably before me; and my flesh, with a cowardly tremor, seemed to protest against the difficulties, the trials, and the dangers. Whilst I felt this, I knew it was but the weakness of the flesh; and although I could not, under its present weariness, quiet its alarms, yet I felt a firm and quiet resolution, if need be, to sacrifice the flesh to the cause of God and humanity. It was a trial and a war between the two; but the spirit within, strengthened by grace, offered the flesh upon the altar of sacrifice. Praise God, never did I feel more sensibly how God provides grace against the day of trial than in this instance."

"All is well," writes the same hand to a beloved sister left in England, "God be praised! It is beyond all thought blessed to be given up entirely to the service of Christ. His consolations and the comforts of the Holy Ghost are infinitely precious, and far outweigh all privations we have to encounter."

Thursday, January 2d, 1851.-Yesterday was with me a day of humbling and bowing down before the Lord. Every circumstance that has occurred in this land of storms and desolation, has tended to the same end -to humble and abase me. The natural man has day by day been crucified. The privation of accustomed comforts, the vicissitudes already experienced, the trying duties devolving on us, the dulness and great inclemency of the climate, the solitude of the scenery, the uninviting character of the natives, and the apparent hopelessness of contending against so many difficulties,-all these things the flesh has had to be loaded with, and, together with its own fears and repinings, to be nailed to the cross and yield up the ghost, whilst in the room thereof Christ should be raised up and found in me the hope of glory."

As soon as the Ocean Queen took its departure, these voluntary exiles for Christ's sake were (as Dr. Hamilton says) almost as completely imprisoned

* See Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine, June, 1852, p. 576; and December, 1853, p. 1143.