phets by the Spirit; That the Gen- | progress, and exhaustless in its suptiles should be fellow-heirs, and of plies, soon assumes the appearance the same body," with the believing of a current, then swells into a rivuJews," and partakers of his promise let, till it attains at length the impeconcerning Christ, by the gospel." tuosity of a torrent, and flows triEph. iii. 3, 5, 6. umphantly over every opposition, The tender twig, just peeping above its mother earth, may be easily torn from her yielding bosom; but when it has ripened and expanded into the full-grown energy and the ponderous ramifications of the oak, it then defies the puny effort to uproot it, and nods contempt to the harmless clamours of the tempest.

It is so in the moral world. The infant whose faculties are gradually expanding, and upon whose latent soul the light of reason is just dawning, like the tender twig or the flexible clay, may be influenced and impress

Well, therefore, might the apostle say, as in 2 Cor. iii. "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech. And not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished. But their minds (as well as Moses' face,) were veiled or blinded," namely, by their own prejudices and lusts; "for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away, in the reading of the Old Testament, which veil is abolished or done away by Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veiled by instruction and cultivation; but is upon their heart. But," glorious to relate," when it," the veiled heart, "shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away:" when the Jews shall believe the gospel, their prejudices shall be removed, so that they shall discern the true meaning of the law, at the same time that they reap the blessed fruits of the gospel.

(To be continued.)

AN ESSAY.

THESIS --- "Principiis obsta.”

Look to the budding mischief.

DAILY observation demonstrates the importance and utility of such an admonition, and its universal neglect we may consider one grand source of all those calamities with which our secular existence is replete. There

are

when childhood is succeeded by maturity, when its habits become fixed, and its failings constitutional, it is then more deaf to the voice of instruction, and more callous to the influence of reproof. The headstrong passions, and the unhallowed propensities, by which, alas! too many of our species are characterized, might, probably, in their origin, in no inconsiderable degree have been corrected and subdued; but "growing with their growth," and ripening as they proximated to maturity, they gained at length a complete ascendency over their minds, and became awfully influential on their characters and their lives.

The mind of man is naturally prone to error, and lulled by the force of internal corruptions, and the insidious artifices of external adversaries, he is no trials, however oppressive, sluggish and inert in watching the which could not have been, in part, at approach of sin, and checking it in least, avoided; and no circumstances, its progress. Sin, however, is not however calamitous, which could not inactive in its operation, and if it have been, in some degree, ameliorat- meet with no obstruction, it will widen ed, by an attention to this important and strengthen, till it extend to every precept. Yea, not only has it dark- feeling, and faculty, and passion, till ened every beam of prosperity, and the subject of its accursed influence disordered and destroyed the once become the slave of depravity, and flourishing affairs of many; but, hu- the fearless perpetrator of every manly speaking, it has hurried thou-species of crime; and then, tossed sands from the transitory stage of life, and brought them to a mournful and an untimely grave.

In the natural world we shall find the utility of this precept illustrated. The lucid spring, so insignificant and obscure in its origin, unchecked in its

upon the turbulent ocean of his evil passions, with no pilot but "the prince of the power of the air,” he is borne unresistingly along by the torrent of his guilt, to the gulf of interminable despair.

If then misery be the concomitant

387. Pilgrimages to the temple of Jerusalem and city of Rome deemed meritorious.

434. A council decreed that the Virgin should be called the Mother of God. The Bishop of Constantinople objected to it.-Churches were adorned and enriched. A gold image of our Saviour crowned with jewels was set up in St. Peter's church, Rome, by Pope Sixtus.

of guilt, and rectitude and peace be 385. Paintings of the crucifixion set united in indissoluble union, it is as-up in houses. suredly our highest interest to stay the most trivial inlet to the one, and to beware of the slightest deviation from the other; and surrounded as we are by temptations so diversified and so mighty in their influence, it behoves us to wage perpetual warfare with every species of sin; for if but one be harboured in our breast, the treacherous guest within will betray us to its friends without, till eventually we become the dupes of our own corrupted nature, and the victims of infernal machinations. Let us then, as we journey on the sorrowful path of life, while contending with the powdered pre-eminent in rank, and asers of darkness, the allurements of the world, and the depravity of our hearts, ever recollect, that one enemy is vanquished with greater facility than two; and make this precept our watchword and our monitor— Principiis obsta."

[In the dates of the articles which follow, the
reader will find some irregularity. But
this can have no influence on the facts
themselves.]

IN the year 197, Victor Bishop of
Rome separated from the Eastern
Churches, insisting that Easter day
should always be held on a Sunday.

200. Fast days were ordered by ecclesiastical authority.

250. Patriarchs were appointed to preside over certain districts of the Church.

320. Constantine persecuted the pagans.

335. Monasteries and nunneries were established.

337. Monks went about selling the bones of the martyrs.

338. Bishops were to rank according to the size of their cities; this led to the supremacy of Rome, as the largest city.

340. Invocation of the saints first recommended.

366. A riot at the election of the Bishop of Rome, and 137 persons killed.

370. Laws made for persecuting heretics.

380. Crosses of wood and metal used by worshippers.

410. Priests were prohibited from marrying, by Pope Innocent.-Baptizing with the sign of the cross.

420. Bishops of Rome were consi

sumed pomp, state, and splendour.

430. The election of the Bishop of Rome was carried by riches and bribery.-Pagans and heretics were allowed three months to chuse whether they would become Christians or be banished from the empire. John, Bishop of Constantinople, was entitled Universal Bishop, by the emperor and council; Gregory, Bishop of Rome, objected, and said, “Whoever bears the title of Universal Bishop, is the forerunner of Antichrist." Boniface the Third, Pope of Rome, prevailed on the usurper and murderer Phocas to give him the title of Universal Bishop, although Constantinople was the seat of government. But the Bishop of Rome approved of the murder of the Emperor Mauritius, and sanctioned the usurpation of Phocas, who in return aided the pope in bringing the Church under subjection to him at Rome.

528. Pope Felix declared the clergy by divine right were exempt from the power of the civil magistrate, and were only censurable for their misconduct by the Church.

530. Two popes were chosen, Boniface II. and Dioscorides; the dispute was only settled by the death of the latter.-The infallibility of the pope was asserted out of this controversy, that a pope not rightly elected, cannot be infallible.-Praying to the Virgin Mary was now customary.—Purgatory was devised and contradicted; it remained doubtful in the sixth century.

592. Praying for the dead was practised. The procession of the Host was now invented.

600. Indulgences were sold; at first

for past sins, as a mitigation of a | and the traditions of the Church were

963. John XII. had been chosen pope at the age of eighteen years; he was deposed for adultery and perjury.

churches and convents; among other | earth, as successor of St. Peter, and inventions, sending the pallium now vicegerent of Christ.-A power was greatly increased the power of Rome. assumed by the pope of making arti-The Eastern church, so far as it cles of faith. differed or withstood the Roman, was decreed as heretical.-The monasteries were united in attachment to the pope, and formed a powerful auxiliary to strengthen Rome, and depress the independence of the provincial clergy. -The papal decretals and canon laws of Rome were compiled and published for the direction of the churches in general.

Tumult and disorder attended the election of ten popes in this century. Benedict V. was carried away prisoner to the emperor, and so was his successor.-John XIII. was strangled by one who aspired to the chair.Boniface VII. robbed the treasury of St. Peter, and fled.-John XVI, became an exile; during these disturbances the Church had frequently no head.-The Archbishop of Rheims took on him the care of the French

many promoted a reformation, to prevent these disorders. - Peter-pence was paid in England. The translation of Bishops was frequent.-Marriage forbidden on Sundays or in Lent,

Bells were consecrated.-The form of solemn canonization of a saint was introduced.

956. Popes changed their names; Octavian was the first who did so, to procure an election.

884. The posterity of Charlemagne being driven out of Italy, the pope, Hadrian III., ordained that the popes should for the future be consecrated without applying to the emperor; and in the election of the bishops and ab-church.-The pious bishops of Gerbots, the emperor was forbidden to interfere. Four popes of the ninth century led very bad lives.-Impiety, vice, and confusion reigned in Italy. Popes were excommunicated by their successors, their acts annulled, and even their administration of the sacraments declared to be void. Six popes were driven out by those who aspired to their places. Romanus X. did the same to Stephen VI. which Stephen had done to Formosus. Theodorus II. authorized all the acts of Formosus, and John X., who succeeded Theodorus, confirmed the acts of Formosus, and condemned the judgment | of Stephen VI. Two popes were put to death, Leo III. by Christophorus, who became pope, and was afterwards put to death himself. In this time it was affirmed and denied that a woman was elected pope. Father Paul says it is doubtful, but certainly as strange things did occur in this time.-The Greek church entirely separated from the see of Rome.

890. The observance of Lent in England, and many nunneries, were established. The Roman ritual used | in churches.-Churches and altars were consecrated, and burials in churches.

915. The pope still was elected by the clergy, senate, people, and soldiers. Theodora, a prostitute, gained the election for her public favourite, John X.-John XI. was pope at the age of twenty years.-The Pope of Rome prohibited other bishops, archbishops, or primates from using the title of Pope. The pope assumed that he had all power in heaven and in

1062. Pope Alexander sold several bishoprics in Germany and England.

1050. Gregory VII. succeeded in assuming the title of Pope, excluding all other bishops from using that title, though it originally only signified "father."-The cardinals began to wear red hats, and the election of popes was limited to them.-Bishops swore fealty to the pope.-Bishops were forbidden to condemn any one who appealed to the pope.-Gregory VII. cited Henry the emperor to appear before him, and he was excommunicated for not attending the summons.

The 23d proposition of the Dictatus Papa declares, that the pope becomes holy by the merits of St. Peter.-The pope engaged the emperor's eldest son to rebel against his father.-Pope Victor III, succeeded, by intrigues and rebellions, to force the emperor to resign to his son, who was crowned by the Archbishop of Mentz.-Pope Pascal II. declared that no layman should interfere in the collation of benefices, and that it would be unjust and heretical to give up the investiture of bishops and abbots to the emperor, and yet he shortly after did so himself.-The office of the Virgin Mary

was composed.-Self-flageilation was slave-holding, is it not more unjust in ordained meritorious.-Doing penance for others was invented. The feasts of the four seasons devised. Abstinence on Friday and Saturday decreed.-Mass for the living restricted to one each day, and a second mass was permitted for the dead. (To be continued.)

REMARKS ON SLAVERY.

MR. EDITOR.

SIR, I know not a periodical work which possesses so much independence as does the Imperial Magazine. I have often perused it with pleasure and profit: You have here some of my thoughts on a long-controverted subject, viz. West Indian slavery. That 50,000 Europeans have held, and do hold, in slavery 800,000 Africans, is not more astonishing than unjust! That these Africans should be considered, as British subjects, amenable to British law, is an assumption unparalleled in ancient or modern history. Were it known that one white British subject was held in slavery by any organized government, would not the British government demand the liberation of such subject, at the peril of such government?

European nations have constituted Africa " a forest of sport and profit." Gold dust and elephants' teeth have not been more the merchandise of Europeans, than the African human race!! Africa has been robbed of millions of its sons and daughters, to be made the subjects and slaves of Europeans! This is a monstrosity hardly to be credited! European governments must have shut their eyes to colonial injustice, or this traffic had ceased to exist long ere now! Spain, Portugal, and France have had the honour of commencing this merchandise of blood; England has followed the example; and as if to bring up her lee-way, she has been more deeply engaged in this traffic than even her predecessors.

the planters to possess themselves, and to keep possession of, their unoffending fellow-men? Robbery (except murder) is one of the greatest of crimes. Now, sir, I ask which would be the greater robbery of the two: to rob me of my property, or to rob me of myself? to seize and carry away my property, or to seize and carry away myself? If there are greater or less degress of turpitude in theft, to rob me of my wife or children must be a robbery of the greatest magnitude. Prostitution in a female wipes off all modesty and delicacy; so the long-continued prostitution of British justice has obliterated every feature of mercy or sympathy in West India planters to African negroes!

The Africans are charged by the planters with a long catalogue of vices: they are said to be lazy, igno rant, deceitful, revengeful, malicious, thievish, &c. &c. But, sir, are Europeans free from these vices? Are the nations who have enslaved them guiltless of these charges? If Europeans have set them the example of theft, in stealing them from Africa, is it matter of surprise or reprehension that such enslaved Africans should take the liberty of helping themselves to such things as their wants require?

In time of war, if a French ship fight and take an English ship, and place such English ship and crew under French sailors, if such English crew rise in opposition to such French crew, repossess such ship, and cast overboard or destroy such French crew, is it not considered as an act meritorious and praiseworthy? What right have European nations to interfere with Africa, with regard to these vices? Would England be justified in attempting to correct the volatility of the French, or the inactivity of the Spanish nation? To depopulate Africa by European nations, and to make slaves of Africans, merely because they exhibit the depravity of human nature,-is a remedy worse than Were this traffic uncommenced,- the disease! Were it a just charge were such a plan now to be proposed against the British nation, that it is to the British government,-I verily arrogant and overbearing, would we believe that the king, lords, and com- take correction kindly from France, mons of Great Britain would, as with Spain, or Russia? would we bow with one voice, spurn such a proposition. | submission to the rod? Sir, I will If it were considered as an act of in-aver, that, according to the civilized justice in European governments to state of European governments, there deprive the planters of the right of is not one justly held African slave in