philosophy, mechanics, and also upon Scripture and religion. The abbacy was offered to him, but he preferred teaching and forming the minds of youth; and he considered that such great and responsible duties might distract him from the more important work of teaching and forming the mind. His scholars were not few in number. In the great monasteries of St. Peter and St. Paul there were no less than 600 monks, and he must have had under his care a very large number of scholars. He had not merely one subject, but the whole curriculum of knowledge, such as was known in those days. What was the character of Bede? Happily his contemporaries have sketched it very clearly. He was never idle, but always at work. He was always either reading or writing, or teaching or praying. As a teacher, what a charm there must have been about his lessons. He had a certain sympathy, a feeling of affection which must have drawn his disciples wonderfully to him. He was quick to understand their difficulties, to sympathise in their struggles, to draw out their thoughts and feelings, and enjoy with them the labours of study and the acquisition of knowledge. He was, however, strict as a teacher, but his strictness was mingled with brightness and sweetness, which left the strictness trifling. He was pleasant in his manner to those who were devout and good students; but to those who were idle and bad he was terribly severe. Connected with Bede was also the whole development of the learning Anglo-Saxon time. He paid a visit to York to assist Archbishop Ecgberht in his work. From the school at York came afterwards Aldwin, the great teacher in France, the right hand of the Emperor Charlemagne in spreading knowledge and learning throughout France. One other touching incident of Bede's life was that which immediately preceded his death, as so beautifully given in a letter from Cuthbert, one of his disciples who was present, to a fellowpupil. Two weeks before Easter of 735, the old man was seized with an extreme weakness and loss of breath. He still preserved, however, his usual pleasantness and gay good humour, and, in spite of prolonged sleeplessness, continued his lectures to the people about him. "We never read without weeping," wrote the pupil. A few days before Ascensiontide his sickness grew upon him, but he spent the whole day in teaching, only saying cheerfully to his scholars, "Learn with what speed you may; I know not how long I may last.” The dawn broke on another sleepless night, and again the old man called his scholars around him, and bade them write. in his writings, was engaged in a variety of works connected the calendar, arithmetic, mathematics, geography, natural with the monastery. It might be sometimes planting wheat or threshing corn, or winnowing it, working in the bakehouse, attending to the cattle, sweeping the house, and a variety of those lowly employments occupied part of his time. But by-and-bye, seeing what his character and inclination were, he was ordained deacon, and at thirty the holy unction was laid upon him, and he was anointed priest. From that time he gave himself entirely up to literary and studious pursuits. He had a great taste for learning, a great love for study and teaching, and this being well known, as well as his love of research, his care of detail, his accuracy of mind, and his conscientiousness being thoroughly appreciated by his bishop, his abbot, and the monks, not only of Wearmouth and Jarrow, but by those who lived in the south in the monastery at Canterbury, an order was laid upon him by the abbot, seconded by the command of the King of Northumbria, that he should devote his time to the compiling or writing of a history of the Anglo-Saxon Church, an ecclesiastical history of England from the earliest times. This became the great and famous work of his life. He commenced it in 703, and he continued writing it for 28 years, and it was not finished until four years before his death. The materials for it were sought for not only by himself, but it was undertaken as a kind of national work, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the bishops throughout the country supplying to him all the materials which they possessed. The Pope himself, Gregory III. placed at his disposal a number of Papal documents, greatly assisting him. He tells us himself he never accepted any statement until it had been carefully examined, and, as far as possible, under the circumstances, he always desired corroboration. His work became the standard work of the whole of England. Alfred the Great translated it from Latin into the Anglo-Saxon tongue; and on Bede's death his fame was gathered round his history, and the demand for it was such, it was impossible to supply the required number of copies. The copyists in the monasteries were not able to meet the demands; the winters were so long and cold they could only work in the spring and summer quarters. This great ecclesiastical history is the only history of that period. Bede has been styled by ancient writers by the fathers of the Church, the Fathers of the Anglo-Saxon people, and by historians his praises have been spoken in words which are certainly under exaggeration, but which lift him to the very summit of the position which it was possible for a man in his day to occupy. Another characteristic of this work is, that in the Ecclesias-"There is still a chapter wanting," said the scribe, as the tical History of Bede you find every one of the doctrines to which we attach importance, which Catholics hold as part of the Catholic faith-that all these doctrines were either boldly taken for granted by Bede, so that he states them from time as being practised by himself, or they were taken singly and expounded and developed by him in a way that leaves no doubt that the faith of Bede was precisely the same that we at this present hour hold as the faith given by God to the world. It is a perfect testimony to the truth of the Catholic faith as we hold it. What is now held by us was held in Bede's time, and is written in the pages of his History. Bede's works are very numerous, and reach the number of 45, of which some 30 are still extant-works on grammar, history, poetry, rhetoric, memory, scientific works, &c., on morning drew on," and it is hard for thee to question thyself any longer." "It is easily done" said Bede; "take thy pen and write quickly." Amid tears and farewells the day wore on to eventide. "There is yet one sentence unwritten, dear master," said the boy. "Write it quickly," bade the dying man. "It is finished now" said the little scribe at last. "To speak the truth," said the master, "all is finished now." Placed upon the pavement, his head supported in his scholar's arms, his face turned to the spot where he was wont to pray, Bede chanted " Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost," and gave up the ghost. He died at the age of 62, and his life was spent in the work of teaching and for the good of souls. He loved nothing better than to teach. What lesson does he teach the students and teachers of this College? He was always industrious, and spent his whole from Jupiter, and the Ephesians, bowed down believing in life in imparting knowledge to others. What lesson does he teach in his writings to you who live in this world of business. Unless you live in vice, you ought to go to communion and receive the Body of our Lord every Sunday, and upon the Feasts of the Apostles. If you are living in sin you are not fit. If you are not living in sin you should attend to it. The first business of the active man of business is the salvation of his soul. His life was spent in influencing others with a bright joyful spirit, like sunlight on the minds and hearts of those who came in contact with him. The secret of that was, he had received from Heaven into his heart a ray of charity and heavenly joy, which was reflected upon the hearts of others. It was brought down by the habit he had acquired of perpetually thanking God at all times, which is a great lesson His last hours were bright. Let us then, wherever we are, whether engaged in business or otherwise, be able to say, with the Venerable Bede, "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost." for us. The Rev. R. BUTLER, M.A., Rector of St. Silas's, Ardwick, The Rev. R. BUTLER, M.A., Rector of St. Silas's, Ardwick, at St. Clement's, Greenheys, Sunday Evening, October 29th. Diana. But God put it into the heart of the great apostle Paul to go to Ephesus, where he laboured for three long years doing a great work for God, the Holy Spirit blessing the Gospel from His heart and lips. Congregations were formed, ministers set over them, and the mighty work was advanced. Oh! what a Gospel did Paul preach, showing the fall of man in Adam, the redemption of man in the Blood of Christ, the renewal of man by the work of the Holy Spirit; how man is justified by faith, and so justified, enjoys peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul roused up the people, not directly preaching against Diana, but indirectly, showing the truth as it is in Jesus, and the Word of God grew so that people who were possessed of what was called the Ephesian mysteries, books of conjuring, magic, and superstition, having learned better by the teaching and the power of the Gospel, brought their books and burnt them. That was a result of the blessing of Heaven on the ministry of Paul. Having got the congregation into good working order at the end of three years, he went on his missionary tour, because his presence was required elsewhere. But his heart loved not only the Christians in Ephesus, but the work of Jesus there, so after a period he came to a place called Miletus, not far from Ephesus, and when there he sent to the "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."- ministers of the Ephesian churches to come there to him, Rev. II., THE 4. What a that he might encourage them in their work of spreading the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They were HE letter of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus to the delighted to go to see their old pastor once more. Church at Ephesus is before us. Christ sent it by His loving splendid charge did he give to the Ephesians, suited apostle John, and John, faithful to the charge entrusted to for every bishop in England, nay, to every bishop throughout him, had the letter sent, of which copies were made and read the world. They were sorry to part with him, for they in the various churches of Ephesus, and in the neighbourhood, thought they would never see his face again. He loved and throughout the diocese which surrounded the once great them, and they loved him as a good minister of Jesus Christ. city. It is a most remarkable statement: "I have somewhat It is beautiful when that bond of love and affection exists. against thee "that is, the people, the Christian people of A few years afterwards he sent them a beautiful epistle, Ephesus" because thou hast left thy first love." Dear showing his love for the souls and the spiritual and eternal friends, in society here in England, where breaches of promise welfare of the people in the great district. He says, "Put are made, and bad treatment is experienced, and people leave on the armour of God," that is, put on the grace of God; their first love, the indignation felt is naturally very strong. have it outside and inside; have it in your breasts, then you Much more then should it be felt when Church and people go out as a soldier of Christ, clad in the whole armour of fall away from Christ, fall into sin and superstition, fall God. That letter or epistle was copied, and copies read, and away from the simplicity which is in Jesus, and from that the people of the various churches were delighted. Time which Christ is pleased to call "the first love." May God's went on, and God put it into the heart of Paul to make spirit show its blessing upon us, that I may be faithful to Timothy the first Bishop of Ephesus; and what a blessing you, and that you may see what we have to do with the was he, who in his childhood knew the Scriptures, like those charge from the text. Let us take a short review of God's dear children we are pleased to see in the church this love to Ephesus, and as we go along you will see distinctly evening. He was here, there, and everywhere. He loved the mighty efforts the Almighty made for that people once so Jesus, and the people loved him fondly and affectionately. great and so distinguished. There was great need of God's After this God's love was shown by Paul sending two letters love to be shown to Ephesus, the capital of Asia Minor, in to Timothy-pastoral letters for Timothy's own good, and her day, and called the "City of the Moon." The people for the good of the mighty diocese over which he was prewere steeped in superstition and idolatry, given up to the siding. Read those two letters, and see how the old man of worship of Diana, and their proud boast was, "great is Diana God encourages the young man of God. So God's love was of the Ephesians." The temple of Diana in Ephesus was one manifested; and lastly, here we have a letter that Jesus of the seven wonders of the world. Its architecture was Christ gave to John when he was in banishment in Patmos― magnificent, its marble columns and interior splendid, the banished because he was a faithful minister of Christ. Seven worship (so-called) was gorgeous, the ritual excessive, the letters were, as you know, given him, and here we have one priests and priestesses robed in most gorgeous vestments, the before us in which the charge is, "I have somewhat against incense filling the mighty fane of the great temple, and the thee, notwithstanding all the mighty efforts which had been music enchanting. The image was said to have come down made," still sin and infidelity, and superstition and ritualism came in, and the hearts of the people fell off from God and from Jesus-fell off from "the first love." The various revivals were only for a little while, and to-day Ephesus is only a poor miserable place in comparison with its former magnificence. The Mahometans are there, and a few Christians, but decidedly Mahomet has more disciples there than the Lord Jesus. The destruction of the most beautiful city occurred when the barbarian hosts swept over the Roman Empire, and the great people of the Ephesians were utterly swept away. Now, my brethren, is not this a warning to us in England? Great has been God's love to England, to your own native land— "First flower of the earth, first gem of the sea." In ancient times the Britons roamed the country, naked savages, with painted bodies, cruel to one another, and steeped in the superstitious faith of the Druids. God brought the Gospel to the shore of Albion. The torch of the Gospel was lighted, never, we trust, to be extinguished again, in this land. It was a Protestant torch. It was a Protestant Christianity. It was blessed by God in this land before ever Popery was heard of. Unfortunately as time went on the Romish power came into the country, though there were many who decidedly preferred and loved the Gospel of Jesus. The good King Alfred, one of the greatest Englishmen who ever lived, translated into the Saxon tongue the psalms of David. Copies of the translations were made, and the English people rejoiced to read in their native language those beautiful psalms, which put the birth of Christ the son of David in glorious and magnificent language and oriental splendour. In course of time John Wycliffe, "the morning star of the Reformation," arose "with healing in his wings." Though there was a danger of his losing his life through the influence of the Pope, he escaped, preached Jesus Christ, made copies of the Scriptures, had them circulated, and became one of the pioneers here of the mighty Reformation of the 16th century. John Wycliffe by the grace of God gave birth to the band of men, distinguished and glorious pioneers of our Protestant Reformation-I mean the Lollards, who believed in Jesus Christ and in the Scriptures, and lived up to their belief. Simple men they were, but honest, loyal unto death to the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of them were put to death, but many survived, and became the pioneers of the Reformation. Henry VIII. was a man whom many of us do not admire for his character, but God made use of him to carry out the Reformation in this country. He would not submit to the Pope of Rome. He said he would not have any man in England a greater man than himself, and he stood firm to his principle. God also put it into his heart to have a translation made of the good old English Bible, and a copy put into every parish church, and chained there, to prevent the Roman Catholics stealing it, so that the people might hear read the wonderful word of God. That was a good work, and a great light established in England. Henry VIII. was succeeded by Edward VI., a sweet prince full of the love of God and of Jesus. The Lord was pleased to take him away at an early age, and his last prayer was, "O God protect this realm of England from Popery." Then came the evil time of her that was called "Bloody Queen Mary," because the blood of the Protestants was shed at the stake. The only good thing connected with the reign of Mary was that it was a short one, and "Good Queen Bess" ascended the throne; and we had again liberty of the Bible, liberty of Protestantism, and the right of private judgment. It was during that reign that the Spanish Armada sailed to force Popery down the throats of the English people with the aid of thumb screws; but, blessed be God, that Armada was destroyed or dispersed, and Elizabeth went to St. Paul's, where she humbled herself and her crown before the King of Kings, who, she said, had alone gained the victory. She passed away, and James VI. of Scotland and I. of England ascended the throne, a decided Protestant. He gave England another copy of the Bible, that is the old copy you have been using from your youth. It was during his reign that the notorious Gunpowder Plot was discovered, and as next Sunday is the anniversary of it, may every Protestant Church in England resound with thanksgiving to God, who brought that conspiracy to light, and saved the Royal family and the estates of the country, and gave a glorious victory to our Scriptural Protestantism. In due course of time came James II., a Roman Catholic, who put seven good Protestant bishops into the tower, because they would not obey his Popish orders. God brought them out of the tower, and gave them the victory of a verdict of "Not Guilty." James had to fly from the country--the Revolution came on, and the Prince of Nassau, William of Orange, ascended the throne with the well-wishes of all liberty-loving men. He came with the flying motto, "The Protestant religion and the liberties of the people I will maintain." His memory is blessed, and is referred to as "The glorious, pious, and immortal memory of the good King William." How God has worked for England! Then came Queen Anne, a good Protestant; then the Georges, and among them George III., who wished a copy of the Bible could be found in every cottage in the kingdom. And now we have on the throne our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria. God Almighty bless and guide and protect her. Long may she reign. We know well that her heart throbs with the love of Protestantism. But a few years ago a statue to the memory of Luther was erected in Germany, and the Queen sent a telegram to the unveiling ceremony, "Protestant England sympathises with Protestant Germany." But is it not pos sible God may say to England to-night, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." The tant Churches. Men who are traitors and conspirators are "mass in masquerade " has been introduced into our Protesforcing in the Roman Catholic doctrines, going on with their antics and buffooneries, until God only knows where we shall land ourselves or where we shall be found. This land has been blessed by Him, and privilege after privilege given to it, and yet there is the scandal of the antics and buffooneries of absurdities, and young men and women falling into the mesh. these men, converting communion tables into altars and other May God grant that the torch of Protestantism will long continue to burn with undiminished steadiness. May the Protestant army of ministers and every heart amongst the laity bound in love to God and to His Son Jesus Christ be ready, if necessary, to fight the battle of Protestantism over again. As God had said to the Ephesians, He might say of a small "I have somewhat against thee, part of the English people, little children will grow up to maintain the Protestantism because thou hast left thy first love." I hope that all these of the Bible. The rev. gentleman then made a special appeal for the Sunday School. The Pulpit Record. MANCHESTER, NOVEMBER 4TH, 1882. THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER. "PLEASE SE to remember the Fifth of November." Certainly we ought not to forget our national anniversaries. It must, however, be a matter of satisfaction to all sensible people that the rowdyism with which the day was associated is now a thing of the past. Few, we fancy, in this year of Our Lord 1882, would think it conducive to the interests of Christianity in general, and that of Protestantism in particular, to commemorate the day, by parading grotesque representations of the Roman Catholic Bishops through the streets, yet this was done in London thirty-two years ago, and was looked upon with complacency by no inconsiderable section of the community. In many towns, particularly in the South and West of England, the Fifth of November was par excellence, the day sacred to the rough; the black mail levied by him during the day was spent in wild orgies, often ending in riot, at night. The students of Oxford commemorated" our two-fold deliverance from Popery" by an annual free-fight with the townspeople. Few, not even "the old subscriber" to The Rock, we think will regret that the day is no longer made offensive to a section of our fellow subjects. Yet forgotten it should not be, for threefold now are the associations that cling around it. November 5th, 1605. James Stuart had then already sat two years on the throne of England. That two of the three religious parties, which then divided the country, should be disappointed, was inevitable. The Puritans had good reasons for believing, that a prince brought up by the disciples of John Knox, would view Episcopacy with little favour. James, though scarcely possessed of all the wisdom attributed to him in the preface to our bible, was yet endowed with a considerable share of that shrewdness which marks his countrymen, and saw clearly that the firmest support to the throne would be a Hierarchy appointed by, and receiving its power from the throne. "No bishops, no king" was his reply to the divines who wished to prove to him the superiority of the Presbyterian to the Episcopalian form of Church Government. More bitterly disappointed were the Roman Catholics. Could they doubt that the son of Mary Queen of Scots would favour the faithful adherents to that religion, for which they believed his mother had died ? The Puritans, formed into a strong political organization, vented their disappointment by fierce attacks on the royal prerogative, which culminated in the temporary subversion of the throne and with it, of that church so hateful to them. The Roman Catholics on the other hand had ceased to be a political party. Stripped of almost all the rights of citizenship, they could only hope to regain all they had lost since the death of Mary, by revolution. Such was the state of the country when a small band of desperate men formed that diabolical plot, which has given a name to this day; that it was frustrated, certainly is now, and we believe was then, a matter of thankfulness to Protestants and Catholics alike. November 5th, 1688. James, the second of that name, now occupies the throne of his grandfather, James I. Three years has he reigned, and during that time he has endangered every interest dear to a liberty-loving nation. Now on this fifth day of November, a Dutch fleet is anchored at Tor Bay, and the Stadtholder is landing his cosmopolitan army. England is once more invaded, but invaded by her own desire, to free her from the tyranny of her own king. A few months, and James is an exile, living on the bounty of the French king, deserted by his courtiers, whose conversion had but lately given him so much delight, by his army, by his children, and last of all, and very reluctantly, by that church whose communion he had long forsaken, upon whose rights he had trampled, whose bishops he had imprisoned. Eighty years of constitutional struggle had taught the nation many valuable lessons- most marked is its advance in the art of revolution-it had cut off the head of the father, the son it simply turned out of the country. November 5th, 1854. The allied armies of England and France were encamped on the shores of the Euxine. Long before daybreak a Muscovite host, forty thousand strong, had poured out of the gates of Sebastopol. Silently, hidden by the dense fog, they advanced upon the English lines, and had almost surprised the outposts. For six hours our soldiers kept at bay five times that number of the enemy. Then came succour, and the Russian battallions, broken and dispirited, had once more to seek shelter behind the walls of Sebastopol. Thus was the battle of Inkerman lost and won THE Press Association learns that the Pope has entrusted Mr. Errington, M.P., with an autograph letter to Her Majesty the Queen. In this communication His Holiness simply thanks Her Majesty in cordial terms for the interest she has shown in the welfare of Catholics throughout her dominions, and for the religious freedom which they enjoy under her Government. Mr. Errington will, at a personal audience, present the letter to Her Majesty. The Pope has also forwarded presents to the Queen through Mr. Errington, who will return to Rome before Christmas. LECTURES. "AN HOUR WITH AMERICAN POETS' On Friday, the 27th ult., Colonel SHAW, the United States Consul, delivered under this title a most interesting lecture to the members of the Lower Mosley Street Sunday Schools Mutual Improvement Society. We are sorry that want of space obliges us to confine our report to a portion of it. A$ S a leading branch of Art, poetry has from the earliest ages held a high place in the hearts of men. Among civilized nations poetry is always an element of greatness; and even barbarous peoples have their rude poetic narratives. In the century of national life the United States have been the birthplace of many sons of song, who have won a lasting tablet on "Fame's eternal camping ground;" and of some of these I propose to offer selected examples for your entertainment this evening. Of Longfellow I need not speak at length, for he is nearly as well known and as widely read in England as he is among his own countrymen in America. His fame is widespread, and his poetry moves millions in all the great centres of this world. His poetry covers a wide range of subjects, and is full of pathos and power, and glows with the pure inspiration of a noble-hearted man. Longfellow delights in presenting pictures of life calculated to arouse courage and cultivate hope in all who study them. He is a powerful teacher of heroic and lofty sentiments of honor, benevolence, and truth; and he is a master in the art of persuasive reasoning. His work is always carefully rounded, and his matter never fails to interest and instruct. Criticism is comparative; but in the case of Longfellow I fancy that the best way is to compare him to himself! He needs no heralding, for his place is fixed in the bright constellation of poets of this century, and the rolling years will not soon utterly obliterate his name and works from the records of Time. If he is not the first poet of American literature, he is certainly the best known of all the honoured singers of our brief national existence; and for this reason I place him first on my list to-night. His original poems appeal strongly to our emotions in a large majority of cases, but, at the same time, the arts of mastery in all the subtle science of poetry have expression in his works. He is no novice in the noble art he loves so well; far from it. Strong as he is in his own creations, I think his translations are equally conspicuous for their finish and strength. His interpretations are masterpieces, as a rule, and furnish beautiful examples of how our language can adequately convey to us the best thoughts and creations of a foreign tongue. Moreover, the wide range of his translations testify to his finished scholarship and untiring perseverance. In this particular field he has won high honours, and all who are not familiar with a foreign language are indebted to him for many of the sweetest poems of the past, as we find them in his books. As an illustration in point, the translation of the Spanish poem, "Coplas de Maurique," is worthy of special notice. I am very fond of this pathetic poem, and hardly know where to commence or where to end my selections from it. Maurique, as all know, was a poet and a soldier, and died on the field of battle. This was his greatest work, and also his immortal monument : Our lives are rivers, gliding free, To that unfathomed, boundless sea, The silent grave! Thither all earthly pomp and boast Roll, to be swallowed up and lost In one dark wave. Thither the mighty torrents stray, Thither the brook pursues its way, And tinkling rill. There all are equal. Side by side The poor man and the son of pride Lie calm and still. This world is but the rugged road Which leads us to the bright abode Of peace above; So let us choose that narrow way, Which leads no traveller's foot astray From realms above. Our cradle is the starting-place, Did we but use it as we ought, This world would school each wandering thought To its high state. Faith wings the soul beyond the sky, Yes, the glad messenger of love, Behold of what delusive worth Amid a world of treachery They vanish ere death shuts the eye, And leave no trace. The following stanzas were found in the poet's pocket after his death on the field of battle : O world! so few the years we live, Alas! thy sorrows fall so fast, |