Is this a needful improvement? is it an improvement, Mr. Editor, or it is quite gratuitous? Again, in the 118th Psalm

"This day is God's, let all the land

Exalt their cheerful voice”

is rendered in the second line.

"Exalt a cheerful voice."

This, I should say, is exanimation. Again, the 148th Psalm, old version, (the editor styles it the first version,) third line, for "His praise your songs employ;" In praise, &c. Once more, the 149th Psalm is so altered, yet with considerable adoptions of the old words, that at church, on Sunday last, I was truly pained at being obliged, for decency's sake, to follow the altered words of this selection, which has just been adopted; and still more so to find some of the congregation, perhaps there were many, the first words being the same in both books, endeavour to join with their Prayer-books in their hands, but either compelled to shut their books, or obviously using words quite different from those sung by the children and by others about them. In short, Sir, the alterations in this work are endless, (not omitting even new compositions,) and, I must say, often such as one cannot conceive a motive for, and consequently, as I think, attended with no improvement: and this is a charge to which selections generally are open.

I know it is stated by a gentleman who published a selection a few years since, and whose judgment is entitled to great respect, “ that it has been long and generally acknowledged that, to a Christian congregation, something is yet wanting in this department of public worship, which, in addition to the holy effusions of the Old Testament, may convey that clearer view of God's dispensations, those astonishing hopes, and consoling promises, which are supplied by the inspired penmen of the New." And "these truths," it is urged, " may surely form, in a Christian congregation, as fit subjects for devotional melodies, as the events of Jewish history, and the precepts of the Mosaic law, suggested to the holy Psalmist."

Whatever force these considerations might have at the time of a revision of this portion of our service, I cannot but think that one consideration is omitted, which is of much more consequence than those just cited. I cannot but think, Sir, that it is of infinitely greater advantage, to have one tolerably good, uniform, and authorized version of singing psalms, and that attached to the Book of Common Prayer, as has hitherto been the case, than to have any emendations at the sacrifice of uniformity and authority, and of I know not what besides; and I unhesitatingly venture to assert that, in this feeling, I should be borne out, beyond all comparison of numbers, on the part both of the clergy and of their flocks.

However, Sir, that I may not seem to overlook the views which have prompted these gentlemen-anxious, I am quite sure, to do service to the church-in the course they have pursured; let me have leave to call their attention to a selection published by Burslem, Blackfriar's-road, 1820, and entitled, "A Course of Psalms, selected

from the New Version, for the Services of the United Church of England and Ireland; applicable to the Proper Lessons, Epistles, and Gospels; to which is added, a Table of References to Psalms, for charitable and other occasions, by the Rev. J. T. Barrett, M. A." Second edition.

This selection, which is used at Christ Church, Surrey, and also at St. John's, I submit, accomplishes all that the clergy, as individuals, ought either to attempt or to wish for. It is appropriate, I believe; it is in the words of the last and generally adopted authorized version; it is not altered in phraseology, excepting, I think, one verse, and wherever it is used, the ordinal numbers of the verses being given out by the clerk, as well as the page of the book, the congregation are in possession of it with their Prayer-books only, and are therefore not excluded from joining in the singing. But if at last the clergy generally, or any large portion of them, cannot be prevailed upon to be content with the Psalms of David, and the limited selection of hymns already sanctioned by prescription, or by long-established custom, do let me urge on them, for the sake of propriety and general convenience, to endeavour to bring about a revision of this part of our service; not, Mr. Editor, that I wish for any such thing, but that we may again have something set forth by authority which may be generally adopted, and that we may once more witness that decent and edifying uniformity by which hitherto this portion as well as the rest of our service, has been distinguished.

Before I conclude, Mr. Editor, may I ask what necessity there is, with so much other matter in our hands, to take away the sentences before the exhortation, or at least some of them, set them to music, and put them into the mouths of the congregation, when the rubric has enjoined the use of them to the minister? Is this doing things decently and in order? If one rubric may be departed from, why not another? if by the clergy, why not by the laity?

I am, Mr. Editor, yours very faithfully,
A LAY SUBSCRIBER.

Hatton Garden, June 3rd, 1836. P.S. I confess that on the subject of singing before, or rather, as it is said, at the beginning of the service, I agree with your correspondent at page 639 in your number for the month.

VAN MILDERT AND WATERLAND.

MY DEAR SIR,-You allowed a page in your Magazine, February, 1835, vol. vii. p. 165, for a "testimony to Waterland." Permit me now to say a word respecting his editor-his Oxford editor, to the honour of that University which has now so nobly stood forth to preserve her younger members in the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. A similar fate attended the editor to that which I noticed of the writer. Van Mildert, like Waterland, fell under the lash of the most eminent (? ED.) poet of his day; and both of these poets were "communicants with the see of Rome," to adopt the words of a brother

Roman catholic, the late learned Charles Butler. The Twickenham bard in all points redivivus, (and this will sufficiently designate him, without naming Thomas Moore, Esq., of the Emerald Isle,) in his much-admired "Jerome's Visit to Earth," speaks of—

"That pious soul, Van Mildert,

Much with his money-bags bewildered."

Now, I would notice to your readers, that accounts have been given of the bishop, since his death, which prove him to have trodden in the steps of his predecessor Barrington, and not to have been such a hoarder of wealth. I would refer to one first published in the "Durham Advertiser;" to what you yourself gave, March, 1836, vol. ix. p. 333; to a third memoir in the "Gentleman's Magazine;" and, above all, to the recent debate in that proscribed assembly the House of Lords ;-and I would then ask what induced the poet thus to stigmatize the man? Much of the money, it is true, was bestowed in support of a faith that rests on the Bible only; and, of course, in opposition to her whose essential character consists in insisting that nothing shall be taken as declaring the will of God but what she herself propounds, and that what she does propound shall be taken only as she herself explains; so that, as Dr. Samuel Clarke, with his usual acumen, expressed it, her communicants "must never use their own understandings; that is, must have no religion of their own.—(Introd. Scrip. Doct., end.) We may easily, therefore, understand that Van Mildert, like the man whose works he edited, "may be convinced, by this time, that the kingdom of heaven is not for such." Still the fact stands, that the pious soul was not bewildered with his money bags. I would venture, then, to ask the poet whether he can assign any other ground for such a representation, but that it would serve to assist an Irish gentleman's travels in search of a religion?

Yours, FRANCIS HUYSHE.

CHEAP MODE OF BUILDING.-PISE.

MY DEAR SIR,-One of our great present evils is the expense of building and restoring churches. A more solid and durable mode of building than brickwork may be used, one susceptible of any ornament, and costing about one-fourth as much. It is described by Pliny, I am told, precisely; and has descended from the Romans to the French, about Lyons, (I have seen it, too, in Dauphiny,) and to the Spaniards, in Andalusia. The Moors' tower at Gibraltar, so built by them, alone sustained unhurt the two or three years' bombardment and a great part of the Alhambra, finished in 1346, and neglected utterly since 1492, but still splendid, is built in it. When built according to rule, it is, humanly speaking, indestructible. built in it farm buildings, about twenty-eight years ago, which have answered admirably. The French call it Pisé. It is virgin earth, rammed as hard as possible in a frame, with a total exclusion of water, and vegetable and animal substances. In a week it hardens to a sort of most tenacious and unbreakable stone, excluding heat and cold. 1

I

wrote lately a short treatise upon it from memory, which is in London; but, when I had done, I discovered Cointeranx's classical work on it, translated by Mr. Henry Holland, in the Appendix to the first volume of the "Transactions of the Board of Agriculture," where is a scientific description, with plates, and ample instructions for building

in it.

This matter has been before the English world for very many years, and will, I conclude, be so, just as unprofitably, as many more. But why will no friend of the church look to and examine the facts? If we will not, nothing can be done. If we consult established architects, &c., we shall always be turned from it: their interest and pride decide their hostility to something new and cheap. But it would not cost a hundred pounds to send some clever young architect, whose fortune is to make, to examine the buildings about Lyons, and the process of building. My building was from book, and answered completely.

If you have leisure, pray think of this, or desire some unprejudiced person so to do. This building, remember, is no new fancy; it descends from the Romans, and has been maintained in extensive districts in two of their provinces ever since.

I am always, my dear sir, very faithfully yours, G. H. Ross.

REVERENCE OF EXPRESSION.

MR. EDITOR, I often feel it a misfortune to be what other people consider squeamish about small matters; nevertheless, there are perpetual occasions on which I cannot help being grieved at things and signs that seem to pass in general without the slightest observation.

E. g. In an advertisement of the Rev. Henry Blunt's Lectures, the other day, immediately below the respectable name of Messrs. Hatchard, as publishers, was this notice subjoined: "Of whom new editions of the former Lectures, may be had-viz., JACOB, PETER, ABRAHAM, and PAUL." Now, I can readily understand the technical convenience to booksellers of a short title, as Blunt's "Peter," or Blunt's "Paul," and if a person be disposed to argue the point, I shall prefer admitting at once, that both St. Peter and St. Paul were men of like passions with ourselves, or with the patriarchs Abraham and Jacob. But is this republican sort of nakedness of speech reverent? or does it not savour of the Socinian tone, to be thus careless, or jealous, or sparing, of the prefix to the names of holy men of old! Does the quality of our religion seem, in deed and truth, to improve in proportion as we thus treat" the glorious company of the apostles" with more nonchalance of speech and manner?

I will not trespass on your valuable space by following up so slender a theme; but, if you do not think it too trifling to be worth notice, please to submit these queries to the readers of the British Magazine, I am, sir, yours respectfully, PRISCUS.

VOL. X.-July, 1836.

H

PRIMITIVE CHURCH.

SIR,-The following passages are calculated to shew that submission to the Primitive Church was the rule of the Church of England in carrying on her work of deliverance from the tyranny and corruptions of Rome :

Extracts from a Letter of Mr. Philpot, (the Marian martyr,) to a friend of kis, prisoner the same time in Newgate.

After recounting to him a dream, real or imaginary, he proceeds :

....

"I interpret this beautiful city to be the glorious church of Christ, and the appearance of it in the sky signifieth the heavenly state thereof, whose conversation is in heaven; and that, according to the primitive church, which is now in heaven, men ought to measure and judge the church of Christ now on earth. . I construe it, by the will of God, this vision to have come upon me musing on your letter, to the end that under this figure I might have occasion to move you, with many others, to behold the primitive church in all your opinions concerning faith, and to conform yourself in all points to the same, which is the pillar and establishment of truth, and teacheth the true use of the sacraments; and, having with a greater fulness than we have now the first fruits of the Holy Ghost, did declare the true interpretation of the Scriptures according to all verity, even as our Saviour promises to send them another Comforter, who should teach them all truth.

"And since all truth was taught and revealed to the primitive church, which is our mother, let us all that be obedient children of God submit ourselves to the judgment of the church for the better understanding of the articles of our faith and of the doubtful sentences of the Scripture. Let us not go about to shew in us, by following any man's private interpretation of the word, another spirit than they of the primitive church had, lest we deceive ourselves; for there is but one faith, and one spirit, which is not contrary to Himself, neither otherwise teacheth us more than he did them. Therefore, let us believe as they have taught us of the Scriptures, and be at peace with them according as the true catholic church is at this day. And the God of peace assuredly will be with us, and deliver us out of all our worldly troubles and miseries, and make us partakers of their joys and bliss, through our obedience to faith with them.

"Therefore God commandeth us, in Job, to ask of the elder generation, and to 'search diligently the memory of the fathers; for we are but yesterday's children, and be ignorant, and our days are like a shadow; and they shall teach thee (saith the Lord) and speak to thee, and shall utter words from their hearts.' And by Solomon we are commanded not to reject the direction of our mother. The Lord grant you to direct your steps in all things after her, and to abhor contention with her.' For, as St. Paul writeth, if any man be contentious, neither we, neither the church of God, hath any such custom . . . .'

"For as much as I understand that you will be no contentious man, neither in this matter nor in any other, contrary to the judgment of Christ's primitive church, which is the body and fulness of Christ; I desire you in the entire love of him, or rather Christ desireth you by me, (that your joy may be perfect whereunto ye are now called,) to submit your judgment to that church, and to be at peace and unity with the same; that the coat of Christ, which ought to be without seam, but now, alas! most miserably is torn in pieces by many dangerous sects and damnable opinions, may appear by you in no part to have been rent; neither that any giddy head in these dog days might take an example by you to dissent from Christian church. I beseech thee, dear brethren, in the gospel, follow the steps of the faith of the glorious martyrs in the primitive church; and of such as at this day follow the same, decline from them neither to the right hand nor to the left. Then shall death, be it never so bitter, be more sweet than this life then shall Christ, with all the heavenly Hierusalem, triumphantly embrace your spirit with unspeakable gladness and exaltation, who in this life was content to join your spirit with their spirit, ac'cording as it is commanded by the word, that the spirit of prophets should be subject to the prophets. One thing ask with David, ere you depart, and regain the same, that you may dwell with full accord in his house, for there is glory and worship;