gether ascribed to God the Holy Spirit, exclusively of all the human agency of the prayers of the parents or sponsors, as Mr. Gorham avers; the priest sows the seed of God's word by the words of institution, and uses the sanctified water to the mystical washing away of sin; but God only gives the increase.

MR. GORHAM has obtained an unenviable notoriety; and perhaps he has had his reward;" but if he be sincere in holding his heretical opinions, he cannot with consistency use the baptismal service and "yield hearty thanks" for the gift of that grace which he does not believe has been bestowed. Happy is it for his parishioners that the church of England rejects and protests against the popish and impious doctrine of intention; under which the papal church maintains that unless the priest intends in his mind to baptise, that no baptism nor any of their other sacraments are administered; a doctrine which makes the salvation of the people depend altogether on the temper and disposition of the minister; and it leaves their people in a state of doubt and uncertainty. His opinion about prevenient grace is akin to the Popish doctrine of intention; and it leaves, the parents still in doubt whether or not their child has been regenerate and his sins washed away, even although they have been called on to thank God for these ines timable benefits. But whether or not he and those of his mind have adopted that blasphemous Roman heresy, by the mercy of God his opinions either of intention or of prevenient grace will not obstruct the grace of regeneration when that sacrament is administered. For the twenty-sixth article faithfully asserts; "neither is the effect of God's ordinance taken away by their [the clergy's] wickedness, nor the grace of God's gifts diminished from such as, by faith and rightly, do receive the sacraments ministered unto them, which be effectual, because of Christ's institution and promise, although they be ministered by evil men."

WE THEREFORE again earnestly entreat our readers not to

allow themselves to be misled, to the danger of their salvation, by this new heresy of prevenient grace; but to believe faithfully that which Christ declared to Nicodemus, and which the Church has ever since taught, that the Holy Spirit regenerates or re-creates us in the water of baptism as if by an instrument. When Nicodemus was permitted to ask his absurd question, it was for our learning, and that his divine teacher might farther explain the mystery; for it was not a new doctrine to him. "Baptism [of proselytes] among the Jews was so completely a new birth or a regeneration, that the proselyte upon whom that rite was performed rose out of the water quite a different man from what he was when he descended into it as to all the relations of life, whether religious, domestic, or political. He ceased to be the son of the father whom he formerly acknowledged. He could not succeed to property in his former character and relationship. He might have married his sister or his mother according to the flesh. In a word he had died to all his original circumstances and being. He was buried in baptism, and rose from the grave of water to newness of life. The numerous references in the apostolical writings to these well-known facts can neither be overlooked nor mistaken; and it is only by bearing in mind the original application of the phrases regeneration, begotten again, and born again, that we can understand their proper meaning when used in our Christian ritual." A proselyte to the Jewish religion was always baptized; and they were then said to be spiritually regenerated and born again; and they were thus admitted to new and spiritual privileges of which they were not before possessed. In like manner, our Lord explained to Nicodemus that the regeneration of baptism into the Christian church, bestowed those new privileges which are derived from the Holy Ghost, the Christian Comforter.

THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA.

THYATIRA is the church next mentioned in the Apocalypse; and that city is now called by the Turks Ak-hissar, or the White Castle. It lies about twenty-five miles to the northward of Sardis; in its present state it is inferior to Pergamos and Smyrna; but it is much superior to the remains of the other five apocalyptic cities, being still a considerable place with good shops of every description. The appearance of the tower on approaching it, is that of a very long line of cypresses, poplars, and other trees; over the tops of which appear the lofty summit of the minarets of several Turkish mosques; and occasionally the tops of some of the highest houses, on the right; whilst on the left, there is a view of a line of distant hills.

THERE IS a great disproportion betwixt the numbers of the Mahometan and Christian population; the latter have only two churches, one of which is Armenian and the other Greek, whilst the former have nine mosques. The Greek Church was visited by Mr. Arundell, who says, "it was a wretchedly poor place, and so much under the level of the churchyard, as to require five steps to descend to it. The priest told us that the bishop of Ephesus is the patriarch of Thyatira. We intended to give him a Testament, but he seemed so insensible of its worth, that we reserved it." But although Thyatira be in tolerable con dition with respect to size and population; yet its sacred edifices have fallen into a greater state of decay, than those which we have already noticed.

ANOTHER traveller, the Rev. T. Hartley, says, "I have now the favour to write in the sixth of the Seven Churches. The modern Thyatira is situated on a plain, and is embosomed in cypresses and poplars. The buildings are in general mean; but the Khan in which we are at present residing, is by far, the best which I have yet seen. The Greeks are said to oc

cupy three hundred houses, and the Armenians thirty. Each of them has a church. Here we witnessed a fine Turkish spectacle. The new Mootzellim of Aidin arrived from Constantinople with a retinue of two hundred horse. They were all extremely well dressed and mounted; their turbans were white as snow; and the renowned scimitar of Turkey hung gracefully behind them. I was much struck with the lordly air they displayed.

"THE WRITER of the Acts of the Apostles informs us, that Lydia was a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira ;' and the discovery of an inscription here, which makes mention of 'the Dyers,' has been considered important as connected with this passage. I know not if other travellers have remarked that even at the present time Thyatira is famous for dying. In answer to inquiries on this subject, I was informed that the cloths which are dyed scarlet here, are considered superior to

any

others furnished by Asia Minor; and that quantities are sent weekly to Smyrna, for the purpose of cominerce.

A

second time I crossed the field of battle which was fatal to Antiochus. A very different army is now ravaging the whole territory. I allude to the locusts; and I am perfectly astonished at their multitudes; they are indeed as a strong people set in battle array; they run like mighty men; they climb the walls like men of war. I actually saw them run to and fro in the city of Thyatira: they ran upon the wall; they climbed up upon the houses; they entered in at the windows like a thief.' Joel ii. 5, 7. 9. This is, however, by no means one of the most formidable armies of locusts which are known in these countries."

THE VEGETATION round Thyatira is very beautiful; the neighbourhood has a fertile appearance; and the air is scented with a most delightful perfume from the white rose, which grows here in great abundance. Dr. Smith, chaplain to the embassy to Constantinople in 1671, says that in his time "very

few of the ancient buildings remain here; one we saw, whic seems to have been a market-place, having six pillars, sun very low in the ground, and about only four spans left above We could not find any ruins of churches; and enquiring the Turks about it, they told us there were several great buil ings of stone under ground, which we were very apt to believ from what we had observed in other places, where, digging somewhat deep, they met with strong foundations, that withou all question have formerly supported great buildings."

IN THE days of heathenism, Thyatira as well as Ephesu was much devoted to the worship of the goddess Diana; an its inhabitants are now chiefly maintained by their trade wit Smyrna in cotton wool; as well as in their superiority in the dyin of scarlet. Sir Paul Rycaut says of this city" It is this trad with the chrystaline waters, cool and sweet to the taste, an light on the stomach, the wholesome air, the rich and beautif country around, which cause this city so to flourish in our days and to be more happy than her other desolate and comfortles sisters." It is many years since the above description wa given of Thyatira; but the decline and misery which every where follows Turkish misrule and oppression, has reduced i to nearly a level with the other cities which were the objects of divine vengeance. It is not now so populous; and a considerable portion of its trade in cotton wool has been removed to Kirkagatch and to other places nearer to Smyrna.

:

AT THE TIME when the CHIEF BISHOP sent his charge to the Angel or Bishop of Thyatira, we have His infallible assurance that He recognised and acknowledged the good works and charity the service and faith and patience of that church; nevertheless the bishop of that city was guilty of suffering that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce the servants of God to commit spiritual fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. This is exactly the sin of the Church of England at this present moment; but may