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rends asunder, but is silent when she brings forth; so it is the abuse of divine power which is more narrated in history; while none know its blessed influences, except only the sufferer who is refreshed, and the angel who numbers his dried tears. And who is there that has ever sat by, as a curious spectator, at that exhibition which of all others is the greatest in the kingdom of God, when the heart falls into rebellion against itself, and flaming desire, and smouldering rancour, amid infinite contests, are extinguished by the tears of a humility which lies low before God!" Whenever, therefore, "a glimpse is afforded of lowlier and of more common life, it is perhaps best fulfilling its office of presenting a lively picture of the times, if it allows itself occasionally some more minute detail, and illustrates the manner in which the leading events of particular periods affected individuals not in the highest station."

"Of all the histories of martyrdom, none is so unexaggerated in its tone and language, so entirely unencumbered with miracle; none abounds in such exquisite touches of nature, or on the whole, from its minuteness and circumstantiality, breathes such an air of truth and reality, as that of Perpetua and Felicitas, two African females. Their death is ascribed to the year of the accession of Geta (A. D. 202), the son of Severus. Though there was no general persecution at that period, yet, as the Christians held their lives at all times liable to the outburst of popular resentment or the caprice of an arbitrary proconsul, there is much probability that a time of general rejoicing might be that in which the Christians, who were always accused of a disloyal reluctance to mingle in the popular festivities, and who kept aloof from the public sacrifices on such anniversaries, would be most exposed to persecution. The youthful Catechumens, Revocatus and Felicitas, Saturninus and Secundulus were apprehended, and with them Vivia Perpetua, a woman of good family, liberal education, and honourably married. Perpetua was about twenty-two years old; her father and mother were living; she had two brothers-one of them, like herself, a Catechumen-and an infant at her breast. The history of the martyrdom is related by Perpetua herself, and is said to have been written by her own hand :When we were in the hands of the persecutors, my father, in his tender affection, persevered in his endeavours to pervert me from the faith. "My father, this vessel, be it a pitcher or any thing else, can we call it by any other name?" " Certainly not," he replied. Nor can I call myself by any name but that of Christian." My father looked as if he could have plucked my eyes out; but he only harassed me and departed. Then after being a few days without seeing my father, I was enabled to give thanks to God, and his absence was tempered to my spirit. After a few days we were baptized, and the waters of baptism seemed to give power of endurance to my body. Again a few days, and we were cast into prison. I was terrified; for I had never before seen such total darkness. O miserable day! from the dreadful heat of the prisoners crowded together, and the

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insults of the soldiers. But I was wrung with solicitude for my infant. Two of our deacons, however, by the payment of money, obtained our removal for some hours in the day to a more open part of the prison. Each of the captives then pursued his usual occupation; but I sat, and suckled my infant, who was wasting away with hunger. In my anxiety, I addressed and consoled my mother, and commended my child to my brother; and I began to pine away at seeing them pine away on my account. And for many days I suffered this anxiety, and accustomed my child to remain in the prison with me; and I immediately recovered my strength, and was relieved from my toil and trouble for my infant, and the prison became to me like a palace; and I was happier there than I should have been any where else.

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'My brother then said to me, Perpetua, you are exalted to such dignity, that you may pray for a vision, and it shall be shown to you whether our doom is martyrdom or release.' This is the language of Montanism; but the vision is exactly that which might haunt the slumbers of the Christian in a high state of religious enthusiasm; it showed merely the familiar images of the faith, arranging themselves in form. She saw a lofty ladder of gold, ascending to heaven; around it were swords, lances, hooks; and a great dragon lay at its foot, to seize those who would ascend. Saturus, a distinguished Christian, went up first; beckoned her to follow; and controlled the dragon by the name of Jesus Christ. She ascended and found herself in a spacious garden, in which sate a man with white hair, in the garb of a shepherd, milking his sheep, with many myriads around him. He welcomed her, and gave her a morsel of cheese; and I received it with folded hands, and ate it, and all the saints around exclaimed, “amen." I awoke at the sound, with the sweet taste in my mouth, and I related it to my brother: and we knew that our martyrdom was at hand, and we began to have no hope in this world.'

After a few days there was a rumour that we were to be heard. And my father came from the city, wasted away with anxiety to pervert me; and he said, "Have compassion, O my daughter! on my grey hairs; have compassion on thy father, if he is worthy of the name of father. If I have thus brought thee up to the flower of thine age; if I have preferred thee to all thy brothers; do not expose me to this disgrace. Look on thy brother; look on thy mother and thy aunt; look on thy child who cannot live without thee. Do not destroy us all." Thus spake my father, kissing my hands in his fondness, and throwing himself at my feet; and in his tears, he called me not his daughter, but his mistress (domina). And I was grieved for the grey hairs of my father, because he alone, of all our family, did not rejoice in my martyrdom and I consoled him, saying, "In this trial, what God wills, will take place. Know that we are not in our own power, but in that of God!" And he went away sorrowing.

'Another day, while we were at dinner, we were carried off to trial; and we came to the town. rapidly, and an immense multitude was assembled. the bar; the rest were interrogated, and made their

suddenly seized and The report spread We were placed at confession. And it

came to my turn; and my father instantly appeared with my child, and he drew me down the step, and said in a beseeching tone, "Have compassion on your infant,"—and Hilarianus, the procurator, who exercised the power of life and death for the proconsul Trinianus, who had died, said, Spare the grey hairs of your parent; spare your infant; offer sacrifice for the welfare of the Emperor." And I answered, "I will not sacrifice." "Art thou a Christian?" said Hilarianus; I answered; "I am a Christian." And while my father stood there to persuade me, Hilarianus ordered him to be thrust down and beaten with rods. And the misfortune of my father grieved me; and I was as much grieved for his old age as if I had been scourged myself. He then passed sentence on us all, and condemned us to the wild beasts; and we went back in cheerfulness to the prison. And because I was accustomed to suckle my infant, and to keep it with me in the prison, I sent Pomponius the deacon to seek it from my father. But my father would not send it; but, by the will of God, the child no longer desired the breast, and I suffered no uneasiness; lest at such a time I should be afflicted by the sufferings of my child, or by pains in my breast.'

"The narrative then proceeds to another instance of the triumph of faith over the strongest of human feelings, the love of a young mother for her offspring. Felicitas was in the eighth month of her pregnancy. She feared, and her friends shared in her apprehension, that on that account, her martyrdom might be delayed. They prayed together, and her travail came on. In her agony at that most painful period of delivery, she gave way to her sufferings. How then,' said one of the servants of the prison, if you cannot endure these pains, will you endure exposure to the wild beasts?' She replied, I bear now my own sufferings; then, there will be one within me who will bear my sufferings for me, because I shall suffer for his sake.' She brought forth a girl, of whom a Christian sister took the charge.

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Perpetua maintained her calmness to the end. While they were treated with severity by a tribune, who feared lest they should be delivered from the prison by enchantment, Perpetua remonstrated with a kind of mournful pleasantry, and said that, if ill-used, they would do no credit to the birth-day of Cæsar: the victims ought to be fattened for the sacrifice. But their language and demeanour was not always so calm and gentle; the words of some became those of defiance—almost of insult; and this is related with as much admiration as the more tranquil sublimity of the former incidents. To the people who gazed on them, in their importunate curiosity, at their agape, they said, 'Is not to-morrow's spectacle enough to satiate your hate? To-day you look on us with friendly faces, to-morrow you will be our deadly enemies. Mark well our countenances, that you may know them again on the day of judgment!' And to Hilarianus, on his tribunal, they said, Thou judgest us, but God will judge thee.' At this language the exasperated people demanded that they should be scourged. When taken out to execution, they declined, and were permitted to decline, the profane dress in which they were to be clad; the men, that of the priests of Saturn; the women, that of the priestesses of Ceres. They came for

ward in their simple attire, Perpetua singing psalms. The men were exposed to leopards and bears; the women were hung up naked in nets, to be gored by a furious cow. But even the excited populace shrunk with horror at the spectacle of two young and delicate women, one recently recovered from childbirth, in this state. They were recalled by acclamation, and in mercy brought forward again, clad in loose robes. Perpetua was tossed, her garment was rent; but more conscious of her wounded modesty than of pain, she drew the robe over the part of her person that was exposed. She then calmly clasped up her hair, because it did not become a martyr to suffer with dishevelled locks, the signs of sorrow. She then raised up her fainting and mortally wounded Felicitas, and the cruelty of the populace being for a time appeased, they were permitted to retire. Perpetua seemed wrapt in ecstacy, and as if awaking from sleep, inquired when she was to be exposed to the beast. She could scarcely be made to believe what had taken place; her last words tenderly admonished her brother to be stedfast in the faith. We may close the scene by intimating, that all were speedily released from their sufferings, and entered into their glory. Perpetua guided with her own hand the merciful sword of the gladiator which relieved her from her agony."-(Vol. ii. p. 225.)

We once thought it might be interesting if we selected from these volumes the most important of Mr. Milman's concessions to a liberal and rational Theology. But we abstain from what might appear an ungracious and illiberal work,—and which, if pursued in reference to all writers, trammelled by their external position, would only have the effect of keeping them within their narrowest lines, and of repressing at once the free workings and expression of their thoughts. Once more we recommend our readers to accompany Mr. Milman over the first three centuries of the developments of Christianity,-the history of its conflicts with Judaism, Paganism, Orientalism,—of its final triumph, but not without wounds, and disfigurations, that remain to this day,-of its conquest over rudeness and polytheism, not always without sinking down both in spirit and external form to some assimilation with these its foes,-of its influences on Civilization, on Literature, on Art, on the softer, purer, and more catholic virtues of Humanity. All excuse for ignorance of the History of our Religion is now, for the first time in Britain, removed from the most indolent, or the most fastidious.

ART. II.-ON THE COLLEGES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE.

THE clergy of the Church of England form, at the present day, a large and powerful corporation, in which the external appearance of uniformity is attempted to be preserved both before and after ordination.

When testimonials for orders are presented to the bishop of the diocese in which the curacy conferring the title to ordination is situated, the three clergymen who sign the testimonials are required to testify, that as far as they know or believe, the candidate, whom they recommend, has not at any time, held, written, or taught anything contrary to the doctrine or discipline of the United Church of England and Ireland.

At the same time, testimonials are required from the college in which the candidate has been educated, and few candidates are allowed to be ordained at the present day, by any bishop, unless they have actually taken the degree of Bachelor of Arts, in the university to which they belong: this degree is in fact, at Cambridge, merely a proof of the possession of a certain amount of literary and scientific knowledge, but by the ingenuity of the interested parties, an ecclesiastical test has been imposed as a part of the ceremony of graduation, and the candidates for the degree of Bachelors of Arts are required to subscribe themselves " bond fide" members of the Church of England, as by law established, before they are allowed to take this secular degree.

Previous to ordination, the candidate for orders is further required to sign the following declaration in the presence of the bishop :

"I, A. B., do willingly, and from my heart, subscribe to the thirtynine articles of religion of the United Church of England and Ireland, and to the three articles in the thirty-sixth canon; and to all things therein contained."

From a comparison of these two tests for the degree of Bachelor of Arts at Cambridge, and for the more important distinction of ordination, it is manifest that to the divinity student, who intends to subscribe all the thirty-nine articles, and the three articles of the thirty-sixth canon of the Church of England, the declaration of membership with the Church of England must be a mere form, and that there cannot be much practical use in the continuance of such a form for the degree,

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