from heretics within, and from learned disbelievers, such as Celsus and Porphyry, from without; after fulminating anathema and excommunication against each other, according as the Gnostic, the Arian, or any of the many schisms attracted attention and gained proselytes for the time; after many councils assembled to decide everything, which yet decided nothing, the church obtained position, wealth, and honours under the favour of the semi-pagan, semi-christian Constantine. From this

establishment upon imperial basis, and under imperial support and patronage, the Church continued to increase her power, to extend her dominion, and to make constant acquisition to the number of her temporalities. Her influence was soon manifest, and her rule felt in all the departments of government, and all the varieties of social life. With outward power, and dignity, and office, came real weakness; and it may be safely said, that the hour of her adoption by the Emperor, for state and politic purposes, was the greatest calamity that could have happened to the Christian faith; for what she gained in "outward splendour," she lost in "inward purity," and another object than the salvation of souls became her leading characteristic and her deepest spring of action. Close after the first purpled patron of Christianity followed Julian the Apostate, than whom a greater enemy the Christians never had. But it was not from her opposers, but from her children,

that the Church now suffered most. Sect

on sect arose in infinite progression. We need not be surprised. The old faith and the old philosophers still existed—still had

their faithful and their interested supporters and followers. These, utterly disregarding

the truth of the sayings, that we could not

put new wine in old bottles," nor "mend an old garment with new cloth," laboured earnestly and hopefully to blend the new teaching with their new systems. From the unnatural union monsters were conceived and brought forth, with all their "imperfec

tions on their head." Her prosperity was more disasterous than her adversity. Purple garments were unmeet adornment for the followers of Him who had not "where: o rest his head." The priests who were "clad in fine linen and fared sumptuously every day" were not likely to carry on the work faithfully and truly of those who were com. manded to "take no thought for the morrow," and not "to lay up treasures upon earth." The simplicity, the love, the kindly-heartedness which distinguished the early disciples, confessors, and martyrs, were giving place to haughtiness and hatred and rancour. It was now become a proverb, "that former times had wooden chalices and golden priests; but they, golden chalices and wooden priests." Now did "they gape after possessions, they tend lands and livings, they cower over their gold, they buy and sell; and if there be any that neither possess nor traffic, that which is worse, they sit still and expect gifts, and prostitute every endowment of grace, every holy thing, to sale." Who need wonder that under such a state of things all the vices which have stained the annals of the world found rapid fruition in the bosom of the Church ? With theoretic Christianity was found that practical infidelity, which is always more injurious to religion than all the speculations of the doubting and the refined objections of a sceptical philosophy.

There are many other passages which we should like to extract from this chapter on Modern Rome, but, we must refer our readers to the book itself. We have extended our remarks as far as we can in the present number, but this is a production which we cannot hastily dismiss, as it touches upon a number of subjects upon which we shall have a few words to say.

Having called the attention of our readers, in the last number of the Christian Advocate, to the proposed New Version of the Spanish New Testament; we now subjoin another extract from the Prospectus to which we then referred. Ed.]

(To be continued.)

Mr. Frederick Crowe, who is now in twelve years in Central America, six of this country, has resided for more than which were spent in the State of GUATEMALA in circulating the Spanish Scriptures, reading them from house to Schools by which he supported himself. house, and freely using them in the The friends and promoters of the project

here submitted, are anxious to take advantage of Mr. Crowe's knowledge of the Spanish Language while he remains in Europe, and to assist him to make the most of his acquaintance with the localities and his experience in Bible circulation when he returns to Central America, which he purposes shortly to do. They confidently refer to him for all further inquiries concerning the claims of those countries, and facilities for this work. They recommend his recently published book, entitled, "The Gospel in Central America," to the perusal of all persons interested in the spread of the Redeemer's Kingdom: and they prayerfully commend him, as well as his projected labours, to the hearts and sympathies of the friends of the Bible.

Under these impressions, it has been determined to form a Fund to carry the plan above described into immediate execution, the Trustees of which will correspond with Mr. Crowe and other persons, whose hearts the Lord has inclined to forward the work to which they have put their hands.

The Trustees in putting forth this Circular, are desirous to express their entire confidence in the plan itself, and in the parties who are to be employed to carry it into effect. They wish it to be understood, that while they trust ere long the Inhabitants of these interesting States will be put into possession of such a version of the entire Book of God, their present effort is limited to the books of the New Testament. They have asked the Lord of the harvest to provide them and others with this good seed, and they simply lay their case before their brethren in Christ for their individual consideration.

Trustees for the appropriation of the Spanish Bible Fund.

Mr. R. Anderson, 7, Gayfield Square, Edinburgh. Mr. Lawrence Berry, 3, Greenside Row, do. Mr. Constable, Printer to Her Majesty, Thistle St., do. Mr. H. D. Dickie, 3, Ann Street, do. Mr. W. Duncan, 26, Heriot Row, do. Mr. W. Gillon, 5, Fingal Place, do. Mr. J. Henderson, 26, Royal Crescent, do. Mr. Horsburgh, 18, Buccleuch Place, do, Mr. R. Irvine, 257, High Street, do. Mr. Milne, 12, Thistle Street, do. Mr. Shaw, 15. St. Anthony Place, do. Mr. John Wigham, Jun., 10, Salisbury Road,

It may be interesting to many of the readers of the Christian Advocate to know something of Don Juan Calderon, who was mentioned in the last number as about to revise the Spanish version of the Scriptures. We propose to give a brief sketch of his life, extracted from an autobiography he wrote at the request of friends.

Don Juan Calderon, was born at Villafranca, in the Province of La Mancha, in the centre of Spain, on the 19th April, 1791. His Parents were Roman Catholics, and brought him up in the same profession. At the age of Fifteen he entered a Convent of the Franciscan Order. This step he took, not from any religious or superstitious notions, but for the purpose of gratifying his love of study. He had been accustomed to consider the Monasteries as a sort of universities, where the student of science and literature would find himself in his true element; and, although he perceived a strong contrast between the religious vows, and the manner in which they were observed, yet, as he saw others take those vows upon them, so did he.

But before long conscience upbraided, doubts arose in the mind, and he became much distressed at the hollow life he was leading, professing things he did not believe. At length he spoke his mind to his fellow students, when he found that they all, more or less, took the same view of things as himself. This, in course of time, came to the ears of the superiors, but they took little notice of it, except to caution him not to speak imprudently about such matters. In this way he continued for a year or two, outwardly conforming to the observances of the Convent, but despising them in his heart, with his mind now somewhat relieved since he had declared his sentiments.

In the Nineteenth year of his age he was summoned to arms in the Spanish Army, which was then contending with Bonaparte for the soil of Spain. He continued in the Army for five years,

and gradually sunk into infidelity. After the overthrow of Napoleon in 1815, the Spanish Government sunk again under the influence of the Priesthood, and issued orders to all the members of the Monastic bodies to return to their respective Convents. Under these circumstances Calderon hesitated, not knowing what course to pursue. He contemplated the idea of fleeing his native country, but this he knew not how to accomplish. Eventually he returned to his convent, and shortly after took Priest's Orders, no objections being made to him by those who appointed him, although they well knew that he was an infidel.

Although he had entered without compunction the Priest's office, looking upon it simply as a trade, yet the habitual hypocrisy he was practising hung heavy upon his conscience, and he resolved to escape from the burden, but his philosophy was too weak to carry this resolution into effect. In this way he lived until the year 1823, when political circumstances induced him to leave home, and proceed to Madrid, where he lived in tranquility for Ten Months. He might have returned again to his home if he would, but he made up his mind to leave Spain rather than to join himself again to the part of the Clergy. He therefore set out for France in the wake of a body of French Soldiers, who were returning to their native country. When he arrived at Irun on the frontier of Spain, he was detained by the authorities for eight days becanse he had not a passport. Here he began to

feel all the difficulties of his position. He was an utter stranger in that part of the country, without money or means of subsistence, and in danger every moment of being carried back as an evil doer, and to be exposed to all the dangers arising from popular indignation by the way. Horror seized hold upon him while ruminating over his miserable condition, and he began to think of suicide as the grand remedy for all his troubles.

I

On the evening of the eighth day, the Landlady of the Inn where he was stopping came to him, and entirely of her own accord spoke to him as follows: -"I understand in some degree the circumstances in which you are. believe you are in danger every moment of being taken up by the authorities, and sent back, from one police station to another, to your own town, and, indeed I wonder very much that they have not seized you before now. To-morrow morning, at Four o'Clock, I will direct a woman to come here, whom I know well, and have all confidence in, and sho will conduct you through bye-paths, unknown to the guards, until you are fairly across the frontier, and within the boundaries of France. Be so good as follow this woman, and leave all in her hands. Confide fully in this counsel I give you. When you reach Bayonne, God will direct you further."

He followed his Landlady's directions, and arrived safe at Bayonne the following day. This took place in the Month of January, 1824.

Died at Lancaster, on Thursday, the 17th April, Isabella, the beloved wife of Mr. John Shaw, Elder of the Scotch Baptist Church, at that place, aged 55 years, after a long and painful illness which she bore with exemplary patience and christian resignation. She had been a member of the church about 32 years, but the disease which terminated her earthly existence, having commenced in the month of April, 1847, she was able to meet with her brethren when assembled together, only four times during the long period of four years, these gracious privileges, however she very highly prized About the middle of February last, the symptoms of her disease were more threatening, and she began rapidly to sink. From that time up to the moment

(To be concluded in our next.)

of her dissolution her sufferings were intense, but she endured all without a murmer; and when her pain was so severe as to cause her friends around her to weep, she said to them,-"It is nothing compared with what Jesus has suffered for me," and added "My heavenly Father has had a deal of trouble with me, in bringing me into closer communion with himself."

One evening not long before she died, being assailed by the fiery darts of the adversary, and buffetted by the cruel devices of the great enemy of souls, who goes about as a roaring lion,-she was much distressed in mind, under a deep sense of her own unworthiness,- at length brightening up, her mind filled with joy and peace through the blood of

GOD hath, in his infinite wisdom, devised a plan for the salvation of his people, which, in its nature, is calculated to stain the pride of all human glory; so that he that glorieth should glory, not in himself, but in the Lordalone. In his Sovereignty he chuseth the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, the weak things to confound the mighty and things that are not, to bring to nought things that are.

He effectually calleth such persons as Zaccheus, the thief on the cross, the fornicators, the idolators, and the adulterers, the covetous, the revilers, the extortioners, the publicans and harlots, while he leaves many to go on in the broad way which leadeth to destruction, who may in the estimation of their fellow citizens be considered in no ordinary degree, as worthy, pious, respectable, and useful members of society. Such is the fact: and we can account for it in no other way than by saying so it seemeth good in thy sight. The Grace of God, however, is not limited in its exercise to either rank or character

among men. He has mercy on whom he will have mercy and compassion on whom he will have compassion; yet whatever character he pitches upon, whether respectable or worthless in the eyes of mankind, salvation is bestowed on such as sinners, incapable in the smallest degree of recommending themselves to his favour. Those who are redeemed are taught by the Spirit of God. He convinces them of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come.

He shews them the adorable perfections of the Son of God, the sufficiency of his atonement and the glory which redounds to God in the salvation of the ungodly who believe in Jesus-He sanctifies their hearts, and works in them to will and to do of his good pleasure

in this way he keeps them by his almighty power, through faith unto salvation.-Truly this way of salvation does not encourage the pride of the human heart. Accordingly we find that those who are not humbled through the teaching of the Holy Spirit exclaim against it