THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST-666. IN the Apocalypse (chap. xiii. 18) we read, "Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred three score and six." Let us look for a moment at the names taken by the popes, and we shall arrive at an extraordinary result. 1st name. Vicar General of God upon earth-a name assumed by Pope Innocent III., who established the inquisition, and originated the crusade against heretics. 2d name. Vicar of the Son of God-a name taken by several popes -Clements, Martins, Bonifaces, and Juliuses, and inscribed over the doors of the Vatican. 3d name. Paul V., God's Vicar-a name recognised by the pope, when so addressed by Bellarmine. 4th name. Silvester Secundus-the pope who first commenced the crusades. 5th name. Lateinos-the Greek word for Latin, the name borne by the corrupt Western church, and the language in which her superstitious and idolatrous services are performed. 6th name. E Latine Basileia-the Greek for Latin or Italian kingdom, which is the pope's territory, the seat of the beast. 7th name. Benediktos-the Greek name for the pope who generalized the monastic life. 8th name. Romiith-the Hebrew word for Roman, in which papists glory, as the distinctive name of that constitution they call a church, every soul out of which is cursed. Many other names of popes, &c., in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, are coincident in making out the number 666; and it is further remarkable, that until the time of the Reformers, the word "mystery," mysterium, was inscribed upon the pope's mitre, according to the words of Scripture, "And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth." I have the honour to be, Sir, yours very respectfully, BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. MR. EDITOR,-Your correspondent "Phoenix," in the June number, affirms that baptism is not always the commencing point of sanctification; and to support his opinion, imagines an adult coming to baptism without faith and repentance: such a case nullifies, or renders the benefits annexed to the worthy recipient, void. Faith and repentance are requisite to insure the inward spiritual grace accompanying the outward form. With infants, the faith and repentance promised for them, is accepted by Christ's ambassadors; and in the case of private baptism of infants, when no promises are made, because the child is supposed to be in danger, and therefore not likely to live to fulfil any promises made for it, the child is offered in faith, by God's steward, to His mercy, who willeth not that any should perish. The sacraments both consist of two parts-an outward and visible sign, of an inward and spiritual grace; the one is incomplete without the other. Unworthy recipients of the outward and visible parts of the sacraments, do not receive the inward and spiritual grace; in such cases the sacraments are null and void. They may press with their teeth the bread, and drink the wine, but the faithful alone receive the body and blood of Christ, the strengthening and refreshing of their souls, the pardon wrought by the sacrifice. The unrepentant adult may be sprinkled with the holy water, and not be regenerated; neither have his original, or birth-sin, washed away, nor be sanctified, by the regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit; neither die to sin, nor rise to righteousness; he renders the sacrament of none effect, from his want of faith. Not so the infant, offered by Christ's ambassador to God, sprinkled with the laver of regeneration; his original, or birth-sin, is washed away; he is no longer a child of wrath; God's Holy Spirit descends upon him, and makes him God's child, a member of Christ's church, and an heir of heaven. But all these privileges may be forfeited, and, alas, we must often fear are. God's child may become an alien from his Father's household, and may never inherit the kingdom prepared for him. Those who would separate regeneration from baptism, deprive it of an essential part of a sacrament; if no inward and spiritual grace accompany the outward form, it cannot be a sacrament. I have been surprised at never meeting with this argument; but as it is the doctrine of our pure and apostolic Church, as taught in her Baptismal Service and Catechism, which may be considered as the best commentaries on her Articles, I have not hesitated to lay it before your readers, hoping the subject will be taken up by a more able pen than Yours respectfully, F. W. THE ATONEMENT. TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER. SIR,-Allow me to draw your attention to the twenty-ninth page of the seventy-third of the Tracts for the Times. In the heading of the page, it is expressly denied that the Atonement is a satisfaction to God's justice! Now, Sir, if you will turn to the Church Homily on the Nativity, you will find it expressly asserted, that the Atonement is a satisfaction to God's justice; and in the first part of the Homily of Salvation, it is twice declared to be a satisfaction to the justice of God. Your valuable Magazine has been justly celebrated for its general impartiality; and you will therefore, I doubt not, insert this letter, when, by reference to the Tract, you shall see I have not misrepresented it. If those who maintain this doctrine are to be branded as rationalists, a goodly host indeed these rationalists will be: see them enumerated in Note B. of Russell's Remarks on Professor Keble's Visitation Sermon, pp. 37-40. See also the CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER, for May, 1837. I am, Sir, your faithful servant, PHOENIX. MAXIMS. A PLEASURE that one is sure to repent of can never be tranquilly enjoyed, and is, therefore, no pleasure at all. Fine sense and exalted sense are not half so useful as common sense. -Swift. Those even who have no religion themselves (says Lord Chesterfield), esteem and confide in those who have. They allow it to be at least a collateral security to virtue; and every prudent man will rather trust to two securities than one. The rulers of a country should always be sought for among men of principle and piety. It was a saying of the great Lord Burleigh; "I will never truste anie man not of sounde religion, for he that is false to God, can never be true to man." It was well remarked by Bishop Burnett, that the best test of a really edifying sermon was, when the preacher sent away his hearers thinking of themselves, rather than discussing their instructor. THE REV. LAW REPORT. No. LXV.-DILAPIDATIONS. CASE FOR OPINION. late incumbent of the vicarage of, in the county of -, made considerable alterations in, and additions to, the vicarage house and premises. Among other things he placed 1. A water-closet on the first floor, with pipes communicating to a forcing pump below. 2. Two new plain marble chimneypieces in the drawing-room and diningroom. (Acast iron chimney-piece, which was previously in the dining-rooin, and a small marble one in the drawingroom, were taken down, and put up, the former in the study, and the latter in the best bed-room, over the drawingroom; and two stone chimney-pieces, which were previously in these rooms, were carried up to the third story, which was added by Mr. .) 3. An iron pump in the kitchen garden. 4. A dial on a stone pedestal on the lawn. Mr. " having lately obtained preferment in another part of the country, has resigned the living of -, in which he has been succeeded by the Rev.; and a question has arisen between these gentlemen with respect to the above-mentioned articles, Mr. considering them to be removable fixtures, such as he might have taken away, and for which, if left and taken to by the succeeding incumbent, he is entitled to claim payment. Mr. on the other hand, considering them as attached to the freehold, and thereby become part of the vicarial premises, from which they can no longer be separated; and that he is entitled to the free enjoyment of them, without any compensation to the preceding incumbent, as of any other part of such premises. Your opinion is requested, whether, as between an off-going and an in coming incumbent, the foregoing articles, or any, and which of them, are or are not such as the former can claim to be paid for by the latter, at a fair valuation. OPINION. "The alterations and additions to the vicarage-house and premises, indicate so much of (and perhaps of recent) expenditure, that I have looked with all the research I could apply, for any case or principle upon which I could advise, that the enumerated articles are subjects for valuation; but I am not able to satisfy myself that such is the strict and legal view to be taken. There is no precise case in point, or as between the representative of a deceased incumbent and the successor; but by analogy to the considerations that courts of law apply to fixtures put up by a tenant for life, and in other instances, I am led to this opinion, that, in the case before me, the different articles are so attached to the freehold, (for such is the nature of the incumbent's tenure, I apprehend, for the time being,) as to become substantially and permanently attached. Of the articles within the house, I do not entertain a doubt; and in regard to the pump and stone pedestal, I am not able to advise otherwise than already stated; but there might be, I think, some hope of a favourable decision in respect of them to the late incumbent, were they of sufficient value, or were it desirable, as between two clergymen, to take an opinion of a court of law. The absence of cases as between clergymen, shows that these matters are met in a spirit of fair adjustment As regards the dial itself, that, I think, may, if required, be disannexed. "JOHN HAGGARD." "Doctors' Commons, Jan. 10, 1839." The expenditure from 1830 to 1839 exceeded two thousand pounds, No. LXVI.-RURAL DEANS. CASE FOR THE OPINION OF DR. PHILLIMORE. THE REV. Thomas Newcome, M. A., is the Rector of Shenley, Herts, within the Deanery of Berkhampstead, the Archdeaconry of Huntingdon, and the Bishopric of Lincoln. He has received the following circular from parties newly appointed to the office of Rural Deans: "Hemel Hempstead, Jan. 3, 1839.. "Dear Sir,-Having been appointed to the office of Rural Dean, in this Deanery, it is our duty to visit your glebe-house and glebe, your church, chancel, and churchyard, and to take an account of the vestments, sacred utensils, and other ecclesiastical matters. We purpose to be at Shenley for these purposes, if convenient to you, on Friday, the 18th of January instant, at two o'clock; and we shall feel obliged to you to desire that one, at least, of the churchwardens may be in attendance. Since an inspection is to take place annually, and is to include an account of every alteration, whether additions or otherwise, it will very greatly assist us, if you will have the goodness to be provided with a terrar of the glebe-house, buildings, and land; as also, with the population of your parish at the last census, and the number which your church is calculated to contain. "It is also our duty to inspect the licenses of curates, and the appointments of parish clerks, sextons, and other officers. We are, &c, MOUNTAIN, "J. H. B. MOUNTAIN, Rural Deans." D. JENKS, Mr. Newcome has not the least objection to any inspection or inquiry; but having regularly attended and obeyed the visitation of his Archdeacon at Berkhampstead, and this office of Rural Dean not having existed before in his time, if it ever did at all in this diocese; and, it not appearing that the Archdeacon has assented to appointments, which abstract from him a long exercised authority on the subject, he is desirous of your opinion,* "Whether the Bishop of Lincoln "has the right to appoint these Rural "Deans? or, whether the office has "by usage or otherwise devolved on "the Archdeacon, so as to require his "assent to such appointment? And, "above all, whether the rector of Shen"ley is bound canonically, or otherwise, "to submit to these new functionaries "in the several matters mentioned in "their circular?" OPINION. "I think the Bishop of Lincoln has power and authority to appoint Rural Deans. It is not the creation of a new office, but the revival of an old one. For Rural Deans were well known to the ancient ecclesiastical constitution of this country, although the office in later days fell into desuetude, and even in the century preceding the Reformation, was reduced to a shadow and a name. Dioceses were divided into Archdeaconries and Rural Deaneries. The Archdeacons took their titles from the district, which was generally the county, whereas the Rural Deans were appointed for each hundred. The functions of Archdeacon can in no way be affected by the revival of the office of Rural Dean. This office is wholly independent of theirs, it is especially characterised by the exercise of the visatorial power, to which the Rural Dean is wholly incompetent; his function being that of mere inspection; and it is expressly laid down by Bishop Gibson, vol. ii. p. 972, that Rural Deans can have no concern in parochial visitations. "Undoubtedly, if we are to judge from the circular letter, the Rural Deans seem disposed to push their authority to the utmost extent; but still, as long as they confine themselves to mere * Mr. Newcome does not object to "inspection," but to annual written queries and written replies. By possibility he might be helping to erect a new authority, and, thereby, furnish evidence against himself. Let the Churchwarden testify to the Incumbent's conduct, and the Incumbent to the Churchwarden's, if faulty. |