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COLLATION OF THE PARKER SOCIETY'S RIDLEY WITH THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY'S.

For the Christian Observer.

T has been stated, in answer to our remarks upon the omissions

Religious Tract Society's reprints

Anglican Reformers and other writers, that they are only such as were requisite, either, first, to render the style more clear and acceptable to modern readers; or, secondly, to prevent misconceptions, as in the case alluded to in our Number last month, of the Anabaptists, who might be supposed by many readers to be the same class of persons now known by the name of Baptists or Antipædobaptists; or thirdly, to preserve the principle on which the Society was founded, of maintaining silence upon questions on which pious Protestants differ; such as church government; the proper subjects and mode of baptism; and the allowableness of national ecclesiastical establishments.

For ourselves, we long ago expressed our unbiassed conviction respecting this compact. The Society has issued an unparalleled number of highly valuable and useful publications, for which we gratefully record our obligations; but we are not bound to regard either its constitution, or its books and tracts, as infallible. The charge which we mentioned last month against the Society's reprint of the translation of Bishop Jewell, was, that it professed only that "some corrections have been made on reference to the original,” whereas alterations are made which are not thus warranted, particularly in twice silently expunging Jewell's censure of the Anabaptists. If the reason for this suppression had been merely "to prevent misconceptions," an explanatory note might have been added; but it was not right to mutilate Jewell's statements, without acknowledgment. It is evident the committee considered that some readers might apply Jewell's censure to modern times; but in secretly dropping the word "Anabaptists," they in fact suggest that application for why should the members of any sect wince at an honest reprint of a just reproof in an old book, if nothing in it touched them? It were enough, in such a case, to say, "Nota Bene; modern Baptists hold nothing in common with those opinions which Luther, CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 54.

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Ridley, Jewell, and the other Reformers, Anglican and Continental, censured in the Anabaptists." But this is not true; for they censured not only the fanatical and abominable proceedings of the Munster demagogues, but also and specially the doctrine and practice included in the very title of Antipædobaptist or Anabaptist. Why, then, in reprints of their writings professing to be honest, is the word Anabaptist so often suppressed? We quoted, as we have said, last month two instances in Jewell's Apology; and happening since to take up the Parker Society's edition of Bishop Ridley's works, and beginning to peruse the very first piece in the volume, the Brief declaration of the Lord's Supper," we observed, on the third leaf the words, "Wicked Anabaptists;" and thereupon turned to the Tract Society's edition to see if they were suppressed: but they are even worse than suppressed; for the sentence not allowing of the omission of the word "Anabaptists," without substituting something for it, the Tract Committee have changed "Anabaptists to "men. Why, in a professedly honest reprint of Ridley, should the Religious Tract Society be so anxious to conceal the fact which Ridley thought fit to mention, that the "wicked" persons who profaned the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in the manner he describes, were Anabaptists? It is a historical fact; what purpose of truth or charity is subserved by slily suppressing it?

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We have not gone out of our way to find proofs of our statement. We were marking some passages in the Parker Society's Ridley, in reference to the discussions now pending respecting the Lord's Supper; nor were we thinking of the Tract Society till the occurrence of the word "Anabaptists" led us to look whether it had mutilated the passage. We are thankful to the Parker Society for giving to the world this cheap yet handsome collection of the writings of that eminent servant and martyr of Christ; and as the book is in our hands, we will quote the opening pages of the treatise on the Lord's Supper, in which Ridley states the Scripture doctrine respecting it, and expresses his belief that there was no difference of opinion as to the particulars which he mentions, "among them that be learned among the Church of England." We will place between crotchets the Tract Society's readings; which are for the most part as ill-judged, and as contrary to good taste, as they are unwarrantable in a professed reprint. Nor can it be urged in their favour that changing eth into s, and the like, renders the style either more intelligible, or more generally acceptable; especially to the poor, who prefer, and frequently use, the old solemn style; and would justly account a clergyman a foppish dandy, who, in reading the Liturgy, should sibilate "pardons and absolves" for "pardoneth and absolveth."

Many things confound the [a] weak memory: a few places well weighed and perceived lighten the understanding. Truth is there [there omitted] to be searched [for], where it is certain to be had.

Though God doth speak [speaks] the truth by man, yet in [in omitted] man's word (which God hath [has] not revealed to be his) a man may doubt without mistrusting God. Christ is the truth of God revealed unto man from heaven by God himself; and therefore in his word the truth is to be found which is to be embraced of [by] all that be [are] his. Christ biddeth [bids] us [to inserted] ask, and we shall have; [to inserted] search, and we shall find; [to inserted] knock, and it shall be opened unto us.

Therefore, O heavenly Father, [the] Author and fountain of all truth, the bottomless [unfathomable] sea of all true [true omitted] understanding, send down, we beseech thee, thy holy Spirit into our hearts, 'and lighten our understanding [understandings] with the beams of thy heavenly grace.

We ask thee this, O merciful Father, not in respect of our deserts, but for thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christ's sake. Thou knowest, O heavenly Father, that the controversy about the sacrament of the blessed body and blood of thy dear Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, hath [has] troubled not of late only, [not only of late troubled] thy [the] Church of England, France, Germany, and Italy, but also many years ago. The fault is ours, no doubt thereof, for we have deserved thy plague.

But, O Lord, be merciful, and relieve our misery with some light of grace. Thou knowest, O Lord, how this wicked world rolleth up and down, and reeleth to and fro, and careth not what thy will is, so it may abide in wealth. If truth have wealth, then who are so stout to defend the truth as they? But if Christ's cross be laid on truth's back, then they vanish away straight, as wax before the fire. But these are not they, O heavenly Father, for whom I make my most [greatest] moan, but for those seely* [silly] ones, O Lord, which have a zeal unto thee: those, I mean, which [who] would and wish to know thy will, and yet are letted, [hindered] holden back, and blinded, by the subtilties of Satan and his ministers, the wickedness of this wretched world, and the sinful lusts and affections of the flesh.

Alas! Lord, thou knowest that [that omitted] we be [are] of ourselves but flesh, wherein there dwelleth nothing that is good. How then is it possible for man without thee, O Lord, to understand thy truth indeed? Can the natural man perceive the will of God? O Lord, to whom thou givest a zeal for thee, give them also, we beseech thee, the knowledge of thy blessed will. Suffer not them, O Lord, blindly to be led, for [for omitted] to strive against thee, as thou didst those, alas! which [that] crucified thine own dear Son: forgive them, O Lord, for thy dear Son's sake, for they know not what they do. They do think, alas ! O Lord, for lack of knowledge, [Alas! O Lord, for lack of knowledge, they think] that they do unto thee good service, even when against thee they do most grievously rage. [they most cruelly rage against thee]. Remember, O Lord, we beseech thee, for whom thy martyr Stephen did pray, and whom thine holy Apostle [Paul] did so truly and earnestly love, that, for their salvation, he wished himself accursed from [for] thee [them]. Remember, O heavenly Father, the prayer of thy dear Son our Saviour Christ upon the cross, when he said unto thee: "O¡Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." With this forgiveness, O good Lord, give me, I beseech thee, thy grace, so [so omitted] here briefly to set forth the sayings of thy Son our Saviour Christ, of his Evangelists, and of his Apostles, that, in this aforesaid [aforesaid omitted] controversy, the light of thy truth, by the lantern of thy word, may shine upon [unto] all them [them omitted] that love

thee.

Of the Lord's last supper do speak expressly three of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke [the evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, speak expressly]; but none more plainly nor more fully declareth [declares] the same, than doth [doth omitted] St. Paul, partly in the tenth, but especially in the eleventh chapter of the first epistle unto [to] the Corinthians. As Matthew and Mark do [do omitted] agree much in form of [form of omitted] words, so do [do omitted] likewise Luke and St. Paul; but all four, no doubt, as they were all taught in one school, and inspired with one Spirit, so taught they all [they all taught] one truth. God grant us to understand it well. Amen.

Matthew setteth [sets] forth Christ's supper thus:

"When even was come, he sat down with the twelve, &c. As they did eat, Jesus took bread, and gave thanks, brake it, and gave it to the [his] disciples, and said: Take, eat, this is my body. And he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying: Drink ye all of this [it]; for this is my blood of the New Testament, that is shed for many for the remission of sins. I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine-tree, until that [the] day when I

*The Parker editor says in a note: "Seely, hodie silly; the original meaning of the word was happy, fortunate; from that signification it varied through successive changes inoffensive, weak, or

foolish, infirm in body, in which last sense it is even now used in the north of England." The Tract editor also plains the word.

shall drink that [it] new in my Father's kingdom. And when they had said grace, they went out," &c. [This clause about saying grace omitted].* Now Mark speaketh [speaks] of it thus:

"And, as they ate [did eat], Jesus took bread, blessed, and brake, and gave to them, and said: "Take, eat, this is my body. And he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them; and they all drank of it. And he said unto them: This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many. Verily, I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink that [it] new in the kingdom of God."

Here Matthew and Mark do [do omitted] agree, not only in the matter, but also almost fully [fully omitted] in the form of words, saving [except] that, for these [those] words in Matthew, "gave thanks," Mark hath [has] one word, "blessed;" which signifieth [signifies] in this place all one [the sume]. And, where Matthew saith, "drink ye all of this;" Mark saith, "and [and omitted] they all drank of it." And, where Matthew saith, "of this fruit of the vine;" Mark leaveth out the word "this," and saith, "of the fruit of the vine."

Now let us see likewise [likewise let us see] what agreement in form of words [there] is between St. Luke and St. Paul. Luke writeth [writes] thus :

"He took bread, gave thanks, brake it, and gave it to them, saying: This is my body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me. Likewise also, when they had supped, he took the cup, saying: This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you."

St. Paul setteth [sets] forth Christ's [the Lord's] supper thus:

"The Lord Jesus, the same night in the [the omitted] which he was betrayed, took bread, and gave thanks and brake, and said, Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. After the same manner he took the cup, when supper was done, saying: This cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do, as often as ye shall [shall omitted] drink it, in the remembrance of me. For as often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye shall [shall omitted] shew the Lord's death until he come."

Here, where St. [St. omitted] Luke saith, "which is given;" Paul saith, "which is broken." And as Luke addeth [adds] to the words of Paul spoken of the cup, "which is shed for you;" so likewise Paul addeth [adds] to the words thereof, "This do, as often as ye shall drink it, in [the] remembrance of me." The rest that followeth [follows] in St. Paul, both there and in the tenth chapter, pertaineth [pertains] unto the right use [and doctrine] of the Lord's Supper.

Thus the Evangelists and St. Paul have rehearsed the words and work of Christ, whereby he did institute [instituted] and ordain [ordained] this holy sacrament of his body and blood, to be a perpetual remembrance until his coming again of himself (I say), [I say omitted] that is, of his body given for us, and of his blood shed

for the remission of sins.

But this remembrance, which is thus ordained, as the Author thereof is Christ (both God and man), so by the almighty power of God it far passeth [passes] all kinds of remembrances that any other man is able to make, either of himself, or of any other thing: for whosoever receiveth [receives] this holy sacrament thus ordained in remembrance of Christ, he receiveth [receives] therewith either death or life. In this, I trust, we do [do omitted] all agree. For St. Paul saith of the godly receivers in the tenth chapter of his first epistle unto the Corinthians : "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the partaking or fellowship of Christ's blood?" And also [he] saith: The bread which we break (and meaneth

It did not occur to us why the words" And when they had said grace they went out" were omitted; but a friend suggests it is because many of the Dissenters object to returning thanks (Latinised into saying grace, "Agimus tibi gratias ") after meals. Ridley quotes the passage as it is rendered by Tyndale, and also in Cranmer's translation. If the Tract Committee did not like it, they might have added a note; but it was not right secretly to cross their pen through it, as though Ridley had not quoted it. The friend alluded to men

tioned having once had an argument with a Baptist upon this very text; the Baptist urging that it is right to sing a hymn after dinner, but that there is no warrant for returning thanks. It is wonderful that any man should make a religion of opposing so seemly and edifying a custom; but the omission of the passage, unless the Tract Society can shew that it does not occur in the Edition from which they printed, proves the minute insidiousness with which changes are made to suit party-purposes.

[he means] at the Lord's table), is it not the partaking or fellowship of Christ's body ?"

Now the partaking of Christ's body and of his blood, unto the faithful and godly, is the partaking or fellowship of life and immortality. And again, of the bad and ungodly receivers, St. Paul as [as omitted] plainly saith thus: "He that eateth of this bread and drinketh of this cup unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord."

Oh! how necessary then is it, if we love life and would eschew death, to try and examine ourselves before we eat of this bread and drink of this cup! for else, assuredly, he that eateth and drinketh thereof unworthily, eateth and drinketh his own damnation, because he esteemeth not the Lord's body; that is, he reverenceth [reverences] not the Lord's body with the honour that is due unto him.

And [by] that which was said, that with the receipt [receiving] of the holy sacrament of the blessed body and blood of Christ [there] is received of [by] every one, good or bad, either life or death; it is not meant, that they which are dead before God may hereby receive life; or [that] the living before God can hereby receive death. For as none [no one] is meet [fit] to receive natural food, whereby the natural life is nourished, except he be [is] born and live before; so no man can feed (by the receipt [receiving] of the [this] holy sacrament) of [upon] the food of eternal life, except he be regenerated and born of God before: and on the other side [hand] no man here receiveth [receives] damnation, which [who] is not dead before.

Thus hitherto, without all doubt, God is my witness, I say, so far as I know, there is no controversy among them that be [are] learned among the Church of England, concerning the matter of this sacrament, but all do [do omitted] agree, whether they be [are] new or old; and to speak plain, and as some of them do [do omitted] odiously call each other, whether they be [are] Protestants, Pharisees, Papists, [transposed] or Gospellers.

And as all do [do omitted] agree hitherto in the aforesaid doctrine, so all do [do omitted] detest, abhor, and condemn, the wicked heresy of the Messalonians [Messalians] which [who] otherwise be [are] called Eutichites, which [who] said, that the holy Sacrament can neither do good nor harm and do also [also all do] condemn those wicked Anabaptists [men] which [who] put no difference between the Lord's table and the Lord's meat, and their own. And because charity would, that we should (if it be possible, and so far as we may with the safeguard of [a] good conscience, and maintenance of the truth) agree with all men ; therefore, methinks, it is not charitably done, to burden any man (either new or old, as they call them) further, than such do [do omitted] declare themselves to dissent from what [that] we are persuaded to be the truth, and pretend thereto [thereto omitted] to be [there are] controversies, whereas [where] none such are indeed; and so to [to omitted] multiply the debate, the [the omitted] which, the more it doth increase, [increases] the further it doth depart [departs] from the unity that [which] the true Christian should desire.

It will be seen by this passage, what pains the Religious Tract Committee have taken to deck our ancient venerable writers in a modern shop-boy coat, instead of allowing them to expatiate freely in their own dignified habiliments. They are not, however, consistent in their alterations ;* for though they have made many thousand

*The inconsistencies are often so extraordinary that it is impossible to account for them. The self-same words are changed in one place and left in another; and frequently within a few lines of each other, as if in mere sport. If a correction is made for the sake of modern delicacy, expressions as indelicate, and often the very same expressions, are retained elsewhere. We are unwilling to pick out illustrations; but one may be noticed. Thus Ridley, in his "Farewell," speaks of Babylon as making men drunken "with the wine of her filthy stews and whoredom." If propriety re

quired either of these words to be changed, it required both; and perhaps the first more so than the last, especially as the last is often used in our translation of holy writ; yet this is changed to "harlotry," (no great gain), while the other is left; and, as if to stultify the change, a few lines after the very word which had just before been changed is retained; so that the alteration must have been for alteration's sake, and not from any consistent principle of amending gross expressions.

We will exhibit another of these haphazard inconsistent verbal changes. In

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