British churches were burned, and Christians suffered martyrdom, amongst whom was St. Alban, who suffered near to the place now called St. Alban's. Spelman, in his account of the Council of Arles, convoked by Constantine, A. D. 314, mentions the British bishops who attended it; and the manner in which that council was conducted, shows that they esteemed them independent of the authority of Rome; and that they were at the Council of Laodicea, A. D. 347, we are assured both by Athanasius and Hilary; and though, owing to the departure of the Roman legions, the British Christians were left a prey to the inroads of the barbarous nations, yet we have memorials of the continued existence of their ancient Church, and of St. David's having been made the metropolitan see; and when the monk Austin or Augustin, sent by Gregory (who must not be confounded with the great and learned father Augustin, who flourished 200 years previous), desired to bring it to own the Pope's supremacy, the Britons refused, replying that their Church had been governed by its own bishops for nearly 600 years, (that is from the first introduction of the Gospel,) independently of any foreign authority; and that the nature also of their Christianity differed from the religion of Rome is evident from their reluctance to hold communion with the Anglo-Saxons, when converted by Austin, because "they corrupted with images and idolatry the true religion of Christ.” From this time, however, an intercourse existed between the two churches: but it was not till the Norman conquest, that the Pope having supported William the First in his invasion of the kingdom, thence took opportunity to enlarge his encroachments. See BURN's Eccles. Law. And with regard to Ireland, it was not till the twelfth century the Pope claimed it; and his usurpation was acquiesced in by the ignorance of the

speople at large, and the wicked ambition of Henry the Second, who, in order to have a plea for invading Ireland, cared not to examine the principle it involved. But the Pope did not, as modern Romanists admit, usurp this authority over the Irish Church without many violent struggles and bitter conflicts and strife. Until the Synod of Kells, in 1152, the archbishops of Ireland never condescended to receive their palls from Rome, (as has already been observed in the note, p. 176,) and down to the year 1315, a Popish author acknowledges, that the Irish ecclesiastics took no oath to the Pope, that they never applied to the see of Rome, as the Romish bishops here now do for bulls of nomination, institution, or exemptions; that they never appealed to Rome for the decision of ecclesiastical causes; so that the authority of the Pope over the Irish Church was a usurpation which the Church was bound to cast off in exact accordance with a canon of the Third General Council, that of Ephesus.

CHAPTER XI.

THE LITANY, CONTINUED.-OCCASIONAL PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS.

THE words, "Good Lord, deliver us," refer to the sentence previously uttered by the minister, so that the prayer is to be understood thus: Good Lord deliver us from all evil and mischief, &c. The minister, consequently, keeps up his voice at the end of his part, in order to keep up its connexion with

* The Catholic Clergy of Ireland-their cause defended; a sermon by Dr. Hook.

that to be repeated by the people. The same may be observed of the form in the next division of the litany, where, in order that it may please Him to confer upon us the various blessings previously mentioned by the minister, we beseech the good Lord to hear us. The words are put last, that the people might not seem to beg deliverance from they knew not what.

The frequent use of "Good Lord, deliver us," is not a vain repetition, being every time applied to distinct matter, and consequently makes a distinct prayer, and it is as if we should say frequently, as we certainly must in any other prayer, such words as these, Grant, O Lord, &c., We beseech Thee, &c.; and here I may repeat what was before observed, that when a prayer is used by way of responses, both minister and people are to join, at least mentally, in the whole; though they vocally pronounce only their respective parts. This should be carefully remembered in the litany, when there are extraordinary occasions for it.

The Church is right in praying against sudden death, for even in the case of such as are prepared, their example and dying advice may be more than ordinarily instructive and beneficial to others; but not to speak of this, Christian humility may desire space for completer preparation; and of those who profess the contrary, are they so very certain, as this implies, that every part both of their worldly affairs, and their eternal concerns is in the best condition to which it can be brought? or may not this apparent readiness to die at any time arise from a secret dread to think of dying at all, or a secret unbelief, more or less, of what will follow after death? But whatever a few may imagine best for themselves, justly or unjustly, some previous notice is undeniably best for the

generality and common prayers must be adapted to common cases; always submitting it to God to make such exceptions where He shall think proper*.

On the last clause of the deprecations it is worthy of observation, that in enumerating the most critical periods of our being, the "time of our wealth" is represented as more alarming than the "time of our tribulation,” and as inferior in awfulness only to the "hour of death," and to the "day of judgment," a most awakening comment on our Lord's declaration, that "it is a hard thing for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." Though the state of our souls at the hour of death determines our condition at the day of judgment, yet does the Church direct us to pray for grace and favour at both the best life and death can obtain acquittance and reward only through the pardoning sentence of our Judge; great cause have we, therefore, to pray for ourselves, as St. Paul did for Onesiphorus, "that we may find mercy of the Lord in that day," 2 Tim. i. 18.

Intercessory prayer is at once a privilege and duty. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem," says the Psalmist, Psalm exxii. 6. "Pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you," says our blessed Lord himself, Matt. v. 44. The apostolic epistles abound with beautiful examples of this kind of charitable supplication; and surely, if we are truly sensible of the value of men's souls, and the innumerable benefits of Christ's free and unlimited salvation ; if we feel a lively concern on account of the delusions and danger of the ungodly among mankind; if we feel any sympathy with the praying disciples of our common Saviour and Lord, we cannot but acknow

* In the Primer, the words are sudden and unprovided death, which also corresponds with the Latin in the Office of Sarum. The expression has probably reference to a violent death.

ledge that intercessory prayer is a duty at all times incumbent upon us, and we cannot but feel pleasure, as we shall assuredly find also profit, in the discharge of it.

At the commencement of the INTERCESSIONS, because it may seem presumptuous for us to pray for others, since we are unworthy to pray for ourselves, we acknowledge that we are sinners. The spirit and temper of Abraham, Gen. xxiii. 33, "I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes," is beautifully adopted into this part of the litany. The Intercessions themselves are distinguished throughout by a rare union of comprehensiveness and detail. They give the most enlarged view of Christ's spiritual kingdom, and evince the most discriminative tenderness for its particular members; especially for the desolate, that mourn unseen by any but their God; for infancy that cannot, and for criminality that dare not, approach the throne of mercy. We pray first for the Catholic Church; for cur own National Church, its earthly head, and its pastors in their apostolic orders, the dispensers of justice, the people of God in general; peace, foreign and domestic, as preparatory to the enlargement and final establishment of our Saviour's promised dominion; our own personal concern in that kingdom is then distinctly and instructedly adverted to. We ask from God, as the foundation of all other blessings, the essence of religion, that union of Divine love and holy dread in the heart, which alone can produce a life of uniform and regular advancement in religion, that "increase of grace which hears the word of God meekly, not with a desire to cavil, or object, or criticise, receives it with purity of affection, and, like a grateful soil, brings forth the fruits of righteousness;" and we provide for every casualty and variety to which a