the dress of their order, with crosses dangling from their necks. And these "sisters are paid teachers of the National Board." Referring to another place, Mr. Henry says: "The Christian brothers and nuns have now almost the whole education of the place in their hands. Three national schools, under lay teachers, have been broken up, and the children transferred to their new masters. One of the national school-houses, I was told, had been taken possession of by the 'brothers,' and the maps, books, &c., of the National Board put into a cart, and emptied out on the public street before the door of the Government Inspector. The matter was reported to the Commissioners of Education, but no notice was taken of it, and the brothers' still hold the schoolhouse." When we consider the pronounced sympathy of men in the highest places of the State, with the demands of the priesthood, it is not to be wondered at that no notice was taken of this outrage. The Commissioners are powerless. It is said that the British Parliament haying conceded denominational education in England, cannot consistently deny it to Ireland. Our answer to this is, that two wrongs cannot make a right. If Roman Catholic parents think proper to hand over the entire education of their children to the priests, no one has any right to interfere; but it is quite another thing to ask the country to pay for what, in reality, is not education at all. Some parents, whose children attend the schools of the "brothers," complain that they are not educated, "only taught to say their prayers, which they say they can learn as well at home." Such a system, if carried out, must prove most disastrous to the future intellectual, social, and religious life of Ireland; and the Prime Minister— be he Liberal or Conservative-who should venture to play into the hands of the Irish hierarchy on this subject, would inflict a heavy blow on Ireland, and retard her progress in all that contributes to the real greatness and stability of a nation, for generations to come. The recent utterances of one cabinet minister are somewhat disquieting, and tend to awaken grave suspicions as to the intentions of the Government. The friends of unsectarian education have need to be on the alert, and ready for concerted action the moment that any policy is indicated, which is hostile to religious freedom. [The letters from the missionaries had not come to hand at the time of the CHRONICLE going to press. Contributions from November 20th to December 21st, 1871. The Committee acknowledges with thanks, a Box of Clothes for Mr. Rock, of Ballymena, from Mrs. Aldis and friends at Hitchin. The Sunday-school subscription from Bath, inserted in the December Chronicle, should have been £1 instead of £1 7s. Subscriptions in aid of the British and Irish Baptist Home Mission will be thankfully received by G. B. WOOLLEY, Esq., Treasurer, and by Mr. KIRTLAND, Secretary, at the Mission House, Castle Street, Holborn, London, E.C. Contributions can also be paid at Messrs. Barclay, Bevan, Tritton. & Co.'s, Lombard Street, London. BAPTIST THE MAGAZINE. FEBRUARY, 1872. On Pleasing Ourselves. BY THE REV. T. M. MORRIS, IPSWICH. "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself."-Rom. xv. 1-3. O PLEASE ONE'S SELF! This surely is not a very lofty or laudable object of ambition, yet this is that which nearly everyone is trying to do, which, however, very few succeed in doing. We should scarcely expose ourselves to the charge of exaggeration if we were to say that the "mass and multitude" of human-kind are engaged in a laborious but ill-requited attempt to please themselves. With a great variety of method, going forth in almost every conceivable direction, they are busy in the same unavailing pursuit. With such, every line of life centres in self. The final issue and out come aimed at in all practical endeavour is self-gratification. They never look beyond-they never rise above self: their only fixed principle is a settled determination to please themselves. Since, then, we may not unfairly regard self-gratification, in some one or other of its many forms, as the great object of human desire and pursuit, it will not be out of place for us to consider what, it is to be feared, re'ceives too little considerationthe great subject of pleasing one's self. This is a matter which receives large and varied treatment in the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament; and in the Epistles of the New Testament especially, we are taught that that selfish desire or determination to please one's self, which is productive of so much ill-feeling and misery in the world, may, and not unfrequently does, prove a most fruitful root of bitterness within what should be the sacred and peaceful enclosure of the Christian Church. Human nature repeats itself; and the Apostolic admonitions, in reference to this most common and mischievous tendency, which were necessary more than eighteen hundred years ago, are not less needful to-day. We see by a glance at the context that it is with a particular expression of this tendency to please ourselves, that the Apostle here deals. In reading this, and the other Epistles of Paul, we should bear in mind that they were all written with a special purpose, and deal with problems which were, at that time, demanding solution in almost every Christian community. When these letters were written, in the great centres of ancient civilization at least, Christianity was just beginning to attract attention to itself. Looking at what they accounted a novel and rising heresy, men were beginning to ask what this thing might mean, and whereunto it would grow. All converts to Christianity at that time, passed over immediately from Heathenism or Judaism to the New Faith, and had to pursue their Christian course in the midst of a Jewish or heathen population. This being the case, we can easily understand that many very difficult and delicate questions would arise as to the proper regulation of Christian life. Obliged to sustain manifold, and sometimes very intimate relations to the heathen on the one hand, and the Jews on the other, it must have been often very difficult for them to determine what position they should occupy,-what attitude they should maintain as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ; and we cannot but notice how largely the Epistles of Paul are occupied with questions arising out of the peculiar circumstances in which many of the primitive Christians were placed. In the latter part of this Epistle to the Romans we see the Apostle dealing with such questions. The Church in Rome was made up partly of converts from Judaism, and partly of converts from Heathenism, and considerable differences of opinion prevailed among them as to the observance or non-observance of certain days, and as to the eating or abstaining from meat which had been offered to idols. The different views taken of these subjects gave rise to vexatious and painful controversies, and to much bitterness of spirit, which found expression in the intemperate and uncharitable judgments which those, who thus differed among themselves, pronounced upon one another. An appeal of a public or private kind had been probably made to the Apostle Paul, and he here acts the part of a peacemaker, he here seeks to reconcile-to bring together-those who so seriously differed. He does this, not by laying down a number of minute rules for the guidance of Christian life in the particular instances referred to he adopts a much simpler, and more effective method, he reminds them of certain great general principles, which fully recognized, and faithfully carried out, would prove sufficient for the regulation of all Christian life. He insists on the great principle that in all matters of religious observance, every man is a law to himself. "To his own master he standeth or falleth." By the light which he possesses he must walk. The Apostle's own example is very instructive. When we look to him we see an enlightened and broad-minded Christian man of independent spirit,-one who could maintain his own ground, though he stood alone, and enjoy in full measure that liberty wherewith Christ had made him free. The requirements of the Jewish ritual pressed upon him with no force of obligation. He could eat meat which had been offered to an idol-he could eat it even in the temple of idolatry, for in his esteem the idol itself was nothing. He could do this and many other things which his weaker brethren could not do,— for he was fully persuaded in his own mind that the kingdom of God consisted not in meat or in drink-in any outward or ritualistic observance, but in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. But while the Apostle occupied this high vantage ground, in respect of ceremonialism, he was very careful and tender in dealing with the scrupulosities of those who differed from him; careful lest in the exercise of his liberty he should offend themcause them to stumble. Very candidly-very simply does he deal with those complicated cases of conscience which were so continually arising out of the peculiar circumstances of the Church of that period. "Let every man," this is his advice, "let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind-let him act up to the light he has, be it great or small,-always turning towards the light, seeking to get as much light as possible: at the same time let him maintain and manifest a spirit of charity in reference to those who may differ from him, believing that he that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks: and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks .... Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way."" This, then, is the position of the Apostle:"Be fully persuaded in your own mind, be not moved about by every shifting wind of opinion-have your opinion and hold it. But do not always stand on your rights, be not careful to assert to the full even |