gospel, without reckoning a considerable number of evangelists of the second rank. We know, dear friends, that whole departments are forsaking popery, and expressing wishes for the preaching of the gospel. What wants, and what signs of the times! But how sad, also, to think, and to say, that for so large a harvest the labourers are so few."

GERMANY.

"What struck me most in the countries I have been traversing," said Dr. Merle D'Aubigné, on his return to Geneva,-"what, to my eye, every where marks the present epoch, is the tendency whereby the church proceeds to constitute itself, to form that body fitly joined together and compacted, unto the edifying of itself in love. The church is awakening-she is coming forth from her swaddling-clothes-she is acquiring self-consciousness she comprehends what she ought to be-she is tending to the state of a perfect man. The church must have freedom and self-government; she desires to be governed by herself, and no longer by cabinet orders and acts of parliament. This is what I have particularly remarked in Germany. The church of that country, which lay fast asleep in the most complete governmentalism, is now rising from that sleep, and is, in all quarters, reclaiming the rights of the Christian people. It is not only the laity, but the divines, the learned professors of the universities, who, coming forth from the ancient dust of their closets, begin to occupy themselves with the present interests of Christianity; it is not only the people, but kings also; nor is it confined to countries where there have always been reformed churches, but old Lutheranism itself, at the close of three centuries, now repudiates its consistorial bureaucracy. Elders are called for, and synods; in short, an entire Presbyterian constitution, which is to exercise its functions with independence; and the (Roman) catholic king of Lutheran Saxony we see making a proposition to this effect to the states-general of his kingdom."

FREE CHURCH DISSENTERISM.

Our brethren of the Free Church of Scotland are progressing in the right direction. An article in the last number of the North British Review, entitled, "Church and State -Ireland," concludes thus:-"We cannot but think that, in this crisis, a breathing-time is allowed, if men would learn wisdom, ere the inevitable crash comes. Why should it alarm us, or seem formidable and revolutionary, to avow that the time has come when it is a fair question whether the least of two evils may not be the giving up of existing endowments? We must not enter into the question farther at present; but we cannot close without expressing our conviction, that

if it were grappled with in this time of peace, by statesmen and churchmen, seeking only a wise practical adjustment, it might be found to have much less of real connexion with the support of good government and sound religion, than many looking at it from a distance might suppose. That the nation and its rulers are bound to honour Christ, and maintain his cause, is a doctrine which even those of its advocates who had quitted an establishment for conscience' sake, may maintain with as much tenacity and strength of conviction as ever; but they may hold, at the same time, that the nation and its rulers would, on the whole, best discharge this duty in present circumstances by having no established churches, in the common sense of that phrase, at all. And as to the views of statesmen and politicians, it might be not unwise for them to consider whether it may not be safer and better to have all the churches of Christ unestablished alike, rather than to have the present plans of endowment made the instrument of corrupting the more pliant among them, and irritating justly the more conscientious and sincere."

CHINESE COLLECTION, HYDE PARK CORNER.

In the Evangelical Magazine for December, we find the following reference to an exhibition in which there is much to aid the mind in realizing the peculiarities of the strange country from which the materials have been brought, and to interest the feelings in its perishing inhabitants :

The arrival of the two intelligent Chinese, A-Shing and A-You, at this beautifully arranged exhibition, has greatly added to its interest, and drawn multitudes from all parts of the town and country to inspect it. It is but justice to the proprietors to say, that they have acted with great liberality, in offering to the children in the Sunday and day schools of the metropolis an admission, per hundred, at a very trifling charge. We can say, for the children of our own schools, that they were deeply interested by a visit to this unique and instructive exhibition. As it will soon be closed, no time should be lost by the committees of our Sunday and day schools in providing for this appropriate recreation for the children committed to their care.

THE ANTI-SLAVERY REPORTER.

This work has hitherto appeared every fortnight, but it is now announced that from the beginning of the year 1846 it will be issued on the first of every month. The price is to be reduced from eight shillings and eight pence, to five shillings per annum. The committee hope by this means greatly to increase its home circulation, and to be enabled thereby to cover the expense connected with a large gratuitous foreign circulation; they therefore urge on their friends every where throughout the country the necessity

Wednesday evening, January 7th, at halfpast six o'clock, at Finsbury Chapel; and Mr. Hinton, of Devonshire Square, has been requested to deliver a sermon on the occasion. Since the publication of our last number, the present year's report of the Society for the Relief of Aged and Infirm Protestant Dissenting Ministers has appeared. We are happy to find that there is now one baptist on the committee our friend Mr. Pritchard, who has become a life member, having, as execu

tor of the late Dr. Newman, paid to the society a very handsome legacy which that justly respected minister had bequeathed to

it. Mr. Pritchard will attend the meetings of the committee regularly, we doubt not; and this fact, together with the strong opinion in favour of the institution implied in Dr. Newman's bequest of £800 to its funds, will do more, we trust, than anything we can write to induce our friends to give it their active support. It is desirable also that other baptists in the metropolis or its neighbourhood should qualify themselves for a seat at the society's council-table. The funded property yields an income of more than £400 per annum; and nine baptist ministers, who have been laid aside by the infirmities of age, are in receipt of its bounty.

A letter has just now been received, informing us that the Rev. R. S. Morris, of Burton-on-Trent, has acceded to a request of the church in York Street, Manchester, and will commence pastoral labours among them on the first Lord's day in January.

We regret to learn that the expectations which Dr. Belcher entertained when he accepted the invitation of the baptist church at Halifax, Nova Scotia, have not been realized. If our information is correct, the facts which have principally conduced to the results that have taken place are these: That the chapel is not under the control of the church but of trustees; that the leading trustees, being officers under the government, have strong political preferences of a character directly the reverse of those which prevail among English dissenters; that government grants are received for the support of the collegiate institution in which these gentlemen take a lively interest; that the pastor, not being permitted by the usage of the church to attend church-meetings, addressed a printed letter on these and kindred subjects to the church and congregation; and that this letter was voted by a small number of members of the church to be a resignation. Dr. Belcher and his friends are no longer worshipping in Granville-street, but in a school-room, and are making arrangements for the erection of another chapel. It would be premature to pronounce judgment when we are not in possession of any statement from one of the parties; but we greatly regret what has occurred, and the documents with which we have been furnished, lead us to fear that the

Several correspondents have at different times suggested that it is desirable to say on the wrapper, respecting any article that is not to be inserted, that it is inadmissible. A few words will perhaps show that the advantages inconveniences that would accrue from it. of this course would not compensate for the The communications we receive are of three classes. Some are so good that the propriety of their insertion, at some time or other, is unquestionable. Some are so inferior in style, or unsuitable in general character, that the necessity for their rejection is equally plain. But there is an intermediate class-a large one, and comprehending various grades-not so interesting as to demand a place, not so devoid of interest as to be utterly unworthy. With regard to these pieces, much necessarily depends on variable circumstances. Suppose an article of intelligence arrives: this is almost always acceptable; but it is impossible to calculate beforehand, how much twenty articles of intelligence, in different sorts of manuscript, will make in type. When the sheet is made up, the compositor may say, "Sir, I want half a page more;" but it is more common for him to say, "Sir, I have three-quarters of a page too much." If there is too much, something must be left out, and something that was thought good enough to go in. It stands over; but next month it has lost a part of its value, in losing its freshness. Something may have taken place, too, that renders it unsuitable; or something else may have arrived that supersedes it. Suppose, on the other hand, that a second-rate article arrives on a subject that is not more important at one time than another; its fate must depend greatly on what happens to be in hand having more pressing claims, whether those claims arise from intrinsic or extrinsic qualities. If there is, as at some times, a redundant supply of pieces belonging to class A, it would not be right while that continues to insert one belonging to class B. If, on the contrary, a deficiency should arise, in a time of scarcity it may be available, and it would have been unwise for an editor to have passed on it a sentence of condemnation. Again: a piece of two pages might be inserted when a piece of three pages could not. A piece of the precise length that is wanted to fill up the sheet, has in that circumstance a recommendation which some time or other may give it a preference over articles of greater excellence. On one occasion, a piece stood in type two years, and yet was eventually inserted. Our friends who have requested announcements of this kind will therefore perceive that by the adoption of the plan suggested, the probability of insertion would be very materially diminished, and the difficulties of the editor greatly augmented.