know two or three persons, or more, who have been carried away by it. And when it is quelled, what rejoicing at the triumph of truth over error! This is praiseworthy; for we ought to feel strongly where we discern spiritual danger; and to rejoice, like the angels, over one sinner that repenteth. But, in the mean time, those constant, unwearied, ever-present, destroyers of souls, the world, the flesh, and the devil, are carrying on their conquests, and millions upon millions are falling victims to their devices-millions who never heard of the "all-absorbing controversy❞—whatever it may be. In the very parish perhaps of a clergyman, who is preaching against some prevailing error of the times," are to be found tens of thousands of persons who are rushing to destruction, not through any new form of heresy, but in the broad way of ignorance, and vice, and practical ungodliness. He does well to oppose any particular error which he considers rife and dangerous-he would betray his trust if he did not do so; - but when we ask, What is the general condition of his parish, how small a fraction does the "prevailing error" form in the account! The really prevailing error is sin-sin in all its phases ;— sin in the heart, and sin in the life?-worldliness, pride, evil appetites, hatred of God and godliness, and that master-sin, unbelief. The mat. ters which form the staple of most religious controversies blow over the heads of the multitude. They are not indeed to be lightly regarded; and as pressing directly upon the church of Christ, they are of momentous importance; but hell is peopled, and heaven unpeopled, upon an awfully larger scale. We To Judge then of the actual progress of Christ's kingdom upon earth, we must take longer periods and wider estimates, than those connected with the prominent topics of the fleeting moment. may look at passing details till we are sorely puzzled; we may compute spiritual gains and losses, and not be able to strike a balance. We have a revival here, and a declension there; we have Popery rampant, and Protestantism contending with it; we have more good books than formerly, and more bad ones; more of zeal, but also more of strife; Sabbath societies and Sabbath desecration; Christian missions, Bible institutions, and plans for universal religious education; and opposed to them, Scepticism, Socialism, and every new and old form of vice and impiety. How are we to thread this maze? But take a larger space of time, and let the field be the world. Take the present century, for example, of which forty years have swiftly rolled away; or take the three eventful centuries which have elapsed since the days of the Reformation. The present year is the tercentenary of several occurrences which may afford materials for comparison. The year 1540 was memorable and execrable, as that in which the order of the Jesuits was instituted by the pope, who appointed Loyola, its projector, its first General. About the same time those discussions were at the height which eventually led to the Council of Trent, though it was not convened till 1546. In England Henry VIII. that year commanded that a Bible should be provided in every parish; and the last blow was given by the Parliament to what remained of monastic institutions; but on the other hand, that staunch friend of the Reformation, Cromwell Earl of Essex was beheaded; two days after, Barnes and other Protestants were burned to death in Smithfield; and the king having married Catharine Howard, the popish party felt confident of repressing the opening Reformation. Now, what are the results of comparison on a large scale ? A few thousands of Bibles in England for home use, have multiplied to scores of millions at home and abroad, even to the ends of the earth. Popery, though of late on the increase in various places, is assuredly far less powerful upon the whole than it was when it governed the whole civilized world with undisputed sway. Protestant Christianity has not made large conquests in Europe during the last three centuries; but it has widely pervaded North America; it has extended its influence to India; numerous European colonies throughout the world acknowledge it; many Heathen islands in the South Sea have been converted to the faith by its instrumentality; while Romanism during the same period has not made any one large and permanent conquest; and in many still nominally Popish lands it has received many severe wounds. Taking, then, a survey of the world; contemplating the numerous Missionary stations; the Bibles circulated; the Scriptural schools instituted; the actual number of converts to the Gospel from among the heathen; and the extensive revival of piety in our own and other lands, we do, upon the whole, believe that there is much reason to thank God, and to take courage ;--though, alas! there is also ample reason to lament and be confounded, when we think how little, after all, is the increase; and how many and formidable are the still opposing obstacles to the diffusion of the faith. We cannot, however, believe that the labours of the churches in our own and other lands have been in vain in the Lord. One circumstance is peculiarly auspicious amidst the strifes and calamities of these our days, that the churches of Christ throughout the world begin more than ever to acknowledge their obligation to endeavour to promote their divine Master's glory. They may jangle with each other: but all avow this to be a duty common to all. Our own branch of the Universal Church, we bless God, has been especially blessed with this outpouring of grace and holy influence. Our scriptural schools, our new churches, our religious societies, our increasing efforts on behalf of our long neglected colonies, our efforts among the heathen, and above all, because the root of all, the increase of truly scriptural doctrine, holy zeal, and ardent love among us-notwithstanding every head of the enumeration is subject to the most afflicting and humiliating deductions and exceptions-are tokens for good in which we do rejoice, and will rejoice. RELIG. & MISCEL. COMMUNICATIONS.— Ten Virgins..Court Announcements.. Wotton's Reliquiæ..Uncovenanted Mer- cies.. England, by a French Protestant .. Interpretation of Acts xv. 14-17.. St. Paul's Cathedral.. Romanist Supersti. tion in Germany.. Pulpit Collect.. Bick- ersteth and Paley on Regeneration.. POETRY.Immortality "This Taber- REVIEW OF-Hopkins on the Church of Rome.. Essays on Romanism.. Baxter's Key for Catholics.. Cramp's Text-book of Popery.. Edgar's Variations of Po- pery.. Anti-Apopopriestian, by Rogers.. PUBLIC AFFAIRS.-National Education.. REL. AND MIS. COM.-Worldly Amnse- ments.. England, by a French Protestant ..Modern Magicians of Egypt..Simonia- cal Transactions.. Nolan on Spencer.. Doctrine of Reserve.. Twelfth-Night.. Propbetic Dreams .. . Wesleyan Metho- dists.. Episcopal Consecrations.. Lay In- terference in Church Matters: - Act of Uniformity..Weekly Division of Time 129- REV. OF-Paber on Regeneration.. The same on Justification.. Bishop of Ches- ter on Eternal Life.. Hampden's Advent Sermon.. Archdeacon Wilberforce's Or- dination Sermon.. Mesurier on Reserve in communicating Religious Knowledge tension.. Church-rates.. Irish Municipal ANSWERS.-Papers received Rogers's REL. AND MIS. COM-Worldly Amuse- ments.. Church Rates.. Bishop of Exe- ter on Episcopacy. Twelfth Night Equal Laws.. Newman's Parochial Ser- mons.. Evidences of Christianity..Con- vocation.. Division of Time by Weeks.. Tithe Commutation.. Early and delayed Baptism.. Clement on Christ.. British Critic, and Patristical Deceit..On Me- thodism.. Burial of Persons not Bap- tised by an Episcopal Minister....193-220 REV. OF-Hough's Christianity in India.. Kidd's Memoirs of Morrison.. Gutzlaff's Journal.. Chinese History, by the same. 225 PUB. AFF.-War with China.. Encour- agement to Idolatry in India.. Use of spirits in the Army.. Privilege Question ..Church Extension..Theatres in Lent ..Slavery in the United States.. Bux- ton's Abolition of the Slave Trade... 250 ANSWERS.--Papers received.. French Pro- REL. AND MIS. Com.-Vagueness of Po- pular Religion.. Venn on the Life of his Grandfather.. Plymouth Brethren..The Uncovenanted Mercies Dreams and supernatural Phenomena Twelfth- Night.. Augmentation of Benefices.. Scriptures a Means of Grace.. Religious Anecdotes..Anti Pædo Baptist.. Chur- Paschal and Spencer. .Ten Virgins.. Ro- South Eastern India .. Montgomery's Colonial Magazine.. Memoirs of Morri- REL. AND MIS. COM... Embassy of Re- conciliation.. Elder Son in the Parable.. Touching for the King's Evil..Oriental Illustration of Scripture.. Synonymes in PUB. AFF.-Regency Bill..Trial of Oxford .. Inglis's Motion for Church Extension National Education .. Ecclesiastical Duties and Revenues.. Hume's Sab- .. .... 510 Pastoral Visiting..Old Sacred Poets .. Brougham on the Vis Medicatrix.. Burnet on High and Low Churchmen.. The Catholic Church .. McIlvaine and the Voluntary Principle... ...513-546 Powers.. Quadruple Negociation respect- ing Turkey.. China.. Irish Municipal Bill..Cathedral Bill..Canada and West ANSWERS Papers received Popish Teachers of the London Hiberni in So- REL. AND MIS. COM.-History of Re- demption.. Punishment of the Ungodly ..Old Sacred Poets.. Bishop White on the Lord's Supper.. Prayer the first Breath..Omission of Revelation in the Dissenting Prayer for Established Churches..Deacon's Stole.. Inadequacy REV. OF-Bishop Sumner's Lectures.. Hartley's Discourses.. Bateman's Ser- mons.. Childe's Sermons Preston's Death.. Buddicom on Friendship with Ged..Craufurd's Sermons.. Webster's Sermons.. Withy's Lectures.. Breay's Notes of Sermons.. Woodward on the Shunamite .. Hiffernan's Lectures on Scripture History.. Stewart's Bethany. 609 PUB. AFF.-Princess Augusta.. Affairs of 683 REL. AND MIS. COM.-Romans vii. 1-4.. ..Bishop White on the Lord's Supper Voluntary Principle.. Rash Commercial Adventures.. Memoir of Bishop Cover- dale.. Portraiture of War.. Alleged Re- vival of Dodwellism by Pusey.. Infer- ences from Scriptural Phraseology 641-682 REV. OF.-Macbriar's Missionary Travels ..Geramb's Pilgrimage.. Wilde's Narra- Hughes's Illuminated Atlas... |