as having contributed to the injury of our church. The correctness of this statement cannot be questioned; for such persons must ever want that energy of spirit which is necessary to the success of the Gospel, among any people. Being under the influence of an unrenewed and "carnal mind, which is enmity against God," they love not his work, and, therefore, will not proceed in it farther than is necessary to hold their office with its emoluments. They will neither pour the effusions of a living and loving spirit into their labours, nor be instant in season and out of season, because the love of Christ and of souls does not constrain them. And they are not likely to have success, for how can they expect the divine blessing, which alone can render the labours of any man successful in the church. Of them it is said, by unerring wisdom, "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied; therefore, they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord." Jer. xxiii. 21, 32.

Besides these obstacles to the success of such Ministers, it will also be found that they do not declare the whole counsel of God. While they hold forth the doctrines of the Trinity, original sin, and the atonement, they are lamentably defective in not preaching regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Some of them will be found even to make light of the terms regeneration and conversion, as cant phrases, though they are those which the only wise God, himself, has been pleased to use in his word. Others either never use them, or never explain the nature and importance of the things signified by them, although the sacred writers declare, that without being "born again" no man can enter into the kingdom of heaven.-See Matt. xviii. 3, John iii. 3.

In addition to all this, such unrenewed Ministers never fairly and closely apply even the doctrines they do preach, to the consciences of their hearers. They address them all as Christian brethren, and the people of God, when many of them may be the children of the wicked one, "in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity." They apply to them the promises of the Gospel, when they should warn them to flee from the wrath to come, and to bring forth fruits meet for repentance. They thus lull sinners into deeper sleep, instead of rousing them, that they might escape for their lives, and fly for refuge to the hope set before them in the Gospel Now, if men

holding, in general, Orthodox sentiments, keep back from their people so essential a doctrine as that of the new birth, or do not separate the precious from the vile, or give to saint and sinner their portion of meat in due season, is it strange that religion should not prosper? Is it strange, if under such a ministry common morality should scarcely be found? Is it strange, if the Overture under considera-> tion, should trace existing evils amongst us, to the admission of Ministers, "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”

STATE OF UNITARIANISM IN ENGLAND.

THE Monthly Repository for the current month, contains an outline of the present state of Unitarianism in England, which we hasten to lay before our readers. We were prepared to expect that a system so directly opposed to the Bible could not be enjoying the blessing of the God of the Bible; and the history of the church had taught us to look for no very zealous labours from those who degrade the Saviour to a low rank in the scale of being, and whose love to him must be proportionably weak and inefficient. But we freely confess we were not prepared for such a statement as the following narrative presents. It ought to speak volumes to the misguided people of Ulster; who, at the dictation of the Separatists, are about to establish a Unitarian connexion in this country. Faction may communicate a temporary activity to their measures, and party spirit may clothe their cause for a time with the hectic appearance of health and strength. But let the people be assured, the tendency of the system is ever towards such a state of religious indifference and declension as is described in the subjoined extract. The Synod of Ulster was, at one time, when Arianism was predominant, fast verging to a similar state. But she is now throwing off the heavy incubus that paralyzed her energies; and, with her former purity, she is rapidly regaining her former zeal and activity. She may, perhaps, have still within her communion, though against her will, such unsound and unworthy members as are alluded to in the following statement; but their influence cannot retard the process

of her regeneration; and their number, we trust, will be every year decreasing. It is, perhaps, necessary to add, that the Periodical from which this account is faithfully abridged, was commenced under the auspices of the celebrated Priestly, and is the sole accredited organ of the English Unitarians, so that the statement is to be consi.. dered the most authentic.

"The Missionary labours of the Unitarian Association in England, during the last year, must be pronounced an almost entire failure. Three Missionaries have been employed, and they have been employed nearly in vain. The Missionary spirit which had arisen in the West of England, has not long survived him who gave it birth. In Lancashire, a Local Missionary Society languishes for want of means. From causes of rather

a different, but still adverse character, the missions conducted by the young men educated at the York College, have been, from time to time, diminished, till now they have, with one exception, little more than a name to live. This declension is the more to be regretted, because the cultivation of a Missionary spirit is the cultivation of the spirit of Christ; and, pre-eminently, therefore, the duty of his Ministers. Throughout the kingdom, the result of the Missionary labours, undertaken by Unitarians of late, has been a disappointing one. How happens this? Chiefly, we doubt not, because the spirit of Unitarians, in this kingdom, is not the Missionary, spirit.

"From the efforts of Missionaries, let us turn to the actual condition of our congregations. These we may divide into two classes, the ancient and the modern,-those we have received from our (it ought to have been added, Orthodox) predecessors, and those erected by the present generation. Of many of both classes, the tale is brief and mournful. There are a few of the old chapels, situated in large and flourishing towns, in which congregations worship, respectable both as to numbers and charac

ter.

From the narrow sphere of the Unitarian's view, however, these are greatly over-rated. Every thing is small or great by comparison. To a child, a house of six rooms is a mansion. To Unitarians, a Manchester or a Bristol audience is magnificent. But let these half dozen flourishing congregations he deemed of as highly as we will, still six prosperous Societies, out of some three hundred, is a small proportion. We do not mean to intimate that all the rest are dying or dead. Far from it. There is a large middle class, which supports a healthy appearance. But many of the old chapels amongst us are in a pitiable state. Of our own knowledge, we can speak of some scores that can scarcely show signs of life. The number of hearers in them will not average more than thirty; the salary of the Minister not more than £70 per annum. Few beings are more to be pitied than a Unitarian Minister placed in one of these societies. How much of moral power is thrown away! How much of intellectual excellence is lost! And for what?-to conduct, in decency, a few sexagenarians to the grave, and then to close the doors. If this is not the probable end of no few of the old Presbyterian chapels, we are yet to learn what other fate they can in all human probability undergo. Equally grieved are we when we contemplate the condition of the congregations which have been raised within the last fifteen years. Many chapels have been built-how few are adequately attended! If it were not an invidious task, we could establish this assertion by the mention of actual instances.

"From what has been said, it is evident that the cause of Unitarianism, in these kingdoms, as far as its condition may be estimated by the numbers who constitute its congregations, is by no means in a satisfactorystate.. .The institutions that exist amongst us, for the promotion of the great purposes of religion, are few in number, and languishing, for the most part, in operation. The Book and Tract Societies have, in several instances, registered a decreasing circulation. Other institutions there are, which, in respect of moral energy and usefulness, are as though they were not. "The Regium Donum has, amongst the Irish Presbyterians, checked the progress of inquiry, and too often stifled the impression of truth. And much as we rejoice at the secession which has taken place, under the auspices of the Rev. H. Montgomery and his friends, it is a subject of painful regret, that a minority, only, of those who are known to be opposed to the doctrines of Orthodoxy have, through fears of worldly loss, ventured to declare themselves, and secede from men with whom they have no bond but pecuniary interest. O, the degradation of Ministers of the gospel of Christ: consenting to remain in the ignominious thraldom of professing what they do not believe! of associating with those to whom they are objects of suspicion! We should, for ourselves, have been more gratified, had the recent agitations in the Synod of Ulster led the Remonstrants to decline the Regium Donum; and also to set aside the form of Presbyterian government, the evils of which they have seen so amply illustrated. But the most painful case of failure yet remains to be noticed. India, the first field of our Missionary exertions in foreign lands; India, which, with the name of its wise, learned, and benevolent Brahim, (Rammohun Roy,) gave the fairest promise of an eventual, though, perpaps, a tardy harvest; this country, which had excited our hope more, perhaps, than any other spot, is now without a Unitarian Missionary, and the means of Unitarian wor ship. Thus have we shown what occasions of humiliations there are in the present aspect of Unitarian affairs."

DEATH-BED SCENES.

"Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever." ZECH. i. 5.

IN the preceding Number of this work, allusion was made to the premature deaths of several of the early fathers of our church. As every thing connected with these venerable men is full of interest to their descendants, at the present day, we deem no apology necessary for subjoining the following particulars. The doctrines and the labours of those departed saints have already been laid before our readers. We now invite them to contemplate their "latter end,"-to behold them supported by the power of that faith which they had so nobly and consistently maintained, and rejoicing under tribulations, that must have otherwise appalled the firmest heart.

F

The first of the brethren "that rested from their labours,' was Josiah Welsh, of Templepatrick. He was the grandson of Knox, by Elizabeth, his youngest daughter. He held, for a time, the Professorship of Humanity, in the University of Glasgow; and, to enjoy liberty, of conscience, he retired to this country, at the suggestion of Mr. Blair, of Bangor, about the year 1626. Livingston thus describes his character and death :

"Mr. Josiah Welsh, son to the famous Mr. John Welsh, was provided of the Lord to bring the covenant of grace to the people at the Six-milewater. After preaching some time at Oldstone, he was settled Minister at Templepatrick, where he had many seals of his ministry. After he was deposed by the Bishop of Down, he continued for a time preaching in his own house; and his auditory being large, he stood in a door looking toward a garden, that he might be heard without as well as within. By this means, he beingof a weak constitution, with faulty lungs, contracted a cold which occasioned his death. On the sabbath afternoon before his death, I heard of his sickness, and came to him about eleven o'clock at night, and Mr. Blair came about two hours thereafter. He had many gracious discourses, as also some wrestling and exercise of mind. One time he cried out, Ah! for hypocrisy.' On which Mr. Blair said, 'See how Satan is nibbling at his heels before he enters into glory.' A very little before he died, I being at prayer, before his bed-side, and the word victory coming out in some expression of mine, he took hold of my hand, and desiring me to forbear a little, he clapped both his hands together, and cried out, 'Victory, victory, victory, for evermore!' and then desired me to go on. Within a little time after he expired."

He died on Monday, June 23d, 1634, and was buried at Templepatrick; where his humble grave was formerly marked by a tomb-stone, bearing appropriate epitaphs in Latin and English verse. The stone, being accidentally broken, as we are informed, is not now to be found. Tradition, however, has preserved the following rude lines, as a portion of the English epitaph :

"Here lies interred, under this stone,

Great Knoxe's grandchild, John Welshe's son;
Born in Scotland, and bred up in France,
He came t' Ireland the Gospel t' advance."

The next of the brethren who " fell asleep in the Lord," was Mr. Andrew Stuart, of Donagore, a parish immediately adjoining Templepatrick, in which he had settled as Minister, about the year 1627. The following account of his death has been preserved:

"Being called to the burial of that excellent man of God, Mr. Josiah, Welsh, who was his neighbour Minister, he stood some time at the grave, as a sad observer of such a thing, and to some who were by, he said, Who knows who will be next?' But none answering, he said to them,