power and blessing, that He will return to his people, and triumph gloriously in the midst of them.

The churches must be summoned from their low controversies and narrow sectarianism to the high ground of practical care for the souls of men. Their life must justify their profession, not only of the best, but the only true religion; and they must become to each other noble examples of self-consuming zeal. They must be the living epistles of that pure and undefiled religion which, in its human aspect and salubrious influence upon the world, is to be studied in the personal history of Christ; in its doctrines and secret springs, in the sacred Epistles. The great Teacher illustrated his own precepts by his actions, and embodied and exemplified the purity and beneficence of his doctrines, as the visible image of the Ineffable Purity and Goodness. His conduct was both a lesson and an obligation. The aspect of his humanity impressed all with the beauties of real holiness, and made all feel how august and powerful is love. He was no recluse, no trancendental, no spiritual rhapsodist. He never substituted the abstract for the concrete of piety; or put the exercises of religion in the place of the duties of morality; or contented himself with declaring the benevolence of God, without any practical illustration of that which is the mildest glory of his name. Love in the Deity is active, compassionate, beneficent; it waits to be gracious, and delights in mercy; it looks for the return of the prodigal, and delights to seek in order to save that which was lost. Our blessed Redeemer revealed the true character of the Father. That himself is the impersonation of love, his tender, active charity proves even more than his teaching. He could not be less, and the condition of his humanity prevented his being more, resplendent in benevolence. There is a real and essential connection between the work of mercy to the bodies, and the work of love to the souls, of men. His miracles show the spirit of that religion which he came to plant: good-will to men is the highest glory to God. The true terrestrial paradise would be opened in any and every part of even this benighted world, were all men conformed to the illustrious Pattern, up to the measure of their unperfected nature. In all that is not peculiar to the mysterious constitution of his person, and to his office, his actions are a law to his disciples. Theirs is not merely an obligation of consistency, but of law. His earliest disciples felt and acknowledged it. The first churches sought the temporal welfare of men, not on principles of humanity, but of religion. This was the life of their beneficence: they blessed men for their Master's sake.

And modern churches, if they are to have primitive success, must not only uphold the great Divine ordinance of preaching-the primary power of Christianity-but the various auxiliaries of ministerial and general acceptance and usefulness. They must press all who have gifts and opportunity into the service of the Master. They must not totally dissociate the temporal from the spiritual; but, passing the bounds of mere denomina

tional interests, must labour for the advancement of all those institutions, which, although they do not aim at the direct production of personal religion, are themselves the genial fruits of a real Christianity; and, while they greatly tend to ameliorate the wretchedness of the lowest lot, ennoble all who promote them. This is the Divine charity which is twice blest-blessing him who gives, and bim who takes; this will recommend religion to those who yet can only appreciate sensible good; and thus will Christianity remove the spot, and stay the plague, of our Home Heathenism.

Bibliotheca Sacra; an American Biblical Repository. Trubner and Co.

THE great articles of the present number are American Antiquities, Millenarianism, the Dispensations of the Divine Providence towards the Apostle Paul, Recent Explorations of the Dead Sea,Notions of the Deaf and Dumb before Instruction, especially in regard to Religious Subjects. In various degrees, as to merit and magnitude, these are all excellent. That on the American Antiquities will be read with peculiar interest. It abounds in facts, Historical, Biographical, Topographical, and much besides. Millenarianism is discussed at very considerable length, and with the ability which characterises the Journal. There are many on this side the water who have much need to ponder this elaborate and enlightened dissertation. The writer shows that the doctrine, tested by the Scriptures, is, in its principles, doubtful and uncertain; and, in its details, impossible. As tested by history, it is, in its infancy, an error; in its maturity, a heresy. As tested by reason, it is absurd; as tested by the universal belief of the Church, it is another Gospel; as tested by its merits, it is "evil only, and that continually."

Dr. Cumming, this is for you! You have done more than any other living man to command from multitudes a favourable consideration of this system; and, consequently, no one would succeed so well as you-once yourself corrected-in undoing the mischief which has, very unintentionally, resulted from your plausible and persuasive lucubrations.

The article on the Dead Sea is by the Rev. J. P. Thompson, Minister of the Tabernacle, New York, and Editor of the New York Independent. That gentleman was in Europe some years back, when he visited the Dead Sea; and the present masterly dissertation is the result of his personal travels in the East.

The Scottish Review. Houlston and Sons. THIS periodical is always welcome, for we lay our account-and are never disappointed -with finding in it something good and true, racy and practical. As an exponent of the best order of social economy, we know not where to point out its equal. The present number comprises excellent Articles on Mr. Hugh Miller, Administrative Reform, and the late Mr. Buckingham. The first and the second of these are particularly valuable. It is impossible to read them without interest and profit.

AMIDST the marvellous commotion of Paris, during the recent visit of her Majesty Victoria, another business was proceeding of a character which attracted but little of this world's notice, but which, to the eye of the Christian philosopher, yea, and to the very angels, possessed an importance infinitely greater than that which attached to crowned heads. The operations of the Evangelical Alliance bore not only on time, but on eternity. It involved the conversion of the world, and the glory of the cross. We shall now set forth a few of the facts of the proceedings, which cannot fail to excite amongst our readers the deepest interest, because of its intimate bearing on the world's benefit, and the furtherance of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

INFIDELITY IN ENGLAND.

A paper was prepared by the Rev. T. R. Birks, relative to Great Britain, in which it was stated that five-eighths of the population may be regarded as more or less under the influence of Christian truth, while three-eighths are still in a state of heathenism. Mr. Birks went on:

Denominations professing the same principles as the Church of England in her Articles, are about twelve in number, and are aspiring to unity in their diversity. No great modification appears to have taken place during the last four years, neither revival nor decline. Three elements have modified the character of English Christians: 1. The Papal Aggression has roused Protestant feel. ing. 2. The Great Exhibition has drawn countries nearer together, and enlarged the boundaries of the intellectual horizon. 3. The discovery of gold, by drawing multitudes to Australia and California, has enlarged missionary effort; it has awakened care for emigrants, created ragged-schools, and directed attention to the good of criminal transports. Then the death of Wellington, and the revival of the French empire, seem to have commenced a new era; the war has had, with all its evil, some good results, such as sympathy with France and French Protestants, an increase of missionary effort, a diminution of selfishness, and attention to prophecy. A part of the population has been injured by the infidel or pantheistic writers of America and Germany; but the good derived from the Christian authors of Germany has preponderated. The literature-quarterlies, monthlies, weeklies, and dailies-as regards standard or religious publications,

has improved. Books of the present day are short; the telegraphic despatch takes the place of the folio volume. Of the three divisions of the Church of England, the Evangelical is increasing the most numerously in numbers and clergy; the High Church is losing ground; and the Broad Church has comparatively few representatives, but those few intellectual. The Unitarians were but one in two hundred in the last census, and tend to diminish. As to the various Christian Dissenting denominations, the Papal Aggression served to press them closer together with Evangelical Churchmen. The aberrations of religious opinion may be seen in the adherents to American Mormonism, accounted for by ignorance of true religion and the spirit of emigration; and still worse, in the careless latitudinarianism, which would reduce religion to mere poetic feeling, refusing sap and life. Present duty seems to point to the field of missions, to be active in the Lord's service, and to the second advent of the Lord, which is now an active principle among the majority of religious men. Let us live so as to say, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

it

These views are substantially sound. The next subject was

INFIDELITY IN GERMANY.

Dr. Krummacher, well known for his writings, brought on the subject of German Infidelity. He divided it as follows:

1. Indifference; 2. Rationalism, making man's reason the highest and only religion; 3. Pelagianism, which is rife among pastors and schoolmen; 4. Gnostic Pantheistical doctrines, which dethrone a personal God, annihilate all idea of futurity, all sin; 5. Materialism; 6. Criticism, which pretends artlessly to sift history, but in reality operates with à priori principles, such as, The gospels are myths," etc.; 7. Moral Spiritualism. Opposite this camp of infidelity is the wellarmed camp of faith, the universities being generally at the head of evangelical move

ments.

What is here stated relative to the universities is exceedingly cheering. Many of our readers will be taken by surprise at such a statement. Such, however, is the fact; and it is a most cheering one. The universities are the fortresses, whereas individual writers, preachers, or lecturers, are but warriors in the open plain. The universities once sound, it will not be difficult to subdue other opposition. To this followed the report of Pastor De Pres

sensé, who expatiated on the Deism of England, the Pantheism of Germany, the Unitarianism of the United States, and the two new schools which have in France succeeded St. Simonianism and Fourierism-namely, Spiritualism and Positivism.

THE UNITED STATES.

Dr. Baird appeared once more, as aforetime, armed to the teeth with invaluable statistics. His report, which is just published, we have read with delight and wonder, and most earnestly do we commend it to the perusal of all our readers. The following are some of the facts and figures :

In 1850, there were 80,958 public schools in the different States, with 91,966 teachers, and 2,890,507 scholars; 6,089 ladies' boarding schools, with 12,230 teachers, and 263,096 pupils; 119 colleges, with 11,903 students; 44 schools of theology; 36 schools of medicine; 16 schools of law; and 35,000 Sundayschools, with 250,000 teachers, and 2,500,000 scholars. 50,000,000 dollars were annually spent for education. The proportion of scholars to the entire population was 1 to 5. There were 1,200 public libraries, containing 1,800,000 volumes. The number of newspapers was then 2,302; it now is doubtless 2,500. From 1800 to 1850 the members of evangelical churches multiplied by eight or nine, while the general population had only increased fourfold. The census of 1850 revealed very important facts; the number of edifices consecrated to Divine worship was 38,183, containing 14,270,139 hearers-that is, much more than half the population; besides which, the Gospel is preached in many schools, private houses, court-houses, and even forests and fields. The Episcopal church is the oldest; it has 33 dioceses, and 38 bishops, two being superannuated, one in Africa, and another in China; 1,714 ministers; 105,350 communicants. The Congregationalists have 2,449 congregations, 1,848 ministers, and 207,609 members. The Baptists form a group of eight branches, the total number of churches being 18,181; ministers, 8,525; communicants, 1,058,754. The Presbyterian church has eight branches also; its congregations amount to 7,752; its ministers to 5,807; students and licentiates, 1,544; and members, 680,021. The Methodist church has nine branches, 8,389 active ministers, 1,672,519 members; it is the most numerous of all the American churches. The Lutheran church and others have 2,591 congregations, 1,418 ministers, and 242,500 communicants. The number of ministers of different denominations may be stated at 27,729; and if we add the thousands of Methodist local preachers, together with many licentiates and supernumeraries, this number will be raised to 40,000; making about 1 orthodox preacher for 937 inhabitants. The non-evangelical churches (Romanists, Unitarians, Swedenborgians, Mormons, etc.) have about 2,946 ministers, 3,607 congregations, and some

700,000 members; but they are diminishing. The Bible Society has distributed 11,000,000 copies of the Scriptures; the Society for Religious Publications has 1,300 colporteurs, and effected sales last year to the amount of 526,000 dollars. There are societies for the observance of the Lord's-day, for temperance, anti-slavery objects, home missions, foreign missions, etc. The last general receipts of all these societies were 3,053,535 dollars.

This is a very extraordinary document. There is not another such country on the face of the earth. It may be viewed as a grand experiment of the power of certain principles, both theological and political. Let America but be compared with any of the continental nations, and its incalculable superiority will at once appear. How different the America of the present day from the little colony of the Pilgrim Fathers, as they settled amid primeval forests and naked savages! Truly we may say, "What hath God wrought!"

HOLLAND AND BELGIUM

were next brought forward, presenting a deplorable contrast to the United States. There things are daily waxing worse and worse. The Protestantism of Holland is but slenderly tinged with Evangelism, and hence it is not very obnoxious to Popery. Education is everywhere in the hands of the priesthood, and Jesuitism is in the ascendant. The Protestants constitute but a few State Churches, with fifteen Free Churches, so called. In Belgium, with between 4,000,000 and 5,000,000 population, there are only 25 evangelical schools! Three religious papers, of a monthly issue, are maintaining a feeble existence. Some 30,000 tracts are annually distributed, together with about 6,000 copies of the Scriptures. This is the only cheering fact in the matter of Belgium. Leopold appears to be a man of feeble religious convictions. It may be doubted whether he has much preference for either Protestantism or Popery; he is alike at home with either or neither. The next subject was

GERMANY.

Considering that Germany is a country so great, so abounding in universities and learned men, and that it is enlightened by a body of Christian ministers, of a very high order, something cheering might have been expected from it, but it was much other

wise. Dr. Tholuck--a great name in Germany, and who some twenty years ago made a noble stand for evangelical truth in the University of Halle-made some very interesting statements. He informed the Alliance that the genuine Gospel, during the last twenty-six years, had made considerable progress in the universities. Formerly there was but one university professing the Christian faith- that of Tubingen. Now, however, the Doctor states there is, perhaps, only one where Rationalism was in the ascendant-Giessen. The students, in many cases, are now in a very hopeful condition. The German report, however, was most unsatisfactory. We could have wished to know something, not simply of the universities, but of the churches, their officers, the ministry, the state of piety and the condition of the churches generally, the public schools and the Sunday-schools. These points ought not to have been overlooked. Next

came

FRANCE.

In Paris, there was both danger and delicacy in dealing with the religious condition of the country. Religion is the weak side of the empire. Pastor Farjat was nevertheless pretty plain :

He took a general survey of the fine arts, the literature, and the philosophy of France, and showed that, with a few exceptions, they are far from being imbued with the regenerative spirit of Christianity. As to Popery, it has fulminated its maledictions against all that is opposed to its symbols, proscribed all study of the Word of God, undermined religious liberty, served up three ages of calumnies and invectives against those who proclaim the Word of Jesus, ridiculed and slandered Bible societies and Protestant nations, directed the public mind towards superstitions and image-worship, and wormeaten reliques, and money-bought medals, and scapularies, miraculous and preservative; it has increased the pomp of its theatrical ceremonies, and proclaimed the impious dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Protestantism only has done something through its churches and societies, and is daily improving, though we yet have too many heterodox, or indifferent, or spirituallylifeless pastors, and too large a majority of unconverted and careless hearers. We want more love and more faith; we want the influence of the Holy Spirit, and then France will be ours.

The subject, though dark and ominous, is not without some streaks of light. Pastor W. Monod, of Rouen, took somewhat of a cheering view. The following is the substance:

France is the natural and the best auxiliary of Protestantism in Europe; 1st. By her history, which makes conspicuous the faith of our persecuted ancestors, and prefers against the faith of the persecutors an indictment which can never be refuted; for whilst Popery triumphed over Protestantism, it was itself wounded to death. 2nd. By her political constitution. France was the first country to proclaim liberty of conscience and of worship. For the last sixty years, every successive government-the National Assembly, Napoleon I., the Bourbons, Louis Philippe, and Napoleon III.-have all proclaimed it. Let France dare to practise what she has proclaimed, and the holy cause of this liberty will triumph; for, in order to triumph, Protestantism only wants a hearing. 3rd. By her literature. Her language is universally known, and that, in a great measure, is owing to the Reformation. The works of the Reformers are admired by Europe; then the persecution which dispersed them spread abroad the French tongue, until a door for the Gospel was thus opened in every country. Her literature is constantly becoming more European; true, it is not always Christian; but it strikes more violent blows at Rome than ever Protestantism did, for in such controversy Christians would not indulge. It might be said that Catholicism also has its influential writers; true, but Bossuet's works are not so Roman Catholic after all; and where would you find the Pope's supremacy, or the worship of saints and images, in Fénélon, Massillon, and Pascal, who were not without some taste of Rome's persecutions themselves? there any popular writer of the present day who does not do his best to subvert Popery? Not that he joins cause with them, but he states facts. The most accredited and the most popular journals are against Romethe Debats, the Siecle, the Presse; and we have no better servant to our cause than the Univers. 4th. By her moral and religious state. France is not without some religious worship; true, but it is without religion. Now, there are two ways of being without religion, either because the religion of truth has been put aside, or because the religion of error has been trampled on; in other words, either from hatred for the Gospel, or from disgust for superstition. Now France is without religion, not because she will have none, but because she is too much enlightened to keep that which had been given her. As a proof of this, see the veneration with which the people speak of Jesus Christ; see the crowds which flock to hear the truth in some towns and villages. God has, therefore, prepared France, by its very irreligion, to receive the religion of Jesus Christ. When the Gospel was preached to her in the sixteenth century, it spread as in the times of the Apostles, and nothing could put a stop to it except a war of extermination. France has now recalled it, and will finally receive it.

Is

M. W. Monod is an excellent logician, and an effective orator; and, consequently, he has the power of

making a little go a great way. At the close of his speech, a worthy Methodist minister stated some facts relative to spiritual awakening, which was brought about by prayer meetings, in a locality where he laboured as Missionary. M. P. Monod gave some details also relative to the Independent churches, which had formed a Synod, of which he is President. Then came

SWEDEN AND DENMARK.

We presume our readers will expect but little good from this quarter; but even here there are flowers to be culled. There are here Bible Readers, who are cordially persecuted by the Lutheran Government and the Lutheran clergy. A curious fact came out relative to the capture of Bomarsund. Soon after that event, a devout young man was sent thither, to see if he could not awake the inhabitants from their dormant condition; and, during a period of nine weeks, he was enabled to preach the Gospel to them, when a great number turned to God.

A report of this movement reached Russia, when it was determined to put a stop to this preaching. Providence, however, interposed for his protection; a steam-frigate from England arrived, the commander of which forbade the meetings to be hindered; but when the last vessel had departed, the Russian commissary was sent to arrest the preacher, and at eleven o'clock at night he entered the peasant's cottage, where a meeting had been held. The commissary's postilion, having been converted, left the commissary, who had no other means of conveyance, and so the preacher escaped. seed, however, which he had sown had taken root, and brought forth its fruit

in season.

EVANGELICAL MISSIONS.

The

The subject of Evangelical Missions was not overlooked. The discussion, however, was narrow and ineffective. The principal feature of it was an able speech from Dr. Duff, who animadverted with great and just severity on the selfishness of the Christian Church, and her aversion to make the necessary sacrifices for the salvation of the heathen.

THE JEWS.

The discussion relative to the seed of Abraham was by no means the least

important. Some of the facts adduced will alike surprise and gratify the Christian reader. It was stated that there were in Berlin no fewer than 2,000 baptized Jews, as well as some thousands in England. The Report also set forth that there were no fewer than fifty-nine clergymen of the Church of England Jews; and that in one chapel in London 700 of them had been baptized.

ITALY.

The next Report turned upon Italy, which is, at present, in a very interesting condition. The following are among the principal facts:

Amongst encouraging features of the religious state of Italy, he mentioned: 1. The moral tendencies of the best writers; 2. The conviction which has taken hold of the public mind, that the state of Italy is due to Popery, whilst the prosperity of England is due to Protestantism; 3. The extreme discredit into which the Romish clergy have fallen. The great obstacles encountered by the Gospel in Italy are the gradual operations of the Papacy: first, in withdrawing the Bible, and leading her to believe that there is no Christianity in the world but what comes from Rome; the result of this is disgust, leading to scepticism, and the obligation to make a public profession of Romanism (at Easter, for instance) leads to hypocrisy. Secondly, the Papacy is responsible for the death of conscience in Italy, and the substitution of an artificial conscience-that of the church. Thirdly, the spirit of suspicion is rife throughout the land; it is fatal in politics, and often in religion.

TURKEY.

The last Report, of any moment, was presented by Dr. Dwight, of Constantinople. The facts are striking:

The Mahometans form two-thirds of the population. Whilst they outwardly profess their religion-for the penalty of death is still in vigour against apostates-many of them are free-thinkers, and care not a whit for the Koran. The Greeks have remained stationary; their priests, though very ignorant, have unlimited power. The Armenians are in the most hopeful state; a spirit of inquiry prevails amongst them. Many societies bring their agencies to bear on these masses. The British and Foreign and the American Bible Societies have spread the Word of God in fourteen different languages. Two religious papers are published periodically-one in the modern Armenian, and the other in Hebrew and Spanish. In order to give an idea of the Missionary cause, the Report then took up, one by one, the different stations. The American Mission employs altogether forty-five missionaries, forty-six females, and seventy-five natives. When the first missionary arrived in Constantinople, he found only one Protestant service on