Presbyterian Society, Jamaica Row, Rotherhithe.

"This congregation was for many years large and respectable, but for the last forty years of its existence gradually declined, till there were scarcely any hearers left. This induced the last pastor, Dr. Flexman, to resign, which he did in 1783, and the congregation dissolved. There was a considerable variation in religious sentiment between the former and latter ministers. Mr. Ratcliffe was supposed to be in the middle way, that is a Baxterian. Those that preceded him were Calvinists, and his successors Arians. The congregation of Independents that now occupies the place, was raised, after the dissolution of Dr. Flexman's church, and invited Mr. John Townsend to the pastoral office. He is the present minister, and has a flourishing congregation."

Independent Society, Lower Rotherhithe.

"When Mr. Sandercock (a Unitarian) settled at Rotherhithe, his congregation was but smali, nor did his preaching or religious opinions tend in any degree to increase it. On the contrary, it continued to decline under his hands for several years, till their numbers were so far reduced that they broke up their church state about 1762. After this, Mr. Sandercock retired to York, where he occasionally assisted Mr. Newcome Cappe."

Presbyterian Society in Leather Lane.

"The Presbyterian Society in Leather Lane was collected in the reign of Charles second, by Mr. John Turner." "Mr. Turner had various ministers to assist him, and left at his death a flourishing congregation. His meeting house was a moderate size building, with three galleries; and in former times it was frequented by many people of substance. During the latter time of Mr. Pope's ministry, the congregation very much declined; and after Mr. Hughes left them, about 1801, they had one settled pastor. The doors, however, were kept open till 1812, when the meeting house was disposed of to a more thriving congregation of Methodists." "By far the majority of ministers were decidedly attached to the old Protestant doctrines; nor does there appear to have been any essential deviation till after the death of Mr. Pope. The two last pastors were Arians."

Appended to these volumes is a treatise "on the origin, progress, and present state of Christianity in Britain." In the last chapter, "On the present state of the Dissenting Interest," the author expresses his views more at large respecting the causes of decline in some of the congregations.

"That which contributed most to the decline of the Dissenting interest, was the open departure of many from the doctrines of the Gospel. This began to take place immediately after the Salter'sHall controversy, and continued to make rapid strides amongst the

Presbyterians, till it has at length landed them in a region something below Socinianism." "The Presbyterians have continued to decline in a very progressive manner, till their congregations have been ruined, and their meeting houses shut up. The progress of error was gradual. It first began with that convenient stalking horse, charity, which was as successfully applied to screen those who departed from the doctrines of the Gospel, as it is in the present day to cover a defection from the distinguishing features of nonconformity. As liberality grew in fashion, the divines of the new school began to preach up the innocency of mental error; and the celebrated lines of Pope were appealed to with as much confidence as any one would quote a text of Scripture to support a doctrine.

"From High-Arianism, there was a gradual advance, step by step, to the lowest state of Socinianism; and in our own day, the system has been still farther purified, and rendered less objectionable to unbelievers. Under the specious pretence of rescuing Christianity from the corrupt glosses of Christians, the most bare-faced attacks have been made upon everything that is peculiar to the system. If Woolston explained away the miracles of our Lord, in order to render Christianity rational, its modern defenders have been equally unmerciful with his doctrines; and to prepare the way, one of them has had the shameful hardihood to compare the conception of Mary, with the debaucheries of a Roman knight in the temple of Isis. The result of a departure from the doctrines of the Gospel, has been the declension of the Presbyterian interest, and in many places its total extinction. Indeed the name is now retained only by a few Arian congregations which scarcely exist, and are hastening to a dissolu

tion.

"When the Presbyterians departed from the doctrinesof the Gospel, the mantle of the ejected ministers was transferred to the Independents. These were at first a much smaller body than the other, but the number of their churches gradually increased, and their interest became very considerable. It is greatly to their honor, that amidst surrounding declensions, they continued steadfast in the faith once delivered to the saints. The discipline of their churches was much stricter than that of the Presbyterians; and they kept a constant watch over the attendance and deportment of their members. In their academies they paid a particular attention to religious duties, and admitted none as candidates for the ministerial office, who did not previously discover marks of genuine religion. By these means, they possessed a constant succession of pastors, who were eminently devoted to their work; and whilst their brethren were exalting the religion of nature, they gloried only in the cross of Christ.'

Our extracts from these volumes have hitherto related to a single subject. We are unwilling to close without presenting another, which may serve as a specimen of the manner of preaching adopted by the old, evangelical Presbyterians of England-that preaching under which their congregations rose, and their churches prospered. It is from the last discourse of the great Dr. Calamy, delivered early in the year 1732.

"Were I assured," says he, "that this was the last sermon that I should ever preach to you, I know not any better subject I could fasten upon, than Rom. xvi. 24. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all;"—and I can heartily say "Amen" to it. For I can freely say, as to you, as he with regard to Israel of old, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for you is, that you may be saved." And may you but have the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with you, and I shall not doubt of it. But though this is my desire in the case of you all without exception; yet there are sundry of you, as to whom I might say, it is not the object of my hope. I know not how to suppose, that such of you as are sermon proof, and on whom the word of God maketh little or no impression; that allowedly run a round of repenting and sinning, and sinning and repenting; that though you name the name of Christ, yet depart not from iniquity; and though you profess to belong to him, yet live like the rest of the world; that run into temptations, instead of shunning them, and have Christ in your mouths, but the devil in your hearts, and rest in the form of godliness, while you are contentedly strangers to the power of it: I can't, I say, see how such of you can have the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with you. You rather thrust it from you, and signify to him that you neither value him nor his grace a rush, and are able enough to shift for yourselves. No, you must be thoroughly changed and altered before you can have any lot or portion in this matter. The good Lord grant you may be convinced of the necessity of such a change, and stirred up to pray earnestly to him to effect it, and then may experience it.

There are, I apprehend, others of you, with respect to whom there is more ground for fear than hope. And I take this to be the case of such as remain contentedly ignorant of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, without earnestly laboring for divine knowledge; and of those who totally absent themselves from the Lord's table for fear of coming under too strict bonds to be religious; and of those that shut God out of their houses, and take no care about training up their children and servants in the knowledge and fear of God; that will plead any little trifle that offers, in excuse of non-attendance on God in his house; and as forward to spy motes in the eyes of their brethren, while they make nothing of beams in their own eyes. It may well enough be feared that such persons as these have not the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with them, and if they really desire it, they ought to take care that such things as these be mended.

But then there are others of you, as to whom, I bless God, I can satisfactorily hope, that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will be constantly with you. All of you that endeavor more and more to deny yourselves, and mortify your earthly affections; lead a life of faith; have your conversation in heaven, and adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour in all things: You that watch over your hearts and tongues, your thoughts and ways; and are determined that whatever others do, you and yours will serve the Lord; you that are disposed to take up your cross when you are called to it; and count all things but loss that you may win Christ; you that can take upon you the most troublesome service, when your call is plain, trusting

him for assistance; and are careful to manage the talents with which you are entrusted, so as may be most for the honor of him that bestows them on you; you that walk humbly with God, and mourn after him, though you cannot delight in him to that degree you would aim at; and say with the Psalmist, that you have none in heaven but him, none on earth that you desire besides him: All such as you, most certainly have the grace of God with you; and may you have it more and more! May it be upon you and yours! May you have it in your own dwellings, and in your attendance on God in his house! You will be much in my thoughts, and I hope I shall not be out of yours. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."

RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

1. THE CHRISTIAN EXAMINER AND GENERAL REVIEW. TEMBER, 1830.

SEP

This number of the Examiner contains two articles, of which we think it proper to give our readers a short account, accompanied by remarks.* The first is entitled “Difficulties in Parishes." The writer "begins by glancing at the history" of parishes," particularly in Massachusetts;" and concludes with an estimate of the good and the evil resulting from the present divisions in parishes.

In the history here given of our parochial establishments, there are some inaccuracies requiring notice. It is alleged, for instance, that "the first planters" of Massachusetts "were, almost without exception, communicants." This would be a trivial error, were it not that great results, in our time, have been made to depend on it. All who are thoroughly acquainted with the early history of Massachusetts know that the statement is incorrect. The reader may see it refuted in the Spirit of the Pilgrims, vol. i. p. 61, and in a note, p. 506 of the present number.

Again it is said,

"The third article of the Bill of Rights, guaranties to every parish or religious society, as they are exclusively responsible for the support of the minister, the exclusive right of electing him. Respect for an ancient usage, it is true, has, until lately, induced parishes almost universally to concede to the church the privilege of leading in the choice of a minister, and voting as a separate body. The church, however, in law, has no such right, and can claim it only as a matter of courtesy; for the parish is competent to call and settle a minister, not only without the consent of the church, but against the declared wishes and solemn remonstrance of every member of it. Communicants, of course, are not excluded from voting in the choice of a minister, for they have a right to vote, and do vote, as members of the parish; but the Constitution bars their right of voting twice on the same question, first in one capacity, and then in another."

*There is a long and valuable article in this number of the Examiner on the Rights of the Indians. Another on the same side, and of equal value, will be found in the North American Review, published the present month.

On this statement we have several remarks to offer. In the first place, the words "religious societies," in the third article of the bill of rights, were understood, at the time when our State Constitution was adopted, to include churches, and to secure to the churches the right of electing their pastors, as really as to parishes that of electing their ministers. "By religious societies' we are to understand the churches of Christ." Again, "By 'religious societies' I suppose we are to understand the churches of Christ." And again, "The Legislature have a right to require 'religious societies' or churches to perform a civil duty." This is the very language of the times, quoted from the public discussions attending the adoption of our State Constitution. We present it to show how the Constitution was then understood, and in what sense it was received and consented to by the people.

2. Venerable men, clergymen and others, who lived at the time when the Constitution was adopted, declared shortly afterwards, have declared since, and are ready to declare now, that the idea was at that period unknown, that the Constitution went to deprive the churches of their immemorial rights, in regard to the election of their pastors. When this thought was suggested, in 1784, by Gov. Sullivan to the late Dr. Thatcher of Boston, he replied, " Ministers did not suppose that there would be such a total change in the system of their church government, as Mr. S. hath suggested; neither had this gentleman himself ideas of this nature at that time, (the time of the adoption of the Constitution) unless I am much mistaken."-The venerable Dr. Dana, of Ipswich, wrote as follows, in 1827.

"I have a perfect remembrance of what passed in 1780, when the Constitution was pending. After the frame of it was voted in Convention, it was sent to all the towns for their adoption, with such variations as two-thirds of them might wish for. It was read in town meeting where I live, and a committee was appointed to consider it and report. I was on that committee. Besides this, it was read publicly, and considered by parts for several days. Explanations were likewise given, as they were desired, by a venerable member who had attended the Convention. At all these meetings I was present. But at none of them all did I meet with one intimation, or expressed apprehension, of such a kind of exclusive right of towns, parishes, &c. as we are now called to believe in. In fact, had we then believed that such an exclusion of the church was intended, it is past conjecture, that nine-tenths of this ancient town would have rejected it. Nor is it believed that it was with such an understanding, that the Convention itself agreed, or could have agreed in it. In every view, their silence on the subject is conclusive evidence.

Respectfully,

J. DANA."

3. Unitarians themselves, until within a few years, contradicted the pretensions now set up, as to the controlling and absorbing power of parishes, and the utter destitution of power and right on the part of the churches. The council which ordained Mr. Lamson, in the year 1818, declare that church and parish have each "a right to elect a pastor for itself, "and that "this right is secured to the church by the essential principles of Congregational polity." Did the gentlemen composing this council, the corps d'elite of American Unitarians, believe that the Constitution of Massachusetts went to annul "the essential principles of Congregational polity"?