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"the saints in Italy," again" salute", their brethren in the Lord. Never since the Reformation, has there been such a stirring up of the European mind to its very depths, upon the grand question of "What shall we do to be saved ?" As far as our space permits, we shall, from time to time, give information regarding the progress of what may be truly termed the Second Reformation. Oh! that the Church of Scotland, and in Scotland, was alive to what we may do, and, therefore, ought to do, for the furtherance of this glorious work, by our expressed sympathy with brethren labouring abroad--by our earnest prayers in their behalf-and by such liberal contribution of funds, (as has never yet been made,) to aid them in their efforts to print Bibles and tracts, support schools, and employ colporteurs. The present opportunity of doing good may be short; it is the more solemnly important.

ITALY.

"A GREAT change is taking place in the
Church of this country. Papacy has re-
ceived a shock from which it is not ex-
pected to recover. It is said, there are
sixty thousand people in all Italy ready
to renounce the errors of Popery; and that
they are only waiting till they can num-
ber one hundred thousand, to make open
profession. We often hear sentiments
from our Italian acquaintances, that make
us start; instead of looking upon us as lost
heretics, they cannot only converse in a
rational manner on the subject, but it is
become a common thing for them to say,
'You are right, and we are wrong!' These
poor creatures are not free to change their
religion; their church is one of bondage;
and they must give up rank and fortune,
when they give up their false creed.
... One certain fact is, that there is
an open talk here of breaking up some of
the convents, a speaking sign of the
times, and reminds one of the reign of
Henry VIII. In short, the downfall of
Popery is a common subject here; and if
the Almighty is so working out His own
ends, we must not complain of any per-
sonal inconvenience that all these changes
and revolutions bring upon individuals."-
Extract from a Private Letter, (quoted in
Evangelical Christendom.)

The chamber of deputies in Tuscany, have given the following decision regarding the freedom of the press :

"Where the press keeps within the

bounds of a reasonable and honourable con-
troversy, discussing, and even contradicting
the dogma of any religion whatsoever, it uses
its right; there is no reason for complaint,
ing himself of the same means."
every one being free to confute, by avail-

PRUSSIAN POLAND.

WE have received letters from Pastors
Czerski and Post. The former says,-

".. It is necessary, upon Christian grounds, to oppose the ultra and democratic party here, as they have not only the interests of religion, but most of their never manifested any desire to advance movements may be partly termed positively irreligious and godless. Many of them openly profess their atheism and their the German Catholics, headed by Rongé, hatred to God. The new reformed Jewsand many who have fallen away from Rome

unite with this ultra party. But they are doomed to perish, like all who deny God, and who do not recognize the necessity of His help and countenance in their labours. The little appearance of religion which still pertains to German Catholicism (or Ronge's party,) is used as a mere mask to cover social and political agitation. Many congregations, formerly adhering to Rongé, are now anxious to join with

us.

In our own congregations, religious life is being more and mor quickened. My own people requested me to hold a morning prayer-meetinga request to which I thankfully acceded. We meet every morning at half-past seven, for devotional exercises, and meditations upon the Epistle to the Romans. I have published an address to the Poles, a translation of which, into German, İ now send you. I ask your prayers, and the prayers of your congregation. Entreat all other Christians, also, to pray for us, that in those stormy times, the Lord may defend and strengthen us in soul and body."

A translation of the address alluded to, is given in the last number of Evangelical Christendom. The following is an extract from it :

"Further, insist on your clergy preaching to you the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ, as contained in the Holy Scriptures, instead of the senseless dogmas of

We take the first opportunity afforded to us, of cordially recommending this admirable publi. cation of the Evangelical Alliance, to our Christian friends and brethren of the Church of Scotland. tion regarding the state of religion abroad, It contains fuller and more authentic informathan any other existing publication with which we are acquainted. It may be ordered from any bookseller for sixpence a-month.

the Roman Pontiffs, who call themselves the successors of Christ, and the visible head of the Church. He who walks in Christ's footsteps is His follower, belongs to that one flock of which He is the true Shepherd, and is a member of the Church which is His body, and of which He is the sole head, (Ephes. v. 23; Col. i. 18.) We have no need of a head of the Church residing in Rome, when we possess One who sits at the right hand of His and our Heavenly Father. Neither does this socalled head of the Church in Rome teach the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. Whence, else, that hatred which you Romanists bear to every other confession? Why must you hate those who do not join in your particular worship? Not truly in obedience to the commands, or in accordance with the doctrine of Christ; for He teaches us to love and bless our greatest enemies; but solely because your priests, and their head, the Roman Bishop, command you to do so. You assert your faith to be the best, and yet you do not so much as know what true faith is! Think you, then, that fastings and processions-invocation of saints-performing public worship in rich and showy garments-burning incense and ringing of bells in the churches -are essentials of faith? and that the observance of such ceremonials can procure you favour with God? Deceive not yourselves. God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth,' (John iv. 24.)

"Or, do you think the Lord God is the God of the Romanists only? Hear what the Bible says, (Rom. x. 11-13.) Such is the doctrine of Scripture,-a doctrine of the truest love to our neighbour. But, oh how widely different is the doctrine taught by the self-seeking, hypocritical, dissolute Romish priests! Their constant cry is, 'Whosoever diverges in a tittle from the papal decrees, will be damned.'

"Oh! turn away from the voice of these false prophets, and listen to the voice of Christ the Lord, if you would escape from temporal and eternal ruin!

The true faith cannot be endangered; nothing is in danger but the lies and high-sounding pretensions of priestcraft. And these are in danger; for the truth is spreading abroad; and this Divine truth will, sooner or later, tear off the mask from the faces of the hypocritical priests, beneath which they seek to hide their villanies from the view of the simple. Therefore, my brethren, examine and prove what is acceptable to God, and have no share in the flagitious works of darkness, but rather expose them, for

things are done of them in secret of which one cannot speak without blushing,' (Ephes. v. 10-12,-German translation.) You are apt to pronounce judgment upon others, why do you not judge those who belong to yourselves? for what have I to do to judge them that are without, since God will judge them? 'Wherefore put away the wicked one from among you,' (1 Cor. v. 12, 13.) And, in the same chapter, the Apostle says, If, therefore, one that is called a brother be a fornicator, or an usurer, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or a robber, with such a one ye may not even eat.'

"My brother Poles! open your eyes, and stride not daily a step nearer to your destruction! Lay hold on spiritual freedom, and God will give you political liberty also.

"I know well, that by the publication of this open and most sincere appeal to my Polish brothers, I shall excite much enmity against myself, while some will condemn my imprudence, and others curse my impiety; but my answer to all is, I fear not them which can only kill the body, and after that, have no more that they can do; but I fear Him who can cast both soul and body into hell,' (Matt. x. 28.) And, therefore, I will not cease to proclaim the truth, whatever may be the personal injury it may bring

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We have no space, in our present number, for our valued French correspondent's letter, regarding the Protestant Church of France. We observe, that Pastor Pozzy of Bergenac, has joined M. Frederic Monod and Count Gasparin, in their secession from the National Church. We trust, that the next Synod will be able to unite upon such a declaration of positive Christian truth, as will prevent a farther secession by men holding the orthodox views of the Rochelle Confession; which, as M. Adolphe Monod maintains, has never ceased to be the legal and authoritative confession of the French Protestant Church. The following notice regarding the Central Protestant Society, (whose claims were advocated in Scotland, last summer, by their

excellent agent, Mr. Boucher,) is extracted from a communication in the last number of Evangelical Christendom :

"In view of these manifestations which darken the prospects of the National Church, the Protestant Central Society founded for the spiritual benefit of members of the Establishment-has felt the necessity of redoubling its efforts. Pastors Grandpierre, Vermeil, and Valette, members of the Committee, have published a circular, intended to awaken the zeal and generosity of their friends. They announce, that the Society's resources are quite insufficient to meet its wants, and that they rely upon those who are attached to the National Church, and are desirous of promoting its prosperity, liberally to support this institution.

Certainly, the Central Society is engaged in a useful and interesting work. The Committee have placed, at the head of their regulations, & profession of orthodox faith, very short, but positive and explicit. It confesses the natural misery of man, and our incapacity to do good, the Divinity of Jesus Christ, free salvation by His blood, the necessity of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, and so forth. The Committee, therefore, cannot be fairly charged with holding any heresy. Nevertheless, the Central Society has not yet acquired any great credit with our flocks. It lacks funds; its sphere of activity has been very limited. Whose fault is this? It would be difficult to say, exactly. Circumstances have been unfavourable, and many friends to the National Church think, that the money received from the public treasury, suffices to meet the internal wants of our churches. This is a false idea; for the Government does not create places de pasteurs wherever they are necessary; but this opinion is very prevalent, and leads many to give less than they otherwise would. In general, experience proves, that National churches are less prompt to make sacrifices than independent communions; they are too much accustomed to receive everything, without bearing, personally, the slightest

burden."

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nately maintained Rationalism. The New Evangelical Church has adopted a full and satisfactory confession of faith. Its government is Presbyterian. In regard to form of worship, the mode of exercising discipline, and of administering the sacraments, great liberty is given to the convictions of the several congregations, for the sake of obtaining union upon essentials. In our next number, we may, perhaps, give a few details.

WESLEYAN MISSIONS.
POLYNESIA-THE FEEJEE ISLANDS.

"UPON a review of our Mission in Feejee, I am bound to say, that its importance, in my estimation, increases with the increase of my knowledge of the people, the country, and the work now in progress here. There are two very large islands, with high mountains and fine rivers, each as large as Devonshire. Upon these, the Beside these, there are, in the entire population may be reckoned at 150,000. group, about one hundred islands, with a population, Mr. Hunt thinks, of another 150,000, making a total of 300,000 souls in Fecjee. I am well satisfied, that twenty times the present number of people might easily find subsistence on these islands, and one hundred islets not now inhabited. It is a remarkable provision of Divine Providence, that the two main articles of food in Feejee, never fail together. If the season proves wet, the taro thrives well; and if it be dry, the yam abounds. When the Gospel shall have caused their wars to cease, the industrious habits of the people cannot fail and, by consequence, a rapid increase of to secure abundance of excellent food, population. While this people have, at present, a rough exterior, and cannibal habits, they are possessed of activity, shrewdness, and the remains of civil distinctions, titles of honour, and courteous salutations of one another, which, in their missionaries say, in a variety of ways, fine and copious language, produce, the the most agreeable effect. The New Testament is now read by many,—an edition having issued from the Mission press in Feejee. The impression begins to be very general, that Christianity is true, and that, of course, their system is false and destructive. Those who have embraced the Gospel, generally adorn it; and a goodly number of them go everywhere mark, that, notwithstanding the bloody preaching the Word. It is worthy of reand cruel ferocity of these Pagan cannibals, no violence, even of the slightest

kind, has been committed on the person, of any of our missionaries. But the case has not been so with other white men dwelling among them, many of whom have been clubbed, maimed, and killed.

"The character of our brethren for consistency and truthfulness, while living in Feejee, may now be considered as fully established. Whoever else is in jeopardy, the messenger of grace and peace is held sacred. The very devoted and spotless life of Varani, since he bowed the knee to Jesus, has done much to soften prejudice, and to cast a lustre on the Christian character. His friend and companion-inarms, Thakombau, King of Feejee, was very bitter and earnest against the Gospel, until he saw the true power of piety in this living epistle.' Since that time, his tone has softened down, and his views have become corrected. He now says Christianity is true, and that he and his people shall soon embrace it; but there are some wars to be completed first! Both he and his people are well aware of the designs of the French priests, aided by the naval power of France; and deep is their dislike to both, but especially to Popery, the full display of which they behold in Tahiti.

"The widely-extended influence of the press-the dilligent attention to the education of the people, and especially to the children, wherever we get a station-the increased instruction afforded to the most hopeful of the native converts-the multiplication of these in all directions where the people are willing, and even anxious to receive them as teachers-and, above all, under God, the successful preaching of the Gospel, and the consequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit, now most earnestly prayed for by the excellent missionaries scattered among the islands cannot fail to overcome the power of Satan, and to set up in Feejee the kingdom of our God, and of His Christ."

Extracted from the Journal of the Rev. Mr. Laury.

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the high and important office of a judge in the United States, what wonderful evidence is afforded of the unchanged character of the Jewish people! After nearly 1800 years of weary wandering, they still speak of Palestine as their fatherland, and themselves as the "rightful inheritors of the land of promise." No dispersions or persecutions have damped their hope of returning, as a people, to the old territory, and of again rearing a temple in Jerusalem. It is deeply interesting to notice how the Jew and the Christian recognize, in the signs of the times, tokens of the "return to their own land of God's ancient people;" and though both see that event in different lights, and give to it different meanings, yet this only makes the coincidence of their faith in it the more remarkable:

"It may not be generally known to our people, that since the destruction of our temple, upwards of 1800 years ago, Israel has been without a place of worship, dedicated with all the solemnities of our faith, and erected with suitable magnificence, to the Divine Architect of heaven and earth. The Jews, in their own land, on that land which God gave to them as an inheritance for ever, by a deed consecrated and confirmed by ages, were not permitted to erect a synagogue, from that fatal moment of the destruction of the temple, even to the present day.

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permission extended to the Jews in Jerusalem to build a temple, or a magnificent synagogue, a concession of little importance; but, taken with other extraordinary signs of the times, it has a most important bearing. We may be unmindful and indifferent in relation to those signs; but there is a Divine hand which directs, a Divine agency which controls, these movements; there are Divine promises yet to be fulfilled, Divine attributes which are yet to be made apparent to the unbeliever. .

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The mosque of the Mussulmans reared its domes and minarets on the site of our temple-Christians erected magnificent churches and rich-endowed chapels on our soil; while our people, the rightful inheritors of all that land of promise, crawled, in abject submission, to the walls of the temple, to bewail their hard destiny-to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and weep on the solitary banks of the Jordan. They never despaired of the fulfilment of those promises which God had made to them-that still small voice continually whispered in their ears, in accents soft as the therub's voice, Fear not, Jacob, for I am with thee.'

seat of Christ. His house was the picture of misery and heathenism, and shewed what man is without the Gospel. It was miserably filthy, small, and so dilapidated as to allow very little shelter from the weather. The sun was pouring in his rays through the greater part of the roof and sides. On one side, were two or three dirty broken cooking-vessels; on the other, a female fast asleep; while he and another female, seated on the dirty floor, were eating out of an iron pot with their hands. His wife, he said, had run away. The woman joined him in the conversation; but, like himself, admitted, that though she had once belonged to the Church at Wellington, she never now went to any place of worship, having fallen into sin. Both seemed indifferent about eternal things.

"I now turned from them with a sad heart, to the house of one of our people, which afforded a striking evidence of the benefits of Christianity. Here, as I entered the door, a smile crossed the countenance of the man and his wife, both of whom arose and welcomed me to their new and comfortable house, and immediately hasted to place a seat for my accommodation. Here I found industry, the usual attendant on the right reception of Christianity. The wife was sewing a dress, and the husband a pair of new trousers; their three little ones play

If there is any consolation in the last hours of life among the truly pious of our faith, it is in knowing that they are to be buried under the shadow of Mount Zion; to be near when the trumpet shall arouse the quick and the dead, at the daying cheerfully around them. The house of the great Atonement."

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

We refer our readers to the March Number of our "Missionary Record," for an interesting extract, giving an account of the rise and progress of this society. We are glad to see, that the Jubilee Fund amounted, in February above, to £39,000. The contrast presented by the following sketch, which we extract from the Church Missionary Record, may be witnessed, with few points of difference, in many of the wynds of most of our

towns:

"Contrast between a Heathen and a Christian.

"In the midst of so many idolaters as there are in this part of the town, it is pleasing to see the contrast between our people and them. I next visited an old thunder-worshipper, who, on a former visit, had promised to come to Church. I now called him to account for not having fulfilled his promise. He made many vain excuses, as being sick, &c.; all which I told him would not do at the judgment

had a different appearance from the one I had just left. The walls, though of mud, were well constructed, and had a neat and clean appearance; and there were many articles of European furniture. Its appearance bespoke the dwelling-place of the Son of Peace; and I could not but pray, as I left them, that all those around might, by sovereign grace, become temporally and spiritually as the inmates of that happy dwelling."

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

THE Rev. Mr. Gill, in writing from the Island of Mangaia, (South Pacific,) announces the following instance of the

Liberality of the Native Christians. "At the close of the annual meeting, held on the 31st of May, 1848, the total amount of contributions was £120. You will observe that the amount of contributions in money is small; but the amount of personal and individual labour, required in the manufacture of the arrow-root and the fishing-net, gives a pleasing proof that they love the cause of Christ, not in word only, but in deed and in truth. Freely have they received, and freely do they give. You will, I am convinced, receive

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