dencies. These writers have laid their hands on the foundations of the faith. Christianity itself is threatened. It is impossible that their system of meditation,-even if its details were freed from the disgusting coarseness for which Dr. Pusey evinces so incomprehensible a taste,—can fail of weakening the authority of the sacred volume, wherever this party succeed in persuading people to adopt it. What particular form of error or superstition it is meant to disseminate, is a question of but secondary importance. It shakes the authority of revelation. It teaches men to tamper with the letter of the Word of God. It teaches men to treat the most sacred names and awful mysteries, as if the Gospel was an outline of legendary mythology, where the history of imaginery persons and events was sketched out to furnish materials for the exercise of a fancy more or less refined. It undermines men's reverence for truth. And what other results can any one expect to follow, except that which has ever followed, and ever will, whenever men have been sinful and foolish enough to attempt to promote what they considered piety, by an admixture of truth and falsehood, fact and fiction, the Word of God, and the vagaries of a wild and irreverent imagination?"-(p. 362.)

It will be admitted, that, considering the large number of young persons, now entering, or having recently entered, upon the office of the Ministry,-who follow almost implicitly the guidance of Dr. Pusey and his coadjutors,- this danger is one of no light or ordinary character. What is to become of Christianity without the Bible? Yet this system clearly puts it out of sight,-gives it no authority, and utterly disregards its plainest commands. Dr. Pusey knows, as well as we do,-the plain injunctions of Holy Scripture; "Add not unto His words, lest he reprove thee, and "thou be found a liar." "If any man add unto these things, "God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this "book." He knows, too, the explicit declarations, that “The "testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple," "The entrance of thy word giveth light, it giveth understanding "to the simple." "I have more understanding than my teachers, "for thy testimonies are my meditation." And that our Lord's own appeal ever was, "What is written in the law ?-how readest "thou?" 66 They have Moses and the prophets : let them hear Yet upon all this he deliberately turns his back,-declares that his faith shall "stand in the wisdom of man," and not in the power of God, and teaches that the best way to "live holily," is to turn Scripture narrative into a romance, and mix up a farrago of facts and fictions!

This new Oxford theology forms, obviously one of the greatest

dangers of the Church of England in our day. Many of her members, and even of her ministers, have already been carried over to Rome; and a still larger number, it is to be feared, remain within her pale in outward appearance, who would be delighted to join the Romish sect, but who hesitate on the score of the sacrifices which this step would involve. Taking both classes,—the declared and the undeclared Papists, we fear that the Church may be considered to have suffered the loss of many hundreds of her ministers. Another class, however, remains to be noticed, which is probably still more numerous,—and its influence still more blighting :we mean that of the high-churchmen who are not Tractarians.

A fashion,—a prevalent disposition, has been very evident for some ten years past, among a very large body of the clergy who have kept clear of the Tractarian heresy, which leads men to cultivate with peculiar sedulity, what they call "Church Principles." This fancy has seized upon a considerable proportion of the Evangelical clergy, and it is conspicuous in that class which stands near to the Evangelical,—the moderate and respectable and devout high-churchmen. With one consent, these have adopted the habit, for some seven years past, of making much of the Church,-her ordinances, her sacraments, &c, and, in too many instances, to use the words of the Bishop of Calcutta,-" letting the Church hide the Saviour." This evil has operated with a peculiarly blighting effect. First, there was a retirement from Bible-society meetings, and similar assemblies, where Churchman and Dissenter had been used to join, and in which the gradual drawing together had been more and more perceptible. All this was abruptly terminated. But the whole tone and spirit suffered together. We can well remember the disappointment we felt, some years back, when, happening, at a large watering-place, to hear a most excellent and Evangelical minister preach to a crowded congregation of all classes-we found that the subject upon which he dilated, through an hour's discourse, was, the sin of Korah and his company! A thousand persons, of the mixed character usually found in a watering-place, were present. They had shewn no peculiar tendency to schism, for they had preferred the Church to the meeting-house. Yet, instead of a heart-stirring exhibition of the gospel of Christ,-instead of any appeal to the consciences of the mixed assembly, the greater part of which consisted of mere worldlings, whom he would probably never see again,-instead of the least effort to arrest the course of some hundreds of human beings who were thronging the broad road which leadeth to destruction, this really excellent man occupied a whole morning's discourse with an investigation of the nature of schism, and the

perils of rebellion against Church authority! We heard that discourse with pain and regret, which was greatly increased by the thought, that this was probably a fair or even a favourable sample of what was going on in some thousands of other parishes; for the preacher was a truly pious and devoted clergyman.

Great has been the declension and drought occasioned by this lamentable change. Sinners have been left without an effort for their conversion;-saints, without "instruction in righteousness," while some of the best men in our Church have been elucidating Church principles.' The enemy quickly saw his advantage, and, forthwith plied the flock, thus left in a drowsy and unguarded state, with a well-chosen temptation.

While the preachers have been exalting "the Church," and forgetting the Saviour, the people, feeling a decay of interest, have turned to worldly lures and temptations. A "making haste to be rich" has become fashionable among professing Christians. Take the list of the Committee of any of our Religious Societies,take the Bible Society, the Church Missionary Society, or the City Mission. Look at the Committee of 1830 and of 1835, and compare it with the present Committee. You miss many names: some of these are dead, but where are the others? Have they become poor? No, but they have become rich!

Well, but the richer a Christian gets, the more money, and the more time, he has to spare. Why should not men who could give a £50 donation, and three hours attendance per week, in 1830, double their sacrifices, now, if their means are doubled?

There are many men whose means have increased ten fold, and who give less, now, than they did when they were moderately endowed.

But we are not now speaking solely, or principally, of their contributions, we are speaking of the blight which has passed over their spirits. They may be found, perhaps, in their places at Church on the Sunday, though even there their absent looks lead to painful surmisings as to whither their hearts are gone;-but where are they from Monday morning to Saturday night?

Several names, well known in the religious world, have recently appeared on the lists of directors of some twelve or twenty Railway-companies. We do not denounce Railways, or object to the presence of a Christian in the management. But we doubt the practicability of any Christian's managing two or three, consistently with other duties; and the undertaking an interest in a dozen, we hold to be quite indefensible.

We have alluded to Railways in passing, but we mean not to make any special reference to them. What we complain of, is, a

"making haste to be rich," which evidently absorbs the whole soul and faculties of many men who know that they ought to "glorify God with their bodies and their spirits, which are His." A Christian is prospered of God, and becomes comparatively rich. His profession, or trade, prospers, and all anxiety for the wants of his family is removed. Should not gratitude be shown? Should not "What can I render unto the Lord for all his benefits?" be visibly inscribed on his whole life? Instead of which, you often meet such an one, eagerly pressing along the streets, not on some Christian errand, but in pursuit of some new object of gain,— some scheme by which fresh heaps may be added to his already needless pile!

Does not this spirit of covetousness wither and blight the churches? We cannot doubt it. Yet, in the Establishment, we have no guage by which a decline can be ascertained. We have no yearly or decennial census of members,-no periodical accounts of the progress making. One approximation we may perhaps gain, to the real state of the case, by observing what other denominations confess, of the condition of their societies and churches.

The Christian Witness, a magazine published among the congregational dissenters, has directed particular notice to this question, in its last number, and has collected many facts which throw light upon it. The editor observes, that

"The cause of Christ is one: the gain of one section of his church is the gain of all. It follows, therefore, that, as extensively as possible, the ministers and members of each community should be correctly acquainted with the progress and present state of the work of God throughout the whole gospel field. The advantages of such a knowledge will be manifold: it will enable us to weep with them that weep, and to rejoice with them that do rejoice. Its reflex operation will, moreover, be of the utmost moment to each of the several observers. It will excite comparison, prompt inquiry, stimulate activity, and inspire prayer."-(p. 470).

He then proceeds to examine the condition of the Baptists in the United Kingdom.

"The entire number of Baptist churches in Great Britain and Ireland is stated at 1,787; the number of chapels which have been opened for public worship, either new or after enlargement, is forty. The number of ministers deceased within the year is twenty-six. The committee of the Baptist Union have received returns from 978 churches, in which the gross increase is stated at 11,045; the gross decrease at 6,153,-giving a clear increase of 4,892 members on the year, that is, five to each church. The number of churches associated is 1,099, and the number of members 86,555; average number of members in each church, 110. But the number of their churches of which the increase is only one or two members, is very large. The committee say that they observe with deep regret that the condition of not a few of the churches is stationary, and even retrograde. A calculation, carefully formed from the returns, exhibits the following result:-In twenty-two of the English associations, containing 507 churches, the condition of which is reported, 174

have had no clear increase; and of these 142 have suffered a clear diminution. The committtee are quite ready to hope that so painful a proportion of decreasing churches would not be found throughout the denomination universally; but they think the fact is one which they are bound to state, and one which is fitted to give rise to serious and salutary reflection.”—(p. 470.) "The admirable documents of the Baptist Union, which seem to be faithfully drawn up, exhibit a state of things very far from satisfactory, and which will doubtless lead all concerned to deep searchings of heart,' that they may strengthen the things which remain and are ready to die. Still it is clear that the Baptists are, at present, the most prosperous denomination among us."-(p. 471.)

The New Connexion Methodists adopted, at their last Conference, the following resolution:

"That the Conference deeply deplores the decrease in our numbers during the past year, and feels that the event ought to be regarded as a source of deep abasement and sorrow before God. The Conference having directed its anxious attention to this painful subject, deems it expedient that our respected superintendents should, as early as possible, bring the matter before the leaders and quarterly meetings, for their searching inquiry and prayerful consideration; and the Conference would also especially and affectionately exhort the officers of our churches cordially to co-operate with their ministers, in devising and carrying out such measures as, under the Divine blessing, will restore the prosperity of our Zion, and cause both ministers and people to rejoice together." (p. 471.)

Of the Wesleyan Methodist Association the " cautious and faltering language of" the following resolution, "but too plainly indicates the real condition."

"The Assembly took into careful consideration the state of the Connexion as indicated by the number of members returned from the respective circuits. It appeared that in thirty-two circuits there had been some increase in the number of church members, and that in thirty-three circuits the number of members had decreased. The representatives from circuits in which the societies had decreased were severally called upon to state what were the causes which had in their circuits hindered the prosperity of the work of God. Inquiry was also made as to how far the recommendations of the preceding annual assembly for improving the spiritual state of our Connexion had been carried into effect."-(p. 471.)

The Editor himself says,

"We are inclined to believe that it fares no better with that most laborious people, the Primitive Methodist Connexion: first, because they are wholly silent on the subject, a fact not likely to have occurred had they been able to publish anything to the praise and glory of God; second, because one of the ministers of the body, in an article in our Number for April, states the numbers at about 90,000, but the Conference which met in June sets them forth as 87,585, and the deaths on the year as 1,122. On these grounds we sorrowfully conclude that this section deeply shares in the common affliction." (p. 471.)

Of the Dissenters, the Editor adds,

"Of our own people we can say nothing with confidence, having, as we have said, no statistics. We rejoice to know that we have a considerable number of prosperous churches, and many more in a state of tolerable health; but we should betray our trust if we did not frankly confess that we have a large