nacity of the Irish members, the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill has been carried through committee without material alteration; though two amendments, in the Protestant sense of that technicality, were rejected by very narrow majorities. The Oath of Abjuration Bill has been permitted to pass through committee with only verbal opposition. Lord John Russell has re-introduced his Chancery Reform measure in a shape more acceptable to the profession and promising to the public. Sir George Grey has carried to its last stage his bill for the removal of Smithfield Market; and has obtained the partial sanction of the House to a metropolitan water supply bill, the enactment of which, we soberly believe, would be the perpetration of a flagrant job, and worse than even the present system. He has also in charge, from the upper House, a Church Building Acts Amendment Bill, which proposes to erect and endow new churches by putting a rent on the pews of existing edifices: the discussion of it has already proved so damaging, that it can scarcely be persevered with.-In Committee of Supply, interesting debates have been raised on the scandalous system of naval promotion and expenditure, on the Caffre war and Cape constitution, and on a grant of 1,2301. for the repairs of Maynooth College. That item was all but disallowed-119 voting against, and 121 for it. A considerable portion of the minority were, doubtless, influenced by sentiments with which the names Sir Robert Inglis and Mr. Spooner are synongmous; but a goodly number by the principles eloquently enunciated by Mr. Fox, and adopted, we are glad to observe, by Mr. Anstey. -The Ceylon charges have, at length, been fully debated; and Lords Torrington and Grey acquitted by a majority of 80 (282 to 202).-Lord Melgund's bill for supplementing the old Scotch parochial with public ratesupported schools, received the support of Ministers, and was cast over at the second stage by a majority of only 13 (137 to 124). Mr. W. William's Sunday-trading Prevention Bill has also been thrown out-a result inevitable from its clumsy construction; and not to be regretted, we think, by any intelligent lover of the Christian Sabbath.-Mr. Heywood started a debate on a question which he has made his own--religious tests in universities; but it was eut short by a count-out. Mr. Cobden has, at length, succeeded in bringing on his annual motion for the mutual reduction of national armaments. With his characteristic practical wisdom, he had limited his proposition to recommending negotiation with the Government of France; but he succeeded only in drawing from the voluble Foreign Secretary a speech highly complimentary to himself and his object. In deference to his Parliamentary friends, Mr. Cobden withdrew the motion: one more year's experience of Palmerston may prove the most effectual argument for carrying it to a division. On the same evening, or rather at noon of the same night, Mr. Hume introduced his motion for the abolition of the Bible-printing monopoly. It was resisted with feeble and contradictory speeches by Sir George Grey and Sir Robert Inglis, and negatived without a division. The position of the great educational controversy, represented by the Public, Congregational, and Voluntary School Associations-the compromise of the Metairie v. Wiseman suit, by the division of M. Carré's seven thousand pounds between his relatives and the Roman Catholic charity; each party withdrawing all offensive imputations on the other-the death of the aged Earl of Shaftesbury, and consequent elevation of Lord Ashley to the House of Peers; of Richard Lalor Shiel; and of Matthew Hill, the venerable educational reformer, and father of a race of sons whom it is a public honour and benefaction to have reared-suggest remarks which we reluctantly suppress or postpone. An epitome of the census return, has been made out and published with extraordinary celerity. The total population of Great Britain and the little islands adjacent is set down as 20,919,531, against 18,655,981 ten years since-and of London 2,363,141, against 1,948,369 at the same period. A diminished rate of decennial increase the accelerating prepondency of females over males and the lesser number of dwellings than formerly in proportion to the total of inhabitants are the prominent features of the return. We may be thankful that after the fearful drain of emigration, the ravages of pestilence and famine, and the pressure of severe commercial crises, we are in no worse position. Ireland has yet to be accounted for; and if the returns thence show a positive decrease of inhabitants, we must not be dismayed. It is well to know the worst, especially if we know also that a change for the better has commenced; and we verily believe that, in the beautiful idiom of Hibernia, the dark cloud has begun to turn its silver lining outward. A Miscellany. 'Like a merchantman, bringing out of his treasures things new and old.' MAN could direct his ways by plain reason, and support his life by tasteless food; but God has given us wit, and flavour, and brightness, and laughter, and perfumes, to enliven the days of man's pilgrimage, and to charm his pained steps over the burning marl.'-Sidney Smith. How many will do great things in the way of gifts or service, who will not do those little acts of kindness and self-denial which common life demands. Many a person has built hospitals or alms-houses, and has been ready to give great gifts to the poor and hungry, who has been found at home miserably deficient in domestic virtues.-Emilie, the Peace-maker. AN effort, which we hail with benediction, has been set afoot in our day, to make better provision for the lower classes of our population, to mitigate their distresses, and to cultivate their minds; but if we could secure the sanctification of their hearts, this would be something greater still. Comfort in their houses and culture in their minds, without a right attraction toward God in their hearts, is just a house built upon sand, that tumbles in at the first violent gust of wind, if, indeed, it be not as a firebrand in the hand of an inexperienced child.-Tholuck's Worth of Human Reason. THOSE that die in faith are generally found to have been those that lived by faith.-Dr. Cumming's Voices of the Day. NOT a few think in the present day, that if a Christian avow his creed he is dogmatic, or he is bigoted. They assert we ought to say, It is my humble opinion that Christ is God. It is my humble belief that Popery is a lie. It is my judgment on the whole that Christianity is true. Away with such contemptible-such unchristian phraseology.-Idem. THERE is a good deal more in Scripture than we have yet discovered, depths and heights, and glories and ideas, and allusions and facts, aye, and doctrines that will come out of this wondrous book as the years rush by, and as the Spirit descends upon our hearts and fulfils that promise, Many shall run to and fro, and the knowledge of things now hidden shall be increased,' such as we have not yet dreamed of.-Idem. We may cut off the branches of a tree, and thus prevent its bearing fruit; but so long as the root and the trunk remain, there will be no security, even though it should seem to be dead, that the next spring-time shall not witness those branches waving with more luxuriant foliage, and yielding more abundant fruit. So, we may outwardly reform our lives; but if evil principles remain unsubdued within the heart, there will be no security against the outbreak of the passions.-Gamble's Paul the Apostle. If men did understand what joy of heart, What inward comfort to a soul distrest, What ease of grief, and what release from smart, God's peace doth bring, and how it makes men blest, Sir John Stradling, 1623. Intelligeure. CHURCH REFORM. THE ecclesiastical events of the month have been both numerous and important. The more prominent topics are referred to, and commented on, in our Monthly Retrospect. Amongst these is the meeting of a number of clergymen and laymen of the Established Church, at Freemasons' Tavern, on the 20th ult., to concert measures for the establishment of a metropolitan association, having for its object the promotion of a temperate yet efficient reform of the National Church, such reform only being advocated as would effect a closer conformity with the Scripture in its ritual, polity, ministry, and patronage. Deputations were present from Liverpool, Birmingham, Carlisle, Plymouth, Reading, Bristol, Bath, Leicester, Colchester, Gosport, Brighton, the Isle of Wight, Bedford, Sheffield, Nottingham, Buckingham, and other parts of the country. The meeting was presided over by Mr. Sullivan, of Brighton, and addressed by several influential members of the Church of England; one (the Rev. Robert Lee) stating his belief, that if certain alterations were made in the Church formularies, many hundreds of Dissenters would enter within its pale. Resolutions were subsequently adopted in favour of a revision of the Prayer-book, and a removal of the abuses attaching to Church property and Church patronage. The Bishop of Exeter's synod, also, for a reform of the Church, though in a different direction, promises to be attended by a very small minority only of his lordship's official subordinates, many of the leading rectors and curates having protested against it, and amongst them the bishop's old antagonist, Mr. Gorham. THE WESLEYAN SCHISM. The Reform party in the Wesleyan body appears to be rapidly increasing. The 'Wesleyan Times' publishes a statement whereby it appears that in eighteen out of thirty two districts the decrease of members of the connexion has been 45,288 in one year, from which it estimates that the whole loss to the connexion from the tyrannical conduct it has pursued cannot be less than 100,000. At this rate, a few years more, and the conservative party will be nearly extinct. THE EVANGELICAL CONTINENTAL SOCIETY. A few of the societies whose meetings usually take place in the month of May have held their annual assemblies since the publication of our last number. Amongst these is the Evangelical Continental Society,' to whose quarterly paper we have more than once been indebted for valuable information concerning the progress of Protestant Christianity on the continent. A conference, on the subject of continental evangelization, in connexion with this society, has been held during the month, at which many ministers and gentlemen of various denominations were present. Much valuable information was elicited at the meeting, and interesting statements of the progress of Protestantism on the continent given by Mr. Milsom and Dr. Aubigné. Dr. Aubigné afterwards addressed the public meeting of the society, and stated many encouraging facts concerning the decrease of Romanism, and the success which had been granted to their efforts against Rationalism on the one hand, and superstition on the other. A resolution, thankfully acknowledging the success of these efforts, was afterwards moved by Dr. Archer. We are gratified to know that there is every encouragement to give and labour in behalf of this movement. SCOTTISH MISSIONS-THE INFLUENCE OF VOLUNTARYISM. The anniversary meetings of the assemblies of the Free and Established Churches of Scotland have also been held since our last. We notice them principally for the sake of calling attention to the striking illustration which the reports afford of the deadening influence of Establishments on Christian liberality. Thus the aggregate amount of contributions, from associations and donations, of the Free Church, during the year, was 91,5277. 8s. 8d., whilst the whole revenue of the great and timehonoured Kirk,' for similar purposes, was only 37,219. 14s. 1d., scarcely two-fifths of the amount contributed by its Dissenting rival! THE FRIENDS' SUPPORT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT. A tabular statement has just been published of the amount of unwilling contributions levied on the Friends by the Church Establishment since the year 1700, from which it would appear that this body alone contribute more than sufficient to support the highest prelate on the Episcopal bench-taking his income at the minimum return. The following is the statement of these distraints: It appears that this sum has been increased during the last year by further distraints to the amount of 8.2107. Ask an Infidel which is the more Christian church of these two, the robber or the robbed? NEW CHURCHES. ISLINGTON.-The new Congregational Chapel in the Caledonian-road was opened for worship on the 8th ult., and Mr. Davies, who will preach there, commenced his stated ministry on the 22nd. The building is handsome, substantial, and commodious, and situated in a locality comparatively destitute of means of public worship. We hope the undertaking will prosper. WYBOROUGH, DEVON.-On the 2nd ult., the foundation-stone of a new Congregational Chapel was laid in this village. WOTTON-UNDER-EDGE.-On the 18th the foundation-stone of a new Tabernacle' was also laid at Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. MINISTERIAL MOVEMENTS. BAGILL, FLINTSHIRE.-The Rev. Rowland Williams has settled as pastor of the Congregational Church in this town. BAWTRY, YORKSHIRE -The Rev. John Weston has been recognised as pastor of the Congregational Church in this town. CHISWICK.-The Rev. J. S. Le Blond has accepted an invitation from the Chiswicklane Chapel to become pastor of the church worshipping there. FISHPONDS, BRISTOL.-Mr. George Kerry, of the Baptist College, Bristol, bas commenced his duties as pastor of the Baptist Church at Fishponds. MIDDLEBOROUGH.-The Rev. Henry P. Bowen, late of Air dale College, has accepted the invitation of the Congregational Church in Middleborough-on-Tees, to become its paster. PERRY HILL.-The Rev. H. C. Hardiman, of Hackney College, has been recognised as pastor of the united churches at Perry Hill and Normandy, in connexion with the Surrey Mission Society. SHEFFIELD.-The Rev. H Thomas, B.A., late of Thetford, has accepted an invi tation to the pastorate of the church assembling at Garden-street Chapel in this town. STAINDROP.-The Rev. Robert Jones has accepted the pastorate of the Indepen dent Church at Staindrop, Yorkshire. THE MONTHLY CHRISTIAN SPECTATOR. AUGUST, 1854. Revelation the Religious Guide of Human Lature. In a recent number of this periodical,* we endeavoured to show that reason could exhibit no satisfactory pretensions to become the guide of man in religious affairs; we now take up the inquiry whether revelation may safely be accepted as such, and may be relied upon for the adequate fulfilment of an all-important function, to which its often boasted competitor is so totally incompetent. In the outset of this inquiry, it will be necessary for us to make it clearly understood what revelation is; and more especially to show that it is not either of two things which some men of high philosophical pretensions have affirmed it to be. a In the first place, then, revelation is not, as Mr. Morell asserts, mode of intelligence.' This idea is put forth in the Philosophy of Religion' in the following terms: 'The idea of a revelation always implies a process by which knowledge, in some form or other, is communicated to an intelligent being. For a revelation at all to exist, there must be an intelligent being, on the one hand, adapted to receive it; and there must be, on the other hand, a process by which this same intelligent being becomes cognizant of certain facts or ideas: suppress either of these conditions, and no revelation can exist. The preaching of an angel would be no revelation to an idiot; a Bible in Chinese would offer none to a European. In the former case, there is no intelligence capable of receiving the ideas conveyed; in the latter case, the process of conveyance renders the whole VOL. I. Christian Spectator,' May, 1851, K K |