members of the hierarchy, both lay and clerical, have turned their faces first to Puseyism, and then towards Rome.

But we said that the present position of High-church Dignitaries and Officials was one of extreme mortification. This will be obvious when we bear in mind-that the chief ground of their self-complacency, and the supercilous contempt they entertained for others, rested upon their supposed Apostolical succession, and their being a legitimate branch of the "catholic church." But in a moment all their towering pretensions and vain imaginations are levelled with the dust. His Holiness of Rome, has at one fell swoop completely unchurched them, and reduced them to the level of those, whom they in their arrogancy designated as only in "pretended holy orders, and pretending to holy orders." In a moment the crown is fallen from their head, and their glory is turned into shame. If we may indulge in a litle poetic imagination, (also allowing a change of person, the singular for the plural) we may now fancy those who were the object of their contumely thus taunting them with their degradation:" Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become one of us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee." A few months since, when the dominant sect could say,-"I sit as a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow," her adherents were as silent as the grave as to their doubts about Apostolical Succession and "the Power of the Keys." But now, these claims are assailed from another quarter, the monopolists of these nostrums, the

sons of the church themselves are coming forward to expose the delusion. And we shall not be sur prised to hear of some of these gentlemen coming forward and enunciating with fresh vigour and eloquence the doctrine of Bishop Hoadly's celebrated Sermon before King George I., on the words, "My kingdom is not of this world;" which set the whole nation in a ferment, and caused many of the High church party to knaw their tongues for pain.

We are not sanguine enough to believe that these squabbles bewill contribute much to the protween the potsherds of the earth motion of genuine christianity, but they will tend much to emancipate the minds of men from superstition and the trammels of the anti-christan priesthood, and this will cer tainly be a benefit to mankind.

The train of thought in which we have indulged has led us to extend our remarks further than we intended; and it is time we should now proceed to the Sermon.

The following passage from the introduction, is sufficient to produce a favourable impression of the Author's views. We allude especially to his statement of the early corruption of Christianity, and consequently that the vaunted patristic Theology is in reality the theology of the antichristian apostacy.

"If it be so, that from the earliest ages man has not understood the ways of Him who, though of infinite wisdom, has yet condescended, little by little, to reveal himself to his children, 'till that perfect day, when veiled in the humanity of Jesus of Nazareth, he manifested the Godhead more fully to his church, and made our darkness to be light, "through the knowledge of his name; need we wonder that, when the Gospel burst forth in the effuigence of its glory, those whose cars had not been unstopped,

whose eyes were holden that they should not see its beauty, should again defile the pure fountains of the "waters of life," by opening into them the sluice gates of human interpretation? I think not; nor am 1 surprised that after a lapse of four centuries, wherein the pure Gospel of the Apostles had been wrested again and again from its simple meaning, and glossed over by false interpretations; a priesthood, thirsting to rule over their fellows. should assume, as Rome has done by her Popes, to be the successors of the Apostles, and then ignorantly to claim what is denominated "THE POWER OF THE KEYS."

The author has some just remarks upon the Apostolic ministry, and the aspect which these inspired men wore towards the world, and the world to them, which we should like to transcribe, but we are precluded from doing so for want of

room.

In reference to the nature and character of their work, he says,"But then how did they go? They went performing stupendous miracles: they went raising the dead; healing the sick; restoring limbs to the maimed giving sight to the blind; and opening the ears of the deaf; they thus attested the validity of their commission." To be successors of the Apostles, common sense must teach every man that all pretenders thereto must be able to perform the same work, or else their pretensions will only expose them to ridicule and contempt. On this point our author says,

"It is now our duty to inquire from the Divine records whether this power has descended from the Apostles to any man or set of men since their day? Is Scripture clear and simple on this point? I believe it is so, and 1 am anxious that your minds should be clear also, for it involves much; on it rests

4 doctrine that is fostered and cherished by

members of our own church; that vain.

delusive, and empty, that popery-heralding doctrine, "The Apostolic Succession." Again I ask, Who had the power? who had the might? In what words is it expressed in the records of Eternity? In the 16th chapter of St. Mark's Gospel, and the 17th and 18th verses, it is thus written: "And

these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name they shall cast out devils; they speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." In the 20th verse we find: "They went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following."

After challenging the Romish Priesthood to produce one single evidence of their Apostolical succession and authority, by performing one act which could establish such a claim; the writer justly observes,-"And if it be that Rome with all her pretentions to Apostolic succession, is thus helpless, and her power lighter than vanity,' why is it that there are found in our church those who lay claim to a privilege such as that of succession Apostolical? If there is one thing which has contributed more than another in our day, to introduce. the late unheard-of aggression, it is the laying claim to this vanity, this shadow."

This is all very true, but we have no doubt that there are some hundreds of the author's clerical brethren who will not thank him for telling it.

There is much valuable matter, and much truth in this Sermon, and it deserves a wide circulation.

Poems by Johnson Barker. Hull: John Nicholson, 48, Lowgate. London: Houlston & Stoneman. 1849. pp. 120.

Books of Poetry do not come much within our range, nevertheliar interest, we have great pleasure less when these possess any pecuin introducing them to the notice of our readers. The volume of which we have given the title at the head of this article, has some claim to attention, Mr. Johnson Barker is a young man not much

To our poetical friends and readers, we cordially recommend the volume for their perusal, promising them they will not be disappointed. And from the neat manner in which it is got up, and its moderate price, it is well adapted for a present.

Edinburgh, 12th March.

The remarks of your Correspondent, "Investigator" concerning the present condition of the Strict Scotch Baptist churches are very much called for. Every one will agree with him in saying that the "low and declining state of these churches furnishes matter for serious and sad reflection"; and there are many who do think upon it both seriously and sadly, yet several of those who thus think may be disposed to call in question, the truth of his conjecture as to the causes of such declension. Your correspondent lays the chief stress upon two causes! the first of which is, admitting individuals among them as members, who deny the divine sovereignty; and the other is, making some of the commands of Christ, matters of doubtful disputation. Now there can be no question that these evils exist to a considerable extent in some churches, but it would be wrong to infer that this is the case with all. The writer of this note is quite as one with Investigator, as to the baneful influence of such loose views, yet he cannot agree with him in designating them as the chief causes of declension. What other causes there may be we do not pretend to say; but certainly there must be others at work which are equally destructive. This is only an assertion it is true, but it is an assertion which perhaps Investigator himself would make if he took a suificiently wide observa.ion,

With regard to your correspondent's postscript, a few words may be necessary. He alludes to an account in a monthly periodical, of Mr. Oncken's visit to Edinburgh, and of an assembly held there at which were present the members of five separate B ptist churches belonging to

that city. Also that a proposition for the support of a missionary by their united efforts, was under the consideration of each church.

To one of those churches, Investigator put certain queries on account of this announcement. He has evidently received a wrong impression altogether, which we would wish to remove, so far as that one church is concerned. The facts are these-several of the members, being warmly attached to Mr. Oncken, as one who earnestly proclaimed the truth, and who had suffered for its sake, attended the meeting referred to, that they might hear from himself the progress of the gospel on the continent. The meeting was a public one-open to all who thought proper to purchase a ticket, whether they were members of religious bodies or whether they were not; to all, in short, who were anxious to hear "good news from a far country." On the other hand, some of the members, equally anxious to hear Mr. Oncken, but afraid, we suppose, lest any one should construe their presence into sanctioning a religious alliance, declined to attend. The church, as such, took no action on the subject.

At the meeting it was stated, that the church at Hamburgh, had at present several Missionaries, but they were desirous to send out one or two more, which their poverty alone prevented them from doing. An appeal was therefore made to the Baptist churches in Edinburgh for funds. The church at Hamburgh had the men, and would send them out as soon as they had the prospect of means. To what extent this call has been responded to we have not the means of ascertaining, but in so far as the church in question is concerned, nothing has as yet been done; neither do we know whether any thing is to be done by them as a body or not.

But if