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Notes of the Month.-Ecclesiastical and General.

cently held, when £19 were collected, we rejoice in the liberality of our friends.

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Rev. J. Knapp, M.A., minister of St. John's, Portsea. Pavilion Evening Rev. J. Fleming, minister of Kentishtown Congregational Church. BritanSPECIAL SERVICES FOR THE WORKING nia, Hoxton: Evening, Rev. W. CLASSES-Special services for the work- Landels. It is stated that during the ing classes were held on Sunday, Oct. 7, last course instituted by the committee, in the following theatres:-Victoria: 161 services were held, which were atAfternoon, Rev. Paxton Hood, minister tended by upwards of 27,000 persons, of the Congregational Church, Offord- at a cost of £1,825, being at the rate road, Islington; evening, Rev. Dr. of one penny for each individual. At Lester, minister of St. Luke's, Nor- St. James's Hall, Piccadilly, two wood. Sadler's Wells: Afternoon, Rev. special services were held on Sunday; J. Knapp, M.A., minister of St. John's, that in the afternoon being conducted Portsea; evening, Rev. H. B. Ingram, | by the Rev. Samuel Martin. of Westminister of Pentonville-road Congrega- minster Chapel, and that in the tional Church. Standard: Evening, evening by the Rev. Dr. Spence.

Notes of the Month.

ECCLESIASTICAL.

Two remarkable instances, one of intolerance, the other of liberality, have occurred in connection with the Episcopal Church. Of intolerance, in a certain Miss Morice's declaration to her tenants in Cardiganshire, either to go to the Established church, or to give up their farms. Of liberality, in the Rev. Dr. Lester inviting Wesleyans, Independents, and Baptists to take the Lord's supper together in the large church of Norwood, of which he is incumbent. The first has awakened

many strictures, and the second many

commendations.

or the Covenants considered as gradual developments of Divine truth. The Independents have lost their Spurgeon. Rev. H. Gratton Guinness was baptized on Saturday evening, September 29, in the Somerset-street, chapel, Bath, by Lord Congleton. The celebrated candidate gave an address before the administration of the ordinance.

Regent's Park College held its annual meeting, October 9. Dr. Angus was prevented by ill-health from attending. According to the recently issued American Baptist Almanack for 1861, 'it appears that there are nearly two million Baptists, of every name, in the States and Canada.

The Congregational Union met recently at Blackburn. More than 500 The Bradford discussion is over. ministers and numerous visitors were Barker refused to argue until compresent. The meetings were unusually pelled by the vote of the umpire and attractive. The Congregational lecture the audience. His atheism is the this year is to be given by Rev. James most revolting and determined. Kelly, of Liverpool, on the Divine Thomas Cooper's caustic rebukes, Covenants, their nature and designs; however irritating to Barker, were

no menace is

richly merited. It seems to have been by the Czar that Barker's object to make the discussion intended by that conference against

an opportunity for preaching atheism. The discussion, if such it can be called, will be published in a few days.

The Meetings of the Evangelical Alliance bave commenced. Great interest has been excited by them. Dean Close's inaugural address was manly, hearty, and liberal. Father Chiniquy has arrived, and will speak at the public meeting on Friday.

GENERAL.

EVENTS still move with great rapidity in the Italian peninsula. Garibaldi has entered Capua, and Victor Immanuel is on the road to Naples. The voting for annexation is going on amidst great enthusiasm. Telegrams deceived us when they spoke of irreconcilable differences between Garibaldi and Cavour. It turns out to have been Mazzini's influence that led to the proclamation about the Quirinal. He is now under a cloud. The pope hopes great things from the Warsaw conference of sovereigns. Louis Napoleon has been assured

France. Austria has promised great things to her nationalities. We hope the sequel may prove that, for once, the house of Hapsburg may be trusted. The Queen of Spain has been shot at by a young man, but fortunately escaped. Rumour says that some persons of distinction are involved in the affair.

At home, the great event of the month has been the meetings of the Social Science Association at Glasgow. Large crowds assembled to hear the hale old veteran, Brougham. A few days after the meetings terminated, he was again speaking before thousands of Liverpool citizens, on the presentation of the free library to the town, by Mr. W. Brown. This munificent gift cost £40,000. The Queen has returned in safety from Germany. Sir Harry Smith and the Duke of Richmond have died; but the rumour that Sheridan Knowles was lost in the Arctic, in the Baltic gale, is, we greatly rejoice to hear, false. He is now staying at Torquay.

Marriages and Deaths.

MARRIAGES.

September 27th, at St. Clement's Chapel, Norwich, by the father of the bride, Mr. James Orissa Peggs, to Sarah, daughter of Rev. Thos. Scott.

October 11th, at the Baptist Chapel, Archdeacon-lane, Leicester, by Rev. H. Hunter, of Nottingham, and Rev. T. Stevenson, of Leicester, Mr. Thomas Asbby, to Ellen Anne, second daughter of Mr. J. F. Winks, Leicester.

DEATHS.

September 20th, at Lower Clapton, Rev. A. Fletcher, D.D., aged 73.

September 26th, Mrs. Eleanor Newyear. man, late of Willoughby, in her 80th

September 30th, at Peckham, Surrey, Emily Ellen, granddaughter of_the late James Silk Buckingham, Esq., aged 12.

Missionary Observer.

HAS THERE BEEN FAILURE?

Addresses at the Liverpool Missionary Conference, on the Causes of Failure in connection with Missions to the Heathen.

THE Rev. J. B. Whiting, Central Association Secretary of the Church Missionary Society, remarked, that he did not quite like the word "failure" in the programme. It had been his duty, as an advocate of the Church Missionary Society, to plead the cause of missions in various parts of England, and he had endeavoured to acquire some information as to the amount of success with which God had blest missionary efforts. He found that the Bible had been translated during the last sixty years into upwards of 100 languages. There were 100,000 professing Christians in New Zealand; 100,000 in Burmah and Pegu; 112,000 Protestant Christians in India; 5,000 or 6,000 in Mesopotamia; 250,000 in Africa; 40,000 in America; and 250,000 in the islands of the Pacific. There were Christians in China, Madagascar, Mauritius, and many other parts of the world. There were 200,000 or 300,000 Negroes under the care of Christian pastors in the West Indies. There are more than a million and a quarter of living Christians who, but for the labours of the missionaries, would all have remained idolaters. We are apt to compare the missionary successes of the present time, in disparaging terms, with the successes which attended apostolic labour. He had inquired, however, from the most competent authorities, as to how many individuals, in their opinion, were gathered out of heathendom by the labours of the inspired apostles during the first sixty years of mission work, after the Ascension of the Saviour; and he had been assured that, as far as they could judge, not more than one million of living Christians were found after those first sixty years. They must remember also the hundreds of thousands who were

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now sleeping in their graves round the mission churches; and how many had gone to their heavenly home from fardistant recesses of heathendom, who were never known to the missionaries, but who had learnt from tracts, Bibles, and other means, of the salvation which is in Christ. Then, again, the 1,600 missionaries who had gone forth from Europe and America were now accompanied by more than 16,000 native ministers, religious catechists, scripture-readers, and schoolmasters, who were evangelising their own fatherlands. The native ministry, moreover, had passed into the second generation; and from our schools and orphanasylums the native apostles would arise, whose crown of rejoicing would be multitudes of Christian converts. They ought not, therefore, to indulge in a spirit of despondency, but rather lift up their hearts in devout gratitude to Almighty God, for the great success with which he had so far blest missionary labours, and indulge in the joyful hope of still greater blessings in days

to come.

The Rev. Dr. Somerville, Secretary of the Foreign Missions of the United Presbyterian Church, trusted that one effort of their proceedings would be to encourage their esteemed brethren labouring in the mission field: and though they produced no other effect than this, they would have to thank God, and be grateful that they had come together. It was most desirable also, that the results of their proceedings should be of a practical character, and influence the whole church. There were various reasons for missionary success as well as for failure, arising from the peculiar habits of the people amongst whom the missions were planted. To these he would not advert. They must all recognize, however, this most important principle, that it was not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts," that the work was to be done. It was the province of God to make a new creation as he made the

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and whatever causes they might | missionaries and helping them in their work; and in which anticipations were not expressed that the blessings which God was pouring out over this country would soon reach the most distant lands. Let us impress upon the home church that the salvation of the world is within their reach. There were persons who said that the success of missions had been very limited and very small. Let those persons be told that they were themselves responsible for such comparatively small results; that the fault was their own, and not that of the missionaries; that the missionaries were labouring nobly,

Let the home church be told that, if they wanted to see a harvest waving with holy grain, this would only be the result of an increased spirit of prayer and vital godliness manifested by the whole church.

first; assign for success, they were all secondary to the work of the divine and gracious influence. He was forcibly impressed with the thought that there was a most intimate connexion between missionary success and the state of the home church. Missionaries were messengers of the churches: they went to do the work of the home church. Now he was afraid that the home church had satisfied itself too much with the position of merely sending forth the men and giving them support. He had been looking into the Scriptures closely of late, and he was prepared to make this statement-zealously, and with great self-denial. and if his brethren should hesitate about it, he asked them to consider the matter and examine it for themselves The statement was this, that there is not, in the word of God, an intimation of very rapid success in the extension of the Gospel, that is not preceded by an account of the revival of religion in the home church; and that, on the other hand, there is not, as far as he had been able to ascertain, a statement of the revival of the church of God, of the manifestation of his gracious presence, and of the outpouring of his Spirit, that is not succeeded by an ac count of the rapid extension of the Gospel. Now, if this be true, how were they to get success abroad? They must begin at home. They must get their own hearts warmed. They must plead with God with the urgency of Jacob for the conversion of the heathen. He was satisfied, that if the home churches were to realise their responsibility, were to plead with God and to give him no rest upon this point, they would hear of the most glorious results in all parts of the earth. Having alluded to the recent revivals, Dr. Somerville said he rejoiced in the movement which had thus spread, believing that from it would go forth an influence which would animate and make more productive all other religious movements. Since this revival movement had taken place, he had not had a letter from a foreign missionary in which joyful reference was not made to the fact, and in which thanks were not given that the home church was holding up the hands of the

The Rev. Dr. Tidman, Foreign Secretary of the London Missionary Society, said we have heard a great deal about the failure of missions, but I have yet to learn, Sir, where missions have failed. I have yet to learn, that in any region where the great command of Christ to preach the Gospel has been carried out, and where this has been accompanied by humble de pendence and earnest prayer, there has been failure. I assent, of course, to all that our friends have said, that there are grievous impediments to success. That is one thing; but, when we saw evil and only evil sown, no wonder that the fruit was bitter and deadly. No wonder that, when our countrymen, calling themselves Christians, went to India, and lived as heathen, they coufirmed the heathens in their heathenism, and impeded the progress of better men. But nevertheless, Sir, have we not proved to-day that the carrying of the Gospel to India by our missionaries has done much for our own countrymen? Do we not know that there was a period within the lives of some present, when an eccentric but good man, advertised for a Christian in Calcutta; and do we not know now, have we not heard to-day, that our excellent friends, both military men and civilians in India, are some of the most valuable auxili

Has there been Failure?

aries the missionaries now have? People from India, no doubt, come to the east of London and see much vice and very little good; but that is not sufficient to prove the failure in missions. Considering the amount of work we have abroad, the limited agency we have employed, and the comparatively recent period in which this great work has been accomplished, we have had a measure of success, that has far exceeded the sanguine expectations of the fathers and founders of modern Protestant missions; and that | should make all our hearts rejoice and give thanks to God. If we want more success, our first duty is with our selves, for we lie under serious respousibility. I agree with Dr. Somerville, that the Church at home has not done its duty to our missionary brethren abroad; that we have not sufficiently considered their difficulties and discouragements; not sufficiently prayed for their prosperity and success; and therefore, Sir, sin lies at our door, which no parade about our liberality and zeal will by any means counterbalance. But as regards the general view of the mission-field, let me remind you that within the last fifty years the Gospel has been carried from England and America, and from a few Protestant Churches of Europe, to almost every region of heathenism. And tell me where it has failed? Why, we heard just now from Mr Whiting, that in the islands of Polynesia more than a quarter of a million of human beings -if they could be regarded as such before the Gospel reached themcannibals and murderers, have been brought under its influence, and elevated not only to civilisation, but in some instances to the highest forms of Christian excellence. A Christian friend once told me that, when be first went to Polynesia, a man lived near him, who in the days of his heatheuism was often seen with a piece of human flesh attached to a book, and thrown over his shoulder; he knew not how many he had slain; and all, or nearly all, be had destroyed, not from a spirit of revenge, but from a love of human blood. That man lived to be a teacher of the Gospel, and to exhibit it in some of its most refined amenities.

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In all the missions of Polynesia-and you will remember, almost every missionary institution has its missionaries there-there has been a greater amount of success than has attended the labourers of our brethren elsewhere.

When we look to India, that most difficult of all missionary fields, especially remembering what it was half a century ago, has there been failure in India? I won't talk about the number of professing Christians,—from 120,000 to 130,000,-but we have had specimens of Christianity among the natives lately that may well make us ashamed. Don't we know that during the mutiny whilst some nominal Christians denied their faith rather than submit to the fearful consequences which a confession involved, there were Christian natives, men of yesterday, mere babes in knowledge and faith, who laid down their lives gladly for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ? Sir, I admit, many of these heathen converts are very deficient in knowledge and defective in character; but don't I learn from the Epistles of the New Testament that that is one of the inseparable adjuncts of a recent redemption from heathenism? Do our missionaries find in their churches at this day any crimes and weaknesses which are not marked in those inspired letters? But although in some respects they bring with them these early disad vantages, they bring with them also the freshness of that new nature and the vigour of that Divine life which God bas imparted to them. Let us not talk about failure, when we have such instances of primitive power and Christian dignity as we have lately seen upon the plains of India.

Look to Africa, and thank God the different parts of Africa are dotted almost everywhere with the results of missionary efforts, and look at those churches which have been under cultivation more than twenty or thirty years. Has there been any failure there? Is it not true that one of our honoured brethren-the friend of my early age, and still my friend, now I am no longer young-Robert Moffatt, when he plunged into the deserts of Africa, did he not find a race of the

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