such charges at defiance. The Committee of that Society have involved the religious world in a debt of gratitude, for the manner in which they have selected the publications which for years they have placed before the public Let any one turn to a list of their publications, and cast his eye over the names of works that are now accessible to all classes, (even the humblest,) which formerly lay forgotten and unheard of in the folios of the wealthy or the learned. Look at the portions of the writings of such men as Baxter, Booth, Owen, Bates, Bunyan. Look at the Biographical Series, containing notices of the lives of the most eminent saints of which these countries have ever boasted-at the choicest and most valuable productions of the divines of the present age, all teeming from the press of this admirably managed Society. These observations have been elicited by the perusal of the little work, the title of which is prefixed to this notice. It is in the form of letters, written with much earnestness, and displaying a deep knowledge of the human heart and its inmost workings. The subjects discussed are of the greatest importance; and notwithstanding all that has been issued from the press of late, on almost every point of doctrine and of duty, we hold that the writer has performed a good work in writing, and the Society conferred a favour in publishing, a little book calculated to lead to inquiry, and to stimulate to greater and greater advances in the divine life. The introductory essay is very interesting, and worthy the pen of the author of "The Evidences of Christianity." We could wish to place several extracts before the reader, from the essay and the work itself. Want of room will prevent us now doing so. We may, however, state, that the subjects of temptation, prayer, self-examination, preparation for the Lord's Table, religious literature, Scripture reading, and the importance of an elevated standard of piety, are ably discussed, and affectionately pressed on the attention of the reader. We heartily recommend the book to our readers, assuring them that they will find it admirably calculated to guard against slothfulness and backwardness in religion, to allure to brighter attainments, and, under the blessing of the Spirit, to advance the young Christian on his heavenly journey. To give a specimen of the style of the author, we make one short extract, on self-examination :

"Be assured, my young friend, that, if ever you arrive at an elevated standard of piety, you will attribute it, as much to a strict and persevering self-examination, as to any other means, which it is, under God, your privilege to use. It is through a neglect of this, that christianity makes, in most of us, such a dwarfish appearance. It is for the want of this, that hypocrisy vaunts itself in the habiliments of piety. It is for the want of this, that doubts, and fears, and disquietude, and backslidings, are so prevalent. I entreat you, therefore, as you value your peace and your improvement, to persevere in the faithful discharge of this duty. You will be abundantly rewarded. Faith will walk arm in arm with the promises; hope, instead of a flickering light, will become a steady radiation from an unclouded sun; love will grow to a flame, that many waters cannot quench;' and zeal, founded in truth, and directed by knowledge, will hold on, until death, its vigorous and untiring career.

"I say not, that you will at once arrive at this lofty elevation. Ah, no, you may have many a thorny path to tread, many a rugged way to traverse, many a difficult hill to climb. Nights of weeping, and days of darkness and of tempest may intervene. But God will interpose in your behalf; he will temper the wind to the shorn lamb, "

"The extent and character of the Presbyterian Church in England, at seasons of her greatest prosperity."

In forming an estimate of what the Presbyterian Church in England once was, it will be needful to take into view her character, as well as numerical strength. The historian that undertakes to record a nation's affairs, but who overlooks the amount of its civilization, its moral culture, and its religious institutions, falls far short, in many particulars, of giving a satisfactory narrative. In glowing language, he may describe the richness of its mines, the strength of its natural bulwarks, and the immensity of its population; but if he, at the same time, leads us to understand that the people are little superior to prowling savages, it lowers exceedingly our estimate of the nation's worth. Unquestionably numbers, in calculations either of a civil or ecclesiastical nature, form an important feature; but the weight of intellectual and moral character holds a much higher place with all enlightened statesmen who know in what a kingdom's strength consists.

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The views entertained by some, of the sentiments and tices of the Presbyterian Church, seem to call for these preliminary remarks, inasmuch as they have represented her, when established in England, as intolerant and oppressive in her measures. Should we, however, be fortunate enough to represent her beauties of character in their proper light, to exhibit the excellent working of her machinery, and to bring into view the truly benevolent motives by which her members were actuated, it will appear not only that she has been less reprehensible in this respect than other churches; but that, making allowance for certain defects and excesses incident to fallen humanity, the censures

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so liberally bestowed and widely circulated, are entirely groundless.

Having thus, for the present, merely alluded to the detraction with which the Presbyterian Church has been assailed, let us, in the first instance, take a summary view of her prosperous events. It must have been favourable for England, that the dawn of the Reformation upon the Continent was accompanied by a rupture between Henry VIII. and the Roman Pontiff. By the king throwing off the usurper's ghostly authority in matters of religion, weakening thereby the influence of superstition and the power of prejudice, truth must have found its way more easily to the minds of British subjects. At all events, soon after the light of divine revelation had begun to disperse the darkness of the Romish Church, and to diffuse its life-giving rays throughout the empire of Germany, Calvin's principles of church-polity, as well as the peculiar doctrines of Christianity, met with a cordial reception from many of England's popula tion. In defiance of numerous obstructions, the abettors of Presbyterian sentiments had greatly increased during Queen Elizabeth's reign, and had even become organized into a church. Much disappointed and oppressed by her royal successor, King James I. it might have been feared that men, whose principles were justly considered hostile to princely despotisin and prelatic domination, would have suffered a sore diminution of their numbers, yet they continued to multiply under the reign of this haughty and petulant monarch. Nor did the fond predilection of Charles for prelacy damp the ardour of Presbyterian zeal; for, notwithstanding the cold reserve of the English court towards a church daily rising into greater favour with the people, the revival of religion in 1638 gave her, under the smiles of a gracious Providence, an over, whelming influence in the kingdom, and a complete ascendancy in Parliament. Such was the hold which she had taken of the nation's affections, and her manifestly superior facility in promoting vital godliness among the varied conditions of social life, that, during the Commonwealth, the Presbyterian Church continued to retain the ascendency in the country, rendering it impolitic and dangerous for the Protector, whatever might be his secret hostility to her existence, to abolish the infant religious establishment. To mutilate the power of the Presbyterian party he certainly did attempt more than once, and with this design they were excluded by him from any principal share in the government; but their influence he

could not utterly destroy. Very soon, therefore, after the cessation of that government by his death, the secluded Presbyterian party were restored by General Monk to their places in Parliament, to all their former dignities, and their ministers to the full possession of all the livings in England. Continuing for a time in this prosperous condition, and encouraged by the flattering promises of Charles II., they had good reason to expect a participation at least of England's wealth. But the Act of Uniformity in 1662 blasted all their prospects, and dispossessed the conscientious portion of the Presbyterian Church of the benefices which they had enjoyed, fastening them down under the iron rod of oppression, until the period of the Revolution arrived. The toleration brought round by this blissful occurrence, in the providence of God, seemed for a time to revive the Presbyterian interest in England, yet the seeds of its decay were then sown; and after a few years' unsuccessful struggles, the ecclesiastical constitu tion appears gradually to have given way under the inroads of error, laxity of principle, and appalling indifference to the progress of genuine Christianity in the kingdom.

In condescending upon details, it must be regretted that the period has long since gone by, when any thing like precision can be obtained, as to the numbers attached to the Presbyterian church in this country. General, however, as must be our statements upon this topic, much more information might be collected than what our limits will permit us to record. About the middle of Queen Elizabeth's reign, history informs us, that the Presbyterians had amounted in number to one hundred thousand. But oppressed by an intolerant government, they remained in a disorganized state, being reluctant to thwart the powers that then existed, and afraid, by the open profession of their principles, to be the apparent cause of disquietude among her Majesty's subjects. Notwithstanding, however, the spiritual oppression to which they had hitherto submitted, the period had at length arrived, when the love of the truth required the abettors of Presbytery to make a disclosure of their sentiments, which they did in what was entitled, "An Admonition to Parliament." The authors of the admonition, and of a petition accompanying it, instead of obtaining a redress of grievances, were doomed to imprisonment in Newgate. A second admonition, and a Latin apology, written by Cartwright, one of the most accomplished scholars of the day, procured for them no indulgence. All hope of reformation in the church being at an end, the

despised Puritans determined to act upon the principles of ecclesiastical polity recommended by the Scriptures, as well as practised by the best reformed churches; and in accordance with their views, a Presbyterian Church was first formed in England, upon the 20th November, 1572, at Wandsworth, a village six miles from London, when eleven elders were chosen, and their office described in a register entitled, "The Orders of Wandsworth." In that year, and in that very village, the formation of the first Presbytery in England took place, consisting of nine members, whose number afterwards increased to fifteen ministers, and several laymen of influence in society. Having ventured upon the formation of one Presbytery, seven others were almost immediately erected in different parts of the kingdom. Confronted as were the Presbyterians of that age by the Parisian massacre, which occurred in the very year to which this portion of our narrative refers; and exposed to appaling dangers from the prying jealousy of the hierarchy and the frowns of royalty, they afforded indubitable proof that nothing less than subjection to Divine authority, and regard to the vital interests of the Christian Church, could have induced them to profess principles so hazardous to worldly prosperity and individual safety.

Notwithstanding the deceit, arrogance, and tyranny, evinced by King James 1. towards the Presbyterian Church, there can be little doubt that, even under his reign, her numerical strength increased. Nor can there be the slightest uncertainty in regard to her numbers having become greatly augmented under the government of King Charles I. Distracted as were his councils, respecting civil matters, towards the close of his reign, the parliament put forth its united strength in promoting the interests of religion. It was then that the famous Westminster Assembly of Divines sat, whose sittings continued five years, six months, and twenty-two days, to arrange a scheme of religious uniformity for the three kingdoms, it was in compliance with the recommendation of this Assembly, that the Presbyterian form of church-government was first established, by way of experiment, for three years, and afterwards by the Parliament of England, without any limitation of time. The kingdom then became divided into provincial synods, instead of so many dioceses. The Synod of London consisted of twelve Presbyteries, whose clerical members amounted in number to one hundred and thirty-eight; and whatever difficulties and interruptions the Presbyterians had soon to encounter, in the Protector's time, Neal informs