fectly notorious that in all these provinces not only is the Episcopal Church in the minority as to the population, but it is by no means the largest denomination."

V. CONGREGATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.-The Rev. John Davies, of Brecon College, was ordained to the pastoral office over the church at Llanelly, on the 4th of last month.-The Rev. Alfred Pope is about to remove from Leamington, and has accepted a unanimous call from the Congregational church at Torquay, Devonshire, where he will (D.v.) commence his labours on the first Lord's day in October.

VI. GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. - The Bishop of Ely, in the visitation charge he has recently delivered, states, that nearly one-third of the beneficed clergy in his diocese are non-resident in their cures. The reasons assigned for this anomaly are ill health, the want of suitable parsonages, and the holding of more than one living.-Six young men were licensed to preach the Gospel at the last meeting of the Edinburgh Free Presbytery. It is an interesting circumstance, that these young men belong to six different nations. One is a Scotchman, another an Englishman, a third an Irishman, a fourth an American, a fifth a Parsee from Bombay, and the sixth a continental Hebrew.-Elihu Burritt, the learned American blacksmith, is perambulating this country for the purpose of making himself acquainted with the social condition of the people.

VII. AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.-The triennial assembly of this large and widely extended ecclesiastical body was held during the month of June. Its meetings were of unusual importance from the nature of the subjects discussed. Great harmony and Christian kindness prevailed during the sessions. From the official narrative of the state of religion in this church, we take the following extracts, which cannot fail to be gratifying to British Christians.

We are not permitted at this time to unite in universal rejoicings, and lift the note of exultation and triumph, as in times not long past; neither are we, on the other hand, to hang our harps on the willows, and sit down in mourning. There has been no general awakening through our bounds, yet neither has there been, by any means, the total absence of the influence of the Spirit of God. On the contrary, in nearly all of our presbyteries, there are interesting reports of revivals in particular churches; and in many of these presbyteries, a large proportion of their churches have been watered by the dews of Divine grace, and those parts that have been thus more especially favoured, are the southern and south-western portions of the church.

Among the favourable indications apparent in the churches, and worthy of important notice. are the following, to wit: the prevalence of peace and harmony in doctrine and discipline; renewed and growing attention to catechetical instruction-greatly increased regular attendance on the public services of the sanctuary; a more systematic, and consequently a more efficient mode of benevolent contributions; the permanent position of the temperance cause; the increased power, number, and efficiency of sabbath-schools; and the particular attention which, it is evident, from all the reports of the southern presbyteries, is paid to the religious instruction and improvement of the coloured population. We notice also the evidence of a rising standard of morality, in the respect which has been manifested for the Christian sabbath, the universal observance of the monthly concert of prayer, and, we add also, the growing impressions on the minds of pastors, that the increase and enlargement of their respective churches, and the advancement of the cause of the Redeemer, must depend (under God) more on the stated and regular work of the ministry, and the

active consistent piety of the members, than upon sudden excitement, startling impulse, and an over-anxious and questionable impatience, of the usual steady established order of progressive increase, and constant ac

cession.'

Resolutions strongly condemnatory of slavery were carried by an overwhelming majority. The proposed Evangelical Alliance was unanimously approved of by vote, but it was resolved not to send any formal deputation to the meeting. As it appeared from the constitution of the assembly that it might meet oftener than once in three years, it was resolved to reassemble in June next, in Cincinnati.

VIII. AMERICAN INFORMATION.-Christianity appears to be making steady and pleasing advances amongst the Choctaw Indians. One hundred and fifty have been added to the eight existing churches during the last year, making the whole number six hundred and sixty-five. Education is extensively promoted amongst them at a cost to themselves of a dollar and a quarter per annum for every individual in the nation, which is a sum proportionably greater than is given for the cause of education by any other country in the world. A national temperance jubilee has been celebrated in New York, in which there were delegations from local societies in nearly all parts of the Union.— The Rev. Dr. Carruthers, recently of Montreal, and well known to many of our readers as the successor of Dr. Bogue, at Gosport, has been invited by the church and society of the second parish in Portland, to become their pastor. This congregation was formerly under the care of the Rev. Dr. Payson.

D'AUBIGNE, D.D. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. 1846. We lose no time in making our readers acquainted with this cheap continuation of Dr. Merle's invaluable work. The former volumes were first published in France, and translated into English; now that, after a lapse of five years, he issues a continuation, it is in Great Britain and in English. It is every way right that the author should derive some pecuniary advantage from a work which in our language has a circu lation from a hundred and fifty to two hundred thousand copies, and hence we hope that the present volume will be as popular as its predecessors. It is at least equally attractive. A considerable part of it is devoted to the completion of the German Reformation, and the other part to the Reformation in Switzerland. That mountainous, wondrous region, is the author's birth-place, and he has put forth all his strength in describing the blessed work of its reformation. The cheapness, accuracy, and beauty of this edition of D'Aubigné, give it strong claims to a wide circulation. II. History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century. By J. H. MERLES D'AUBIGNE, D.D., Printed, by arrangement with Messrs. Oliver and Boyd, from the Author's own English Edition. Volume Fourth. Glasgow and London: William Collins. 1846. 12mo.

IV

We have already strongly commended to our readers the previous volumes of Collins's cheap edition of D'Aubigné's History of the Reformation, and now we are happy to announce that, by the liberal enterprise of the publisher, the recently issued fourth volume is added to the series, in the most genuine form, being precisely identical with the authorised edition, and at the same remarkably low price as the preceding volumes, namely from

eighteen pence to three shillings, according to the various sizes and bindings. We are much gratified that this has been done without any infringement on the author's equitable rights. We believe that there is nothing in the law of copyright to prevent the publication of an independent translation upon the appearance of the French edition: but at all events, such a course would have been most reprehensible. So far, however, from making any such attempt, Mr. Collins, in conjunction, as we understand, with Messrs. Blackie and Son, has paid to Messrs. Oliver and Boyd no less a sum than £1750 for the privilege of publishing this fourth volume.

III. Lectures on the Pilgrim's Progress, and on the Life and Times of John Bunyan. By the REV. GEORGE CHEEVER, D.D., of New York. Glasgow and London: William Collins. 1846. 12mo.

In a spirit of intense sympathy with his author, of fervent evangelical piety, and of earnest anxiety to stir up the minds of a generation more prone to come tumbling over the wall," than to enter at the wicket-gate, to traffic in Vanity Fair than to buy the truth,' to sleep on the enchanted ground than to watch and be sober, has Dr. Cheever devoted his rare powers of mind, and stores of knowledge, and graces of style, to the illustration of a man and his work, whose transcendent excellence would make even a moderately good commentary intolerable. The metal must indeed be sterling, which will serve for the setting of such a gem as the Pilgrim's Progress. We trust that, since Mr. Collins has made these Lectures so acceptable by including them in his cheap but valuable series, they will be almost universally read by Christians.

The Lectures are also published, in separate volumes, by the Tract Society.

IV. The Christian Philosopher; or, The Connection of Science and Philosophy with Religion. By THOMAS DICK, LL.D. Ninth Edition, revised, corrected, and greatly enlarged. Glasgow and London: W. Collins. 1846. 12mo.

We are indebted also to Mr. Collins for a new and cheap edition of this deservedly popular work, brought up to a level with the present state of science. The improvements in this edition greatly increase the obligations under which Christians, and especially Christian parents, lie to the highly respected author.

V. The Inquirer Directed to an Experimental and Practical View of the Holy Spirit. By the REV. OCTAVIUS WINSLOW, M.A. London: J. Shaw. 1846.

The author of this work, which has now reached a fourth edition, is well known and highly esteemed as the writer of several books on experimental religion. Thoroughly imbued as his productions are with doctrinal evangelical opinion, they are yet eminently practical, and well adapted to build up Christian minds in faith and holiness. Of all the books Mr. Winslow has written, we deem this the best; and while rejoicing that it has met with a wide circulation, we cordially commend it to our readers, and hope that it will realise a still greater amount of usefulness than even that which has already attended it.

VI. God through Christ, the only Fount and Cause of Being. A Discourse by WILLIAM BEAL. Mason, London, 1846.

This discourse, delivered before the Wesleyan ministers of the Portsmouth district, at their annual meeting, in May last, is a highly creditable production. The author has been long known to us as a respectable scholar, a sound theologian, a large warm-hearted Christian, and an efficient minister of the Gospel. We have, therefore, great pleasure in introducing him to

our readers, who will find in this sermon much to gratify and to instruct them. Without professing to be a refutation of that flimsy, but attractive book, 'The Vestiges of the Creation,' it is in reality a reply to much of its specious argumentation, and is, as a whole, pervaded with noble sentiments and benevolent feeling.

VII. The Wine of the Kingdom; or, Fellowship with Christ.

By the REV. R. SEDGWICK. London: Hamilton and Co. 1846. This is a much better book than its somewhat quaint and fanciful title would lead some persons to imagine. We do not much admire this literal application of the figurative intimation given by the Saviour that his intercourse with his disciples was coming to an end; but in most other respects we think the work deserving of praise. The writer, who is a divine of the old school, has opened up the whole question of fellowship with Christ, as the privilege of Christians. In some of his views we do not concur, as when he represents the divine sovereignty as the cause of suspending the hallowed intercourse. Sin only can interrupt the communion of creatures with God: yet the sentiments of the writer are in general so scriptural, and his aim so important, that we wish a very wide circulation for this treatise.

LISTS OF NEW BOOKS.

RECENT BRITISH PUBLICATIONS.

Arthur, W.: Young Men's Christian Association.
Baptist Manual for 1846. Houlston and Stoneman.

Blackly, W.: Apostolical Loosing and Binding. Hatchard & Co.
Burder, Dr.: Mental Discipline. Ward & Co.

Cumming, Dr.: Luther and the Reformation. Aylott & Jones.

Dews, T.: Letters on the Philosophical Evidences of a Future Life. Dyer & Co.

G. B. Dyer.

Hare, J. C.: The Mission of the Comforter, and other Sermons.
Hogan, W.: Auricular Confession and Popish Nunneries.
Hollis, H.: Christian Discrimination.

Hopkins, Bishop: The Lord's Supper and Two Covenants. Tract Society.
Kirkpatrick, W. E.: Christ giving Sight to the Blind.

Memoir of Thomas Wilson, Esq. By his Son. Snow.
Miller, J.: Initiatory Grammar of the English Language.
Oughton, J. Funeral Sermon for the Rev. W. Knibb.
Outlines of Mental and Moral Science.

Perry, Dr. German University Education. Longman & Co.

Pictorial Toy-Book. Geography. B. Steill.

Pryce, E. S.: A Sabbath Memorial of Gravesend.

Sermons on the death of the Rev. Hugh Heugh, D.D. Hamilton, Adams, and Co.

The Forgiveness of Sins. Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.

The Solar System. Part II. Tract Society.

Wardlaw, Dr.: Dissertation on Infant Baptism. J. Maclehose.

RECENT CONTINENTAL PUBLICATIONS.

Trendelenburg, (A.) Historische Beitrage zur Philosophie. Zur Geschichte der Kategorienlehre. 8vo. (Shortly.)

Band I.

Tholuck, (A.) Sechs Predigten über religiöse Zeitfragen. 12mo. Halle. Uhlemann, (F.) Symeon der erste Säulenheilige in Syrien u. sein Einfluss auf die Verbreitung des Christenthums im Orient. 8vo. Leipsig. Umbreit, (J. W. C.) Prakt. Commentar über d. Propheten des alt. Bund. Vol. I. Jesaia. 2nd. edit. impr. 8vo. Hamburgh.

v. Voigt, (J.) Hildebrand als Gregorius d. VII. u. sein Zeitalter. 2nd edit.

BY THE REV. WALTER SCOTT, PRESIDENT OF AIREDALE COLLEGE.

W

To

new

In order to answer this question correctly, we must determine what is meant, in this connexion, by the term progressive, 1 entitle any science to this epithet, it is not enough that its principles and facts have been placed in a clearer light than ever was shed on them before; that they have been confirmed by some arguments, and illustrated in a more striking manner by the learning and genius of some of their votaries; or that the writings of their founders or propagators have been better understood than they formerly were, and that the errors of those who misunderstood and perverted them have been more forcibly exposed and refuted. All this, and more, might be done, and yet the science, as it regarded its general system, its essential principles, and its fundamental and irrefragable proofs and facts, might remain precisely the same as it was. To render any science progressive, new systems, subverting or essentially changing former ones-new principles, quite different from former principles, if not subversive of them, must be discovered; and essential errors, not merely in the writings or discourses of some incompetent and mistaken teachers of the science, but in those of its founders, must be exposed; or, at the least, it must be proved that the ideas, the writings, and intentions of these founders, have never before been understood.

T

For instance, astronomy has been, and is, a progressive science. It has been proved, to the conviction of all who care capable of understanding the subject, or who are not under the influence of the most contemptible prejudices, that the ideas of the ancients, who supposed that the earth was the centre of the solar systems nay, of the created universe-that the sun, which was (only a few