1.

IX.

MONTHLY DIGEST OF RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

CONGREGATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. - Removals.-The Rev. Samuel Brewer, late of Dover, has accepted of a cordial invitation to the pastorate of the Independent church at Worthing.-The Rev. J. B. Brown, B.A., of Derby, has accepted the unanimous invitation of the newly-collected congregation in Clapham-road Chapel to be their pastor, and will enter on his stated labours there early in the present month.

Chapels Opened.-On Tuesday, the 5th of June, an elegant and commodious chapel was opened in the town of Newent, Gloucestershire, when the Rev. S. Martin preached, and several ministers took part in the proceedings of the day. This is the first Independent place of worship ever erected in that town, and has been built at an expense of £1250.-The chapel erected in John-street, Edgeware-road, London, for the Rev. R. H. Herschell, was opened for Divine worship on Wednesday, May the 28th, by an interesting series of services. The building cost £4000, and about onehalf that sum has been collected by contributions from Christians of various denominations.

Ordination.-On Tuesday, June the 9th, 1846, the Rev. W. Bone, late of Cheshunt College, was ordained to the pastoral office over the church assembling in Wote-street, Basingstoke. The Rev. George Smith preached the introductory discourse. The ordination prayer was offered by the Rev. James Sherman. The charge was delivered by the Rev. Dr. Harris; and the sermon to the people, by the Rev. J. Pullar, of Southampton.

2. EPISCOPAL BONDAGE.-A suit has been instituted in the Court of Queen's Bench against the Rev. James Shore, under the following circumstances. Mr. Shore was appointed by the Duke of Somerset to a chapel, which his grace had built in Bridge Town, Devon. For many years he officiated in this church, under license from the Bishop of Exeter, who, in March, 1844, revoked the license. Soon after, the chapel was registered as a place of meeting for Dissenters, and Mr. Shore subscribed the oaths and declarations provided by the Registration Act. He was, however, proceeded against for a violation of ecclesiastical law, and though he pleaded the circumstances of the case, which, by the Toleration Act, were supposed to have removed him from the jurisdiction of the bishop, yet Lord Denman has delivered a judgment, which goes to prove that Mr. Shore is not released from his vow of obedience to his ecclesiastical superior. A new injunction has now been issued forbidding Mr. Shore to minister in the diocese of Exeter, or in any other diocese in the province of Canterbury. These proceedings are taken on the old popish doctrine of the indelibility of the priestly character. It remains to be seen whether Mr. Shore, who is an evangelical, exemplary, and efficient minister, is to finish his course in gaol. He must yield, or from appearances this will be the inevitable result. We hope he will remain firm, and are confident that he will be supported by the sympathy and help of the Nonconformists of England.

3. ASSEMBLY OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.-The proceedings of this Assembly were ushered in, on the 18th of May, by the laying of the founda tion stone of a monument to the memory of John Knox; and they obtained an appropriate termination in the laying of the foundation stone of the

New College. Great unanimity marked all the sittings of the body, which was only disturbed slightly on the question of holding intercourse with the slavery-patronising churches of America. The subject was introduced in such a way as to avoid the full discussion of the point of sending back the money contributed by slave-holding communities to the funds of the Free Church; and settled by an expression of the hope of the assembly, that the American churches would awake to the enormities of slavery, and put forth suitable efforts for its abolition. The various reports presented on missions and education were exceedingly encouraging, and exhibited an increase of effort and contribution in every department. Overtures were made and adopted on Christian union, which leave the members of the church at liberty to join the Evangelical Alliance. The sums raised for the various objects of the Free Church, during the last year, amount to upwards of three hundred thousand pounds. It is a remarkable fact, illustrative of the efficiency of the voluntary principle, that the sum total raised by this body from the 18th May, 1843, to the 31st March, 1846, is one million one thousand four hundred and seventy-nine pounds sterling. In this we much rejoice, though we greatly marvel at the abuse which the organ of the Free Church lavishes on the principle. In the last number of its magazine the editor says, 'Voluntaryism seems, in fact, to a great extent, to be purely political, and a very hollow and hypocritical thing.' p. 179. Can a corrupt tree yield such good fruit? Does not this denunciatory dictum look like cursing the fountain that sends forth the streams for the salvation of this church? If our brethren of the Free Church are not voluntaries, we should be glad to know in what category they are to be placed.

4. ASSEMBLY OF THE ESTABLISHED SCOTCH CHURCH.-This meeting was thinly attended, and excited but little interest even in Scotland. Dr. Paull, a decided moderate, was elected moderator, and the unanimity of his election served to indicate the tone of the proceedings. The assembly repealed the laws for the popular election of elders, and restored in all its integrity the old system of self-election; so that the people are now entirely excluded from all share in the appointment of their officers. The most remarkable thing in the proceedings of the assembly was the number of ministers admitted from the Relief and Secession churches. Seven were at once received, and the cases of many more were referred to the August commission.

5. PROTESTANT DISSENTERS' ASSURANCE COMPANY.-The seventh annual meeting of this company was recently held, and its affairs were reported to be in a very hopeful and satisfactory state. The business has continued steadily to increase. Of the fire policies issued, a considerable number are on dissenting colleges, chapels, parsonages, and school-rooms. Among the assurances on lives as many as two hundred and seventy-eight policies are in favour of ministers, and many of these are generously provided for by congregations, or by a few individuals attached to their pastors. The subject of deferred annuities, as a provision for aged or infirm ministers, has engaged the attention of the directors, who have adopted a low scale of premiums to meet the case of dissenting ministers. This company has every claim on the confidence and support of Nonconformists, not only for the transaction of their denominational but of their general business, and will, we hope, increasingly receive the patronage it deserves.

6. LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.-Mr. Consul Pritchard has arrived at Samoa, and has received the indemnification awarded him by the French

and English adjudicators, for loss sustained by him from the French aggressions in Tahiti.-The collections at the anniversary of the Society, in May last, amounted to £2069. 5s. 2d., which includes the produce of sermons on the following Sabbath, in most of the London congregations. This amount, we fear, falls short of the contributions of former years. Several missionaries have arrived in this country, compelled to suspend their labours in consequence of a failure of health.-Mr. Drew has visited the churches in Travancore, and he reports favourably of the state of religion in that part of India.-In Arotangi, in the island of Rarotonga, a chapel, capable of containing nearly fifteen hundred people, has been opened for the congregation under the pastoral care of the Rev. W. Gill. On the day of its dedication more than four hundred persons united in the celebration of the Lord's supper, who a few years ago were heathens, without God in the world.

7. INDIAN INTELLIGENCE.-By recently received communications from Calcutta, we learn that the Hooghly Hindoo College is in a flourishing condition. The report read at the distribution of prizes showed a considerable, and in some respects a remarkable, improvement during the year. Of all the students who were examined for prizes not one failed. The probable bearing of this institution on the advancement of oriental learning makes us rejoice in its success, while we are anxious that none of its arrangements should act unfavourably on the profession of Christianity.-The sympathies of Christians in India on behalf of the suffering ministers in the Canton de Vaud, in Switzerland, are displaying themselves in addresses and pecuniary contributions. After two sermons preached, by the Rev. A. F. Lacroix, the large sum of 2000 rupees was collected for this object.-The government of Madras has just made a grant of land at Negapatam for the erection of a Jesuit college. As a pleasing feature in the newspaper press of India we may notice, that the proprietors and editors of several journals have published a declaration to the effect, that they never have and never will engage themselves or employ others in work on the Sabbath-day.-A proposal has been extensively published for erecting a Sanatarium for missionaries in ill-health, whose cases do not demand imperatively a return to their own country. It is to be open to missionaries of all Protestant denominations, holding the atonement by Jesus Christ.

8. ANNIVERSARIES OF RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES IN FRANCE.-The meetings in Paris this year were attended by greater numbers of pastors and other friends than on former occasions. The annual receipts of the various evangelical societies exhibited a growing interest in the cause of Christ, and the reports generally were of a cheering character. The spirit of Christian union manifested itself in a meeting of about thirty ministers of different denominations, who met for the celebration of the Lord's supper.

9. PERSECUTION OF ARMENIAN CHRISTIANS IN TURKEY.-The Armenians of Turkey are found in large numbers in all the great Turkish cities, and are supposed to number about three millions. Their church, while rejeg ing the authority of the pope, resembles the Roman in its adoption of mass, the worship of saints, relics, and pictures, and other doctrines an practices. A mission to this people was commenced in 1831, by mission. aries from the American Board of Foreign Missions, with the laudable design, not of proselyting them to any sect, but simply to preach the Gospel, indulging the hope that a reformation would be effected within the church, that should bring it back to evangelical purity. Their labours have been succeeded by the Divine blessing, and thousands have been convinced of the folly of the traditions in which they trusted, and multitudes by the grace of

God have received the truth by which they are saved. The ecclesiastical powers of the Armenian church, not content with prohibiting the people from attending the mission schools, and from reading modern versions of the Scriptures, have, during the last four or five years, maintained a system of persecution against all who entertain evangelical views of Christianity. Persons have been banished to distant countries, oppressed with heavy fines, imprisoned in loathsome dungeons, or bastinadoed almost to death. As even this cruelty has been insufficient to stop the spread of the Gospel, the primate with his clergy proceeded to anathematise all the adherents of this new doctrine.' This, with the connivance and aid of some of the Turkish authorities, is now made the pretext for putting them out of the pale of the civil law, for depriving them of their shops and dwellings, and for imprisonment on the ground of false actions. This persecution has been carried so far, that in the city of Constantinople alone several hundreds have already become its victims. The missionaries have published an appeal to the Protestants of Christendom for such an expression of opinion as shall secure, in the presence of the great powers of Europe, for this persecuted people, the free exercise of their religious sentiments and practices. In the mean time they have taken upon themselves the responsi bility of providing food and shelter for nearly two hundred persons thrown by oppression upon the wide world without even the right, as the law is exercised, to work for their own support. We are anxious that this state of things should attract the notice of all British Christians, and lead to a calm, decided expression of opinion, accompanied by suitable contributions to aid the necessities of a persecuted people.

10. AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE.-It is proposed by the coloured people of the United States to hold a national convention in Ohio, this summer. The object of the meeting is to concentrate opinion among themselves, upon some plan of colonisation in Oregon, or elsewhere.-Nearly all the evangelical bodies in America have now appointed delegates to the meeting for Christian union to be held in London, in August next. The anniversaries of the great religious societies have all been held in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. They appear to have been well attended, and nearly the whole of them report a satisfactory state of pecuniary affairs and of Christian effort, while several lament the limited extent of the good they have been instrumental in effecting. Their objects were eloquently advocated, and the spirit of holy, intense desire for the salvation of the world breathes through most of the addresses. We are glad to perceive that a subscription has been opened in New York, for the relief of the Armenian Christians, which will be to this persecuted people, as refreshing as cold water to the thirsty spirit.-Some of the religious American papers have denounced in strong terms the iniquity of the war with Mexico.

X.

CRITICAL NOTICES.

I. The Elevation of the People. By the REV. THOMAS MILNER, M.A. London: Snow. 1846.

The subject discussed in this goodly volume is one that has long occupied the attention of philanthropists and Christians, and is now filling the minds of all intelligent reflecting men. Recent investigations have brought out to public view such an amount of poverty and social wretchedness, ignorance, and irreligion existing amongst the masses of the people as to produce on all hands the conviction that the religious welfare and safety of the nation require renewed efforts, and the adoption of other and more efficient means than those hitherto employed in this country for the regeneration of our home population. The impression is growing stronger, that the physical condition of the people must be improved in order to render the play of instructional and moral means successful, and patriotism and piety are singly or unitedly aiming at this immediate object. Amongst the agencies at work in this good cause, the periodical press is to be mentioned as the most efficient, while valuable treatises on the whole subject, exposing existing evils and pointing to the suitable remedies, are advancing the work of social improvement. To this field of inquiry we welcome the author of the volume before us. Mr. Milner is already well known to the Christian public by several excellent publications, and this one will not only increase his fame, but vastly augment his usefulness. The book exhibits the results of immense research, and displays a spirit of candid philosophical inquiry, baptized with the temper of Christian faith. The author fully opens up this question-compares the past with the present-admits the enormity of prevailing evils-exhibits what is actually doing for the moral, instructional, and social elevation of the people-and points to many feasible things which must yet be attempted. An entire concurrence in all his views is scarcely to be expected from any one reflecting reader, but to the book as a whole, we have the utmost pleasure in giving our warm and most emphatic recommendation. It is long since we perused a work of so much practical value in the direction of things which it embraces, and we have no doubt but it will do much to accomplish the objects at which its author aims.

II. The Morals of Popular Elections. By EBENEZER MORLEY. Jackson and Walford. 1846. 24mo.

As a general election is an event to which we must look forward, we are thankful that Mr. Morley has prepared this judicious appeal to the consciences of his fellow-countrymen. We would recommend its publication in a form which would secure for it the widest possible circulation. It is an intelligent, faithful, and temperate discussion of topics which have been too much neglected in the pulpit, and not sufficiently handled by the press.

III. A Sermon. Domestic Worship. By the REV. W. W. STAMP. Svo. London: Mason. 1846.

This is a very good sermon, on a most important subject, in which the reasonableness of domestic worship is stated, the manner of conducting it pointed out, and the advantages it secures exhibited. Though intended principally for Wesleyan families, there is nothing in the pamphlet that need restrict its circulation to them, and it may be read with advantage by professing Christians of all denominations.