that at one moment he admits what in the next moment he denies. But whether un. der such circumstances he is wise immediately to publish and endeavor to disseminate such revolutionised opinions, is a very different question. Would it not be well to wait to see whether oft-repeated examinations would not produce an equal and yet further change? Look at it as charitably and candidly as one may, and admit Sir Charles's explanations and confessions to be all that one could wish, there is still some awkwardness and challenge of distrust in what certainly has the appear ance of decided inconsistency. After giving no small weight,' says Sir Charles, to the arguments of M. Desnoyers and the writings of Dr. Buckland on the same subject, and visiting myself several caves in Germany, I came to the opinion that the human bones mixed with those of ex. tinct animals, in osseous breccias and cavern mud, in different parts of Europe, were probably not coeval The caverns having been at one period the dens of wild beasts, and having served at other times as places of human habitation, worship, sepulture, concealment, or defence, one might easily conceive that the bones of man and those of animals, which were strewed over the floors of subterranean cavities, or which had fallen into tortuous rents connecting them with the surface, might when swept away by floods be mingled in one promiscuous heap in the assiferous mud or breccia' (See Principles of Geology, 9th edition, p. 740.) And that such promiscuous heaps' have been repeatedly mistaken and misinterpreted, Sir Charles is no less sure now than formerly; but from his position as a whole he wholly withdraws, and says that 'of late years we have obtained convincing proofs that the mammoth, and many other extinct mammalian species very common in caves, occur also in undisturbed alluvium, embedded in such a manner with works of art as to leave no room for doubt that man and the mammoth co-existed.' Thus clearly does the author contradict himself, and whether his affirmation or his denial is of the greater value, makes little addition to the weight of such testimony.

The most important discoveries of human remains of unquestionably, or almost unquestionably, great antiquity, are those of the Neanderthal skeleton and the Engis skull. The Neanderthal is close to the village and railway station of Hochdal, between Düsseldorf and Elberfield, and the so-called skeleton was found in a cave about sixty feet above the level of the stream flowing through the valley. The skeleton consists of a skull and of a few bones that once upon a time perhaps belonged to the same person. Assuming

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that the naturalists who doubted whether these bones were human at all were mistaken,* we learn, that 'on removing the loam, which was five feet thick, from the cave, the human skull was first noticed near the entrance, and further in the other bones, lying in the same horizontal plane. It is supposed that the skeleton was complete, but the workmen, ignorant of its value, scattered and lost most of the bones, preserving only the larger ones. On the whole, I think it probable that this fossil may be of about the same age as those found by Schmerling in the Liège caverns; but as no other animal remains were found with it, there is no proof that it may not be newer. Its position lends no countenance whatever to the supposi tion of its being more ancient.' And this is the sort of 'evidence' on which we are to conclude that man is of incalculable antiquity-that he must have been in the world much more, very much more, than 6000 years that the accepted interpretation of the biblical record is unreliable— and that Horace writing, 'Quum prorep. serunt primis animalia terris,' &c.+ had more of the prophetic gift than Moses! It is with pain and shame we write thus, but however deeply we regret to think that a man who stands so deservedly high as Sir Charles Lyell stands, has drawn up a bill of indictment that deserves to be thrown out almost with scorn, we certainly think so and say so. This wondrous skeleton was perhaps human. The skeleton consisted perhaps of nothing but the skull, but perhaps of the other bones as well; it is perhaps as old as the Liège fossils, and perhaps it is a good deal newer. And on more perhaps-es for a foundation, we are to construct a ram and batter down the Book of Genesis! With mere perhaps-es for our premises, we are to draw the inference that the history of the fall of man is a fable, and that Adam was not only not the first man, but that his ancestors belonged to a race with the most ape-like skulls that ever belonged to anything that was not an ape. We do not care to follow Sir Charles into his observations on the Engis skull, nor on any other fossils. If his instances are valueless separately, they are valueless in the sum. We have not a shadow of objection against being reminded of the excellent saying of Agassiz, 'That when

The doubt was expressed by several naturalists at Bonn, on the occasion of a scientific meeting at which the skeleton was exhibited, in 1857.-Geological Evidences, p. 78.

When animals first crept forth from the newlyformed earth, a dumb and filthy herd, they fought for acorns and lurking-places with their nails and fists, then with clubs, and at last with arms, which, taught by experience, they had forged.' Book of Lucretius, describing more particularly the With this may be compared a passage in the Fifth habits of these new-born human animals.

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BETHANY, Va. Jan. 20, 1863. Beloved Dr. Barclay: Dear brother, "All purpose is poor dilatory man.' have been purposing, time and again, to write to you since I learned that you were likely to spend some time in London. We have had the pleasure of a few days' visit of your son, Judson J. Barclay, during the Christmas and New-year's holidays, which we very much enjoyed. He left us in good health and spirits. I am much obliged to you for the pleasure afforded me in reading Cumming on the Great Tribulation, and "Modern Judaism," which I hope to read in a few days. My college duties, and my editorial duties, and a very large corres pondence, encroach so much upon my time as to entrench upon the luxury of reading the outpourings of the periodical press, and still more to be regretted, the Book of all books the book of life, of health, and peace, and joy unspeakable, which to me is always a spiritual luxury, cannot be so frequently enjoyed. It has been said, and wisely said, and felt to be a truth or fact undebatable, that the more we read it the more we love and desire to read it. Its beatifying influence and power are superlatively accumulative. To speak to God, and to listen to God speaking to us by his Son and through his Holy Spirit is, in my judgment and experience, the highest honor and the greatest happiness within the area of human enjoyment. We may realize the experience of him that said, "One day in thy courts is better than a thousand-I would rather be a door-keeper in the house of my Lord, than to dwell in the palaces of sin-He will give grace and He will give glory, and withhold no good thing from him who walks uprightly."

But we must not live to ourselves, but to him that has redeemed us, to whom we owe all that we now enjoy, and hope for ever to enjoy. We are endeavoring to raise up young men who have vowed eternal allegiance to the Prince of Life and Peace(this was indeed the supreme object of my labors in getting up a college based upon the Bible)—and are desirous to enter into the evangelical and missionary field with body, soul, and spirit. We have, indeed, been much encouraged in the first-fruits of our labor in this enterprise. It is not merely a literary or scientific institution though these are, and may be made, very useful in the social systems of our age and country. But the Macedonian call, upon our ears and hearts, is more eloquent and spirit-stirring than the cries of the commonwealth for temporal and worldly civilization. Christ in the heart, and heaven in the eye, and the Bible in the hand, and the word upon the tongue, are, under God's special blessing, a splendid spiritual machinery that works out glory to God in the

highest, peace on earth and good-will among men. But we must not promise ourrelves nor our brethren success, because we have a sound basis and high authority to sustain it, but we must labor in the Spirit-in body, soul, and spirit, and look to heaven.

There are three imperative calls or invi tations in the 17th verse of the last chapter of the Revelation by John.

The Spirit of God says, come-the Bride says, come-and every one who hears this 'come' is commanded to say, come-and let him that is athirst, come and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.

This is the most hearty and emphatic invitation ever presented to man, emanating from the Spirit of God, or from the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. An invitation, moreover, to the richest banquet that ever was, or ever can be, presented to any creature in the whole area of the universe. I am, indeed, ineffably impressed with the fact, that so far as memory reports, I have never heard a discourse in the Old World or in the New, upon the last chapter of Divine revelation. Occasionally a verse has been quoted, but an attempted development of its contents I am yet to hear. In glancing over it this morning I was more than ever before impressed with the means of life, or rather the instrumenta. lities of life, spiritual and everlasting, which are, one and all, essential to the existence of life, the development of life, the perfection of life, and the happiness of life.

These are, and ought to be, the most fa miliar, the most interesting, the most soul absorbing, the most soul beatifying themes

in the whole area of themes within the reach of our imagination.

My attention was peculiarly arrested this morning to the simple theme of life, while reading the first and the last page of the volume of Divine Revelation. Life indeed is the Alpha and the Omega of the whole. It is imprinted on the first page and on the last page of the divinely inspired Oracles of the living and life-giving God. It is, indeed, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last theme of all the themes of Divine communication. We find the tree of life on the first page and on the last page of the Oracles of God. We also find the breath of life, the bread of life, the water of life, the spirit of life, in the inspired diction of Apostles and Prophets. The word life is found more than three hundred times in the Old and New Testaments. Its characteristics and developments are manifold and wonderful. It is the science of sciences supremely interesting and most beneficial to man. God and man are the all-engrossing themes of the temporal and the eternal

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universe. An universe of universes is now, and will for ever be, the all-engrossing theme of man and angel, of the cherubim and the seraphim, through the cycles of cycles of interminable ages.

There are ideas and conceptions suggested in the divinely inspired Oracles of God, into which angels of the most comprehensive powers and capacities have been look ing for ages of ages, and yet have never fath omed their depths nor scaled their heights. We would be most happy to have a visit from you and Sister Barclay, before you re turn to Jerusalem, if you could make it consistent with your other arrangements. I am truly sorry and much regret your withdrawal from the missionary field. Your presence in Jerusalem amongst that population and the visitors who flock to that ancient and venerated city, would have di. rectly and indirectly had an influence in favor of the great cause of Primitive Christianity, had not a single son of Abraham been converted. I have understood that you intended to establish a paper devoted to science, literature, and religion, in which undertaking I wish you great success. I presume that you will await the return of

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your son, the consul, on his way to the Island of Cypress, and mutually enjoy each other's company on the voyage.

I hope you are laboring in the meantime successfully in the city of good old London and its environs amongst the brotherhood. I could wish myself in company with you in the good work. I am happy to learn that Bro. H. S Earl, from Bethany college, is performing an acceptable work in Nottingham and elsewhere. 1 am happy to say that I have recently received a letter from Bro. J. Wallis, of Nottingham, my much beloved brother and fellow-laborer in the good cause, and to learn that his health is improving. I rejoice to learn that in Australia the good seed is being sown by our good brother, T. H. Milner, who is now on a visit there. May the good word of the Lord be glorified in Australia. I sometimes hear from that region. My wife and daughters unite in Christian love and regards with me to yourself and Sister Barclay. I remain, your brother and fellowlaborer in the Lord. Please give my love to all the brethren who enquire for me — Yours in the hope of immortality, A. CAMPBELL.

SIR,-Your sixteen pages are to hand, purporting to furnish a list of churches which have turned from the positions advocated by us from the beginning. In our February number you have the conditions upon which you can appear in the B. M. H. These are, that you prove or withdraw certain charges made in your former letter. Your present epistle does not recall any one of them. You were required to prove "that THE CHURCHES practice what the New Testament does not sanction in regard to obtaining money from the world, and that while they profess not to ask money from those who are not Christians, they by false pretences seek to obtain it from that class.' Your letter does not name one church thus acting, nor does it mention the money question at all. This slander, then, you neither retract nor prove.

You were further required to prove that the churches, in number to warrant a public attack upon the body, through the paper you take to be its "organ," have receded from "the faith and practice which once prevailed amongst them.” Here you were to point out the items departed from, and the churches guilty. Your present letter names but FIVE churches, though you range over fifteen or twenty years. Grant that five churches in that number of years fall short of, or violate, one or more of their avowed principles, would that jus

tify you in publishing that "THE CHURCHES" have done this, that, or the other? But what of these five churches? One, years ago, refused to allow you to become a member, telling you that they were Scotch or Calvinistic Baptists, though formerly they, or some of them, had gone too far in receiving the notions of A. Campbell upon baptism for the remission of sins," &c. What, then, have we to do with this church? Did you suppose that the B. M. H. is "the organ" of Scotch Baptist churches? Another of the five has excluded you from its fellowship-or, as you put it, the pastor has done so and done it very improperly. But then that pastor gives quite another version of the case. More than this, the church in question, like the one just noticed, may be merely a Scotch Baptist church. It was Scotch Baptist. When a few Disciples who were wholly with us ceased to meet and became its members, it retained its pastor and appeared as co-operating with us, but for some time has stood aloof. When our good Brother Earl, over a year ago, went there to spend a Lord's-day, he was informed that he could have fellowship, but he would not be permitted to speak in their meetings. This, too, was done in such a way that he felt it due to himself and the truth to leave the town without meeting with them at all. What this church is we know