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tained the largest suffrages. Peace reigned among us, for the precepts of Him who was the harbinger of peace and good-will towards men, were daily inculcated, and daily practised. If ever there was a fulfilment of the promise, as contained in Ecclesiastes xi. 1, Cast thy bread upon the waters, and thou shalt find it after many days,' this simple fact must bring it home to every, even the least contributor to that most valuable of all institutions, the Seaman's Bible Society; for it was fulfilled even to the very letter: The Bible when bestowed was thrown by unheeded-it traversed wide oceans-it was scattered with the wreck of our frail bark -and was indeed and in truth found upon

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Parochial Sermons. By the Rev. C. Girdlestone. Second Series. 5s. "The Christian Warfare." By the Rev. R. Vaughan. 10s. 6d.

"The Plague Stayed," a Visitation Sermon. By the Rev. Isaac Temple. 1s. 6d.

A Visitation Sermon. By the Rev. J. Hughes.

A Visitation Sermon. By the Rev. J. E. N. Molesworth.

A Visitation Sermon. By the Rev. F. Custance.

A Visitation Sermon. By the Rev. H. Lindsay.

A Consecration Sermon. By the Rev. E. B. Pusey.

The Life and Pontificate of Pope Pius V. By the Rev. J. Mendham. 10s. 6d.

the waters after many days, and not only was the mere book found, but its value was also discovered, and its blessings, so long neglected, were now made apparent to us. Cast away on a desert island, in the midst of an immense ocean, without a hope of deliverance, lost to all human sympathy, mourned as dead by our kindred; in this invaluable Book we found the herald of hope, the balm of consolation, the dispenser of peace, the soother of our sorrows, and a pilot to the harbour of eternal happiness. -We have often urged the claims of that valuable national institution, the Merchant Seaman's Bible Society; but one such fact is sufficient to recommend it.

PUBLICATIONS.

Devotional Letters and Sacramental Meditations. By the late Rev. Dr. Doddridge. 8s.

"The Duty of Visiting the Sick :" a Sermon. By the Rev. C. Girdlestone.

A Harmony and Exposition of our Lord's last Prophecy. By J. Tannin.

On the Neglect of the Hebrew Language. By the Rev. R. W. Jelf.

Chenaniah; or Plain Directions for Chanting. By the Rev. J. A. Latrobe. 2s. Key to Chanting. By. J. E. Dibb.

"Rebecca:" a Poem. By the Rev. A. G. H. Hollingsworth.

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Admonitory Hints." By the Rev. J. Fawcett.

Memoir of Miss Graham. By the Rev. C. Bridges. 5s. 6d.

VIEW OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

THE elections have passed over, in general, with good order, though in a few places the accustomed scenes of excess and rioting have occurred. The plan of polling in several places, and keeping the polls open only two days, has worked well and prevented much evil; and, in general, the machinery of the new acts has been satisfactory. In regard to the elections themselves, they have turned out in favour of the modern reform or ministerial party, as distinct from the extremes of high Tory and ultra-Radical.

There are a few members of each of these antipodes; but the mass are of the middle character. Many of the elections might furnish matter for much instructive comment; but we scarcely know how to enter upon the subject without reviving strifes which had better be forgotten.

The

character and tendencies of men will best shew themselves in the ensuing session; and it might be premature to say much at present. The friends of Christianity will

however need to be unremittingly upon the watch; for we fear that we cannot congratulate them upon a large accession of religious influence; and some of the new members are persons notoriously hostile to it; though what proportion this evil mixture bears to that of former parliaments, we have no means of judging.

Among the memoranda of the elections we may mention the following:

In the metropolitan county of Middlesex, Mr. Hume has come in with the old Whig member, Mr. Byng; Lord Henley having withdrawn his name on the eve of the election, when, as not only his friends, but many of his opponents think, his return was nearly secure. Sir Charles Forbes stepped forth at the moment, in his place, upon the Tory interest, (we use these party terms on either side merely for brevity,) but there was no time to collect his strength; and he had not those additional sources of influence

which Lord Henley derived from his anti-slavery pledges, his zeal for church reform, and his popularity among the religious body on account of his connexion with several of the charitable societies. Mr. Hume was justly and strongly opposed by a large portion of the most respectable class of the constituency, on the ground of his ultra-radicalism, his advocacy of West-Indian slavery, and his conduct in regard to matters connected with religion; such as calling the recognition of Divine Providence, "humbug." He would have lost more ground than he did in this last matter, had not some of his opponents in their zeal called him "an Atheist," which violence caused a reaction in some quarters in his favour. We take the earliest opportunity of reminding our readers, that Mr. Hume threatens to bring in a bill for national education, by which all theological, that is, all scriptural, instruction is to be systematically withheld from the people. He would teach only what he calls "useful knowledge," chiefly the sciences, more especially radical political economy. Does Mr. Hume forget that Locke, Newton, and Boyle, were as scientific as most men; and yet that all three quitted science for religion, and did not deem even the book of God useless? May it not be as important to know how to be happy for ever hereafter, as to be skilled in machinery, and to be familiar with the habits of alligators and hippopotamuses. Mr. Hume says, that there are endowments sufficient to educate all the poor in the land if they were properly managed, and the schools were placed under the system of mutual instruction. We believe in this he is not far from right; at least the reports of the charity commission shew that there has, to say the least, been much ill-direction of large funds; and if Mr. Hume will employ his skill in figures and ferreting to get the matter well examined, he will use his faculty to good purpose: but as he threatens more, as he proposes not only to direct the funds but to alter the character, or professed character, of national instruction, to take education as much as possible out of the hands of the clergy, and to substitute secular science for religion, we trust that all Christians, dissenters as well as churchmen, will receive warning in time, and oppose with united strength this infidel and demoralising system. Let the friends also of religious schools take care that they are really religious; for what is it worth to a child to learn the mere names or facts of Scripture, if they are acquired as mere heads of information with little or no reference to the heart or conduct?

The ministry, their friends, and most of the reformers of last session, have been re-elected. Sir John Hobhouse CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 373.

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but the body of the electors proved. that they did not wish to be more radical than Sir F. Burdett and Sir J. Hobhouse. Mr. Robert Grant has carried the day at Finsbury; and Mr. P. Thomson against Cobbett at Manchester. Mr. Thomson's election shews the anxiety of the manufacturing towns for free trade, of which he is the official representative: and in almost every place the opponents of free trade have been rejected; among others, at Leeds, where Mr. Sadler has yielded to Mr. Marshall and Mr. Macaulay. Even in the agricultural districts, a corn monopoly is ceasing to be a popular demand; the farmers seeing that they would not be benefited by it; while abroad, if we may digress for a moment to our neighbours, the manufacturers of France are imploring their government to relax the laws which were meant to be in their favour, being convinced that mutual intercourse is for the benefit of all parties; and in the United States, the southern or agricultural states, which are there the exporters, are threatening a dissolution of the Union if the manufacturing states insist upon prohibitory tariffs, and oppose the easy entrance of British and other commodities. How is a SouthCarolina cotton grower to send his raw cotton to England, if he must go to New York and not to Liverpool for cloth and hardware? How is the vinegrower of France to sell his wines, if his government will not allow him to receive what he wants in return from London? And how is Birmingham or Manchester to subsist, if it may not get bread in the cheapest market? We entertain none of the alarms which terrify many on this important national question; only in the full introduction of a just, and we will say Christian, system, let all fair claims and expectancies be duly weighed, and neither the landowner nor any other person be injured by rash and hasty measures, though even directed towards a right object.

The anti-slavery principle has been generally popular during the elections, and large numbers of members have been returned who have pledged themselves to vote for the immediate abolition of the nefarious system of colonial slavery. We do not approve of all the measures or all the men; but in the general result, so far as regards this righteous cause, we do unfeignedly rejoice. Dr. Lushington had a large majority over his pro-slavery competitor, Mr. Marryatt, at the Tower Hamlets. Mr. Burge, the West Indian repreI

sentative, who lately stated in parliament, that he considered his fellow-creatures as much his property as his other goods and chattels, attempted the people of Oldham ; but Mr. George Stephen attended as a nominal candidate, for the purpose of exhibiting the real character of West-Indian slavery, and created such an impression among the electors, that West-India gold must have been lavish indeed to have effected Mr. Burge's return. The radicals at that place have, however, done themselves the signal honour to elect Mr. Cobbett as their representative. We are scarcely sorry for this, especially as Preston has had the good sense to reject Mr. Hunt; and such a man as Cobbett is less dangerous in parliament than any where else. He will now be able to let fly his bubbles, and his admirers will soon see them burst.

In London the ministerial reform party has been strong almost to unanimity; and if it has brought in Sir John Key, it has at least rejected Mr. Scales. Marylebone in like manner has taken the two Whig candidates, Mr. Portman and Sir W. Horne-no Tory candidate stood-and placed Colonel Jones, the “Radical" of the Times newspaper, by a wide interval, at the bottom of the poll. In the university of Oxford, there was no contest; and Cambridge has selected two highly respectable candidates, its old member, Mr. Goulborn, and the late Speaker, Mr. Manners Sutton. Sir Charles Wetherell and Sir E. Sugden have both failed; but we rejoice to see in the new house many of the most respectable and influential gentlemen of the conservative side, as, for example, Sir Robert Peel and Sir R. Vivian.

The returns from Scotland and Ireland are not complete at the period of this sheet going to press. The former is for the most part sending members of the reform party. For the sake of the great measure which we hope will be introduced in regard to the observance of the Lord'sday, we rejoice to see that Sir A. Agnew has carried his election after considerable opposition *. Ireland is, as usual,

Sir Andrew Agnew lately presided at a very important meeting in London, for establishing, on a large scale, a Sabbath Protection Society. The objects of the Society are for tradesmen to use their utmost influence with each other to prevent Sunday trading, and also to petition the legislature for an amendment of the law. The Society has been already extensively patronised, and we doubt not will effect much good. Other places are following the important example of the metropolis, and Sabbath-protection societies, we doubt not, will be formed in great numbers of our large towns. A most important step will have been gain

torn asunder by civil and religious distractions, and the advocates for the destruction of the Church and the repeal of the Union are sending many representatives to agitate parliament and the country. Mr. O'Connell is about to import a whole colony of his own kindred as legislators. The University of Dublin has declined receiving Mr. Crampton, and returned the Recorder Mr. Shaw, and Dr. Lefroy, men of piety and conservative principles. Mr. J. E. Gordon had been proposed as a candidate, but yielded to Mr. Shaw. He afterwards stood for Nottingham, but failed. We think it was not well-judged to propose him for the University of Dublin; but his presence in the House would have been particularly serviceable for confronting the O'Connell party, few persons having the local information or the resolution to do so.

One result of the Reform Act has been, that candidates in every corner of the land have exhibited detailed expositions of their opinions upon the leading topics of popular interest; by means of which statements and counter-statements much will be effected towards leading the bulk of the community to take an intelligent interest in the great questions which concern the common-weal. But what is of greater importance still, candidates must in future be persons who have at least paid some attention to public questions, whatever may be their conclusions respecting them. Formerly a large portion of the members were men utterly unacquainted with affairs of state; often young men, the mere fops and hangers-on of legislation; the relatives or nominees of borough owners, whose connexions brought them into parliament, just to frank letters, lounge in club-houses; and, having chosen their party, to figure as chess-men under a Whig or Tory chief, and to be counted as vuluable units in a Ministerial or Opposition muster upon a division, without

ed, when the great body of those tradesmen who deal in the ordinary articles of Sunday sale, shall themselves have become convinced of the evil, and desire a remedy. They are already beginning to perceive that a better state of law would be no grievance or restriction, but a benefit and protection. The magistracy in various places are turning their attention to the subject, and some of the judges have noticed it from the bench. The "Lord's-Day Society" is publishing in a cheap form, the chief portions of the evidence of various classes of witnesses examined before the House of Commons. The tradesmen's evidence will be very important for wide circulation among that class of persons; and so of the other departments. May it please the Lord of the Sabbath to prosper these designs to his own glory, and the honour of his holy day.

even pretending to enter into the real merits of the questions on which they voted. Much of this will be done away. Whether a better class of men will take the place of these idlers, remains to be seen; but we shall at least have the the test of the candidate's having undergone the ordeal of an election sifting; so that it will not be easy in future to return young men of fashion who shall boast that "they are as innocent of any knowledge of finance, political economy, commerce, manufactures, or legislature, or any other such matters, as a babe in its cradle."

The fervent intercessions of every Christian ought to be offered up to God in behalf of the members of the new parliament. They have great power to be either a blessing or a curse to the land; and much will there be needed ofa Christian spirit of wisdom and counsel to direct their proceedings aright, to the honour of God and the welfare of the people.

The momentous question of Church Reform is silently but effectually advancing. Those who are most interested to bring it to a right issue are justly anxious that it should cease to be a matter of newspaper debate and inflammatory invective. As for the Church itself, we have no overwhelming fears: the large majority of the new parliament, we cannot but hope, would at least wish to preserve a national platform of religion; and an honest reform, if they do not proceed further to subversion-which God in his mercy avert !-will strengthen, and not weaken, the bulwarks of our Zion. When James the Second, at a time when the Church of England was in great peril, wondered that Edmund Waller should marry his daughter to an ecclesiastic belonging to a "falling church," Waller replied that he had long observed that this same falling church had a great knack of rising again and believing as we firmly do that the Lord of hosts is with us, and the God of Jacob is our refuge, we have not a shadow of doubt but that she will weather this, as she has done so many other storms.

We must, however, remind all parties of the serious warning of Dr. Chalmers, who wrote as follows, in one of his publications, several years ago. We copy the passage without a syllable of comment.

"Were the Church of England rightly extended and patronized, there would be neither sedition nor plebeian infidelity in the land. And thus, in the eye of one who connects an ultimate effect with its real though unseen cause, the whole host of radicalism may have been summoned into being by the very government that sent forth her forces to destroy it; and fierce ministerial clergymen, though they mean not so, may, each from his own parish, have contributed his quota to this mass of disaffection; and, ascending from the men of subaltern influence, that bishop whose measures have alienated from the church the whole popular feeling of his diocese, instead of a captain of fifties, may virtually, though unwittingly, be a captain of thousands in the camp of that very rebellion which would sweep, did it triumph, the existence of his order from the kingdom; and to complete the picture of this sore and infatuating blindness, if there be one individual in the Cabinet, whose pernicious ascendency it is, that has diverted away the patronage of the crown from the only men who can Christianize and conciliate the people, he, in all moral and substantial estimation, is the generalissimo in this treasonable warfare against the rights and prerogatives of the monarchy."

After nearly a month's siege, attended by enormous expence, and much bloodshed, the citadel of Antwerp has capitulated. We trust that this result will lead to the speedy settlement of the points in dispute between Holland and Belgium, and prevent the breaking out of a universal European war; but with regard to the justice of having thus interfered by force of arms, we can only repeat what we have strongly expressed before, and we cannot dare to weigh alleged policy or expediency against simple justice.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

E. S.; Пisi; VINDEX; W. D. V.; IOTA; RUSTIC; ZENAS; I. W. M.; CANDIDUS; T. B.; S. R.; AMICUS; M. G. H.; R. K.; G. H.; and THE MINISTER OF A COUNTRY PARISH; are under consideration.

The Correspondent who proposes attaching Schools of Theology to some of our Cathedrals, will see, on referring to our last Volume, p. 65, in the paper on Cathedral Reform, that we strongly urged that measure; and we trust that some of the dean and chapter sinecures will yet be spared for that purpose.

Why do some sensible correspondents adopt the foolish affectation of signing themselves with Hebrew initials? Why not with Chinese? Is not an A. as good as an Alpha or an Aleph ?

It may be, as M. A. affirms, in very bad taste for us to lament so often the conduct of many of the clergy in the matter of West-Indian slavery; but as it is truth, and melancholy truth, and truth important to be known, we are obliged to sacrifice, not only taste, but much personal feeling, in what we consider to be a solemn duty. If EDINENSIS doubts whether Sir Walter Scott did really utter frequent and deliberate falsehood, he may refer to our Volume for 1829, p. 495, and to several other papers in our work, written during his life; or he needs only refer to the Gentleman's Magazine for last month, where he will find Sir Walter Scott reviewing one of his own novels in the Quarterly Review, with a solemn written asseveration to the Editor that he was not the author of the novel which he had reviewed. We have

no wish to keep up the discussion; but no name or names shall induce us to retract what we have said.

Is J. H. S. sure that the narrative of the African Prince which he alludes to is not a fiction?

Let our worthy correspondent B. come to the real points, and not ring useless changes on mitres and lordliness. Protestant Bishops do not wear mitres; though, if they did, it would be rather ludicrous than wicked: and as to their being called Lords, a good man may be called My Lord without waxing lordly. Cotton Mather tells

us, that a Mr. Blackstone, who went over to America in the time of Charles the Second, gave as a reason for not uniting himself with any of the "Independent churches," that he left England because he did not like to be under Lord-Bishops, and that he would rather leave America than be under Lord-Brethren. on the other side, that staunch Dissenter, that opponent of Episcopacy, Robert And, Hall, in the interesting Memoir just published of him by Dr. Gregory with his collected works, says of his old neighbour, the Minister of Lutterworth, many years after he wore a mitre and became My Lord, "Dr. Ryder has not been injured by promotion: he is the same man as a bishop that he was as a laborious parish priest: to such a bishop we may apply the Apocalyptic title, an angel of the church: we may say of him, what St. John says of Demetrius, that he has a good report of all men, and of the truth itself." There are thousands of stories extant of this sort on both sides; but they have nothing to do with the real points in discussion among pious men of common sense and common candour. Abuses exist in all communities, and we plead for none in any; but the serious matters of church government, episcopacy, and so forth, are not to be settled by idle skirmishing on the counterscarp of questions.

SUPPLEMENT TO RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. THE Communications from France are peculiarly interesting. We have much to say respecting the present remarkable moral position of that country.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY.

We lately urged upon our readers the powerful claims of the National Education Society. That admirably conducted institution is a blessing of great magnitude to the country, and ought to be supported by every friend of the Established Church. The numbers educated under its auspices appear, from the last returns, to be far larger than the public had any idea of. inadequate; and, as regards the extension of the system of mutual education to other At the same time, all that is done is hitherto lands, the members of our church have hitherto been very negligent. We cannot therefore but rejoice that others have endeavoured to supply our lack of service; and we strongly recommend to the perusal of our readers the facts stated in the accompanying Quarterly Paper of the British and Foreign School Society, together with the Society's advertisement; in which the conductors explicitly state, that their great object is the promotion of " truly scriptural education." The intelligence respecting hitherto impenetrable China, though the operations alluded to are but as a grain of mustard-seed, is peculiarly important.

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