Haste thee on from grace to glory, INTELLIGENCE. RELIGIOUS. Home Assions.-Ten young men were ordained in New-York city or the Tin inst. as missionaries in the Western Valley. All but one are from the last class of graduates at Andover. Nine others, 5 from Andover, 3 from Princeton, and one from Bangor, are also on their way to the same field of labor, as missionaries of the Home Missionary Society. This is a larger number than has ever before been sent out by the society at any one time. Burman Msion. Mr. Cutter, a printer, with his wife, recently embarked as missionaries to Burmah. The Kirk of Scotland. The correspondent of the Southern Telegraph has given a variety of interesting particulars, respecting the Kirk of Scotland. There are 1052 congregations, and 1037 ministers. In only five parishes, is the minister chosen by the people. In 581 he is selected by individual noblemen or gentry, in 288 by the Crown, in 52 by town councils, in 31 by the Crown in conjunction with nobles or gentry, in 10 by universities, &c. The right of patronage is considered as part of an estate, and is sold and bought as such. The number of unemployed licentiates is very great, one Presbytery alone, out of 79, that of Glasgow, having 42 unemployed. The Scotch Church is just beginning to awake to the subject of Missions.-N. Y. Evangelist. The Georgia Missionaries.-Extract of a letter from Rev. Mr. Worcester to a friend, dated Oct. 6, 1831, written in the Penitentiary at Milledgeville: 'I need not tell you any thing respecting my coming here, as you have doubtless seen accounts of it. You know that Dr. Butler is with me. Whether Providence will provide a way for our release before our time expires, we know not. We have applied to the Supreme Court of the United States, and expect a hearing next winter; but whether the decision will be in our favor, and whether it will be executed if it is, remains for futurity to disclose. You know how to appreciate the motives which have brought us here. We are happy. We enjoy, I trust, that light of God's countenance, which can make man rejoice in afiliction. Whatever the result may be, as to earthly things, we hope to realize the fulfilment of that precious promise, all things shall work together for good to them that love God.' I preached Sabbath before last to about twenty-six prisoners, confined in the same roon with me, and last Sabbath in a rec which about sixty hau access. I hope for similar opportu, 13 hereafter. Dr. Butler and I sleep in different rooms, and have worship in each every night. Whether any good will follow remains with God. To human view, it is a discouraging task to preach to men who, as the inmates of a penitentiary may of course be expected to be, are corrupt and corrupting one another. But God can bless the effort if he will.' SLAVERY. Comparative increase of Free people and Slaves in the United States for the last ten years: The increase of whites has been 2,670,099, cr 84 per cert, of free colored, 86,247, or 57 per cent.; and slaves, 419,180, cr 3 1-2 per cent. Total increase, 3,218,276, or 32 1-4 per cent. Slaves. A writer in the Petersburg (Vir.) Intelligencer says: 'The sentiment is gaining ground in Virginia, that the whole African race ought to be removed from among us. Many people feel unwilling to die and leave their posterity exposed to all the ills which from the existence of slavery in our State, they have themselves so long felt. 'Others are unwilling themselves longer to suffer these inconveniences-some of our best citizens are already removing-others will doubtless follow, unless they can see a probability that at some period the evil will be taken away.' LITERARY. Increase of Students.-Dartmouth has 60 in its freshman class; Amherst about the same number; Bowdcin more than 50; Burlington more than usual; and generally, so far as we have been able to learn, the classes entered this year at the New-England Colleges, are uncommonly large. Harvard has but 60, the same number as at Dartmouth and Amherst. The University of Virginia has in all about 130 students-about 60 of them, however, in the Schools of Medicine and Law. [The present Junior Class of the Theological Seminary in this place, consists of about seventy members, and the number will probably reach seventy-five. The average number of students to a class last year, was about forty.]—Journal of Humanity. Yale College. The first term of the collegiate year commenced on Wednesday last. The freshman class already numbers between 80 and 90, and more are expected in the course of the term. TO OUR PATRONS AND SUBSCRIBERS.-While we feel grateful for the promptness with which most of our subscribers have nade payments, we would remind those few who are in arrears, that the balance due is much wanted by the printer. It is presumed that those who have received the Magazine this year, will generally wish to receive it for the coming year; that they may have a complete Volume, together with the Title Page and Index. It is proposed, in the January number, to give a List of Agents. We respectfully request our patrons to obtain new subscribers, who, if they choose, can be supplied with the back numbers of the current volumes, on accommodating terms. Original matter for our pages, would be very acceptable. Owing to a failure of a proof-sheet, the following, with a few minor errors, in our last number, escaped notice: Errata-page 241, 1. 3d from bottom, for glories read glory. p. 242, 1. 15 from bottom, for purchased read purposed. p. 243, 1. 11 from top, for learned read learn. 1. 3d from bottom, for in read into. p. 247, l. 10, insert the article a after the word make. 1. 7 from bottom, for believe read decline. THEOLOGICAL WORKS. PALEY'S NATURAL THEOLOGY, illustrated by the plates and by a selection from the notes of James Paxton, with additional notes, original and selected-New edition. WATSON'S THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTES, or a view of the evidences, doctrines, morals and institutions of Christianity, by Richard Watson.— Stereotype edition. In addition to the above may be found a very valuable collection of Theological and other Books at CORY & BROWN'S, 13, Market-street. BOOK & JOB PRINTING. WILLIAM MARSHALL & Co. No. 12, Market-Square, 4th story, respectfully inform the public that they have just added to their stock of materials, an entire new office, selected with great care by a gentleman who contemplated prosecuting the printing business in this town. This being added to their former large assortment of materials, makes an extensive variety, and enables them to offer very great advantages to persons who may want any kind of Letter Press Printing done in good style, and at short notice. Providence, Oct. 31, 1831. SCOTT'S FAMILY BIBLE, with critical Notes and practical Observations, in 6 Octavo vols.-Price 13 dollars-For sale at No. 5, MarketSquare, by BREWER & WILCOX. AN ESSAY ON THE STATE OF INFANTS, by Rev. Alvan Hyde D. D. HOPKINSIAN MAGAZINE. VOL. IV. DECEMBER 31, 1831. NO. 18. WHAT IS CONGREGATIONALISM? Extract from the Christian Spectator. 1. The first leading principle of congregationalism respects the original formation of a church. It is held that, when it is for edification, professing christians have a natural right to covenant together for enjoying and maintaining gospel institutions; and that by so covenanting, they become a church. Such a church has the power to do all church acts, admit new members, exclude the unworthy, choose their own officers, and remove them for just cause. So far as they give evidence of walking in the faith and order of the gospel, they have a claim to be recognized and treated as a church of Christ, by all others. A church is simply an association of christians, for enjoying the ordinances of Christ; and being organized, they are charged by him with the execution of his laws in discipline, etc. The right to form a church, does not descend from any superior kind of church, or from any imaginary organized body, called the church universal. The church univer. sal consists of the whole body of true believers, of every name. But it has not, and never was intended to have, a visible organization on earth. Consequently, it never was capable of putting forth any corporate acts; nor can any man or body of men, rightfully claim to represent the church universal. It is the act of covenanting together, that unites persons into a church. The church is a corporation before it has officers, otherwise it could never put forth the corporate act of choosing officers. For, as our Hooker says, The setting of the candle in the candlestick, presupposes the candlestick." 2. All church power, i. e. the power which Jesus Christ has delegated for administering his laws, resides in the church itself Of course, all church questions are to be determined by the church, or the voice of the majority, independent of any control or prohibition, either of church officers or councils. This is a point for which our fathers, both ministers and others, earnestly contended, against both presbyterians and prelatists. It is the great point now in debate concerning ciril affairs, whether the power of government is conferred by the people on the officers of state, or whether privilege is conceded to the people by their rulers Most denominations of christians hold that church power originally belongs to an imaginary body, called the church universal, or to the superior officers of the church, and is thence dispensed to others; so that particular congregations or churches are formed under them, and receive all power to act from this superior authority. 3. That all church questions are to be determined by the church itself, by the voice or vote of the brotherhood. According to our fathers, the power of church officers is to preside, and to execute. But for any of them, whether called prelates or preachers, or elders, to claim the prerogative of acting for the church as a matter of right, is usurpation. And for the brotherhood to give it up to their rulers as a matter of convenience, or to save themselves the labor and responsibility of self-government, is a desertion of duty. Our fathers held that the Lord Jesus Christ has laid upon the churches the duty of watching over their own members, of administering discipline, and of choosing and removing their officers, as an important exercise of christian graces, and a necessary means of sanctification. 4. That individual churches have no superior but the Lord Jesus Christ. They are constituted under his laws, and subject to no other authoritative control than his. Every church is complete in itself, and has all the authority which can reside in any corporate body of believers; and is therefore competent to perform all church acts, without warrant from any superior church power, and without appeal to any superior church judicatory The whole authority residing in the church, and being placed there by Jesus Christ, it follows of course, that no other earthly tribunal is competent to reverse the determination of the church. And any authoritative acts of a bishop, or presbytery, or council, purporting to control or reverse the acts of a church, are acts of usurpation, and merely void. The largeness of a church gives it no additional authority; it is still a church, and nothing more, whether it embraces the occupants of "an upper chamber," or the professed believers of a city, a province or an empire. The only churches which our Lord has appointed or recognized, as organized corporations possessing church power, are all on an equality. Congregationalism rejects the idea of a presbyterial or provi cial church, constituted by the union of several distinct churches, and exercising a control over its members. It is manifest, that when the rulers of a church are delegated to act in presbytery or classis, they exercise a jurisdiction over other churches, and over the individual members of other churches, which they could not by virtue merely of their office in their own church. But a new jurisdiction implies a new office, that of commissioners. And as the power of commissioners extends to the reversing of any act of the rulers of the particular church, it is a higher office. But there is lawfully no office in the church, but such as Christ appoints; and no rightful jurisdiction but such as he bestows. According to the principles of congregationalism, all councils, consociations, presbyteries, classes, conferences, syrods, or whatever else they may be called, composed of delegates from many churches, whether they are officers or private brethren, have only |