ferent critics, that we fear our readers stand somewhat in doubt as to his real merits or demerits. Not being disposed to acquiesce in either extreme, and not wishing to give a verdict of our own without stating reasons at length, we propose, if the Lord will, to take up these two volumes in a future number, in order to state candidly and frankly our opinion, hoth of the author and his volumes. He has complained, somewhat bitterly, though not altogether without justice, of the unfairness and dishonesty of the press towards him: we trust that we shall speak candidlyand calmly, so that whether he agrees with us or not, he may not altogether set at nought our judgment, as either biassed or bought.

The Sequential System; an entirely New Method of Writing Music, in strict conformity with Nature. BY ARTHUR WALLBridge. London: William Strange.

An ingenious treatise, but not likely we fear to meet with a favourable reception from the musical world. Those who have mastered the difficulties of our present system of notation will not be easily persuaded to undergo the toil of adopting a new one; the more especially that it would require a new construction of most of our musical instruments, and the translation (so to speak,) into a new language of our existing musical compositions. This is an obstacle which will always prevent extensive changes of the nature proposed by our author. It is universally admitted that it would be much more convenient for purposes of calculation, if our mathematical notation proceeded upon a duodenary instead of a denary system, that is, if we had eleven digits instead of nine. And yet the obstacles in the way will always prevent any such improvement being carried into effect. Mr Wallbridge has also needlessly encumbered his system with a great variety of new terms. The old ones should have been retained wherever they possibly could.

A Letter to the Right Honourable and Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London, in which the chief Doctrinal Points of his Lordship's_recent Charge are proved to be Unscriptural, Tractarian, and Popish. By the Rev. JAMES SUTCLIFFE, M.A., Perpetual Curate of Knockholt. London: Nisbet & Co., 1843.

A very spirited and faithful remonstrance against those soul-destroying doctrines which seem likely to be propagated without any effectual check, till the Church of England becomes one mass of heresy. We extract a single paragraph:

'My Lord, we may unchurch all who dissent from our communion,—we may preach violently and powerfully against the sin of schism,-we may maintain the popish dogma of sacramental grace, we may contend that our own inconsistencies or even ungodly lives hinder not the bestowment of that grace, we may boast of our descent in a direct and traceable line from the Apostles, but what avails all this, and ten thousand times more, if we give no proof that we are men of God, divinely called by the great Head of the Church himself to declare unto others that renewing and saving grace of the Gospel which we have experienced in our own souls.

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I am not sure that I know what is meant by the phrase, 'Apostolical succession;' but I am sure that whatever argument may be thought to establish our claim to it, applies with tenfold force to the Roman Catholic clergy; and I must candidly own that I cannot understand your assertion that 'the Church of Rome has superseded the Apostolical succession.' You seem to ground

this assertion on the incidental circumstance of her having departed from the true faith; but surely that does not, and indeed cannot in the very nature of things, alter the simple and undeniable fact of her regular descent from the Apostles. You might just as well say, that William the Fourth superseded the Brunswick line of succession on the throne of these realms, because he was a reformer, and held principles which his predecessors repudiated. My Lord, if our claim to the respect and obedience of the people, as their lawful guides and governors in spiritual things,' consists either entirely, or chiefly, in our boasted apostolical succession, the influence we shall exercise, and the good we shall effect in our respective parishes, will be small indeed."

The Church of Christ Pourtrayed, as to the peculiar character of its Unity, Ordinances, Visibility, and Spirituality. By the REV. C. I. YORKE, M.A., Rector of Shenfield. London: James Nisbet and Co., Berners Street, 1843.

A very remarkable book-thoughtful, vigorous, and elegant. It is the work of no ordinary mind. There is a freshness and originality about it which are seldom met with. The author is an Episcopalian, but there is nothing High Church or sectarian about his work. It is singularly candid and catholic. He is evidently a large-minded and large-hearted man.

The Sole and Supreme Headship of the Lord Jesus Christ over his own Church; or, a Voice from the Ganges, relative to the causes which led to the recent Disruption of the Established Church of Scotland, and the consequent formation of the Free Church of Scotland. By the REV. A. Duff, D.D. Calcutta, 1844.

This work has just reached us, so that we have had time only to hurry over its pages. It bears, however, the manifest stamp of Dr Duff's vigorous and ardent mind. It is a most full, masterly, and eloquent statement of our whole ecclesiastical question.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

HOME. We are not aware of any extensive awakening that has taken place at home for some time past, though we hear of "drops from heaven," falling upon many places, and here and there souls arising from the dead. The opening up of so many parishes that have hitherto been closed against the gospel, is beginning to manifest the most blessed results, though hitherto the actual amount of fruit gathered has been small. Meanwhile there seems no tendency among the faithful ministers of Christ to relax their efforts or to sit down contented with what has been done. On the contrary there seems a growing earnestness in all of them, and a growing determination to be satisfied with nothing but success. A spirit of prayer seems more largely given, and a desire to search out all sin, and to remove the obstructions that may be lying across our path, and hindering the free course of the word.

The services of Tuesday the 21st of May last in the General Assembly, will never be forgotten. No such scene has been witnessed in any church court since the days when John Davidson addressed his 400 brethren in assembly 200 years ago. There was not, indeed, the same depth of humiliation, the same bitter mourning for sin, but it was the nearest approach to it that modern days have witnessed. The printed proceedings of that day ought to be widely circulated throughout the entire breadth of Scotland. Nor will Tuesday the 18th of June be soon forgotten. Who can tell what God may have in store for us? Who can tell what fountains of blessing these two days may have opened.

THE CONTINENT.-There is not much that is important in our intelligence from the Continent of late. Rome still uplifts her banner in triumph, and marches on to conquest. God does not leave himself without his witnesses, yet they are few and oppressed. Geneva makes no progress, and Merle d'Aubigné in some of his very recent publications, is not likely to aid her much. He proclaims the separation of church and state to be the grand panacea for her wounds and sores, and conjures the government, in the strain of a heathen orator, by the considerations of liberty, peace, and good order, &c. everything in short but by the word of God, to sever the tie which he pronounces to be so fatal to liberty. It is sad to see the historian of the Refor mation making such a descent, and taking his place among the politicians of the day. We commend to the notice of our readers the speech of Monod in the General Assembly, and an article in our present number, Evangelical Operations on the Continent.

MADEIRA.-Popery still urges on persecution in this island. Though Dr Kalley has been liberated, yet one of his converts has been condemned to death simply for disowning the tenets of Popery. God seems to have some special work in view for this island. The ground has been ploughed deep, thoroughly sown, and watered with much affliction and many tears. What believer would wonder, if after all this, a glorious harvest were to be reaped there, and Popery signally overthrown.

THE JEWS.-Our Jewish missions still continue to prosper wonderfully. The Holy Spirit gives testimony to the word of his truth at all our different stations. Some interesting cases of conversion have occurred.

FOREIGN. Our India mission proceeds with vigour. The disruption seems to have thrown double life into it. We have not only gained all the missionaries, but every teacher, monitor, pupil, and servant of the institution at Calcutta has joined fus. Nothing but the empty shell of the mission house is left behind, and to compensate for this, far more extensive and eligible premises have been secured. Faith was tried for a while, but God opened the

way and removed all difficulties. In addition to our former stations, the Assembly has resolved to occupy Nagpur, and Mr Stephen Hislop immediately proceeds to that post. Africa is also to be occupied by the Free Church mission.

With regard to the operations of other societies in various places, we throw together the following miscellaneous extracts from the latest number of the London Missionary register.

BELLARY. (India.) In a village near Bellary there lives a theist who has a number of disciples, some of whom he is in the habit of sending to Bellary to be instructed in the Gospel, to receive books, and to request that some one from the mission would come to his village, that he and his followers might be taught the true knowledge of God. At one time this man suffered the people to worship him; but when told that it was sinful he prohibited the practice. On learning, upon one occasion, that the missionaries were on their way to his village, he sent messengers to different places within the distance of thirty miles, to assemble his disciples for instruction: he himself also attended; and when the difference between natural and revealed religion was pointed out to him, he listened with great attention and concern, and said, in an emphatic manner, "The philosophical sentiments I have held are not sufficient for salvation ; now I see that a sinner must be saved through a divine Saviour; and if a sinner will not love Jesus Christ, and value the redemption wrought out by him, he will assuredly be lost."

BANGALORE.-The itinerant labours of the Mission have been continued under circumstances of unusual interest and hopefulness. The demand for Christian books is greatly increasing. A case was recently brought to light, of a man who, though constantly wandering from place to place in search of subsistence under circumstances the most unfavourable to spiritual enlightenment, has acquired a complete knowledge of the way of salvation; and in the face of strong persecution, especially from his own family, has made public profession of his faith in the Redeemer.

SALEM.-In May the annual idol-feast was held, and, according to long-established custom, three idol-cars were drawn about the streets; but for want of the aid formerly afforded by Government in propelling these cumbrous vehicles, the procession of the great idol made very slow progress, and presented a miserable appearance. On the first day of the feast Mr Lechler went to a spot where two of the cars were standing, while the other was performing its rounds, and addressed the people who were gathered near him. This work of love was interrupted several times by the profane ribaldry of two by-standers. At length the disturbance became so violent, that Mr Lechler thought it best to retire to his dwelling; to which, at his own invitation, he was followed by a large crowd of people, among whom he distributed an immense number of Tracts and Scriptures, besides embracing the opportunity to explain to them the way of salvation.

Great encouragement continues to be experienced in the work of education among the young: many of the children exhibit, along with their progress in mental improvement, pleasing indications of the influence of grace upon their hearts.

NEYOOR. The attendance on the means of secular and religious instruction in the schools and chapels belonging to the division under the care of Mr Mead, has been large and regular. Seven thousand persons, who have publicly forsaken idolatry and demon-worship, are now in immediate connection with the Mission. Congregations have been formed, and schools commenced, in some neighbouring villages, where the labours of the mission had previously been only occasional. In many of the congregations there is an evident increase of vital Christianity; the native believers have, of their own accord, begun the practice of meeting together for prayer and mutual instruction. Of the vast

numbers who have abandoned the unholy and miserable service of idols, our brethren now seldom hear of any relapsing into heathenism, although the motives by which they are urged to make shipwreck of their faith are strong, numerous, and incessant.

VADA VITKA.—On the morning of the 24th we proceeded to Vada Vitka. Here we were cordially welcomed by the people, and especially by Mootto Swamy, a young man educated a Papist; but for years past he has been gradually discovering the errors of Popery; and has at last come to the determination of searching the Scriptures for himself. Three years since he came to Shevagunga to see me, and remained some days with our catechist; I was then absent at Jaffna. He then went to Madura to see the Missionaries there, and remained a few days. He has since visited Shevagunga and Madura several times. He has for some months past been studying the Bible and theology. We have been so well pleased with his conversation that we appointed him catechist at Vada Vitka. He invited us to the house of his aged parents. His father is a venerable old man, and, though a Romanist, he seemed much rejoiced to see us; remarking, soon after we entered his humble dwelling, "In seventy-five years have I never seen such a day as this." Here we found a man of much influence, who renounced heathenism twenty years ago, and connected himself with the Romanists. He is a man of influence and character, and from the first has been the prime agent in urging Moottoo Swamy to become a Christian. This man, who is called Oodiyar (a term of official rank), says, "I received Romanism because it seemed to me to be nearer the truth than heathenism; and I let it go to receive Protestant Christianity, because it seems to me to be the truth. I do not ask for any support; I only wish to be known as a Christian, and to use my influence in favour of Christianity, and to get you to help us."

CEYLON.-A few months ago a Buddhist priest, declaring open war against Christians of every sect, sent a challenge to the Baptist Missionary, avowing his perfect readiness to disprove the truth of Christianity, and at the same time fixed the day and the place for this exhibition of his courage and skill. Not to depend, however, merely in his own prowess or tact in handling the sword of disputation, he requested several of his brother priests to back him on this important occasion. The Baptist Missionary also sought assistance from the Wesleyan. The day of intended warfare came. The Wesleyan and the Baptist party, on reaching what was meant to be the scene of conflict at nine o'clock in the morning, saw a great multitude of people waiting with seeming anxiety for the arrival of the Missionary party. But the champion who had thrown down the glove and sounded the trumpet of war was not found. His messenger, however, was presently seen bringing the intelligence, that he withdrew the challenge, and declined the contest. The priests who had arrived, hastened, as if covered with shame, to their respective temples. The assembly was then addressed by the Baptist and Wesleyan Missionaries on the extreme folly and wickedness of idolatry, and on the only way of salvation through the knowledge of the only true God and Jesus Christ sent by Him to be the Saviour of our sinful race.

POLYNESIA. A report has reached Sidney, of the truth of which no reasonable doubt can be entertained, that another of those dreadful massacres so frequent among the unchristianized Islands of the Pacific, had been recently perpetrated by the natives at the Isle of Pines. On the 12th of August 1842, three days before the "Camden" reached Sidney on her voyage to England, the brig "Star," commanded by Captain Ebril, son-in-law of one of our Missionaries at Tahiti, sailed from that port for the Isle of Pines, where she arrived, it is supposed, about a month after. While lying at anchor off the island, the captain and crew, who had previously been on the most friendly terms with the natives, went on shore for the purpose of cutting timber, and were thus engaged

VOL. XVII. NO. II.

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