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PREFACE.

THE close of the labours of another year brings with it the pleasant duty of making most grateful acknowledgments of the continued, unexampled, and all but boundless kindness of our Readers. THE CHRISTIAN'S PENNY MAGAZINE, in the space of two short years, has found its way to all the ends of the earth, wherever the English language is spoken. It has approving readers and zealous diffusers in every Nonconformist section of the Church of Christ, and hence its catholic object has been completely realized. As to Doctrine, it was intended to be a herald of "the common salvation ;" and as to Polity, an expounder of the principles, and an advocate of the claims of the common Nonconformity of the Christian Church, and is, therefore, suited for circulation equally among Independents and Presbyterians, Methodists and Moravians, Baptists and Pædobaptists, among all who hold the Head, while, in things sacred, they alike refuse the gold, and spurn the sceptre of Cæsar! But this is not enough; among no religious community ought the CHRISTIAN'S PENNY MAGAZINE to be hailed with such cordiality as among Established Churchmen, to whom it has already rendered a measure of service which it were difficult to appreciate. The sure test of success is, alarm among the Clergy! Whatever exasperates the Parson bodes well for the People; and such enmity should ever form a ready passport to their confidence. It does so; we have appealed, and not in vain, to the strong sense of the English nation. In spite of the Clergy, the Laity, of all ranks, are giving us an eager audience. A friend of ours recently visiting one of her Majesty's palaces, found a principal officer intently perusing the pages of the CHRISTIAN WITNESS. Another, in a bookseller's shop, saw a parcel comprising some dozens of the CHRISTIAN'S PENNY MAGAZINE, going off to one of our greatest Ducal establishments. It has found its way to the Tower of London, to Barracks, and Ships of war. So far all is smoothness and honour; but the following extract, from the letter of a worthy correspondent, reveals another side of the picture:

"In our county prison one of the prisoners had the loan of the PENNY MAGAZINE for August to read; and after reading it he laid it on the window. Shortly after the Parson came in, and seeing the little FRIEND on the window took hold of it, and asked the prisoner where he had it from. "I borrowed it," was the reply. "Of whom ?" says the parson. "I won't tell," says the prisoner. "Oh," says the parson, "I see, it is the turnkey's; it bears his name." Then he took it by the corner, as if it had been a viper, and, careful that it should not touch him, away he went to the governor, and asked him "if he allowed such a thing as the PENNY MAGAZINE to come into the prison."

The governor and the parson then proceed to the turnkey and reprimand him for bringing the PENNY MAGAZINE into the prison. After the reprimanding, the little FRIEND was dismissed from prison, never to appear there any more."

The poorer, and by far the more numerous portion of the working clergy who oppose either the FRIEND or the WITNESS, are not quite wise, and, the sooth to speak, they are somewhat ungrateful. We are pleading their cause in such a manner as they could not, durst not do for themselves, and with an effect, too, which renders them our lasting debtors. We are sowing broadcast in the minds of myriads the seeds of truth, liberty, and justice, which, in due time, will spring up in a plentiful crop of right principles on the subject of Christ's kingdom, and which will not fail, in the end, to work out the deliverance of the really pious and meritorious clergy, who alone are instrumental of all the good that is done, and whose reward, to a fearful extent, is pinching poverty, not seldom absolute starvation! It behoves them, therefore, taking counsel of Balak, to be quiet; if they dare not bless, neither let them curse!

A parting word to the Montgomeryshire parson, through whose good offices we were thrust out from prison. Let us shame him! We ourselves regularly take in the chief Church weekly periodical. We have also long and largely read, sometimes to instruction, and often to edification, the best parts of their monthly publications; and should we ever obtain the regulation of the reading of Newgate, we promise the parson we shall be glad to see the Churchman's Penny Magazine in the hands of every prisoner! Far from us and from our friends be the priestly rapacity which tramples on decorum, that it may add to the triumph of party, even the subjects of the chain, the cell, and the gallows!

Once more: we have also been expelled from a House of Refuge in the Metropois. The friends of a hapless youth, among other publications, sent him the CHRISTIAN'S PENNY MAGAZINE. It was discovered, and immediately sent adrift! A gentleman, on ascertaining the fact, suspected the cause, and resolved to test it. With this view he sent to the young man the Churchman's Penny Magazine, which was admitted at once! It is, then, to no purpose that parents prefer our teaching for their fallen children; they must send instruction stamped with Churchmanship, or nothing! Well; so be it. These things will but hasten the final overthrow of State-Churchism. From the prince upon the throne to the captive in the dungeon, all, did they but know it, have grounds of hatred and execration sufficient to impel them to the conflict for its extinction!

Long trains of ill may pass unheeded,-dumb,

But vengeance is behind, and justice is to come!

Among the defenders of the Church of England against our assaults, respectful attention is especially due to the Rev. G. B. Sanford, M.A., of Brasenose College, Oxford, who has published a 12mo volume of some two hundred pages, thus entitled: "A Vindication of the Church of England from Charges brought against her in the CHRISTIAN'S PENNY MAGAZINE," which opens with the following passage:

"I have found a Dissenting periodical, named THE CHRISTIAN'S PENNY MAGAZINE in the houses of several Church people of this parish. That same publication is very violent in its language against the church. She is there represented as vile and odious: we are told that she is not a safe way of salvation, and every sinew is exerted to induce her members to forsake and leave her. I am sorry, yea, truly grieved that such a book should be admitted into the dwelling of any person belonging to the church. If any want instruction, have we not abundance of books written by the bishops and clergy?"

Yes; "abundance," indeed! but far, very far are we from dissuading Dissenters from their perusal. Let them, if they choose, read to satiety! We really know of no better method of confirming them in their own principles. We have no objection to our friends learning Mr. Sanford's book by heart! We only ask them to test both him and us by the word of God, and decide according to the evidence.

Let our readers be of gooa cheer. The times are full of hope. We are most grateful for the place assigned us, according to the arrangements of an all-wise Providence, in the ranks of those who are contending for the church's freedom and the world's welfare. The WITNESS, at the close of the second year, produced the FRIEND;-the WITNESS and FRIEND, at the close of the fourth year, have produced THE BRITISH BANNER. And now,

"War against Babylon," shout we around,

Be our "BANNER" through earth unfurl'd!

Rise up, ye nations, ye kings, at the sound,

"WAR AGAINST BABYLON!" shout through the world!

Make bright the arrows, and gather the shields:

Set the standard of God on high

Swarm we, like locusts, o'er all her fields,

"Zion" our watchword, and "vengeance" our cry!

WAR! WAR! WAR! AGAINST BABYLON!

October 28, 1847.

JOHN CAMPBELL.

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A Brahmin's Confession.................. 106
Drawing out a Needle by a Magnet... 106
Christian Prudence................................................................ 135
The Truth in Jesus.................................................................... 135
Beware of the first Crown

Dignity of Labour

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The Shoemaker and Wine-merchant.. 21

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135

Who wrote the Bible?....................................................... 22 Secret Prayer................................. 135

What Faith is and does................................................. 22
Dreams

Eight Points of Pursuit

The Gospel..................................................................................................
Christian Ornaments

Pride and Piety..

Sabbath-breaking

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22 Exemplary Patience...................... 162 22 Conscience ........................................................................ 192 48 Henry Martyn

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48 A Hint to Hearers......................... 19?

The World of Strife.................................................... 48 Goodness, greatness........................ 193 48 Useful Resolutions............................................................... 221

Comfort for the Heavy-laden

Is God in this House?....................................... 49

Meditation

Voltaire

Hall and Wilberforce

Saladin

Necessity

Luther's Prayers

Love of Fame................................... ̈ ̈ ̈、................
Reading

Grounds of Alarm ............................................................
God's Children...............................................................
Charity, or Love ..................................................
The Christian Minister

The Drunkard's Offspring.....

Laborious Trifling

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50 Portrait of a Christian..................... 274 50 A Mother's Lessons........................ 274 79 Solicitude about Reputation............ 274 79 Dr. Beecher and the Whale ............. 275 79 Love and Mercy in Affliction............ 300 79 The Believer satisfied..................... 301 79 The Christian's Country.................. 301 79 A preaching Farmer....................... 301 79 A Bomb-proof Town 302

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