doubled, and perhaps even trebled in strength during the last quarter of a century. The signs of a growing piety are also observable among ministers and people.

"Two hundred years since, the Church of England was the church of the whole nation; it is not now the church of more than half of it. And within the same space Independency, (including Baptists and Anti-Pædobaptists,) did not reckon more than ten or twelve ministers and churches, has risen to number between three and four thousand. The denomination may be said to possess more than treble the strength, at this time, than it did at the commencement of the present century." He refers to the prediction of John Robinson. — Supra.*

"Three centuries were required to raise the church above proscription and persecution; and who can tell what another century may do for Independency? The approval which it has extorted from the public judgment during the last twenty years, the most sagacious could not have anticipated. We see the progress of the principles which the primitive church acted upon, reviewed in the history of Independency, and passing from our churches to all churches, under the blessing of God, not less adapted to secure purity, than to give to our common Christianity its proper freedom and power; and we see it as the true ordinance of God, as carrying the elements of law and order, to extend and ennoble the institutes which have obtained among the kingdoms of the world.

"In England and Wales, with a population of 18,000,000, there are 34,467 places of public worship, of which 14,077 belong to the Church of England, and 20,390 to all other denominations. But the sittings or church accommodations are, in the Episcopalian churches, 4,922,412, and all other denominations, 4,545,326. But the sittings of the Dissenters are more used than those of the Established Church. Half of the population of England arc Dissenters, and not more than one twentieth are Roman Catholics- they have but 570 churches.

"The number of the churches of the Independents is 3,244; of the Baptists, 2,789; Presbyterians, 161; Unitarians, 229; including the Independents of Scotland and Ireland, and those of the 'Plymouth Brethren,' the Independent churches are full 4,000." These statistics are taken from the census returns for March 30, 1851. It will be seen that the numbers in the Congregational Journal are very far from the full number. The statements of Rev. Dr. Vaughan are fully reliable, and accord with the census returns.

The number of Congregational churches in the United States and British Provinces arc probably about two thousand. But the enumeration has not been fully made. Those of the Baptist denomination, adopting the Congregational discipline, are probably four times that number. We are told, credibly, they exceed nine thousand.

"When the world shall have made the natural approach to the state which the most humane and enlightened have labored to promote, then will come the nearest conformity to Congregationalism. God has so devised this system that the progress of man in social life will ever be, not to amend, but copy it; not to go beyond, but follow after. The system will not change, but it will continue to enlarge, to improve and brighten, as the world shall be made to possess a greater aptitude for receiving it."

THE SAVOY PLATFORM.

A declaration of the faith and order of the Congregational churches in England was made by a Synod at the Savoy, London, 1659, the whole of which is found in Han. iii. 547, and on. It is quite voluminous, and we only transcribe the substance of their views.

"Of the institution of churches, and the order appointed in them by Jesus Christ," as given in Neal's Hist. Pur. ii. 178, 179.

"That every particular society of visible professors, agreeing to walk together in the faith and order of the gospel, is a complete church, and has full power within itself to elect and ordain all church officers, to exclude all offenders, and to do all other acts relating to the edification and well-being of the church.

"That the way of ordaining officers, that is, pastors, teachers, and elders, is, after their election by the suffrage of the church, to set them apart with fasting and prayer, and the imposition of the eldership of the church; though, if there be no imposition of hands, they are, nevertheless, rightly constituted ministers of Christ; but they do not allow that ordination to the work of the ministry, though it be by persons rightly ordained, does convey any office power, without a previous election of the church.

"That none may administer the sacrament, but such as are ordained and appointed thereto. Nor are the pastors of one church obliged to administer the sacraments to any other than the members of that church to whom they stand related in that capacity. Nor may any person be added to the church, but by the consent of the church, and a confession of his faith, declared by himself, or otherwise manifested. "They disallow the power of all stated synods, presbyteries, convocations, and assemblies of divines, over particular churches, but admit, that in cases of difficulty or difference relating to doctrine or order, churches may meet together by their messengers, in synods or

councils, to consider and give advice, but without exercising any jurisdiction.

"And lastly, they agree that churches, consisting of persons sound in the faith and of good conversation, ought not to refuse communion with each other, though they walk not in all things according to the same rules of church order; and if they judge other churches to be true churches, though less pure, they may receive to occasional communion such members of those churches as are credibly testified to be godly, and to live without offence."

Dr. Price says, "these views are precisely those still held by the whole body of Congregationalists in England."-Hist. Nar. ii. 621.

DISCIPLINE AND ORDER OF THE ENGLISH CHURCHES.

We think it cannot but be acceptable to present to the reader the order of our churches in England, and especially as it can now be done with great precision.

In 1833, August 6, London, the "Congregational Union of England and Wales," made and published a declaration entitled "The Congregational Union of England and Wales, frequently called Independent, hold the following doctrines of divine appointment, and as the foundation of Christian faith and practice. They are also formed and governed according to the principles hereinafter stated."

They premise that it is not intended that the articles of faith should be scholastic or critical; nor that the statement should be put forth with any authority; that they disallow the utility of creeds and articles of religion as a bond of union, and protest against subscription to any human formularies as a term of common union; that they yet are willing to declare what is commonly believed among them; reserving to every one the most perfect liberty of conscience; and they say, by their appeal to the churches, they have ascertained that they are far more agreed in their doctrines and practices, than any church which enjoins subscriptions, and enforces human standards of orthodoxy. There is, in the articles of faith, no material difference from those which our churches in New England profess, and so we do not transcribe them. The Trinity is expressed in these words: "They believe that God is revealed in the Scriptures, as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that to each are attributable the same divine properties and perfections."

PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH ORDER AND DISCIPLINE.

"1. The Congregational churches hold it to be the will of Christ that true believers should voluntarily assemble together to observe religious ordinances, to promote mutual edification and holiness, to perpetuate and propagate the gospel in the world, and to advance the worship and glory of God, through Jesus Christ; and that each society of believers, having these objects in view in its formation, is properly a Christian church.

"2. They believe that the New Testament contains, either in the form of express statute, or in the example of apostles or apostolic churches, all the articles of faith necessary to be believed, and all the principles of order and discipline requisite for constituting and governing Christian societies; and that human traditions, fathers and councils, canons and creeds, possess no authority over the faith and practice of Christians.

"3. They acknowledge Christ as the only head of the church; and the officers of each church under him, as ordained to administer his laws impartially to all; and their only appeal, in all cases touching religious faith and practice, is to the sacred scriptures.

"4. They believe that the New Testament authorizes every Christian church to elect its own officers, to manage all its own affairs, and to stand independent of and irresponsible to all authority, saving that only of the supreme and divine head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ.

"5. They believe that the only officers placed by the apostles over individual churches are the bishops or pastors, and the deacons; the members of these being dependent upon the numbers of the church; and that to these, as the officers of the church, is committed respectively the administration of its temporal and spiritual concerns — ject, however, to the approbation of the church.

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"6. They believe that no persons should be received as members of Christian churches, but such as make a credible profession of Christianity, are living according to its precepts, and attest a willingness to be subject to its discipline; and that none should be excluded from the fellowship of the church, but such as deny the faith of Christ, violate his laws, or refuse to submit themselves to the discipline which the word of God enforces.

"7. Power of admission into any Christian church, and rejection

from it, they believe to be vested in the church itself, and to be exercised only through the medium of its officers.

"8. They believe that Christian churches should statedly meet, for the celebration of public worship, the observance of the Lord's supper, and for the sanctification of the first day of the week.

"9. They believe that the power of a Christian church is purely spiritual, and should in no way be corrupted by union with temporal or civil power.

"10. They believe that it is the duty of Christian churches to hold communion with each other, to entertain enlarged affection for each other as members of the same body, and to cooperate for the promotion of the Christian cause, but that no church nor union of churches, has any right or power to interfere with the faith or discipline of any other church, further than to separate from such as, in faith or practice, depart from the gospel of Christ.

"11. They believe that it is the privilege and duty of every church to call forth such of its members as may appear to be qualified by the Holy Spirit, to sustain the office of the ministry; and that Christian churches unitedly ought to consider the maintenance of the Christian ministry in an adequate degree of learning, as one of its especial cares; that the cause of the gospel may be both honorably sustained and constantly promoted.

"12. They believe that church officers, whether bishops or deacons, should be chosen by the free choice of the church; but that their dedication to the duties of their office, should take place with special prayer, and by solemn designation; to which most of the churches add, the imposition of hands by those already in office.

"13. They believe that the fellowship of every Christian church should be so liberal as to admit to the communion in the Lord's Supper, all whose faith and godliness are, on the whole, undoubted, though conscientiously differing in points of minor importance; and that this outward sign of fraternity in Christ, should be coextensive with the fraternity itself, though without involving any compliances which conscience would deem sinful."

CONCLUSION.

President Mather says, "I look upon the discovery and settlement of the Congregational way as the boon, the gratuity, the largess of Divine bounty, which the Lord graciously bestowed on his people,