THE EDITOR'S TABLE. MEMOIR of the Rev. John Watson, late Pastor of the Congregational Church in Musselburgh, and Secretary of the Congregational Union of Scotland. By William Lindsay Alexander, M.A. With a Portrait. 12mo. pp. 280. Edinburgh: A. and C. Black. London: Longman and Co. A Summary View of the Evidences of Christianity. In a Letter from the Right Hon. Charles Kendal Bushe, late Chief Justice of the King's Bench, Ireland. With a Preface and Notes by the Rev. James Wills, A.M. 12mo. pp. 178. Dublin: W. Curry and Co. London: Longman and Co. Our Era. A Soliloquy. In Three Parts :-Social, Political, and Religious. With Miscellaneous Pieces. By W. Leask. Post 8vo. pp. 176. Dover: J. Johnson. London: Jackson and Walford. Modern Babylon; or, London. By John Brown, D.D. 18mo. pp. 36. London J. Nisbet and Co. : The Constitution of Apostolical Churches; or, Outlines of Congregationalism. With Two Addresses suited to the Times. By J. Spencer Pearsall. Second Edition. 12mo. pp. 144. London: J. Snow. Education, the Birthright of every Human Being, and the only Scriptural Preparation for the Millennium. Exhibiting the present imperfect state of popular Instruction, and the means of rendering it effectual for the salvation of the country and the world. By the Rev. B. Parsons. Imperial 8vo. pp. 162. London: J. Snow. The Comforter; or, The Love of the Spirit, traced in his Work and Witness. By Robert Philip. Second edition. 18mo. pp. 268. London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co. Texts for the Times, with Brief Remarks. By the Rev. Robert Macdonald. 18mo. pp. 64. London: Hamilton and Co. The Character and Influence of Satan. London: Aylott and Jones. By James Hall Wilson. 18mo. pp. 84. Maynooth College; its Teaching and its Endowment. Being the substance of a series of leading articles extracted from The Watchman newspaper. 12mo. pp. 28. London: Mason. A Letter to the Archbishops and Bishops of the United Church of England and Ireland, on the proposed Endowment of the Popish College of Maynooth. By a Master of Arts of the University of Cambridge. 8vo. pp. 16. London: Edwards and Hughes. The Power of the Soul over the Body, considered in Relation to Health and Present Time. Addressed to Members of The Character of the True Church. By W. Leask. 12mo. pp. 24. Houlston and Stoneman. The Union of all True Christians possible, desirable, and necessary; with incidental remarks on Apostolical Succession. By a Clergyman of the Church of England. 8vo. pp. 44. Hamilton, Adams, and Co. The Present Truth, or, The Word of God the Law of the Church. A Lecture at Macclesfield. By Samuel Bowen. 8vo. pp. 20. Ridgway. The Parable of the Leaven: a new interpretation, intended to show its important bearings on the present times. By Rev. Alfred Jenour, Rector of Pilton. 8vo. pp. 24. Hatchards. CHRONICLE OF BRITISH MISSIONS. HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY. THE Annual Meeting of the Society will be held in Exeter Hall, on Tuesday evening the 20th instant, at six o'clock. Sir C. E. Smith, Bart., in the chair. On the forenoon of the same day an open conference of the town and country Directors, and other friends of the Society, will be held in the Congregational Library. The business to commence at eleven o'clock. The extracts that follow are from the monthly journals of the missionaries. They present no remarkable facts, but plainly show that the Spirit of God is giving effect to their labours amidst many difficulties. The agents earnestly desire the prayers of the friends of home, that still greater success may attend their efforts. Great Variety of Preaching Stations. "My labour has not been confined to our chapels and preaching-rooms; I have visited the wakes and preached in the open air; once standing on the framework of a windmill, once in a boxer's tent, and once under the oaks in a large wood. On all these occasions we had numerous and attentive congregations; the novelty of places adding considerably to the attendance. Friendly and pastoral visitations have shared much of my time and attention. On such occasions I generally read the Scriptures and pray with the families; and I can truly say that the opportunities thus enjoyed have always been profitable to my own soul. My own experience of thirty years bears testimony to the delightful truth that 'he that watereth shall be watered himself.' Your liberality in improving the Home Missionary Magazine, and at the same time reducing the price, is likely to prove very beneficial to the stations, and, I trust, to the public at large. We have on my station the monthly circulation of forty-one; whereas last year we had only seven, which were all gratuitous. We have now thirty-one subscribers to the magazine, and hope soon to augment their number. "The new year's gift cards have been very successful this year. A little girl, C. P., nine years old, was so zealous in the cause, and so persevering in her efforts, that she collected £1 128. from seventy-one persons, and solicited about an hundred and fifty. I am sure you will say she deserves a reward." Erroneous Teaching-Bigotry and Perversion of Scripture. "Since the incarceration, in the Queen's Bench prison, of the Rev. W. H. L—, perpetual curate of W——, the services of the church have been performed by a young gentleman of Oxford; and being appointed by the bishop, an idea may be formed of the cast of his sentiments and the tendency of his teaching. The friends of the church who like quiet sermons, smooth things, and nice ministers, think that in his ministry a bright era has at last dawned upon W. And if there be efficacy in formalities, and if they be rendered more effectual by untiring zeal, then indeed their calculations assume a plausible character. But the advocates of evangelical truth must think differently. It is true he scrupulously visits the sick, reads to them a prayer or collect, and takes down their names in order to pray for them on Sunday in the church-the last act is especially regarded as a signal proof of his piety! When was it ever known that six persons were prayed for in the church at the same time? Surely he must be a good man!' It is also true that the ordinances of the church are not overlooked by him. The clerk is sent to those parents who have children to baptize, urging them not to delay in bringing them to church, as the clergyman is very anxious about them. Persons who have never ventured to sit down at the Lord's table, because N. S. VOL. IX. 3 E they had neither the shade nor the pretension of piety, have been prevailed upon to do so. The church and not the Saviour is arrayed before the people with all the claims of its antiquity, the apostolic character of its priesthood, and the eloquence and divinity of its prayers. Perceiving that the attendance at church was thin, and hearing that it was favourable at chapel, he preached a few Sabbaths ago from Jeremiah vi. 16: Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.' From this passage the rev. gentleman took occasion to assert that the Church of England was the 'old paths;' that the Prayer-book proved it to be the 'good way;' that God would hear prayer nowhere but in the church; and, therefore, those who neglected her ordinances were acting a rebellious and ruinous part! As might be expected, such a striking discourse smote some of the hearers, and some went away determined never to hear him again; while others, who were more susceptible of impressions, expressed their conviction that the church was the right place, and that they ought not to go elsewhere while they had such a good minister. 'Alas! the prophets prophesy falsely, and the people love to have it so."" Success of the Gospel in a destitute District. "It gives me pleasure to say that the number of regular hearers at the chapel is greater than ever, while the gratitude of the peasantry for my village labours is truly encouraging. In my recent visits to the sick, I have been highly gratified in discovering ground of hope that the word has not only been received with the deepest attention, but that in some cases it has been attended by the special influences of the Divine Spirit. One who thought himself 'just entering the valley of the shadow of death,' spoke of the precious words of grace he had heard in the sanctuary at H-, while tears of gratitude and joy bore attestation of the deep feeling of his heart; and there was but one remark, attended by an expression of countenance, I shall not soon forget. 'O sir, what must that man feel who has to enter the dark valley without hope? thank God, that is not my case; my hope is in Christ, and he will not forsake me now.' Another, a female, told me of the severe mental conflict through which she had passed, and of the 'strong consolation' she had realised while obeying the Saviour's injunction, Enter into thy closet,' &c. 'Up to that time,' she remarked, 'I was in an unsettled, wandering state; but since then my mind has been stayed upon God, and I have regarded the chapel as my home.' Another afflicted female told me the other day of the many gracious seasons she has experienced under the word. Frequently,' said she, 'my heart has been so full, and my communion with the Saviour so sweet, that I have hardly known whether I was in the body or out of it.' Five hopeful candidates were proposed for Christian fellowship at our last church-meeting. "Eternity alone will disclose the amount of good resulting from the Divine blessing upon the Society's labours in this benighted place." Beneficial Effects of a Week-day School. "Since my last journal we have opened our new school-room, a circumstance that gave great pleasure to the friends and advocates of education on liberal principles. About 130 persons assembled in the school-room; and the Rev. A. B————, of Bhaving offered prayer on behalf of the object for which the meeting had been convened, the company sat down to tea, which had been provided gratuitously by the ladies of the congregation, that the whole amount obtained by the sale of tickets might be applied towards liquidating the expense of building. "After tea, the meeting, being too large for the school-room, was adjourned to the chapel, which was soon filled. Prayer was again offered and addresses delivered by the brethren, while a feeling of joy, astonishment, and devout thankfulness per vaded the meeting at the signal defeat which the intolerant grasp of Puseyism has sustained in the success which, under God, has accompanied our labours in the work of education. "We think it probable, that, looking at our circumstances and the amount of wealth and influence used against us, our success is without parallel; for it we feel thankful, and take courage. "It must be obvious to persons at all acquainted with agricultural districts where extreme poverty exists, that a clergyman having considerable funds at his disposal will have great influence: even a quart of soup each to those who attend the church on saints' days, and a half-cwt. of coals weekly to those families that do not attend the chapel, is too great a boon to lose where there is not a love for truth for its own sake. Such means are used against us: some have nobly resisted, but with the majority it is otherwise, proving that the poverty of the people forms a stronghold for Puseyism. "But the existence of our school has not only been an asylum to the children of Dissenters, it has caused the vicar to abandon to some extent the exclusive principles laid down by the rules of his own school. Some parents who applied for the admission of their children were told by him that it must be on the condition that they (the parents) never attended the chapel. To this they objected, and came to us; but in a few days, tickets of admission were sent to their houses, and nothing more said about conditions. We have, however, a school: our object is to educate the youth on scriptural principles; our hope is, that it will prove a special blessing to the neighbourhood; and our prayer, 'Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish thou the work of our hand upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it."" Success of Home Missions favourable to the Foreign Missionary Cause. "It has often been remarked, that if we would evangelise the world, we must evangelise home: a striking proof of the justness of this observation has been furnished in this station. Good Friday being a leisure day, I resolved upon holding a missionary meeting. For this purpose I wrote to Mr. Arundel, to favour us with the loan of some idols: three were kindly promised and forwarded. In the afternoon at three o'clock, we held a juvenile meeting. Hundreds were present; it was a most animated scene; the idols were exhibited to the children, with explanations; and addresses were given to them on the year of Jubilee, and the goodness of God in giving them an existence in a land so full of privileges. After the juvenile meeting, 150 persons sat down to tea; and at six o'clock the chair was again taken by Joseph Maitland, Esq., who kindly came from London for the occasion. The idols were again exhibited; after which a very interesting account of the progress of the work of God in Berbice was given by Mr. Edwards. The chapel was literally crammed both times, and many went away unable to obtain admittance. The collections amounted to nearly £5. Of this sum £2 10s. was given to the London Missionary Society, which, together with £4 presented by a friend, was forwarded to the Home Secretary. Here, then, is a striking proof of the wisdom of advancing home missions. Let our villages be favoured with the Gospel, and the people will soon rejoice to aid the cause abroad. "Our church is harmonious. Two members have this month been added; some others are, I believe, inquiring with their faces Zionward. My prayer is, that God would revive his work among us; that he would dwell in our midst, and not as a wayfaring man that tarrieth but for a night. Amen." Subscriptions will be thankfully received by the Secretary, Congregational Library, Blomfield-street, London. IRISH EVANGELICAL SOCIETY. 'IRELAND, and Popery in Ireland, with the semi-endowment of the latter in the former, by an annual grant to Maynooth from the public purse, on new principles and on an enlarged scale, are the great questions which have agitated the House of Commons, and convulsed England from its centre to its circumference, during the last month. More than one cabinet has been dislocated by Irish affairs, and it remains to be seen whether the party who took office on the No Popery cry can retain it, after the open abandonment of every principle which they professed when in opposition. The friends of Protestant truth may well hope that discussion on these subjects will increase the interest now felt for the evangelisation of Ireland, and lead to increasing efforts to pour, in a prayerful spirit, the light of the Gospel on the benighted millions of her sons. The agents of the Irish Evangelical Society continue their humble and varied efforts with some success, as the following communications just received will prove. MISSIONARY LABOURS OF THE REV. J. GODKIN. "Feb. 22. On a very gloomy morning I took the coach for Waterford, to deliver some lectures at Portlaw. Last summer I was asked to visit this place, which I could not do at the time, and I was anxious therefore to visit it at the earliest period. The journey was long and fatiguing, and I did not arrive at my destination till after midnight. This town, containing a population of 4,000, has been entirely created by a splendid factory. Twenty years ago the spot on which it stands contained only two or three cottages at the skirt of an oak forest, stretching over hill and dale to an extent of about 3,000 acres, all embraced within the magnificent demesne of the Marquis of Waterford,-one of those scenes which make the heart of the utilitarian relent towards the law of primogeniture. "23rd. Preached in the forenoon in the Presbyterian place of worship to a large and attentive congregation, who seemed considerably affected by the subject, which was the parable of the prodigal son. The congregation is but newly formed; several of its members, and those the most influential, were Independents and Baptists in England. The town is a little British colony connected with the factory which gives employment to about 1300 people. In the evening the place was crowded. I lectured on the authority of the Bible and the nature of the church of Christ. A good many Roman Catholics ventured to come in, and others remained standing in the passages. "24th. The subject of the second lecture was the apostolic office as contrasted with the ordinary work of the ministry. The place was densely crowded, and many stood outside. The Roman Catholics came in great numbers. Some of them took their places boldly near the pulpit, and others sought to conceal themselves, especially the women, who tried to hide their faces in their shawls, which they are accustomed to wear upon the head, and thence suspend about the shoulders. Each lecture lasted more than an hour and a half, and deeper attention could not be given by any congregation than they paid to every word that was uttered. "25th. The subject this evening was 'Confession and Purgatory.' It rained heavily, but this scarcely affected the attendance, which was almost as large as the previous night, and pervaded by a still deeper and more salutary impression. To the Protestants it was quite an enigma to see the Roman Catholics attending in such numbers. They eagerly received and read my controversial tracts, of which several hundreds were distributed. I hope to visit this place again in the summer. "March 9th. Preached in -, where the meeting was the largest I had seen there, though the clergyman had preached strongly against Dissent in the morning |