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(Hackney Church Rate), Dr. Lushington, the Judge of the Consistory Court of London, in giving judgment, expressed himself as follows:

address, on presenting these pleasing marks of esteem to his beloved successor, which were acknowledged in a suitable address by the Rev. John Harris, who then concluded the meeting withi prayer, and the congregation separated.

PUSEYITE HORROR OF PROTESTANTISM.

dalen College, in a recently published Letter to Dr. Pusey, thus writes :

"The parishioners of the whole parish are bound to repair the church; that is, the body of it; and this obligation is imposed, not by ecclesiastical law, but by custom, by the common law of En--The Rev. William Palmer of Maggland, recognised by various statutes. It is not the ecclesiastical law which imposes such burdens; for, by the ancient "Certainly, I am for no middle ways, ecclesiastical law, it was to be defrayed as you will understand, when I tell you out of the ecclesiastical profits. Neither plainly, that, for myself, I utterly reject could the ecclesiastical law have pro- and anathematise the principle of Produced any such effect here. Unless re-testantism as a heresy, with all its forms, cognised by common law, or enacted as sects, or denominations. And if the law by statute, it was and is wholly in- Church of England should ever, unoperative in this country. This obliga- happily, profess herself to be a form of tion to repair, as imposed by common Protestantism, (which may God in His law, is recognised by all the common law infinite mercy forbid!) then I would reauthorities, by Lord Coke, and, indeed, ject and anathematise the Church of before his time in other courts; but by England, and would separate myself Lord Coke, and by all authorities who from her immediately as from a human followed him, down to and including sect, without giving Protestants any Lord Chief Justice Tindal, and the unnecessary trouble to procure my exJudges of the Court of Exchequer Cham-pulsion." ber, as expressed in their judgment in Veley against Burder.' The obligation is further recognised by various statutes, from the time of Edward the First down to the present day. It is again recognised in all the Acts of Parliament of modern times."

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COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON'S CONNEXION.-On Monday evening, December 27, 1841, an interesting meeting was held at the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel, Derby Road, Ashbourne; when a token of affection was presented to the Rev. John Harris, the minister of the Chapel, by the younger members of the congregation. After singing and prayer, the Rev. Alexander Start, for many years the respected pastor of this place, but who from infirmity and age has resigned his pastoral office, presented the following, namely, a splendid patent solar lamp, from the Bible class of young women; a neat quarto Bible with references, from the class of young men ; an elegant Prayer-book, from a class of little girls, as a token of gratitude for the kind and active efforts of their beloved pastor, and his constant care and superintendence of these interesting classes. The aged and reverend gentleman gave an affectionate and impressive

And again :

"In conclusion, I once more publicly profess myself a Catholic, and a member of a Catholic Church, AND SAY ANATHEMA to the principle of Protestantism, (which I regard as identical with the principle of Dissent,) and to all its forms, sects, and denominations, especially to those of the Lutherans and Calvinists, and British and American Dissenters. Likewise to all persons, who knowingly and willingly, and understanding what they do, shall assert either for themselves or for the Church of England, the principle of Protestantism, or maintain the Church of England to have one and the same common religion with any or all of the various forms and sects of Protestantism, or shall communicate themselves in the temples of the Protestant sects, or give the Communion to their members, or go about to establish any intercommunion between our Church and them, otherwise than by bringing them, in the first instance, to renounce their errors and promise a true obedience for the future to the entire faith and discipline of the Catholic and Apostolical Episcopate,-to all such I SAY, ANATHEMA.

"

THE

EVANGELICAL REGISTER.

FEBRUARY, 1842.

THE COUNSEL OF GOD CONCERNING MAN.

We inserted last month some strictures on the theory of the Rev. George Townsend, Prebendary of Durham, respecting the progression of the human race. It is only due to Mr. Townsend and to the subject to state, that he has since addressed to the Editor of The Record a sketch of his view of the whole present economy of things; and the following outline will put the reader in possession of his idea. Whilst utterly discarding the fourth position in his scheme, we feel that the whole deserves a thoughtful perusal :—

"1. I believe that God permits evil, for the purpose of eventually overruling that evil to the production of greater good than if that evil had not existed.

"2. That the greatest good to which the human race, which is still only in its infancy, can attain, will be effected by the blessing of God on the agency of the Church of God.

"3. This agency is twofold. It refers to the future state, so that a continual succession of redeemed and sanctified souls are added to the 'spirits of the just made perfect;' and it refers to the present state as the improver, civilizer, and instructor, even of those who are not saved hereafter.

"4. By the word Church, I mean the aggregate of the Episcopalian Societies, with which I believe on the evidence of the New Testament, and of all history, the Covenant was made.

"5. This view of the Church does not imply any other damnation of those who are not in the Church, than would be inferred of the remnant of the Patriarchal Churches, when Abraham and his family were received into the ancient covenant with God. We know that, as all were not Israel who were of Israel,' in the former times; so also, all are not the Church spiritually, who are of the Church visibly. And as God saved many from the Patriarchal Churches after their incipient idolatry had begun, God may save many from the corrupt Churches who are in communion with idolatrous Rome. Much more will He save those, who in avoiding the idolatry and corruptions of Rome, have desired to become the spiritual Church of God, but who have rejected more than was right in their zeal against evil.

"6. The ancient history of the Church before Christ, is the history of the visible theocracy. The modern history of the Church after Christ, is the history of the invisible theocracy. The manifestations of the glory of the God of Israel as the Jehovah-Angel, the Captain of the Lord's Host, &c., have ceased. But the government of the world and of the Church is continued by the same Head of the one Church, as the unmanifested or invisible theocracy.

"7. The ancient Church was brought into submission to four great monarchies, which combined in their several successions to prepare the way for the fulfilment

VOL XIV.

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of the prophecies which declared the first coming of Christ. The modern Church has been brought into submission to four great influences :—the civil power, from Tiberias to Justinian; the ecclesiastical power, from Justinian to Trent; the Puritan power; and the present still existing age of reason, or Infidel power. All the modern history of the Church, strange and novel as it may appear, is divisible under these four influences. I believe the object of the providence of God to be the fulfilment of the prophecies, which declare the universal submission of the world to Christ, by the blessing of God upon the lessons and experience afforded to mankind from the successive dominion of these four influences.

"8. One part of the happiness upon this earth, which shall attend the submission of the kingdoms of the world to Christ, will be the greater union of Christians in all nations.

"9. This union can only take place on the basis of truth, the non-ascendancy of one Church over another, and the consequent reformation of the Church of Rome. And whereas the great majority of commentators believe in some great visible destruction of the Church of Rome, I believe, that while it may please God to inflict heavy judgments upon many nations, and upon Rome itself, still, the greater destruction of Rome, in spite of modern retrogradations and apostacies toward it, will be the same as that which took place in England. As neither our princes nor our people, when improved and instructed by the Scriptures of truth, were able to bear the ascendancy of an idolatrous, corrupt, and extortionate Church, so, also, it will be with other civilized and enlightened nations. The princes and people of the earth will revolt from the idolatries of Rome, and reject the Papacy as we have done. Rome will consequently change. It will change when the princes and people of the world demand a more scriptural religion than Rome teaches. They will make this demand, then, and then only, when Rome, having once more endeavoured to subdue the nations, shall elicit an universal resistance to its ascendancy. Its priests will be converted, its pontiff will yield to the demand for reformation. Congresses will precede councils, and the kings of the earth will resolve, and they will execute their resolution, that the nations shall be cursed no more by the one only constant incessant source of evil, disunion, and corruption of Christian truth -the ambition and error of one aspiring Church.

"10. This union of one fold under one Shepherd is the next great object of the Gospel, to that of the salvation of the soul, by making the fallen being a new creature in Christ Jesus; or by enabling, which is the same thing, the human being, under a Divine power, to attain to the highest happiness of which it is capable. It is the bringing back the province of earth from the usurpation of Satan to the dominion and empire of Christ. It will combine, for the first time in the history of the human being, the four powers or influences to which I have alluded, and which have hitherto been separated. It will give supremacy to princes, subordination under them to Churches; the Scriptures of truth will be the common guide to both, and the right use of reason will be what God intended it to be, the common and the unforbidden privilege of all men.

"11. The object of my work, at which I shall certainly labour till it is completed, is, to point out the manner in which these great results of the history and experience of the past, in the union of all who name the name of Christ, may be accomplished. By you, and by others, I am contented to be deemed a visionary and a fool. But I believe that I trace in the history of the Church the providence of God, in fulfilling his prophecies and preparing the way for the spiritual destruction of Rome, in changing its errors, removing its idolatry, and saving its sinful people. I believe that when Rome changes (and it would never change if the Holy Spirit of God was not omnipotent,) there will be union, peace, and truth, among the Christian Churches of the one Catholic Church of Christ; and I will devote my life to the attempt to excogitate the plan of union, and to endeavour to show the world in what manner the experience of the past may be made useful to the guidance of the future. As to the derision you cast upon me for these anticipations, it is to be expected by all who would boldly attempt to please no man, to follow no man, to call no man master, whether he be Papist or Dissenter, or High Church or Low Church, or Calvinist or Arminian, or any other of the silly names which divide and fetter us;

but who desires freely and unreservedly to follow Him who came to teach and die, and was spit upon, and crucified. No man is worthy to think, write, or speak on such high subjects as these, who does not rejoice to suffer."

CONDITION OF PROTESTANTISM IN FRANCE.

THE following statements respecting the civil and religious condition of Protestantism in France, are supplied by the Foreign-Aid Society; they comprise particulars not extensively enough known by Englishmen :

1. CIVIL CONDITION.

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"THE Reformed worship was re-organized by Napoleon in 1802. (18th of Germinal, An. X.) Those who chose to profess Protestantism (whatever might be understood under that term) were permitted to have pasteurs, consistories, and local synods. There was to be one consistory or con sistorial Church for every 6,000 souls of the same communion,* and such consistorial church might comprise two, three, or five congregations, with their respective pasteurs: five consistorial Churches were to form an arrondissement (circuit) for a synod. Every pasteur elected by a consistory and approved by the government was to receive a salary out of the public Treasury, varying from 1,200 to 2,000 francs per annum, except the pasteurs of Paris, who receive 3,000 francs. The commune' is obliged in all cases to furnish a lodging for the pasteur or give him an equivalent. The Lutheran Churches were established on the same footing as they still continue; but these observations will be confined to the Reformed Churches of France. Five years after Buonaparte's establishment of Protestantism, 171 pasteurs were found to have availed themselves of the state provision; and every year additional consistorial churches were organized under the law. In 1814, the law of Germinal, An. X., was confirmed by Louis XVIII., and again by Charles X. in 1824; and in 1828 the number of pasteurs had increased to 305. In 1830 Louis Philip confirmed all the civil and religious rights of the Protestants; and now (1841) there are in France ninety consistorial churches, with 404 pasteurs paid by the State; the number of Lutheran pasteurs in addition is 233. The faculties of theology of the French Reformed and Lutheran Churches reside respectively at Montauban and Strasburg, where the professors are also paid 3,000 francs a-year each, the appointment of such being with the government. The whole sum voted by the Chamber of Deputies for covering the expense of Protestant worship in France amounted last year to 1,032,860 francs, or about £41,500. The consistories, with the churches or sections; when once organized and accepted by the Ministre des Cultes, are left to their own management; but they seldom act as an ecclesiastical body; and practically every congregation with its pasteurs is independent. A local synod, which the law allows, has never yet been held in any province since the restoration. The old National Synod, answering to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland, is supposed to be illegal, but may ultimately be restored."

2. RELIGIOUS CONDITION.

"The consistorial Churches were reorganized without a creed, and in most cases, without any formulary whatever, so that there were no means of ascertaining what the faith was, which was couched under the general appellation of Protestantism; but as inquiries were made by individuals interested in the purity of the Reformed religion, it was gradually discovered that the great body of the salaried pasteurs was infected with the Neologism of Germany and the Infidelity of the age of Louis XV.; it was hardly possible to find twenty pasteurs, who confessed the doctrine of the Trinity and the Atonement. At this time the Established (that is, the State paid) Protestantism of France is for the most part Socinianism, and therefore it is not to be wondered at that the orthodox minority should feel anxious either to reform the majority or to recede from it. If they seek to reform by insisting upon the introduction of their ancient creeds and formularies, the Socinian majority tax them

* "There are several consistories which have much less than the prescribed number."

with intolerance, call them Methodists, Calvinists, and Exclusists. If they recede (as in some few instances they have done) they call them Separatists and Dissenters. Such, however, has been the progress of orthodox doctrines, that within the last ten years the Trinitarians have received an acquisition of more than 100 pasteurs, making in all an estimated number of 150 out of the 404 who faithfully preach Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, and whose lives adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour. The Lutheran pasteurs, with a few exceptions, are Neologists or Socinians."

RELIGIOUS STATISTICS OF SCOTLAND.

The following numbers are furnished by the Scottish Ecclesiastical Register for 1842. They give a view of the religious provision made for Scotland by the Establishment and the Nonconformists

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The number of Churches in connection with the various dissenting denominations now stands :

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Ar the Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Voluntary Church Association, on the eighteenth of last month, Sir Culling Eardley Smith, after observing that the serious clergy of the Established Church are now divided into two parties, Catholic and Protestant, (the one holding that the change which every man must undergo to be acceptable to God takes place at baptism, the other that it takes place when he believes,) added the following remark:

"There are still, I am thankful to say, a large number of clergy who firmly hold evangelical principles; and to these clergy I would on this occasion make a formal appeal. I would ask them whether it is not their duty, under the present circumstances of the Church of England, to try the legal question-whether it be legal or not for Catholic doctrines to be proclaimed from Protestant pulpits? One Article of the Church of England asserts that the Church is a body of faithful men, amongst whom the pure Word of God is preached. The Evangelical clergy regard the doctrines of the Catholic clergy as not being the pure Word of God. I say, therefore, that it is no more than justice to all parties, that they should try the right of Catholics to proclaim those views in the Church of England. It is just to the men whom they designate heretical, and they are bound to give them an opportunity of proving whether they are amenable to the Church. It is due to the parishes, whose incumbents are being condemned for hoiding what we believe to be heretical doctrines. It is due to the country, which is identified with these erroneous views. And I think it is due to us, who have always held that this is the very evil which flows from a National Establishment; and I say, that we are entitled to something more than a verbal denial of the statement. It is due to the cause of truth; it is no more than they are bound to do. They ought to resolve that the pulpits of a Bickersteth, and a Baptist Noel, and more especially the pulpits of a Stowell and a M'Neile, shall not be occupied hereafter by Catholics."

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