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dom; and others, or the same from the like principle, will seem to think it inconsistent with liberty to bow even to truth itself? (Binney's Life of Morell, p. 295, extracted from Brit. Mag. No. IV.) Again: "The supreme object of the ministry, in relation to the church, is to augment, in the character of its members, the glory that excelleth. But the tendency of many modern mistakes is to destroy the very being and action of the office altogether. In the same persons there is often to be found such a disastrous combination of absurdities as lead, in their legitimate operation, to the positive silence of an evangelical preacher. If you preach to saints, as you ought to preach, they are dissatisfied: if you preach to sinners, they are dissatisfied; angels do not require your instructions; and to preach to devils, if it were possible, would only excite still stronger animosity. So that as a benevolent intelligence, anxious to exert your faculties in promoting the knowledge and improvement of others, you are deprived by this sect of determined dissatisfactionists--the pest and scourge of many a church-of every sphere of active agency, and, in fact, virtually driven out of all the known worlds of the intelligent universe.' (Ibid. p 253.)"

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.

"Ebor."-We cannot enter farther into the question between Dr. Hook and Mr. Giles. Ebor must see that the Dr. denies and Mr. Chantrell and Mr. Tennant, both speaking of things of their own knowledge, distinctly confirm his denial of the act, (which even if really done could not have justified the disgusting perversion attempted). Is it likely that a person in his station would enter into a discussion as to whether his word, in a matter of his own act, were to be believed or not? How then can Ebor expect us to do so, when we are no farther concerned than to produce the evidence on which we founded our statement?

London:-Messrs. Rivington. Rochdale:-Printed and Sold by T. Holden; S. Ashworth; and all Booksellers.

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REV. J. E. N. MOLESWORTH, D. D.

REV. W. N. MOLESWORTH.

Fine Sense, and Exalted Sense, are not half so useful as
COMMON SENSE.-Dean Swift.

CHURCH HISTORY.

(CHAP. II.--continued from page 125, Vol. II.)

From the very first moment that Israel became a nation, and by being freed from the bondage of the heathen ruler had a choice of polity, down to the period of her history at which we have arrived, the essential principle adopted by the Divine Ruler of the Church was the close union of Church and State, and the inseparable association of their interests. They were independent, but co-operating jurisdictions; they had separate functions but community of interests, and so close a community that their actions was frequently blended. The direct communications made by God to the rulers and judges of the people, the combined operation of prophets and priests with them are notorious facts of history; and of the history of a nation which was the Church of God, and whose polity was not only sanctioned, but directed by Him. There was therefore at least nothing sinful, or displeasing to Him, nothing inconsistent with true religion or religious freedom in this. Nay more, both the safety of the nation and the useful

ness of the Church are avowedly in close connexion with the observance of this principle. God's blessing on the nation depends upon its active zeal for the Church; and the outward means of usefulness of the Church are greater or less, in proportion to aid and countenance given to it by the Nation. The rulers act as bumble children of the Church, and the Church acts as counsellor and guide to the Rulers. So in David's case the same principle continues. He is zealous for the Church, but he does not presume to take any steps in holy things unless with her concurrence and under her guidance and direction. Anxious as he was to build the temple he would not venture to do so, when the prophet Nathan communicated to him the pleasure of the Lord of the Church, that he should not be gratified in this pious wish. He receives humbly, and diligently endeavours to carry out, the permission given to him by the prophet to raise the funds, collect the materials, and settle the general arrangements of the proposed Temple. The same principles are recognized in this undertaking as those we noted in the erection of the Tabernacle, and as now prevail in our branch of the Holy Church; one portion of the cost is drawn from the public source, the Royal revenues-another portion is left for the exercise of the voluntary piety and liberality of individuals. It was the duty of the king as the head of the Nation to offer the National tribute, and it was the duty of individuals to offer their voluntary gifts; for both the Nation and individuals owed this service to God, and were interested in the establishment of public means of Divine worship, and in the blessing and protection from evil, both national and individual, which they knew depended upon the promotion of piety and virtue amongst the people. Both public and private contributions were not only lawful, but required.

The design of this history does not lead us to enter into a description (however interesting the subject) of the temple, and its ordinances. Enough it will be to refer to the notorious fact, that its ordinances were sanctioned by God Himself, that it was with great solemnities and public demonstrations of joy, and with many forms, consecrated-that its dedication to God was accompanied with not only a prayer that He would hear petitions in that temple, and when his people should be in captivity that He would hear them, even when they prayed towards the temple, but also with a solemn announcement of His assent to this rule. It was not left for man to set up his own fancied wisdom and enlightenment against this decree, and to pretend that he could pray just as acceptably in one place as in another, or with his face in one direction as in another. It was the ordinance of God; and faith and piety would delight in humbly and scrupulously complying with it. And the prophet Daniel gave a striking example of the obligations, which he felt to belong to the Divine ordinances, and of the light in which faith should regard them. In captivity, at the peril of his life, with the Den of Lions as the consequence, under the watchful malice of his envious persecutors, he prayed, as he had been wont, with his windows open towards Jerusalem-towards the Holy Temple to which he was directed to turn, that his prayer might be accepted. There was nothing like dissent sanctioned no setting up of sects and parties and factions, each with its own priests and ordinances and temples. All proceeded from authority, and the lawful calling and sending labourers into the Lord's vineyard-a calling and sending which could lawfully come only from that Lord.

Soon after the building of the Temple (in the reign of Solomon's Son) we have indeed a very awful and melancholy instance of Dissent, in the case of Jeroboam. But that case, instead of being any precedent

or sanction of Dissent, is one of the most striking monuments of its sinfulness and condemnation. It is spoken of every where in Scripture with merited abhorrence, and is marked in its commencement and its course with the strongest tokens of the Divine displeasure. Jeroboam the author of this unhappy division, is named (as his distinguishing description) "the man that made Israel to sin." His dissent began in rebellion, and like most rebellious and civil strifes, ended in deceiving the people, under pretence of giving them liberty, to place themselves in the power of the worst tyrants. It destroyed the strength and union of the kingdom, rendering the divided nation an impoverished and easy prey to their enemies. And from dissent and division it passed to idolatry, and every kind of superstition and wickedness. These complicated crimes deprived the people of God's protection, caused Him to punish them heavily, and at length to permit their enemies to carry them into captivity. Even the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin which remained faithful to their allegiance and the temple, though more favoured of God, yet did not walk worthily of their calling. They frequently were guilty of sins and ingratitude; till they provoked God to punish them also by delivering them and their city unto the power of their enemies and suffering his Temple to be destroyed by the Gentiles.

(To be continued.)

ON THE FALLING STATE OF DISSENT.

"The door of egress from our ranks is set wide open to the young; and they are leaving us in crowds'. So writes Mr. Edward Miall a preacher among the Independents."

Church Intelligencer.

It is perhaps hardly necessary to quote the confession of a dissenter to a fact, which must strike

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