and perhaps as true as might have been expected: considering, that is, they were collected in the most unsatisfactory way, by the return of the parties most interested. We do not charge him, therefore, with unfair partiality when occupied with his own deputed province of work; indeed the mass of figures collected would be rather stubborn material for the impress, in their raw state, of any individual bias, unless we imputed direct dishonesty, than which nothing would be more unjust; but we nevertheless think it unfortunate that he should have attempted to act as a sort of pioneer of the Evangelical Alliance, in announcing that the doctrines of the Congregational Churches (Independents) are almost identical with those embodied in the Articles of the Church of England, interpreted according to 'their Calvinistic meaning,-and that the fundamental doctrines ' of the Reformation, as embodied in the standards of the Church of England, are professed and preached by nineteen-twentieths of the Non-conforming Protestant community.' The assertion, again, that Calvin's doctrines were derived from Augustine, and were almost unquestioned in our Church till the seventeenth century, is at least open to objection, which it is right should be met by a theologian before so broadly stated in the following passage, which we give at length, as illustrative of the manner in which these questions are here treated: '

The first grand truth asserted, or rather re-asserted, at the Reformation, as the first-fruit of the exercise of private judgment, was that of "Justification by Faith;" or the sufficiency, for salvation, of repentance and belief in the atonement of Christ, apart from the performance by the penitent of any fancied meritorious works. In elucidation of this truth, the earliest reformers, and conspicuously Calvin, (following the example of Augustine in the ancient Church) affirmed that such repentance and belief could not, in consequence of man's entire depravity, be caused in any person by his own volition; but, if manifest at all, must be the effect of a special exercise of heavenly grace. They also held that the subjects of this favour are a limited class, predestinated from eternity to be redeemed, and safe from any final lapse. These tenets were received in all the churches of the Reformation, and prevailed, almost unquestioned, until near the termination of the 16th century. They were adopted, in their most important features, by the Church of England, and engrafted in her Articles. From their most distinguished advocate they gained the name of Calvinism, and all persons who professed them were denominated Calvinists. Before the beginning of the 17th century, however, a reaction was discernible, the aim of which was to assign a greater share of agency to man's free-will in the work of his redemption. Arminius (following the example of Pelagius in the ancient Church) maintained that men are able to accept or to reject the offer of divine favour when made to them; and that this offer is made to all, and not exclusively to the elect. These sentiments made gradual progress in the Church of England, and were generally preponderant among the clergy in the time of Archbishop Laud. From their most distinguished teacher, they

For a refutation of this popular fallacy and a full discussion of the subject, see the article, 'Recent Arguments on Baptismal Regeneration,' in the Christian Remembrancer of January 1850.

obtained the appellation of Arminianism, and all persons entertaining them were called Arminians.-It is generally considered that the Church of England offers common ground on which the upholders of each system can unite; but, beyond the pale of the establishment, it is generally considered, that a marked diversity of sentiment concerning the comparative influence of free will and grace affords sufficient reason for the separation of the two opposing parties into two distinct communities. And hence, in the churches to be afterwards enumerated, it is a difference of opinion on these doctrines which divides the General from the Particular Baptists, the Wesleyan from the Calvinistic Methodists, and the Sandemanians and similar sects, which push the Calvinistic doctrines to extreme results, from all the rest.'Pp. xlv. xlvi.

The histories of various non-conforming bodies-or as Mr. Mann sonorously terms them, unendowed churches' -possess considerable interest, and are given in the order of their distinctive existence. First on the list are Presbyterians, whose origin is traced to the period of the Reformation, their doctrines to Calvin, their triumph to the time of the Civil Wars, their present power to Scotland, and their decline in England to the general relapse into Unitarianism about a century ago. The Independents have much space and interest allotted to them. They are made to spring from the age of Elizabeth; their great advocate was Robert Brown, who imbued the county of Norfolk with his principles, though subsequently he himself conformed, and obtained the Rectory of Oundle. His followers, however, were more stedfast, and several of them became martyrs under the iron rule of good Queen Bess, who likewise had an Act passed at this time, giving her subjects the choice of going either to church, to prison, or perpetual banishment, return from which was death. As if to turn the scales of fortune, by a natural retribution, an Independent, in the person of Cromwell, was before long in a position to adopt the same policy, an opportunity which he did not neglect. The government of this body, as their name implies, rests on the voice of each congregation to manage its own affairs, though voluntary synods are allowed to advise. Only two church officers are viewed by them as authorized by scriptural authority, viz. bishops (pastors) and deacons, the former for the spiritual, and the latter for the temporal welfare of the church. They are now an important body, with accommodation in their various meeting-houses throughout England and Wales for more than a million, about half which number was present on the morning of the census Sunday, about one-fourth in the afternoon, and in the evening a number between the two.

The Baptists can hardly be described as holding certain distinctive doctrines; for they are divided into so many sects, that the name only applies with any exactness to sectarians of any kind who insist on adult in opposition to infant baptism, and on immersion. Under these circumstances, it may be easy for them

to trace a partial similarity of practice between themselves and the early British Church, though such a comparison cannot be said to have much value. The Calvinistic Baptists are the dominant party, having 1,947 meeting-houses. Other divisions are considerably less numerous; indeed, the total of them are not one-half of the Calvinistic.

The Society of Friends, Unitarians, and Moravians, we have not space to dwell on they are not very numerous, or very proselytizing. The first date their origin from George Fox, 1646, and are now much on the decline, numbering only 371 meetinghouses; the second, whose doctrines are well known, number 229 congregations; and the third, who trace their origin from Bohemia, are an offshoot from the early Greek Church, driven to sympathise with the Protestants of Europe by the attempts of Rome to force Bohemia into conformity with the Western Church, and number but 32 chapels.

Next in chronological order come the Methodists. The importance of this great religious movement deserves a special notice. As now we see Methodism, we can institute no comparison between its present position and relations to the Church, and those which existed at its origin. It is now split up into numerous bodies, composed often of the usual elements which contribute to schism generally; but, at its first origin, we see in it a standing memorial, not so much of error in its founders, as of inefficiency on the part of the Church to satisfy the religion. of its people. The following description of the Wesleys is full of interest, and cannot but enlist our sympathies on the side of warm religious feeling, against the secular, immoveable position adopted by the ecclesiastical leaders of the day, and to a certain degree enforced on them by the influence and authority of the state:

'The great religious movement which resulted in the ultimate formation of these separate communities commenced at the beginning of the second quarter of last century. In November 1727, John and Charles Wesley, sons of the vicar of Epworth in Lincolnshire, resolving, when at Oxford University, upon a more entire devotion of themselves to a religious course of life, began to associate with a few other persons, chiefly undergraduates, similarly minded, in order to secure a more methodical employment of their time in profitable religious exercises. These consisted of meetings for prayer and serious conversation, of visits to the prisoners and the sick, of fasting, and of weekly reception of the sacrament. The strictness of their mode of life procured for them the name of " Methodists." George Whitfield, then a servitor in Pembroke College, joined the association seven years after its formation.-In 1735, the two Wesleys departed for Georgia to act as the spiritual overseers of the colony just formed, and with the expectation of preaching to the Indians: they continued there about two years, and ministered with limited success and much unpleasantness.' -P. lxxi.

After his return, and when his preaching had produced the greatest excitement in many parts of England, the progress of the body is thus described:

'Wesleyan Methodism now began to assume the appearance of an organized system. Funds were raised-meeting-houses were erected or procured in various parts of England-and the members of the society were divided into classes of twelve persons, each with its spiritual superintendent or "leader." Mr. Wesley's first design did not extend to the formation of a new religious body: his idea was to gather into small societies, for mutual religious counsel and improvement, persons under serious impressions, who might thus, if previously connected with the Church of England, be the better fitted to receive her ministrations, or, if not before connected, might by this means be prepared for her communion. Himself a clergyman, and entertaining, for some time, exalted notions of the priestly office, and of rubrical injunctions, it was only an invincible necessity that drove him to adopt, in order to diffuse among the multitude a knowledge of the Gospel, means not sanctioned by the Church. But when, because of the astonishing effects created by his preaching and by that of Whitfield, all the pulpits of the Established Church were closed against them, they were driven to pursue that system of itinerant field preaching, the prodigious influence of which has been so often and so vividly described.'—P. lxxii.

The same necessity, and the same inability on the part of the Church to do her proper work, drove him at length to the further step of ordaining persons to perform ministerial functions in America. This he did for the first time in the year 1784, being then eighty years of age. The document by which he did this is curious, and shows forth the state of the case:

"To all to whom these presents shall come, John Wesley, late Fellow of Lincoln College in Oxford, Presbyter of the Church of England, sendeth greeting: Whereas many of the people in the southern provinces of North America, who desire to continue under my care, and still adhere to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, are greatly distressed for want of ministers to administer the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, according to the usages of the same Church: And whereas there does not appear to be any other way of supplying them with ministers : Know all men, that I, John Wesley, think myself to be providentially called, at this time, to set apart some persons for the work of the ministry in America. And therefore, under the protection of Almighty God, and with a single eye to His glory, I have this day set apart, as a Superintendent, by the imposition of my hands and prayer, (being assisted by other ordained ministers,) Thomas Coke, Doctor of Civil Law, a Presbyter of the Church of England, and a man whom I judge to be well qualified for that great work: And I do hereby recommend him, to all whom it may concern, as a fit person to preside over the flock of Christ. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this second day of September in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and eighty-four. John Wesley."'—P. lxxiii.

Bishop Horne, we believe, when applied to by a clergyman as to whether John Wesley might preach in his church, replied that he was an ordained clergyman of the Church of England, and that it rested with the incumbent of each parish to admit

him or not. In this case Wesley preached with his usual power; and some clergyman who happened to be present in the congregation, unable to find any doctrinal errors in his sermon, followed him into the vestry, and questioned him as to his consistency in this matter of assuming the right to ordain. He did not defend it; but, being now old and fatigued with preaching, he said, with great emotion, 'The case was very urgent; the authorities of the Church did nothing; and, therefore, I gave them the best commission I could.'

Since John Wesley's death in 1791, many secessions have taken place from the original connexion; but the common features of them all appear to be as follows:

'The classes were the very first of the arrangements introduced by Mr. Wesley. They consist, in general, of about twelve persons; each class having its appointed "leader," (an experienced Christian layman, nominated by the superintendent of a circuit, and appointed by a leaders' meeting,) whose duty is to meet his class once every week-converse with each class member, hear from him a statement of his spiritual condition, and give appropriate counsel. Every member of a class, except in cases of extreme poverty, is expected to contribute at least a penny per week towards the funds of the society. Out of the proceeds of this contribution, assisted by other funds, the stipends of the ministers are paid. The system of class meetings is justly considered the very life of Methodism.

The practice of the Wesleyan Methodists is, not to preach long in any place unless they succeed in forming a "society;" so that, generally speaking, wherever they have a congregation they have also a "society," consisting sometimes of a single class, and from one to a considerable number according to the number of the members. The classes attached to each chapel or preaching place are, in the aggregate, called a "society." Each class has its "leader," and the meeting of all the leaders of a society is called a "leaders' meeting." Each society answers nearly to a "church" in other denominations; and as many societies as it may be found convenient to attach together form a "circuit.” '—Pp. lxxiv. lxxv.

There are two descriptions of preachers, clerical, so-called, and lay; the former being appointed by the Conference, and the latter having only a local authority, being persons who follow common occupations, and receive no payment. The number of these is estimated at more than 13,000. The secret of influence among all Methodists, whether the more sober original connexion, or the ranting Primitives, seems to be in giving everybody something to do. Every one has an office, and is a party man, interested in the concerns of his chapel, and engaged in some active work that binds him to others in periodical meetings. The Church ought not to be above taking a lesson from this great spontaneous development of religious feeling. It is the tendency, indeed, of old establishment systems, for the management of everything to get into the hands of a few, a tendency which the Conference itself has experienced; for there is as much complaint now about priestly domination among Methodists as others: but