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in the spirit that rejoiceth in iniquity," but with the profound sorrowfulness of those who well knew the gravity of the allegation; and who maintain it as demanded by the first principles of morality, by the first principles of Christianity, by the dearest interests of Christendom, and not less by the repeated confessions of the "Society for the Revision of the Liturgy."

If you subvert the definition of untruthfulness in order to soothe the feelings of gentlemen who wish to win the social advantages and opportunities of conformity while they hold the doctrines of Nonconformity, you subvert the foundations of national morality. And the proper definition of untruthfulness is the act of using language in serious affairs, which in its plain and popular sense affirms that which the speaker inwardly knows or thinks to be untrue; whether the object be to deceive others, to maintain a position, or even to "gratify God." You cannot frame a definition of "an untruth" which shall not include the men who, for example use in divine worship ad majorem Dei gloriam, formularies which teach baptismal regeneration by the Holy Spirit, and who yet openly deny that doctrine; or who use the burial service over a drunkard, at the same time thoroughly disbelieving in his salvation. One of the bishops themselves admitted that to do this was to utter a lie," (Nevile, p. 27), and a lie is, in Christ's teaching, the very essence of evil. But that which renders it particularly unjustifiable in Mr. Nevile to continue this absurd style of reflection in relation to the subject of charging untruthfulness " upon many of the clergy is that he himself, when he is not writing with a view of conciliating Mr. Gladstone, expresses exactly the same idea in the plainest English.

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says in p. 24:

"I am persuaded we have many thousands of ministers who will bear a comparison with any ministers on the face of the earth, in every quality which can adorn a Christian ministry; but they are all sinking under one simple fact, although it has been

buried under a whole mountain of circumlocution-they are compelled by the State to use expressions which they must know in their consciences they do not believe."

Now if men's "using expressions which, in their consciences, they must know they do not believe" be not "personal untruthfulness" and "insincerity," we should like to know what is.

An end must come to this foolish tampering with moral language, to pacify the peccant portion of the clergy. They are, undoubtedly, guilty of this sin. Let all possible allowances be made for individual education, incapacity, interest, connection, the influence of authority, the power of "authorized" explanations, or equivocations; but the plain fact remains, the Evangelical body of the old school, as a whole, and the Broad Church body, as a whole, are habitually using expressions in public service which they do not believe; and the practical result is this, these teachers of the people cannot effectually rebuke the nation for its crying sins of falsehood in income-tax returns, falsehood in trade, and falsehood in social intercourse, If Chris tianity does not teach men to speak the truth, and set an example of it in Divine worship, the sooner it is abolished the better. The notion that it is "uncharitable" to charge "untruthfulness" upon a man who tells you distinctly that he does not believe what he says in prayer to God, is about as rational as that it is "uncharitable" to charge cruelty on a man who informs you that he has just beaten a child until it was nearly dead. We are not dealing with the conduct of men whose real opinions we do not know, but with that of those who loudly proclaim their hostility to the plain doctrines of the Prayerbook, yet continue to hold the immunities which they obtained by expressing assent and consent ex animo to all its contents.

That the preceding sentences contain wholesome doctrine time and eternity will prove; for the most solemn warning against such sins as

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these are written among the last words of Inspiration. It was eternal love which thus awfully sounded the alarm. True love, therefore, can afford to bear the charges of "malignity," or "bitterness," or "coarseness," in discharging this ministry, if thereby it may "save some" and dispose a whole nation not to "mock" or trifle with the "God of truth." The first principles of morality are of more importance than any man's feelings, even though he be an amiable and laborious Evangelical clergyman, or a Broad Church Impugner of the Evangelical Theology. To give "offence" is not always to be wrong. You may resent this style of address, you may hate and denounce as an incendiary him who uses it; but you know that the weight of it will return upon you again and again-and that, with whatever transgressions justly chargeable, the utterance of this terrible "burden of the Lord" will not be laid at last to the account of any man as a sin by the Most Righteous Judge Eternal. The English conscience, the English Parliament, the English Bible, the English Prayerbook itself, all re-echo this prophecy against " non-natural" language in the service of God. You must speedily choose between reform or ruin.

Mr. Nevile's pamphlet cannot fail to exert considerable influence in drawing increased attention to this most painful subject, as well as to that other crying evil of the Established Church the sale of livings.

says:-

He

"Let us conceive Our inspired teacher, St. Paul, to be taken into the auction-room of Messrs. Farebrother, Clark, and Lye, or Messrs. Daniel Smith and Co., and let him hear a spirit-merchant in Oxford-street contending with a draper in Cheapside, pound by pound, for the absolute right of nominating an inexperienced youth of twenty-four years of age as a minister, to take the entire spiritual charge of 3,000 or 4,000 souls in Devonshire, Kent, or Northumberland, which had just been given to an

infirm and aged man, for the express purpose of being able to sell 'with prospect of immediate possession,' and so to produce the greatest possible price!"

But we apprehend that the chief value of this "Letter" will be found in its influence upon Dissenters themselves. Mr. Nevile demonstrates afresh the old lesson, inculcated for so many years and with so much zeal and ability by Mr. Miall, that those Nonconformists who form a portion of the State and enjoy political influence, yet do not bring this influence to bear upon the reform of these abuses, are guilty of their perpetuation. It is Parliament which authorizes the continued usage of forms which are disbelieved; it is Parliament which must alter the subscriptions of the clergy; but it is the Dissenters who must com pel Parliament to put its hand to this work. And the only mode of enforcing the attention of members of Parliament is to make their legislative seats dependent on their fidelity to the purpose of their constituents. In the prosecution of this enterprize, it is possible that religious Nonconformists might appear to sacrifice political power for one parliament; but they would gain in political influence more than they lost in power; for he who acts on some great and intelligible moral principle is master of the future. "THEM THAT HONOUR ME I WILL HONOUR; but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."

To what nobler end could all the seceders from the Church of England in the realm consecrate their political power for seven years than to procure the reform of that Church in favour of straightforward Religion, Christian morality, and simple truth. The opinion of the Liverpool Assembly of the Congregational Union, as reported in the Times, that we ought not to engage in any controversy relating to the Church of England at the present juncture, must surely have been a version of the judgment of the Assem bly that had passed through the alembic of some ill-formed, local correspondent's mind. To all such per

sons we recommend a perusal of Mr. practical wisdom written in a religious

Nevile's pamphlet.

Life Triumphant. A Poem, by MRS. CAMPBELL. W. Mackintosh, 24, Paternoster-row.

This appears to be a treatise on Christianity, in long metre. It is preceded by a lengthened preface in defence of that familiar measure as a source of pleasure to the human mind. It is one of those books which cannot honestly be praised up to the skies, yet its purpose is so good, and its execution of the long metre so respectable, that it may be praised, at least, up to the house-tops. The human

race, also, is so numerous that it is certain there is a sufficient number of persons to furnish the authoress with a sympathising audience. We observe that Mr. Baldwin Brown was so much delighted with her former work as to say that "it shows a very marvellous amount of power in the way of fluent versification, a high and true aim, and a patient perseverance in work rarely excelled." Laudari Laudato, to be praised by a laurelled theologian of Mr. Brown's stamp, entitles authoress to rely with confidence on her gifts, and we wish her success in her chosen path.

the

The Home Nurse, and Manual for the Sick Room. By ESTHER LE HARDY. Churchill and Sons, New Burlington-street.

Good nursing in sickness is at least of equal importance with sound doctoring. The collision between rival systems of medicine has almost confounded ordinary persons and rendered them desperate in their endea

Yours to select a medical attendant. But there is not the same doubt on the

proper courses of conduct to pursue in efficient nursing. This book is excellently planned and very well executed. We know nothing better, unless it be Miss Nightingale's invaluable "notes." The lady-writer is brave enough to speak plainly on many weighty topics, even on the "low evening-dress" of ladies themselves. It is a book full of all sorts of

spirit, and requires only, in a second edition, to be somewhat simplified here and there in the style to render it a most useful and popular compendium of the duties of "The Home Nurse." It contains those four elements without which neither books nor magazines can flourish, serious truth, genuine pathos, a spice of good-natured malice, and a little fun.

Thoughts on Personal Religion. By E. M. GOULBURN. D.D., one of Her Majesty's Chaplains. Fourth Edition. Rivington's. 1863.

a

The fourth edition of Dr. Goulburn's "Treatise on the Christian Life" offers the opportunity of noting again one of the most valuable devotional works of recent times. As a school-prize, as a Christmas present, as a closet companion, it is equally worthy of the first place of honour; of "double-first," if that distinction were possible in the world of books. Such fullness of knowledge and thought, such tenderness of feeling, such breadth and delicacy of illustration, such strength of purpose and spirit, are not met with in combination every day, much less in devotional writings. All who are persuaded by these words to purchase it will thank us for so earnest a recommendation. The Pulpit Assistant. Sixth Edition. In 4 vols. Vol. I. Revised by Rev. A.WESTON. London: William Tegg. 1863.

A religious book which has reached its sixth edition ought to be a good book. The work before us contains many sensible hints on the composition of sermons, which some of the discourses given, most grievously violate. Good rules are more easily propounded than kept. The sermons are of very unequal merit, some being only commonplace, while others are marked by much more vigour. The doctrine in all is rigidly orthodox and evangelical. There is nothing in them that brings out the results of modern science or criticism. For instance, in one sermon the earth is spoken of as destined to annihilation (page 38),

and the elements to utter destruction, whereas the Scripture prophecies only speak of a fresh melting down and readjustment of the elements, in harmony with the teachings of true science.

The book will be specially useful to local and village preachers, if useful to anyone; but we have a strong impression that, in ninety cases out of a hundred, men who need the help of such a work as the "Pulpit Assistant," had better let preaching alone. All the works of the kind that we have yet seen have been unsatisfactory. What we want nowadays is something that shall stir up thought rather than supply its lack; help in the study of God's revelation rather than prove a contrivance for the avoidance of labour.

Crutches are very useful for the lame, but the lame are not fit to be leaders in Israel. To David and his men they were an abomination (2 Sam. v. 8.) To those who need volumes of skeletons, we can cordially recommend the work before us; but the more excellent way is for every man to cultivate his own inventive powers.

Words for the Heart and Life.Glimpses of Great Men.-Relig s and Business. By Rev. A. J. MORE, late of Holloway. Cheap Edition. Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster-row.

We should like to attract special notice of the above-mentioned cheap issue of Mr. Morris's works, in three thin volumes. All who have known he honour him in no common degree. We have had few such preachers "to the times," in the light of eternity, as him; and few pulpit expositors so "mighty in the Scriptures." The band of writers on the staff of the Christian Spectator have, for the most part, the honour to reckon themselves amongst Mr. Morris's friends. Our readers, therefore, will not wonder if some zealous affection and sympathy with such a man, heavily afflicted, and laid aside from public duty as well as a very high opinion of the value of these books, prompt us to invite all our readers to become parties in the good work of assisting his usefulness by the press, now that he is silenced for a time in the congregation. In so doing they will gain a great deal more than they will give; for here are truly mucrones verborum, which enter into the heart, and stick beyond the pos sibility of withdrawal. These are golden presents for young men.

THE

CHRISTIAN SPECTATOR.

DECEMBER,

1863.

HEATHEN LONDON.

"GO OUT QUICKLY INTO THE STREETS AND LANES OF THE CITY.' LONDON contains nearly three millions of inhabitants. This number equals that of the population of Scotland, including its great cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee. It is nearly the sixth part of the population of England; it is nearly three times the population of Wales; and nearly half of the population of Ireland. It is the three hundred and fiftieth part of the population of the globe. It would require only three hundred and fifty Londons to people all the continents and islands of this planet. If there are some disadvantages in the congregation of so vast an assemblage of mankind in one place, there might seem also to be some spiritual advantages over country districts. If there are more stimulating excitements and fiercer temptations, on the other side the people are nearer at hand, and can be more readily approached than if scattered abroad shepherdless over an immense territory. Yet the facts scarcely answer to the theory. For, in London, out of three millions, it is affirmed by Mr. Horace Mann, that there are a million who could not be reckoned in any kind of religious census. A million of the people of London are aliens from the spiritual commonwealth and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world-as thoroughly heathen as if they lived in China or Japan. There is the bright image of the cross lifted up over their heads on the summit of St. Paul's,-but for any effect of Christianity upon their thinking or character, it might be the crescent, or one of the images of Bhudda, or one of the symbols of the Brahminical paganism.

How would all this London Heathenism strike us if it could be massed together and separated from the surrounding Christianity; if for example, it could be all transported to the southern side of the Thames, and spread over Lambeth, Southwark, and Bermondsey— there to develop life in its own fashion, free from any intermixture of forms or customs derived from the presence of religious faith.

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