generally admitted, that the time intervening between the first degree and the legal age for deacon's orders, might conveniently be assigned for that purpose; but Mr. Dale wisely goes beyond this, and appeals to the consciences of the youthful aspirants themselves, urging those who are aware of their destination, in the ordinary course of Providence, to holy functions, to consult their usefulness, their own comfort, their salvation, by early exercising themselves unto godliness. The necessity of personal holiness and obedience, the impossibility of a sudden change of habit or principle, the awful danger of the unworthy minister, and the inestimable price of the Church of God, are vividly and energetically insisted upon; and there are some passages in the second sermon, which, in the place where they were delivered, must have been deeply impressive. In his fourth sermon, Mr. Dale introduces to the notice of his auditors the Society, which he considers as the means of affording, upon a small scale, an opportunity of initiation into ministeral duties. The religious destitution of the metropolis and its neighbourhood; the alarming increase of intemperance; the lamentable neglect and abuse of the Lord's day; have for some time engaged the attention of the friends of truth and good order. Foremost among these, the estimable prelate who administers the important diocese of London has been long and anxiously labouring to effect such arrangements as might afford a safe and practical remedy to these evils. However, the present is an age of movements; a popular pamphlet, lately published, has succeeded in exciting considerable public attention. We cannot but commend the piety and zeal displayed by the Rev. Baptist Noel, in his "Letter to the Bishop of London," and we are grateful for the interest it has been the means of creating upon these important subjects. Here, however, our approbation must end. We have the misfortune to differ from Mr. Noel in almost every opinion he puts forth, except in the general ones-of the existence of the ill, and the necessity of meeting it. Our variation with regard to his statistical data would be of little importance, as we agree in the main with his statement of the result; but Mr. Noel must allow us to observe with much regret, that he appears to us entirely to mistake the nature of our ecclesiastical polity. By what bounds and definitions he would distinguish the household of faith we know not, but certainly not by the symbols of christian sacraments, and apparently not by christian doctrines. His two schedules of orthodox and heterodox congregations are founded upon data which are to us inexplicable. Upon what grounds does he include the Quakers in the first list, and the Romanists in the second? Deeply as we differ from these last, we have still less in common with the first; nor would we hesitate in our choice between Pascal or Fenelon, and George Fox. We protest against such loose and latitudi narian notions. We regard the union proposed by Mr. Noel between Churchmen and dissenters as one of the crafty devices of the latter to forward their designs of perfect equality, by means of a pious yet mistaken Clergyman of the Establishment. Why join with the dissenters? What security have we for soundness of doctrine? Why countenance an unjustifiable schism from the church of Christ, and an unscriptural opposition to our pastors? We compassionate, indeed, the condition of the thousands of our fellow-creatures who are as sheep without a shepherd; and we know that the gospel must be preached, but never will we aid in enrolling them under the banners of comfortless liberalized dissent. We meddle not with the sentiments of others; we will agree to differ, but we will never agree to unite, with those who persist in severing themselves from the body of Christ. We wish not to offend against charity; we know some estimable and worthy dissenters ;-we speak but against the system, which, with all kindness, yet from conscientious motives, we must decline ever seemingly to join. We will go with the dissenters usque ad aras. Why should they desire to intrude beyond this upon us, who will not communicate in these matters with them? Something must, however, be done, first to stir up and instruct, and then to edify, the half million of practical heathens around us. There must also be churches provided for them to worship in. For this object the Bishop of London has made a touching and powerful appeal to the liberality of the affluent, and has himself set the example of a noble munificence, worthy of the best days of our Church. We trust that He who directs the hearts of men may prosper this endeavour to forward the cause of holiness and truth! But we have observed, that sufficient attention has not been given to a fact, which is, nevertheless, we fear, too true and alarming. It is not the lowest, or labouring classes alone, who need the exertions of christian philanthropy; that class which is called the middling, extending through many varying degrees of respectability and intelligence, includes more than we could imagine of those who live habitually without God in the world. We are convinced that the number of those in the classes alluded to, who never partake of God's ordinances, is very great, and necessarily increasing. With respect to one description of persons, those employed as shopmen, &c. &c. in our great commercial establishments, we refer our readers to an admirable article which appeared last year in Fraser's Magazine. But the evil ascends to higher grades, and deserves serious consideration. Infidelity is appearing among them; and if it once be patronized by any popular leader, so as to become fashionable or tolerated, which it now is not, we know not how far it may spread, until heartlessness and wickedness corrupt the core of our land, as they succeeded too well in effecting in a neighbouring country. The guileful enemy of souls will readily inject his poison into bosoms empty of holy principles. We cannot now enter into the subject; but we with pleasure request attention to a late Charge of the Bishop of Chester, wherein he strongly admonishes the Clergy, (and we may add, that all Christians are in some degree included), to take opportunities, and even to make them, of advocating the cause of practical Christianity in their intercourse with their fellow-citizens, of all degrees whatever. His lordship's remarks are well worthy the careful attention of all who are permitted and enjoined to preach the word in season and out of season. LITERARY REPORT. The Unity of the Church in her Communion and Ministry: two Sermons preached before the University of Oxford, in March and April 1836. By the Rev. ROBERT EDEN, M.A. Late Fellow of Corpus Christi College. London: Hatchard. Pp. 54. THESE are well written discourses, and place the necessity of preaching Christ as the only foundation in a striking view. The author justly maintains that the great question of Christ crucified is one so well fitted to fill the whole mind with a sense of divine love and obligation, as to throw all sectarian and mere party distinctions among Christians into the shade. Now all this may be fully admitted; still it leaves the great question of "the Unity of the Church" just where it was before. In a discourse especially on this subject, we certainly did expect the great question of Unity more fully developed. The author, after all, has left us in doubt as to the practical bearing of Church Union on the various divisions of Christians in the present day. In all, however, which he says on the subject of Neologism, we cordially concur and pray that this dry-rot may be long kept off from our ark of the Covenant. Remarks on the Two Bills now before Parliament, entitled, A Bill for Registering Births, Deaths, and Marriages in England, and a Bill for Marriages in England. By the Rev. WILLIAM H.HALE, M.A. Prebendary of St. Paul's, Preacher at the CharterHouse, and Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of London. London: Rivington and Fellowes. 1836. 8vo. Pp. 40. WE most strongly recommend to all classes a pamphlet as able as it is seasonable. None who have traced the progress of dissenters for the last few years, and observed the character and conduct of their friends in Parliament, can doubt the animus with which these bills have been framed: that though, professedly, for the relief of dissenters from the grievances under which they pretend to labour, they were really intended to be, as was expressly declared by a member of the House of Commons, bills of pains and penalties against the Church. The truth is, that a government driven to depend for support upon all that is base and wicked, and finding arrayed against it all that is great and excellent, must uphold its supporters at whatever cost of public virtue, or risk of public safety, and depress its opponents if possible, though the constitution and the empire should be put in peril by the attempt. The country gentlemen and magistracy are conservative, and they are to be insulted! Not many days ago one of his Majesty's ministers declared his appro bation of a proposal for taking from the magistrates their control of the county expenditure. The peers are conservative, and an attempt is being made to effect a revolution which shall destroy one of the three branches of the legislature. The Church is conservative, and every engine which malice can devise is directed against it: To the particular bills now under consideration, Mr. Hale has given much attention. Two years since he published a pamphlet on the subject; and as no man can be better situated than himself for observing and judging of the effects likely to result from such measures, his present pamphlet will be received as a valuable authority. He traces with great ability the evil and oppression which would inevitably flow from these bills,-evil to the Church, and oppression to the people. His objects, which he follows out and establishes through the pamphlet, are generally expressed. The objections, which may justly be taken to these two bills, are either against the principle upon which they are founded, or against the machinery, by which the enactments are to be carried into effect. The latter class of objections lie upon the very surface, whilst the former class is liable to be overlooked by simple-minded persons, who are unacquainted with the secret history of these bills, and whose secular occupations prevent them from discerning that the religious services, which attend upon the events of birth, of marriage, and of death, are means which materially serve to keep the great mass of the people in connexion with the Church. When, however, I speak of being acquainted with the secret history of these bills, I do not mean to imply that I have any information respecting the proceedings of the Home-Office, or of the persons under whose advice and suggestion these bills have been drawn. The secret history is to be discerned in the aspect of the times, and in the state of political parties. A man must be blind if he does not perceive that a great scheme is on foot for separating religion from the state; for making the care of public worship, as it is in some foreign countries, a mere matter of police; and for providing, if possible, that the acquirement of all civil privileges shall be totally independent of any relation to religion. The bills now under consideration appear, to me, to be effectual means towards the accomplishment of that scheme; and, if I can make it appear that, when carried into practice, they will have a tendency, not merely to separate multitudes of his Majesty's subjects from the communion of the Church, but even to deprive them of Christianity itself; that the compelling persons to give notice of intended marriage to an officer resident away from the parish, will be an actual hindrance to the solemnization of marriage; and that the universal license to celebrate marriage with whatever rites the parties please, will probably throw disgrace upon the religious celebration of marriage: I think there will be enough to awaken the fears even of the most secure, and to rouse to resistance the spirits of those, who still maintain the opinion that social order, and social duties, can be based upon no foundation so lasting as true religion. Pp. 7, 8. We confess that we find encouragement in contemplating the proposed measures, not only in the character of the parties who bring them forward, but also in that of the measures themselves. The parties, bewildered amidst a multitude of schemes of which they understand nothing, but which having brought forward in obedience to the commands of the various sections on whom they depend for support, they have given to the House of Commons for playthings, to be tossed about till autumn-the measures, calculated to outrage so grossly the best feelings of the community, to inflict such oppression on the poor, and to interfere so tyrannically with all classes, that if it were possible to force them through parliament, they would be suffered to remain laws no longer than the first opportunity of striking them from the statute-book. An extensive interference with the settled habits and feelings of a nation is a task from which the most consummate ability, united with the firmest integrity, might well shrink. How, then, shall it be effected by political quacks, whose only principle is selfishness, and who are consistent only in tenacity of place; whose power for mischief falls so far short of their will, that their opponents have scarcely a motive for any stronger feeling than contempt; and who are endured by their own party only because more subservient tools to bad men could not be found, and their masters, well knowing that they would not themselves be endured by the country, are obliged to be content with pulling the wires of their puppets. Calvinism scripturally examined, and shewn to be inconsistent with the Statements, and totally opposed to the general tenor of the Word of God. By WILLIAM HOUGHTON. London: Rivingtous. 1836. 12mo. Pp. viii. 136. THIS sensible little volume is the production of a layman, who has brought to his work two rare qualities in a writer on a controverted topic-candour in not imputing to predestinarians motives which they disavow, and accuracy in stating the peculiar tenets of Calvinism in the words of the founder of modern predestinarianism — the learned and justly eminent John Calvin. Much of the perplexity in which the subject of predestination has been involved bas arisen from the introduction of metaphysical discussions, derived from scholastic philosophy. In determining the question in debate, the appeal must be made to the only authoritative rule of faith-the divinely inspired Scriptures fairly examined, with the union of prayer and diligent study. To the Scriptures the author has made his appeal; and those who have not opportunity, leisure, or inclination to peruse larger treatises on this subject, will find in this volume a satisfactory proof that the dogmas of Calvin are not the doctrines of the Bible. The Apostolical Succession in the Church of England briefly defended, in answer to certain Popular Objections. By HENRY CARY, M. A. Curate of St. Mary's, Reading. London: Rivingtons. Reading: R. & J. Snare. Oxford: Talboys & Co. 8vo. Pp. 28. 1836. Two objections have been, and still very frequently are, alleged against our Church, viz. 1, That we have not the apostolical succession; and 2, That, if we have it, it is derived through the Church of Rome. These objections Mr. Cary has briefly, but solidly refuted by an appeal to history: he has conducted his analysis of the evidence on these points with much ability. We hope he will be encouraged, by the favourable reception given to this tract, to publishwhat for the present he has been obliged to postpone-a selection of passages translated from writers during the earliest ages of Christianity, to prove that a ministry regularly desended from the apostles is necessary for the constitution of the Church. A treatise on the Apostolicity of Episcopacy, tracing it upwards from the fifteenth century, (when it universally prevailed both in the eastern and western churches,) to the apo. stolic fathers, is yet a desideratum in theological literature. The outline of such a treatise (if the lapse of more than thirty years has not impaired our critical recollections) was discussed, necessarily with brevity, but at the same time with much perspicuity, by the Rev. G. S. Faber, in a sermon preached before the University of Oxford in the year 1802, which was afterwards published. We regret that it is now no longer to be met with in commerce. A Scriptural Vindication of Establishments; with a Review of the principal Objections of Nonconformists. By the Rev. GEORGE HOLDEN, M.A. London: Rivingtons. 1836. small 8vo. Pp. xii. 407.' THIS is unquestionably the most comprehensive, and (we may add) the most consise treatise on the subject of Ecclesiastical Establishments, and on the constitution, ministry, authority, and worship of the christian Church, which is extant in our language. To students at the universities, to candidates for orders, and to young clergymen in particular, it is an invaluable digest, collected with no small fabour, of information scattered through the works of not fewer than three hundred authors, (exclusive of recent pamphlets,) from the Reformation down to the present period: at the |