With an Introductory Essay by the Rev. David Young. Glasgow:"Collins. London: Whittaker. 1828. 12mo - Judge Hale has long been a favourite with the public, and this is one of his most useful works. It requires no commendation from us. Mr. Young's Introductory. Essay is written with great energy and discrimination. He has very clear and accurate knowledge of the Gospel; and what he clearly perceives he very forcibly expresses. The subject is the necessity of combining religion with literature and science in education, on which we are quite of the same mind with the respectable author, though we should, perhaps, differ with him on the manner of carrying the principle into effect, under existing circumstances. ter. THE MISCHIEFS OF SELF-IGNORANCE, AND THE BENEFITS OF SELFACQUAINTANCE. By Richard BaxWith an Introductory Essay, by the Rev. David Young. Glasgow, Collins; London, Whittaker. 12mo. 1828. 4s.-The essay prefixed to this volume is a kind of continuation of the subject of the essay prefixed to the former volume, more directly applied to individual character. The subject is very appropriately connected with Mr. Baxter's treatise on Self-Knowledge;-one of the most valuable of his practical writings Mr. Young, in his former essay, shows that the knowledge of the true God, of our moral relations to him as the Great Supreme, and of that dispensation which he has revealed, to deliver us from sin and misery, is infinitely superior to the most splendid attainments in science and philosophy. In this his object is to show, that the knowledge of ourselves is absolutely indispensable to a saving improvement of the dispensation of mercy. SERIOUS REFLECTIONS ON TIME AND ETERNITY. By John Shower. And on the Consideration of our latter End, and other Contemplations, by Sir Matthew Hale. With an Introductory Essay, by the Rev. Dr. Chalmers. Glasgow, Collins; London, Whittaker. 12mo. 1828 4s. - Of Hale and Shower we need say nothing, and Dr. Chalmers' productions require no testimony of ours to give them currency; but we cannot withhold from our readers a quotation from this essay, which well deserves the attention of all. In "There is often, in the pencilled descriptions of the moralist, a kind of poetical and high-wrought imagery. thrown around the chamber of death; and that, whether it be the terrors of guilt, or the triumphs of conscious virtue, which are conceived to mark this closing scene of our history in the world. It is well to know what the plain and experimental truth is, upon the subject. the case of a worldly and alienated life, the remorse is not nearly so pungent, the apprehensions not nearly so vivid and terrifying, the impression of future and eternal realities not nearly so overpowering, as we are apt to fancy upon such an occasion. The truth is, that as it was throughout the whole of his living, so it is generally in dying. He is still engrossed with present and sensible things; and there is positively nothing in the mere approach of dissolution that can raise up the ascendancy of faith, or render him less the slave of sight, and of the body, that he was before. There is the present pain, there is the present thirst, there is the present breathlessness; and if, amid the tumults of his earthly fabric giving way, and the last irregular movements of its deranged mechanism fast drawing to their cessation, he send for the minister to sooth him by his prayers, even he forms but one of the present varieties. There is no actual going forth of the patient's mind towards the things which are above. The faith which he has so long shut out, does not now force its entrance into a bosom, habituated to the reception of and the things of the world, have so no other influences, than what the world, long exercised over him. We may see torpor upon such an occasion, and call it serenity. We may witness an uncomplaining silence, and call it resignation. We may never hear one note of alarm to drop from the lips of the dying sufferer; and therefore say that he met with Christian fortitude his end But all these may meet upon a death-bed; and yet, the positive confidence of looking forward to heaven as a home, a positive rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God, a believing, and a knowing, that 'when the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved, they shall have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens,' may never enter his bosom. There may be the peacefulness of insensibility, even while the life of him who has been a stranger to the faith of the Gospel is waning to its extinction-but a peace mixed up with the elevation of such prospects as these, is never felt, apart from the thought of Christ as the Lord our righteousness.' It is altogether a romance to talk of such anticipations of triumph, to him who looks back upon his own obedience, and then looks forward to his rightful and his challenged reward. If we want our dying hour to have the radiance of heaven's gate thrown over it if we want, amid the failure of expiring nature, to have some firm footing, on which we might strongly and securely rest; there is positively none other, but that to which the consideration of our latter end should now be urging us forward--and, therefore, should we call upon ourselves now to take up with Christ as our foundation, and to associate all our confidence in God, with the obedience which he has wrought, with the ransom which he has rendered." —pp. xxi --xxiii. stitution. THE CULTIVATION OF THE MIND AN OBJECT OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE; being an Introductory Lecture delivered at the Opening of the Southampton Literary and Philosophical InBy the Rev. J. Davies, Author of "An Estimate of the Human Mind." London: Hatchard. 1828. 18.-This is the production of a writer of whose works we have had, more than once, occasion to speak in terms of approbation. It is enough now to say, that the Lecture is worthy of his former productions, and ought to be read in connexion with the Introductory Essay of Mr. Young, just noticed. Divines, with a short Memoir of each Author. By John Rees 12mo. pp. 370. 4s. R Baynes.-The title of this book conceals its real excellencies. It contains a very faithful Discourse on the 8th of Romans; abridgment of Dr. Thomas Jacomb's Dr. Robert Harris's Sermon on Perseverance and Holy Importunity in Prayer; and Mr. Thomas Watson's Divine Cordial. Mr. Rees published these treatises for the use of the humler classes, in monthly tracts, under the above title, and sacrificed the appearance of this volume to its more extensive usefulness. It however contains the substance of a scarce and valuable volume, and we com mend it to the notice of our readers. WORKS PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION. The Omnipotence of the Deity: a Poem, in Three Cantos. By the Rev. J. Young. Andrew Ure, M.D. F.R.S. &c. has in the Press, a large Octavo Volume, entitled "A New System of Geology, in which the Great Revolutions of the Earth and Animated Nature are reconciled at once to Modern Science and Sacred History." Many new and very striking Accordances are brought out between the Results of Physical Research and Ancient Record; confirming to demonstration the Divine Inspiration of Moses. This work will be illustrated by Copper-plate Engravings, besides about 50 Wood Engravings, representing the most curious Animal Inhabitants of the primeval World described by Cuvier, and other Fossil about the end of January.--Natural Zoologists. The volume will appear History of Enthusiasm. Contents. Enthusiasm Secular and Religious; Enthusion of the Doctrine of Divine Influence; siasm in Devotion; Enthusiastic PerverEnthusiasm the Source of Heresy; the Enthusiasm of Prophetical Interpretation; Enthusiastic Abuses of the Doctrine of a Particular Providence; the Enthusiasm of Christian Philanthropy ; Sketch of the Progress of Enthusiasm.— The Christian Mariner's Journal; or a Series of Observations and Reflections on a Ship; the Sea; Sailors; the Works of God; the Heathen; War; Time; Death, &c. &c. Intended for the especial benefit of Seamen, and the general good of every one. Written at Sea by an Officer in the Royal Navy. In 1 vol. 12mo. The Means of a Religious Revival: a Sermon preached at Reading, December 14, 1828. By John Howard Hinton, M.A. THE AMERICAN MONTHLY RECORD. As there evidently exists in the minds of the religious public in this country a desire to be furnished with accurate and regular information respecting the state of religion in the North American Republic, we have made arrangements to secure a supply of early religious intelligence from the United States, which we trust will enable us to present our readers with an American Monthly Record, containing a fair report of the number and present state of the various Religious Denominations, Theological Seminaries, and Christian Societies, which exist throughout that Union, together with such announcements of the progress of religion amongst them as will be acceptable to every Christian mind. To prepare for future details, we shall devote two or three pages to a brief sketch of the constitution of these diversified communities, with a statistical report of their present state, by which our readers will, we hope, be enabled, with greater facility, to realize the circumstances which may be hereafter recorded, and for the authority of which, we intend to refer to various sources of information. Sketch of the Constitution and Present State of the leading Religious Sects in the United States. The Constitution of the federal Republic establishes no one form of religion, but secures to every citizen the free exercise of his own. Consequently there is no established religion in the United States. In fact, an amendment to the Constitution contains a direct prohibition, stating, that the Government of the Confederacy shall pass no law to create a religious establishment, or to prohibit the free exercise of religion. This declaration, however, only limits the power of Congress, and leaves the individual States to enact, by their own legislative authorities, what laws relating to religion they may deem expedient. Thus a considerable diversity exists on the subject of religion in the enactments of the several State Legislations. "In the State of New Hampshire, its Constitution authorizes the Legislation to make provision for the support of Protestant ministers; and in Massachusetts the same duty is enjoined. The practice is simply this. An assessment is laid on all the inhabitants according to their estates. It is, like all other assessments in this country, exceedingly light, as its amount is regulated by the people themselves, through their immediate representatives. If a Baptist, for instance, resides in a parish where there is no Baptist Church, he is at liberty to prove that he has paid the assessment to a Baptist Church any where else; but should he not be disposed to take this trouble, the money is paid to the Town Collector, who gives it to the church nearest his own place of residence."* In the allotment of a certain number of square miles of wilderness, to be laid out in a township, some States have reserved a few hundred acres of land for the support of religion. This land, taken when worth nothing, gradually becomes valuable as civilization advances, and when it is of value sufficient for a division, the inhabitants of the town are required to make their election. Every congregation which is in truth a congregation, gets its share. The infidel, the solitary Catholic, or Jew, gets nothing, it is true, for he does not want it, but, were there Jews or Catholics enough to require support for their worship, it is highly probable they would obtain their share. These, however, are the affairs of individual States, and not of the General Government; and it may be said, that most, if not all of the State Constitutions, leave the matter in the same way. So that, in point of fact, the Clergy, and all that pertains to religion in the United States, are mainly supported by voluntary contributions, or by endowments that have been made by devises, gifts, and other private means. It will be now necessary to enuinerate the principal denominations, with any ecclesiastical and statistical information we may be able to glean. THE PRESBYTERIANS are usually placed first in the general returns. They have an Ecclesiastical Constitution and Confession of Faith. Their Supreme Ecclesiastical Court is styled, The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. The subordinate bodies are Synods, Presbyteries, and Church Sessions. There are within the bounds of the General Assembly, 16 Synods, 90 Presbyteries, 1,214 Ministers, 218 Licentiates, 229 Candidates, 1880 Churches, 679 Vacant Churches, and 136,479 Communicants. The great body of the Presbyterians inhabits the Middle, Southern, and Western States. Notions of the Americans, Vol. II, p. 322. THE CONGREGATIONAL form of church government prevails almost universally in New England, though a considerable number of these churches are scattered throughout the Middle and Southern States. This system was adopted by the original settlers, and modified by a convention of clerical and lay delegates at Saybrook, Connecticut, in 1708. It partakes of the peculiarities of both the Independent and Presbyterian systems. The congregations individually are formed on the independent model, having no officers, but pastors and deacons, and their general ecclesiastical affairs managed by the whole church. Besides these, "the Saybrook Platform," has appointed Consociations, which are assemblies of ministers and lay delegates, in about equal numbers, from churches within a particular district. This body is a judicatory for the trial of all ecclesiastical questions. Superior to those are the Associations, which consist of ministers only, and are of two kinds. Local Associations, for Counties and half Counties, have the power of examining and licensing preachers, and of regulating every thing connected therewith. The General State Association, which meets annually is their Supreme Church Court, and is composed of delegates from the Local Associations. Besides the Local Associations, Councils exist, composed of ministers and lay delegates, which are invited by churches to settle their ministers, and to assist in accommodating any differences between the ministers and people. Preachers who have been licensed by the Local Associations are re-examined by the Council before ordination over a particular church. It must be remarked, that these Associations have only the power of advising, not to compel obedience, but their advice is generally respected. The General Association of the State of Massachusetts, sends delegates to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States, which meets annually in Philadelphia, and which in its turn sends delegates to the General Association.* The Congregational Body has 62 Associations, 720 Ministers, 960 Churches, 240 vacant Churches. In addition, there are from 100 to 150 Unitarian Churches of their order. THE BAPTIST denomination, which is strictly Independent in its ecclesiastical government. Mr. Ward says, "I fear that there is amongst the Baptists a Vide J. M. Duncan's Travels through part of the United States, &c. vol. 1. p. 114-116. N. s. No. 49. considerable portion of that Calvinism, which knows not how to unite duty with sovereignty, obligation with privilege, watchfulness with perseverance, and the necessity of prayer with divine influence. A Baptist Church practising open or Christian communion I found not; and one or two ministers did not hesitate to avow, that they did not consider Pædobaptists as in the pale of the visible church!!"* This is, however, the largest community of America. They have 190 Associations, 3,723 Churches, 2,577 Ministers, and about 275,000 Members. PROTESTANT THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH. This was once the Church of England, but since the Independence of the United States, its constitution has been greatly modified, and it has rapidly increased. They have no Archbishops which are not considered apos tolical. They have three orders of clergy- Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. They have eleven dioceses, to each of which is a Bishop, who is elected by the convention of the diocese. They have no Episcopal palaces, but dwell in their own hired houses, nor Episcopal revenues, being supported as the other clergy, by taking a parochial charge, and many Presbyters have a larger maintenance than the Bishops. When they travel through their dioceses, the churches they visit pay their expenses. In many of the States, collections are made once a year in all the churches, to raise a fund for their Diocesans. This, however, is not obligatory. The Bishops have no patronage, nor can they by individual authority appoint or remove any minister. No person has the gift of a parish; it depends entirely on the free choice of the people. The Book of Common Prayer has undergone some alterations. The Athanasian Creed is omitted -the words, "He descended into Hell," in the Apostles Creed, may be left out at pleasure. Some new arrangements have been made in the order of the morning and evening service, and some amendments in the office for the sick. + The government of this church is invested in the Convention, which was formed by a delegation from the States, in 1789. The General Convention exer cises a power over all the dioceses, and sits once in three years, though it may be summoned more frequently if necessary. It is divided into an Upper and a Lower House. The first is composed of the Bishops of the different States, and the other of a portion of clergy and * Vide Ward's Farewell Letters, p. 294, + Idem, p. 301-309. 295. I laity from the several dioceses. All motions may originate in either house: although the concurrence of the majority of both must be obtained before they pass into a law. Beside this General Convention, there is one held each year iu every diocese, composed of the clergy and of lay-delegates from every congre gation, who legislate for the government of their own particular concerns, but in accordance with the constitution of the General Church. The elections to parishes differ with the charters of the congregations. Some Churches leave the appointment of the minister to the vestry-men, who are annually selected by the pew-holders; others elect him by the ballot of the whole congregations. It is left entirely to the Clergymen who shall be admitted to the ordinances. The discipline varies in the different States. This Church has 11 Bishops, 486 Clergymen, 598 Churches, and 24,075 Communicants. THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH includes the followers of Mr. Wesley, in the United States, who are found in the greatest numbers in the Southern and Western States. They have three Bishops, whose peculiar authority is not distinctly defined. Their business is conducted by sixteen Conferences, which include 83 Districts, 890 Circuits, 1465 Preachers, beside a large number of Local Preachers, and 381,997 members. THE ROMAN CATHOLICS are most numerous in the States of Maryland, Louisiana, and Florida. The first is regarded as the head quarters of Popery in the Union. It was, indeed, originally a Roman Catholic Colony, established by Calvert, Lord Baltimore, of Ireland, who discovered a noble freedom from the worst part of Popery, its intolerance, by establishing religious liberty in its fullest extent. They have 1 Archbishop, 4 Bishops, and 600,000 members. The FRIENDS, or Quakers, are most numerous in the States of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York; the two former states were originally settled by members of this Society. This communion is governed by Monthly, Quarterly, and Yearly Meetings, as in England. In the United States there are, we believe, two Yearly Meetings, one assembling at Rhode Island, and the other at New York. The latter has been considered the largest deliberative Society in the world, as there are usually 1,500 persons present, all of whom have an equal right of speech and suffrage.* In 1812, a return of the Quaker Meet ings was made, when 89 congregations were reported in connexion with Rhode Island, and 98 with New York Yearly Meeting.* Divisions affecting the essential principles of the gospel, have taken place amongst them during the past year.+ The whole Quaker population of the United States, is computed at 750,000. There exist a great number of minor denominations, into whose peculiarities we cannot now enter, but present their names, and numerical strength, on the authority of The Quarterly Journal of the American Education Society. German Reformed, 90 Ministers, 400 Churches, 30,000 Communicants. Reformed Dutch, 2 Synods, 16 Classes, 150 Churches, Ministers about the same, 14,000 Communicants. Evangelical Lutherans, 200 Ministers, 800 Congregations. Universalists, 140 Ministers, 250 So Seven-day Baptists, 29 Ministers, 18 Churches, 2,862 Communicants. Six Principle Baptists, 20 Ministers, 15 Churches, 1,500 Communicants. Free Communion Baptists, 23 Ministers, 32 Churches, 1,284 Communicants. Tunkers, 30 Ministers, 33 Churches, 3,000 Communicants. Mennonites, 200 Ministers, 225 Churches, 20,000 Communicants. We conclude this article, by extracting a paragraph or two from a recent publication of Mr. Cooper, a popular American writer. "You may be inclined to ask, if sucha competition does not lead to strife and ill-blood? Just the contrary. Each party knows that he is to gain or to lose influence, precisely as he manifests the practice of the doctrine he teaches; and that, I apprehend, so far as Christianity is concerned, is charity and forbearance. At all events, great apparent good will and cordiality generally exists among the clergy of the differents sects. The people of this country manifest great zeal and interest in behalf of religion; I honestly think more than any other na* Dr. Morse's American Geography. + Congregational Magazine, Vol. 11. |