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Dunckley's Charter of the Nations on Free Trade, another selection; whilst of the three pieces of poetry, one is original, one is selected, and one is doubtful, but which from its style we should predict to be contributed. We see then, that from the original department of the Baptist Magazine, which consists of seven papers, and occupies one-fourth of the journal, only two, or at the most three, can strictly be placed in any other category than that of "selections." None of these articles present any striking points for observation. The "Memoir of the late Rev. Micah Thomas, of Abergavenny," by the Rev. John Jenkyn Brown, is only a very moderate description of one, and apparently a very amiable Baptist teacher, by another, of whom the chief characteristic that can be found, is the fact that he encountered and partially overcame in the south of Wales, "the utmost indifference, if not positive antagonism to learning as a qualification for the ministry," which prevailed at the time Mr. Thomas received "an invitation to the pastorate," and that himself was the pioneer of an educated ministry in" the principality. From the historical notice of "the Baptist Churches in Cornwall," to adopt the writer's vocabulary, we glean that in that county, "the earliest intimation we have of the practice of 'Anabaptist' sentiments is found in a letter, from Exeter, which speaks of the Baptism in 1650, in the harbour of Falmouth, of the daughter of the governor of S. Mawe's Castle." A rather late year from which to date the origin and the establishment of a Church" in a semiChristian country is A.D. 1650; we should be curious to learn where, in those days, was to be found the remnants of that Church which was founded in Britain in the first century, or at what date anterior to the resuscitation of the "Church" in Cornwall-according to the theories of the writer of this paper-did the apostolically established Church cease to exist. One sentence from the lecture is deserving of publicity, it runs thus :-" In looking at the existing condition of our own and sister Churches in this country, there is much reason to deplore that our societies have attained so little strength and influence. Many causes over which we have no control, interfere with our extended prosperity and usefulness; but there are some which we could control."

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"Free Trade: its origin and its tendencies" is an article undoubtedly unique in its conception and in its treatment. We have mentioned the title of the work from which it is borrowed, and we feel that no words of ours can convey to the reader so clear an idea of the author's meaning as the author's words. The benefits derived from Free Trade are admitted even by its enemies to be great; yet but few even of its advocates can imagine a tithe of the depth and length and breadth of this mighty weapon for weal or woe. "Recognising the reasonableness of the hope (Christianity the author afterwards explains) which all feel, that a future period (probably a terrestrial Millennium) of political and moral perfection is

in reserve for the world, how will Free Trade-it is inquiredinfluence its approach?" The author replies, " in a three-fold way, "I. Free Trade will elevate the physical and social condition of the world.

"II. Free Trade will tend to spread the knowledge and the practice of purer political sentiments.

"III. Free Trade will aid in spreading beliefs which exalt and stimulate the faculties of those who receive them, and thus lay the foundation of all political and moral greatness."

We cannot weary our readers with the arguments wherewith the author proposes to prop up his theories; but it is evident that by a figure of speech, which controversialists should be careful to use, the writer has assumed that true of the part which is true only of the whole, and by synecdoche he has substituted Free Trade, an unit of a perfect system of government, for the entire scheme itself. But with the author's meaning in reply to the question, "What is Free Trade?" we confess ourselves to be fairly puzzled, and must leave the solution to the acuteness of "discerning readers;" since Free Frade he declares, "is itself a Christian idea. It is the embodiment of the Christian thought that men are brothers. It takes the olive branch which heaven in mercy sent to earth, and bears it to every land. . . . In proportion as mankind accepts its principles, they will admit the morals of Christianity, and may be the more easily led to adopt the doctrines from which they spring." Had the author thus been enabled to persuade the opponents of these sentiments, we feel convinced that the battle would have been shorn of half its bitterness, although even in that case some might have been found sufficiently blinded to refuse to accept the Christianity of which Free Trade is the "embodiment," which, in the author's opinion, is "nothing but what the mere historical student admits on the ground of experience and fact !"

Of a very different stamp is that Baptist Penny Magazine ambitiously called The Church. Of a less size and of one-sixth the price, The Church contains a far larger amount of original matter, such as it is, than its burly and pretending rival. Four discourses which occupy half the magazine are first to be read by him who studies Baptist divinity, as expressed in its periodic literature. Then follows, to complete the page, four stanzas of what their author would term poetry, and which just allows of a fresh leaf on which to commence one of four "Sketches and Tales." In the first of this series we perceive, in an account of the Pilgrim Fathers, that the writer has so far overcome the prejudices of his sect as to observe with astonishment that "It has got to be a common notion," -by what means Exeter Hall perhaps can tell us," that Popery is the only persecuting religion;"-that "it is hardly possible to avoid the conclusion that the tendency to power in any sect is to persecution;"-and that he has "so little confidence in human

nature that he, (the writer) should not like to trust a BAPTIST Sovereign (!) if such there were, with the weapon of persecution."

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The great event of the month, that is, of October in the year Grace 1854, to the Church in general, that is, to the Baptist "Church," if we may judge from the prominence given to the announcement, by means of typographical eccentricity, is the approaching birth of A New Publication,-A BAPTIST NEWSPAPER: which novelty in order to bring as many fish as possible to the net and subscribers to the list, will, the prospectus informs the Church" of course be entirely neutral upon the communion question, as well as upon the points of difference between the General and the Particular Baptists." If we might venture upon the liberty of a "play" upon these words, with so dignified a periodical as The Church, we should feel disposed to imagine that of these two sects of the Baptist sect the most inclined to favour the "new publication" would not be those denominated "particular.” The last pages are devoted to "the Young," and to "Intelligence." Under the latter head, amongst other topics, the harvest, the war, and the cholera, are noticed. The council of Victoria is stated to be "endeavouring to saddle the colony with a costly State Church," and dissenters from the Church at home are "in every parish earnestly counselled" to contest Church rates.

"Calvinistic Baptist" was written by our bookseller upon the wrapper of "Zion's Trumpet," and "The Earthen Vessel," two monthly magazines of the respective prices of one penny and of twopence, and we do not think unjustly; their very titles, of which the alias of the first is "The Penny Spiritual Magazine," strongly savour of the principles thus defined, whilst the sentiments expressed go far to justify the assertion. The contents of these monthlies can be enumerated with but little trouble. "Zion's Trumpet" opens with a rhapsody termed a correspondence between a torch bearer and a scribe, and addressed "to the beloved bearer of a flaming brand that sets fire to all the Philistines' corn at Horsham, may you judge the Israel of GOD there with a Solomon's wisdom, and defend her Zion with a Samson's strength, in the name and fear of the LORD;" of which in all probability the reader will require no more than the salutation of "An Ezraite" from "Chelmsford." This and more of a like stamp however is all forgotten when on turning a page we suddenly start upon finding ourselves tête-à-tête with good old Bishop Hall, and with one of his excellent contemplations, which we are moreover assured is "to be continued." How such contemplations from a prelatic pen ever found their way into Zion's Trumpet we should have guessed in vain had we not first conscientiously perused the Notices to Correspondents on the green coloured cover, where it is stated amongst other miscellaneous information that the "brethren being on a pleasure tour" certain papers cannot appear "till next month."

Now since the editor is elsewhere addressed by the endearing title of "Dear brother," we have made bold to surmise that he "being on a pleasure tour," some ill-conditioned individual occupying the editorial stool had thus unadvisedly used the editor's prerogative. The article, however, most to our mind in the Trumpet, is a reprint from America, of a humorous piece of badinage, in which "Satan" figures as a popular "preacher." Whilst, however, the Trumpet's editors were enjoying pleasure tours the readers of the Earthen Vessel are informed that their friend and its editor when on the point "to fulfil some preaching engagements" had been "laid down in affliction," bodily we opine; and as a sick man is not a fit subject for criticism we will lay aside our weapons of offence, with the hope expressed by himself, that the editor is in a fair way of complete recovery.

"The British Millennial Harbinger," according to its own statement is "devoted to the spread of Primitive Christianity." sixpenny periodical is in the tenth number of the seventh volume of the third series, and contains a miscellaneous collection of facts and of opinions. With the first species we are but little concerned; among the second we find an article with the ominous title, "The Christian Ministry not a Priesthood." This paper is not the first which has appeared upon the subject; with the previous position of the writer we are ignorant; and hence we are able to notice those arguments alone which he sets before us in the current number of the Harbinger. The present essay, by a writer whose name we have not the pleasure of remembering, and whom we shall not find occasion to mention otherwise than officially, undertakes to prove that in the "ministry" there is "included no priesthood, either in the incipient or the complete and final apostolic commission;" and promises to show the truth thereof not by "general assertions," but by a "careful induction of facts," a promise for which we have in vain looked for the fulfilment. The writer begins by quoting the SAVIOUR'S words, in which He first ordained the twelve Apostles, and mentions the fact, of which few could be ignorant, that at the same time "the Jewish priests were still officiating." He afterwards draws the following conclusion:

"There was, then, no intrusion on the office of the priest in the commission which was given to the twelve. No ephod, breast-plate, or mitre, was provided for them (with changes of ordinary raiment they were not to encumber themselves)-no oil was poured upon their heads -no blood was sprinkled upon their persons or garments-the temple was not to be the scene of their ministry, but the whole land of Judea. To the altar they received no right to approach-with sacrifice or incense no authority to intermeddle. They were to preach and work miracles in confirmation of the message which they delivered."

The appointment of the seventy is of course noticed, with this remark, that "it was an increase of labourers on the Apostolic not

the priestly model." Lastly, the final commission to the disciples after the Resurrection is quoted, at a time when, as the writer justly states, the Jewish priesthood was virtually abolished. The following observations next appear:

"If, then, at any time the office of the priesthood were transferred to the Christian Church, this, surely, when the Jewish priesthood was in effect abolished, would have been the period.

"If any men have been invested with its functions, the eleven, when receiving their commission, would have been the first. No rites of consecration were, however, on this occasion performed. The eleven came to CHRIST at the place where He had appointed to meet them, in their usual attire-the raiment commonly worn by their countrymen― and they departed in the same garb.

"They received from CHRIST-not the vessels or implements of a worldly service, not insignia of political or ecclesiastical authority, nothing which could charm the eye or captivate the sense-they received only the breath of His lips, the words of His mouth."

Such, in the writer's own words, is the result of the Harbinger's arguments to assert that the Christian ministry is not a priesthood. And to what does the argument-in courtesy we use the termamount? The writer has incontestably proved that neither the Apostles, nor the Seventy were consecrated to perform the functions of the Jewish priesthood. And to this conclusion we can ex animo subscribe. But that neither the Apostles nor the Seventy were consecrated to perform the function of the Christian priesthood he has failed to show. He has proved that the duties and functions of priest and minister (to adopt the writer's language) were to a certain extent dissimilar, and that the form of consecration was different; but he has not determined that the duties and functions of the minister were not equally of a priestly character with those of the priest, or that the form of the consecration of the former was less priestly than that of the latter. He has shown that "insignia of ecclesiastical authority" were necessary to the Jewish priesthood; he has not shown that the want of them invalidates the claim of a Christian priesthood. Lastly, he has proved that Jewish priests officiated at Jewish altars, offered Jewish sacrifices, and burnt Jewish incense; but he has omitted to prove that Christian priests do not administer Christian sacraments, perform Christian rites, and use Christian ceremonies. In a word, the writer is unable to understand that there can exist at different times various orders of priesthood, Jewish and Christian; and contends, that because one priestly function belongs to one priestly class, another attribute cannot appertain to a second class. Such reasoning may suffice for those who agree with the writer, but such logic will never persuade those who differ from him.

The Millennium of Labour is discussed in very transatlantic language by an American Divine. We refrain even from an extract to pass to some "item of news," quite as characteristic in

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