indifference to a science which repeoples the Thames with salmon, and gives to Australia not only the same delicious fish, but fills her woods and fields with our larks, her cleared lands with our partridges and pheasants, and the neighbourhood of her towns with our sparrows and red-breasts. Let philosophers laugh; we know that these new-comers bind the hearts of Australians to the mother country still more closely. Our dear friend Canon Stowell used to tell, as no man but himself could tell, the story of a thrush taken out by a sailor-boy to his friends in Canada. The thrush lived, and was healthy; but he lost his song, and was a silent bird. It occurred to the sailor-boy, on his return to England, to carry out a sod from home. The thrush no sooner hopped upon it than he sang out lustily, just as an English thrush is wont to do.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

THE harvest, which seemed to be secure, and which in the south of England has been safely housed, is now in a state of considerable danger. In the whole of the kingdom lying to the north of the Trent it is, we fear, injured beyond recovery by the deluge of rain which has fallen during the whole of September, and the almost total want of sun. During the last few days, however, the prospects have been rather brighter, and the occasion has been seized to gather in vast quantities which have stood for a month past in sheaves upon the field. Thus, after all that has been said of the triumphs of modern science in agriculture, we find ourselves at last simply dependent, as our forefathers were, upon the providence of Him "whose are the cattle upon a thousand hills," and "who maketh the valleys to stand thick with corn.”

The contrast between the progress of science, and the utter fatuity of men professing science in all its branches, in whatever concerns the knowledge of God, affects us deeply. The successful laying of the cable containing the electric telegraph, which conveys a message from New York to the coast of Ireland in a few minutes, is a wonderful achievement; but even this is surpassed by the recovery of the cable of 1865, (which parted and was lost,) from its bed in the depths of the sea, three miles beneath the Great Eastern and her attendant convoy which grappled for it.

The once "dark unfathomed caves of ocean" have yielded up their secret; as correct a map could be made of the bed of the sea as of any Alpine mountain with its mantle of eternal snow. Yet in theology, whether natural or revealed, the imbecility and folly, whether of the men who pride themselves upon their philosophic views, or of theologians who profess to have shaken off the prejudices of ages, is beyond

description. Colenso repeats the exploded blasphemies of Tom Paine, and often in almost the same words. The men who declare miracles an impossibility, repeat the stale arguments of the Free-thinkers of the last century, of whom David Hume was the acutest, the most malicious, and the last. The ignorance of the controversial literature of the last century which now exists, surprises us. Men of education might never have heard of David Hume and his "Essay on Miracles," of Dr. Beattie's "Essay on Truth," or of the masterly way in which Paley, by a few sharp strokes, demolishes the whole infidel theory. It seems as if God was fulfilling His threat: "I will confound the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nought the understanding of the prudent;" thus proving abundantly that "the world by wisdom knows not God."

Evan

The example of Norwich, in its great Church Congress, is followed up in other places; and an annual Congress in our great towns seems likely to become an institution as abiding as the Wesleyan Conference. All parties meet, and all are entitled to give their essays or addresses before the Conference. It is a question which our Evangelical brethren have no doubt seriously considered, how far, without any compromise of principle, they can safely join in these demonstrations. In some places, Manchester for example, we are told that the result was decidedly favourable; and that the truth found its way, under the earnest eloquence of Canon Stowell, to many hearts. But our Evangelical friends must bear with us if we tell them plainly that we have marked with the deepest sorrow their conduct in other places. They, and they only, accommodate and compromise. The other parties are more rampant, more arrogant, than ever. gelical Clergymen are now willing to walk in surpliced processions even to Tractarian churches at their anniversaries. They say that it is our objection to the surplice that makes the use of it a party badge. How soon are the lessons of the past forgotten! It was no party badge until the Tractarians taught that it was not merely "a comely side garment," as all our Reformers held, without one exception, but that it was an Aaronic vestment, significant of the fact that we were sacrificing priests, and that those amongst us were dishonest men who wore the vestment, and yet denied the truth of the sacrifice; meaning, of course, "the sacrifice of the altar." Meanwhile the Romanizers in the Church have arrived at a pitch of audacity which must end, if allowed to go forward, in a large secession on the one side or the other. We have read lately of a single service in which tunics, albs, copes, chasubles, and dalmatics, whatever these popish robes may be, were all worn; incense was used, and the host was elevated. Indeed, this mimicry of Rome is becoming general both in London and the country. We copy the following from a Liverpool newspaper :"Who tells us that we are getting beyond our old superstitions? Who thinks that the imposing effect of fine sounds and sights is a thing passed by, and that modern intelligence is satisfied only with essentials, and is indifferent to forms? If any such there be, he lives in a world of his own. Look at what is taking place in the Church of England. See some of its ministers resorting to all the spectacular

expedients, so far as they can imitate them, of the Roman Church, out of whose gorgeous ceremonial the simple ritual which has for hundreds of years been used in England was fashioned by rigid and puritanical divines. Before a communion table, exactly like an altar, clergymen of the Church of England bow, intone, and incense, arrayed in green and golden vestments, making all the signs displayed in the Church of Rome, elevating the elements, renewing in every possible way, amidst sonorous music, swelled by the apt voices of well-instructed devotees, the services for which, in the days of the Reformation, those till lately in general use were substituted. Whatever else all this may mean, at least it signifies the continued power of sensuous influences over the human mind." Canon M'Neile quotes this in a letter recently published, and adds,-" Sensuous influences! Exactly so. Christianity, when genuine, 'overcomes' them, unto personal holiness and happiness and salvation. Romanism and all its cognates utilise them unto sacerdotal aggrandisement." As to Broad-churchmanship, it has come to be only another name for Socinianism or Infidelity.

The cholera has not forsaken us, nor the murrain amongst the cattle, though both we hope are disappearing. With regard to the cholera, it appears that the great preservatives from it are pure water, fresh air, wholesome food, and cleanly habits and dwellinghouses. Here is a wide field for our legislators during the approaching sessions. As to their Reform Bill, let them be assured, notwithstanding the clamour of a few demagogues, or the unaccountable crotchets of Mr. Gladstone, that all that is of worth and weight in England is well content to leave the matter in their hands. It ought to be no party question, and the only wish of England is to have it set at rest. If they set about the cleansing of our rivers, and the providing of wholesome habitations for our labouring classes, they will indeed prove themselves the benefactors of their country. They have yet to address themselves to another, perhaps a harder, task-to devise a plain, religious course of education, at little cost or none, for the children of the poorest of our poor; for whom at present they have done nothing.

In foreign news, the changes which have taken place since we last wrote are really few and unimportant. The American President left New York a few days ago with more than regal pomp; he was escorted by several squadrons of cavalry, and cheered with the acclamations of a hundred thousand citizens. In fact, he was setting out upon an electioneering tour, and strange indeed was his reception at different stages of his progress. America is now divided into two great political parties, Republicans and Democrats; the one anxious to heal the wound which the civil war has caused with the Southern States, the other proudly determined to humiliate them to the utmost. The President, greatly to his honour, is in favour of gentle methods. He is for conciliation and for peace. The consequence is, that in one town he is hailed as the saviour of his country; in another he is told to his face that he is a traitor, and, in language that we do not care to transfer to our pages, that he deserves condign punishment, and other

penalties of which hanging is the least. It is perhaps scarcely worth mentioning that the President's Secretary of State, in one of his speeches, told the assembled multitude that he was quite ready to go to war with France or England, or both at once, when he stood upon two feet; but that at present he stood only upon one. Now there is not a State in Europe, however small, which could utter such language without incurring a sharp remonstrance from the two insulted countries; but this American outburst is wisely passed over without the slightest attention. It is merely an electioneering speech, meant to secure the votes of Irish Fenians. No wonder that all respectable Americans stand aloof from politics. In Italy we still wait, with much interest but with no anxiety, for the withdrawal of the French troops on the 9th of December, and the consequences which may follow. If this be indeed the fulfilment of prophecy, then great changes are at hand. But if our "loins be girt and our lamps burning," all will be well, whatever may be the issue.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

WE have received a long paper from the Rev. S. Garratt in reply to Mr. Elliott, and another on the same subject from Mr. Garbett. Together these two would fill at least one-half of the "Christian Observer," and we must decline them, not intending indeed to carry the controversy any further. In the present state of the Church and of the world, we have not space enough for the consideration of questions of the deepest moment which spring up daily and claim instant notice.

Mr. Kelly writes to us from the Isle of Wight, to inform us that "every sentence in our recent article on Plymouth Brethrenism seems to him unfounded or misapplied;" and then modestly requests us to print a long answer to our article. Now we must take leave to inform Mr. Kelly that we and our contributor have too good reason to know something of the subject as well as himself; and we must decline to be corrected by him. There are many parties of Plymouth Brethren, not all equally bigoted; but it has become our duty to reprove them in the plainest language, and this we mean to do. Another correspondent, who gives his name, earnestly requests that this "admirable article" may be reprinted in good type. He thinks it would be very useful. So do we. We have forwarded the letter to our contributor; but if our advice be asked, we can only say that he would probably do much good, but he would certainly lose some of his money. We have no space to say more, but may probably give a second article on the Plymouth Brethren, or, as we should call them, notwithstanding our warm personal affection for many of them, "the intolerant brethren of Plymouth."

We must decline Mr. B.'s friend's strictures from Clifton.

It is of great importance that, when we take up any book for the purpose of serious study, we should endeavour to get a correct idea of the nature and character of that book, and of the design of its author. To read a history, supposing it to be a poem or a parable, or an allegory, believing it to be a history, -must naturally lead to serious blunders and mistaken conclusions. And therefore, when we open the oldest and grandest of all books, and desire to profit by it, a very necessary step to be taken at the outset is, to try to obtain a just view of its purport, and the object of its writers.

It is to the want of any such previous thought that we must ascribe the errors into which some recent commentators have fallen. Finding "creation" spoken of in the very first words of Genesis, they have rushed to the conclusion that the book was intended to be a history of the whole work of Creation, from its first commencement to the moment when man stood upon the earth, and "God rested from His work." But this is a hasty and unfounded assumption. The book of Genesis commences, and the other books of the Bible carry on, the history of Man-of the human race,—and they briefly state, at the outset, how man's world was prepared for him, and how he was placed upon it; without adding, to this preliminary account, one word more than was absolutely necessary.

Nor is there anything unusual, or arbitrary, in this way of treating the subject. On the contrary, it is what we constantly meet with in other histories, without feeling any surprise. For instance, we have a variety of histories of England in common use. Do any of these attempt to describe how or when the mountains and the rivers were formed, or how the island