respects be pleased; in others, injured; by having that carnal mind strengthened, which it should be your great business to subdue. For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos: are ye not carnal?'

I say not these things reprovingly, so much as by way of affectionate caution and admonition. That the case supposed is an evil, no one can doubt, who notices either the earnestness with which St. Paul (speaking, be it recollected, by the Spirit of God) attacks it, or the effects which he points out as resulting from it. That it may occur, will not be doubted by them who know the identity of human nature with itself in all ages, and that the same effects may be produced by the same causes. The chief guilt of the Corinthians was, that they perverted, to the actual diminution of personal piety, that very abundance of spiritual gifts which were given for its increase. We should sin against God if we did not acknowledge, as to our own societies, the goodness which has blessed us with all those gifts which are requisite for edification. . We possess a ministry which we believe to be Divinely called, and know to be diversely talented. The enlargement of our borders, the scripturally evidenced edification of our societies, all goes to prove that THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL IS GREAT IN THE MIDST OF US.' Yes; in the midst of opposition, and reproach, and trial ; deeply feeling the infirmities which prove the heavenly treasure' to be in earthen vessels; living, we sing as our revered and beloved father sang dying, ' The best of all is, God is with us.'

6

Only let us be careful. From variety of gifts the carnal mind may take occasion to strengthen itself, and to break out in 'envying, strife, and division.' Let us not forget, that whenever this is the case we are carnal and walk as men.' Against all this let us guard. Securing our own interest in Christ, why should we 'glory in man? for all things are ours.' Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are ours, so long as we ourselves are Christ's.

The following verses, by the poet of Methodism, bear directly upon this subject. They are equally correct in sentiment, and beautiful in expression :

351

IMPROVED EDITION OF THE METHODIST

HYMN BOOK.

A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the Methodist Episcopal Church, principally from the Collection' of the REV. JOHN WESLEY, M. A. Late Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford. Revised and corrected, with the titles of appropriate tunes, and the corresponding page of the Harmonist, prefixed to each hymn.

THIS improved edition of our excellent Hymn Book contains, among others, the following special advantages. Whatever verbal errors, or errors in punctuation, (which were numerous,) were discovered in a careful revision of the former edition, have been corrected in this. In addition to the name of an appropriate tune, the page of the Methodist Harmonist on which the tune may be found, is also prefixed at the head of each hymn. This enables the singer to turn immediately to the tune, wherever the Harmonist is used, (and it ought to be used every where,) without the trouble and delay of turning the leaves backward and forward and searching the Index. This alone is a very great advantage. The old favorite hymn 'Am I a soldier of the cross,' is also added in this edition. The plates from which it is printed, moreover, are perfectly new, and of the best quality. The paper is also improved, and the printing carefully executed; so that, in every respect, this work is one which we can now confidently recommend, not only to every Methodist family, and to every individual member of the Church, but to all those who love genuine poetry, combined with sound divinity, doctrinal, experimental, and practical; and especially to all such as are in the habit of attending our assemblies for religious worship.

This edition is now published in three sizes. The smallest is the Pearl. This contains the whole of the hymns, paged in the same manner as the other sizes, and is beautifully printed, on fine paper, and neatly bound and lettered, at the very low price of thirty-one and a quarter cents. Every child that can read ought to be put in possession of one of these compact and portable little books, and be taught gradually to store the youthful mind with its sacred poetic treasures, next after the Holy Scriptures. The next, or middle size, (48mo.) is very extensively preferred by such young people generally as are pretty well grown. The third, or largest size of this edition, (24mo.) is more commonly used by older persons, and has a circulation not less extensive than either of the others. The price of these two last, executed as above stated, is, each, fifty cents. Either of these may be had in extra binding, of any quality, with a proportionable advance on the price.

To guard against imposition, which we have reason to believe is

extensively attempted, it is indispensable to observe that this edition of the only genuine official Methodist Hymn Book is published solely by our general book agents, J. Emory and B. Waugh, (or by C. Holliday, Cincinnati,) for the Methodist Episcopal Church.Their names are in the imprint, at the bottom of the title page, and also in the certificate of copyright on the back of the title leaf. The names of the Bishops are added after the conclusion of the preface; and the name of a tune and the page of the Harmonist are at the head of each hymn. By observing all these marks, any attempt at imposition may be infallibly detected.

The profits of these books, as of all others published by our general agents, are appropriated wholly to the spread of the Gospel by itinerant preaching, and especially for the relief of distressed and worn-out preachers, and the widows and orphans of such as have died in the work. This consideration alone ought to lead every Methodist, and every friend of Methodism and of humanity, strongly and steadily to discountenance every attempt to draw away or to trespass on a charity of so interesting and sacred a character. We are confident that no honorable man or woman, and much more that no one of any religious principle, will knowingly be guilty of such an act. We earnestly hope that the preachers and leaders will caution our congregations and classes on this subject, and guard them against the unprincipled attempts which are now extensively making to supplant our own publications. Why might not this article be read to every congregation, and to every class, and let them be informed at the same time where our genuine publications can always be had?

SUNDAY SCHOOL LIBRARY BOOKS.

A RESPECTED Correspondent in the state of Illinois, under date of the 16th of May last, informs us, that our friends in that quarter have succeeded in many places in forming societies, and organizing schools, in connection with the Sunday School Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and that the agents of the American Sunday School Union, who offer to supply them with libraries, contend that their books are cheaper, and their variety far greater than ours. That their books are cheaper,' agreeably to their printed catalogues, taking the whole together, and estimating also the quantity of matter contained in the books, (to say nothing of its quality,) we believe to be an assertion not true in fact. That they have a greater' variety' we admit; but much of that variety is not only not desireable for our libraries, but ought not to be admitted into them if furnished gratis. This, from the invidious comparisons which the agents of the American Sunday School Union abroad continue officiously to press upon our friends, we apprehend we shall yet be compelled to demonstrate, though we have been desirous to

avoid it. Are our friends willing to be bribed to admit Calvinistic and Hopkinsian works into our Sunday School libraries, in preference to our own publications? If they are, they will find that there are supporters of the national institutions who will furnish any amount of funds requisite, to effect this object. And if we cannot be put down either by argument or abuse, both of which have been largely tried, it may perhaps yet be accomplished by the master policy of supplying our libraries with their books! Will the difference of a few cents, or even a few dollars, compensate for this permanent mischief? To assist the American Sunday School Union to make donations of a certain amount of books, on condition that others be purchased of them, we understand that large sums have been contributed or pledged by wealthy individuals. For ourselves we do not entertain a doubt that the policy we have mentioned above is at the bottom of these operations; and if our friends, after successfully resisting all other modes of assault, are so shortsighted as to allow themselves to be circumvented in this way, it is not within our power to prevent it, unless similar assistance shall be afforded to us, to enable us to make similar donations, which never yet has been done.

It is perhaps not generally known that the American Bible Society also assists the American Sunday School Union with large donations. But it affords no such assistance to us.

1

REV. DR. ASHBEL GREEN'S ATTACK ON 'PRACTICAL

METHODISM.'

In our Number for April last, we alluded to a series of virulent articles, under the head of Practical Methodism,' which have appeared in the Christian Advocate,' a monthly journal edited by the Rev. Dr. Ashbel Green, of Philadelphia. We supposed then, and when we wrote to Dr. Green in February, that his strictures had been concluded in his February number. We have since perceived, however, that they were continued in his numbers for April and May, in which last they were concluded. Dr. Green is, we believe, one of the oldest ministers in the Presbyterian Church, and we presume one among her influential leaders. The tone of his articles is in accordance with that of those which had previously appeared in the Christian Spectator, the Charleston Observer, the Connecticut Observer, Richmond Visiter and Telegraph, (now, we believe, the Southern Religious Telegraph,) and perhaps some other Presbyterian and Congregational periodicals.* The most of the public

*The New-York Evangelist, (a paper of the same class,) which seems to have taken upon itself the task of supplying the whole place of all its silenced predecessors in calumny, we deem, so far as its assaults on us are concerned, of too low a character to be placed even in this group. We regret, indeed, that this brief introductory history of facts obliges us so much as to name it, even in a note.

journals of these denominations, although one would think, sufficiently divided among themselves to find them full employment at home, yet appear to make common cause at least in their hostility to 'Methodism."* We should have hoped that Dr. Green's age and self-respect, if not his piety and charity, together with the means of better information at his own door, would have preserved him from imitating the low unchristian abuse of his neighbours, by which others of his brethren had so unenviably distinguished themselves. In this we are disappointed. He has, in fact, outheroded them all, except perhaps those who conduct the journal, which we desire not again to name, mentioned in a note above. And since Dr. Green, though respectfully requested, has not thought proper to furnish the name of his correspondent, or the specifications of persons, times, and places, requisite for a fair investigation of his insinuations and statements, we are under the necessity of holding him personally responsible for them. We should, indeed, greatly have preferred an opportunity to look the author himself directly in the face, and to hold up his proper name to the public, in perpetual connection with the brand which should be fixed upon it. Since, however, he shrinks from this, and with a consciousness, doubtless, of the guilt of a traducer, hides his cowardly face, artfully making a tool of Dr. Green, whose ear and page are readily and widely opened to such slander, and that at a period when his thoughts ought rather to be engrossed with things which make for peace, and for a tranquil descent to the tomb, no alternative is left to us, as stated in our note to Dr. Green, but to take him himself as the author of what we shall proceed to notice. That we should be held to disprove the allegations or insinuations of a concealed accuser, who dares not, though called upon, to exhibit either himself or his specifications, is what we are persuaded the public will never adjudge to be a measure of either justice or mercy. The vilest bandits might well blush at such a requisition, and we leave Dr. Green and his correspondent to enjoy the full credit of it before the public.

Dr. Green says, indeed, that when no individual has been named, an editor of a religious Miscellany is under no obligation, either of Christianity or courtesy, to respond to the call of the editors or friends of an offended denomination, for specifications of times and places, when and where occurrences that have been mentioned took place, or of individuals concerned in such occurrences. This would unquestionably lead to an endless series of

*We take pleasure in repeating here that the Biblical Repertory, conducted by an association of gentlemen at Princeton, (N. J.,) is entitled, so far as we have observed, to be exempted from the application of this remark. The new Presbyterian paper published in Philadelphia, and entitled 'The Presbyterian,' promised very fair too in its first number: the subsequent numbers, except one containing a eulogy of Dr. Green's work, we have not seen. The New York Observer has also, of late especially, pursued toward us a course much less exceptionable than that of many others of the journals of the class alluded to..