Let us admit, for the present, that this theory is true; then I ask, my brethren, do you think it wise-do you think it right, that the persons who assume to be above all others the authorised expounders of God's word, should take the terms and phrases of that word, and employ them, on the same subject, in a sense perfectly different from that in which God himself has employed them? Is not this, to say the least of it, taking a great liberty with that truth, which bears on it the impress of Divine infallibility? Can you think of anything more likely to perplex or mislead the persons who are taught to place unbounded confidence in the utterances of your church?

something different in the Prayer-book a religion of sacramental efficacy than from what the same expressions mean with the pure and simple "truth as it in the Bible. This is the way, I know, is in Jesus." The extravagant terms in which many of your ministers en- of praise-often partaking of the ludideavour to explain the phraseology crous, and sometimes approaching to employed, and make it tolerable to the profane-in which Episcopalians their consciences to give their counte- accustom themselves to speak of the nance to it. Prayer-book, contribute not a little to propagate the evil. There are many of the people who give themselves no sort of trouble on the subject; they have so little acquaintance with the Scriptures, as not to know what agrees with them and what not; all the knowledge they have of religion is what they learn from the marriage, baptismal, and burial services, and there is nothing in either of these to make them dissatisfied with themselves. They are told that the church is appointed to teach them religion, and that the Prayer-book is the book of the church: from the pages of that book, and from the lips of their ministers, they are taught that they are regenerated by the Spirit, adopted into the family of God, and made heirs of the kingdom of heaven; they are told to place unbounded confidence both in the minister and in the book, and they are content to do so. Thus the delusion acts as an opiate to the conscience; they sleep in the lap of the wicked one; they live in peace; they die in hope; and, in many cases, there is too much reason to fear they are never undeceived, until in the light of eternity they discover that their peace was a false one, and their hope doomed to perish. There are others who have light enough to see that there is a discrepancy between the book of God and the book of the church; but the extravagances they have heard uttered respecting the latter, lead them at once

There is, unhappily, no need for me to speak of the abstract probable tendency of such a course. Its tendency has long been apparent in its actual results. Many of your ministers take the phraseology of the baptismal service in its full and literal sense; and from the pulpit, as well as at the font, they teach the people to do so too. Where it is otherwise, the result, to a fearful extent, is the same. Whatever may be the diluted sense which enlightened ministers attach to the words they use, multitudes of the people who hear or read them, take them to mean just what they express. You need not be surprised at this; for human nature has always shown more sympathy with

to the conclusion that the Prayer-book | stroyed, I believe, more souls than any must be right, and that if their inter- one single error branded on the black pretation of Scripture does not agree list of heresy." with what it teaches, it is more likely that they have misunderstood the Bible than that the Prayer-book can be wrong. Ah! my fellow-Christians, did you but know the thousandth-part of the sad consequences resulting from this wide-spread delusion, I believe that it could not fail to be to you a source of the deepest sorrow, and that you would have serious misgivings as to whether you are doing right in remaining a member of a church which allows such a corruption to nestle in its services, and compels its ministers to espouse and propagate it.

Lest you should think that the practical evils resulting from this error are here overrated, and that the picture owes its gloom to the unfriendly eye through which it has been derived, let me here beg your attention to the testimony of one of your own ministers. Writing on this subject, the Rev. Melville Horne says:

66

Fully convinced that baptism never was designed to convey regeneration, and has no such promise, I confidently conclude that no mortal ever was 80 regenerated. The expectation, therefore, I treat as universally vain and fallacious. I believe that it was the great leading error that first corrupted Christian truth, and probably will be the last to be banished from the church. It strikes at everything vital in Christianity, subverts the covenant of promise, makes faith and truth of no effect, supersedes the genuine work of the Spirit, vacates the necessity of conversion to decent moralists, carnalises religion, substitutes the form of godliness for the power of it, and has de

Here you have the honest testimony of a friend. Read again the burning words in which it is given; ponder well its weighty import; take up sentence after sentence, and let your mind dwell upon them all, until it is rightly affected with the catalogue of dreadful consequences they describe; then remember that the fearful delusion which produces these results, is sanctioned, and taught, and diffused, by the church to which you belong. And is it of no consequence that you should connive at this first-corrupting and most fatal of all heresies? Is it nothing to you that you should be helping to "strike at everything vital in Christianity ?" Will you continue to countenance that which "subverts the covenant of promise, and makes faith and truth of no effect?" Will you be a party to "superseding the genuine work of the Spirit," and to making "decent moralists believe that they need not conversion ?" Is there nothing wrong in helping to "carnalise religion?" Is there no guilt in being the patron of that which "substitutes the form of godliness for the power of it ?" Do you feel no sorrow or alarm at the thought that you are lending your sanction to a delusion which is sending ruined souls to hell? If it were an error in philosophy, in politics, or anything else whose consequences terminated with earth and time, it might be borne with; but how-oh! how-can you tolerate it, when you reflect that its results affect the soul, reach to the bottomless pit, and will last for ever? May 1, 1848.

A FRIEND.

CHURCHING OF WOMEN.

To the Editor of the Christian's Penny
Magazine.

SIR,-I was glad to see the letter of

"W. B," in the CHRISTIAN'S PENNY

as if they formed a part of the congregation ? Were the laying aside of this practice likely in the least degree to militate against "pure and undefiled religion," I would be one of the last to discontinue it; but in no way does it appear to me that such a consequence would follow. The writer quoted by your correspondent from the Congregational Magazine, has spoken in a very

sentiments he utters ought to be proclaimed on the house-top. I would, however, recommend that instead of a

"tract to be addressed to mothers, to be read before public expression of could not be put into their hands at thanksgiving," which, in most cases, the proper time, our ministers should the practice altogether, explaining to come to the resolution of abandoning their congregations the origin of it and

MAGAZINE for April, on the subject of
the "Churching of Women." Myself,
and, I suppose, many of my brethren,
have often felt uncomfortable in per-judicious and forcible manner, and the
forming this part of public devotion,
while taking it for granted that we
must go on in the beaten track. But
what is custom when set in competition
with reason, conscience, Scripture?
We profess to abhor and abandon the
errors and mischiefs of Popery and all
corrupt establishments; why not reject
this, as well as other superstitious ob-
servances? That the custom has many
evil tendencies no considerate person
can doubt. Ignorant persons "return-
ing thanks" remain ignorant; and the
pharisaical are confirmed in their pha-
risaism by it; while it may be presumed
that the pious would be satisfied with
the general thanksgivings which form
a part of our public devotions, them
selves applying these mentally to their
own case. Perhaps, by the way, it may
be remarked that praise to God for his
mercies, providential and spiritual, does
not occupy so much space in our public
addresses to the throne of mercy as it
ought to do. I fear, indeed, that it is
generally but slightly noticed. I have
even observed many public addresses
in which there has not been a single
expression of devout gratitude. In
such a case a mind affected with the
Divine goodness must feel disappointed.

The custom under consideration is
with many a mere passport to go forth
to the cares and comforts of the world,
with an inward complacency at having
discharged a duty. What are the ap-
pointments of the Church to us who
profess to dissent from it on conscien-
tious grounds, and who ought to wash
our hands of everything that is not or-
dained by Christ and his apostles?
is notorious that many women come to
our places of worship on such occasions
to avoid the charge imposed at the
parish church, and who never pass
over our threshhold in their life beside.

the evils of it. It would be well if in the large towns the Dissenting ministers would come to an understanding on the subject; and if any should still adhere to the old way, they should be no hindrance to those whose conscience

tells them they do wrong in continuing the pernicious ceremony. These are times for reform, and for sweeping away corruptions. There are things among us which need reforming, and this manifestly is one of them. Let us go on till we get rid of every remnant of Popery, and our discipline and practice appear in all the pure and beautiful simplicity of the New Testament

N. R.

LECTURES ON THE STATE
CHURCH.

To the Editor of the Christian's Penny
Magazine.

SIR,-You will, I know, excuse my taking the liberty of bringing "certain strange things to your ears;" and perhaps you will almost be ready to exclaim, Is there not "something_new It under the sun?" To be brief. I was last sabbath at M, where the clergy are become somewhat alarmed at the results that are likely to follow the circulation of the WITNESS and FRIEND; and the curate, in order to check them,

Should we then recognize such persons

has recently given a sum of money for

the use of the Unitarian Chapel on Sunday evenings, in which he lectures on the excellences of the "Prayerbook" and the State Church. Now, Sir, the fact of a clergyman of the Church of England lecturing in a place licensed and still used every sabbath afternoon as a Dissenting place of wor ship, is making some small stir among the good folks of the town. They have begun to read, are beginning to think, I trust, in right good earnest, and also to inquire into matters that have hither

The Counsel Chamber.

THE first thing the Chamber presents to-day is a table of questions, which he who honestly puts to himself, and faithfully answers, will have reason to be thankful for.-Next comes an address to young tradesmen; here listen to a venerable man, who occupies the chair of instruction, and who has something to tell you, for which you may be the better as long as you live.-The voice of kindness then invites an honourable and a useful class, on whom the happiness of society very mainly depends. Words are here addressed to you which, if received and obeyed, will contribute much to further your present comfort and success in after life.-The last thing in the Chamber is,-a coffin! It is filled with the dust of a man destroyed by his own hands, as really as if he had employed the pistol, the halter, or the dagger! Oh! ponder it well, and flee from temptation, by refusing to taste, touch, or handle that which perverts reason, destroys bodies, and ruins souls!

QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDER-
ATION.

LET the unconverted reader consider seriously and answer fairly the following questions, relative to his own character and condition:

1. What has been the course of my life up to the present moment? Have I not been living in a state of positive rebellion against that blessed Being who gave me my existence-who has, by the exercise of his unmerited bounty, preserved me-and from whom I have derived all the mercies which I ever enjoyed, or which I now possess?

2. Have I not, by my dispositions .and conduct, shown an utter disregard of his goodness, a denial of his authority, and a trampling on that mercy so

conspicuously exhibited in God sending his Son into the world to redeem and save lost sinners?

3. Have I not resisted the strivings of the Holy Spirit, and awfully grieved him by my obstinate continuance in sin, when he would have induced me to give up my wanderings, and return to the way of obedience and of happiness?

4. Have I not manifested a practical contempt towards the word of God, the provisions of the gospel, and the work of redemption wrought out by the life, sufferings, and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, as if I had no interest in these things, and deemed them destitute of all claim on my attention and regard?

5. Is it not true that my thoughts