pretences, and proceedings of our enemies. We pledged ourselves in plain terms in our Prospectus that such should be our course; that course we have hitherto pursued, and intend hereafter conscientiously to follow, with the permission of Almighty God and in humble reliance upon Him for grace to guide and assist us, and to bless with success the work of our hands. That we have not laboured altogether in vain, several most interesting facts which have been made known to us afford pleasing evidence, and enable us to thank God and take courage. And while we tender our grateful acknowledgments to our Clerical brethren and friends in general for the patronage which they have already so liberally awarded us, we respectfully solicit a continuance of their encouraging support, assuring them that our utmost endeavours shall be exerted to render THE CHURCH MAGAZINE as advantageous as possible to the great cause to which it is dedicated. To the Parochial Clergy who have recommended and circulated it in their parishes we are doubly indebted, and trust that its style and variety will henceforth be found acceptable and serviceable to that large class of our countrymen, who stand most in need of being put on their guard against the false doctrines, misrepresentations, and artifices of unauthorized and interested teachers, who in zeal and perseverance furnish us with an example highly worthy of our constant imitation. The Church of God is now violently assailed on all sides, and her enemies openly encouraged, even by those in high places who are solemnly sworn to act quite the reverse; and woe be unto us, if in this "day of rebuke and blasphemy," when popery, dissent, and infidelity are leagued against us, we treacherously shrink from the diligent and honest performance of our duty as faithful soldiers and servants of Jesus Christ.

In concluding, we cast ourselves unreservedly upon the candour and kind forbearance of our readers for the most favourable construction of all our proceedings, and in the confidence that, while we are anxiously striving for the general good, they will second our efforts and beseech the Great Head of the Church to crown our labours with success, and pour down upon ourselves and upon all employed in his holy service upon earth the continual dew of his blessing.

RELIGION, in some form or other, has always been practised by the vast majority of the human race; and the wise, the great, and the good of all nations and times, have ever considered it essential to the well-being and happiness of mankind, both here and hereafter. To the truth of this, universal history bears abundant and unquestioned testimony. Anterior to the great advent of "the Desire of all nations," the true knowledge of the Creator of all things was confined to but a small portion of the family of man-to the natural descendants of Abraham, the father of the faithful and "the friend of God." And until the Sun of Righteousness arose with healing in his wings, and dispelled the shadows of the typical dispensation, and broke down the middle wall of partition, the Gentile world was covered with thick darkness, and lay in great ignorance of the Almighty; for although "the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead," yet, like too many of the present generation, "professing themselves to be wise they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." But the fulness of time having come, "God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world;" and having founded his Church upon a rock, with the promise that the gates of hell should never prevail against it, and appointed an order of men to act as his representatives to the end of time, the eternal Son of God, just as he was about to be "received up into glory," "spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth: Go ye therefore into all the world and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY GHOST, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Having thus received their high commission, and the promise of their blessed Lord and Master, that He would be present with them, and with those who should succeed them in their holy office, to the end of the world, to encourage and support them, the Apostles went forth as "sheep among wolves," and "preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Strong in faith and full of zeal, they proclaimed the glad tidings of salvation to a perishing world, "the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." They healed the sick and cast out devils, and raised the dead, and did many other wonderful works, insomuch that the

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multitudes marvelled, and glorified God, who had given such power unto men. The most astonishing success crowned their labours everywhere; and "so mightily grew the Word of God, and prevailed," that thousands, and tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands, believed, and flocked to the Church like doves to their windows. "The Lord gave the word, and great was the company of the preachers;" and by them people of all nations, kindreds, and tongues, through the power of the Holy Ghost, were turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Their spiritual eyes were opened; and seeing that life and immortality were brought to light through the Gospel, and that they should now "obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory," they acknowledged with great joy of heart-" How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things." And the love and union, and peace and harmony of the primitive Christians, were beautifully exemplified in their "continuing steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and FELLOWSHIP, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." They continuing daily with ONE ACCORD in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people."

Such was the delightful state of the Church at that early period, and for some time afterwards; but Satan finding his kingdom shaking, and not contented with stirring up appalling instruments of persecution against the holy brotherhood, he resorted also to his old and too successful stratagem of creating "strife and division amongst the children of God." So that even before the departure of the inspired Apostles, "envying, and strife, and divisions" began to distract the Church of Christ, and rendered it necessary for St. Paul to "beseech" the brethren to "mark them which caused divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which they had learned, and to avoid them." Yea, I beseech you, brethren," says the ambassador of peace, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." Notwithstanding, however, this solemn and pathetic appeal, in "the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," schisms and heresies have continued to disturb and perplex the Church from that time to the present. And never were discord, strife, and contentions more rife and more injurious to Christianity than now in these latter days, when every man seems to do that which is right in his own eyes. The great Apostle, when he "was ready to be offered, and the time of his departure was at hand," prophesied to his beloved son Timothy,-"The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." St. Peter describes the "false teachers" that should arise, as those who "despise government; presumptuous are they, self-willed-they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities"-"through covetousness shall they, with feigned words, make merchandise of you"-"many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." It would be a work of supererogation to attempt to show how exactly these Apostles have thus delineated the times in which we live. Had they existed in our day, the picture could not have been more faithfully drawn. Strife and division meet and offend the Christian's eye at every turn. Professors of Christianity are split into almost numberless denominations," until it would be difficult for a new sect to find a name. Each division condemns the other as erroneous, and all equally assert that with them alone truth is to be found. That sects, doctrines, and opinions contradictory the one of the other, are all true and