labours in the conversion of souls, and in the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom; at the same time it is especially drawn by fraternal sympathy towards the several branches of the great Methodist family who hold a liberal system of Church government, and feels it a duty both to record its satisfaction and joy in their prosperity, and to invite our people everywhere to reciprocate the most friendly affections and relations, and heartily co-operate with them on special occasions in promoting the great cause of the world's salvation. And the Conference entertains the hope that the day may not be far distant when the several sections of Liberal Methodism shall become united in more intimate bonds.

"WM. COCKER, President.
"EDWARD LUMLEY, Secretary.”

The above Resolution having been read to the Annual Assembly of the United Churches, held in Rochdale, July and August, 1863, the following Resolutions were adopted with great unanimity.

RESOLUTIONS OF THE ANNUAL ASSEMBLY, HELD AT ROCHDALE, JULY AND AUGUST, 1863.

RESOLVED," That this Assembly has heard with much pleasure the Resolution of the Methodist New Connexion' Conference now read, and most cordially reciprocates the sentiments therein contained. This Assembly, also, believing that a union of the various liberal Methodist Communities, founded on a mutually satisfactory basis, would be productive of great advantages to themselves, and promote the cause of ecclesiastical freedom and the diffusion of evangelical truth; earnestly desires that such a union may be effected; strongly recommends the ministers and members of the United Churches, as far as practicable, to bold fraternal intercourse with the ministers and members of the 'New Connexion' and other sections of Liberal Methodism; and requests the Connexional Committee to consider what measures can be adopted for the accomplishment of the contemplated union."

RESOLVED, "That this Assembly authorises the Connexional Committee to confer with any of the Liberal Methodist bodies who may be willing to enter into negotiations, with a view to give effect to the preceding Resolution."

A copy of these Resolutions was sent to the officials of each of the sections of Liberal Methodists, by the Rev. J. Colman, Con nexional Secretary, and the following answers were received.—

WESLEYAN REFORM UNION.

London, Dec., 2, 1863. My Dear Sir,-I beg to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 23rd ult., including a Resolution passed by the Annual Assembly of the United Methodist Free Churches, on the 1st of August last, relative to fraternal intercourse among, and union of, the liberal branches of Methodism. The Committee of the Union will meet on the 11th inst., and I will then lay the same before them and communicate with you. "Yours very truly,

"T. W. RICHARDS."

REPLY OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE BIBLE CHRISTIANS. "Rev. J. Colman, Feb., 15, 1864. "Dear Sir,-In answer to your kind letter on the proposed union of all branches of Liberal Methodism, I beg to forward to you the Resolution of our last Conference on the subject.

'That as resolutions have come from two of our District Meetings, recommending us to consider the propriety of effecting an amalgamation with the Methodist New Connexion, we hereby express our conviction that, for the present, we had better persevere in the work allotted us by Providence, in our separate capacity. But should the hand of God at any future time appear to lead us into closer bonds with that estimable Denomination, we shall be prepared seriously to deliberate on the subject.'

"This, my dear Sir, I believe is the first we have received from the executive of the United Methodist Free Churches, respecting the proposed union of the branches of liberal Methodism; it will afford me great pleasure to lay your communication before our Connexional Committee at its next meeting. I trust that the work of God is delightfully prospering among you, and that the union of the Reformers with the Association will be productive of great good, and tend to spread Scriptural holiness throughout the land. Wishing you every blessing,

"I am, yours sincerely,

"JNO BROWN, President."

REPLY OF THE PRIMITIVE METHODISTS.

"24, Sutton Street, London, 66 March, 4, 1864.

"Dear Sir.-You are respectfully informed that yours of the 8th inst. was laid, with its enclosure, before our Committee this morning. I could not do it sooner for want of so full a meeting as I desired, and I am respectfully requested to acknowledge the same, and to express the Committee's prayers for the Divine blessing on your movements in the Saviour's kingdom.

"To Mr. Colman."

"I am, dear Sir,
"Yours truly,

"MOSES LUPTON.

REPLY OF THE CONNEXIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE BIBLE

CHRISTIANS.

"Chapel House, Zion Street, Plymouth, "April 18, 1864.

RESOLVED," That we respectfully acknowledge the receipt of a copy of Resolutions passed by the Annual Assembly of United Methodist Free Churches in August last, calling attention to the Resolution of the Methodist New Connexion Conference, with reference to the subject of Christian Union, and especially with regard to a more familiar and intimate fellowship between the liberal branches of Methodism; and, while we cheerfully and cordially reciprocate the sentiments of brotherly affection found in the letter and resolutions of the Assembly, we are not in a position to take any further action for the present, than that indicated in the Resolution of our last Conference, a copy of which has been already forwarded by the President.

"To Mr. Colman,

"W. GILBERT, Secretary."

The Connexional Secretary not having received any acknowledg ment of his communication to the President of the New Connexion, sent on September 2nd, 1863, wrote, asking him if he had received it; he replied, under date January 22nd, 1864, in the following

terms.

REPLY OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE NEW CONNEXION. January 22, 1864. "Your communication, dated September 2nd, came duly to hand, and was laid before the next meeting of our Annual Committee, but as we had not much time for conversation on the subject to which it relates, and as no Resolution was adopted, I postponed a reply until the Resolutions of your Annual Assembly shall have been brought again before the Committee. We shall meet again in two or three weeks hence. Sincerely reciprocating the fraternal spirit of your note, and wishing you every blessing,

"I am, dear Sir,

"Rev. J. Colman, Yarmouth.

"Yours most truly,

"WM. COCKER."

REPLY OF THE METHODIST NEW CONNEXION CONFEerence.

"Hunslet, Leeds,

“July 1, 1864.

"Rev. Sir, I have pleasure in transmitting to you the following Resolu tion, passed by the late Conference of the Methodist New Connexion. "RESOLUTION 18TH.-That this Conference has much satisfaction in learning that the expressions of our Christian affection towards all evangelical denominations, and especially of our fraternal sympathy and relations with the several sections of the Methodist family, as embodied in the 14th Resolution of our last Conference, have been cordially reciprocated by the Annual Assembly of the United Methodist Free Churches, the Conference of the Primitive Methodists, the Primitive Wesleyan Metho dists, of the Bible Christians, and of the Methodist Reform Union; and the Conference indulges the hope that this interchange of friendly sympathy will be followed by more frequent intercourse, and also by mutual co-operation as far as may be found practicable.

66

I am, Rev. Sir,
"Yours truly,
"C. HIBBERT,

"Rev. J. Guttridge.

Corresponding Secretary."

RESOLUTION OF THE ANNUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED METHODIST FREE CHURCHES, HELD AT NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, JULY AND AUGUST, 1864.

RESOLVED," That this Assembly having heard the replies of the Methodist New Connexion Conference, the officials of the Reform Union, the Bible Christians, and the Primitive Methodists, to the Resolutions passed by the Annual Assembly of 1863, for promoting an union of the various sections of Liberal Methodism, reflects with pleasure on the course adopted by that Assembly in relation to this important matter; and, while regretting that none of the Communities to which its Resolu tions were sent has appointed representatives to confer with the Com mittee authorised by it to meet them for the consideration of the subject, hopes that its efforts to advance Christian union will yet bear fruit; and recommends the ministers and members of the United Churches to continue to cultivate fraternal relations with all who love the Lord Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours.'

The foregoing contain, we believe, all the official correspondence on the subject of Amalgamation, up to August last; when it will be resumed, not having the gift of prophecy, we do not venture to predict. We add no comments on it, but leave it to speak for itself.

Review and Eriticism.

Part XVIII.

London: W. REED, 15, Creed

Methodism as It Is. Lane. THIS number graphically describes the tyrannical proceedings of the Conference of 1849, which resulted in the expulsion of Messrs. Everett, Dunn, and Griffith; we wish those who took part in them would read this description of their doings. We suspect they would not very much enjoy being thus reminded of the degradation they inflicted upon themselves, and the injustice they perpetrated on others by the establishment of a

PROTESTANT INQUISITION.

"One writer observes,-Aug. 3, 1849, was a memorable day for Wesleyan Methodism; a day distinguished for the establishment of that of which previous intimations had been given-the regularly organised establishment of an INQUISITION. Spain, in this respect, can no longer triumph over her victims-the sanguinary Napoleon, from very shame, and by yielding to some of the softer feelings of humanity, having pronounced the doom and effected the dissolution of the Spanish Inquisition. Even Rome, the city of harlots, the seat of the beast, and the mother of all abominations, has abandoned it, and we hope for ever. This engine of torture-for what is a puncture in the flesh when compared with martyrdom of mind ?-yes, this engine of torture is now transferred from the Papal dominions to those of the Protestant-from Popery to Methodism and that, in each case, by the 'holy fathers.' Two venerable ministers, grey with years, worn down in the work of the ministry, and living upon a scanty pittance, doled out to them from equally scanty funds-the one between sixty and seventy, and the other between seventy and eighty years of age-were summoned to appear before their brethren, the majority of whom were unborn when they entered upon the itinerant work, to answer, as the 'first fruits' of a series of contemplated prosecutions, under the hypocritical guise of what is expressed by the soul-soothing and exquisitely-tender title of FRIENDLY INQUIRY!!' The two gentlemen referred to were no other than the Rev. John Burdsall and the Rev. James Everett, both of York."-pp. 548-49.

PUBLIC INDIGNATION AT THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE. "The consistent friends of liberty were compelled, by the proceedings of the Conference, to raise their protest against a system which carried them back to the palmiest days of Popery, when the dungeons of the Inquisition were filled with victims, who like Messrs. Burdsall, Everett, and others, saw no accuser, had no explicit statement of their offence; but who, like them, were to be convicted and punished only by means of their own forced confessions and self-criminations! Were Englishmen expected to tolerate the resumption of such a system? Were Methodist preachers, led on by George Osborn, himself hounded on by Jabez Bunting, President T. Jackson, and others, to be allowed, without rebuke, to evoke from the congenial shades of darkness such a horrible demon of cruelty as this? Was it even supposed by themselves, that any body of Christians were to be found to sanction a line of procedure which stifled all freedom of thought and utterance, and handed over every unpopular victim to the tender-mercies of irresponsible prosecutors ? Surely, if this were right in the Conference, it would be equally right in the Court-house and at the Sessions. Hence, a fresh supply of thumb-screws and racks! Their cost would be saved in the diminished expense of witnesses. Prosecutions would be cheap indeed on every man becoming his own prosecutor. Instead of rogues and felons and criminals receiving a friendly warning from the bench not to criminate themselves in the statements they might make, the self-crimination, sanctioned by Methodism, would be the shortest cut to justice, the nearest road to the prison, the hulks, or the scaffold. Give another

turn to the screw, press the lever once more to the rack, peradventure the culprit will confess and save the time of the court. We see not why all this may not be again the law and practice of England, if such tyrannical proceedings find favour with the British public, as those which have issued in the excommunication of the unaccused, untried, and unconvicted Everett."-pp. 562-63.

Sure of Heaven.-A Book for the Anxious and Doubting. By THOMAS MILLS. A New Edition. London: HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND CO. 1864.

THE title of this book will, probably, lead many to suppose that it emanates from the author of "Heaven our Home,' "Meet for Heaven," &c. It is, however, not the production of his pen. The author is a respected minister of the Methodist New Connexion, and the volume is not disfigured by such puerile conceits as those which characterise the books just named. He has chosen a momentous theme, and has treated it in an attractive and impressive manner. "The book," as he says in the preface to the reader not "Sure of Heaven," "is written after the manner of an auto-biography; not, indeed, to tell the story of my spiritual life, but in the hope that the reasonings and experience of an anxious and doubting heart, successfully inquiring its way to Christ, may thus the more readily become your own." He proves satisfactorily that it is the privilege of all, under the dispensation of grace, to be "Sure of Heaven," and plainly points out the way to obtain and retain this certainty. His work may be perused with profit by advanced Christians, and should be put into the hands of every inquiring penitent. Those conscience-stricken ones who tremblingly ask, "What must I do to be saved?" by taking heed to its directions, will infallibly and speedily realize the peace and joy which Christ imparts to the believing soul.

Sermons on Biblical and Theoligical Subjects. By the Rev Thomas Allen, Author of "Discourses on Atheism." London: JACKSON, HALFORD, and HODDER. W. COOKE, 1864.

THE venerable Author of these Discourses has long been known as a distinguished minister of the Methodist New Connexion. His eminent abilities, fervent piety, and catholicity of spirit, have secured for him the esteem of many beyond the limits of his own Denomination. As advancing years indicated the probability that his public ministry would, ere long, terminate, his friends became anxiously desirous that he would publish a volume of the Sermons to which they had listened with pleasure and profit, to be read by them when they should hear his voice from the pulpit no more, and to be preserved as a memorial of his talents and virtues when he should be taken to his reward. The present work is the result. We deeply regret that a stroke of paralysis, with which Providence has visited Mr. Allen, has compelled the publishing committee to send it forth without his final revision. The subjects discussed are important, and reasoned out in a masterly manner. The preacher's mind is decidedly logical, and in attacking error he does not, like some polemics, injure his own cause by faulty arguments,