pavement when the monks began to issue from an arch about half way down; and passing in a long succession from their chapel, bowed reverently, with much humility and meekness, and dispersed in silence, leaving one of their body alone in the aisle. The Father Coadjutor (for he only remained) advanced towards us with great courtesy, and welcomed us in a manner which gave me far more pleasure than all the frivolous salutations and affected greetings so common in the world beneath. After asking us a few indifferent questions, he called one of the lay brothers, who live in the convent under less severe restrictions than the fathers, whom they serve, and ordering him to prepare our apartment, conducted us to a large square hall with casement windows, and, what was more comfortable, an enormous chimney, whose hospitable hearth blazed with a fire of dry aromatic fir, on each side of which were two doors, that communicated with the neat little cells destined for our bed-chambers. Vol. I., pp.

312-318.

After all; one infinitely prefers Forsyth as a traveller in Italy.

Art, VI. The Primary Address of the Annual Assembly of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, held at the Congregational Library, London. May xiii, MDCCCXXXIV. To the Ministers and Churches of the same Faith and Order, throughout the Empire. 8vo, pp. 18. Price 6d. (A smaller edition, 7s. per 100.) London, 1834.

WE had the pleasure of being present when this truly apostolic address was publicly read at the Congregational Library, and of participating in the deeply solemn and devout impression which it produced, as delivered by the much esteemed minister to whom had been entrusted the composition of the document. We do not say, that it loses nothing on being read in print, for there is a persuasive authority in the living voice, that is adapted to enforce the language of affectionate admonition. But the entire satisfaction and warm approval with which we listened to this Address, have been renewed and confirmed by the perusal. It is, in a word, all that such an address ought to be-judicious, mild, faithful, catholic, and full of unction; well adapted to diffuse right views and feelings among the body to whom it is immediately directed, and to vindicate their principles and designs before the world. We should with great pleasure transfer the entire document to our pages; but our purpose of recommending it to attentive and devout perusal will, perhaps, best be accomplished by selecting a few paragraphs, which will shew the spirit that is breathed throughout the Address.

We have alluded to the spirit and character of the age in which

we live. In every successive period, there is a peculiar posture of affairs and circumstances in human society, relative to which the church of Christ has especial duties to discharge, and peculiar perils to avoid. The watchmen placed on the walls of Zion, must, therefore, carefully note the changing aspects of the times, that they may direct their efforts with a wise adaptation to present exigencies. We need but remind you, that the present is an age of active inquiry and advancing intelligence. Religion can no more than other subjects escape the searching spirit of the times; and can occupy the commanding position due to its importance, only through the medium of a learned, intelligent, and able ministry of the word. We commend, therefore, to your most serious consideration, the state of learning among our ministers, and of general intelligence throughout our body. We greatly rejoice in what has been accomplished of late years, to secure for our rising ministry a liberal education. We have high satisfaction in the learning, talents, and wisdom of our honoured brethren who preside over our various seminaries of sacred literature. We acknowledge without reluctance, that our ministers equal, in learning strictly theological, those of any other body of professing Christians of our times. But we earnestly entreat of all our brethren who can appreciate the importance of the object, their cordial and energetic support of every well-considered plan, to advance to still higher efficiency the cause of sacred learning in our body. We need not enlarge on the inestimable value to the cause of religion, of eminent learning devoutly consecrated to its service ;—especially of knowledge, sound and deep, on all those subjects that can contribute to the unanswerable defence of Holy Scripture as a Divine revelation; the most accurate rendering of its hallowed sentences into our own tongue; and the most exact exposition of their true meaning. Encourage therefore, beloved brethren, every effort to advance our ministers to higher attainments in sacred literature. Promote everywhere among our people a more just appreciation of that invaluable ministerial qualification. If a longer term of preparatory education can be obtained in our colleges ;-if the students best qualified to profit by such an additional advantage can be favoured with a subsequent course of study at the universities, we hope there will be a general feeling in favour of plans so well adapted to enrich the rising ministry with sacred and varied knowledge. We are all aware how much more necessary an extended course of early study for ministers of the Gospel is rendered in our days, by the great variety of active, public, and often distracting engagements, in which, too soon often after their introduction into the pastoral office, they find themselves involved, and by which their habits of study, and progress in learning, are often fatally interrupted. We recommend to your favourable notice, the Congregational lecture, established in connexion with this general Union, with a view to call into public service the learning and talents of our eminent scholars. The volume on Christian Ethics, published by our much honoured brother, Dr. Wardlaw, as the first-fruits of this excellent design, equally rich in sound learning, and in the faithful, uncompromising statement of evangelical truth, will cheer and animate his successors in this honourable service. Nor do we merely plead for the advance of our ministers in sacred learning, but would animate our

whole body with the spirit of inquiry and intelligence. We have no interests to serve, no objects to gain, which ignorance can befriend or advance. Knowledge is the element of our prosperity; inquiry and discussion are the instruments of our advancement; truth is the foundation of our stability. We do not desire an ignorant and confiding laity, a crafty and imposing priesthood; but would rejoice in the reciprocal influence of advancing intelligence in both ministers and people,-the enlightened discourses of the pulpit awakening and directing the mind of the people; the intelligence of the people demanding and appreciating an enlarged and elevated range of ministerial instruction. These are views, always just and important, which Protestant Dissenters cannot at this juncture neglect, without risking, not their honour and prosperity only, but their existence.

The great topics now engaging eager and general discussion, relative to civil establishments of the Christian religion under any or various forms, are of great moment to Congregational Christians. They, in the providence of God, are the selected witnesses, to testify before the world on behalf of the exclusively simple, spiritual, heavenly character of the kingdom of Christ, in respect of its outward support, establishment, and extension in the world. They are called to bear an uncompromising testimony against long-established, and, to worldly interests, most profitable, abuses in hierarchies established and endowed by secular powers. It is especially for them to contend for the primitive simplicity of the church; the voluntary support of religion; and, in a word, for the application of the authority of the New Testament, and of no other, to determine every question relative to the faith and worship, the order and discipline, of the church. This great controversy is, with Congregational Christians, purely and only an affair of religion. If, in its progress, or in any of its applications, it brings them into collision with any political institutions, interests, or powers, that is with them a circumstance altogether undesigned and incidental. They pursue a straight and undeviating course in contending for the Christianity of the New Testament. The obstacles they meet with in that course were placed where they are by other hands, not by theirs. But truth is sacred-most of all, the truth as it is in Jesus. duty of contending for it, in all its applications, is paramount to every other interest and obligation, We seek not to contend with any party, either in church or state, but we must not shun the conflict, when truth cannot otherwise triumph and reign. Meanwhile, beloved Brethren, let us be mindful of the dangers of this most arduous controversy. If, in its progress, we must suffer reproach, let us not deserve it. Be it our care to regard our share in it as a conscientious stand for the truth and purity of Christ's gospel. Let us maintain a wise dread of the withering, antichristian spirit of political faction and discord. Let us prove, by all our proceedings in relation to this object, that we contend for spiritual prosperity in every other communion as well as in our own; that our plea of conscience and religion is no cloak to conceal other less sacred designs; that, under every difficulty and delay, every reproach and alienation we encounter while labouring to bring back the kingdom of Christ to its primitive simplicity, we can carry our cause and our efforts to the throne of

The

God, committing them to Him who judgeth righteously, with a supporting confidence of His approval. Suffer, dear Brethren, the word of exhortation on this subject, equally important and delicate. We feel deeply anxious in respect to it. We tremble lest it should prove injurious to our spiritual interests. On the justness of our principles, on the duty and necessity of the public testimony we bear to them, our convictions are strong and unwavering. Only let all be done with charity, prayer, meekness. Only let our stand for spirituality in the institutions of the gospel be an occasion for the exercise and advancement of spirituality in our own hearts;-then truth will at last gain a hallowed triumph, realized not by clamour, passion, and discord; purchased not at the expense of Christian honour, temper, and charity sacrificed in the struggle; but arriving as the natural and gentle result of the power of truth, the progress of events, and the will of God, to become in its turn the commencement and the occasion of a new and triumphant career to the then purified and liberated gospel, shining in its own light, and travelling in its own strength, to gain for itself universal dominion.

As closely allied with this topic, and peculiarly appropriate to the present period, we would address you, Brethren, on the pleasing subject of an enlarged and liberal charity to our christian brethren of every other denomination. We have not formed our general Union as a proceeding by which our denomination might seclude itself, in a spirit of sectarianism, from other Christian communities. On the contrary, as we desire to obtain, through it, new and nearer fellowship among ourselves, so also we intended it for a medium of more direct, solemn, and affectionate communion with our evangelical brethren of other denominations and other countries. Our convictions, our attachments to those points of doctrine and discipline which are peculiar and distinctive to ourselves, are not impaired. Our affections, our satisfactions, within the circle of our own special brotherhood, are unchanged or increased. But, Brethren, we delight to expatiate in a more ample a field of fraternal union and love-to realize our present and eternal association, in one unbroken family, with all believers-to recognize our common faith in grand uniting truths and hopes, our universal union with the one great centre of attraction, Christ Jesus, binding all to each other, as he binds all to himself. It affords us just and christian satisfaction to know there is nothing in those sentiments on doctrine, or in those practices in worship and discipline peculiar to our churches, that can have any tendency to restrain or impede the largest exercise of catholic affection to all Christians; the most free and cordial co-operation with them in every comprehensive undertaking for the advancement of our common Christianity; or the most affectionate communion with them on every suitable occasion in the worship and ordinances of our common Lord and Saviour.'

pp. 9-14. We have only to add the expression of our fervent hope that the future yearly epistles of the Congregational Union will correspond in spirit to this primary address.

ART. VII.-LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

Nearly ready, in 8vo, The Aves of Aristophanes, with English Notes, partly original, partly selected from the best Annotators and the Scholia. By H. P. Cookesley, B.A., Trinity College, Cambridge.

In the press, in 8vo., A Treatise on Primary Geology, being an Examination, both Practical and Theoretical, of the older Formations. By Henry S. Bouse, M.D., Secretary of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall.

Just ready, Dacre, a Novel. Edited by the Countess of Morley. 3 Vols. post 8vo.

Dr. Southey is at present engaged in a Life of the Poet Cowper, and preparing an Edition of the whole Works of this amiable writer. An Edition from such a hand must be a desirable acquisition to every Library. It is to be published in the popular form of Byron, Scott, Edgeworth, &c., in Monthly Volumes, and, in addition to the usual illustrations, the Publishers intend giving Portraits of Cowper's numerous friends and correspondents. The Work may extend to Ten Volumes, and the Engravings are expected to be of the very first. order.

Mr. D. Richardson has just completed a highly interesting and useful volume for Youth, under the Title of Trials and Triumphs, which will take its place on the same shelf with "The Rectory of Valehead," and "Pictures of Private Life."

Preparing for the press, in 18mo, Memoir of Roger Williams, Founder of the state of Rhode Island. By Professor Knowles. Condensed from the American Edition, with an Introductory Essay by the Rev. Charles Stovel.

The Rev. B. Brook has issued Proposals for publishing by subscription, an improved edition of "the Lives of the most celebrated Puritan Divines," in two large volumes, octavo. This, we understand, is a work of great cost and labour, and of no common interest.

>