gious denominations in the country. We have read, perhaps, more than enough on the subject of the Minutes of Council; and, after all, we feel persuaded, that a great deal of the opposition which the measure has been doomed to encounter, may be traced to sectarian motives. Sectarianism, in any shape, is bad; but when it places itself wantonly in such a position as to impede the onward course of the Car of liberty and enlightenment, it must be crushed. Those who are entrusted with the reins must not begin to quail, nor to fancy that there is a Lion in the path; they have only to proceed steadily, and their honest determination, more than any thing else, will put to flight the hovering bigots that darkened the road. We believe that the members of her Majesty's government are well disposed to pass a good practical measure for educational purposes, and in their anxiety to do this, they have shown a becoming desire to meet the wishes of the different parties for whom the benefit is intended. The result of the Leeds deputation is a proof of this.

The most active and persevering opponents to the measure are the Independents, and Baptists generally. The Wesleyans, also, are brawling in their usual Evangelical strain. All these parties agree, that whilst the government of the country should endow them richly, nothing must be given for the education of Unitarians or papists! They repudiate the idea, that every religious denomination, in proportion to its contributions to the national revenue, should receive its fair quota, to be applied by its own recognized authorities to the purposes of education. This, however, we believe to be the principle by which the government will be eventually guided in the matter; and this, we take leave to say, is the only principle which the country will tolerate.

THE PUSEYITES.-We learn, on the authority of the London Inquirer, that the Puseyites of Leeds are endeavouring to increase their ranks, at present, in a way "which affords a remarkable exposition of their principles and plans of operation." They have circulated a Card in Leeds, and other places, "which is headed by an engraved Cross, and dated Advent. F. of St. Andrew, 1846.'" The title of the card is in these words-" I speak concerning Christ and the Church." Then comes the grand question, "What is it to be a Churchman ?" And no less than twenty particulars are stated in reply, as necessary to constitute a true son of the church.— Some of these essentials are curiosities in their way, and serve to

expose the naked insolence and bigotry of Puseyism. We quote the following five particulars as a specimen :

"6. It is to believe that the only duly authorised ministers are her Bishops, Priests and Deacons, in succession from the holy apostles.

7. It is to believe that they alone are commissioned to administer the

sacraments.

"13. It is to abstain from going to Dissenter's meetings. Mark them which cause divisions, and avoid them.' Rom xvi. 17. "14. It is to believe dissent to be schism; and schism to be sin against God. From all false doctrine, heresy and schism good Lord deliver us.' "16. It is to reverence the clergy as the ministers of God, and Christ's ambassadors."

When we first glanced over these Puseyite terms of admission among the faithful, we were inclined to smile at such ridiculous pretensions to infallibility. But the subject assumes a more serious aspect, when we consider that these sentiments are held by a powerful party, and that they are disseminated by secret, Jesuitical

means.

We know that the spirit of Puseyism is repudiated by all the ablest and wisest members of the established church; we know, that in many quarters, there is no sympathy whatever, at least among the laity, with such dangerous principles as seem to actuate the Puseyites; but we think, at the same time, that tolerant and liberally disposed Episcopalians will soon be borne down by this spreading pestilence, unless they become wide awake to the danger. The church is truly in danger, at last; and any thing good that the Establishment possesses,-its tolerant spirit-is fairly perilled by the retrograde movement among its own members. The cry of "No surrender," must soon be repeated, in earnest, by those who really value the principles of the Protestant Reformation, — not in the senseless and wicked spirit of party,-but in the spirit of an enlightened determination to emancipate themselves from the degrading trammels of priesteraft. The state-church has herself to blame for the trying position in which she is now placed. She admits that those who presume to dissent from her authority may be saved, but only "as by fire," and ascribed to the use of her liturgy and rubricks an effect in securing the favour of, God, altogether independent of personal goodness. Now, the Puseyites are determined to carry out this principle, and to make the question of our salvation depend upon our passing into eternity duly and suitably prepared by an accredited "Bishop, priest, or deacon, in succession from the holy Apostles !" The move from one position to the other, from prelacy to papacy, is easy, and perhaps natural enough,

to such as are content with a lazy consciousness of orthodoxy, and willing to submit to formularies devised by human authority. The evils that now threaten the established church can only be met and overcome, when its members purge out what remains of the "old leaven" from her doctrines and constitution, and come to understand by Protestantism, not some particnlar modification of orthodoxy, but an individual accountability to God, and a complete inde· pendence of priestly authority in religion.

SEMI-CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.-By a recently received number of the Boston Christian Register, we have a very interesting account of a meeting which took place in the Unitarian church, Brookline, Mass., on Monday, the 15th of March last, for the purpose of celebrating the settlement of the Rev. John Pierce, D.D. as pastor of the first parish and church in Brookline, on the completion of the fiftieth year of his ministry. Such is, indeed, an occasion, worthy of more than ordinary notice, and the celebration is equally creditable to the persons who engaged in it, and to the man who has been so long the object of their veneration and respect. Dr. Pierce preached his first sermon in Brookline, on the 2d day of October, 1796, and on the 20th of December following, he was invited to take the pastoral charge of the church and congregation. He was ordained on the 15th of March, 1797, and since that period, although his life has not been marked by any very striking changes, he has laboured quietly and faithfully, beloved by his people, and respected by all who know him. During the long space of fifty years, he was prevented only thirteen times, by want of health, from attending the house of God, on the sabbathday. In the course of the last year, he exchanged eight times with ministers in Boston, and, in every instance, but one, walked into the city, a distance of nearly five miles from his house, on sabbath morning, preached twice, and walked home again, without any sensible fatigue. For the last thirty-one years, he has been secretary of the Board of Overseers of the Harvard University, having been appointed to that office at the age of forty-three, on which occasion the usual oath was administered to him, which was the only oath either sacred or profane, he has ever uttered.

The celebration commenced in the church, and the religious services were conducted by the following ministers, one of whom is pastor of the Baptist church in Brookline:-Rev. Messrs. J. Haven, Wm. H. Shailer, Dr. Pierce, and Dr. Gray. After the services at the church, a numerous and most respectable party assembled in

the Town-hall to partake of a collation. The speeches spoken and the hymns sung on the occasion, occupy upwards of seven columns of the Christian Register, and were, throughout, highly interesting and appropriate. In the course of the proceedings a beautiful set of silver plate, one of which contained a number of pieces of gold coin, was presented to Dr. Pierce; and immediately afterwards, a little girl, in the name of the ladies, presented to him a bouquet of flowers in a silver vase, on a silver salver. We make the following extract from a hymn, written for the occasion, by Mrs. A. M. Edmonds, and set to the tune, "Auld Lang Syne":

In connexion with this subject, we beg to remind our readers, that we have among us, a member of the Remonstrant Synod of Ulster, who completed the fiftieth year of his ministry, a few months ago. It is unnecessary to say, that we refer to the venerable and respected Robert Campbell, of Templepatrick. Why should not the good example of our friends in Brookline, be imitated by the Unitarians here? Mr. Campbell is, in every respect, worthy of some such honour. He has lived through trying times, and was still the unflinching advocate of civil and religious liberty. For that sacred cause he has been persecuted, perhaps, to a greater extent, than any minister in our connexion. Having obtained help of God, he

continues to this day to witness the triumph of his principles, and to enjoy the respect and affection of numerous friends.

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It is a remarkable fact, that during the period of more than fifty years, Mr. Campbell was not once prevented by want of health, from conducting the public services of the sanctuary, and we can testify that, not long since, he has walked nearly seven miles to officiate for a neighbouring minister. Mr. C., we believe, preached his first sermon in Templepatrick, in the month of August, 1796. A word to the wise-the month of August will soon come round again.

SIMPLE THOUGHTS ON EXODUS.

(Continued from Vol. II. page 106.)

CHAPTER XXIII.

Verse 20-God declares he will send his messenger, or angel, before his people. In our English bible this word angel is commenced with a capital letter, seeming to imply an heavenly being is spoken of. The Vulgate has it otherwise, and thus warrants us in believing that it was their leader Joshua who was hinted at. Jehovah had ever made it manifest that he was with Moses, and it would be necessary to teach the people that he would continue to be their guide, though their temporal leader should be changed; when another than Moses should be appointed over them, especially in the time of approaching danger, when they should have to fight their way into the promised land. They are commanded not to exterminate all the inhabitants at once, lest the land become barren, by little and little they were, by the command of God, to drive them out. "Israel shall make no covenant with them, lest they be a snare to him." It is a natural impulse to be sorry for those nations condemned to be destroyed, but we should consider how reprobate they must have been, whom a long-suffering God could not pardon.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Verse 3.-Moses declares to the people the words and judgments of the Lord: they again reply: "all that the LORD hath said unto us, we will do." Moses builds an altar, and raises twelve pillars according to the number of his tribes. After sacrifices were offered on the new-made altar, he, taking part of the blood of the victims, sprinkles the people, saying, "Behold the blood of the covenant