mighty system of union and co-operation, which distinguishes the Roman Catholics in all parts of the world—that they all act in concert, and mutually aid and strengthen one another. Should their contributions continue to increase during the next ten years at the rate they have done during the last twenty, they would amount to thirteen or fourteen millions of pounds of our money; but though they were only to rise to one-third or one-fourth of that sum, the power of the society would be immense all over the earth. These facts, when carefully weighed, are calculated to suggest many solemn thoughts. The bloody system, so vividly portrayed, so signally denounced in sacred writ-that system which strewed Europe in past ages with the slain carcases of the saints of God, is rising, as if from the dead, with fresh hopes and re-invigorated energy, a simultaneous movement is going on in England, in Scotland, in America, in India, in almost every place where British Episcopalians have taken up their abode,-thousands of men, possessed of the greatest influence in society, who have solemnly sworn before Almighty God to spend their strength in maintaining and defending the great principles of the Reformation, are striving day and night to subvert them, and to lead men back to those deadly errors, for resisting which their forefathers paid the forfeit of their lives. Their principles naturally and necessarily lead them to the Church of Rome—they are approaching nearer and nearer, and as far as the human eye can discern, must land there at last. Thus a mighty army is forming, which, as if influenced by one soul, will. be prepared to punish with implacable enmity, the friends of Evangelical religion all over the world. In our own land, it seems very probable that ere many years are past, the Moderate controversy will be merged in one of a still more important and exciting character—in the Episcopalian one—not one with evangelical Episcopalians, whom we regard as our brethren, but with the Tractarians, the bitter enemies both of themselves and us. And when a few years more shall have elapsed, and Tractarian principles shall be more fully developed, it is not irrational to expect that the Tractarian controversy will, in its turn, be merged in another, that will yet more deeply stir the energies of the soul-in the Romish one, and that the conflicting principles will be speedily embodied in action. On the Continent the prospects of the friends of the truth are exceedingly dark-persecutions are already beginning, and in proportion as Romanism rises in power, and numbers, and political influence, will it more boldly cast off the mask, and manifest its native and essential intolerance and cruelty. Already, the churches in France, in Belgium, in the Waldensian valleys, and even in Switzerland, are anticipating times of trouble. We may expect that ere long the energies of the man of sin will be put forth all over Europe to

extinguish the light, and by the rack, or the flames, or the prison, to silence the testimony of the faithful servants of Christ! Their cause and ours is one-we alike fight under the same leader-their successes are our successes-their disasters and defeats are ours. How solemn the duty of aiding them so far as we can in their conflicts-aiding them by our prayers, by our friendly counsels, by granting them pecuniary assistance. When the enemies of the truth are so united-so harmonious, how loud and urgent the call for its friends to combine. While they are all rallying around the banner of Popish unity and apostolic succession, surely it becomes all who love the Gospel to rally around the banner of Evangelical truth.

But we must hasten to a close, (having already extended our article far beyond the limits we had intended), by throwing out, very briefly, a few suggestions as to the best methods by which the objects set forth in the preceding pages, may be accomplished. We would then humbly throw out for the consideration of our fathers and brethren in the church, the following suggestions:

1st, That a secretary should be appointed in connection with the Free Church, with a certain fixed salary, who shall devote his whole time to Continental affairs. The work would be of such a nature that it might be performed quite as well by a layman as a clergyman. It would be desirable that the person elected should be familiarly acquainted with the French and German languages, or at any rate, that he should have such a facility in acquiring the knowledge of languages, as to be able, in a comparatively short time, thoroughly to master them. The duties of this secretary would be, first, to carry on a regular correspondence in the name of the Church, with Christian men in every one of the Continental nations, where they could be found, and where there was any prospect of advancing the cause of Christ. So long as the duty of carrying on such a correspondence shall be imposed upon individuals who are already burdened with parochial duties, or who have the whole cares of a secular business to attend to, it is scarcely possible that it should be very regularly and efficiently discharged. The nature of the correspondence to be carried on we have already indicated in the former part of this article. But another part of the secretary's duty shall be, by obtaining reports, Continental magazines, and getting access to other sources of information, as well as by correspondence, to obtain a correct and comprehensive view of the state of Protestantism-its disasters-its successes-its wants-its dangers, in each of the Continental countries; and not of Evangelical Protestantism only, but of Neology, Popery, and each new form of error. In carrying on this part of the duty, it would be peculiarly desirable that the secretary should obtain, by the earliest

opportunities, such publications as the Annals of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, printed, we believe, monthly, at Lyons, in order to ascertain at once the most recent plans and operations of Popery, the great common enemy.

But, 2dly, It would further be expected that the secretary should prepare, either monthly or quarterly, to be sent forth either through the Missionary Record, or through some other publication, a condensed statement of all the most recent and important information received regarding the progress of the truth, in any part of the Continent, accompanied with notices of cases of particular congregations or societies, in very urgent need of immediate pecuniary help, and that the ministers of the Free Church should be recommended to bring such information under the attention of their several congregations, and to solicit their prayers in behalf of the followers of Christ on the Continent.

3dly, That a new scheme should be formed, unless indeed it were thought more desirable to join this to one of those already existing, for the purpose of procuring money for the spread of the Redeemer's kingdom, and for assisting feeble and persecuted Protestant congregations in Continental Europe. If it should be objected, that the Church is already involved in great pecuniary difficulties, and could not support a new scheme at present, we would respectfully suggest, that though the new scheme were formed immediately the secretary appointed, and proceedings commenced, it might, for one, or two, or three years, be left optional to every congregation whether or not they would have a collection for this scheme. Some congregations would undoubtedly be both able and willing to collect, and many individuals would rejoice to have an opportunity of contributing. The scheme being formed, of course a committee would be appointed to manage its affairs, in connection with the secretary, by whom all cases of religious destitution would require to be examined, before aid was given.

There are also, further, plans, which might, if not at present, yet at some no very distant date, be carried into execution, for the purpose of more effectually accomplishing the ends proposed,-such as sending a deputation from our Church to the principal Continental churches that faithfully maintain the truth,-such as employing an agent, one of our own countrymen, who should principally reside on the Continent, taking up his abode, for the most part, in some important centrical position, as Geneva or Paris, or Berlin, but from time to time spending some months in travelling to the more distant parts of Europe, as has been done, with great advantage, by the agent of the American Continental Society; or again, by engaging the services of Continental Christians of talent and piety, to travel over particular countries, preach to the little

bands of Protestants whom they can find, and to Roman Catholics also, when they have the opportnnity of doing so; and of obtaining correct information regarding the religious condition of the people at large, and the best methods of promoting the kingdom of God among them. This plan also has been adopted by the American society, at whose request Professors Adolphus Monod and De Felice of Montauban, and Dr Malan of Geneva, have travelled and preached in France and Belgium, and in other places, to the great advantage of the cause of Evangelical religion.

In conclusion, we would express the most earnest desire that either any of these plans, or such other ones as the Church in her wisdom may devise, should be resolved upon, without delay, indeed at the next Assembly, for meeting the wants to which we have referred. It is of the utmost importance that from its very commencement, the Free Church should have impressed upon her forehead, the broad stamp of true catholicity, and of enlarged missionary zeal. The features of the infant prepare us for the features of the future man. If we trace the various religious bodies to their origin-the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Wesleyans, the Independents, we shall find that they then took that peculiar cast and mould which distinguished them ever afterwards, from each other, and from other parts of the Church of Christ. Principles are apt to be lost sight of, unless they are speedily embodied in palpable action; they are very imperfectly and with difficulty understood by others, and they are not likely to be extensively diffused. A religious scheme, founded on the principles we have described, and fully carrying out these principles, would do more to convince men of the true nature of the church of Christ, and of the bonds which bind its members together, though living in distant lands, and personally unknown to one another, than hundreds of volumes about Christian unity or against the evils of schism.

We are fully aware that many objections may be urged against the views we have taken, and the plans we have suggested, nevertheless we throw them out for the candid consideration of men of matured and practical minds, who are accustomed to try every proposal by its own merits, and who can sometimes discover some important truths, or useful suggestion imbedded in much that is erroneous or of no value. Should the views we have exhibited in concurrence with other causes, induce any of the leading men of our Church to turn their attention seriously to the subject, and to set about devising a practical remedy for the evils we have deplored, we shall feel that what we have written has not been altogether in: vain.

ART. III.—1. A View of the Election of Grace. By ALEX. RAMSAY, Curate of Seavington, St Michael, Somerset. London : Hatchard, 1843.

2. Brief Exposition of the Ninth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, as contained in a Letter to James A. Haldane, Esq. By JOHN ROBERTSON, St Ninian's. Edinburgh: C. Zeigler, 1844.

ONE of the great controversies of the present day is respecting the WILL of God. Is God's will or man's will the regulating power of the world? If the former, does this regulating power extend to everything, great and small, trivial and momentous? Does it carry on a purpose and end of its own, altogether apart from, and independently of, the ten thousand disturbing forces and opposing wills, or does it allow these to rule and guide its purposes and ends? If it has purposes of its own,-purposes which extend to the minutest events of each day's earthly life, even to the falling of a sparrow, then are these purposes eternal, or formed at a certain given period before the event, say an hour, or a week, or a year, or a century?

These are some of the questions regarding the will of God, which the pride of man's heart, and the subtlety of his intellect, are raising in these last days. We do not mean to say that these are the formally enunciated propositions in which these questions are contained. Few, save the open atheist, would make it a matter of doubt as to whether God's will or man's were the law of the world. Yet in point of fact such is really the case. Many of the speculations of modern Pelagianism are resolvable into the above queries, and can only be established upon principles that make the will of the Creator subordinate to the will of the creature, or which at least keeps the former in complete abeyance, in so far as the movements of individuals are concerned. God's absolute supremacy in arranging and fixing everything pertaining to the condition, circumstances, lot, prospects, &c. of individuals, is what modern Pelagianism, outstripping far the daring of its ancestry, cannot tolerate. If a star should swerve from its orbit, they have no objections that the hand of Omnipotence should interfere to arrest and restore it; but when a soul has gone astray from the path of holiness, there must be no direct interference with its will, there must be no decreeing to change its orbit, no counsel of God beforehand to fix its future course! It would be a flagrant encroachment upon free-will to do so; and besides, unless the same was done to all, it would be gross injustice to do it to one! The latter of the two books at the head of this article may be taken as an exponent of the system alluded to. It is not the only one, but it is one of the most daring, for it does not content itself