third kind of presence, of which Scripture knows nothing, and of which the Church knows nothing-a Presence of Christ within a little piece of bread, or of wafer; before which morsel of wafer, in the Romish Church, thousands fall down in wondering adoration. This idolatry, which we may see, continually, in St. Alban's Church in Holborn, Dr. Waterland justly calls, again and again, “bread-worship.”

But it is not only an idolatrous act, to worship a supposed “body of Christ” in a piece of bread, -it is an utterly irrational act also. Nor is this one of the things which, like the doctrine of the Trinity, is above reason, but not contrary to it. The rubric in our Prayer-book says, with plainness and force, that “it is against the truth of Christ's natural body to be at one time in more places than one.” And Jewell had quoted the same words, in effect, from Augustine, saying :-"St. Augus. tine's words be plain, that whoso saith the body of Christ is everywhere, (or in infinite places at one time, which is all one thing, the reason and miracle being like,) utterly denieth the verity of Christ's body.” Hooker, too, had proposed the ques. tion,—“Shall we say that in heaven His glorious body, by virtue of the same cause, hath now power to present itself in all places, and to be everywhere at once present ?” He answers in the negative, and adds :-"A body still, it continueth a body consubstantial with our bodies; a body of the same, both nature and measure, which it hath on earth.” And again :-"Supernatural endowments are an advancement; they are no extinguishment of that nature whereunto they are given. The substance of the body of Christ hath no presence, neither can have, but only local.”

The men who are now so vehemently inculcating what they call “the Real Presence," do not, in fact, “know what they say, or whereof they affirm.” “I wish,” says Jeremy Taylor, “ that I could tell the meaning of being in a place locally and not locally; unless a thing can be in a place and not in a place; that is, so to be in that it is also out.”

The Romish yiew, of an actual Transubstantiation, is, in some respects, better than this figment of “a Real Presence.” It is intelligible,we can understand what is meant; and we can understand, also, that it is not true. But this notion of the Ritualists of the present day, that in ten thousand small pieces of bread or of wafer, existing in hundreds of different parts of the earth at the same moment of time, there is, alike in them all, a real “body of Christ," is absolutely unin. telligible. Spiritually, Christ is wherever “two or three are met together in His name” ;-bodily, He is at the right hand of God. Any third sort of presence—a spiritual-bodily, or bodily-spiritual-is, in fact, a thing unintelligible, a phrase without meaning.

THE COMMITTEE ROOM OF THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY :

A SCENE. We were admitted into the Committee Room of the Church Missionary Society on Tuesday, the 5th January, on the occasion of a valedictory dismissal of three Missionaries to their stations in India. Such occasions are deeply interesting. We generally see a group of young men about to enter upon their work, in the freshness of youth, with the play upon their countenances of the mingled emotions of sorrow at parting with friends, and of high aspiration in prospect of their glorious enterprise. The meetings are usually held in the spacious hall of the Missionaries' Children's Home; and the audience is composed of a large preponderance of ladies and young persons. But on this occasion we met in the large Committeeroom in Salisbury Square; one hundred gentlemen, with only half a dozen ladies, were assembled, the great majority of them were members of the Committee, and a large proportion men who had passed their lives in India-generals in the army, aged civilians who had honourably discharged the weightiest governmental duties; men of a representative character, the Maharajah Duleep Singh, the late Bishop of Victoria (China) in the chair; Dr. Kay, the late Principal of Bishop's College, Calcutta; Dr. Duff, the prince of Indian Educationalists; Colonel Lake, representing the noble band of Christian officers who have guided the destinies of the Punjab; the Rev. T. R. Birks, as representing the friends of the Society at the University of Cambridge.

Amidst this assembly sat the three Missionaries, of middle age, and two of them bearing the marks of hard work upon their countenances, with the sober and chastened and determined aspect of men who had counted the cost, endured the heat and burden of the day, and were putting on their armour at the call of Christ. Two of them were distinguished members of the University of Oxford, the Rev. T. V. French, formerly Fellow and Tutor of Exeter, and the Rev. William Knott, late Fellow of Brazenose. Mr. French had been a Missionary at Agra in India, and afterwards in the Derajat, for 15 years. He had returned home with impaired health, and had become Incumbent of Christ Church, Cheltenham; but with returning health he felt himself called to leave his church and to separate for a time from his wife and eight children, in the hope of their following him next year, should his health stand firm.

vhods, as refridgersemblearing soberanted things on lished

Mr. Knott leaves a College living of £800 a year, and an attached congregation. The third, Mr. Dyson, had laboured as a Missionary in India for fourteen years with great success, and was now returning to resume his work in the higher de. partment of Education at the Society's College, in connexion with the Calcutta University.

The “Instructions” of the Committee recognized the responsibility they incurred in the sight of God and of the Church, by encouraging and promoting the separation from the Church at home of two of its valued Pastors, in a day when the need of such was never more urgent. They showed, therefore, that there is at this time a special call, and a special field of labour in India, for men of high intellectual attainments, which fully justifies the Committee in accepting the offer of these friends for this special work. In the earliest stages of Missions, the work required is that of schoolmasters or catechists, then of preachers and superintendents of native churches. But beyond the most advanced of these stages there lies a special department, namely, when & spirit of inquiry arises amongst the educated and influential natives, whether Hindoos or Mahometans, and they seek instructors of corresponding education who can respect their native literature, and sympathize in their intel. lectual difficulties. A few of such inquirers, Mr. French and his late eminently learned associate, Dr. Pfander, had, when they resided together at Agra, and held a memorable discussion with the most learned Moulvies on the evidences of the Christian religion. There is reason to believe that this class is increased at the present day, that the Punjab will be the most favourable province for meeting with such men, and for collecting together such of them as may not be fixed in life into a kind of school of prophets, or a Theological College for supplying native pastors and evangelists.

The Rev. T. V. French acknowledged the “Instructions” of the Committee, as entirely expressing his own views. He spoke of his having been gradually led, step by step, as Providence opened the way, and removed difficulties, most formidable in appearance, one by one. He touchingly alluded to family separations. He described the conduct of his parishioners. At first many blamed him for leaving them, many were indifferent; but at last, all varieties of feeling seemed merged in the one sentiment manifested by the sorrowing company on the sea -shore, that took leave of Paul; having done all they could in putting before him the difficulties he would have to encounter, “they ceased, and said, The will of the Lord be done.” He appealed to the members of the Universities not to let his work fail through want of men, when he or his asso

lectual deminently leaze Agra, and hehe evidences this class ist

ciate should be removed. He strengthened his appeal by a classical allusion from Livy to a veteran Roman soldier, who made his way to the general of an army starting on a new campaign, saying, “I am a veteran of more than twenty campaigns. I have eight children, two of them young, two daughters unmarried. I might ask to be released from further service; but as long as there is a Roman general worthy of setting out on another campaign against the enemies of my country, I shall always be ready to offer myself for the work.” Would that the clergy, especially the younger clergy, of this country would follow the bright example of this noble Roman, that they might feel their obligation to fight the battles of their Lord in distant lands! they have much grander, much purer motives of action. Oh that they might act in the Roman spirit, but in that spirit as subdued and chastened by the Gospel of Christ!

The Rev. JOHN William Knott, in a short address, indicating his humble, devout, calm, and determined spirit, explained the doubts which he had himself entertained, and in which many of his friends had participated, whether he should be justified in leaving a sphere of actual usefulness and much promise, for a distant enterprise, comparatively unknown and uncertain ; but yet, the longer he pondered upon India and its progress in European secular learning, the more evident was the call of God upon himself personally to preach among them that Christ “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." If it be thought that he was making some little sacrifice for the Gospel's sake, he desired it to be considered as a humble token of gratitude to the Lord for all the mercies he had received, especially in his deliverance from serious errors in which he had been once entangled. But all this must be subordinate to the one great consideration, that we have to glorify God for His unspeakable gift, and may hold back nothing from the Lord who has bought us at so great a price as His precious blood. When he (Mr. K.) first offered himself to the Committee, he was like Abraham's servant at the well side, wondering whether the Lord would make his journey prosperous or not; but obstacles had been removed,-friends at home, and friends from India, who well knew what missionary work was, had approved his resolution, and he went out in the bumble confidence that he should be enabled to preach the Gospel of Christ, whether in public or private conference, as the Gospel of our salvation. The particular crisis of the Church in India called for our sympathy and effort, because, as the foundations are laid so will the building be. The impulse given now, although it may be very feeble, may have noble results in the future. Our great desire is that the Church in India should be

University, adressers can as the repo the which they would wants

founded upon a fall knowledge of the Scriptures of God. It is the earnest desire of my revered brother and myself, that whatever may be our ability in other respects, we may be "mighty in the Scriptures.” On this foundation alone the Institution we contemplate can accomplish its object.

The Rev. S, Dyson then spoke of the work in Calcutta in which he had been engaged, and of the many thousands of young men who have received a complete European education, and are well acquainted with European literature, and who go out year by year to occupy posts of importance in all parts of India, from the Punjab to Cape Comorin. He earnestly desired that these facts should be known, and that increased efforts should be made to imbue the students in the Calcutta University with the truths of Scripture.

Short addresses were then made by the representative men who were present.

The Rev. T. R. Birks, as the representative of the University of Cambridge, wished God-speed to the members of the sister University in the noble enterprise on which they were bent. He could not indeed suppress the question which would arise, Were not such men needed in the Church at home? The wants of the Church of England were never greater than at the present hour. Evils and danger threaten her on every side. Are these brethren justified in resigning their posts at home? Are the Committee wise in accepting a large share of the responsibility? The answer to the inquiry may be given in the words of our Lord, which apply to Churches no less than to individuals,—“He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it.” It is true that faithful ministers are like the life-blood of our Church, It is true that the Church at home, in parting with such men, may be said to part with some drops of that life-blood. But if the Church on this account withholds men from the claims of our vast mission field with spiritual selfishness, she will only lose her life in seeking thus to save it.

The Rev. Dr. Durf then addressed the Committee and the Missionary Brethren in glowing and affectionate language, of which the following extract must serve as a specimen :

“When God had a great work to do among the Gentiles, what did He do? Here is the Church at Antioch, with Lucius and Simeon, and other great men, but not equal to Paul and Barnabas. Does He say that Paul and Barnabas have been the founders of the Church, and are the parties indispensable for its prosperity, and you must keep them : Lucius and the others will not be much missed, send them to do the work. No; He says, Separate me Paul and Barnabas; the other men can carry on the quieter work, and fight the battle with heathenism if it is

Vol. 68.-No. 374,

of our Lord answer toccepting as their posts every side.