On the other hand, whenever a trivial controversy is quashed, 'the attention it has absorbed is, as it were, redeemed and set 'free to be fixed on higher objects.' To quash controversy by power, cannot, under any imaginable circumstances, be productive of good; nor is any thing gained when diversities of ' opinion fade away beneath the torpors of religious indifference.' But a highly enhanced feeling towards the substantials of Christianity, could not but be the result of a union founded on the broad basis of our common faith as Protestants, and effected by the deliberate relinquishment of not merely our discords, but the forms of discord and the memorials of past warfare. What Mr. Hall has remarked of the unnecessary multiplication of articles of faith,-that it gives a character of littleness to 'Christianity, and tends in no small degree to impress a similar 'character on its professors,'-holds good with equal force of the multiplication of sectarian forms of division, and of the undue prominence thereby given to the non-essentials and circumstantials of religion. The grandeur and efficacy of the Gos'pel', he adds, result not from an immense accumulation of 'little things, but from its powerful exhibition of a few great

' ones.'

Among the indirect benefits' which may be expected to accrue from Missions, the same masterly Writer enumerates, (in his truly apostolic Charge to Eustace Carey,) 'a more pure, simple, apostolical mode of presenting the gospel; which, it may be doubted (he says) whether any of the various deno'minations under which the followers of Christ have been 'classed, have exhibited precisely as he and his apostles taught ❝it. In consequence of the collision of disputes and the hostile 'aspect which rival sects bear to each other, they are scarcely in a situation to investigate truth with perfect impartiality.' But the situation of a missionary retired from the scene of de'bate and controversy, who has continually before his eyes the ' objects which presented themselves to the attention of the 'Apostles, is favourable to an emancipation from prejudice of ' every sort, and to the acquisition of just and enlarged conceptions of Christianity.' Hence, 'the harmony of doctrine, the ' identity of instruction, which has pervaded the ministry of 'the Protestant Missionaries employed under the auspices of 'different denominations of Christians.' And hence the correspondent effect, though with diminished force of impression, of the reflection of the Missionary spirit upon Christians at home, of a lively interest in the operations and success of Missions, and a sympathy in the harmonious exertions of evangelical labourers of different communions. You know nothing of 'Christian union in this country', said an aged minister to us the other day, who had spent his prime in the field of Mis

VOL. III.-N.S.

sionary labour: 'to witness any thing deserving the name, you 'must go to our foreign stations'. Now, if such be the happy results of that emancipation from the prejudices of party, and that oblivion of sectarian differences, which are induced by the situation of the Missionary, surely the Christian world at large must wish to partake of the benefit, and to realize, so far as may be, those enlarged views and catholic feelings which would be forced upon us, were we placed in circumstances analogous to those of the first Christian. In order to this, we must effect the oblivion of our sectarian divisions, not by retiring from them, but by annihilating them.

We do

very

say,

To what extent this is practicable, and by what means it must be effected, is not our present inquiry. We have nothing to do at present with the probability or possibility of such a re-union. Let it even be said, "With men it is impossible;" our simple reply is, "But not with God." Our object has been, to shew the desirableness of what, we fear, too many have ceased to desire, and which some respected individuals would well as we even seem to regard as unnecessary. are,' the language of indolent timidity or of callous selfishness, has ever been urged as a reason for opposing any measures that had for their object to better the condition or the spirit of 6 We men. Would these same persons be consistent and 'did very well as we were'? An important change in the aspect of religious parties has taken place ;-call it the march of intellect, or the march of liberality, or the march of Christian piety, or what you will,-we have advanced, as we conceive, in the right direction, but not precisely to the point at which we can flatter ourselves that all is as it should be, or which we are warranted in making our ultimatum. If a more cordial and formal union of Protestant churches, such as shall be visible to the eye of the world, be desirable, we can at least make it the subject of our prayers; and by the mere habit of contemplating it in a devotional spirit, much will be gained. And that it is desirable, we have endeavoured to shew, (without pretending to originality in our argument,) independently of the present Writer's main position, namely, that Christianity can be suc'cessfully promulgated only by the united exertions of all true 'Christians.'

Nothing, evidently, can be further from the intentions of the Writer, than to impute any blame to those who have had the honour of originating, or the task of managing our several Missionary Societies; and perverse indeed must be the individual who could extract from the whole tenor of the Author's remarks, the shadow of a pretext for relaxing in his support of the existing institutions, on their present model; since the only question is, whether their efficiency might not be increased by

the proposed reform. The Author avows his firm persuasion, that there exists among the officers and directors of our several societies, as large a measure of wisdom, of disinterested zeal, and of primitive simplicity, as could have been brought into 'the service of Christianity in any age; and that these excellent 'qualities are as little alloyed by indiscretion or by sinister 'motives, as is at all compatible with the infirmity of human 'nature.' It is true, he regards the modern system of missionary exertion as fundamentally defective and inadequate to the conquest of the world; but the faultiness has resulted in'evitably from the previous condition of the Christian Church', which forbade the adoption of a wiser economy. And if the condition of things should yet be thought to forbid a more effective co-operation and a more perfect division of labour, we must still prosecute the work under the immense disadvantages which attach to the present imperfect apparatus. The work must go on; but no harm can arise from projecting improvements in the machinery.

According to the present system, the several Missionary Societies, each being the representative of a distinct sect, are under the direction of as many committees, 'promiscuously 'gathered from the narrow circle of a particular party, and ' each burdened, and overburdened, by the well-meant ambition of effecting something at all points and something of all kinds.' Each committee has its attention employed and perplexed with operations extending over the world's circumference, and embracing in the vast circle, countries differing as widely from each other in point of civilization and moral condition, and of the kind of agency specifically adapted to promote their evangelization, as the east is from the west. Thus, for instance, the Church Missionary Society, the designation of which would imply that its proceedings are confined to Africa and the East, has Missions in Western Africa, in Egypt, in Malta, and the Levant, in Calcutta and Northern India, in Bombay and Western India, in Madras and Southern India, in Ceylon, in Australia, in the West Indies, and in North-west America. Reckoning the Mediterranean stations as one Mission, here are nine missions, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, comprising 51 stations, which are occupied by 41 ordained and 22 lay missionaries, and 198 native teachers and assistants. The complicated business of this Society, is under the responsible management of twenty-four lay members of the Established Church, with two clerical secretaries. The London Missionary Society, in like manner, has under its charge, Missions to the Islands of Polynesia, to Southern Africa, to Madagascar, to the Southern India and Ceylon, to Malacca and Indo-China, and to the West Indies. The Wesleyan Society has Missions in

the West Indies, Southern Africa, and Ceylon. Now it is obvious, the mere amount of business connected with so many different stations and fields of labour in the opposite hemispheres, must be immense; and when the nature of that business is examined into, it is found to be as multifarious as it is important, often requiring the application of no ordinary sagacity, and taxing the faculties of the human mind as heavily as the affairs of any department of the State. But this is not all.

It is perfectly well known,' remarks the Writer, that, except on peculiar occasions, the actual business of every charitable institution is transacted by a very small number of zealous individuals, who perhaps are as often thwarted and embarrassed, as aided by their colleagues. Of necessity, therefore, it must be, that when a society occupies an extensive and various field of labour, the few efficient individuals are compelled, often at the expense of health and peace of mind, to give their distracted attention, in rapid succession, now to the home concerns of the society, and now to its foreign operations; and these foreign operations are of the most dissimilar character. Placed in circumstances so perplexing, what can be expected, even from the most accomplished talent, and the most unwearied assiduity, but a vague, inappropriate, and almost imbecile suffusion of mental strength over the immense surface of affairs? And what can be expected from zeal so disadvantaged, but a waste of resources upon projects which, though they might have succeeded, had they enjoyed the benefit of undiverted counsels, could not but fail, when they shared attention with a multitude of dissimilar concerns?

'And let us turn into another street, and enter another " upperchamber" of Christian business; and there see another little knot of zealous men, distracting themselves by an almost fruitless attention to the very same extended circle of multifarious objects. p. 39.

Now, if it be not our object, to propagate our specific forms of Christianity, rather than our common faith, it is the obvious dictate of common sense, that the various fields of labour should be assigned to distinct societies, rather than simultaneously occupied by all. Were it possible, then, to unite in one harmonious general association, the entire body of evangelical Christians in the British Islands, the new model' on which the Author would subdivide their labours, would be in reference to the several spheres of Missionary enterprise. These might be comprised, he suggests, in seven societies. The first would devote itself to the task of supplanting the Romish superstition by Scriptural religion, in those countries that still profess Popery, on the Continent, in Ireland, and in South America. A second would assume to itself the vast and arduous labour of recommending the Christian faith to Mohammedan nations. The Society already existing for promoting Christianity among the Jews, would occupy a third place in the series. A fourth would undertake the propagation of the Gospel among the

polytheistic nations of Southern Asia and the Indian Archipelago. The fifth should devote itself to the task of attacking the irreligion of China, but extending its operations to Tibet. Central, Western, and Southern Africa, together with the enslaved Africans in the West Indies, would sufficiently employ a sixth association. The aborigines of the two Americas, and the Polynesian tribes, might be the charge of the seventh.

Of this proposed division of Missionary labour, Mr. Orme remarks, that, were the work to be commenced de novo, the Author's suggestions would well deserve consideration. He even thinks, that the substance of his views might be reduced to practice, without any violent change in our existing societies. We think so too. Indeed, nothing, we are persuaded, can be more remote from the Writer's views, than to advocate any violent change; and in using the words 're-casting', 're-modelling', we cannot suppose that he intended to recommend a process that should necessitate the previous demolition of any part of the existing mechanism. It is of the elements of Christian zeal, that he says, they must be dissolved and re-combined; a chemical transformation, not a mechanical change. It is the scheme of policy that he would change; which would no more entail or endanger the substantial fabric of our societies, than the Irish Union destroyed the British Constitution, or than the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts has overthrown the Church. Were the existing Societies to come to an amicable , arrangement of their respective spheres of operation, conformably to our Author's plan, we do not see that confusion and irreparable mischief must inevitably ensue. We are reminded that the Jews' Society is already sufficiently distinct; and Mr. Orme suggests, that the Continental Society has only to direct its energies and resources more powerfully to the Catholic States of Europe, (why Europe only?) to occupy another of the grand divisions. Were the Church Missionary Society to confine their attention wholly to Southern Asia, they would find their utmost resources inadequate to so immense a sphere. Western, Central, and Southern Africa, and the West Indies, might sufficiently employ the Wesleyan Missions. The Malayan archipelago, Australia, Polynesia, and the American aborigines, would for a long time afford ample scope for the London Missionary Society. And Birmah, China, and Tibet, would be a tolerably extensive sphere for the Baptists. Let us not be understood as meaning seriously to propose this arrangement. Such a negotiation would perhaps be embarrassed with quite as many difficulties as the re-modelling of the Societies on the broader basis suggested by the present Writer. But we put the case for the purpose of shewing, that such a re-casting of the general plan of operations, with a view to a more beneficial