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he ministers of Christ are made not involuntarily, but for love of t a branch of politics*.. the daily and weekly press is a hich sincere Christians of all d with tame and indolent disengine have been abandoned to anagement, when a mere investted, and to an adequate extent, one journal of commanding inn morality, without committing by sanctimonious professions,nd Crown, or the Bible without ly religious paper will of course irreligious, and therefore preof which we speak. But a daily ability and independence, speakverted to, with firmness, dignity, oting to dose with religion, the -religious in its conduct, rather nt of all parties, such a journal as it would deserve to be, the nt, by acquiring the respect and g short of this seems to us likely apers are taken in for the sake debates, and early intelligence;

1, of an approved Plan for the wspaper, devoted to the support mon by British Nonconformists;' es of a most respectable body of nal committee for carrying the dee plan, aware as we are of the monot but have our best wishes; alwider basis had been adopted, and ght desirable, it had been found e of the catholicity, not of any dine point, however, we venture reour hopes. The character of a o render it expedient or becoming, authority, or sanction, or pledge, f the union of secular and spiritual vith reason deprecated, that of dirable. When, therefore, the paper ecting to any preliminary arrangeity of conducting it, will not attach enomination, but to lay proprietors

and an extended sale can alone secure the first, or support the vast expense of obtaining the others. To establish such a paper, demands a fortune; and after an expenditure of £30,000, the project might prove as abortive as a recent attempt of the kind, backed by all the talent of a political party. What is most ardeutly to be desired, is, that the proprietors and conductors of the political press should, to some greater extent, be brought under the influence of religious knowledge and religious principle, which would quality them to perform their proper functions in a manner bencficial to society. On the other hand, it might be as well if a religious newspaper, designed chiefly as a reporter of missionary and other ecclesiastical intelligence, foreign and domestre, or of the public meetings of cur great Institutions, kept as clear as possible of politics *.

• We have great pleasure in transcribing into our pages, the following remarks où · Religious Newspapers, which appear in the Congrejorvosi Magdatne for the present month. The time has come when

ve to be our jury to break the silence we have reluctantly mainla a exavong de week 'y peers which profess to advocate the inསྙ་ཅན། རྣ། དh th The Newspaper, which appeared, in 1827, Að 2002 # ÈSting principles, did not originate with Yama we were the private parties who embarked à sa vamata mach krwer the metropolis. While it must be gutses that the var?ng thư, offent service to the dissenting comne quaina, æë shes of the Test and Corporation Acts; very The en interests of religion by its reports of public - the tone it assumed, has long been felt by all Dismyadventë unë, ger elemanly feelings, to be decidedly unfavour4th-intassen which it professed to advocate; and not a few of than a the jording and benevolent institutions of the hau gear shạn 2mony to the general faithfulness of the shows nude maer nos, and on that ground recommended the la y Avr prevry annoyed to find their names employed to max #lach; # 4x style, temper, and general conduct, was

Veyngnee phogh avowedly devoted to the interests quale solo in the National Church, received, on its first xaxable set from liberal Dissenters, who were of best wernal, if conducted on Catholic prinnangists here been outraged in that paper, we - is enough that the sober-minded and 1. Church of England are as much ashamed of its katanya, six mor of the same class among Dissenters

.

the Favre exhibits by far the greater portion But it is due to the old

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1 malignity; wilful and

We have been imperceptibly led into this digression. We were saying that, in some respects, the Congregational Dissenters have been losing ground and losing caste, as it were, in the nation. Yet, it is true, notwithstanding, that their national importance was never so great; their resources never appeared to be so considerable; and they never occupied so advantageous and honourable a position. As we have boldly and freely exposed their deficiencies, let us be suffered to indulge a little in the foolishness of boasting. First, then, the body of public instructors who sustain the office of the Christian ministry among the Congregational Dissenters, when considered simply in relation to their office, asable ministers of the New Testament,' claim to rank as the best qualified and the most exemplary of any order of Christian teachers in the world. In comparison even with the evangelical clergy, they will be found, on the average, better grounded in theological and biblical knowledge, as well as more ready in the exercises of devotion and public teaching, and consequently less subject to be carried about with every wind of doctrine. Modern fanaticism has found few among the Dissenting Clergy to countenance its perilous absurdities. This steadiness of religious sentiment in a community among whom creeds are discarded, shews that the perpetuation of sound doctrine depends far less upon accurate and orthodox formularies, than upon the system of clerical education; a point upon which, according to the testimony of an impartial and competent judge, the more ' respectable of the Dissenters have far exceeded in wisdom the 'rulers of the Church. In other respects, the evangelical clergy exhibit a zeal and devotedness to their office, worthy of exciting emulation. But, if we compare the Dissenting ministry with the whole body of the national clergy, great as is the reformation that has taken place in their professional character, it is unnecessary to say a word as to the immense superiority of the former in point of moral respectability and usefulness.

6

In their Academical institutions, the Dissenters possess a system of tried efficacy for supplying their churches with a more than sufficient number of pious and competently instructed pastors; so that the state of things which formed the subject of complaint, and the occasion of destitution, previously to the establishment of such institutions, is not likely again to occur. ted, on a former occasion, that this system is not producing or atWe have admittracting to itself many learned or eminent men. Yet, the Congregational Dissenters are able to enumerate contemporary names not a few, and of no mean reputation, as those of their preachers and writers. The Baptist denomination are with reason proud

* Mr. Acaster. See Eclect. Rev. 3d Series, Vol. V.

p. 468.

and an extended sale can alone secure the first, or support the vast expense of obtaining the others. To establish such a paper, demands a fortune; and after an expenditure of £30,000, the project might prove as abortive as a recent attempt of the kind, backed by all the talent of a political party. What is most ardently to be desired, is, that the proprietors and conductors of the political press should, to some greater extent, be brought under the influence of religious knowledge and religious principle, which would qualify them to perform their proper functions in a manner beneficial to society. On the other hand, it might be as well if a religious newspaper, designed chiefly as a reporter of missionary and other ecclesiastical intelligence, foreign and domestic, or of the public meetings of our great Institutions, kept as clear as possible of politics *.

* We have great pleasure in transcribing into our pages, the following remarks on Religious Newspapers,' which appear in the Congregational Magazine for the present month. The time has come when we feel it to be our duty to break the silence we have reluctantly maintained, respecting the weekly papers which profess to advocate the interests of religion. The World Newspaper, which appeared, in 1827, as the avowed advocate of dissenting principles, did not originate with any body of Dissenters; nor were the private parties who embarked in the speculation much known in the metropolis. While it must be confessed that this journal did efficient service to the dissenting community on the question of the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts; and has served the general interests of religion by its reports of public meetings; yet, the tone it assumed, has long been felt by all Dissenters of moderate and gentlemanly feelings, to be decidedly unfavourable to the interests which it professed to advocate; and not a few of those who, as officers of the leading and benevolent institutions of the kingdom, had given their testimony to the general faithfulness of the reports of their public meetings, and on that ground recommended the journal, have been grievously annoyed to find their names employed to sanction a paper which, in its style, temper, and general conduct, was very unlike what they wished it to be.

The Record Newspaper, though avowedly devoted to the interests of evangelical religion in the National Church, received, on its first publication, respectable support from liberal Dissenters, who were willing to read an episcopalian journal, if conducted on Catholic principles. How those principles have been outraged in that paper, we will not now pause to detail: it is enough that the sober-minded and candid members of the Church of England are as much ashamed of its personalities and violence, as men of the same class among Dissenters have been of the World Newspaper.'

Of the two journals, the Record exhibits by far the greater portion of cleverness, information, and adroitnes. But it is due to the old World to say, that its party violence never ran into personal malignity; it was coarse, but not dishonest; and it never employed wilful and systematic misrepresentation as a regular trick of trade."

We have been imperceptibly led into this digression. We were saying that, in some respects, the Congregational Dissenters have been losing ground and losing caste, as it were, in the nation. Yet, it is true, notwithstanding, that their national importance was never so great; their resources never appeared to be so considerable; and they never occupied so advantageous and honourable a position. As we have boldly and freely exposed their deficiencies, let us be suffered to indulge a little in the foolishness of boasting. First, then, the body of public instructors who sustain the office of the Christian ministry among the Congregational Dissenters, when considered simply in relation to their office, as 'able ministers of the New Testament,' claim to rank as the best qualified and the most exemplary of any order of Christian teachers in the world. In comparison even with the evangelical clergy, they will be found, on the average, better grounded in theological and biblical knowledge, as well as more ready in the exercises of devotion and public teaching, and consequently less subject to be carried about with every wind of doctrine.' Modern fanaticism has found few among the Dissenting Clergy to countenance its perilous absurdities. This steadiness of religious sentiment in a community among whom creeds are discarded, shews that the perpetuation of sound doctrine depends far less upon accurate and orthodox formularies, than upon the system of clerical education; a point upon which, according to the testimony of an impartial and competent judge, the more respectable of the Dissenters have far exceeded in wisdom the 'rulers of the Church. In other respects, the evangelical clergy exhibit a zeal and devotedness to their office, worthy of exciting emulation. But, if we compare the Dissenting ministry with the whole body of the national clergy, great as is the reformation that has taken place in their professional character, it is unnecessary to say a word as to the immense superiority of the former in point of moral respectability and usefulness.

In their Academical institutions, the Dissenters possess a system of tried efficacy for supplying their churches with a more than sufficient number of pious and competently instructed pastors; so that the state of things which formed the subject of complaint, and the occasion of destitution, previously to the establishment of such institutions, is not likely again to occur. We have admitted, on a former occasion, that this system is not producing or attracting to itself many learned or eminent men. Yet, the Congregational Dissenters are able to enumerate contemporary names not a few, and of no mean reputation, as those of their preachers and writers. The Baptist denomination are with reason proud

* Mr. Acaster. See Eclect. Rev. 3d Series, Vol. V. p. 468.