and pursued the truths that broke upon their souls." These are sterling characters, and fair specimens moreover of the Quincy Line.

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MISSIONARY FAILURES, the Reason for Renovated Exertions. Sermon delivered in St. John's Church, Brooklyn, N. Y., March 15, 1840. By Evan M. Johnson, Rector. pp. 16, 8vo. Dedicated to Bishop Chase of Illinois.

WE notice this Discourse chiefly to bring before the public some remarkable facts its author has thought necessary to fix attention upon. The general idea of this publication and several others from the same quarter, is that foreign missions have promised every thing and accomplished nothing; and that one grand reason of their failure is, that for the sake of rumoured success abroad things have been sadly neglected at home, and the religious community allowed to become too low and sickly at its very heart to send a strong pulse of life into the farthest extremities. Being a high Churchman, of course a great deal is said, and a great deal more insinuated, about the absurdity of any other missions but those by "the Church"-i. e. his particular denomination, separation from which he "conscientiously believes" to be sin. We have here the genuine doctrine of Rome, with which Mr. Johnson evidently has strong sympathies, as being, besides the Protestant Episcopal Church, another "branch of the One Catholic Church," in which "a divinely constituted ministry has existed in uninterrupted succession from the Apostles of our Lord." All other Christian believers are only "sectaries," "schismatics," and "errorists," who have carried out "to its full extent the much abused dogma of the Reformers so called, the Bible, the Bible alone is the religion of Protestants."" This is a rather stronger infusion of Oxford theology into American preaching than we were prepared to expect.

But to the facts. In the writer's neighbourhood, this has been the developement of the missionary system in his own denomination. More than $3000 sent out the past year on missionary calls, and yet two churches in the same time sold under the hammer for debt: one a free church, the other crowded with a coloured congregation. Another, which cost $15000, about to be sold for just the sum given for

Another, (Christ

distant and uncertain projects of benevolence. Church, a contributor of nearly half this generous missionary subscription) has not paid so much as the interest for the ground it occupies. A sad instance, this last, of giving away what is not its own-of bestowing on foreign charity what ought in good conscience to go to liquidate a just debt. It seems very much as if I, owing you a hundred dollars, should cancel the obligation by putting, without your wish or consent, a hundred dollars into the coffers of an Association under your name.

Again, Mr. Johnson states, that while the slaves at the South have been generally neglected, and the Bishops at the West left almost to beggary, (of Bishop Chase it might be said not almost, but altogether) funds have been lavishly squandered where no returns were expected to be found. In Greece he states the Episcopal missionaries have not acted as missionaries; and have neither done nor pretended to do anything in that line. So likewise the Rev. Dr. Robertson, now supported at great expense to distribute tracts at Constantinople. So the Rev. Mr. Southgate and family, travellers, who promise "a journal." So Messrs. Lockwood and Hanson, who have given up China in despair and are now useful at home. So Dr. Boone, who though remaining as a missionary attempts nothing in that capacity, and does but little as a physician or schoolmaster.

These are sad tidings. If they cannot be questioned, (and in the community where they were preached and published no such attempt has been made,) the inquiries Mr. Johnson has made as to the cause of failure deserve solemn heed. Besides the vicious appeals made to personal vanity in order to raise large amounts, and the sectarian spirit which has characterized the whole, he believes the chief reason of failure is "the neglect of one duty for the sake of another," the "fighting against God," by applying to uncertain uses abroad what was needed for immediate and certain use at home. In close, he beseeches the foreign missionary to return; not to rob the children. here of their bread, but enter the field God has opened for him, in our own land, at our own day.

The style of publication of this sermon leads us to think, that the author did not expect it would find a sale large enough to justify him in incurring great expense. If it was worth printing, it deserved a better dress than that in which it appears.

THE PREACHER AND THE PASTOR. Two Discourses delivered in Harvard Church, Charlestown, Sunday, March 15, 1840, on the Commencement of his Ministry. By George E. Ellis. Boston: Wm. Crosby & Co. 1840. pp. 47, 8vo.

It is an excellent, and probably an invariable, custom in our Congregational churches, with which Mr. Ellis complied, in presenting to his people on the Sunday which followed his induction into the sacred office those views of the ministerial relation which particularly affect ed his own mind. And yet it is subject to this remark, that the preacher, if he have never before had charge of a congregation, undertakes to speak of that of which he has had no personal knowledge and some of his impressions concerning which must be rectified, although most of them may be strengthened, by subsequent experience. Performances of this class therefore, whatever expansion of thought or fervour of sentiment they may discover, are necessarily imperfect, and should be noticed with a spirit of gentle criticism. Mr. Ellis stands in no special need of this caution against severity of judgement, for his Discourses contain much valuable matter, and show that his mind has surveyed, and in the main has justly estimated, the peculiarities of the position to which he has been called. Still we cannot but think, that in his desire to avoid the assumption of that mere official superiority which in former times was allowed to the minister, and to check by anticipation an extravagant disposition on the part of his people to rely upon him for pastoral offices, he has qualified farther than he need, or than sound judgement would permit, the duty of the minister in respect both to the public and the private exercise of his influence. Indeed, we detected, as we thought, in reading some passages a want of clearness and strength of conception, which we are sure the writer would not manifest in discussing the same subject after a few years' acquaintance with the service on which he had just entered. So far, however, are we from considering this a proof of any thing else than inexperience, that we believe few men upon commencing their ministry would have shown such an insight into many of the peculiar relations which it involves at the present day.

Mr. Ellis, after alluding to that single word in his text (2 Tim. ii. 2) which, in requiring the ministry of the Gospel to be committed to

faithful men, indicates the "condition which comprehends all others," and after noticing briefly "the unchanging and stable elements" which belong to this office on the one hand, with the variable modifications by which it is affected on the other, proceeds to discuss the four topics. which fall under the general subject of his morning's discourse. This subject is the preacher; these topics are-his authority, his duty or appropriate vocation, his influence or the value of the office, and “the superiority or the subjection of its exercise to public opinion." He has no authority from descent or office; "it is found in the faithfulness with which he applies Divine truth to the souls of men." It is his vocation, to "illustrate the duties and purposes of life." His influence, though not less now than in former ages, is different in its foundation, and rests on "the absolute necessity of a spiritual faith for every individual being." The "restrictions which public opinion imposes upon the liberty of the pulpit are, decency and good sense;" "the minister, as a member of society and as not infallible, is bound to declare with courtesy all his opinions on subjects connected with the moral and religious interests of men."-In the second Discourse, (from Acts xx. 28) the relations of pastor and people are considered. Mr. Ellis first observes that they are voluntarily assumed, and then remarks that "the connexion has no formal and definite terms of individual duty," but is one which puts into the pastor's hands such means as friendship and sympathy can use. From this view of the nature of the relation Mr. E. draws the remark, that its duties are not all on one side; the people must "entertain a liberal respect for the private opinions and actions of their pastor," must construe his motives kindly, and show a generous regard for his feelings. Neither must they "look to him for all the aid which they may need in their religious education," but must cooperate with him in his labours for their individual and social good. He then adverts to the services of the minister in seasons of trial and affliction, and labours to dissuade his hearers from indulging "unreasonable expectations" and from "putting upon their minister the burden of all their sorrows," and especially urges the importance of preparation for hours of trial by previous fidelity in the Christian life. He closes with a solemn application of the views which he has presented, to his own case and that of the congregation whom he addressed.

INTELLIGENCE.

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ORDINATION AT HUBBARDSTON, MASS.-Rev. Claudius Bradford, late Instructor of the Academy in Westford, was ordained as Pastor of the First Congregational Church in Hubbardston, on Wednesday, April 15, 1840. The services of the occasion were performed as follows:-Introductory Prayer, by Rev. Mr. Russell of Chelmsford; Reading of the Scriptures, by Rev. Mr. Chandler of Shirley; Sermon, by Rev. Mr. Wells of Groton, from Hebrews xii. 2: "Looking unto Jesus, "On the cross of Christ in its universally recognised relation to man; Ordaining Prayer, by Rev. Mr. Thompson of Barre; Charge, by Rev. Dr. Noyes of Petersham; Right Hand of Fellowship, by Rev. Mr. Lincoln of Fitchburg; Address to the People, by Rev. Mr. Alden of Brookfield; Concluding Prayer, by Rev. Mr. White of Littleton.

ORDINATION AT PROVIDENCE, R. I.—Mr. Edward Stone was ordained as an Evangelist to the West at Providence, on Monday evening, April 27, 1840. The services of the occasion were as follows:--Introductory Prayer, and Selections from Scripture, by Mr. Samuel B. Cruft of Boston, Mass.; Sermon, by Rev. Mr. Hall of Providence; Ordaining Prayer, by Rev. Mr. Bigelow of Taunton, Mass.; Charge, by Rev. Mr. Farley of Providence; Right Hand of Fellowship, and Concluding Prayer, by Rev. Mr. Waterston of Boston.

Mr. Hall's Discourse was from John xx. 21: "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." Its subject was the Christian mission-its nature and extent. The Christian mission is the mission of Christ. He was the first missionary. He went forth with power and doctrine not his own, but received from above. The Father sent him; and so sends the missionary now. As to the question, who is the Christian missionary? all may be considered such in the more enlarged sense of the term. All may be said to have a mission to perform; a saying perhaps trite, but expressing one of the most deeply solemn and momentous truths. The mission of the preacher however is a peculiar one. Christ instituted a special ministry, one indeed that has been often most sadly abused, and converted to the most unholy purposes, yet still as glorious in its objects, as important and beneficent in its results, as when fresh from the hands of its Founder. It is the work which the preacher has to perform, that distinguishes him from all other missionaries-its glory, and objects, as truth, holi ness, love, liberty. In extent the Christian mission is boundless. Its field is the world. Doubts have been sometimes suggested as to the duty of extending missions; but these should be forever silenced by the imperative language of Scripture. Among the many fields of missionary labour, the West is a most large and important one, especially to such as hold dear our religious faith, who