THE

CHRISTIAN OBSERVER.

CONDUCTED BY

Members of the Established Church.

FOR

THE YEAR 1857.

LONDON:

THOMAS HATCHARD, PICCADILLY.

M.DCCC.LVII.

BODLEIAT

LIBRARY

LONDON:

PRINTED BY C. F. HODGSON

GOUGH SQUARE, FLEET STREET

PREFACE.

In a world in which the wheel of events rolls on so rapidly; in which men and events pass swiftly by us, as the figures in a great procession; and in which constitutions are dissolved and dynasties displaced in a moment,-it is something to say of the "Christian Observer," that it has lasted, with little change of circumstances, for more than half a century. Books are by no means exempted from the general law of change or dissolution; and during this period it is probable that five hundred Periodicals, of various classes, have been born and have perished. But here is the old book, in its quaint old cover, presenting itself, with a sort of green old age, and, as far as we can see, likely to live on through the rest of the century. During its existence, the fluctuations of opinion have been many and great; but the waves have dashed against it without apparently doing it any real injury.—Is it asked, whence comes this durability? The answer is, we believe, to be found in the fact, that the first fathers of the Work having based it on thoroughly sound principles, its succeeding managers, editors, and contributors have, more or less, been enabled, by the blessing of God, tenaciously to cling to those principles. In sitting down to produce a Preface for the Annual Volume, now arrived at its last Number, we have been led to cast our eyes on the first Preface to the Work in the year 1802; and we were delighted to find that, allowing for human imperfections, the principles, objects, spirit, and temper of the Work have sustained little or no change. Its originators proposed to themselves a strict adherence to the simple Word of God; to recal the attention of the Church to the teaching of the Reformers, and especially those of our own Church, as the best human exposition of the Sacred Volume;-to seek truth rather than victory ;-to steer clear of immoderate extremes ;-to vindicate the truth in a temper of mind which would not dishonour it. And it is not presumptuous to

say, that such are precisely the objects which are earnestly prosecuted, however imperfectly attained, by the "Christian Observer," as it presents itself to the public from day to day.

:

One difference, however, we perceive in reading the early Prefaces that whereas the Work shot up into a sudden popularity, the present circumstances of the "Christian Observer," though substantially good, are, perhaps, of a somewhat less triumphant character than in the years of its youth. But we think it not difficult to account for this difference.

In the first place, who will dispute the power of novelty? At that time, the attempt was new to sustain the great truths of Protestantism in a Periodical, and many flocked to see what was the novel object now proposed to them. All that is new seems to exercise a mysterious power over the multitude-" dulcis novitas," as the poet calls it.

Then, again, persons of the very highest distinction as thinkers, orators, writers and laborers, at that time, found or made leisure to contribute to its pages; and the result of this was, on the whole, though, when we consider some, both of the Miscellaneous Papers and the Reviews in this very Volume, we hesitate to say so that of producing a higher class of contributions than we have often now to acknowledge. Whence is this? Are devout men of the highest intellectual class more rare; or are they more occupied, or less disposed to spend their strength on works the contents of which are in a measure evanescent ?

In the next place, there were, in the infant days of this Work, many battles which it was necessary to fight; and controversy is sure both to sharpen the edge of the intellectual powers, and to enlist the sympathies of a large number of bystanders. Even the worst faults of controversy have strong attractions for the more pugnacious part of the creation. The present age is less controversial. It is milder in its language, more charitable in its judgment, and labours rather to mend holes in the garment of truth, than to find or to make them. Besides, the victory, as to many points, is won, and there is really nothing to fight for.

Then, also, the class of mere inquirers after Truth was more numerous in those days. The Church had scarcely at all emerged out of the theological darkness consequent on the Restoration, and had settled down, in the days of Queen Anne and the Georges, into a state either of half infidelity or of heartless indifference. But when hearts began to awake under the touch of the Divine Spirit, men made haste to search out for Truth, and they found it, first in the Sacred Writings; next, in the Formularies of the Church;