further derive encouragement to hope that in every period there has always been much humble and unknown piety in the land; many that have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. The name of Hooker, at the time of his residence at Drayton, was probably little known in his neighbourhood beyond the precincts of his own parish, where he was labouring diligently but unobtrusively in the vineyard of his Divine Master. A cursory traveller of the Puritan party would perhaps have surveyed the little church and parsonage as they appear in the valley at a short distance from the high road, and have whispered to himself as he journeyed on his way, about unfaithful shepherds, and benighted flocks, little thinking that that simple dwelling contained one of the most devout and heavenly-minded pastors in the kingdom; and that from the pulpit of that solitary church were probably delivered some of the most faithful, affectionate, evangelical, and edifying discourses which it has been the lot of any age to produce.-One reflection more, upon which, if this paper bad not been already, I fear, tediously protracted, I should be inclined to dilate, is the vast importance of an established church. I am not prepared to say how many or how few of the thirty-eight successive rectors of the little village of Drayton have been men of personal piety or pastoral affection; but taking the case at the most unfavourable estimate possible, it is still consoling to reflect, that in this remote spot, a spot which, in all probability, the voluntary zeal of unofficial teachers emanating from our towns and cities would never have penetrated,-the Gospel has been faithfully preached for centuries by the reading of the word of God; and provision made for the administration of the Chris tian sacraments, and the public exercises of devotion. There may not have been all the religious ad

vantages which were desirable; but even in the worst of times, the people can never be said to have been left wholly uninstructed, as would probably have been the case had there been no established church to take pity upon them, and to carry its ministrations into their sequestered hamlet. And, what is also a point of considerable importance, the staff, if I may so say, of the regiment has always remained, even when the garrison was worst appointed; so that, by the blessing of God, nothing was wanting but pastoral piety and diligence to restore it to a state of efficiency. The observance of the Sabbaththe recognition of the chief prin- ciples of religion-the sacraments, especially that of baptism-the regular worship of God-the public reading of his word the solemuities connected with the various rites and offices of the church-have never been forgotten, and must in every period, whatever might be the personal character of the incumbent minister, have had considerable influence among the people; and many an unlettered Christian may have died in the faith and fear of Christ, whose piety was unknown beyond the little circle of a retired cottage, and was nourished by aliment which a pampered and opinionated religionist would have despised.

VIATOR.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

THOSE of your readers who are acquainted with the first edition of M. L'Archer's Herodotus, published in 1786 (Paris, 7 tom. 8vo), cannot fail to have observed with pain how largely the notes are infected with a spirit of hostility to the Christian religion. It will, however, be consoling to them to learn, that in the second edition (1802, Paris, 9 tom. 8vo,) the author has made the amplest amends in his power for the injury done to Christianity, by publicly renounc

ing his errors and confessing his decided conviction of the truth of the Gospel. In his preface (p. xxxviii.) he remarks-"Being at length deeply convinced of the truths taught in the Christian religion, I have retrenched, or newmodelled all those notes which might injure it. Persons have drawn from some of them consequences which I disapprove of, and which are far from my thoughts. Others, I must own with candour and to clear my conscience, contain things that a more mature investigation and deeper researches have convinced me rest upon too slight foundations, or are absolutely false. Truth cannot but gain by this avowal. To her I have consecrated all my studies. I have been most anxious to return to her ever since I thought I had discovered her. May the homage which I render to her in true sincerity of mind discharge me from all the errors which I may have broached and sought to propagate!"

I have a threefold reason, Mr. Editor, in requesting your insertion of this recantation ;-first, as it shews the ingenuousness of the writer, and exhibits a useful lesson

Emin intimement convaincu de

toutes les vérités qu'enseigne la reli gion Chrétienne, j'ai retrenché, on reformé, toutes les notes qui pouvoient la blesser. On avoit tiré des unes des conséquences que j'improuve, et qui sont loin de ma pensée. D'autres renfermoient des choses, je dois l'avoner avec franchise, et pour l'acquit de ma conscience, qu'un plus mûr examen et des recherches plus approfondies m'ont demontré reposer sur de trop légères foudemens, ou être absolument fausses. La vérité ne peut que gagner à cet aveu. C'est à elle seule que j'ai con. sacré, toutes mes veilles. Je me suis

empressé de revenir à elle des que j'ai

cru l'avoir mieux saisie. Puisse cet homage, que je lui rends dans toute la sincérité de mon cœur, me faire ab soudre de toutes les erreurs que je puis avoir hasardées, et que j'ai cherché à propager.

to all who have in any way, by word, writing, or example, done injury to religion or to society, to repair the mischief as far as possible, not only by secret humiliation before God, but by penitent confession before the world; secondly, as it affords another instance to the many on record, of an open opposer of the Gospel constrained by the force of its evidences to become its defender; and thirdly, to request that any of your readers who may have copies of the first edition of this work, or who have access to libraries in this country, or abroad, in which it is contained, would transcribe this recantation and fix it conspicuously in the work as an antidote to its poison,

CAUTUS.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

I REQUEST your insertion of the following letter from Daniel Gentle, a condemned criminal, who suffered last December at Newgate for an extensive robbery, to a person who had been his fellow-servant. My chief reason for wishing it inserted is, that the sentence printed in Italics, and which contains a warning that may be useful to other young men, was omitted by those newspapers from the reading of which the poor man dated his ruin. B. "Saturday Morning, Condemned Room, Newgate, Dec. 9, 1820. "My dear Friend,

"Little did I think I should. be so soon snatched from you; but God only knows: his will must be done. My dear friend, I always respected you as my own brother. I hope my fate will be a warning to you. I am grieved to my heart to think you are deprived of a comfortable situation through me; but I hope God Almighty will protect and provide for you. I hope you will not forsake his laws. Always look up to Him; for if He leaves us we

commit the greatest sins. My dear friend, repent of your past sins: never leave your God, and He will never leave you. Begin this night to examine yourself, and repent of your sins. Mind! you must be stedfastly purposing to lead a new life. Let me persuade you, instead of taking the newspaper on a Sunday after dinner, pray begin, on Sunday next, and take your Bible. Read the 55th chapter of Isaiah, the 6th chapter of John, and the 3d of Romans. Mind, and repent; and begin and sow your seed on good ground. God Almighty is very good: He has brought me to see the error of my ways. My present situation is trying to flesh and blood, but I hope will be a

comfort to my soul. I have prayed heartily to God for his forgiveness. I hope he will receive my soul: He is a merciful God: it is his will and pleasure. Mind, and do not be easily persuaded. Ask yourself a question first; say, What am I? What is this world to the value of my soul? My dear friend, be particular, and guard against being a hypocrite. This is almost the worst sin that can be committed. My dear friend, mind and put on the cloak of righteousness in sincerity. Pray look more to your Bible. The Lord always be your protection in this sinful world.

“Your well-wisher,
"and dying friend,

D. GENTLE."

The Christian and Civic Economy of Large Towns. By THOMAS CHALMERS, D. D. Minister of St. John's Church, Glasgow.No. III. Application of the Principle of Locality to the Work of a Christian Minister. -No. IV. The Effect of Locality in adding to the useful Establishments of a Town. Glasgow: Chalmers and Collins. 1820. price 1s.

THE apprehension of surfeiting our readers by too heavy a meal of the economics of Dr. Chalmers, has already been stated as our chief reason for not bringing these third and fourth Numbers of his periodical papers into the same critique with the second. Without this reason, such an incorporation of the three Numbers would have been but natural, as these two are to be considered as little more than corollaries from the propositions established in that which preceded them. The dependence of these

papers, however, on their predecessor will justify us in making smaller demands than before on the patience of our readers, as the same reasonings will serve for both. Dr. Chalmers himself is evidently a friend upon principle to reiteration; and we are generally inclined to think with him, that few deep and abiding impressions are made upon the hard surface of the public mind, except by striking often, and with all our heart, upon the same particular spot. The philosopher, indeed, who classes the understandings of men among the "soft substances" of metaphysical production, will find himself grievously mistaken in their impressibility. We are not by any means prepared to say, that our author does not, in some instances, push his opinion of the obtuseness of his species a little too far, and that even in the two present Numbers nothing would have been gained by a little compression and consolidation. At the same time, as he has completely suc

ceeded in carrying the strongest conviction to our own minds, we ought perhaps to consider his method of convincing as the best possible method. We would add, however, that we are never less disposed to dwell upon little peculiarities of manner than when considering the truly masterly and im portant reasonings of this distinguished writer; and to these reasonings we will now call the atten

tion of our readers.

It is obvious that almost every argument hitherto adduced by Dr. Chalmers, or by ourselves in the examination of his papers, on the general advantages of the local system, is strictly applicable to places of worship. If the local influence of a school and a schoolmaster be considerable, much more that of a church and a minister of the Gospel. But then the multiplication of places of worship to the extent required, independently of other objections, would seem to involve that of substituting an irregular and undisciplined system of church government for the organized and unvarying system of an established church. Lest, therefore, any of the author's reasonings should appear to bring his attach ment to a church establishment into question, he opens the third of his essays by an able defence of that institution; and, we are free to say, that although the same mode of defence has been often employed, and employed, amongst others, by ourselves, we have never before seen it used with the same power, or with the same promise of success. Let us consider his argument.

It is sometimes conceived by those who are hostile to religious establishments, that although the prejudices of mankind may favour them, yet that sound sense and philosophy are opposed to them. Our own conviction has always been the very reverse of this; and we are rejoiced to find ourselves supported in the view we have taken of the

subject, by one who will not be suspected of narrowness of mind, or of dishonest compromise with known evils, or of childish succumbency to antiquated prejudices. Dr.Chalmers has learnt in the porch of enlightened philosophy, a lesson which plainer men may also find in their Bibles and their daily experience. We shall give our readers the benefit of some quotations from the author on this subject.

more general arguments for a religions "It is perhaps the best among all our establishment in a country, that the spontaneous demand of human beings for religion is far short of the actual interest which they have in it. This is not so with their demand for food or raiment, or any article which ministers to the necessities of our physical nature. The more destitute we are of these articles, the greater is our desire after them. In every case, where the want of any thing serves to whet our appetite, instead of weakening it, the supply of that thing may be left, with all safety, to the native and powerful demand for it, among the people themselves. The sensation of hunger is a sufficient guarantee for there being as many bakers in a country as it is good and necessary for the country to have, bakers. This order of men will come without any national establishment of

forth, in number enough, at the mere bidding of the people; and it never can be for want of them, that society will languish under the want of aliment for the human body. It is wise in government to leave the care of the public good, wherever it can be left safely, to the workings of individual nature; and, saving for the administration of justice between man and man, it were better that she never put out her hand either with a view to regulate or to foster any of the operations of common, merchandise.

"But the case is widely different, when the appetite for any good is short of the degree in which that good is useful or necessary; and, above all, when just in proportion to our want of it, is the decay of our appetite towards it. Now this is, generally speaking, the case with religious instruction. The less we have of it, the less we desire to have of it. It is not with the aliment of the soul, as it is with the aliment of

the body. The latter will be sought after; the former must be offered to a people, whose spiritual appetite is in a state of dormancy, and with whom it is just as necessary to create a hunger, as it is to minister a positive supply. In these circumstances, it were vain to wait for any original movement on the part of the receivers. It must be made on the part of the dispensers. Nor does it follow, that because government may wisely abandon to the operation of the principle of demand and supply, all those interests, where the desires of our nature and the necessities of our nature are adequate the one to the other, she ought, therefore, to abandon all care of our interest, when the desire, on the part of our species, is but rare, and feeble, and inoperative, while the necessity is of such a deep and aw ful character, that there is not one of the concerus of earthliness which ought for a moment to be compared with it." pp. 89, 90.

Consider next the manner in which our author meets an objection often alleged against church establishments.—

"We are quite aware, that a pulpit may be corruptly filled, and that there may be made to emanate from it the evil influence of a false or mitigated Christianity on its surrounding neighbourhood. This is an argument, not against the good of an establishment, but for the good of toleration. There is no frame-work reared by human wisdom, which is proof against the frequent incursions of human depravity. But if there do exist a great moral incapacity on the part of our species, in virtue of which, if the lessons of Christianity be not constantly obtruded upon them, they are sure to decline in taste and in desire for the lessons of Christianity; and if an establishment be a good device for overcoming this evil tendency of our nature, it were hard to visit, with the mischief of its overthrow, the future race either of a parish or of a country, for the guilt of one incumbency, or for the unprincipled patronage of one generation. We trust, therefore, in the face of every corruption which has been alleged against them, that our parochial establishments will stand, so as that churches shall be kept in repair, and ministers, in constant succession, shall be provided for them. CHRIST. OBSERV, No. 238,

At the same time, we hope that no restriction whatever will be laid on the zeal and exertion of Dissenters; and that any legal disability, under which they still labour, will, at length, be done away. The truth is, that we know not a better remedy against the temporary and incidental evils of an establishment, than a free, entire, and unexcepted toleration; nor how an endowed church can be more effectually preserved, either from stagnation cr decay, than by being ever stimulated and kept on the alert, through the talent, and energy, and even occasional malignity and injustice of private adventurers. Still, however, such is our impression of the overwhelming superiority of good done by an establishment, that, in addition to the direct Christian influence which it causes to descend upon the country from its own ministers, we regard it as the instrument of having turned the country into a fitter and more prepared field, for the reception of a Christian influence from any other quarter; insomuch, that had the period of the Refor mation from Popery, in Britain, been also the period for the overthrow and cessation of all religious establishments whatever, we apprehend that there would not only have been no attendance of people upon churches, but a smaller attendance of people upon meeting houses than there is at this moment. They are our establishments, in fact, which have nourished and upheld the taste of the population for Christianity; and when that taste is accidentally offended, they are our establishments which recruit the dissenting places of worship with such numbers as they never would have gotten out of that native mass which had been previously unwrought, and previously unentered on." pp. 91-93.

This reasoning is to us, we confess, unanswerable; and happy shall we be if it serve to establish any doubting mind, or to humble the vanity and weaken the antipathies of those whom it fails to convince. Nor let it be thought that ideal offences, having their shasuch vanity or antipathy are only dowy existence merely in the fancy of a critic. Churchmen of the present day have, indeed, little or nothing to complain of in what 4 O