following resolutions, passed the other day at a meeting held in Manchester:-"That this conference is fully convinced of the necessity of providing primary instruction for every child; that the present means of public instruction are inadequate to the end; and that the necessary funds for the purpose should be raised by local rates, and the management of the schools be supported thereby, being vested in committees selected for that purpose by the rate-payers." Mr. Cobden made a long speech in support of the principle thus embodied; but many of his positions were, in my view, open to grave objections; not a few of them almost self-evident fallacies. In the ranks of Episcopacy some important movements are taking place. The Plymouth Church Reform Association composed exclusively of churchmen-which was formed some months ago, is doing its best either to rectify the doctrinal anomalies of the Establishment, or to bring it into utter contempt. The series of lectures by clergymen of this Church instituted by the Association, and now in progress of delivery, are attracting a good deal of attention, especially from the Puseyites, who would, if they could, hang a millstone about the necks of all the lecturers, brother gownsmen though they be, and drown them in the depths of the ocean. The great object of the association is to obtain a reform of the Book of Common Prayer, so as effectually to purge it of its Popish leaven; and farther, to adapt the Sabbath services of the church to the necessities of the great masses of the people. Such an effort is highly praiseworthy, for it is pre-eminently needful. There are other parties at work in a different direction, seeking to correct those monetary abuses, the existence of which nobody can deny. The minor canons of St. Paul's have been openly and loudly charging their ecclesiastical superiors, the canons, with gross selfishness, and a maladministration of the funds of the Cathedral, alleging that they put into their own pockets some thousands a-year over and above the goodly sum to which they were legally entitled. So clamorous did these gentlemen become, that the noise at length reached the Episcopal Palace at Fulham, and roused his reverence, "C. J. London," out of a comfortable sleep. They demanded from his spiritual lordship a redress of the grievances concerning which they complained; and, at length, because of their importunity, he consented to hold a court in the Chapter-house, where counsel on either side impleaded one another for two consecutive days. At present, however, the bishop withholds his decision. Mr. Hume, rector of a city parish, has issued a plan for the removal of thirty city churches, which are nearly deserted, with a view to their endowments and revenues being applied to new edifices, to be erected where they are now required in the suburban districts. The bishop has given his sanction to the principle of the plan. The fact, perhaps, will be hardly credible to the people of Scotland, that there are many of the churches in the city capable of holding from 800 to 2000 people, where the attendance at the chief service on the Sabbath ranges from only ten to thirty persons. I was in the church of St. Lawrence the other Friday evening, at the weekly service, when only two persons were present, in addition to the clerk and the par sons; and yet the service was gone through, sermon and all, as if in solemn mockery of sacred worship. I inquired the cause of so few being present, and was told, it very rarely happened that a larger number attended. It fact, it would seem that the same two individuals-modest young girls under twenty years of age, and both dressed alike-and no others were present at the week services; leading one to the natural supposition that they are either most exemplary in their conduct, or else receive a stipulated sum for their attendance, without which, I suppose, the service could not be proceeded with, and the lectureship would, of course, become void. The church to which I refer stands hard by the Guild Hall, in a most eligible position, and would hold, perhaps, 1800 persons. It is surely time that a change of some kind shall be speedily effected. Understanding that you will have a memoir of the Rev. William Jay in another part of the Journal, I need not allude to the circumstances of his death. But, since his departure, another aged and eminent minister of the same denomination to which Mr. Jay belonged has breathed his last. The Rev. Dr. Collyer of Peckham, London, died on the 9th of January, in the 72nd year of his age, and 53rd of his ministry. Dr. Collyer was the intimate friend and favourite preacher of the late Duke of Kent, and his only daughter was the playmate of our beloved Queen when in her girlish days. Printed by WALTER GRAHAM BLACKIE, at his Printing-Office, Villafield, in the parish of Barony, and resid ing at 10, Kew Terrace, in the parish of Govan. Published by ROBERT JACKSON, Proprietor, at 5, St. Enoch Square, Glasgow, residing at 184, Sandyford Buildings, Sandyford, parish of Barony. THE CHRISTIAN JOURNAL. THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. As THE Papal church having determined that Peter was the primate of the Apostles, concludes that the Pope, as his successor, is endowed with the same extraordinary gifts, and possessed of the same authority in the church. At his girdle, the Pope wears two gold keys, emblematic of his hereditary and exclusive power. These are the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Protestants, we avail ourselves of our privilege, not only to ask, what is the meaning of particular expressions in the Word of God, but to scrutinize and sit in judgment on the interpretations put on them by Popery with the view of sustaining her alleged claims. In the Rhemish translation of the New Testament into English-the version which the Papal church permits to be read-there is an explanatory note, informing us, "That the keys of the kingdom of heaven signify the height of government, the power of making laws, of calling councils, of the principal voice in them, of confirming them, of making canons and wholesome decrees, of abrogating the contrary, ordaining bishops and pastors, of deposing and suspending them; finally, the power to dispense the goods of the church both spiritual and temporal; which signification of pre-eminent power and authority by the word keys, the Scripture expresseth in many places. Moreover, it signifieth that men cannot come into heaven but by them; the keys signifying also, authority to open and shut, as it is said of Christ, Apoc: iii. 7:"Who hath the key of David: He shutteth and no man openeth; by which words we gather that Peter's power is marvellous, to whom the keys, that is, the power to open and shut heaven is given." This extract cannot fail to satisfy any candid mind, that the claims of the Papal church are sufficiently ample, and that since her keys empower her to open so many locks, and turn the bolt in so many more, the great difficulty is to determine with precision where her power terminates, because it obviously extends to everything in the church, temporal as well as spiritual, to everything affecting the bodies and souls of men, to everything affecting their faith, practice, and condition, and that, not merely for this life, but for the life to come. The Pope's keys are the emblems of his jurisdiction over time and eternity. The The Romish church claims the sole power of opening and shutting the gate of heaven. The power of her priesthood is tremendous. The soul, the salvation, the perdition of every poor sinner, is at a priest's disposal. The mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ is virtually ignored. A vail is drawn between the sinner and the one "Mediator between God and man.' invitation, "look unto me, and be ye saved," never falls upon his ear as it does on ours, nor carries to his soul the good tidings of welcome and encouragement, but he is taught to regard his salvation as being dependent on the will, and, it may be, the caprice, of a fallen mortal like himself. The Romish church farther alleges that she has the sole power of opening and VOL. V.-No. 51, N.S. E MARCH, 1854. shutting the gate of purgatory. This is a lucrative job for her. By this she has her wealth, and manages not only to extort money from the living, but. to have a large share in the legacies of the dead. She farther alleges that she has the sole power of the key to open what she calls the treasuries of the church-the store-house of human merits, where works of supererogation are laid up to serve the needy on this earth. She claims the right to use the key to the conscience, and she makes very good use of it in the confessional. And, she claims the right to use the key to the pockets and properties of her devotees. Nauseated with such pretensions and delusions, we turn from the teaching of men, to the teachings of the Spirit of God. Our Saviour accused the lawyers of "taking away the key of knowledge,' adding, "ye enter not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered." When a Jew was considered qualified to sustain the office of a Rabbi, a key was given to him, and the act of delivering it was the recognition of his capability and right to open the records of Divine truth, and expound them. The preaching of the gospel has been from the beginning, and still is, the Saviour's grand method of turning sinners from darkness to light. The heart of man is by nature like a door, not only closed but barred against the admission of saving truth, but the words of the gospel when brought to bear upon his heart, are the key which the Spirit employs to unlock it, that the king may enter in, and possess his own. On the streets of Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, thousands listened to the gospel, only to mock at it, and the preachers. Their hearts were not merely closed, they were barred against the entrance of the truth. It was the Saviour's purpose to open them, and the ministry of Peter and his fellow Apostles was the key by which the Redeemer that day obtained access to three thousand souls. We are on this account in the habit of regarding the Apostle Peter as having been the opener of the door of admission to the Jews, into the Redeemer's church. He had also the honour of opening the door to the Gentiles, and the admission of Cornelius the centurion and his household by the ministry of Peter, was but the first fruits of a harvest which has not yet been reaped. Christ's gracious message is the key to the sinner's heart. The wisdom of this world may benefit him as a citizen, but the truth as it is in Jesus can alone benefit him as a sinner. A man may be able to unravel the intricacies of national policy with all the skill of a statesman; he may have mastered an acquaintance with the arts and sciences of civilized life, and thus have acquired a profound scholarship, but, nevertheless, be ignorant of the alphabet which has to be learned in the school of Christ. Is it not a privilege to sit at the feet of Jesus? Is it not a privilege to be taught of God? It is, and without in the least degree ignoring the wisdom of this world, or its advantages to man as an intellectual being, and member of the great commonwealth, we must not forget that he is an immortal being-a fallen being a being whom God has purposed to restore and educate for glory, and that therefore, the wisdom that cometh from above, communicated in the preaching of the gospel, and sealed on the soul by the grace of the Holy Spirit, has to him a value and a suitableness, with which no other teaching can compete. In addition to the key of knowledge, Christ has bestowed the key of government. The key is a very ancient emblem of authority. When Isaiah foretold the extent of the authority which Eliakim should exercise in Jerusalem, it was in the following terms:-"The key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulders," and when he predicted the supreme authority of the Messiah in the church, he said:" the government shall be upon his shoulder." Among some eastern nations this emblem is still retained, a key being the external badge of authority. There are traces of it remaining among ourselves. The chamberlain in the royal household has a gold key given to him when invested with office; and when royalty, or the representative of royalty, enters our cities, the key of the city is presented, intimating that the supreme government of the city is, for the time, in royal hands. Our Saviour claims the right to have "the keys of hell and of death," and, when giving to Peter the keys of "the kingdom of heaven," he must be understood as having authorized him to administer the government of the church, as well as proclaim to perishing sinners the gospel which would make them wise unto salvation. In every well regulated community there must not only be laws, clearly defined, but persons authorized to administer them-to preserve order, and in virtue of their office prove a terror to evil-doers, and a praise to them that do well. The Apostles were not only the first preachers, but rulers in the Redeemer's church. They had the keys of knowledge and of government entrusted to them. During the forty days that immediately preceded his ascension, he was much employed in "speaking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God," and when delivering to them his last commission, he gave them, individually, the keys, saying:-"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations-teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you." The New Testament contains the doctrines of the kingdom, and its laws. It contains very explicit directions as to the materials of which the church is to be built, and the nature of the scaffolding to be employed in erecting it. The gospel has to do with men's conduct as well. as with their creed, and those whom Christ first invested with office in the church, and empowered to rule, had certainly an authority committed to them, and which they occasionally employed, greater, and distinct from that which any minister of the New Testament would now venture to assume, or be tolerated in claiming. Elymas, the sorcerer, was smitten with blindness; Ananias and Sapphira were struck down dead; and so terrible was the early discipline upon extraordinary sinners, that "they were delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." It must be kept in recollection that the Apostles were extraordinary servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, selected by him for extraordinary work, and endowed by him with extraordinary gifts. themselves they were fallible men, but as the church required an infallible rule both of faith and practice, the Apostles were inspired what to utter, and what to enforce upon the obedience of the faithful. It would be gross presumption, then, in any office-bearer in the church, now, to claim the place which the Apostles occupied, or the gifts they possessed, or the powers with which they were invested. In A minister of the gospel, regularly called to proclaim its glad tidings, and admitted to office in the church, is entrusted with these two keys. His office is to preach the word, and to rule well, taking the scriptures for his warrant and directory. His office is purely ministerial. The office of a popish priest is something more. He assumes power over the souls and bodies of men, and claims to have them at his disposal. The burden of his message is not, "look to the Lord Jesus Christ," but look to me, and listen to me, as an anointed priest of the Holy Apostolic Church, and do so, if you would not peril the salvation of your soul. But, we maintain, that a minister in the church-yea even a priest of Rome, has no virtue in himself, either inherent or hereditary-he is not a successor of the Apostles, in the sense in which prelacy applies this term to her priesthood, because they were extraordinary servants, possessing gifts and authority, which no one has possessed since the close of the Apostolic age. He is not Christ's vicar, because he does not stand in the room of Christ upon earth, or in the room of any one. A faithful minister of Christ is simply his commissioned servant, entrusted with the exhibition of his Master's will to sinners, with the vindication of his Master's laws, and with the administration of his Master's ordinances. The Pharisees were not the only parties who had taken away the key of knowledge, or, who had taught for doctrines the commandments of men. Popery has long done both, and continues to do so. The voice of the Father was heard on the mount of transfiguration saying:— "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him ;" but the voice of Popery everywhere is heard saying, HEAR THE CHURCH." Even the Apostles looked upon themselves as only servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, but Popery has constituted her priests "lords over God's heritage," and their own will, combined with the terrors of a lengthened purgatory, is the only rule by which they govern the souls under their charge. It is the privilege of the church, as well as her duty, to "try the spirits whether they be of God," and to beware that the prerogatives which solely belong to the Redeemer as Head of the Church, be not attributed or recognized in any minister, however influential his position may be. 66 THE LATE ROBERT KETTLE, ESQ., GLASGOW.* THIS distinguished merchant was connected with Glasgow nearly forty years, and during his long and laborious citizenship steadily acquired character and influence until, almost unconscious to himself, he occupied a most exalted niche in public respect and esteem. He is dead, but lives. "His words are not dead words; they are living creatures, with hands and feet." In all that he was as a man and a merchant-as a public citizen and an active Christianhe is an interesting study and an exalted model to the rising young men of that city which it was his ambition to elevate and adorn. Mr. Kettle's career may be designated a day, because of the shortness and serenity of its dawn and decline, and on account of the manifold business and benevolent efforts by which it was replenished and rendered illustrious. Little is known of him until he appears in school, a diligent and successful * Temperance Memorials of the late Robert Kettle, Esq. By the Rev. William Reid, Edinburgh. Funeral Discourse, by the Rev. James Paterson, D.D., Glasgow. scholar; and there seems but the distance between his desk and his dwelling until his death is announced. The features of character by which he was distinguished upon 'Change and in the church, with their collateral and divergent spheres of activity and usefulness, were those which, in embryo, arrested the discerning and partial eye of his teacher, who was wont to stimulate diligence and perseverance by pointing his pupils to Robert Kettle. If piety glowed with a peculiar lustre amid his maturest years, at the age of twelve, when youth has hardly begun to lay aside its folly, he became the author of a work on prayer. To use the quaint description of an admiring friend, "He was, when a boy, just what he was afterwards when a man." That the character of the future man is more dependent upon domestic than scholastic influence, and that a greater responsibility attaches to the one than our distinguished subject. His biothe other, were strikingly illustrated in grapher gives the following description of his parents:-"His mother was a |