The Free Church of England. We believe in one holy, Catholic Church. There is one body, and there is one Spirit. The one Spirit animates the one body; and the one body includes the whole of the redeemed followers of Christ. Now, just as in the human body no one member can say to another, "I have no need of thee;" so is it in the Christian Church. No individual Church, or section of the universal Church, is so complete and perfect in itself as to be independent of any other. The one is related to the other, and both are mutually dependent. The Free Church has her constitution and her mission; yet she is only one corps out of many, and with the many she desires to unite, and move, and act. MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. The work to which the Rev. T. E. Thoresby has so generously offered to devote one Sunday in each month, with such other portions of his time as he can spare, has not yet been begun; but measures are being concerted for its vigorous prosecution, and there is no doubt of its success. On the points involved in the organization and efficient working of new congregations, it was agreed that little or nothing can be attempted on the part of the Council, unless those who are locally and immediately interested in such movements offer a sufficient guarantee to meet all pecuniary outlay. Several applications having been preferred for admission into the ministry of the Church, it was resolved-"That all candidates for the ministry be recommended by a district or diocesan meeting, and that the recommendations, in writing, with all required credentials, be laid before the Theological Professor, who will subsequently confer with the individual applicant, and thereupon report to the Council." On the incorporation of other Free Churches, who do not use the Liturgy in their Service, it was resolved-"That such an incorporation would be contrary to the very constitution, genius, and design of the Free Church of England." The Catechism and the Confirmation Service are both under revision, and it is not unlikely that in their revised form they will be laid before Convocation at its next annual meeting in June. It is too early in the month (10th January) to know or report the effect of the reduced price of the Magazine on its circulation and sale; but, as an earnest, enlightened correspondent 'says-"We do not see why the circulation should not be 10,000 per month," and is persuaded that, within the sphere of his own ministerial labours, ten times the number (1,000 copies) might be sold, if the matter were only fully and fairly brought before the people. It is to be hoped, therefore, that not only he, but all the ministers within the bounds of the Free Church, will at once put this to a decisive test. OPENING OF THE NEW MALDEN INSTITUTE. On Thursday evening, the 4th ult., a Tea Meeting was held at the New School connected with Trinity Free Church of England, to inaugurate the opening of the building for the various social and educational purposes for which it is designed. The room which measures 50ft. by 25ft., was hung with banners and most tastefully decorated with festoons of flowers and evergreens. The tea-tables, ranged in three rows, extending from one end of the room to the other, were presided over by ladies, who at their own expense had provided all the requisites for the occasion. Before the meeting every ticket was sold, and the room was so filled that another table had to be extemporised. Such a meeting has never been seen in New Malden before, and it may fairly be regarded as an expression of the sympathy of the inhabitants with the work to which this social gathering was to form an introduction. After tea, Mr. MERRYWEATHER rose and said, that he wished to express in a few words the origin and purposes of this building. They all knew how anxious he had been that there should be in New Malden a place suitable for public meetings and social gatherings; they also knew that such a building was subscribed for, but that building had been diverted, to a great extent, from the purposes for which it was intended. Hence the necessity for the room in which they were now assembled. It was not erected by the committee to carry out any pet ideas, but it was their wish that it should be made broadly and generally useful. In the Free Church of England Magazine, a magazine which he strongly recommended all to read, the committee were said to be men of energy and purpose. Well, they perhaps had given some evidence of energy, for within three months the new Church and this handsome School-room had been erected. At present the building was without a name, and he thought this a very good opportunity to christen it. He should like to have called it "the Schools;" but they mu be careful, for the Charity Commissione had great power over schools. He begge to propose that the building should be called "The New Malden Institute," [which was carried unanimously] and he hoped they would all bear in mind that they had now something to do with the prosperity of this place. He might just mention some of the many purposes for which this Institute would be available. He had permission of the trustees to hold a Sunday-school there, and they made a beginning last Sunday, when they had an attendance of 38 children. He hoped by. and-bye to see a large school there, but he did not wish any child to be induced to leave any other school to come there. There were many children who did not attend any school, and these were the children he was anxious to gather together within that building. They were about to commence a Library, and it gave him great pleasure to tell them that a kind and generous neighbour had given them a cheque for 251. towards this object, and he had also a promise of some books. With such good examples before him he hoped they would all look over their book-shelves and see if they could not spare a few volumes. The company were then entertained with some excellent music and some admirable readings. Towards the close the Rev. S. J. DICKSEE addressed the meeting. Such a gathering was indeed encouraging. He felt a deep sympathy in their work; he had heard that they had gone through some troubles, and he agreed with their friend, Mr. Merryweather, that the sooner these troubles were forgotten the better. But, after all, they did good, as they had seen; they drew towards them the sympathy of friends, they brought out their own energies and aroused them to be up and doing. He had passed through all these things himself. He warned them not to be discouraged, even if a slight reaction should take place, but rather to regard it as a motive for renewed effort; some hearts soon cooled and were all the better for a second warming. A work such as theirs could not fail if they made it a subject of prayer. Let them all do their work fearlessly and in a Christian spirit. One of the great principles of the Free Church of England was to unite with all God's people, whether they were Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, or members of any other body of men looking upon Christ as their Saviour, and serving Him as their common Master. They were not only free to so unite, but free to interchange pulpits with them, and he trusted that this principle would cement with a bond of sympathy all those present. He concluded an eloquent and stirring address by urging upon them the importance of Sunday-school work. They had heard from Mr. Merryweather that 38 children attended the school last Sunday. He thought that a very good beginning. He began his school with less than half the number. It was not the largest school that was necessarily the best school. He was glad to see so many gentlemen present. He hoped the young men would come forward as teachers. Those of maturer age he hoped, too, would give their help in the work of the Church-not heir money alone, but their personal help and thought. This most pleasant and successful meeting was brought to a close about Ten o'clock. The proceeds are to be applied in aid of the Building Fund. Before delivering his discourse on the opening of Trinity Church, New Malden, the Rev. Newman Hall thus set forth, very happily, the character and position of the Free Church :— This was called a Free Church, and one reason why it was so called was because there were those who desired freedom of intercourse with their fellow ministers of the Gospel, and thought that all who preached Jesus were to be recognized as His faithful servants. There were a variety of forms by which the servants of Christ were recognized by the Church of Christ, but there were those who thought that real love to Him, where His Gospel was preached and where there had been a call of the Church, ought to be a sufficient ground for ministers of the various denominations recognizing one another as Christian brethren and fellow-labourers, and exchanging pulpits whenever practicable; thus manifesting the unity of their faith. Without censuring any other Church, this Church was free on that account. It was, however, important that all who ministered there should agree in the fundamental doctrines of the Christian Faith, and in a Free Church unity of faith was preferred before, uniformity of form and Church discipline. Here the Queen's chaplain from Scotland,, here clergy from America and all parts of the world, might preach, if they preached faithfully the Gospel of Christ, whatever outward differences might exist among them; and so it was called a Free Church. There was another reason. It was free in this respect, that the congregation of believers gathered together here will have a voice in the appointment of their own ministers. They were not exposed to the chances of an auctioneer's sale as to who will follow their present pastor, so that although he might be a minister of Christ, a truly gifted man, and about whom not a word could be said in disparagement, yet it might happen, in case of his removal next week to another parish, that an extreme Rationalist, of the school of Mr. Voysey or Dr. Colenso, might be appointed to succeed him. Therefore, so thinking, they liked to be free in the choice of a pastor. Then there were those persons who feel they would like to be free from the control of the government of the State. The State Government, or Parliament, is composed of persons not neces sarily Christians. They are not appointed officers of State or members of the Legislature, on the ground of their religious convictions and opinions, but on the ground of their political faith; and there were those who thought that the administration o the Church, which is a spiritual society for the proclamation of Christ's Gospel, should not be under the control of an institution which has not been appointed and selected for that purpose. Therefore they wished the Church to be under the direction of the Church, and the political government to be under political control. There were those who held that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as contained in the Articles— and he believed the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England did express more or less the meaning of the New Testament-should be free from persons who, on the one hand, desire and aim as much as possible to bring in Romanism under the garb of Protestantism, to bring in Popery under the protection of the Church of England; and from others who, on the other hand, put aside the Divine authority of the Scriptures and the miraculous element in our religion, and so interpret these Articles as to render them destitute of their Scriptural meaning. He supposed he was rightly interpreting the views of those who, not preferring the bald simplicity of Puritan worship, and loving the sublimely beautiful and Scriptural Liturgy of the Church of England, in which they have always been trained, wish to continue that beautiful form of worship, and yet wish to be free from some things associated with it. They wished to retain what is beautiful, and Scriptural, and true in them, without being under bondage, and so they called themselves free. THE CHURCH THE VICTIM OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL. So says the Church Times, and we must, of course, bow to such an authority. The High Church party begin to feel that their chain is fretting and chafing their spirit, and they would fain shake it off; but whatever may be their desire for emancipation from State control, they are not prepared to sacrifice State provision and property. Otherwise what mean these strained and tortuous words :— "There is now no idea that the Privy Council can commit the Church of England to anything. Even the quaint notion which has been evolved by certain Tory Churchmen out of the theorizings of the Liberation Society-namely, that the Church of England as an Establishment is a different thing from the Church of England as a Church, and that she owes obedience to the Privy Council at least in respect of her former character-was named only to be scouted. It is universally felt that the Church has been plundered, oppressed, and evil entreated, many a time and oft, by the State, but that she owes the State nothing. She is not even “the preferential religion ;” she is, on the contrary, the only religious body which has now any grievances to suffer at the hands of the civil government, and a feeling is rising that she ought not to submit much longer; but as for voluntarily surrendering her possessions as the price of her freedom, we have too much contempt for the power which holds her in thrall to think of making any such sacrifice. For, recollect, it is not the ancient endowments which we should have to give up, but the millions upon millions which we have expended during the last halfcentury upon the extension and adornment of our Sion. We will go forth; but we will go with our wives and our little ones, with our flocks and our herds-we will not leave a hoof behind. We sincerely trust that we shall hear no more of this nonsense about the rights of the State over the Establishment, seeing that the Church is neither the creature nor the property of the civil power, nor, in fact, anything but its victim." CORRESPONDENCE. In the origination and first action of any great movement, more than human wisdom is needed. One false step may not only hinder, but ruin the best undertaking. He that believeth shall not make haste. wait for issues and results, and so we may follow in His steps. God can We have opened a correspondence which cannot but involve the gravest consequences. The questions involved, if we are to come to a right issue, must be treated in the spirit of enlightened intelligence and Christian charity. Truth dwells in light, and light is the twin-sister of love. THE POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF THE FREE CHURCH. Dear Sir,-In the admirable and suggestive letter of Dr. Hunter Finlay, which appeared in your last number, there are several points which merit discussion. I. Your correspondent assumes that the name Free Church of England,” is a better designation than "Countess of Huntingdon's Free Church." I do not think that this is clear. The Established Church is only called the Church of England by courtesy; for the Church of England it is not. Why then should a new, and at present small body adopt a name which is a misnomer when applied to a large and ancient body? II. If bishops are necessary-and I know that some think the Episcopate a valuable element in this movement-let them be bishops indeed; let them be men of ability and tried character; and not only so, but let there be attached to the office an income of at least 2001. a-year. A bishop uninfluential and poor would be worse than useless. I would suggest, also, that they should be elected for a period of seven years. After that period of service, they might be re-elected or not, according to expediency. III. I fully agree with the Doctor in his assertion, that if the Free Church is to prosper, it must take up a more decidedly antagonistic position with regard to State-Churchism. It ought to be found in the van in the grand attack which is to be made upon law-established religion by the Liberation Society this year. The Doctor does not regard with any great favour the Evangelical clergy of the Church; neither do 1. If they had been true to their creed, the Church of England would long ago have been reformed. But they neglected their golden opportunity, and it has passed away for ever. They are now the least influential party in the Church. The Broad Churchmen have the learning, the High Churchmen have the zeal, and the Low Churchmen have —what they have always believed in-loaves and fishes. From such men we have little to desire, and less to expect. IV. The Doctor's remarks with regard to the so-called "Revised Book of Common Prayer are weighty. Half measures, attempts to please everybody, are proverbially unsuccessful. I think that considerable improvement might be made, not only by omitting objectionable phrases, but by remoulding the service somewhat in the style of the Rev. G. W. Conder's. It would also be an improvement to have a suitable selection of the Psalms for Sunday reading. Some of David's war songs, where he prays that his "foot may be dipped in the blood of his enemies, and that the tongue of his dogs may be red through the same," although grand and devout at the time when uttered, do not suit lips of peace. The Hymn Book, also, is not satisfactory. Many of the finest spiritual songs found in "Hymns, Ancient and Modern," and in the "Congregational Hymn Book," are absent. On the |