ciple of conversion and spiritual regeneration, by an incorporation with one body, or by a mutual recognition of their different churches, and their cordial fellowship in Christian ordinances, still it is evident that the desire for further union is rising in some quarters, and many good men are becoming sanguine of the issue, though they differ greatly in their views of the means by which it will be effected. The very desire for union is at any rate laudable, and if it effect nothing more, it will repress animosities, and probably strengthen the confederations for doing good; at all events it will materially subserve the interest of private Christian friendship.

Without, therefore, adventuring any opinion of our own on the aspect of the times in reference to union among Protestants, we may at least record our admiration of the benevolent and truly Christian feeling which originated the project of exciting public attention upon the subject, and of producing laudable competition among a number of learned and gifted men, by proposing a prize of a hundred guineas for the best essay upon Schism. We cannot commend too warmly the catholic spirit which has planned and brought to bear an effort admirably directed towards so important and sacred an object. The name of Sir C. E. Smith will not only be embalmed in the hearts and affections all his contemporaries who love the cause of the Saviour more than they love that of their own party, but it will be emblazoned in the records of philanthropy along with those of the most devoted and illustrious friends of man whose supreme aim has been the glory and prevalence of the Messiah's kingdom upon earth. The noble-minded patron of the present essay enjoys not only the honour of endeavouring hereby to promote the union of all true Christians, but of aiding in various other ways the spread of the gospel both at home and abroad. His views are comprehensive and liberal, and altogether worthy of one whose aim is not the honour which man can bestow, but the recovery of mankind to virtue, happiness, and immortality. We trust he may live to see some at least of his holy and generous anticipations accomplished. Even if there yet remain, as we fear, obstacles at present insurmountable, to the cordial reconcilement of the different branches of the Protestant communion to each other, so that they might present a more impregnable front to the papacy, and act with a more directly aggressive form upon its wide domain; yet we believe he is likely to witness more abundant and vigorous efforts for the evangelization of those vast masses of mankind at home and abroad, who have never yet been subjected to the meliorating influence of the gospel, and whom it were infinitely preferable to bring under the instruction and discipline of any of the orthodox sects, rather than leave them as they now are, a prey to vice and infidelity.

It seems probable that the church-we mean the spiritual com

munity-in all its sections, is on the eve of a decided advance, in nearly all directions, on the kingdom and power of darkness. Every division of it seems to hear the voice of its divine Captain -onward!' The movement has begun; the preparation is visible; hope is upon every banner; the aggressive force has commenced its operations, and in a calm and resolute spirit that will not shrink from difficulties, but be roused by them to more strenuous efforts. Even if the different denominations should not at present move nearer together, nor all move in one direct line against the enemy, yet they cannot fail to do execution-and though that may not be so extensive as we could wish, we must accept it as all that is attainable under our present regimental and sectional diversities, though not without hope that the day will dawn when the whole body shall revert to the standing orders of the Great Captain, and agree to consider them sufficient without those human and petty-official additions which have proved the prolific sources of our weakness and division. While, therefore, the auspicious day is yet in abeyance, when our views upon the details of order and discipline are to be set right, or brought at least nearer together, it befits us all to direct our utmost energies not to the questionable service of recruiting from one another's regiments, but of proselyting from the world that lieth in the wicked one, and of helping each other, that all may help forward the triumph of the divine Prince of Peace.

We fear our readers may by this time begin to be impatient at being detained so long from the Prize Essay, which has been adjudged by the Hon. and Rev. Baptist W. Noel and the Rev. J. Sherman, the best, all things considered, of the fifty-one which were submitted to their decision. Before we proceed to give our readers some account of it, we may just intimate that it is the production of the Rev. Professor Hoppus, of University College, London. It consists of nearly 600 pages, and is both learnedly and elaborately written. The author's plan is naturally derived from the proposed subject, 1. Unity; 2. Schism. The first part of the essay consists of eight chapters, and occupies about one third of the whole volume. The subjects of these chapters are, 1. Unity of the unfallen creation. 2. The apostasy from universal love. 3. The reuniting tendency of the dispensation of mercy. 4. The founding of Christianity as a system of benevolence. 5. Christianity in the apostolic age. 6. Who is a Christian? 7. What is the church? 8. Unity of the church.

The last chapter of this first part of the essay, which treats of the Unity of the Church, is very long, critical, and historical. It comprises a survey of all the different opinions and theories maintained by theologians of various ages and opposite schools. The erroneous and unscriptural are ably exposed and refuted. The primitive unity of faith and love without regard to forms and

ceremonies is excellently developed and defended by the testimonies of the most learned ecclesiastical historians. The author's extensive researches into this subject have qualified him to bring together and concentrate to a focus, a mass of highly valuable information upon the peculiar constitution of the primitive church. If this part of his work should be thought to bear rather hard against diocesan episcopacy, the blame ought not to fall upon the author, for the blows which smite the favorite system come not from his hands, but from those learned historians, commentators, and critics of all ages and nations, not excepting our own, and including many of our bishops, who have confessed almost without an exception, that diocesan episcopacy must look for no succour from the New Testament and the apostolic age. So far as our author is concerned he merely calls up and examines the witnesses. Wherever he can he mitigates the severity of the blow before it falls, or soothes the pain of the sufferer afterwards by some alleviations. The whole chapter is, however, well constructed for the purpose of conviction, and is made to bear upon the general question of schism in a manner that cannot fail to be felt by all who will candidly read and consider what is written. Before we quit the subject of church-unity, we must be allowed to introduce a citation, which fully develops the views of the author on this important and interesting point.

The key to real unity must be sought in the reply which the New Testament gives to the question already proposed: who is a Christian?' and what is the church? From this source we learn that a Christian is a spiritual man; and that the church of Christ is a spiritual institution. Hence the unity of the church is a spiritual unity. A Christian is such, from the state of his mind and heart. A Christian church is a society composed of persons whose minds and hearts are spiritual. The true unity of the church, therefore, is not formal, geographical, political, or dependent on any human laws; it is a unity which has its seat in the minds and hearts of men. Its centre is CHRIST, the head of the church. Its producing agent is the SPIRIT of God. It reigns through the medium of the TRUTH, received by faith. Its conservative principle is devotion. Its bond is the common sympathy of regenerate nature-the attraction of minds kindred in moral tastes, purposes, and interests. Its spontaneous and proper manifestation is LOVE.

'Nothing can exceed the force of the terms in which the New Testament pourtrays the intimacy of the relation which subsists between Christ and his church, and mutually between all the members. The church is the bride, the Lamb's wife.' He is the vine;' his disciples the branches ;' and they must abide' in him, in order to bring forth fruit. The church is the body of Christ.' He is the head over all things to the church.' From whom the whole body fitly

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joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love.' For as the body is ONE, and hath many members; and all the members of that one body, being MANY, are ONE BODY; so also is Christ. For by one spirit we are ALL baptized into ONE BODY; whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been ALL made to DRINK INTO ONE SPIRIT. For the BODY is not ONE member, but MANY.' For we are MEMBERS OF HIS BOBY, OF HIS FLESH, AND OF HIS BONES."

This spiritual unity is the basis of numerous other scripture statements, and of many practical exhortations. Among them are the following: One is your master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.' Put on charity which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in ONE BODY.' Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.' 'Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man: that, speaking the truth in love, we may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.' 'Be like-minded, having the same love; being of one accord, of one mind.' He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.' The world knoweth us not because it knew him not.' If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.' 'Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth.' The truth dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.' They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.'

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That, in the first churches, the truth was one and the same to all believers, we learn from the harmony of doctrine which subsists throughout the various books of the New Testament, and the identity of the Christian character which they delineate. Every where, in the whole empire of Christianity, the same objects, like the great lights in the firmament, commanded the attention of mankind. Those stupendous events which had moved all heaven with awe and admiration, and had filled the minds of its inhabitants with a desire to look into them, were the theme of devout wonder, and earnest conversation, among all who had escaped the thraldom of Jewish blindness and Gentile idolatry; and had become members of the new creation. The apostles directed the minds of all to the sublime fact of the coming of the Son of God in the flesh-the perfection of his human characterhis sufferings and death-the reconciliation which he had effected between God and the apostate world-his resurrection and ascensionhis session in glory, at the Father's right hand-the gift of the Holy Ghost, bestowed through his intercession-his universal and everlasting dominion-his second advent to judge the world.

one.

In the practical reception of these great truths the churches were The belief of these doctrines identified itself, as St. Paul describes, with obedience to that form of doctrine,' into which believers 'were delivered,' as into a mould, to be cast and formed. The baptism of the Spirit anticipated the slow, and often inoperative de

ductions of reason, and gave to babes in worldly wisdom an insight into the mysteries of the kingdom,' which no human learning could bestow. Both love and holiness flowed from obeying the truth.' The genius of Christianity forbade that diversities of rite and custom should interrupt the course of charity, of which the truth proved a perpetual source. But apart from the doctrine of Christ,' love lost its vital warmth, and the sacred stream was frozen at its rise. Truth and love were inseparable. Truth was the animating principle of love; but error proved to love as the touch of a torpedo. On external points, there might be variety: but if an angel from heaven' had preached ' any other gospel,' he would have been accursed.''—pp. 184–190.

The second part of the work commences very properly with the consideration of the nature of schism, which affords an opportunity for showing how apt all parties have been to institute the charge against each other; how it has been bandied from side to side, without regard to its scriptural import, till the word has lost its significancy, and retains no longer any power to impress and alarm the conscience. The solemn imbecility with which the charge of schism is brought forward by every parish priest, whose jealousy is stirred when he finds some going to meeting who never went to church, surprises no one: the pompous dignity with which it is periodically decried by bishops and archdeacons, as little less than the sin against the Holy Ghost, makes even the vergers smile to think of the apostolic charity of their masters: but further, when it is remembered that all this is done either without distinctly informing the people what the sin of schism is, or else under the shameful misrepresentation of attaching it to al those who merely dissent from human inventions and prescriptions in the church, but who reverence Christ's doctrine and love all his people these are the things that have brought the very word almost to a nullity, and made the application of it to that which it was never intended by inspired men to express, a mere scarecrow and laughing-stock.

The author having exhibited the preposterous misuse of the term, proceeds to examine its applications by the inspired writers to the schisms among the Jews respecting Christ, and the schisms in the Corinthian church. He then traces the use of the term by the ecclesiastical writers in subsequent ages, and down to modern times. Here, of course, he finds much extravagance to reprove, and abundance of haughty assumptions to expose. The artful and fallacious attempts of Churchmen to identify all their dogmas with the revealed authority of Jesus Christ, and the dishonest artifice by which this mode of reasoning is brought to support the charge of schism against all dissidents are deservedly reprehended.

The following passage is especially worthy of notice for its