cal discourse. Why should those who pretend to treat theoretically of the nature of the mind, be content with less clearness, definiteness and uniformity in language, than are found in the physical sciences? Those who write on these sciences have to contend, as really as we, with an indefinite, loose way of thinking and speaking among the common people. But this does not hinder them either from carefully classifying the facts which occur in the natural world, or from applying words in a well defined and uniform manner to the different classes which are thus formed. When a new set of facts is discovered, of a different nature or different relations from those before known; they agree upon some particular term by which it shall be expressed. Nor is it ever made a matter of complaint, if they take a word from common discourse, and employ it in a new and peculiar sense, provided they do it judiciously and aptly. And after they have given proper notice of the sense which they affix to particular words; that sense is always put upon those words by others. This is notoriously the case in the different branches of Natural Philosophy. Why should it not be so in mental science? There is surely no science in which it is more important to avoid all looseness and indeterminateness in our language, and to speak with the greatest clearness and definiteness, and the greatest uniformity in the sense of our words.

It is also evidently necessary, that we should carry the classification of the intellectual operations and powers farther than has commonly been done, and more definitely mark the different classes by appropriate words. The mind perceives things in the natural world, and is conscious of its own actions; has ideas of the relations of things, such as cause and effect, etc.; and of general abstract truths, such as the principles of mathematical, metaphysical, and moral science. Now it seems desirable that we should have a single word for the former class of these mental acts, and another for the latter; and that we should have distinct words for the different mental faculties developed in these different classes of mental acts. The word understanding might be used to denote the faculty to which the former class are referable, and reason, the faculty to which the latter are referable. Indeed this, or something like this, is already, to some extent, the prevailing sense of these words. It would manifestly do much towards clearing mental sci

ence of the doubts and difficulties which have generally cleaved to it, if the operations of the mind to be classed under the word understanding, and those to be classed under reason, should be exactly defined and settled; so that we could distinguish as well between what is meant by acts of understanding and acts of reason, as we now do between what is meant by seeing and what by hearing.

It is unnecessary in this place to extend these remarks to the other operations of the mind. My object is to expose the unsoundness of the opinion sometimes advanced, that there are and must be just so many faculties of the mind, and no more; and to show that if we would cultivate in ourselves and others a just and accurate habit of thinking and speaking, we must carefully notice the smaller as well as larger differences among the operations of the mind, and must make new and more particular classifications, and employ new and appropriate terms to express them, as occasion requires; and that we must proceed in this way, till all the important relations among our mental acts, whether more minute and recondite, or more obvious, are distinctly and clearly marked. All this, which is desirable and necessary in regard to the operations of the mind generally, is specially so in regard to those which are of a moral nature, and stand in direct relation to God and his law. Here the want of a just and careful discrimination will expose us to dangerous mistakes respecting our character, and our eternal welfare. It is with an ultimate reference to the affections which we exercise as moral and accountable beings, and to the general interests involved in them, that I have entered on the consideration of the present subject.

ART. VI. THE ECONOMY OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONS AS DEVELOPED IN THE APOSTOLIC AGE.

By Rev. HORATIO BARDWELL, formerly Missionary to India. THAT the religion of the gospel will eventually triumph over all false religions, and that its promulgation is to be effected by the labours and prayers of the church, are positions which no intelligent Christian will deny. Indeed in every age of the Christian dispensation the church has, in some sort, acknowledged it her duty to labour for this great

object; and though her efforts have been comparatively few and feeble, yet something has been done, as the record of every past century will testify.

The

Within the last fifty years a new impulse has been given. to this work of Christian benevolence; and through the blessing of God, success has attended the exertions of the church, which has frustrated the predictions of her enemies, and greatly strengthened the hopes of her friends. missionary enterprise is taking deeper and deeper hold of the affections of the Christian community, and is becoming intimately associated with their fondest hopes and most joyful expectations of the reign of truth on earth. But while this is the fact, and while we are bound most devoutly to render thanks to God, for the degree of success with which he crowns our exertions; it cannot be denied that this success is far less than that which attended the labours of the church in the apostolic age. Unarmed and unprotected, except by divine power; possessing neither learning nor worldly influence; with all the opposition of infidelity, paganism and sin combined against her; she went onward with the most rapid and astonishing progress. In that age, the word of God grew mightily and prevailed, not only over the magical arts and sorceries of Ephesus; but every where, in all parts of the Roman empire, the labours of the church were crowned with immediate and most remarkable suc

cess.

It may not be unprofitable to contemplate more minutely this interesting fact;-and then enquire into the reasons of this early progress of the gospel.

The Acts of the Apostles, which must be our chief guide in ascertaing the progress of the gospel in the apostolic age, does not profess to give a full and connected view of the early triumphs of Christianity. We learn its rapid and extensive progress, rather by incidental occurrences and remarks, than any minute detail.

A few days after the ascension of our Lord, we find an assembly of about one hundred and twenty disciples. This number, so far as appears, embraced all in Jerusalem, who were then willing to be called by that name. At this time, they had but very imperfect views of the nature of Christ's kingdom, and of the means to be employed for its promotion; they seem, too, to have been timid and dispirited.

The day of Pentecost found the apostles with their fel

low disciples, assembled together for prayer. Then and there was eminently displayed the divine efficacy of the gospel; not so much in the miraculous gift of tongues that rested upon the apostles, as in the transforming energies of the Holy Ghost, which operated upon the great company then assembled. Three thousand were added to the Lord on that memorable day. In the fourth chapter of the Acts, it is stated, that the number of men professing their belief in Christ, was about five thousand; and in the next chapter, that "believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women."

Such was the progress of the gospel in Jerusalem, in the period of about one year! The disciples multiplied greatly, and a great company of priests were obedient to the faith. This wonderful advance of the Christian cause excited the fear and rage of its enemies. A persecution was raised against the church, and her members were driven from Jerusalem by the hand of violence, and dispersed throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria: but wherever the disciples were driven, they carried with them the gospel; they "went every where, preaching the word."

Before the end of thirty years, the gospel had spread through Judea, Galilee, Samaria, and numerous districts of Asia Minor; it had extended through Greece, and the islands of the Ægean Sea; it had reached the coast of Africa, and passed on even to the capital of Italy. Multitudes believed at Antioch in Syria, at Joppa, Ephesus, Corinth, Thessalonica, Berea, Iconium, Derbe, Antioch in Pisidia, and Lystra. There were numerous converts in Tyre, Cesarea, Troas, Athens, Philippi and Damascus.

We have no specific account of the number of converts in these places; but from various facts and incidental allusions found in the Acts and the Epistles, we must infer, that it was great. No section or district of the Roman empire, but felt the influence of the gospel. The advocates of idolatry began to fear that Christianity would overthrow the established polytheism of the empire, and resorted to the most sanguinary persecution to stop its progress. In Pontus and Bithynia, two large districts in the northern part of Asia Minor, we are informed on the authority of Pliny, that the temples of idolatry were almost forsaken, through the influence of Christianity. This was the avowed reason of the severe persecutions enjoined by the Roman Emperour.

A few years after the apostles, Justin Martyr testifies to the extent of Christianity in these words: "There is not a nation, either Greek or Barbarian, or of any other name, among whom prayers and thanksgivings are not offered up to the Father and Creator of the universe, by the name of the crucified Jesus." To the same effect is the testimony of Tertullian. He represents the Christian doctrine as filling the cities, the islands, the towns, the boroughs, the camp, the senate and the forum. There is indeed abundant evidence that long before the days of Constantine, Christianity ⚫had more extensive and permanent influence over the empire than any other religion; so that a regard to popular opinion, as well as the dictates of his own conscience, would have led that Emperour to substitute the cross for the Roman eagle.

Efforts have been made for the conversion both of Jews and Gentiles in almost every age of the Christian church. Nor have these efforts proved in vain. But within the last half century the exertions of the church have been directed more especially to this work. The success attendant on this exertion has not, however, equalled that which crowned the labours of the early Christians. Of Jews, probably a greater number were converted in one year after the crucifixion of our Lord, than have been converted since; and though this cannot be said of the heathen, yet it is confessedly a fact, that missionary labours among them in the first age, were incomparably more successful, than in the most favoured period since.

If similar success should attend the exertions of the church at the present day, with her multiplied means and facilities for disseminating the gospel, how soon might it be preached to every creature? If the little band in Jerusalem, in less than thirty years, were able to erect and sustain the standard of the cross, in almost every city and village of the Roman empire, what might not be accomplished by the church at the present day?

It may be said here, that the apostles and their fellow labourers had peculiar advantages, which God in his mere sovereignty has denied us. This objection will be obviated, by considering more fully the reasons of the mighty progress of the gospel in the apostolic age.

In investigating a subject of this sort, great reverence and caution are necessary; for it is acknowledged that all