future life, but would ensure the well being of the present, according to the innate dignity and worth of man its subject. Its plea is legitimate, though it has no real power to grant it. God does design that men that shall live together in this world as they ought to. The benevolence of antichristian progressivism it dwarfed into a pigmy size beside that of the gospel projecting and preparing the millennial age. It would be diverting were it not so spiritually sad, to listen to the self-gratulations of our social illuminati over the triumphs of their philosophy in lifting the masses into a true manly freedom, which triumphs are always, like some others of the day, just agoing to come off. Poor Buckle thought that he was the general who should infallibly lead the conquering cohorts to the centre of the other camp, and take it with a Waterloo defeat. But his task got no nearer a completion than his predecessors in the same illstarred campaign. There is only One who has said, in the fulness of promise and provision for the grand accomplishment — "It is finished!" But although the scepticism of mankind from the beginning has been a demolition rather than a reconstruction, it is not to be denied that it has held much truth in a firm and earnest grasp.

Our gleanings from this wide and varied field are instructive. They might be greatly extended; but we have indicated enough for present purposes. Truth recognizes all echoes, even the faintest, of its own ancient intonings. It waits and works to catch a distinct response. It will not work and wait in vain. The renewing Spirit is converting men from their ancient errors and follies. Mark the prophecy and the symbol of this assured consummation.

Walking by early light on yonder terrace,

I saw the sun yet crimson smite the mist
Surging up from the valley; fold on fold
Rose the thick vapor threatening to obscure
The golden dawn; yet, see the laughing day!
So shall Truth mount, and pour its blazing shafts
Thro' Error's mist, changing each murky cloud
To a white wreath of glory."

ARTICLE VI.

THE ENGLISH DISSENTERS.

WE may say generally and summarily of the English dissenters, that they aim to demonstrate two main points, namely, Christian institutions sustained by the voluntary contributions of the churches, and the means of education provided by the people themselves. These are noble aims, though their realization were admitted to be impracticable. It is evident that if they devote themselves with any good degree of earnestness and energy to the demonstration of these great points, their moral position in the community is one which ought to command unbounded respect. And their position is a noble one, their enemies themselves being judges. Comparatively, and in the aggregate they are poor, as it is in the nature of things for a proud and wealthy ecclesiastical establishment to draw wealth and pride to itself. It is true, accordingly, almost as a general rule, that just as fast as the dissenters become rich and proud they forsake the chapel and go to church. Thus an aged and very successful dissenting minister in the south of England told us that, in a single generation, he had seen every chapel in the vicinity, his own included, stripped of nearly all its leading families. They had grown rich and respectable, and the younger branches had gone to church.

This drain upon their resources has been incessant, with small compensation in the shape of seceders from the Church of England to their communion; they have suffered exclusion from the great universities of Cambridge and Oxford; yet they have given to their own ministry a free education in colleges sustained, for the most part, by annual subscriptions and contributions. In addition to their ministers' salaries, which are larger on the average than in our country, they maintain, very extensively, admirable day schools for the children of the poor. They have also comprehensive missionary operations of their own at home and abroad, and are generous supporters, in coöperation with churchmen, of the Bible and Tract Societies;

besides which every church has a variety of local charities, the absolute, imperative demand for such things in England being great beyond all that we can understand.

You would naturally expect, from the peculiar position of the dissenters, as well as from their past history, that some diversity should be found among them, in regard both to principles and measures. The Congregational Union of England and Wales embraces those ministers and churches among the Independents who believe that many valuable ends may be gained by associated action which cannot be gained in any other way, and that without infringing at all any single principle of Independency. This they have very abundantly demonstrated; yet, strange to say, nearly one half their ministers - certainly not in every instance the most intelligent-stand wholly aloof from this organization, being firmly persuaded that such a Union is the first step toward a spiritual despotism, and that it is hardly consistent with the scriptural liberty of the churches, even if it should never proceed any farther.

Again as regards the peculiar position of the dissenters among the religious parties of the day, and their duty in relation to their own principles, many believe that the one thing especially demanded of them is, to exhibit a high order of Christian character and a large measure of spiritual prosperity, in their own communion, that such an argument will tell with most power upon the community, and thus subserve most effectually the prevalence of their own distinctive views. Others believe that they are called in the providence of God to act on the aggressive. These, in alliance with good men like minded among the Baptists, and a portion of the Unitarians, organized about a quarter of a century since the "Anti-State Church Association," the avowed object being to promote the separation of the Church of England from the State. Their organ, the Nonconformist, is under the direction of Edward Miall, Esq., a man of consummate ability as a writer and debater, who resigned the pastorate of an Independent church and the work of the ministry altogether in order to assume the editorial chair. The name of the association has been changed, and it is now called "The Society for the Liberation of Religion from State control."

It would not be correct to pronounce this society and the

Congregational Union antagonistic organizations; as some leading men, with not a few of inferior mark, are found in both. To the Congregational Union, however, belongs by far the greater strength of distinguished names, while, to a very considerable extent, the men who are found in the one are not found in the other.

There is also a party, small in numbers, but highly intelligent, of which Manchester is the headquarters, which avows its belief in the safety and urgent necessity of some kind of action on the part of the Government in relation to general education. This party makes its appeal, of course, to the common school system of New England and its successful working. How this argument is sometimes met, and how intelligently educated and philosophic Englishmen occasionally discourse about matters and things in the United States, we remember to have seen illustrated in a grand educational Conference held in Crosby Hall, London, in the spring of 1848. Edward Miall, Esq., in a really masterly speech, met the appeal to the public school system in our country by the startling assertion that in this system was found one of the strong pillars of American slavery! The proof was extremely simple, direct and clear; to wit: the government of the United States supports the schools, the government is in favor of slavery; therefore, as a thing of course, the government schools diligently instil into the minds of the children its own pro-slavery sentiments!

There has been no day since the era of John Robinson when English nonconformity has lacked distinguished names to grace the page of its history. Some whom it was our privilege to know have been gathered to the fathers, and their names will be remembered with the names of Howe and Owen and Caryl and Isaac Watts. Dr. Pye Smith, whose work on the Messiah is sufficient to guarantee his immortality as a scholar and a theologian, held an honorable place among the first English geologists, the Lyells and Powells and Bucklands. His childlike simplicity of manners was a beautiful foil to his intellectual greatness, while the peculiar affability of his disposition charmed all who enjoyed the pleasure of his intercourse, and the sweetness of his temper and the Christian courtesy of his bearing never failed him, even in the most exciting controversies and under the most ill-natured provocations.

It is most pleasant to remember the venerable Dr. Henderson, now passed away, most amiable and dignified of Christian gentlemen, adorned with the richest spoils of varied learning, and admitted by the Church of England even to stand in the very first rank of Oriental scholars. It was the learned churchman, Dr. Bloomfield, who said that his work on Inspiration reminded the reader of the days when there were giants.

A pupil of Dr. Henderson at Highbury College, London, where he was educated for the ministry among the Independents, was Dr. William Smith, now so widely and well known as a classical and biblical editor. His four great dictionaries, of the Bible, Roman Biography, Antiquities, and Geography, embody an amount of labor which it is permitted to few men to accomplish in a life time. Yet he has accomplished all this, giving to scholars a standard work in each of these departments, in addition to important duties as Professor in the New College, St. John's Wood, London. That the republic of letters may yet expect other and valuable contributions from the labors of Dr. William Smith we feel assured, if his life is prolonged, since he cannot be much above fifty years of age.

Seldom has there been deeper mourning through an entire Christian denomination, or with better reason, than when the same college in which Dr. Smith occupies a chair was deprived of its President by the death of the Rev. Dr. John Harris. A poor Sunday-school boy among the dissenters in Bristol, deriving nearly all his literary and theological advantages from a four years' training at Hoxton Academy, he was first settled as the pastor of a small Independent church in the quiet village of Epsom. It was impossible that he should long remain unknown. The publication of his prize essay on "Mammon," of which more than 30,000 volumes were sold, first brought him into notice as an able and eloquent Christian writer. Other volumes followed, as "The Great Teacher" had preceded the prize essay, and he rose rapidly into popular favor and influence, as an able writer, an eloquent preacher, and withal as a man of sound scriptural theology and eminently exalted and beautiful Christian character. His later works were "The Pre-Adamite Earth," " Man Primæval," and "Patriarchy." These were only instalments of what he was intending to do, and