wretch's creed, or if she hesitated at a single word in repeating the Lord's Prayer, she was in league with the evil one. The results of these and such like tests were actually and universally admitted as evidence by the administrators of the law, who, acting upon them, condemned all such as had the amazing constancy to hold out against the tortures inflicted. Few gave the courts that trouble. Butler has described Hopkins in his Hudibras as one "Fully empowered to treat about And some for sitting above ground." After he had murdered hundreds, and pursued his trade for many years (from 1644 onwards), the tide of popular opinion finally turned against Hopkins, and he was subjected, by a party of indignant experimenters, to his own favourite test of swimming. It is said that he escaped with life, but from that time forth he was never heard of again. A belief in witchcraft, however, still continued virulent in England, and was argumentatively supported by grave and pious men. The grounds of credibility do not seem to have been earnestly investigated. Richard Baxter, who wrote in 1651, founds his opinion of the truth of witchcraft on the fact, that many persons had been tried and put to death for the crime. It did not occur to him to inquire whether the imputed crimes were well or ill founded. Such was the loose reasoning that prevailed in England and elsewhere in the seventeenth century. Witchcraft was a truth because everybody had acted upon the conviction of its being a truth! How has the progress of society, with the reign of peace and goodwill on earth, been retarded by this accommodating method of argument!" It was a painful fact that the belief in witches continued in this country long after these horrid proceedings terminated. Even yet in many parts superstitions equally foolish and wicked prevail. How distressing is it that some people will sooner believe any delusion of the devil, than the word of truth and the glorious gospel of the blessed God. Let us be thankful that we do not live in such times of darkness and cruelty; and let us do all we can to chase away every such work of the devil from every land. THE ARCH, OR GATE, OF "ECCE HOMO." FROM the name it bears this is supposed to be one of the arches or gateways of Jerusalem through which our blessed Lord was led to the place of his execution on Calvary, where with wicked hands they crucified him. "Ecce homo" are Latin words. In English they are "Behold the man," - the words which his wavering and unjust judge, Pilate, used when he brought forth the Son of God to the chief priests and officers, "wear ing the crown of thorus and the purple robe." What a scene was that! "They dragged Thee to the Roman's solemn hall, Thou stood'st a meek and patient criminal, In final ruin hurl'd, With all mankind to hear their everlasting fate. Thou wert alone in that fierce multitude, When Crucify him!' yell'd the general shout; The seraphim had heard, And adamantine arms from all the heavens broke out. They bound Thy temples with the twisted thorn, Was the unapproached light, The sandal of whose foot the rapid hurricane. They smote Thy cheek with many a ruthless palm, They gave t' enhance thy unslak'd burning thirst— Did pain and anguish cease, And the long buried dead their tombs of slumber burst. For us, for us, Thou did'st endure the pain, By saving us from sin. All glory would we give to Thy all-glorious NAME !" THE BAPTIST TABERNACLE, LONDON. WE have already given you a sketch of the early days of the young minister of this place of worship, up to the time when he was baptized at Isleham by Mr Cantlow, on May 3rd, 1850, when he was in his sixteenth year. After thus devoting himself to the Saviour, he felt bound to labour in his service; and we find him engaged in the distribution of tracts, and the instruction of the young in the sabbath school. Removing to Cambridge, he became a member of the baptist church in St. Andrew's Street. Here he was encouraged to deliver addresses to children, and soon after began to preach in the villages. Among other places, he visited Waterbeach; and when only eighteen was called to be the pastor of the baptist church in that village. The young preacher soon became popular in the neighbourhood, and in 1853 he was invited to supply the pulpit of the baptist chapel in New Park Street, in the Borough; and in January, 1854, became pastor of the church. His youthful appearance and ready utterance soon attracted such crowds of hearers, that though the chapel was enlarged, it would not contain half of those who desired to hear him. Exeter Hall, and afterwards the large Music Hall of the Surrey Gardens, were then occupied for public services. But much inconvenience arising which could not be removed, it was resolved to attempt the erection of a new and very spacious place of worship; and this has now been accomplished. 66 We gather from the public papers a report of the proceedings at the opening. The first religious service was a prayer meeting at seven o'clock on Monday morning, March 18th. During the following days of that week a splendid bazaar was opened in the school rooms, which realized £1200. On Monday, the 25th, two sermons were preached, when on both occasions the noble edifice was filled in every part. The sermon in the afternoon was preached by the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, from Acts v. 42. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ;" that in the evening was by the Rev. William Brock, from Philippians i. 18, "Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." Both discourses were in every respect worthy of the occasion and of the preachers, and were listened to by the immense audiences with rivetted attention. On Tuesday evening a meeting of contributors was held, Sir H. Havelock in the chair. Addresses were delivered by the Revs. F. Tucker, J. Bigwood, J. Russell, and C. Stovel. Before the close of the proceedings, Mr. Spurgeon announced the state of the funds. About three weeks since there had been £3,000 needed to complete the sum required, and, as was already well known, both himself and his people had resolved not to occupy the place on a sabbath until that amount had been raised. Since then, he had himself collected £1500, the contributions of the congregation during the evening had been £771, and other sums raised the total amount to £3,700. This announcement was received with loud cheers, and, at Mr. Spurgeon's request, the meeting rose, and with great fervour sang the doxology twice. He stated that a further sum of £500, would be necesary to complete the fittings of the schools and the erection of the outside boundary, and he believed it would be obtained in the course of the week. He then proposed votes of thanks should be given to Sir Henry Havelock (who was then obliged to leave), to Mr. Pococke, the architect, Mr. Higgs, the builder, and to the contributors to the building—all of which resolutions were carried with acclamation. This spacious edifice more than equals the expectations of all who have visited it; for convenience of arrangement, for cheerfulness of aspect, and above all for the conveyance of sound, it is superior to any building of equal dimensions. The ground floor, with the exception of that part immediately under the eastern gallery,' is level. The pews are open; they are of stained wood, and constructed on the most modern plan. At the western extremity, about midway between the floor and the first gallery, is a raised platform, surrounded by a massive mahogany handrail, with iron supports painted white and green. In the centre of this platform is the baptistry— a beautiful specimen of marble-work. It is intended always to be open. Above this platform, and level with the first gallery, is a similar platform, but smaller, and communicating with the lower one by a flight of stairs on each side. This upper platform serves for a pulpit. It will allow the preacher to pace about while he is delivering his sermons. At about equal distances two galleries of considerable depth stretch round the building. From the basement to the arches of the roof highly ornamented colums support the whole. The tabernacle is lighted with some 140 burners, placed round the basement of each gallery, 320 jets adorning the capitals of the columns above the gallery, and several subdued lights in the cupola. There are sittings for 4,200 persons, but it is believed that 6,000 may, without inconvenience, be accommodated. Another writer, in giving a description of the place, says :— 66 'The external length of the whole structure is 200 feet, with a frontage of 104 feet. The principal architectural feature from the exterior, is a noble portico as large as that of the church of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields; an easy flight of steps somewhat relieves · the building from the disadvantage of the dead level upon which it stands. The interior of the chapel proper is 146 feet in length, by 81 feet in breadth, and the height from the ground floor to the lantern in the roof is 91 feet. Its shape is oval and the symmetry and proportions of the whole present a most agreeable scene. Two tiers of galleries traverse the entire building; these are fronted with elegant iron scroll work. Each gallery has its own staircases in solid stone, supported by wrought-iron carriages of extraordinary strength. By an ingenious arrangement each stream of people entering or retiring from either of the galleries will be entirely removed from the other. Sixteen doors admit of such facility of egress that an audience of six thousand can with ease quit the building in five minutes. The number of the sittings provided is 4,200, with standing-room for an additional 2,000. The pews are numbered from 1 to 598. They are stained and varnished. Excellent hearing has been secured by match-boarding the walls; the light green colour of these, tones down the complexion of the whole, which would have been heavy but for the introduction of a lighter hue than that presented by the numerous tiers of seats. The pulpit is a platform, supported by white columns, picked out with gold, and rising from another platform of larger dimensions, |