tivation, necessarily place them in a lower grade with regard to influence; so that, though the Baptists have nine thousand and eighteen churches, and the Presbyterians only five thousand six hundred and seventy-two, yet the latter are the more powerful body.

The Episcopal Church, which the English would expect to be first and greatest, has only one thousand five hundred and sixty churches, and twenty eight bishops. It loses much in a country constituted like the United States, by its habit of standing aloof from other denominations, and fails in the more expanded exercise of Christian love which would be called into play, if it were substituted for the cold formal exclusiveness in which the majority of the congregations encase themselves.

One is at a loss to explain the sectarian trammels in which Episcopacy seems in all countries entangled. Not the High Church party alone the Tractarians or Puseyites, as we should call them-their notions of apostolic succession, and baptismal regeneration, account for their exclusiveness; but the Low Church party-holy, zealous, and faithful though they be-seem not to assimilate cordially with other denominations. In England we impute this chill reserve to their ideas of the dignity becoming an established church, and to an idea that all dissent from it is schism from Christ; but in America it must arise from some other cause. It is not apostolical succession, neither is it baptismal regeneration, for the Low

Church party do not hold such dogmas. Is it, then, the damping effect of forms of prayer? One feels much disposed to come to that conclusion for want of another, and then to reason upon it as an effect to be expected. What spirit can escape weariness under repetitions that must become monotonous. Or, when prayers are requested for a sick member, how can a heart surcharged with emotion fail to feel that a slender parenthesis to aid the importunity of an anxious spirit, which is limited to the "all sick persons, especially that one for whom our prayers are desired." And one cannot understand how such another poor "specially" can serve for the outpouring of a request for "those who travel by land or water," without damping or deadening the sentiment—if it be the missionary, or the emigrant, or the one beloved member travelling away from a weeping family, who is prayed for.

The Liturgy has been altered and much improved in America, without exhibiting any of those alarming results which seem to be anticipated in England when a proposal to modify or in any way to interfere with it is made. It might be a fabric of straw or cards, so great is the alarm felt on that subject. Is not the alarm a superstition? And if the substantial Scripture truths of the Liturgy have suffered no injury by abridgment and verbal alteration in America, why should they suffer elsewhere, if managed with equal judgment; for example, the Lord's Prayer is recited once during morning and once during even

ing service, instead of four or five times, as it is on communion occasions in England; and the "Gloria Patri" is repeated but once, that is, after the last psalm for the day, instead of as many times as there are psalms read. The verbal alterations are numerous and judicious, as well as the correction of all the ungrammatical phrases which we, from long custom, scarcely perceive to be there.

Upon the whole, though the service has been much improved, the disadvantage of being confined to one set form of words still remains. Petitions can never be adapted to the subject pressed on the soul in the sermon. May it not, therefore, check the effect of a preached gospel, and place the mind in the attitude of feeling, that all that is required of it has been done, when a certain form of words has been repeated? This, surely, more than the external government of the Episcopal Church, is the damper which impedes the flame of love and zeal, and reduces even the good and faithful to a chilly level-a level which has no power to vary with the ever-varying circumstances and states of advancement of the people, and which, therefore, may pluck backward the aspiring spirit when it aims at a closer union with Christ, and a more uniform indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That this is the experience of some of her most zealous pastors, may be inferred from the fact, that in week-day lectures, when they have escaped from the "consecrated" edifice, they are apt to employ extempore prayer.

Notwithstanding these anti-form-of-prayer remarks, which may excite displeasure in minds that are often refreshed by the use of the Liturgy, let it be understood, that the Episcopal Church in America is enriched by some men who are not surpassed in holy zeal and ability by the men of any other denomination, and that the feeble soul who may be thought thus rudely or ignorantly to interfere with their ark has many times found refreshment within it.

It appears as if the confusion of sects, which is ever found where many minds are interested in Divine truth, resembles the confusion of tongues, impeding the work it designs to promote, and exciting displeasure and disappointment, where it ought to cheer and harmonise. But in spite of all impediments, there is a spiritual kingdom in this evil world, and it makes progress in a wonderful manner in the very heart of obstacles.

The world is exceeding worldly; yet the spiritual kingdom rushes into it and plucks forth victims who seemed beyond the hope of rescue. The enemy is exceeding treacherous; but there are unseen guards over the newly-formed subjects, who prevent and preserve them in their allegiance. The gainsayers are full of contempt and mocking; but the feeble are made strong, and taught to stand forth with courage as subjects of the Spiritual Kingdom, and as advocates to enlist others under the Lord's Banner. "We are saved by HOPE." Well may the Church in any say so; but how peculiarly may it be said where the

land

man of sharp speculation, of far-seeing enterprise, or of keen politics, is withdrawn from these which were his first objects, and, by a power which is hid from the wondering worldling, is fixed on an entirely new pursuit, which he professes as openly, and follows with as much energy, as ever he did his old ones.

He

The frankness and cordiality of the American religious professor is a great gain to him. confides himself to the sympathies and prayers and all the sweet influences of Christian intercourse, while we in Scotland tremble and shrink and carefully turn the bushel over our little candle, till its light is wellnigh expiring for want of air. They commit themselves to a consistent walk, for they empower all lookers-on to say whether their conduct consists with their profession or not, while we sneak along, and are barely suspected to be perhaps Christians. What is there more honouring to God, or silently admonitory to the worldly, than the Christian life shining as a light in the world? Even Wall Street raised its head from its money calculations, and said, "Brewster dead! Ah, then, he is in heaven!"

That faithful man had, for more than twenty years, filled honourably his place in the Church, and met his death hastily by an accident. This, the world's unpremeditated testimony to his consistency, shewed that he had been as a "city set upon a hill," and had been observed by the careless.