And her sons be captives never Shall resound o'er all her plains.' “It has been said, 'Oh they will not hear; their prejudice is so great; their minds are so dark!' It is true-the last statement is awfully true. But has the proper way been taken? Has prayerful and persevering effort been made? Had we shown more kindness and good-will, rather than contempt and angry discussion, much more good might have been done, and many more souls converted. In all my congregations, when Roman Catholics attended, they have been the most attentive and many of them apparently the most deeply impressed One of them said to me, after I had done speaking one evening, Oh master, I never heard it that way before.' My subject was, Christ's love in dying for sinners." I must not transcribe more, or I shall trespass too far on your pages, Mr. Editor, if not on your readers' patience. Indeed, both you and they will perhaps charge me with having broken faith, by addressing you at all now, after the pledge with which I closed my former letter. However, friends have earnestly requested me not to keep that pledge, by a kind of“ indulgence," absolving me beforehand for transgressing it. With regard to Mr. Tidman's letter, in your last, I have little disposition to say any thing. I had no intention when I wrote of under-rating what the Congregationalists of Britain have already been doing for Ireland, and I hope our brethren will acquit me of any such design; neither did I wish to depreciate the labours of the Irish Evangelical Society. We of the Irish Congregational Union have sought no quarrel with that institution; but as to the state of Congregationalism in Ireland, let those who have visited the country, and ascertained it, bear witness; and let those who have not been here, and wish to learn, come and see. I have neither space nor inclination to discuss details; but I venture to explain, that two of the churches mentioned were formed by the Irish Congregational Union, and were, with the agents occupying the stations and spheres of itinerating around them, transferred to the Irish Evangelical Society, owing to circumstances which I need not now stay to relate, but the like of which the Congregationalists of Britain will not, I trust, allow to occur again. If they will stand by us, we, depending on Providence, will not repeat what we did in that emergency, by relinquishing part of our labour, come what may. One further remark, and I shall add no more. The Congregational churches of Ireland require an organization in the country itself for Home Missions. They require this for their own prosperity, as well as for the sake of their principles, and their standing as a christian body in the land. By the goodness of God we have that organization. He has, in the most marked manner, put the seal of his approval upon our humble efforts; and no enlightened friend of the country, or of the Gospel and Congregationalism in it, would withhold the most cordial "God speed" to our endeavours. But our cry is, "GIVE US MEN OF GOD FOR IRELAND!" Such will not be disappointed, if they come and share our lot of labour, till the desert blooms like Eden. Believe me, my dear brother, yours most truly, Dublin, Feb. 12th, 1840. SYLLABUS OF THE CONGREGATIONAL LECTURE FOR 1840. We are happy to present our readers with a Syllabus of the seventh series of the Congregational Lecture to be delivered, D. V., by the Rev. W. Lindsay Alexander, M.A., of Edinburgh, at the Congregational Library, Blomfield Street, Finsbury Circus. To commence on Friday Evening, March 13th, and to be continued on succeeding Tuesdays and Fridays, at half-past Six o'clock precisely. Subject-THE CONNECTION AND DOCTRINAL HARMONY OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. PART I.-External or Literary Connection. Lecture I.-Friday, March 13th. Proposed subject of inquiry in the present course.-Importance of such an inquiry.-Definitive object of the first part of the course.-General resemblances between the Old and New Testaments in Literary character, allusion, and structure.- Languages of the Old and New Testaments - Hebraistic peculiarities of that of the latter.-Direct references in the latter to the former.-I. References to the Scriptures of the Old Testament as extant in the days of our Lord and his Apostles, as in their esteem divine, and as containing pre-intimations of Him. Lecture II-Tuesday, March 17th. II. References in the New Testament to certain incidents, institutions, and characters, mentioned in the historical part of the Old Testament.-These classified according to the purposes for which they are made. III References in the form of direct quotation of passages from the Old Testament.—Sources of quotation.— Formula of quotation.-Purposes for which quotation is made-Conclusion of Part I. PART II.-Internal Connection and Doctrinal Harmony of the Old and New Testaments. Lecture III.-Friday, March 20th. Doctrinal Harmony essential to the credibility of a divine Revelation.-The concord of the Old and New Testaments articulately to be proved.-Shown, first, in regard to the doctrines they teach respecting the Divine Nature. - Unity of God.-Jehovah not a mere National God of the Hebrews.-Trinity in the one Godhead.-Traces of this in the Old Testament, especially in the announcements regarding the Angel of Jehovah and the Spirit of Jehovah. Lecture IV.-Tuesday, March 24th. Moral character of God.-Relation to man. - Mosaic account of the Fall.Accordance of other parts of Scripture. - New Testament doctrine of the consequences of Adam's sin.- Penalty incurred by sin.- Inquiry into the notions of a future state possessed by the Patriarchs and Jews.-Way of salvation through a Redeemer. Lecture V.-Friday, March 27th. Different methods pursued by God in conveying to mankind the knowledge of a Saviour.-Those chiefly employed under the ancient dispensations were Prophecy and Types.-Survey of the progress of Messianic Prophecy to the time of Moses.-Preliminary considerations to the study of the prophetical parts of Scripture.-Criteria of Messianic prophecies.-Theory of Accommodation. — General remarks on the Interpretation of these prophecies. Lecture V1.-Tuesday, March 31st. Application of the principles previously elicited to the Prophetical writings.Enumeration of the Messianic Prophecies in each book, with a minuter examination of the more important and striking of them.-Result of this Inquiry. Lecture VII.-Friday, April 3rd. Instruction by means of Types possible.-The New Testament writers plainly teach that this method was employed under the former dispensations.—What is a Type?--Inferences from this as to the criteria and interpretation of the Mes. sianic Types.-Typical Offices amongst the Patriarchs. Lecture VIII.-Tuesday, April 7th. Typical offices among the Jews.-Typical Places, Things, and Actions, among the Patriarchs and Jews. Result of this Inquiry.-Concluding inferences and reflections. We anticipate that this deeply interesting course will be attended by a numerous auditory. DESTRUCTION OF GREAT GEORGE STREET CHAPEL, LIVERPOOL. This beautiful house of prayer, which was erected for the lamented Rev. Thomas Spencer, but which he was not spared to occupy, and has been the scene of the able and successful labours of our honoured brother, Dr. Raffies, for twenty-eight years, was destroyed by fire, on Wednesday morning, Feb. 19th. The cause of the conflagration is not satisfactorily ascertained, though it is supposed to have originated in the flues for the warming of the premises. The destruction, which was greatly facilitated by the gas, which had not been turned off from the main, was the work of only about forty minutes, in which time one of the largest and most commodious of our chapels in the kingdom was brought to ruins. The amount for which it was insured is only £4000, which will not pay one half of the cost of its erection again. It is to the honour of the church and congregation and other friends in Liverpool, that we have to state that already £5000 have been subscribed towards the rebuilding of the chapel. The site is extensive and commanding, and we trust that the exterior of the new chapel will be as handsome as the interior of the old one was commodious. We understand that the congregation is at present accommodated with the theatre of the Mechanics' Institute, which holds about 1500 persons, and that Dr. Raffles preached there with much spirit and power, on the following Lord's-day, to a thronged auditory, several hundred persons not being able to obtain admission. We deeply sympathize with the church and its beloved pastor on their loss, but doubt not that it will be over-ruled for good by Him who makes fire to minister to his holy pleasure. SCIENTIFIC HONOURS CONFERRED ON THE REV DR. SMITH. Dr. J. Pye Smith, who now for almost forty years has been a tutor at the old College, Homerton, has been long and justly esteemed in the scientific and literary world for his extensive and varied learning. This lead to his election as a Fellow of the Geological Society. We have now the pleasure to record that our venerable friend has been elected, under circumstances highly gratifying, a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, with the special approbation of its noble President, the Marquis of Northampton. We understand that this distinction has been conferred on Dr. Smith as an evidence of the satisfaction his valuable Lectures On the Relation between the Holy Scriptures and some Parts of Geological Science have given to the scientific world. It is an interesting and honourable fact, that one of the earliest tutors of the Homerton College, the eminently learned John Eames, was also a Fellow of that most illustrious scientific corporation in the world, to which he was introduced by Sir Isaac Newton, who highly esteemed him for his extraordinary attainments. FELLOWSHIP OF THE CHURCHES IN ISLINGTON. On the evening of new-year's day the associated Congregational churches of Islington, with their respective pastors, met in Islington chapel for the celebration of the Lord's supper. The occasion was one of solemn interest, and of sympathy with the church and congregation statedly worshipping in that house of prayer. The Rev. J. Mather presided. Addresses were delivered by the Revs. Messrs. Blackburn, Spencer, and W. Campbell. The devotional exercises were conducted by the Revs. Messrs. Lewis, Gilbert, and Godwin. The Rev. J. Yockney was prevented being present by indisposition. The collection made on this occasion was appropriated, as in former years, to the support of the British School, in Church Street. May the hallowed spirit which prevailed long continue, and the present year be signalized by much comfort and prosperity to the community in whose sanctuary this service was conducted. ***LA MURCH, LOZELLS, BIRMINGHAM. recer of Carr's Lane Church, Birmingham, rea that neighbourhood a Sabbath School, and ooi-room, capable of holding about 100 chilip was conducted iu the afternoon and evenvears the room was found too small, and it was - which proposition was cheerfully responded to nembers of Carr's Lane Church. By the muniver of this cause, together with the assistance of other ed church, a new chapel has been erected at a cost r part of which has already been subscribed. The building, capable of holding (in its present form, y) nearly 500 persons, was opened for public wor$59, when Mr. A. E. Pearee, on the joint recommenRev. H. B. Jeula, of Greenwich, and the Rev. Thomas ..as invited by the trustees to become the minister of the resecuting his studies at Spring Hill College, in conrai duties, a privilege which the committee of that instiuted him. A very encouraging congregation has been apel, and most gratifying evidence has been afforded of reat Head of the Church, in the conversion of souls to Him. eets of this new interest have rendered it desirable that ormed, and on Thursday evening, the 13th ult., the Rev. , and conducted the interesting formalities connected with ristian church, in the presence of a large and deeply affected ging, reading of the Scriptures, and prayer by the Rev. R. er statement explanatory of the nature of a christian church James, an account of the rise and progress of the new interest one of the proposed members, and the Congregationalists' aith," &c. was read and responded to; after which thirty indig chiefly of persons dismissed from Carr's Lane Church, for the united in this place, and including also the Rev. Messrs. Brook ately pastors of churches, were united together in "the apostle's tellowship, and in breaking of bread," several members of other participating with them in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. A. James then delivered a solemn and affectionate address to the church, and the deeply interesting service was concluded by an e spectators by the Rev. A. E. Pearce, the minister, and anticipated as new, and it is hoped flourishing, church. At an early church s expected that several other persons will be proposed for admission. 、NOWLEDGMENTS AND MINOR correspondENCE. Mosses. W. Davis -W. Owen-J. Kennedy-O. T. Dobbin-J. Jukes trom Sir N. J. Willoughby. W. Stroud, Esq. M.D. Messrs. J. M‘Gaa thompson-C. Lewis-Joshua Wilson-Hull Terrell-T. E. Thoresby F. Philips. on for entering again upon the suhject to which Mr. K.'s Philips on Missions we hope to publish in our next. We from him again. |