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or held public meetings generally four or five nights in the week and it is to be hoped that the word of the Lord did not return void. On Sabbath evening, Nov. 8th, 1835, the pastor having previously examined a number of candidates for church fellowship, a Congregational church was formed in the chapel, and about twenty members gave each other the right hand of fellowship, and fervent prayers were offered to the God of all grace that they might be enabled to walk in love, and keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. On the 6th of December, Mr. Caldwell dispensed the ordinance of the Lord's supper to his infant church for the first time. He continued his labours as pastor of the church till the beginning of the year 1842, when he felt himself unable, after forty years of public labours, to perform any longer the duties incumbent on him, and he resigned his office, much to the regret of the church and congregation. During the whole time of his ministry the church enjoyed peace and harmony. In the course of these few years, eighty persons had been received into the fellowship of the Gospel, and nothing but growing infirmities induced him to give up his charge. It would be improper to finish this short account of the Independent Church in Howden without taking notice of the liberality of the Home Missionary Society to the cause of Christ in that place. But for their friendly aid, there is reason to suspect that no chapel would have been built, and no church would have been organised in Howden till the present day. The Directors supported the cause at first, contributed liberally for the building of the chapel, and continued to assist the church as long as they required their aid, which, happily, is no longer necessary.

ORDINATIONS, ETC.

On Wednesday, August 2nd, 1843, the Rev. Richard Penman was recognised as pastor of the church and congregation assembling in Bethel Chapel, Chester-le Street, Durham. The services were commenced by the Rev. Mr. Anderson, of Easington-lane, with prayer and reading the Scriptures; the introductory discourse was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Campbell, M.A., of Newcastle-on-Tyne; the recognition prayer was offered by the Rev. Mr. Caldwell, an intimate friend and college companion of Mr. Penman's father; the charge was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Jack, of North Shields. In the evening, an ordination of deacons took place, when a charge was addressed to them by the Rev. Mr. Froggatt, of Morpeth; and afterwards the Rev. Mr. Reid, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, preached to the people. Mr. Penman's settlement at Chester-le-street has been welcomed with the utmost cordiality on the part of the people, and his prospects of usefulness are of an encouraging kind.

The spiritual destitution of Wheatley, Oxon, a village containing 1000 souls, and with the parish about 1500, has long engaged the attention of the Independent church at Oxford; and recently, by the united efforts of that church, of the Oxford and West Berks Association and the Home Missionary Society, a neat chapel was opened, capable of seating 250 persons. On Wednesday, the 4th of October, 1843, Mr. Charles Davies was ordained to the work of the ministry at Wheatley. The Rev. E. Neale read the Scriptures and prayed; the Rev. H. Holmes, of Wendover, delivered the introductory discourse; Rev. W. Harris, of Wallingford, offered the ordination prayer; and the Rev. Eliezer Jones, of Oxford, gave the charge to Mr. Davies, who was one of the first converts of his own ministry. In the evening the Rev. J. Howell prayed, and the Rev. T. G. Hamper, of Uxbridge, preached from 1 Cor. xvi. 10, "See that he may be with you without fear."

The Rev. Robert Thomas, A.M., late of Saddleworth, near Manchester, having received a cordial and unanimous invitation to the pastoral charge of the Congrega.

tional church, Upminster, Essex, removed thither last March. This settlement was publicly recognised on the 17th of October. The Rev. George Rogers, of Albanyroad Chapel, Camberwell, introduced the service by reading the Scriptures and prayer; the Rev. R. Ferguson, of Stratford, briefly explained and justified the service, and asked the usual questions; the Rev. G. Clayton, of Walworth, offered up special prayer for the people and their new pastor; the Rev. J. Morison, D.D., of Chelsea, gave the charge to the minister; and the Rev. J. Leifchild, D.D., addressed the people. The Rev. A. Brown, of South Ockendon; the Rev. E. Dewhirst, of Billericay; and the Rev. Mr. Hill, of Chigwell Row, assisted in the devotional services of the day. On Wednesday, the 18th of October, Mr. R. Bowman, late of Airedale College, was publicly set apart to the pastoral office over the church and congregation assembling in Bethel Chapel, Bishopwearmouth, as successor to the Rev. J. W. Richardson, recently removed to London. The Rev. S. Good all, of Durham, introduced the service by reading the Scriptures and prayer; the introductory discourse was delivered by the Rev. J. Glendinning, of Huddersfield; the questions were preposed by the Rev. A. Reid, of Newcastle; the Rev. S. Watkinson, of Monkwearmouth, offered the ordination prayer; and the charge was delivered to the minister by the Rev. Walter Scott, president and theological tutor of Airedale College. In the evening the Rev. A. Jack, of North Shields, preached to the people. The Revs. C. Bingley, of Middlesborough; W. Campbell, of Newcastle; R. Penman, of Chesterle-Street; J. Anderson, of Easington Lane; W. Day, of Sunderland; and P. Bowman, of North Shields, also took part on the occasion. The congregations were numerous and respectable, and the services highly interesting.

The ordination of Mr. B. Opie Bendall, late of Highbury College, as pastor of the Independent church at Kingswood, near Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, took place on Wednesday, October 18. The Rev. G. Wood, of Bristol, commenced the service by reading the Scriptures and prayer; the Rev. J. Glanville, of Kingswood, near Bristol, delivered the introductory discourse; the Rev. D. Thomas, of Wottonunder-Edge, asked the usual questions; the Rev. J. Lewis, of Wotton-under-Edge, offered the ordination prayer; the Rev. R. Knill, of Wotton-under-Edge, gave the charge to the minister; the Rev. Wm. Dove, of Falfield, concluded the service with prayer. In the evening a sermon was preached by the Rev. Wm. Jay, of Bath. The engagements of the day were deeply interesting and numerously attended.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Favours have been received since our last from the Rev. Drs. Jackson-J. P. Smith -W. Urwick-J. Matheson. Also from

Rev. Messrs. B. Brook-R. Bowman-Thomas Lee-W. Campbell-R. ElliottJ. Robinson-W. Harris-B. O. Bendall-H. Howard-T. Guyer-W. SmithJ. Sherman-R. Thomson-J. K. Foster-W. Owen-Thomas Stratten-R. Ashton-J. E. Richards-A. Wells.

W. Stroud, Esq., M.D.—Messrs. Daniel Pratt-Joseph Christy-S. W. Partridge. A Layman. V.

Many readers having expressed regret that the Brief Notes on Passing Events have been often omitted, the Editor intends to resume the same with the January number, and to continue them from month to month.

SUPPLEMENT

TO THE

CONGREGATIONAL MAGAZINE

FOR

1843.

ON THE SUPPOSED TENDENCIES OF DEMOCRACY TO

ROMANISM.

M. ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE, member of the Chamber of Deputies in France, has published the second part of his able work, "On the Social Influence of Democracy," which of course has excited much attention in the United States of North America. An opinion to which he inclines, that there is a material tendency in Democracy to combine with Romanism, has called forth a powerful review from the pen of Professor Truman Post, of Illinois College, Jacksonville, which appeared in the last number of the "American Biblical Repository." As that article examines alike the statistical facts and the philosophical principles on which this opinion rests, we are happy to transcribe that portion of it which relates to this deeply interesting question, and doubt not but that its perusal will gratify very many of our readers to whom that excellent American periodical is not accessible :—

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"What are to be the religious and intellectual and social features of the democratic era, which is opening upon us, is among the vast questions M. De Tocqueville attempts to solve, or at least to penetrate with conjecture. The answer he gives to the first of these-that relating to the religious condition of the coming ages-seems to us alike opposed to the indications of providence, prophecy, and philosophy. History, and the laws of the human mind, appear to point to dissimilar and more cheering results; and when we turn from these pages to those of the sacred oracles, and walk along the illumined perspective of the

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future they disclose, we feel as if escaped from the dim cell of a St. Dominic, or the stifling gloom of the Sacred Office, into the blessed light of day.

We refer the reader to chapter vi., vol. ii., entitled 'Of the Progress of Roman Catholicism in the United States.' He concludes as follows: There ever have been, and ever will be, men, who, after having submitted some portion of religious belief to the principle of authority, will seek to exempt several other parts of their faith from its influence, and to keep the mind floating at random between liberty and obedience. But I am inclined to believe, the number of these thinkers will be less in democratic than other ages, and that our posterity will tend more and more to a single division into two parts, some relinquishing Christianity entirely, and others returning to the bosom of the Church of Rome.'

A startling conclusion truly. Most American readers would dismiss it with a shrug or a sneer, sorrowing at a weakness in a mind they are compelled to respect and admire, but as too palpably absurd to merit refutation. We shall not so treat it. The frequency with which such conclusions are drawn by Catholic writers, indicates some apparent foundation. Let us inquire, then, with the seriousness to which our author is entitled, whether the belief to which he is inclined' can be sustained by fact and logic. Is there a natural tendency in Democracy to combine with Romanism,-in civil liberty to ally itself with spiritual despotism?

We may find it at least instructive to observe, how a mind of such sagacity and candour has been led to a belief so wide from our own; and we may be sure, that the facts which have seemed to him adequate to authorise it, have in them what strongly claims our regard. By looking at chapters fifth and sixth, it will be found, that his opinions relative to the religious tendencies of democracy, are based, first, upon supposed facts observed in American society, and secondly, on the necessary tendencies of the human mind under the influence of democratic institutions; which tendencies he thinks explain those facts, and prove them to be a characteristic and legitimate result of Democracy.

First, then, let us look at his facts. Those failing, doubts at least will be cast over the philosophy that accounts for them. His sixth chapter opens with this startling enunciation: America is the most democratic country in the world, and it is at the same time (according to reports worthy of belief) the country in which the Roman Catholic belief is making most progress;' after which he significantly remarks, At first sight this is surprising.' To an American, I apprehend it will be both surprising' and new; or it argues poorly for the spread of Romanism in other countries. If we found representations of this kind in these volumes only, we should suppose the ecclesiastical con

nexion of the author had unconsciously biased his judgment, and distorted the language of facts, if it had not led him to mistake wishes for facts. But the great candour of the author, and the uniform occurrence of such statements in Catholic writers relative to this country, will not permit us thus to account for them. Their uniformity proves them to be a part of a system. For instance, in Chateaubriand's 'Sketches of Modern Literature,' in connexion with facts and reasonings most novel and extraordinary, relative to the connexion between Romanism and civil liberty in Europe, we find it gravely asserted that 'most of the western states are now Catholic. The progress of this communion in the United States exceeds all belief. Here it has been invigorated in its evangelical element-popular liberty, while other communions decline in profound indifference!!' The facts and the argument will, we imagine, strike an American as equally surprising' and original. It is stated also in the Annales de la Propagation de la Foi' for June, 1839, 'In ten years the number of the faithful has increased one-third. In the Atlantic states they form a powerful minority. In the greater part of the western states they form a plurality, and at some points perhaps a majority of the inhabitants!!' This statement, though evidently phrased with a view to convey to the careless reader, more than the words strictly interpreted might hold the writer responsible for, will seem hardly less 'surprising' than the former. Such uniformity and persistency of misrepresentation seem to point to a systematic fraud somewhere, or to a singular consistency in delusion. It may arise in part from ignorance, but it looks like Jesuitism-like a deliberate imposture, practised by the Romish priesthood in this country on their patrons in Catholic Europe, or rather a fraud by the Romish church upon the Romish world, to stimulate their charities and their zeal. Such statements have been frequently put forth without any formal contradiction, because their notorious absurdity, amid an American community, neither required nor admitted one. This silence on our part has probably furthered the design for which they were made. They seem designed for effect upon Europe, to stimulate the hopes and enterprise of the Papists, and abuse Democracy in the eyes of its protestant friends, and at the same time to demonstrate it to its Catholic admirers, to be the 'evangelical element' of Romanism; while despotic and penurious Austria, on the other hand, is to be allured into the great North American mission, by the promise of the eventual subversion of popular liberty: Jesuitism it is, that is to put a hook into the nose of the great leviathan, now grown so fierce that none dare stir him up. Our silence meanwhile has undoubtedly been used to our disadvantage. Upon those for whom these statements were designed, the impression has been made, that the question at issue has gone against us by default.

As a summary refutation of statements like those above quoted, let

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