SOCIAL BENEFITS OF CHRISTMAS.-At Christmas, none appear to think of themselves; the child puts by its pocket money for weeks before the long wished for day arrives, to procure presents for its parents or friends, who in turn deny themselves many a luxury to obtain those gifts for their children, which are more highly prized at this season than any other; and in this alienation from self and care for the wants of others, consists one of the chiefest social benefits of Christmas. It also endears home to the young, and in the gratification they feel in the bestowal of those little tokens of love which have, probably, cost them many a long hour of industry and anxiety, they learn that it is more "blessed to give than to receive;" and in many cases it lays the foundation of habits of self-denial and love of home that is never destroyed. From a Christmas Essay in the Companion for Youth.

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS,-A Clergyman's Furlough; A Clergyman's holiday; Testimony of Holy Scripture concerning Baptism, and severai other shorter notices, have been unavoidably postponed for want of room, but they shall appear in our next.

Notices of Books.

TRACES OF PRIMITIVE TRUTH IN THE PRINCIPAL NATIONS OF THE WORLD (J. F. Hope), by the Rev. J. L. Ross.-The Vicar of Avebury cum Winterbourne Monkton says, that the design of this work is to stir up the rulers and people of this country to take a more enlightened view of their responsibilities as a church and nation, and to adopt a more Christian policy towards the subjects of our Indian and colonial empire. He shows very distinctly that the heathen held all the great principles of religion from revelation; and that they have come down through every nation by tradition from Adam, who was taught of God. This is a good book, and well executed; and it is handsomely got up. We have not space to devote to it this month, but will give it an extensive review in our next number.

MAY A MAN MARRY HIS DECEASED WIFE'S SISTER? (J. H. and J. Parker.) This tract is from the pen of the Rev. F. A. Dawson, Rector of Bascot, Berks, and it sets forth wisely and well the sintul

ness of the act, and the national sin in such an enactment by Parliament; grounding his arguments on Leviticus xviii.,

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OLD PETER PIOUS; MRS. HIGH-SPIRIT (Wertheim and Macintosh). These good tracts are sadly marred by the puritanical, or perhaps, rather, Bunyan names of "Almost Christian," Earnest Christian," "Worldly-wise," Well-to-do," and such like; but in the style, matter, and manner of the dialogues, they are excellent in inculcating good principles, and the benefit of a constant attendance at church. We commend them cordially to the give-away-family.

TEETOTALISM A SNARE (Rivington's) is a tract from the pen of the Rev. R. Eden, Rector of Leigh, in Essex, but now Bishop of Moray, in Scotland. It shews that teetotalism is merely the result of vanity, self-conceit, and self-display. In fact, teetotalism is that trusting in man, that making flesh his arm, that departing from the Lord in the heart, which will bring down the curse of the Lord (Jerem. xvii. 5). It would be a great public benefit were the tract extensively circulated.

THE CAVE IN THE HILLS (J. H. and J. Parker) is a tale of the early British Church, which maintained its independence of Rome till the twelfth century. The story opens on the wedding-day of Cæcilius Viviathus, a Briton of royal descent, with Suetonia, a Roman lady descended from Suetonius Paulinus, the conqueror of Britain. The scene of this beautiful story lies in Verulam, now St. Albans, towards the conclusion of the last general pagan persecution. Their slave Lidia suffered martyrdom through the indignation of her master, for having converted her mistress, who, in his turn, had to flee with his wife into the woods and caves with some faithful slaves. He was won by the persuasive arguments of his wife, was captured,

and they were both on the point of suffering martyrdom when the persecution suddenly ceased; himself and wife released; his property, which had been confiscated, was restored; and all was sunshine and prosperity. This is the first of a new series, and we trust it will be the pioneer to much historical information respecting the original British Church founded by St. Paul, and united to the Anglo-Saxon Church after the conquest of Wales in the twelfth century.

EAT, OR EAT NOT (Society P. C. K.), is a tract by the Dean of Chichester, formerly better known as the Vicar of Leeds, meeting all the obstacles which the devil suggests against partaking of the Lord's Supper. The Dean's name is a tower of strength; and any tract from his pen requires no recommendation of ours. It is only eight pages, and it may be had in any quantity for distribution.

COMMUNION WITH GOD THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST, (Collingridge), by "John Owen, D.D., a servant of Jesus Christ in the Gospel; with a Preface by the late Rev. Daniel Burgess;" has been received too late for an extended notice; but we will make our devoirs to this work in our next.

THE OXFORD DIOCESAN CALENDAR, 1859 (J. H. and J. Parker).— It contains a complete list of the archdeacons, rural deans, and the clergy of the diocese of Oxford. Each deanery is so arranged as to be complete in itself, with indices both to names and places, and the address of every clergyman in the diocese.

A BRIEF HISTORICAL OUTLINE OF THE
CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.

(Continued from p. 101.)

ON the 1st of January, 1670, eight Presbyterian ministers homologated Erastianism by accepting collation and induction from the Privy Council to parish churches, which, with thirtyfive who had already accepted that from the Privy Council which they had refused from the bishop of the diocese, made. in all forty-three, restored to their former livings. "We may thus see the enormous exaggeration which has been so long imposed upon the world, of four hundred ministers having been ejected from parishes in the western dioceses-which would have been nearly the one-half of the parochial ministers of the kingdom; whereas there were not one hundred in the whole disaffected districts who deserted their parishes; for they were not ejected, as it has been falsely asserted.

VOL. XIII,

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Add to the desertions nineteen that in the course of ten years were deposed by the different bishops, for most wilful and obstinate disobedience and uncanonical conduct." These few desertions had kept the west of Scotland in a constant ferment and agitation, complaining of sufferings that never in reality existed; and who were perfect types of what two apostles call "raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame, wandering stars, wells without water, clouds that are carried about with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever."

About this time Gilbert Burnet was appointed Professor of Divinity in the University of Glasgow; and Commendator Leighton gave him the sensible advice, “not to meddle with public affairs and transactions." The Episcopal clergy were robbed and plundered on the plea of conscience and "in the name of the Lord;" and the barbarous atrocities which they suffered were ascribed to zeal for religion. When the clergy complained to the Commendator of the persecution under which they were suffering, and claimed his protection, he advised them to fast and mortify their flesh, after they had been plundered of all their property and illtreated and wounded in their persons. The punishment by finding, which the Act of Parliament enabled the Council to inflict on the refractory Presbyterians, is stated, by Wodrow, among their sufferings. They fired a pistol at Mr. Jeffrey, the minister of Maybole; his life was preserved by a book which he had in his breast-pocket, which bore the mark of the bullet when produced in court. Mr. Irvine, of Kilmalcom, was assaulted in his pulpit, pursued to the manse with stones, and dogs set on him; the perpetrators of these outrages were transported to the American colonies, and the parishes fined. Ten men attacked the manse of Neilston,