his blessing alone gave success and increase to their labours. This referred to God as their Creator and preserver, but was no ways typical of Christ, as it signified neither his incarnation, sufferings, death, nor resurrection, and therefore was neither fulfilled nor accomplished in him. While the world shall last man will ever be fed and preserved by the bountiful providence of God, as he has been from the commencement of the world. And as God reserved a tenth portion of our wealth from the very beginning, and likewise a seventh of our time, so the cause remaining the same, both the reservation of the tenth and the seventh will continue till the end of the world. The payment of tithes was not peculiar to the Jews, neither was it first instituted among them; but in Adam and from him its observation descended by tradition among all his posterity.1

Notwithstanding its divine institution, Dr. M'Hale does not scruple to call it an "execrable tribute;" and the Church in Ireland to whom it is payable he calls " an alien and oppressive establishment." 'If," says he, "the (Roman) Catholics of Ireland be doomed to pass under the yoke of an alien and oppressive establishment, what matters it then whether it is to the landlord or to the parson they are coerced to pay the tribute of their religious servitude? The people have declared that under no name or form would they consent to pay this execrable tribute, and (have) sealed this declaration with their blood." So far from exceeding, we fear Dr. M'Hale's righteousness does not even come up to that of the scribes and pharisees, who omitted the "weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith," while they paid tithe of mint, anise, and cummin. It is to be remarked that our Lord did not reprove the scribes and pharisees for paying the tithe of these trifling productions, but rather commended them; for, says he, "these," that is, the payment of the tithes, "ought ye to have done, and not leave the other" works of charity and mercy "undone." Here then our Saviour gives his direct sanction to and approbation of the payment of tithes, at a time, too, when a favourable opportunity presented itself of abrogating the duty, had such been his intention. Another opportunity occurred in the case of the self-righteous pharisee, who when enumerating his works of supererogation, named the payment of tithes as a meritorious work. "I fast twice in the week," so does Dr. M'Hale, I give tithes of all that I possess." His going down to his house unjustified did not rest on his performance of good works and payment of tithe, but upon his boasting of them as meritorious, without reference to God's grace. It was something like what "John Tuam," as he illegally calls himself, has pronounced ex cathedra. "If any man shall say that the good works of a justified person are the gifts of God, in such a manner that they are not also the justified person's merits, let him be accursed."3

It might be supposed that our Saviour here addressed the pharisees, but did not intend that his disciples should understand his words as an approbation of their payment of tithes. But he would not have approved and commended that in the pharisees, which it was not

1 Leslie's Essay on Divine Right of Tithes. 2 M'Hale's Letter to Lord John Russell.

3 Council Tribute.

his intention that his disciples should also practise, because it was absolutely necessary that the righteousness of his disciples should mightily exceed that of the boasting pharisees. It must be evident that the payment of tithes was specially meant by our Lord, because their payment was and still continues to be, a part of the worship of God. Origen, after putting this objection, afterwards himself answers it. "How therefore," says he, " does my righteousness exceed theirs, if they dare not taste of the fruits of the earth till they have first offered the first-fruits to the priests, and tithes to the Levites: and I, doing none of these things, mispend of the fruits of the earth to my own use, without acquainting priest or Levite, or letting the altar partake of any part of them? And this we have said to show that the command for first-fruits and cattle ought to stand even according to the letter."

Christ received tithes in the person of his type, Melchisedek; if, therefore, he received tithes, and liveth for ever to receive them,1 he did not abrogate them. So far from abrogating them, he has confirmed them, not only negatively, by not forbidding their payment under the Gospel, but positively, by his approbation and living for ever in heaven to receive them. "For he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises," who was Christ, as we learn from St. Paul.3 And this promise is sure to all the seed which is of the faith of Abraham, our common father; and if so, then the same worship of God in tithes and offerings stands as firmly fixed under the Christian dispensation as any other part of the moral law. We read in the epistle to the Hebrews, that Levi paid tithes in Abraham, though he himself was afterwards divinely appointed to receive them under the law. It would therefore appear that Abraham's solemn payment of tithes to Melchisedek, and its being solemnly and specifically recorded in Scripture, was for "our ensample," and "for our learning." He was the common father of all the faithful in all ages-both of those who proceeded from his own loins, and also of his spiritual seed, the Gentiles. This transaction, therefore, was intended by our heavenly Father as an example to be followed by both his natural and spiritual descendants, and to show them that this divine institution was to continue and be enforced to the end of the world.

(To be continued.)

THE CHURCH IN CANADA, AND THE CLERGY RESERVES.

A KIND friend in Canada, from whom we shall be happy to hear again, has been so obliging as to send us the "Hamilton Gazette" of the 15th November, 1838, from which we extract the following sensible letter; and which we recommend to the attention of the Kirk of

1 Heb. vii.

2 Heb. vii. 6.

3 Gal. iii. 16.

Scotland, which is now attempting to set up a co-ordinate establishment in Canada.-ED.

"To the Editor of the Hamilton Gazette.

"SIR,-Having recently arrived from Scotland, my attention has naturally been drawn to the question of the Rectories,' which at present is so unprofitably agitating the colony, and I must confess that the construction which I find attempted to be put upon the Articles of the Union by the ministers of the kirk in this province, as favouring their claim to what they are pleased to term 'a co-ordinate Establishment with the Church of England,' has not a little astonished me. I had thought that every person, at all acquainted with Scottish history, or who had even read the Articles of the Union, must have been aware, that the subject of religion was expressly prohibited by an act of parliament, from being taken into consideration by the commissioners nominated by Queen Anne, to carry through that important treaty. That this is not a mere assertion of my own, I take the liberty of quoting the statement of the celebrated cotemporary historian, Burnet, on the subject. In his History of his own Times, page 459, he says, There was no provision made in this treaty with relation to religion. For in the act of parliament in BOTH kingdoms, that empowered the queen to name commissioners, there was an express limitation that they should not treat of those matters.' This statement of Burnet is not only historically correct, but is completely borne out by the articles themselves, in which there is not the slightest allusion throughout to the subject of religion; and it is upon the very ground of this omission, that the act for securing in Scotland the doctrines and government of the kirk is founded. The preamble of that Act is as follows:

"Our sovereign lady, and the estates of parliament, considering that by the late act of parliament for a treaty with England, for an union of both kingdoms, it is provided that the commissioners for that treaty should not treat of, or concerning any alteration of the worship, discipline, and government of the Church of this kingdom, as now by law established. Therefore, &c." The act then goes on strictly to confine the establishment of the Presbyterian Church to the limits of the kingdom of Scotland.-Unless therefore the Presbyterian ministers can, by a peculiar species of logic, prove that Canada is a part of the kingdom of Scotland, their legal claim to a co-ordinate establishment with the Church of England must fall to the ground. The truth is, that the words of the Article of the Union to which they refer, have a reference, and a reference only, to commercial privileges, or to privileges arising out of mercantile transactions. If any other proof were wanting, that the Church of Scotland has neither legal right nor title, by the Articles of the Union, to any establishment in her majesty's dominions, beyond the limits of the said kingdom of Scotland, I will mention a circumstance not generally known, and which is carefully concealed by the preachers of the Kirk, in their discussions on the subject, and which is decisive against their claims. After the Articles of the Union had been agreed upon by the English and Scotch commissioners, the General Assembly, not content that their rights should be secured within the bounds of the kingdom of Scotland, drew up a memorial to the Scottish parliament, complaining, amongst other matters, that the sacramental test being the condition of access to places of trust, and to benefits from the crown, all of our communion must be debarred from the same, if not in Scotland, yet through the rest of the dominion of Britain, which may prove of the most dangerous consequence to this church.' Well, what was the reception which the Scottish Parliament gave to this memorial? They enacted, I quote the words of Marshall, a Presbyterian minister, and the author of a History of the Union,—they enacted, that no test inconsistent with the principles of their ecclesiastical establishment should be imposed upon Scotchmen, within the bounds of the Scottish kingdom; but a motion for rendering them capable of any office, civil

or military, and of holding any command or place of trust under the sovereign, within any part of Great Britain, was rejected!'

"After this rejection of the claims of the Kirk by the Scottish parliament then sitting in Edinburgh, and keenly alive to all matters affecting the honour and independence of their country, I will simply ask, with what face can the Presbyterian ministers come forward and tell their flocks, that by the Articles of the Union they have a right to an Establishment in any part of her majesty's dominions, beyond the limits of the kingdom of Scotland? In conclusion, I have only to express a hope that my respectable countrymen will not permit themselves to be led away by agitation, or deluded into an idea that they possess rights which were for ever renounced by the Scottish nation, at the time of the Union, through their legitimate organ, the ancient parliament of Scotland.

"I have the honour to be, Sir, &c.

"SCOTUS."

"Note.-I observe in the Montreal Herald, that a writer, who subscribes himself, A Follower of John Knox,'-founds an argument in favour of the claims of the Church of Scotland, from the circumstance of Scotland possessing, at the time of the Union, the Darien Colony. This, however, is not fact. The Darien Colony was annihilated in the previous reign of King William, and was not in existence at the time of the Union.

"Our Episcopal readers, and many others, will be pleased to hear that the Rev. William Bettridge and family arrived here on Tuesday, from England, in good health. He has proceeded to his former charge at Woodstock, where he will be received by that loyal community with all the affection and good feeling which has ever marked their conduct towards this indefatigable and excellent servant of the cross. We wish him God speed!"

EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATES.

BISHOP BROWNLOW'S ADDRESS TO THE CONVENTION.

"IT is now almost eighteen years since I was called to my present charge. At that time there were only seven parishes capable of supporting the entire services of a clergyman; there are now twenty-four of this class, and the additional seventeen parishes have nearly, or quite, all been aided, in some stage of their progress, by the funds of the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge. Nine more parishes, which a short time since were united in pluralities, have been enabled, by grants of from fifty to one hundred dollars each, from the same society, to enjoy, for the past year, the exclusive services of their several pastors. It is trusted that nearly all these parishes will soon be strong enough to dispense with such assistance. Ten more parishes, at least, might be added to this elass, if the society was enabled to afford them the same amount of assistance. Twelve weaker parishes have received assistance from the society, of from thirty to one hundred dollars each; all but two of which have enjoyed the services of a clergyman at least half of the time. Out of about ninety parishes in the diocess, it appears that only thirty-three

yet enjoy the entire services of a pastor; and nine of these, through the assistance of the society. The remainder are united in pluralities of two or three in a cure: several of them, indeed, have long been without any regular supply. To give each parish in the diocess its appropriate pastor would require more than forty additional clergymen.

But, in addition to these considerations, there are more than sixty towns in the State, in which no Episcopal congregation has yet been organized. In the present state of the religious community-when the unfounded prejudices against the Episcopal Church are so rapidly melting away before the steady light of her example, and when the alternate extravagance and apathy, the fluctuations and divisions, which have prevailed among other Christian denominations, have created so general a distrust in their stability and correctness, I do not hesitate to say that there is hardly one of these towns, possessing any considerable population, where an Episcopal parish might not readily be established with promising prospects of success. In the infancy of such parishes missionary assistance would doubtless be required. Nearly all our existing parishes have been fostered and built up in this way; and there can be no reason to doubt the efficacy of a method which has hitherto proved so successful. In many of the towns to which I have here alluded, a considerable portion of the inhabitants live in the habitual neglect of public worship on the Lord's day; not so much for the want of public religious ministrations in their vicinity, as from a want of confidence or interest in those ministrations. It is firmly believed that the doctrines and worship of the Episcopal Church would meet a more favourable reception, and and that the establishment of her institutions in those towns would produce a salutary improvement in the religious and moral state of their population."

To this we will subjoin an extract or two from the Report of the Convention of New Jersey, just to show how strictly the American Church makes it a principle not to despise "the day of small things." It is by perseveringly occupying every position where there is the least demand for the services of the Church that she has made such remarkable progress, and drawn to her side so considerable a portion of the population.

St. James's Church, Piscataway, Rev. William Douglas, missionary. Families, (added five,)twenty-three; communicants, (one added, two deceased,) present number, three; baptisms, three; funerals three; marriages none.

Trinity Church, Woodbridge, Rev. W. Douglas, missionary. Families, six; communicants, (three added,) present number, eight; confirmed two; no baptisms, marriages, or funerals.

Christ Church, Johnsonsburgh, Rev. P. L. Jacques, missionary. Families and contributors, ten; baptisms, none; communicants, three.

St. Stephen's Church, Mullica Hill, Rev. H. R. Harrold, missionary. Families, two; communicants, five.