would have desired. But the resolution, in this shape, did not pass. The Bishop of London moved as an amendment,

"That, on the re-appointment of the Tract Committee, the Board feels it right to repeat the declarations which its secretaries were instructed to make to the district committees in the year 1834; namely, that it is not disposed to yield to unreasonable objections, nor to give up those principles of sound doctrine which it has so long maintained; and that it is most anxious to preserve unchanged the character of the Society, as an institution formed for the purpose of promoting sound religious knowledge according to the doctrine and discipline of the United Church of England and Ireland."

Here was a distinct and most important addition to Dr. Spry's motion. The doctor would have pledged the Society simply to "the principles which it has so long maintained,"—and while one man might have interpreted these words in one way, another might have affixed quite another meaning; amidst all which Mr. Scott would have not unreasonably argued, that the Society declared its adherence to its tracts,-especially to the tracts of its founders, Melmoth, Nelson, &c.

The Bishop of London, however, saw this danger, and he interposed, and saved the Society from its peril. He took care that if a pledge were to be given, it should be a pledge to that alone to which the Society could safely or properly bind itself; namely, to "the promotion of sound religious knowledge, according to the doctrine and discipline of the United Church of England and Ireland."

The pledge, then, which Mr. Scott would represent the Society to have then given, was not only not given, but it was set aside,it was rejected; and another and a different pledge substituted in its room. And yet Mr. Scott suppresses all mention of this; prints five words of the resolution in italics, as if they constituted the essence of the vote; and passes over in silence the important fact, that this important meeting, at which the archbishop and four bishops were present, distinctly refused to pledge itself to any other basis of action, than "the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England."

We shall only add one more remark, which we do with, if possible, even greater pain. Mr. Scott, who at first put forth his "Appeal" anonymously, has since been compelled to avow himself. The change in his position necessarily works a change in his conduct. Under a mask, he had ventured to do things for which, when detected, he finds it absolutely necessary to apologize. Hence he begins his "Advertisement to a second edition," by admitting a fault which I do not desire to excuse" (p. i), and he ends it by " withdrawing an imputation which I had no right to make" (p. xii).

But then, unhappily, Mr. Scott proves that these concessions and apologies are forced from him, and are not the fruit of a proper sense of his fault,-by the attempts at self-justification which he mingles with them. His shameful garbling of the bishop's words had been exposed;—the language of just indignation had been publicly uttered at a meeting of the Society itself; and then, and only then, is it, that Mr. Scott comes forward with this half-apology, half-justification:

"In sending a second edition of this pamphlet to the press, I am bound to call the reader's attention to an act of slovenliness in some of the quotations from Tract 619, as they occur in the first edition. Those quotations were made with the fair and honest intention of conveying the author's meaning, without fatiguing the reader with irrelevant matter. But to omit the usual asterisks where any omission occurs is a literary fault which I do not desire to excuse." (p. 1.)

"Slovenliness"! "a literary fault." Is this the language of truth or candor? Can any man read the four instances which we have given above, and then admit that the garbling practised was a piece of "slovenliness." The omission of the asterisks was a literary fault," it is true; but is it a fault which men conversant with books commit inadvertently? Or is this "omission of asterisks" the whole fault which Mr. Scott has committed? If a critic brings a grave accusation of heresy against a bishop, grounded upon things which that bishop is alleged to have written,-is the accuser to be permitted to prove his case by quoting half-sentences, and garbling every passage which he cites,-even if he does insert the asterisks? Does not the innate unfairness of the whole proceeding strike every one,―asterisks or no asterisks?

Mr. Scott, indeed, protests that he had no "unfair intention." We would test this in a very simple manner. If Mr. Scott had been enjoined, by any competent authority, that if he assailed the Bishop of Chester, he should give the bishop's sentiments in the bishop's own words;-would his pamphlet ever have appeared? We feel confident that it would not.

THE PROMISED GLORY OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. By the Rev. E. BICKERSTETH, Rector of Watton. London: Seeleys. 1844.

THIS work is the most satisfactory proof and illustration that we have yet had, of the eminently practical character of the chastened and regulated study of unfulfilled prophecy. Such a study is needful, we had almost said indispensable,—in these times. Clouds are gathering; dangers arise on every side; and the Psalmist's words may be truly adopted by many: "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Hence Mr. Bickersteth justly remarks at the

outset, that

"The promised glory of the Church of Christ, realized by faith, is eminently calculated to lead us to a holy and heavenly life on earth. By the assurance of hope the sacred writers continually call Christians to self-denying, self-sacrificing, patient, and persevering labours of love. On this ground the apostle exhorts, comforts, and charges his converts to walk worthy of God who had called them to his kingdom and glory. The losing sight of this hope leaves us destitute of the appointed means, the adequate motives, power, and strength, to rise above the daily temptations of this evil world. But he that has this hope in Christ purifieth himself even as he is pure."—(Preface, pp. vi. vii.)

The work commences by glancing at a fact, the full consideration of which would fill a volume. "The Church of Christ the possessor and dispenser of truth on earth." The full explication of those wonderful words, "Ye are the salt of the earth,"-" Ye are the light of the world," has never yet, we believe, been attempted. Wonderful, indeed, they are. If we take an individual Christian, and watch and scrutinize him closely (best of all, each himself), we are filled with astonishment at the follies and vilenesses into which one who hopes that he is "a temple of the Holy Ghost," an heir of eternal life, is continually falling. If we turn next to the visible Church, our surprise takes another form; for we have now to marvel, that in each society of hundreds who profess the Christian faith, only a very few individuals can even in charity be deemed to possess any reality in their own souls. But when, in the last place, we look to the world at large, and observe how it, with its millions, is moved, and taught, and purified by the visible Church with its thousands; this, in its turn, being actuated and silently constrained by the interior and invisible Church, hated, all the while, by both the world and the professing Church, we behold the whole scene with amazement, and

exclaim, "Oh the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!-how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out."

Mr. Bickersteth closes his first part,-" The Progress and Triumph of Divine Truth," with a chapter on "the Assurance of the full and universal ultimate Triumph :"

"We may hope for the full and universal reception, in times yet to come, and in this our world, of the whole truth of God. All the promises of God from the beginning, lead us to this bright hope. The devil, the first tempter, is the father of lies, and the beginner of error and sin, but the first promise after the fall assures us that the seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent. Each succeeding promise, and every fresh display of providence and grace, more and more open to us this faithful first promise. Even the very sins of his chosen people, and their delayed entrance into the promised land, occasion God to utter the solemn declaration, As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. Numb. xiv. 21.”—(p. 59.)

His second part treats of " the Growing Union of all the People of God." The third, of "the Reward of Works at the Coming of Christ." On the general principle of the future judgment, Mr. Bickersteth thus speaks:

"The word of Christ is the great and only rule of judgment. Not the word of man; it is a small matter to be judged of man's judgment. He that judgeth is the Lord, and his word will be his rule. However ancient, however venerable, however weighty the authority of man, if it be not according to, if it be not confirmed by the word of Christ, we are bound to reject it. "The word that I have spoken, the same," says our Lord, "shall judge a man in the last day." Our constant regard, our only ultimate appeal must be, "To the law and to the testimony." Our Lord himself testifies that love to God and love to man are the chief commands. In his word we learn, in an epistle full of the grace of the gospel, that to the Galatians,-" Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty, only use not liberty for an occasion of the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." So again in a similar epistle, that to the Romans, it is said, "He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." The law of love is the sum of that word of Christ, by which we shall be judged in the last day.

"The great inquiry will be as to our possessing love; real and sincere love, the fruit of faith, and the source of obedience.

"Oh how important it is that we should distinctly see the nature of that judgment through which we must all pass !

"Its character generally is that it is a JUDGMENT ACCORDING TO WORKS. This great truth is continually revealed. Thus David, "O Lord, thou renderest to every man according to his work. Thus Solomon, God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil. Thus Jeremiah, I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. And our Lord himself confirms this: The Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. That this concerns believers, and all the children of God, is clear from the apostle Paul's statement to the Corinthians. We labour that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him; for we must all appear before the judg ment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

"Let nothing then in the least shake this great truth in our minds. It is the great antidote to all licentious perversions of the gospel. We must every one give account of all we have done in the body. Our present words and works, are the seed sown of a future and eternal harvest; Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

"The nature of the works which will decide our character, will be works of love to man, evidenced in the actions of the life. Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed, and in truth; and hereby we know that we are of the truth; and shall assure our hearts before him. Or, as it is afterwards said by the same apostle, He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.

Do

you ask then, If this be the ground of judgment, how it is that we are told so explicitly, that we are justified freely by the grace of God, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ? How is it we are saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast; and that there is none other name under heaven given among men, but the name of Jesus, whereby we must be saved? I reply, justification comes by faith only, and comes by faith from first to last, but this faith is ever fruitful in all good works. Wherever there is salvation by grace, there also all saved men are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

"Fallen sinners are quickened to do works of love, by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ; without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith worketh by love, purifieth the heart, worketh righteousness, and overcometh the world. Faith realizes all the wonders of God's love to us, in our redemption by the blood of Christ. Then we love him because he first loved us. When we believe that God so loved us, we learn that we ought also to love one another. Faith thus does emphatically save us. It grafts us into Christ, and united to him we bear good fruit. Make the tree good, and the fruit will be good, but if the tree be evil, his fruit will be corrupt. The tree is known by his fruit. Works of love are the fruits of faith. Without faith there are no such works. Hence you find it distinctly implied by our Lord, that all the works of love enumerated, really proceed from faith in Jesus, and love to him. Ye did it unto me. All is of God's love. God sends his gospel to us. His grace works with it; we first trust in Him for the free salvation already provided in Christ Jesus, and that confidence of heart towards God fills us with gratitude and love, which will be the source of daily obedience to all his commands; so that we become sealed with the Holy Spirit, and stamped with the beauty of the divine image. God is love.

"This is a clear and simple ground of harmony. There is a real consistency when St. Paul says, Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law, with what St. James says, ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. There is a perfect harmony of spirit between David's prayer, Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified, and St. Paul's declaration, By him all that believe are justified from all things. Our Lord's solemn assertion, Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment, and St. James's precept, So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty, will equally help to lead the Christian to holy diligence and confidence,-that fear of God, and that perfect reliance on his goodness, which prepare the believer for the day of Christ and the heavenly kingdom."-(pp. 186-191.)

The rest of the work is devoted to a scriptural elucidation of"The Glories of the Heavenly Kingdom; and "the Glory of our