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occasionally in England since the Reformation, no government has ever been sincerely friendly to the pure and apostolical church of Christ. If, therefore, it be true that every ruler is bound in conscience to use his power for the propagation of his own religion, it will follow that, for one ruler who has been bound in conscience to use his power for the propagation of truth, a thousand have been bound in conscience to use their power for the propagation of falsehood. Surely this is a conclusion from which common sense recoils. Surely, if experience shews that a certain machine, when used to produce a certain effect, does not produce that effect once in a thousand times, but produces, in the vast majority of cases, an effect directly contrary, we cannot be wrong in saying that it is not a machine of which the principal end is to be so used."

Note P, p. 163.

On the opinion of the Fathers concerning the office of the civil magistrate the testimony of Dr. Campbell will generally be deemed sufficient. The same fact is shewn by Barclay in his Apology, and by Milton in his Tracts on the Church.

Note Q, p. 205.

Among the most authentic documents relative to the comparative efficiency of the voluntary and compulsory systems, is the report of the commissioners appointed to examine into the state of religious instruction in Scotland. From their report of the city of Edinburgh we select the following facts, as they afford a fair sample of the working of the two systems in most large towns.

There are, in connexion with the establishment, 28 churches, with 36,001 sittings in all; of which

20,995 are let;

1,230 free;

3,982 otherwise allocated; and

9,794 neither let nor allocated.

In connexion with other dissenting denominations there are 55 chapels, with 42,705 sittings; of which

23,193 are let;

7,247 free;

205 otherwise allocated; and

11,360 neither let nor allocated.

In a population of 162,292, the number of individuals who, it is calculated, are able to attend public worship, reckoning 44.44 per cent. as a fair average attendance, is 72,132.

Whence it appears

1. That in the established church alone there is not room for one-half of what ought to be the church-going population.

2. That, taking into account the different dissenting places, there is an ample sufficiency.

3. That it is not true, as Mr. Gladstone asserts, that dissenters have never attended to the wants of the poor in their plans of Christian instruction; on the contrary, they do more for them than the establishment.

4. That dissenters have provided as much church accommodation by the voluntary contributions of half the people as churchmen have provided by the compulsory support of them all.

Similar statistical accounts have been published of the state of church accommodation in London, and supporting the same results. The objection, that voluntaryism is thus efficient only in large towns is refuted by the example of Wesleyanism, which has planted its chapels in almost every parish of the kingdom. that is wanted is, more co-operation and love.

Note R, p. 193.

All

The division of the country into parishes is supposed by Dr. Chalmers to be an advantage peculiar to establishments—a supposition by no means consistent with facts. Countries were so divided in early times, before the church was established; and they are so divided now by sects which are not established.

The

methodists have divided and subdivided the whole of England; and each division has its chapel and its minister. Popery has its 513 chapels, its 610 priests, its 17 vicars apostolic, (of whom nine are bishops,) its 10 colleges, its 17 convents, its 60 seminaries of education; whilst in Ireland there are no less than 2500 priests, 8 colleges, 23 bishops, with 4 archbishops. In the colonies it is said to have made the most alarming progress, and all by the efficiency of the voluntary principle. "Error, though no match for truth alone, is again likely to prove more than a match for truth and power combined."

This same system of subdivision has been adopted by dissenters in large towns with very good success. Localities are divided into districts of from 500 to 1000 families each, which are generally under weekly visitation. It will be one of the best signs of the times when the whole of the towns of this country are so divided. It is surely time Christians kept their differences in abeyance now that so many enemies are combined against them.

Note S, p. 206.

The following tables have been extracted from the works of Drs. Reed and Matheson, of Drs. Cox and Hoby, on the American churches; they serve to illustrate very satisfactorily all questions connected with the statistics of religion in that country :

Population

No. I.-Population of the American States, with the Numbers of Congregationalists and Baptists

in each State.

Population

Population

CONGREGATIONALISTS.

STATES.

BAPTISTS In Association.

in 1810.

in 1820.

in 1830.

Ministers Churches Communic. Ministers Churches Communic.

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No. II.-Summary View of all Denominations.

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There are besides, in America, about 100 colleges, with upwards of 8000 students, and 40 theological seminaries, for the supply of destitute churches and districts, with about 1500.

From these facts the following conclusions are obvious :—

1. America is in circumstances rather unfavourable than otherwise for the exhibition of the efficiency of voluntaryism. With a population which has increased nearly 100 per cent. in twenty years, and part of whom are widely scattered over a large extent of country, whilst the rest are absorbed in the avocations of trade, without time for the cultivation of literature, it must be matter of surprise and gratitude that she has done so much, not of contempt that she has done so little.

2. Even in circumstances thus difficult voluntaryism has done to the full as much numerically as compulsion has done in this country. There is, on the average, one minister for every thousand of the population. The deficiencies of certain districts are owing, not to the system, but to want of regulation, or to circumstances which it is probably impossible to control.

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