letting them appropriate its contents. And, if it should be objected to this illustration that the traveller is not in the condition of the church, because he does not first take anything from the highway men, we have only to suppose the highway men to be his tenants, and the rate to be rent, and the illustration equally holds. The truth is that this church-spoliation-movement is only the small end of the wedge, by which papists and political schismatics, traitors within our camp, and blinded friends, are effectually undermining the church, and breaking asunder the holy bonds which have hitherto bound together as one the nation and its faith. If we would put an end to ill-feelings and heart-burnings, we must before all things have the manliness and the honesty to respect rights wherever they exist, and to throw the shield of defence around property, whoever may be the owner. Our next care should be to make the process of recovery, in case of unscrupulous retention of dues, as simple and speedy as possible, and as little as may be to the advantage of the lovers of strife and plunder. It might perhaps bring the collection of these rates within a smaller compass, and therefore expose the collection (speaking numerically) to less opposition, if the rates were levied on the land-owners instead of on the occupiers. But, whatever may be the plan devised for abating the evils complained of under the existing state of the law, it is of the first importance, as the means of recognizing a national faith without cost to the state, and as a very "material guarantee" against the inroads of socialist principles on all other property, whether sacred or secular, that these church dues should be maintained. Poetry. THE SONG OF THE RESTORED ONES. BY COLONEL BLACKER. (For the Church of England Magazine). O how for such mercy meet thanks can we pay How long disobedient and rebels to thee, We burst from his pastures, wild wandering sheep, This chapter of Nehemiah is well worth studying. It records the abandonment of idolatry on the part of the Jews; and to that idolatry they have never returned. They are again dispersed and suffering for a far-different offence. (For the Church of England Magazine.) "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits.” -Ps. lxviii. 19. HERE rest we in the hollow, where the clear And murmuring spring, bursts from the mountain breast; Still onward bounding, in its wild unrest; Where the gay gorse and purple heather near In all their gorgeous loveliness appear, And fill with richest odour the still air, Their heights, all crowned with sunset's golden ray. While opposite the mountains grandly rear Rest we in this sweet spot, and 'neath its power Forget the cares that darken life's sad way; And lift to God our hearts in this calm hour, Thrilling with praise to adore his heavenly sway. Bless we his name for countless mercies found In darkest hours our weary path around. Llangynwyd Vicarage. Miscellaneous. THE HOUSE-TOPS OF EASTERN DWELLINGS "Let them be as the grass upon the house tops" (Ps. cxxix. 6). This evening thunder lightning, and rain came from the west. The win prospect became dreary and cheerless. In the mo ing of this day-not an hour too soon-the master the house had laid in a stock of earth, which wa carried up, and spread evenly upon the roof of th house, which is flat. The whole roof is thus form of mere earth, laid on, and rolled hard and flat. (s the top of every house is a large stone-roller, for th purpose of hardening and flattening this layer of rs. soil, so that the rain may not penetrate; but upon i surface, as may be supposed, grass and weeds gr freely. It is to such grass that the psalmist alle as useless and bad: "Let them be as the grass up the house-tops, which withereth before it groweth -Jowett's "Christian Researches." London: Published for the Proprietors, by JOE HUGHES, 11, Stationers' Hall Court, St. Paul's; and to procured, by order, of all Booksellers in Town and County PRINTED BY ROGERSON AND TUXFORD, man. MISSIONARY RECORDS. No. CXXIII. OCTOBER 20, 1855. "Labour not only to know, but to do. We know,' that we may 'do.' Knowing and doing denominates a wise' They that hear, and do not, are but half akin to Jesus Christ. Doing is the badge of Christ's family. Christ himself did teach and do (Acts i. 1). And we that are his disciples should hear, and do; know, and do. Else he will not own us for his followers. Knowing is good; but it will not serve us without doing" (Remains of the rev. P. Henry). CHINA." At present the progress of Taiping [the insurgent chief] has been checked in the provinces of Shántung, Chihí, Shánsí, and Honân; and all his forces have been driven from the two first. The capital of Húpeh, called Wú-cháng, has been taken and re-taken four times, and is now in the hands of the imperialists, who seem in general to be paramount in the northern half of the empire. In this region, and in Kwângsi, there are no adherents of Taiping; he banditti, who have caused no little trouble to he authorities in these two provinces, being unvorthy the name of a party, their main object, as s fully proved by their depredations and piracies, eing plunder. As far as I can see now, the rojects of Taiping do not find favour with the Chinese, even considered as a mere political movenent to bring in native princes in the place of the Tanchus now on the throne. Although the Manhus were originally foreigners, it is a wrong inrence to conclude that the government is foreign o; for, among the ten thousand and more officers power over the land, perhaps not over five hunred are Manchus; and most of these are in the orthern provinces, and beyond the great wall. 11 the Chinese and Manchu officers are sprung om the people, and have risen to dignity by eans of their attainments; so that, considering hat the people are, it is likely the present rulers rm their best representatives, and a revolution ould place no better men in power, until new inciples of government and morality should No. 1149. infuse a higher grade of conduct. Doubtless the government now is cruel and arbitrary, and so are the people; but the officials know that a sober industrious man is not to be lightly oppressed. Indeed, the people suffer a hundred times more from each other in this way than from their rulers. Would Taiping better this state of things? If he had true religion in him, and was forced by oppression to take up arms, would he act as he has done? I think not; nor do the political papers which have proceeded from him show much of the spirit of Christianity. He has effected a remarkable reform in those under him; and this example, with the circulation of portions of the sacred scriptures and some of his tracts, will tend to bring to notice the leading truths of the bible, and induce the literati and officials to examine them attentively. In this position he may be doing far more good than if he was emperor. A formidable minority always does the majority good. There is no sense of great grievances among the people of China; and it is a great mistake to think they hate the Manchus simply because they are the nominal rulers. The Chinese are as much governed by their own native authorities as the Turks are, and the various nations in that empire; and, as the Turkish officers are often found to be the least oppressive, so are the Manchus often superior to the Chinese. Until Christian principles so pervade the native mind that they will form a living, transforming power, a change of rulers would only be a change of names. God's plans work harmoniously in this way; and, when the people know what they want, they will soon get it; for their government is rather democratic; and Chinese mythology and idolatry could not withstand an intelligent popular movement, there being no state hierarchy or standing army to back it. Some talk as if the government of China did all the evil, and the people were a body of grieved, suffering, believing serfs, who were struggling for liberty; but such is not the case. Popular will there is enough of, but it is not a Christian or enlightened will; on the contrary, a strict government pleases the best part of society the most" (From a letter from the rev. Mr. Williams, missionary at Canton*). THE LORD'S DAY.-"The friends of the sabbath have indeed cause to take courage when they reflect that, by God's blessing on their endeavours, in the last few years so much has been done. Two attempts to open the London post-office on the Lord's-day have been defeated, the system of giving and paying money-orders in that depart ment abolished, nearly all business therein on the sabbath for a brief season suspended, and labour, to a considerable extent, diminished; the opening of the Crystal Palace on the Lord's-day has been averted, further restrictions placed on publichouses, and an effort to open the British Museum and National Gallery on that day defeated on various occasions, and signally so in the present session. after ten o'clock on the night of the Lord's-day. On the first Monday subsequent to the passing of the act, however, only one drunken charge was received in the district after ten o'clock. On the following Monday there was not a single ease received; and the prison vans left Bow-street, for the first time within the experience of the magistrate, without conveying a prisoner of any kind from the court. On the following Monday, again, there was only one case of drunkenness, which had been received after ten o'clock the previous night. Results of an encouraging character also followed in the provincial towns. In Sonth Shields-wberein are situated Messrs. Swinburne's large glass-works, the Jarrow, Don, and East Jarrow chemical works, a large foundry, a large engine-building and iron steam-ship fac The first subject to which the com tory, nine ship-yards, and staiths shipping above mittee would direct attention is the operation of 1,000,000 tons of coal in the year-between midthe sale of beer act, passed in the last session, for night on the Saturdays, August 19, August 26, England and Wales. By this act places licensed and September 2, and nine o'clock of the mornings to sell spirits and beer are required to be closed till of the following Mondays, not one person was one o'clock in the afternoon of the Lord's-day, and taken into custody by the police for drunken or from half-past two o'clock till six P.M., and from disorderly conduct, or any offence whatever ten o'clock on Sunday night till four on Monday arising from drink. During the three Sun. morning. The beneficial effect of this act, partial days previous to the 19th of August, and within and insufficient as it is, will be seen from what the hours already mentioned, fifty persons were in took place at some of the metropolitan police- the custody of the police at North Shields for offices soon after it came into operation, as de- drunkenness, and disorderly conduct arising there scribed by the newspapers. At the Southwark from. The figures were-July 30th, 9; Aug police-office, on the following Monday, the court 6th, 13; Aug. 13th, 28; total, 50. On August had a very unusual appearance, such as had not 19, the first day the act was put in force, 4 been known before on a Monday within the persons were taken into custody; on the 26th, 5; memory of the oldest officer. The usual average and on the 3rd of September, 7; total, 16. Cos number of drunken charges taken into custody siderable fleets of vessels were in the harbon amounted previously to between thirty and forty during the three Sundays named, and nine-tenths persons, and generally occupied the attention of of those persons who were taken into custody the magistrate the chief part of Monday morning. were foreign or American seamen or abandoned On that day, however, there was only one drunken females. .... In conclusion, the committee think person charged, and only two trifling assaults. that the statements contained in the report The latter were committed on Saturday night; convince every one that the blessing of Gai and the drunkard was found on Sunday morning. has strikingly prospered the humble endeaves At the Marlborough-street police-office, on the of the friends of the Lord's-day" (From the same Monday morning, a very striking exemplifi-stract of the twenty-fourth annual report of the cation of the effects of the new beer act was pre- Lord's- day Society, 1855). sented by the night-charges. The number of THE EAST.-Movement among the Armeni cases on Monday, which includes Saturday night at Smyrna.-The War with Russia.-"Three A” and Sunday night offences, varied, before the act menians had made up their minds to join came into operation, from sixty to about one hun-church; and I have admitted them to the Lor dred. On the Monday after the act came into force, the whole number of cases, drunken cases included, were only twenty-five, and not a single drunken case was brought to the station-house from twelve o'clock on Saturday night up to Monday morning inclusive, thirty being the average previously. At the Bow-street police-office the operation of the new act had a marked effect upon the business of the court on Mondays. Before, the proceedings of Monday were almost exclusively confined to drunken charges: frequently as many as seventy cases were heard in succession, and generally about two-thirds of the offenders were women, while more than half the entire number were taken to the police-stations The remarks in this letter are the results of an extensive acquaintance with the Chinese, aided by a mature study of their history, customs, and habits. The writer augurs, as will be seen, much less favourably of the character and probable fate of the present convulsion than most of those who have gone before him.-S. supper, which they received for the first time at * Since this report was written, the act referred # » 66 what your hands find to do.' This, then, we will do, the Lord being our helper. And is it not a matter of thankfulness that the ministers of Christ in this country are permitted to preach the gospel of peace even in these troublous times? While the eyes of the inhabitants of this great and populous town are directed to Vienna, we will lift up our eyes unto the hills from whence cometh our help. For our help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth". I have not been at the hospital for some days; but I hear that it is going on well. A considerable number of soldiers have been sent back to Constantinople as fit for duty. There is reason to believe that, at least to some, the afflictions they have endured have been the means of bringing them to attend to the things concerning the salvation of their souls. The rev. Mr. Hadow (now returned to the hospital at Scutari) told me that not a few leave the hospital as better men" (From the correspondence of the Church Missionary Society). I first administered the holy communion to these native brethren was a blessed day to me. I addressed the small native congregation with much emotion, beseeching them with tears to walk worthy of the gospel of Christ. I am unable to express to you my joy and gratitude to the Lord, that, after so many years of labour, without almost any apparent success, I am now permitted to see a little flock of native Christians gathering around me, to whom I can preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. I deeply feel my unworthiness, and would ascribe all honour and glory to him who is pleased to use me as an humble instrument to promote his glory in this dark land. The Arnienians, after having joined my little flock, expressed a desire to have the means of grace increased to them on the Lord's day. They understand Greek, and attend the Greek service in the afternoon, as also the Wednesday evening lecture. They wished, however, to have also a Sunday morning service. I readily complied with their desire, and began a morning service in Turkish, in which Mr. D (as far as he may do so as a layman) supplies my place on the Sunday, when I have service for the Germans, whom I do not wish to forsake altogether, being otherwise entirely deprived of the means of grace. To perform service in Turkish is not an easy work for us at present, on account of our insufficiency in the language, Greek being the prevailing language of Smyrna, except in the Turkish and Armenian quarters, where Turkish is spoken. I have had the morning service of the liturgy translated into Turkish, and I hope to be soon able to preach in this language. For the present the Armenian teacher reads one or two chapters of 'Jowett's Christian Visitor,' instead of a sermon. The war has had hitherto rather a sad effect on the minds of the Greeks. Their feelings are very much excited against the powers that are fighting against Russia; and, the mass of the people considering the war as bearing a religious character, it is natural that missionaries should find it more difficult than at other times to approach them with the truth in any way at present. They must first see Russia humbled and checked, before they will admit that she is not destined to conquer the east, and to relieve all eastern Christians from the bondThey do not consider that, had not England and France interfered in the eastern question, thousands of Christians would have been slaughtered all over Asia Minor. There is no doubt that, but for England and France, the Russian would now be in possession of Constantinople, and perhaps even of Smyrna and other Ports; and this would have been the signal for a general outbreak of Mohammedan fanaticism in the country. But Russia was not allowed to carry her arms to the Turkish capital; and where is the Christian heart that would not pray that, instead of the Russian banner of so-called Christian or hodoxy, the banner of evangelical truth may be arried victoriously into the very heart of this reat empire? Let the Christians in England and Isewhere pray without ceasing that the Lord may e pleased to overrule this war for the glory of his We missionaries here are standing, as it were, on the watch-tower, looking around us, and sking, Lord, what wilt thou have us to do? Be vatch ful unto prayer,' is the answer; and 'see age of Turkey. ame. SPIRITUAL WANTS OF THE ENGLISH CAPITAL.-The subsequent picture (and a sad one it is) of the destitution of the metropolis, in a religious point of view, was drawn by the marquis of Blandford, at the last anniversary meeting of the Church Pastoral Aid Society. "I think we may always estimate a want by the supply which we find is created to meet it; and I would wish to call attention to one or two facts which may not be generally known, as to what the supply has been, that within a certain time has been provided for meeting the wants of the church, and what is still the state of things in reference to the demands yet remaining to be supplied. Since the year 1801 up to the year 1831, 500 new churches were built; and from 1831 to 1851, 2,029 new churches were built: from 1801 to the year 1831, £1,152,000 was coutributed for that purpose out of public, and £1,847,000 from private funds; and from the year 1831 up to the year 1851, £5,575,000 was subscribed from private funds for the building of churches in this country. Then the point I would place before you is this, if such has been the supply, how great, how awful to consider, must have been the demand that required that supply. But we must not stop here: we must consider whether this vast amount of money so subscribed to supply the necessities of the church whether it has had the desired effect. I have taken out a few figures having reference to the state of the metropolis, showing what that state is, and what is the solemn duty incumbent upon us in sequence. In the year 1807 the population of five of our great metropolitan parishes was 153,197, of which number 138,188 were without church accommodation. In 1854 the population of those same five parishes was upwards of 400,000, and the want of church accommodation unsupplied was equal to more than 350,000 of that population. So that, in spite of all that has been done, in spite of the vast sums that have been subscribed and applied to the building of churches, and the liberal aid and the large contributions which have followed to supply ministers for the spiritual wants of the metropolis, there are immense numbers of persons still unsupplied with means, so far as the church of England is concerned, of worshipping God." con young and thoughtless seamen, the directors are gratified at being able to state that during the last year £33,934 has been forwarded by the cashier to the sailors to reach them in safety at their own homes, or to their absent relatives, to help them in their hour of need; and in these latter cases the most satisfactory instances of duty and affection, highly creditable to the sailor's character, have been displayed. In the sailors' treasury and savings bank, opened by the com mittee in 1842, there has been received a total sum of £469,554 from 64,956 sailors; of which £142,135 was remitted home by them, and £12,168 was invested in the savings bank; while £315,263 was drawn out by the owners. The Home is also made a channel of inquiry by parents, wives, sisters, and others, who desire information respecting their absent relatives. Scarcely a day elapses without such inquiries being made, and i parent's anxieties, a sister's fears, and a wife's grief, being relieved; nay, even a prodigal son has thus been restored to his long-deserted home. LONDON SAILORS' HOME.-The report of the | to contaminate by its poisonous influences our committee of this valuable establishment for 18541855 presents the following leading features:— "The committee feel it to be their first and most pleasing duty to express their humble acknowledgments to the Giver of all good, for any measure of usefulness or success which may have been granted to the efforts made within its walls, for the religious and moral improvement of seamen. It was to accomplish these great objects that captain Elliott, and those who were associated with him in the formation of this institution, devoted their Christian energies: they laboured with little to cheer them but the bliss of hope; yet success at last dawned upon their untiring efforts; and twenty years have now elapsed since they were enabled to open this 'harbour of refuge,' where, after all his toils and perils at sea, the sailor is preserved from some of the snares set for his ruin on shore. At the Sailors' Home he may enjoy the greatest possible amount of comfort at the least possible expense, his effects secure, his hardearned wages in safe custody; and, instead of being surrounded by those whose interest and aim is to demoralize and plunder him, he is approached by persons who feel it their privilege to consult his interests, both spiritual and temporal, to the utmost of their power. He can read his bible in his own cabin in peace: he is invited to the daily morning and evening prayer in the institution, and has the opportunity of attending divine service on Sundays, which is performed by the chaplain in the adjoining church for seamen. In its early days, and indeed throughout the whole course of its operations, the Sailors' Home has had to contend with the most unscrupulous opponents, who have used every exertion in their power to mar its progress and obstruct its usefulness. But gradually the sailor's confidence has been gained, the knowledge of the advantages of the institution, and the impression of the benefit which a man derives in point of character by attaching himself to it, has worked its way. As a gratifying proof of which, it may be stated that, while in the first twelve months of its career 528 seamen were admitted, in the last year 6,869 have been received, of whom 1,721 were old boarders; and the total number of its inmates from the opening of the institution on the 1st of May, 1835, to the 30th of April, 1855, has amounted to 73,715, the natives chiefly of our own land, but among whom are also to be found the representatives of every maritime nation on the face of the globe. This increase of numbers has also been followed by a larger amount of pecuniary transactions with the boarders; and, though the expenditure of the sailors' money is entirely left to themselves, yet the best advice is cheerfully afforded to them, and the most assiduous care is evinced by all connected with the Home,' to protect them as far as it is practicable from the snares of those who are constantly watching for their destruction, and who, by the ready agency of the gin-palaces and the long-rooms and the intoxicating draught, too frequently cause them to forget the claims of kindred and of home, and waste their hard-earned wages in riotous excess and the most degrading sensuality. Powerful as these obstacles are, in a neighbourhood where almost every street, lane, or alley contains some dark streams of pollution THE JEWS IN CONSTANTINOPLE.-The rev. H. Stern, a missionary of the London Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews, writes from this capital as follows:-" According to the general opinion of the Spanish Jews themselves, their number in this one city exceeds seventy thousand souls. This numerous community thirty years ago enjoyed the highest esteem and consi deration in the metropolis of the East: the greatest pasha could more easily dispense with he beloved tchibouk (pipe) than with his Jew: they were the treasurers, bankers, and advisers of al the Turkish grandees: even the making purchase for the seraglio, the most lucrative and envied post, was entrusted to their hands: in fact, in the counsels of the divan and in the intrigues of the harem the Jew formed an important element an an indispensable personage. Prosperity and wealth were, however, no spur to moral culture < intellectual improvement: the Talmud, like i giant incubus, lay on their mind; and every tempt to emancipate them from the deteriorating influence of a mental bondage was scorned b their inflated pride and conceited ignorance. Br whilst they were thus tremblingly afraid lest the sun of enlightenment should eclipse or cast in the shade the wisdom and learning of the rabbis Turkey was borne onward by the swelling t of civilization, and propelled by the moral political influence of Christian powers. The p litical changes and the rapid increase of commett now required something more in governme employés than mere tact to please a pasha, aptitude in collecting customs. In this emergen the Greek and Armenian were pushed into offe which the Jews were unqualified to occupy, the genius even of a corrupt Christianity brightly over the vitiating doctrines of the rabbi system. They would now gladly have disober the Talmudic injunction, that all who sta other books than those of the sages forfeit ber ven;' but the time was past, and the current favour and dignity turned into a different d tion. Ever since that period the Jews have s into insignificance and poverty; and, though the are still thousands of rich and opulent amongst them, they are despised as a comm |