[JAN. nourished by Him; united to Him not less closely than Adam to the help-meet given to him, who was "bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh." Had Mr. Wilberforce merely consulted so common an expositor as Burkitt, he would have found that "As the head and the body, as the husband and wife, so Christ and his Church are mutually concerned for each other; they stand and fall, live and die together; whatsoever He has, is theirs; they have nothing but through Him, they have all things in Him and by Him; His God is their God, His Father is their Father; and as all that He has is His Church's, so all that He did is for His Church, here called His body." This is, indeed, a great mystery," this union of Christ with His people; but perfectly intelligible, confirmed by the general tenor of our Lord's discourses, and constantly recognised in the Apostolical writings. Indeed, as if to remove all doubt from the minds of the Ephesians concerning the meaning of what He had written, St. Paul represents it as the great purpose of the Gospel, that "believers may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ; from whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working of the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."*

This passage, even if it stood alone, would be a complete justification of the definition of the Church given in our own Articles, as "a congregation of faithful men" (" the congeries of individuals") dispersed throughout the world." Like man's natural body, the figurative body of Christ consists of different members; of many individual members, and many collections of individual members, forming, in one sense, many churches; but all unitedly forming one church, figuratively termed Christ's body, because all deriving life from Him their Head, all favoured by His love, all looking up to Him for guidance and protection. Just as in another figure by which Christians are described, each individual is a separate temple; but the whole Church of Christ is one vast temple,† in which believers "are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."+

Bold assumptions, and reiteration of arguments a hundred times refuted, have always been the characteristic of Romish controversialists. It is grievous to see one of whom better things might have been hoped and expected, as skilful an adept in these tactics as if he had been brought up at the feet of Bellarmine or Doctor Milner.

Your's, Mr. Observer, very sincerely,
MELANCTHON.

* Eph. iv. 15, 16.

† Compare 1 Cor. vi. 15, with 1 Cor. iii. 16.

Eph. ii. 22.

HOW ARE WE TO RENDER THE SUNDAY PLEASANT AND PROFITABLE IN THE DOMESTIC CIRCLE?

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

IN conducting such a Periodical Magazine as yours, it must be your object, as well as your interest, to consult the tastes of every variety of readers, so as to render it acceptable and useful.

If you must admit discussions on abstract theories about "Happiness," you must be equally ready to find a place for articles of a more practical nature: and I cannot but think, that they will be found quite as interesting to the generality of your readers, and not less profitable.

One such subject occurs to me at the present time, which I should be glad to submit to your consideration and that of your Correspondents:-"How to render the Sunday pleasant and profitable in the domestic circle." I say domestic, rather than family circle, because I would leave the discussion open to embrace every variety of circumstances which may be supposed to exist under the domestic roof. Where the children are young, and the parents united in sentiment, the question is easily settled as to its general principles, although there may be some difference in the mode of carrying them out. But I should wish other cases to be considered; for instance, that of a family where some of the children are grown up, or approaching to that age when they must be left to follow their own tastes as to the employment of leisure time between the Services on Sunday, and especially on Sunday evening. We may also suppose them not to be equally fond of reading of any kind; or especially of that kind of reading which the parents may think most suitable for the Lord's-day. Suppose a large family of different ages and inclinations: some above the age of tuition; some, boys from school, and others younger; perhaps, also, an occasional visitor or two, friends of the elder children, staying for a time in the house,-how shall we order the house so as to make the Sabbath pass profitably if possible, pleasantly as may be, without gloom and without weariness? For if this latter be the general impression left on the mind either of the young, or of visitors who may not be under the influence of religious principle, no benefit can reasonably be expected.

The younger part of the family can easily be interested in Scripture subjects, references to texts, pictures attended with explanations, story books, &c. &c.; but what are we to devise for the purpose of employing, and interesting if possible, the elder branches? Reading? Certainly, so far as practicable. But where all are reading, each his own book, drowsiness is too apt to creep over the greater part of the circle. Reading aloud is perhaps better; but the difficulty is to find a book suitable for all; and all, perhaps, are not willing to listen. Music, no CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 205.

D

doubt, will be proposed as a resource. But even this is not without its difficulties. Sacred music, so called, is, I conceive, merely an evasion a concert under another name- unless it can be accompanied by the voice. Vocal music, where it can be had, is no doubt the best suited to pass a part of the evening agreeably to all, while it affords the means of exciting more devotional feelings, by the introduction of chants, or psalms and hymns, suited to the taste and capacities of the family. It is easy to imagine a case where the head of the family, a person of superior intellect or deep spirituality of mind, shall lead the conversation into a profitable train, or draw forth the acquirements of the younger branches, so as to enlarge the mind and awaken the religious feelings of the family circle. But we want something more within the compass and actual experience of every-day life; and any suggestions which may be offered, by yourself or your Correspondents, on this interesting subject, will be very acceptable to many an anxious parent.

I am, Sir, Your faithful Servant,

PATERFAMILIAS.

REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Census of Great Britain, 1851. Religious Worship. England and Wales. Report and Tables. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of her Majesty. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1853.

THE religious condition of the people of this country has been for some years a subject of general interest, and of anxious investigation; and it is not surprising that an attempt should have been made to employ the machinery of the Census Office for the collection of so much information as might be attained by such means, and in an even and systematic manner. But the subject is too delicate to be dealt with otherwise than with the greatest caution. The sources of information ought to be impartial, and entitled to be thoroughly trusted. Moreover the returns ought to admit of being tested, and proved to be worthy of the confidence to which they lay claim.

We regret to be obliged to look upon the first Census of Religious Worship taken in this country, that of 1851, with very great distrust. It was not contemplated by the Legislature, for there is not the faintest reference to it in the Census Act (13 & 14 Vic. chap. 53), and therefore necessarily no legal provision was made for obtaining authentic returns. Hence, also, the making of the returns was purely voluntary, while the information was sought from those who were not likely to be wholly impartial; guesses were almost suggested, on some important points, instead of careful investigation; and afterwards, the returns of the several places of worship were brought toge

ther in groups, and classified under different heads, before they came under the public eye, so that errors, if there be any, cannot be detected. The fact of their being placed out of the reach of examination naturally heightens the distrust to which the manner of collecting the information has subjected them. Meanwhile, what has been attempted for a good purpose, though in a questionable manner (even that of showing the true state of the people, so far as concerns religious worship, with a view to stimulate exertion for their benefit,) has been turned into a weapon of party warfare, stronger, for their side, in the hands of Dissenting politicians, than we believe that a true Census would have made it.

While speaking disparagingly of this department of the Census-or this afterthought connected with it-we desire to disclaim any intention of accusing the officers who took the management of this enquiry, of having wished to mislead the nation. We have not the faintest shadow of such a suspicion. We are confident that they were, at the time, fully satisfied that they had taken proper means of procuring accurate information; and certainly, on the assumption that it was accurate, they have shown very great discernment in the way in which they have treated the information they received. But after all, there remains the question, whether reliance may be placed on the Returns; and the misuse which has been made of them seems to demand that their value should be justly estimated.

Fortunately, the means of arriving at a fair judgment are at hand, in the Forms A, B, and C, together with the paper on the "Mode of procuring and digesting the Returns," which are the Appendix to the Report, and are printed in pages clxix—clxxvi.

Form A. is the Schedule in which the returns were collected, respecting the Churches and Chapels of the Church of England. There was a separate paper for each church and chapel, which was the means of eventually ascertaining the precise number of places of worship in connection with the Church. The return stated-I. the name, and II. the situation, of the church, the latter comprising the county, diocese, parish, and Registrar's district; then III., the date of its consecration or license, by which the materials for classifying new churches in decennial periods were obtained,-information of real value. Section IV. provided for a statement of the means by which any church built since 1800 was erected, together with the amount of money derived for this purpose from parliamentary grants, parochial rates, and private benefactions, subscriptions, or other sources. The nation has a right to most of this information, and we know of no valid objection to rendering any part of it. Section V. was to contain an answer to the question, how each church is endowed, under the several heads of Land, Tithe, Pewrents, Fees, &c. &c. But "in deference to expressed objections, this last question was abandoned, after the forms were issued, and the clergy were informed that no reply was wished for."

We should have been glad if the returns under this head had been rendered and carefully tabulated, so as to show the average incomes of the clergy in incumbencies charged with the care of 2,000 souls, 3,000, 4,000, and so forth. Section VI. was headed, Space available for public worship, and provided for the rendering of an account thus,

Now let the reader observe that no suggestion is here offered as to what is a sitting, whether eighteen or twenty-four inches in length of seat; and that there is no request that the return be the result of measurement. It is quite conceivable that rough guesses and vague traditions have furnished the substance of a great majority of the answers.

The next section, No. VIII., is the one which has engaged most attention, and which, we are persuaded, is least entitled to be relied upon. It is as follows:

:

Estimated Number of Persons attending Divine Service on Sunday,

The instructions for filling up this part of the Schedule were these:

"Estimated number of Attendants on March 50, 1851.—If, as is sometimes the case in Wales and elsewhere, two or more congregations successively assemble in the building during the same part of the day, and also in all cases where two or more distinct services are performed in the morning, afternoon, or evening, either by the same minister, or by different ministers, denote the fact by drawing a line immediately under the gross number of attendants during that part of the day, thus, | 750, | in order to show that it expresses the aggregate of persons attending at all such distinct services.