and spiritual, to the salvation of our race. Some of the characteristics of Christian nations would compete with those I have stated of the Heathen world, for their refined exhibitions and pastimes in cruelty. If they have not bred up, and schooled, for the purpose of the deadly combat, human sufferings, and executions, have been originated, and reserved, for the vitiated and pampered lusts, and pastimes, of the people the aûto-da-fé-those shows, of cruel sacrifices, which, as a holiday gala, for the whole people, were perpetrated by the professed functionaries of our religion. Need there any other data to be put in conjuncture with the Amphitheatre of the Heathen? In the ingenuity, and paraphernalia of profession, in the exhibition, surely, they compare with, for a time, if they do not surpass, those repudiated barbarian arenas. But I shall not dwell upon these: there are other testimonies, which, to me, are the boldest outlines that remain of the change, indubitably marked in them, which Christianity is effecting.

The ruined castles and towers that are scattered through our country, are indications, scrolls, of too legible a hand not to be read correctly by us. Never do I look on them without the strongest, and most grateful emotion, that the periods of their existence. have passed away. Never again shall they be reared, -their embattled heights, scowling over the feudal territory, encased by the vassalage of a people. I have looked upon their crumbling walls, their courtyards, and watch-towers, and the remnants of their gloomy dungeons, overgrown with weeds and ivythe birds of the air living riotously among them

with a sacred pleasure, arising to a sublimity of assurance of an existing Power that will judge with equity for the meek of the earth. Neither again shall the gorgeous fanes, that were built during the enslavery in bigotry of the mind of the people, be increased in their like themselves, but the defalcations from the stupendous temples for idol worship. Their unnecessary piazzas, and outer courts, and confessionals, and secret chambers, shall cease, in the simplicity of the Christian service. When I have occasionally passed through them, and revolved in my mind the dark days in which first faintly gleamed the light of the Gospel -these stupendous piles being the remnants of mythology, and of the ignorance and mysticism, with which they still continued to awe the mind and heart: when I have taken a gauge of their decreasing influence the light of heaven that vainly shot through except to increase the gloom of the bigot spirit which they gendered, -the cowl, and the tonsure, and the mummery of words, the imbigoting jargon ;-the Sun of righteousness rising with too brilliant a light for their death-like influence any longer to prevail, clearing the head, and with the pure sight of brain undimming the mortal vision-the love of God taking place of vengeance, and the intelligible openness of a Father's undisguised impartiality, and ingenuousness, and nurture, enlightening the soul: these have enkindled a holy adoration, that has interpreted human circumstance, and constituted the gist of energy, and love, and a sublime confidence.

The being informed of all the deteriorating circumstance of the world's past and present position and

conduct, is the means of qualification for carrying out surely the emendations of the structure of society, on, those truly philanthropic-the Christian principles, on which alone, we believe, it can be permanently founded. To close our minds from the observation, or our lips from the utterance, in mildness and charity, and therefore in the undeviating truthfulness of understanding, of the errors that are manifested in the ignorance of the love of God, or of our fraternal relation with him, is to become participators in the continuance, or rather active agents in the engendering, of the untoward state of society that descends from, and establishes them. So clearly does this appear, that in no spot of earth, I believe, at the present, would the personal faithfulness of the enunciation of the Gospel be endured. It may startle; but I make no exception to this. If we will faithfully judge, I am fearful, we shall all grievedly discover the evidence to rise up before us. If it be so, we should know it; nor our lips, nor our hearts, be faithless to its enunciation. It is by truth, which is itself so meek and mild that it cannot clothe itself in duplicity, that the (perhaps to many) unconscious state will be wakened up and redeemed. Would it not be the greatest of blessings, for the public mind to be made alive to the condition? That this spirit is not annihilated, however it may be reduced to a milder form, you have evidence, within the last few days, in our country, in the circumstance of colours being consecrated, and presented to a regiment, by a woman, and by an archdeacon, the one, professing to be in the line of

descent from the apostles, the ordained by Christ topreach his Gospel;-the other, who should be the channel only of the most peaceful and benevolent dispositions of our race :—wherein, formerly, the priest accompanied into the battle field, and invoked God to aid, and incited men, in the slaughter of their fellow beings.*

It is a libel to do these things in the name of the

* "On Monday the 44th Regiment, which is now doing garrison duty at Gosport, was presented with new colours by Lady Pakenham, the wife of the Major-General commanding the district, Sir Hercules Pakenham. The ceremony of consecrating the colours was performed by the Venerable Archdeacon Wilberforce, who made a very powerful and impressive address to the regiment, which was listened to with deep attention by all present. The Venerable Archdeacon concluded his address with an appropriate prayer. Immediately after the consecration of the colours, Lady Pakenham presented them to the ensigns who had been selected to receive them at her ladyship's hands, and concluded a short address as follows: 'Receive these colours with the warmest prayers for their future glory and success of one, who, as the sister, wife, and mother of soldiers, feels an enthusiastic interest in that brave order of men. they always be unfurled in support of the honour of our country and our gracious Queen, and to the glory of the King of Kings, whose blessing has already been so eloquently invoked."". Abridged from the ""Times."

May

-the colours designed to wave over bloody strife-over scenes of carnage and rapine-consecrated by a minister of the religion of Christ, and presented to the troops by a woman! What an unholy alliance is here brought to view! What a monstrous union! When the minister of Religion, who should be the preacher of peace and good-will; and woman, whose heart should be the home of love and gentleness, unite to do "honour to the emblems of strife and hatred, what wonder that they still wave so triumphantly aloft"?-The "Inquirer" Newspaper, December 16, 1843.

gospel, and as by the lips of Jesus. What! were his teachings so loose,-for it is positive that he never plainly enjoined, nor directly in the least gave a colouring countenance only to, such a procedure,— that you can fasten on them a justification as of the Moloch rites, that are as a diploma for the commission of murder? My position is, to shew, that they are the lees of barbarism, which have not yet been cast into the draught by humanity; and that they have no part nor lot in Christianity. It follows not, as a matter of course, that, wherever Christianity is. professed, all which is done is chargeable on its spirit; though it may be perfectly logical, that its principle prevails, to the suppression of every other influence. Yet, it were a new creation, instantaneous and complete, if it did not work by the moral and physical laws which God has made a part of humanity. My desire is, that truth may be a definition before us; and that, by it, we may resolve the condition of human being.

Then comes, irrefutably, to our quickening recognizance, the evidence that the kingdoms of the earth are becoming the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ. To this, our minds become more extensively opened, the more expansively by us that the gospel is considered. I have brought before you, or rather have feebly glanced at, the elements in nations, which, while they were their glory, were also the seeds of their destruction and annihilation. Also, in lineal consequence, from the most darkened to more enlightened periods, what might be said to be, in genealogical descent, from generation to generation, the