EDITORIAL TABLE TALK.

[It is the intention of the Editor to insert under this title paragraphs, original or select, which though brief, may possess an interest that should rescue them from oblivion.]

W. WILBERFORCE, ESQ., AND THE REV. W. JAY.

AN honoured lady, a member of a noble family, on hearing read our recent review of Mr. Jay's works, remarked at the close of the passage relating to Mr. W. :

"I visited Mr. Wilberforce one morning in the autumn of 1832, when Mr. Jay had breakfasted with him, and had just left. I followed, and on entering, Mr. Wilberforce referred to Mr. Jay, and observed, 'That's an excellent man. I have known him more than forty years. He is always the same; popularity has not injured him. It is a friendship I love to think of; and nothing has ever occurred to interrupt it.""

We have no doubt but this was the true expression of Mr. Wilberforce's feelings. How pitiful then it is, not to find a trace of it in his Memoirs!

A CONGREGATIONAL MINISTER AT ROME.

In a recent paper on "The English at Rome," the editor of The Tablet, the Roman Catholic weekly journal, makes the following painful

statement:

"In the course of last year a learned and amiable divine from America, of the Congregationalist persuasion, visited Rome, and found himself so charmed and edified by what he witnessed there, that he was induced to prolong his residence; nor did he return to America with the same religious convictions which he had brought to Europe. Now, this gentleman, (an admirer of England, be it observed, and a warm supporter of our alliance,) has assured us that he was forced to make his retreat with his prie-Dieu and vesper book, from before the face of such English Protestants as visited St. Peter's during even-song, a devotion in which, although a Protestant, he never failed to communicate. He feelingly added, that it was almost impossible for any one who understood the English language, to obtain unmixed edification from the public devotional practices of the Roman Church, interrupted as they continually were by the coarse sneers or jokes of the English, who crowded to the spectacle. Our friend had the good fortune to witness the washing of the feet on Maundy Thursday, last year and we shall never forget the religious and enthusiastic feeling with which he described it. An Englishman of rank, however, who by the imprudent condescension of the authorities, had been suffered to intrude himself upon the holy function, was very differently impressed; and with great good taste, chose that very time to express what he felt, by exclaiming, in the hearing of the assembly, 'If I had known that this was to be all, I would not have taken the trouble to come here!'"

Now, while we participate in the disgust our American brother is said to have expressed at the heartless and vulgar behaviour of the fashionable English who flock to Rome, many of whom know little of Protestantism but its name, yet we cannot but express our regret that a descendant of the Pilgrim Fathers should be found "with his prieDieu and vesper book," seeking for "edification from the public practices of the Roman Church."

To us this seems going very far towards conformity to that wafer worship, which is perhaps the most offensive part of the Roman service; and we regret that the sanction of a learned American of the old Puritan school should give encouragement and hope to a party, that needs not to be stimulated by the poetical enthusiasm of liberal and candid but incautious Protestants. We earnestly hope that the young gentleman who is said not to have returned to America with the same religious convictions he brought to Europe, will not be allowed to corrupt the churches of New England with follies imported either from Oxford or Rome.

LORD CHANCELLOR BROUGHAM'S OPINION OF THE PRESBYTERIANS AND INDEPENDENTS.

When the Solicitor General, Sir C. Pepys, who was of counsel for the Unitarian trustees of Lady Hewley's charity, was arguing the case of his clients, who were defendants in the suit of "The AttorneyGeneral against Shore and others," in a speech of several hours' duration, and delivered with great effect, he endeavoured to show that in her ladyship's days the Presbyterians were opposed to all religious tests, and entertained sentiments of great liberality towards all sects and all sentiments and doctrines whatever, not excluding even the Unitarians; but he was interrupted by the Chancellor, Lord Brougham, who emphatically declared :—

"There never were people more wedded to their own particular dogmas than the Presbyterians, (to do them justice,) or who were less tolerant to the tenets of other people. I speak with all reverence of those men, to whom the liberties of the country and the constitution owe great obligations; though not so great as they owe to the Independents, who were the very founders of the constitution. Whenever the Presbyterian had power he was a very persecuting gentleman. His doctrine was this-Every man has a right to think as he pleases, but no man has a right to think wrong; and he, the Presbyterian, was to judge of that. I assure you that was his way of arguing."

In a subsequent part of the same speech of this learned counsel, his lordship again interposed, and said, "I do not say a word against the Presbyterians, with whom I am nearly connected by blood; and I have a very great regard for them."-Extracts from Mr. Gurney's MS. notes of the hearing on the 28th of June, 1834.

REVIEWS.

The Intercommunity of Churches: a Sermon, preached in the Crescent Chapel, Liverpool, October 11th, 1842, before the representatives of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, assembled in that town. By the Rev. Richard Winter Hamilton, Minister of Belgrave Chapel, Leeds. Published at the unanimous request of that meeting. "Satis jam altercatum et clamatum est."-LUTHER.

London: Hamilton, Adams and Co., and Jackson and Walford; Edinburgh, W. Oliphant and Son; Liverpool, D. Marples; Leeds, J. Y. Knight. 1842.

THIS able and beautiful sermon is founded on several passages in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, and in that to the Ephesians, (1 Cor. xii. 14, 19, 27; Eph. iv. 16;) in which the apostle employs the natural and expressive image of the human body to represent the variety, harmony, and mutual dependence of Christians in the fellowship of a church—“ many members but one body;" and to enforce the duties of peace, sympathy, and order on believers in their relationship and stations in the churches. The primary intention of the apostle in these passages, to illustrate the relations and duties of the members of a particular church among themselves, is first powerfully brought out by the preacher, who thence proceeds by natural analogy and inference to state the connexion, sympathy, and fellowship proper to separate churches towards each other, commencing, in accordance with a natural law of order, with those in nearer neighbourhood, and reaching on in a widening circle, till all are embraced in recognition and love to the utmost extent in which correspondence and fraternity can be maintained-a principle of no less truth than beauty in idea-perfectly harmonious with the Saviour's prayer for the unity of his people— altogether in unison with the purest affections of the Christian heart in its best and most hallowed hours-and in its practical working safe for the liberties, salutary for the peace and prosperity of all the churches. For what is the idea? What is the principle? Oneness of uniformity, government, creed? A proud fabric of human dominion and greatness? Not at all. But the voluntary fellowship of numerous churches, each complete in itself for its own government, surrendering no domestic right when entering on its social duties. Association voluntary in its origin and continuance, aiming at none but common objects, safe and delightful in proportion as it becomes extensive; because the more affection and intercourse expand, the more encroachment on individual rights becomes impracticable. Within a narrow circle influence may become oppressive, even in voluntary associations; in a wider range it

cannot; universal sentiment, far spreading circulation of intelligence, perfect identity of interests throughout the entire fellowship, become guarantees of right, strong in the degree of their extent.

No topic could have been more appropriate for the occasion, or more seasonable for the times. Never was all practicable union and fellowship among Evangelical Protestants more necessary than now. The pressure and alarm resulting from high church pretensions, in their present rampant form, will have wrought a salutary result, should they force on the attention of divided churches the duty and blessedness of union. This delightful theme is, in the discourse before us, discussed with much power of thought, as well as adorned with much felicitous embellishment. To be sure, the able author employs a somewhat peculiar style. His use of words far from familiar, many of them technical, all of them looking strange in the unwonted associations in which they are placed, cannot but be regarded as a defect in writing, even though often skilful, pointed, and forcible. His sentences too are often broken, abrupt, and apparently unconnected. But of all this we make very light. In this conventional age, when everything is smoothed by rule, and ordered by uniform custom, it is a relief to meet with a vigorous mind that has its own style of thought and expression. Mr. Hamilton possesses a manly mind. He thinks for himself, and speaks what he thinks, with courage and force. These are qualities deserving of high estimation. They can only cease to command respect, in an age sunk into feebleness and bondage of thought. For ourselves, we number Mr. Hamilton among the ornaments of our denomination, and acknowledge with gratitude his recent contributions to its literature. The present discourse will sustain his reputation, while it adds to the obligations of his brethren.

It is to be hoped that the sentiment of union will spread and take root in our churches, and among their pastors; that the Congregational churches in all parts of the world will be seen and felt to constitute a community, a Christian body as much united within itself as separated from other denominations by its distinctive views, interests, and objects. There can be no doubt this view will be hailed with joy, and acted upon with vigour, whenever our brethren discern a union of many churches to be compatible with the rights and liberties of each. And surely this beautiful idea will be soon both established in theory, and reduced to practice. For why should not the same churches be for some objects united, while for others they remain distinct? Why cannot they come together for some efforts, and retire again, each to its own home, for other duties? Why may not the fellowship of many churches in union be good and safe for common objects, while the separate communion of each church, for its own affairs, remains as inviolate as it is necessary? And may not this idea of combined liberty and power, the liberty of separate rights and action, the power of

united fellowship and effort, be exactly the thought necessary to fit the Congregational churches for their mission in the world? Have they not a great work to do? Great truths to defend and propagate? Invaluable liberties to protect and extend? Are they in a state for such a mission in this active, eventful age? Hardly. What is wanting to fit them for it? Not less liberty, but a better use of it. Not a Union for the domestic affairs of separate churches, but for the common objects, the public principles of them all, in the spread and prevalence of which we see one great means for the peace and purity of Christendom.

Let the following beautiful paragraphs, with which Mr. Hamilton's discourse closes, be at once a specimen of its excellence, and an admonition of our duties personal, denominational, and public.

"If we feel that we have a special vocation, while it can be none other than a trying duty, to set before Christian communities those principles from which they have fallen, let us execute our trust in the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Whereas the position we are compelled to take might be imputed to the love of censure, might open us to the charge of superciliousness, might fix upon us the suspicion of a repulsive temper and alien mood, let us cultivate towards all others the sentiments of esteem and good-will. Let our differences be unmagnified and unobtruded Be it ours to seize every occasion of the most enlarged intercourse. Oh, it is sweet to have communion with all the faithful of the land, and all the excellent of the earth! The love of Christ warms the heart the more, when we "comprehend it with all saints!" "Love is of God." May our piety increase! May we, however a stirring political crisis has agitated us, and possibly has hurt our former quiet habits, be henceforth more unspotted by the world! Let us, when we enter it, be seen as descending to it! Let that be only our visit, presently to return to a purer home! Most of our wrongs, and of our nation's wrongs, that crisis has redressed. It remains but for us to put forth our principles, peculiar and common, but the common a thousand times more than the peculiar, and we cannot fail in holy meekness to serve our generation, to serve the Lord Christ!

"There is a doctrine which this subject has sometimes been tortured to abet, which is fraught with danger. We have been told that the Christian's is 'a corporate life. Such a statement tends to sink into community all the proper ideas of a personal and experimental religion. There can be no living mass if each particle do not live. Piety in the soul is to be our first care; as it grows it will act from within to all that is relative; it will find its true attractions; but we are bound constantly to remember that an outward reference is far easier than an internal selfdenial; that the one may be a sentimental dissipation of thought, while the other is mortification, struggle, and crucifixion, though not unaccompanied with its joys, yet joys of which only purity can partake; that an active course is far more likely to lead to deception of our state and principle than the keeping of the heart. Our principal business is to be found with them that love Christ, to whom they are always coming; who are so actuated by his motives, that they can say, 'To live is Christ.' Nothing can compensate for this individual jealousy, this interior discipline, this life of faith and holiness. But nothing save this will give our souls the true generous expansion of principle, and yearning toward all the pious and good, or for all the enlarged schemes which they have to execute! When our heart is right, we shall also be federatively right!