time; and the sites of several others have been discovered. It will give us a sufficiently dreadful idea of the rites of the Druids, and the religious customs of our Pagan ancestors, to know that they were in the frequent if not constant practice of offering human sacrifices. That this was their practice, is certain from the testimony of all credible historians, ancient and modern, who have treated the subject. Cesar, speaking of the inhabitants of Gaul and Britain, with whom he had the best opportunity of being acquainted, says, "They are much addicted to superstition; and for this cause, those who are afflicted with a dangerous disease often sacrifice a man for their recovery. In this business they employ the ministry of the Druids; because these have declared to them, that the anger of the immortal gods cannot be appeased so as to spare the life of one man, but by the life of another."-Suetonius assures us that the Druids sacrificed men; and says that Mercury is the god to whom they offered them.-"Pliny asserts, that they considered it as a part of their most solemn and most obligatory religion, to put men to death; and that to feed upon their dead bodies, they esteemed most wholesome. The human victims were in general selected from among the criminals; but when none of these were to be had, they did not scruple to sacrifice innocent persons."-Lucan, in his description of a grove in which the Druids performed their rites, after stating that the trees were so thick and interwoven that the rays of the sun could not penetrate through their branches, adds, "there was nothing to be seen there but a multitude of altars, upon which the Druids sacrificed human victims, whose blood turned the very trees of a horrid crimson colour."

Diodorus Siculus states it as the general object of

these sacrifices, that "by the falling of the victim, or the tearing of his members, or the manner in which his blood gushed out, they might consult what measures to take, or learn what was to befal them."

Both Goldsmith and Hume, speaking in their respective histories concerning the Druids, say, "No species of superstition was ever more terrible than theirs. They sacrificed human victims, which they sometimes burned in large wicker cages, made so capacious as to contain a multitude of persons at once, who were thus consumed together. And besides these severe penalties which they were permitted to inflict in this world, they inculcated the eternal transmigration of souls, and thus extended their authority as far as the fears of their votaries. They were dreaded and almost adored by the people."-The Editors of the new Edinburgh Encyclopædia give us the following account, relative to this subject. "The most horrid of the superstitious rites of the Druids consisted in human sacrifices. The victim or victims, for there were sometimes several, were enclosed in a large figure resembling a man, formed of osier twigs; or according to some authors, they were simply wrapped round with hay. In this state, fire was applied, and they were reduced to ashes."--Another historian has observed, The people were so devoted to this shocking custom of human sacrifices, that no business of any moment was transacted among them, without being prefaced by the blood of men. The altars, where these offerings were made, were far removed from the common resorts of mankind, being situated in the depth of woods, that the surrounding gloom might add to the horror of the operation, and give a reverence to the place and the proceeding.". -When Professor Silliman was in England, he

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visited one of these mysterious and awful retreats of the ancient Druids. Here" he saw a vast stone or altar, on the face of which a cavity was scooped out, so shaped as just to receive an extended human body." In this cavity, it is likely multitudes of human victims have been stretched, and their life blood spilled. It is evidence of the horrible nature of the superstition here described, that the Romans, who were proverbially tolerant toward the different species of idolatry practised in their provinces, were excited to vengeance by the cruelties of the Druids, and attempted to put an end to them by force.

Do we shudder, my brethren and friends, in view of the abominations and cruelties which have been here described? Let us bear in mind then who were their authors, and to whom they belonged. It was not to a stranger, but to our natural ancestors—the fathers and mothers from whom we are lineally descended. Yes, my friends, in tracing back our genealogy but a few centuries, we arrive at the very scenes which have been described, and may behold our own progenitors partakers in them! We may behold our own father lifting the bloody knife, and plunging it into the heart of his victim; or sinking perhaps himself beneath the stroke of a Druidical priest! We may behold him kindling the fire which is to consume a trembling prisoner to ashes; or himself confined in the "wicker cage," involved in smoke, and flames, and death!!-Who, my brethren, extinguished these awful fires? What angel of mercy cut down these unhallowed groves, overturned the bloody altars, and put an end to these horrid, superstitious rites? What rescued our fathers, and through them saved us, from terrors and woes such as have been described ?-It was, my brethren, the Bible, the gos

pél. It was the benign and saving influence of the Christian religion.

Hence, our second general inquiry must be an interesting one; How did our fathers become acquainted with this heavenly religion? When, and by what means, were they brought to a knowledge of Christianity?

The precise time of the introduction of the gospel into England, is unknown. It is thought by some to have been preached there by the Apostle Paul, or by those who had received instruction from him, during the first century of the Christian era; but this is not sufficiently ascertained. We have conclusive evidence however, not only of its existence, but of its having made considerable progress, in the second century. So far as appears, it continued to be cherished and propagated, particularly in the Southern parts of the island, so long as the Romans retained possession of the country. But when the Roman garrisons were withdrawn in the fifth century, and England was invaded, first by the Scots and Picts from the north, and afterwards by the Saxons from the continent, all of whom were inveterate idolaters, Christianity suffered a dreadful repulse, and was even well nigh extirpated. Nevertheless it soon began to triumph over its Pagan invaders and enemies, and those who had sought its overthrow became its avowed supporters and friends.-About the commencement of the sixth century, forty preachers were sent to England from Rome. The labors of these men were eminently successful, and by their means. Christianity gained such an ascendancy, that it could be shaken no more. It was long, however, before idolatry and heathenism were entirely rooted out. So late as the tenth century, the worship of idols was

continued in some parts, and was prohibited by the laws.

As to the manner in which our forefathers became acquainted with Christianity, there can be no dispute. It was through the labors and sufferings of Missionaries. The first Ministers of the everlasting gospel among them must have been Missionaries to the heathen; and the forty preachers, who in the beginning of the sixth century were sent from Rome, were of the same class. They where not Pastors, for there were neither parishes nor Churches over which they could be established,-but Missionaries, sent forth to scatter the light of truth in regions of deep and awful darkness.

That our forefathers received their knowledge of Christianity through the efforts of Missionaries, is certain from the nature of the case. They could have received it in no other way. Their lot was cast at a great distance from Jerusalem, where the gospel was first promulged. Immense regions of spiritual darkness and death lay between them and the rising light of heaven. How was this intervening darkness dispelled? How were these wide spread regions of idolatry penetrated? How did the light of truth reach their distant and benighted abodes in the West of Europe? It must have been by the efforts of Missionaries. The Churches already established must have made it their object, not only to preserve religion among themselves, but to extend its heavenly blessings to others. Missionaries in great numbers must have been raised up and sent forth into the field of spiritual conflict. Conquest after conquest was gained; Church after Church was planted; the star which rose in the East scattered its rays farther and farther to the West, till at length it beamed on German and British