Che Religious World.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Some valuable statistics relating to our own branch of the Church of Christ, prepared for this Magazine, will be found on another page. We shall give in future numbers a full statistical view of the principal denominations of Christians throughout the world.

LECTURES.—An interesting series of lectures on the evidences of Christianity, to be delivered by ministers of the Presbyterian Church, at the University of Virginia, has been commenced. These lectures have been arranged under the auspices of the chaplain, who, according to annual rotation, is this year a Presbyterian. It is a part of the plan that when the chaplaincy shall be filled by another church, a similar course shall be delivered by members selected from that church.

1. Introductory: Man's Responsibility for his belief. Rev. W. S. Plumer, D. D., Baltimore, Md.

2. The Necessity of a Revelation: And the condition of man without it. Rev. A. B. Van Zandt, Petersburg, Va.

3. Miracles: Their nature, and the possibility of verifying them. Hume, &c. Rev. Henry Ruffner, D. D., Lexington, Va.

4. Prophecy: The argument from. Rev. A. T. McGill, D. D., Western Theological Seminary, Alleghany, Pa.

5. The Canon of Scripture: History of the text. Preservation. Integrity. The hand of God manifested. Rev. F. S. Sampson, D. D., Union Theological Seminary, Prince Edward, Va.

6. Internal Evidences, in general. Rev. R. J. Breckenridge, D. D., Lexington, Ky.

7. Internal Evidences, in a particular point, viz., The argument from the character of our blessed Lord. Rev. J. W. Alexander, D. D., Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, N. J.

8. The Success of Christianity, as affording an argument. Otherwise an effect without an adequate cause. Gibbon's famous chapter answered. Rev. M. D. Hoge, Richmond, Va.

9. Inspiration of the Scriptures. Morell's Theory examined and refuted. Rev. T. V. Moore, Richmond, Va.

10. The Nature of Christianity. Shown to be a perfect and final system of faith and practice, and not a form in transitu to a higher and more complete development of the Religious Idea. Vide Carlyle's View, Morell's, Bailey's (in Festus), and an article in the Westminster Review. Rev. John Miller, Philadelphia, Pa.

11. Objections to Christianity. (1) Objections from Science. The Geological Argument; the Ethnological Argument; the Astronomical Argument, &c. Rev. L. W. Green, D. D., Hampden Sidney College, Prince Edward, Va.

12. Objections to Christianity. (2) Objections from other sources. Popular objections. Rev. B. M. Smith, Staunton, Va.

13. Difficulties of Infidelity. The war carried into the adversary's camp. Rev. Stuart Robinson, Frankfort, Ky.

14. Effects of Christianity. Differing from 7, supra, in representing the moral effects of revelation on the individual, and on society. Rev. N. L. Rice, D. D., Cincinnati, O.

The Lectures to be published in a volume. Vol. I.-No. 1.

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Brick Church, New York.-A series of lectures on "First Things" has been' commenced at the Old Brick Church, by the pastor, the Rev. Gardner Spring, D. D. Forty-five years ago, Father Sewall, of Maine (lately gone to rest), preached a sermon in Newburyport, Mass., which was blessed by the Spirit of God in impressing the importance of the Christian ministry upon the mind of one, who was destined to be among the ablest and most distinguished ministers of the age. Gardner Spring, then a young man in college and a member of the church, never lost the deep impressions made by that sermon. The text was from the passage in Isaiah, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters." The anecdote that has been going around the papers, ascribing to Father Sewall's sermon the whole instrumentality of bringing Dr. Spring into the church and the ministry is, therefore, incorrect. The sermon, however, had an important agency in exalting the claims of the ministry. Dr. Spring, on graduating, pursued the study of the law, and commenced its practice in New Haven. But he did not feel at home in his profession, and loved the prayer-meetings, the visitation of the sick and of the poor, &c., more than the court-room. About this time (1808) the Rev. Dr. John M. Mason preached in New Haven his famous sermon, "To the poor the gospel is preached." The young lawyer, who was one of the audience, was melted to tears, and to a prayerful re-examination of duty in regard to his profession. The result was the determination to abandon the law and to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.

The Rev. Dr. Spring has now been the pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church for about forty years; and after the cares and rewards of a long ministerial life, still preaches with a vigour of intellect that makes his last his best days.

The writer happened to hear the first of the series of discourses on "First Things," which the Doctor is now engaged in delivering. His subject was the pre-eminence of God. He showed that God was before all things in the eternity of His existence, the excellence of His nature, the authority of His government, and the end of life to His creatures. In the second place, the Doctor remarked that this pre-eminence was practically enforced by Scripture, and by our obligations to God, as Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer. This pre-eminence, too, was absolute, universal, and everlasting. In the conclusion of the discourse, the Doctor alluded in a touching manner to the fact that all mankind had come short of the homage due to the King of kings, but there was "forgiveness with Him that He might be feared." I never was more fully impressed with the truth that the pulpit is "the minister's throne," that adequate preparation for the sanctuary is one of the secrets of personal influence, official power, and general usefulness.

Lectures in the Central Church, Philadelphia.-A series of sermons to young men has been arranged for the Sabbath evenings during the winter, in the Central Presbyterian Church, on Eighth street. The Rev. William H. Green, the pastor, delivered the first in the course, and the Rev. Drs. C. C. Jones and William W. Phillips have also preached. Dr. Plumer and other distinguished ministers are expected to follow. Great good may result from such a course. The church should always be doing her utmost to excite a religious interest in the community. Church enterprise is as necessary as mercantile or any other enterprise.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH STATISTICS.-(1.) In the following table, W. C. is not counted when the individual is statedly employed in any ecclesiastical service. (2.) Chaplains, D. M., and colporteurs marked as S. S. (3.) Teachers are kept distinct, even when marked S. S. (4.) The numbers do not always add up right, because several ministers are in transitu, three small Presbyteries make no report, five names appear twice on the minutes, and the foreign missionaries are in some cases counted in their Presbyteries at home. Statistics of the Presbyterian Church by Synods, 1849-50.

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

STATISTICS.-The following are the numbers of the Ministers and Members of the Methodist Episcopal Church North:

METHODIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARIES.-The Northern Christian Advocate states that the General Conference of the Methodist Church received,

with considerable favour, a proposition to establish a Theological Seminary in Western New York. The editor thinks the project will be supported by the neighbouring Annual Conferences.

This Church already has a Theological Institute at Concord, New Hampshire. Among its regulations, the students are required to preach before the classes in the Institute on Tuesday and Friday mornings; this they do in rotation. They are also required to write plans of public discourses more or less frequently, as well as to write essays on theological subjects. NORTH WEST COLLEGE.-The Methodists have resolved to establish a College at Chicago, in which the Conferences of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa will unite.

PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

Triennial Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.-This Convention was held in Cincinnati ; the sermon was preached by the Right Rev. Bishop Smith, of Kentucky, from Ephesians, 3d chapter, 10th verse-"To the intent that now unto principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God." The preacher, after alluding to the grander, but more familiar topics, which the text suggested in connexion with the great work thus assigned to the Church, selected for his theme, "The peculiar work and vocation of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States." This he defined to be

1. To re-assert the doctrines of Grace, apart from the arbitrary definitions and dogmatic formulas by which they have been encumbered since the Reformation.

2. To restore the primitive order of the Church of Christ.

3. To bear witness to the importance of her unity.

4. To revive and exemplify the true notion of the Church's care for little children.

5. To bear testimony to the principles of just toleration with regard to mere matters of opinion, and to set the example of forbearance as regards differences on those subjects upon which unity is clearly impossible.

The importance of clearly knowing and faithfully endeavouring to fulfil this vocation was set forth by reference to the law of progress, by which man is gradually advancing to that condition in which it is the design of his Creator ultimately to place him.

The other evangelical churches in the land will cordially co-operate with the Episcopal in fulfilling the vocation above specified, according to their ability. As Presbyterians, however, we shall decline interfering with the formulas of the Reformation; and we think that our Episcopal brethren have no better vocation than to maintain the doctrines of grace as set forth in the thirty-nine articles, which have of late been much encumbered with the formulas of Puseyism. The Convention authorized the Diocese of New York to elect an acting Bishop.

The New York Convention met on the 27th of November, to elect a Bishop. Dr. Seabury was the favourite with the High Church party; but failing to obtain a majority of either the clergy or laity, he was withdrawn after the second ballot. Dr. Williams, President of Trinity College, Hartford, obtained a majority of the laity, and on the second ballot came within three votes of obtaining a majority of the clergy. The High Church party then nominated Bishop Southgate, and afterwards Dr. Creighton, both of whom successively obtained a majority of the clergy; but the laity,

who represented the churches, adhering to Dr. Williams, the Convention finally adjourned without effecting a choice.

Arrears of Ministers.-The Episcopal Convention of Pennsylvania are in the habit of reporting, in their annual statistics, the amount in which each church is in arrears for the salary of its minister; and it is worthy of notice, that the aggregate arrears thus reported are, as might be expected, exceedingly small.

ENGLAND.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND.--The sad decline from Protestantism that has been going on for some years in the Church of England, is now making it a nursery for the Church of Rome. Great injury has been done to the cause of evangelical religion by the Puseyites. Dr. Pusey, as Regius Professor at Oxford University and Canon of Christ Church, receives a salary of 2000l. a year, or about $10,000; and yet he is Romanizing the Church of England with an assiduity apparently proportionate to his obligations not to do so. The following letter from one of our correspondents contains thoughts that will be read with interest:

"O for the heavenly art of training up our children to cling to spiritual things; to climb up towards God and bear fruit to his glory! Is it not fearful to think of such men as the Wilberforces, educated under a parental influence so pure, so free, so catholic, so evangelical, going down from Gospel light and liberty into the "hold of every foul spirit and cage of every unclean and hateful bird!" And that, too, just (as it seems) on the verge of the period when the cry shall be heard, uttered "mightily with a loud voice, Babylon the great is fallen-is fallen!" How little we know what may become of our beloved children, or what they may become! Yet this, after all, is not faith's view of the matter. "The promise of God standeth sure.' We have but to bring them up strong in the truth as it is in Jesus, (not in rubrics and rituals,) thoroughly grounded in a knowledge of the reason of the faith that is in them, and as free as possible from all human addenda and appendages, and God will surely take what he commands us to give. I verily believe that in the point I have just alluded to, lies the only possible explanation of the sad and awful apostasy of the Wilberforces.-The attempt to reconcile apostolic succession and ritualism with scriptural Christianity, is just the thing to make "Slippery Sams," and, in the end, when they have slipped too far, apostates from faith and from God. I spent some time with this young man, (H. W.,) at Geneva and thereabouts, in 1831. He was then just leaving the University. In speaking of his future profession, he said "the Church afforded but a poor prospect, as his own fortune was impaired, and he feared these people (the Reformers) would not rest till they had stripped her of her funds!" With such views of the Ministry, it is not so much to be wondered at, that it has proved to him the avenue to Rome."

CHURCH OF ROME IN ENGLAND.-A new British Geography, by the Pope. One of the most curious geographical specimens of the times is the new map of England, executed in scarlet, by Pope Pius IX. The queen's territory has been subjected to a new survey, and the whole country dotted out into spiritual shires. Twelve Popish bishoprics have been established, and one archbishopric, of which Cardinal Wiseman has been made incumbent. Historical illustrations accompany the geography, in the course of which the Pope recounts the efforts of Romanism in the land. He closes by saying: "Remarking that every day the obstacles are falling off which stood in the way of the Catholic religion, we have thought that the time was come when the form of ecclesiastical government should be resumed in England." "And in order to obtain the most abundant succour of celestial