please the Lord to send us sufficient resources, we hope to extend our labours to other parts of the metropolis." The Paris correspondent of The Christian Times, writing on the 14th of January, 1850, refers to a new journal, entitled the Napoleon, designed to become the medium of communicating to the public the private opinions of the head of the state, and says, "In this same journal, the Napoleon, we find the following piece of news, which will have already reached you, but which I forward though but to show you how the journal of the President understands religious freedom and equality: During the past week meetings which have been held in the hall of the Rue de l'Aubalète, by one Léon Pilatte, calling himself a minister of the gospel,-meetings in which, under the pretext of discoursing upon religious subjects, the individual just named indulges in political remarks of a nature calculated to excite the hatred of citizens against each other, AND EVEN in attacks upon the catholic religion.' " "You are aware in what an arbitrary manner this place of worship was shut, without previous intimation-and without any legal notification of the facts of the case. The affair has been brought under the notice of M. F. Barrot, who was formerly a warm friend to religious liberty, and who, it is said, is now in a somewhat difficult position. But, as you may suppose, the friends of religious liberty will not fail to use every proper means to secure its triumph. The appeal made by M. Pilatte, from the decision of the judges by whom the cause has been already heard, to the Court of Cassation, came on, unexpectedly, on the 10th Jan.; our friend's counsel, informed of this while on duty as a national guard, addressed the court without preparation, and made a very admirable speech on behalf of his client, but the appeal was rejected; so that the sentence of the court below is confirmed, by which M. Pilatte was condemned in a fine of 200f. A repetition of the offence involves the penalty of imprisonment." The present position of parties in France is anything but satisfactory. The Priest party and the Legitimists are pushing matters to an extreme; and it is the opinion of individuals well able to judge, that an immediate outbreak is impending.-Christian Times, Jan. 18. THE POPE. The pope's return is farther off than ever. He still refuses, they say in Paris, to return to Rome, notwithstanding all the sacrifices made by the French government in reputa The Sémeur contains some interesting intelligence concerning Tahiti. "M. Lavaux, the governor," says the captain of a vessel in the service of the Jesuits, ("Society of Oceania,") "received me politely, talked to me of his projects, and disclosed his plan of opposing English protestantism by French protestantism. He had written to the minister for French protestant ministers to be sent out, considering the time for catholicism not to be yet come at Tahiti. No more than two catholic missionaries were tolerated as chaplains of the garrison, and this on condition that they should make no proselytes among the natives. The French captain found Tahiti far less flourishing than when he left it in 1844. The country, whose resources were not equal to the consumption, seemed exhausted; and the governor appeared to think that the present establishment must sooner or later be abandoned,-indications which destroy all confidence in the minds of the colonists. The statement, that the resources of the country are exhausted, comes with an excellent grace from the men who uprooted or burnt down every fruit-bearing tree that came within the reach of their destructive hands. For the rest, we are glad to have a confirmation from so unexceptionable a source as this Jesuit mariner, of the opinion expressed by another voyager, that the protectorate would soon be found a too expensive toy.-Patriot, Jan. 24. HUNGARY. Hungary has attracted, during some months, the attention and interest of Europe. All were astonished to see a nation which, for so long a time, had scarcely been spoken of, courageously make head against the formidable forces of two powerful empires. The cry which that nation uttered at the moment of her fall has found an echo in the hearts even of those who condemned her, and the blood of some of her boldest defend ers, shed on the scaffold, has produced every-, where a mournful and generous emotion. But it is not sufficiently known that Hungary has especial claims to the interest of evangelical Christians. Four millions of protestants are found among the Maygars, and, but for unheard-of persecutions, nearly all Hungary would be protestant. The misfortunes of protestantism in France, the cruel laws solicited by the priests, granted by the civil power, and executed by the dragoons in different parts of this kingdom, have long since attracted the attention of evangelical Christendom. But if the history of Hungary were known, the misfortunes which our fellow-believers have endured in these remote countries, would, perhaps, surpass in interest those of the Huguenots under the houses of Valois and Bourbon. unhappily perverted by the Jesuits, 'and spurned her from her feet, saying, "Begone, Lutheran prostitute!" Joseph II. restored to the Hungarian protestants, by the edict of toleration, their pastors and their churches, but the oppression under which they had groaned for more than seventy years rendered this benefit almost illusory. It was necessary to procure, on a sudden, nearly 3000 pastors. They accepted all they could find, and put at the head of new churches men who were unworthy. At a later time they founded, at Vienna, a deplorable theological college. The rationalism, the worldliness, the sensuality of the majority of the pastors, did more harm to the evangelical churches of Hungary than persecution itself. The schoolmasters were still worse than the ministers; and if a peasant had a child who was good for nothing, he devoted him to these functions. In this state of things a pious pastor of Hungary, animated by that faith which worketh by love, asked from God a remedy for the miseries of his people. He thought the first thing to be done was to procure for the protestants of Hungary the word of God. The holy scriptures were so scarce there, that when a father of a family died, the brothers, who easily came to an agreement on the division of the worldly property, were often seen to dispute for the bible, and even to carry the affair before the tribunals, which usually ordained that the bible should make the tour of the family, remaining three months in each house. The Magyar pastor at first brought bibles from London, but the second convoy was stopped at Vienna. "We do not want remittances from foreign societies," said the minister of the emperor to our brother. "Ah, well," said the latter, "there is one way of arranging the affair; it is to print the bibles and testaments in Hungary itself." The minister consented; a printing press was founded, and henceforward (for about ten years) 20,000 copies of the holy scriptures have been printed, under the direction of our friend, in six different languages, and have been scattered among the several Magyar nations. At each coronation the king of Hungary ought to take an oath of fidelity to a constitution which guarantees the equality of religious confessions. But, alas! what is this but a constitution for the agents of the papacy! In 1669 (under Leopold I.), at the request of the Jesuits, the evangelical ministers were cited to Presburg. They were imprisoned in the dungeons of Tyrnau; some were constrained to abjure, others were banished, others again, after frightful tortures, were led, loaded with chains, to the galleys of Naples. Some were tormented even to death. From 1712 to 1783, the evangelical churches of Hungary, with very few exceptions, remained destitute of pastors. Some districts, placed under the Turkish dominion, enjoyed religious liberty. But these countries, having returned under the sceptre of their ancient princes, this liberty was torn from them anew. If protestant Christians, excluded from public functions, dared to complain, they were subjected to heavy fines and corporeal penalties. If a Romish procession happened to pass before a protestant temple, and was able to enter, the priest murmured some prayers, and in this way took possession in the name of his church. Such a procession was to be made at Vadasfa; the protestants, fearing that their adversaries coveted their church, surrounded it with carriages, and formed all around it a solid entrench- Still, the wants of the children and of the ment, while they themselves mounted guard schools spoke loudly to the heart of our in the interior. Suddenly the chants re- friend. He resolved to do something to echoed, the grand popish procession ap- remedy the deplorable state of elementary proached. Some of the most zealous of the instruction, and founded an institution for devotees attempted to destroy the entrench-schoolmasters. The buildings which he must ments, and a battle ensued, in which, un-raise required sums which surpassed all his happily, a catholic was killed. Immediately this locality was subjected to military occupation; numerous arrests were made, and the venerable pastor, M. Fabrey, in spite of his innocence, was put in chains himself, in the prisons of the Comitat. His unhappy wife hurried to Vienna, threw herself, with a cry of grief, at the feet of Maria Theresa; but this princess, so gentle, so enlightened, was resources. Twice he thought that he was on the point of seeing all his projects fail; but one day the lord of the place, seeing his grief, took a pen and wrote him an order to take from the forest all the wood necessary for his erections. Another day, our brother, having gone to Silesia to collect, was introduced to the king of Prussia, who was there at the time, and this generous and Christian monarch, having asked him how much he wanted to complete his work, gave him the necessary sum. The institution was founded. Pious and intelligent masters came, especially from Prussia and Saxony, applied themselves to their work, and, taking no part in political matters, henceforth established a useful and Christian system of education. A report on this institution has been made by Dr. Hagenbach and the pastor Le Grand, in the thirteenth circular of the Ecclesiastical Protestant Society of Bâle. One Christian work gives birth to another. Hungarians of a wealthy class having visited the schoolmasters' institution of the Magyar pastor, felt an eager desire to see their sons receive an education as solid and as evan gelical. The place was wanting, but they again set to work, and soon fifty young persons were receiving, in a separate building, instruction very superior to that which they gave them in the Hungarian colleges. The pastor earnestly desired power to do some thing towards training young Christian ministers capable of doing good to the protestant churches of his country, and already, by the goodness of God, some of the young men trained under his direction desire to consecrate themselves to the ministry of the word. We will not mention here all that the Magyar pastor has done for his countrymen. There is scarcely a branch of Christian philanthropy in which he has not rendered some service. He has introduced vaccination into Hungary, though the people entertained the greatest prejudice against it. It has happened that, in one single day, more than three hundred infants have been vaccinated by his hand and that of his wife. In concert with the lords and the peasants he has begun to abolish slavery, by employing means which both the parties interested have found advantageous. He has introduced new methods of agriculture, and has taught his peasants to surround their houses with shrubs and flowers. But it is the present state of the Magyar institution that we desire to make known. The misfortunes which have overwhelmed Hungary have fallen upon it also, and more than once in the course of this year, 1849, its pious directors have thought their work about to be destroyed, but the Lord has come to their aid. In the month of July last, twelve pupils, who had finished their studies, had been dismissed from the establishment to commence their work. The director spoke before a numerous auditory on this text "Keep that which has been committed to thee," and, at the end of his discourse, his tears, and those of all his audience, was the only language heard. Twelve new pupils have been admitted into the establishment; and moreover, several orphans, who have lost their fathers on the battle-field, or on the political scaffold, have there found an asylum. But misfortunes have so abounded in Hungary, that succour has become very rare. The work of our brethren, deprived of the contributions which it once found among Hungarian protestants, claims for this year at least, the subsidies of foreign brethren. Shall it be in vain that Hungary has drawn on herself, in so high a degree, the general attention? Shall not we, the protestants of western Europe, hearken to the voice of our brethren? Shall we not look upon the Magyar church as a member of our own body unknown, almost lost, until this hour, but which now throws itself upon us in the midst of such great sufferings? It is there, stripped, wounded with many blows, left half dead-shall we pass on the other side, like the Levite and the priest ? Shall we not be touched with compassionshall we not bind up its wounds? We will finish with a fragment of a letter, addressed (in French), by the director of the Magyar institution, to the writer of this article, on the 28th September, 1849 : "God, in whom we trust, knows that we desire nothing else than the salvation of souls in Jesus Christ. It is for this alone we labour, it is for this we pray. It is for the protestant church in Hungary that our institutions have been founded, and it is astonishing to see how the Lord has, in so short a time, blessed our work. For four years we have laboured, and more than six hundred young hearts have been instructed by us, not only in all the elements of the sciences, but, above all, in the word of God, which, alas! is too much forgotten in the other schools of our country. We doubt not this seed which we have sown will bear fruit according to the promises of God, and the Lord has already granted us the joy of seeing the first fruits of the harvest which our labours are preparing. Support us this year by the gifts of your charity. So devastated is this country by the consequences of the events which have passed here, that without your aid, we shall not be in a state to maintain our institutions. Should we be forced to interrupt our labours, the most mournful consequences would result. The reign of God, and of his beloved gospel, is at stake, in a country where his Word has subsisted notwithstanding great trials, and where many have made, and still make, a good confession before many witnesses. Dear brethren, it is probable we shall never see each other face to face here below, but before the throne of our Lord we shall bear testimony that your charity has consoled us in our great affliction; and the Lord, who will recompense a cup of cold water given in his name, will richly recompense you for the love you will have testified towards us, in a time when your succour is so necessa ryto us." -Dr. Merle d'Aubigné, in Evangelical Christendom. CORRESPONDENCE. THE BATH SOCIETY FOR AGED MINISTERS, To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine. MY DEAR SIR.-I am glad to see the Society for the relief of Aged and Infirm Baptist Ministers kept before the attention of the denomination in the Magazine. That society has not the measure of support which it needs and deserves. By the foresight and caution of its founders it is so constituted that it must eventually become much more adequate to the support and comfort of its beneficiaries. If their number diminishes there will be the fewer to share its continually augmenting fund, and if they increase they enlarge the amount to be divided. What we earnestly desire to see is, a better immediate provision for our excellent brethren who, by their early and long continued subscriptions, have been providing for succeeding generations as much as for themselves. I expect very little from your correspondents' appeal for collection. That appeal will fail for many reasons, and chiefly, perhaps, because the society before us is not the only one for the same purpose. There are institutions in some of the counties which, though less securely based, yield a larger present result. We wish them success, and we cannot of course expect to share their resources. comfort of Aged and Infirm Ministers is one of the objects of the Particular Baptist Fund, and the friends of our Bath Society will rejoice to know, that out of our twenty-six beneficiaries in the year 1848, (I cannot find my report for 1849), fifteen were aided with the amount of £152. Twelve of the London churches, at this season of the year, collect for the Baptist Fund, and collections for the Bath Society can therefore only be expected in London, from Dr. Cox and Mr. Russell and others who do not unite in this annual effort. The multiply the spheres of denominational action, To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine. DEAR SIR,-The following sentence from dear brother Lillycrop's appeal in the last Magazine, entitles me to say a word in explanation. "For example, a wealthy church which raised £110 for the Foreign mission this year, sent 30 shillings to the Aged Ministers' Fund! not because it was penurious in the cause of God, it is celebrated for its liberality; but on account of that devoted people being wholly unacquainted with the wants of the brethren." The figures identify the church referred to beyond mistake. For the eulogy, your readers must understand that brother Lillycrop has visited Trowbridge with a collecting book in his pocket, and met with a very kind reception. As to the 30 shillings, it is not a collection, but a slice of our yearly associational collection, and it is only the second time that we have made even this small apportionment to the Bath society. The fact is, that this society has been regarded as a benefit society, not as an eleemosynary fund; no appeal has been made in its behalf to my people, and it Will you allow me to express my own is quite true that they are "wholly unopinion, that the proposal to alter the laws of acquainted" with its claims. This wrong I the institution for the sake of aiding those hope to remedy; for I think that churches, who are not its beneficiary members, is whose ministers are beneficiary members, adapted to injure it. I think it will weaken may very gracefully send contributions; but the confidence and attachment of those who I greatly question if such members would do belong to it, and diminish the number of sanction an indiscriminate appeal to the those who will join it, by creating a vague benevolence of the denomination; such an hope that they may perhaps fare nearly as appeal if responded to largely or frequently well without sparing the guinea that can so would alter quite the character of the society. ill be spared. I think that persons from There are ministers in the society who entered whom aid may be expected, will prefer sub-it, not with a view of taking public alms, but scribing to a definite plan for helping such as help themselves; whilst, on the other hand, the various efforts which have been made to of claiming, under certain honourable conditions, equitable dividends. The fund of course, like all funds established for the benefit of disabled public men, may be fitly Your's, Mr. Editor, very truly, ON MINISTERIAL ATTENDANCE AT MIXED MARRIAGES. To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine. DEAR SIR,-The case stated by a country pastor in your last number has occasioned perplexity to many ministers, and its frequent occurrence in our churches is greatly to be lamented; but I think, nevertheless, that he would be fully justified in conducting the marriage service and attending the consequent festivities. would be sinful in any private Christian, and if it is sinful in a Christian it would be sinful in any one else. If it be morally wrong in a minister to marry a couple when he thought them on scriptural grounds "unequally yoked," it would be equally wrong in a Registrar to marry them if he had the same opinion, and if all men were to act upon these convictions of duty, and assume that it is their duty to judge for others, it would just come to this, that whenever any two were about to engage themselves to one another, they must first of all ascertain if the minister or registrar would have any conscientious scruples to marry them. Let no one say the registrar could not object, as he is obliged to perform the ceremony by virtue of his office, whatever may be his own opinion; for that is just saying that the mere circumstance of presiding at the ceremony does not necessarily imply an approval of it, and that if the minister had happened to be registrar he would have been justified in officiating; but if the registrar's officiating at a marriage does not imply that he considers it acceptable to God, why should a minister's officiating be so regarded unless he actually say so? However painful the service might be to his feelings, he might still conduct it without guilt on his own conscience. If, however, neither of the cases supposed above meets the one in hand, but the minister fully believes that there is no error of judg she is fully convinced that her intended partner is in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity, and yet wilfully and deliberately engages herself to him in opposition to her own belief of what the New Testament requires, then it is evident that the one is no better than the other, the only difference being that she makes a profession of religion and he does not, and therefore the sooner she withdraws from the church the better, and then the minister, if still requested to do so, may marry them with perfect consistency as worldly people. As the command is given in general terms to marry "only in the Lord," the parties themselves must judge as to the evidence of this fact, and not the minister or the church with which either of them may be connected; and where partiality decides, a favourable opinion may be given with allment on the part of his young friend, but that sincerity when it would not be confirmed by any disinterested judge. Under such circumstances great allowance should be made for credulity. If the lady in question seriously thinks that the gentleman to whom she is engaged has the faith of the gospel, though it be as a grain of mustard seed, that is sufficient to justify her marriage with him, as far as the principles of the New Testament are involved, even though she may be mistaken in the judgment which she has formed; and, therefore, that is sufficient to justify the attendance of her minister on the occasion. If she was engaged to him previous to her own conversion, she may feel that her vow is still binding upon her, and that therefore it would be wrong in her to draw back. She may be mistaken or not, but still she fully believes that truth and faithfulness require the fulfilment of her promise, and therefore the minister may officiate with all propriety, feeling that the responsibility of deciding the case of conscience does not rest with him, and at the same time giving full credit for conscientiousness to his young friend. If the responsibility of deciding whether a marriage is in conformity with the New Testament be not restricted to the parties themselves, but assumed also by others, a train of evils and inconsistencies will immediately arise. Whatever moral law is binding on one man is binding on another. If an action be sinful in a Christian minister it I see no alternative. If there be sin in the marriage so that a minister feels he cannot be a partaker of it by his presence at it, then the party ought to be separated from the church as for any other wilful and deliberate sin; and if there be no sin, then the minister may officiate without hesitation at the service; but to keep aloof from a marriage on the ground that it is sinful, and yet pass over it in the church as if it was not sinful at all is surely the height of inconsistency. "the Your correspondent states, that gentleman is of moral character though he gives no evidence of being a new creature." I can see no difference in the principle between marrying a moral and an immoral man, so long as he is evidently unconverted. The only difference is this, that his morality may make the lady more readily hope that he is after all really renewed; and that |