forma; and he cught first to promise that he will himself try, as well as he can, to do the duties of a sponsor, and read (or get read to him) the Service for the Public Baptism of Infants. When a mother asks any persons to be sponsors to her child, she ought to promise that she will not throw any hinderances in the way of their fulfilling their duties, and that she will do all she can to help them in it. These arrangements should be made before the child is born. The Book of Common Prayer tells us how soon afterwards it should be sent to the Church to be baptized. "The Curates of every Parish shall often admonish the people, that they defer not the baptism of their children | longer than the first or second Sunday next after their birth, or other holyday falling between, unless upon a great and reasonable cause, to be approved by the Curate."* From this it appears, that no child should be left unbaptized so long as one fortnight.t The time should be fixed, the sponsors provided, and everything settled, at least a week before the baptism; that they may have time to consider their duties, and prepare themselves by prayer and meditation. Notice of the intended baptism, and of the sponsors provided, should be given to the clergyman full four days beforehand, that he may have time to inquire whether they are fit and proper persons. If they live at a distance, a longer notice should be given. It would be well if those who are to be godfathers and godmothers would come to the clergyman orce or twice before, to be put into the way of doing their duties rightly. When a religiously-minded person willingly consents to stand for a neighbour's child, that it may be earlier brought to baptism, and with the intention of helping to train it up in the love and fear of God, we may be sure * Rubric at the beginning of the Office for the Private Baptism of Children. + If it be said that a mother cannot herself come so soon after her confinement, the Church has provided for this, by directing that "no parent shall be urged to be present" when her child is baptized. that our Lord looks with approval upon such an act of neighbourly kindness, and will help and prosper his good intentions. Surely no Christian parents would leave their children a moment longer than they could possibly help, under God's wrath, and in the power of the devil, particularly when our Lord Jesus Christ invites them to bring them to holy baptism, that they may be made God's children, received into His grace and favour, and obtain a new nature, forgiveness of sin, union with Christ through His Church, and a heavenly inheritance. That you may not have any such grievous neglect to answer for at the last day, is the heartfelt wish of Your spiritual pastor, THEOPHILUS PELLY. It were difficult to exceed this effort to magnify the ordinance of baptism to most exaggerated and pernicious dimensions, lifting the act itself to the very heavens, and, by consequence, exalting the creature that performs it. The notion of parents running about five months before the child is born, in quest of fit persons to stand for godfathers and godmothers, is something too ludicrous to be gravely talked about. The poor creature who should do this, would be in danger of having her perfect soundness of mind questioned by her discreet neighbours. There is also an improvement here upon the usual system. It is actually provided, that godfathers and godmothers, should they be busy, or lazy, or absent, may do the thing by proxy! Thus the absurdity is doubled. The notion, too, of a mother promising to throw no hinderance in the way of the sponsors training up her children, is curious, were it not so absurd. What if the sponsors should die? what if they should remove to a distance? what if they and the parents should birth of the said Richard Baundy, I have extracted and signed this 18th day of April, in the year of the Church, 1850. "2s. 6d." "R. S. HAWKER, "Vicar of Mowenston." quarrel? what if they should get banished? or, worse still, what if they should turn Dissenters ? The notion of the godfather and godmother repairing to the parsonage once and again, that they may be indoctrinated with their duties, is another stroke worthy of its author. But the close is dreadful! The notion that new-born infants are "under God's wrath, and in the power of the devil," till baptized by a priest of the Church of England, is fearful! It is impious! It is an insult to the reason of mankind, and not greatly mitigated is the wickedness of the assertion, that, on being so bap. tised, the child is "received into His grace and favour, and obtains a new nature, forgiveness of sin, union with Christ through his Church, and a hea-village not far from Bristol, I looked venly inheritance." This is dreadful language, and yet such is the language of a State-paid priest-such is the doctrine of the Church of England-and such the pestilent error now being taught to the great majority of the English nation. How long is this system to be endured? Instead of error being dissipated by time, it seems to become daily more and more rampant. We have received from a correspondent the following certificate of baptism recently made out by a clergyman in Devonshire, a grandson of the late Dr. Hawker: "COPY. "No. 16-August the 29th, 1813. Richard, son of Richard and Sally Baundy, Little Dean, Husbandman.” "I certify that the above transcript is a true and literai copy by me made from the Sacred Registry of Regeneration, commonly called Baptism, in the Church of Mowenston, in the Diocese of Exeter, for the day and year above written. And this certificate of the second What anxiety this displays! Here is "Sacred Registry of Regeneration" -here is the "Certificate of the second birth." This Rev. Gentleman seems to determine that there is no mistake, can be no mistake, and shall be no mistake. The child is a new creature and heir of heaven, gainsay it who may! SPECIMEN OF BAPTISMAL As I was last week passing through a into the doorway of a miserable hovel, So here was a child telling us the was a member of Christ by baptism, and did not know who Christ was! Yet, in spite of this ignorance of the very elements of Christian knowledge, this child, according to the teaching of the Church of England, was a "child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven!" H. ECCLESIASTICAL RECONCILIATION. Transubstantiation and Baptismal Regeneration; in a Conversation between a HighChurch Tractarian Priest and a Romish Priest. HIGH-CHURCH PRIEST. BROTHER, forgive me if I ask A little information Respecting what most staggers us,- Before your blessing both agree If such a change were wrought indeed, Yet when your priestly blessing's o'er, 'T were very rude to doubt your word, ROMISH PRIEST. Before I venture to explain, And when you give an answer plain, You hold a doctrine like our own, That you can change an infant's soul The bread we change was made by man; How does the water touch the soul, And change its nature too! Or does your word affect the whole? And when the child has pass'd the font, HIGH-CHURCH PRIEST. I own you press me rather hard- ROMISH PRIEST. Exactly so; but you are wrong To think that we can change; They go off together. THE CONCLUSION. Between the two it seem'd most clear He might the Papacy prefer, Soon, therefore, he who lov'd the mass The Letter Box. PRAYER-MEETINGS. SIR,-The importance and necessity | prayerful, they contain no promise of of prayer will not be disputed by any serious and enlightened mind. Though the Divine Being is intimately acquainted with the necessities of men, he has in his good pleasure seen fit to require that he be "inquired of" concerning the things which they need. Hence, while the Scriptures are full of encouragement to the diligent and blessings for the prayerless and indifferent. If a man ask of God, he shall receive; if he knock, it shall be opened unto him; if he draw near to God in prayer, in a proper manner, he shall be heard, and his petitions be granted, so far as is consistent with the Divine will. But he who will not pray, has not the slightest reason to complain if all spiritual blessings are withheld | prosperity of his cause. He who has from him, because he wilfully neglects commanded us to pray is infinitely an obvious and known duty. The good, wise, and powerful, and will cersame observation applies with equal tainly fulfil his promises. No impedipropriety to the case of a Church. If ments are too great for his might and persons professing godliness, and asso- his truth to overcome. There is, ciated together as a Christian Church, therefore, ample encouragement for are not united in the spirit and exer- earnest and importunate supplication. cise of prayer for the advancement of Let us perform our duty, and leave God's cause, all expectations of his results with God; being assured that blessing are vain. It will, therefore, ge- he will arrange all things for the best, nerally be found that spiritual weakness and without fail accomplish his own and declension characterise Churches gracious purposes. of this description. There are one or two things which operate to prevent many from valuing meetings for prayer, as they deserve. 1. A want of reflection. Some do not sufficiently consider their obligations in this respect. They appear to forget that, as the professed followers of Christ, they are required to use every means of extending to their fellow-men the great benefits of the Christian salvation. Had they a more powerful impression of the melancholy condition of millions who have no saving knowledge of God, they would be led more frequently to join their brethren in supplication for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the conversion of sinners. Want of feeling and of action is sure to be produced by the absence of thought or reflection. The man who is most assiducus in attending meetings for prayer, and whose heart is in the matter, is one who ponders deeply the state of the world which lieth in wickedness, and thinks much and reverently of God's claims on his services. 2nd. Unbelief, or a weakness of faith. Some, when they look around and see the obstacles which oppose the progress of the Gospel at home, and then think of the thick darkness which pervades the heathen world, are discouraged, and conclude that they can do nothing effectually to remove these hinderances. Such persons have generally low views of the power of prayer. Some, perhaps by constitution, have a natural tendency to this kind of unbelief; but, unquestionably, it should be resisted in every instance. The pray ers of the most humble and illiterate Christian, if offered aright, are acceptable to God, and contribute to the 3rd. Lukewarmness. Where the heart and affections are deeply imbued with true religion, there can be no indifference to prayer, private or public. But lukewarmness is fatal to genuine piety in all its manifestations. No wonder, then, that the lukewarm are neglecters of meetings for prayer. In fact, they relish none of the means of grace as they ought; their spiritual sympathies are dull; their views of divine things are contracted and obscure; they have no animating zeal for the progress of the Redeemer's kingdom, and so are not found diligent in promoting its interests. Lukewarm professors have always, in various modes, done much evil to Christianity. Speaking of such characters, Christ says, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. So, then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth." TEACHERS' PRAYER-MEETINGS. SIR,-Will you allow me to say a few words on a subject of vital importance to the interests of sabbath-schools ?-I mean Teachers' Prayer-Meetings. I am aware that much has been said and written on this point, but very much yet remains to be done; for it is certain the practice of teachers meeting at stated times to implore the Divine blessing on their work, is by no means general; and perhaps much of the general complaint of want of success may be traced to this cause-the neglect of prayer. Let me then earnestly and affectionately entreat my fellowlabourers to give the subject a fair and candid consideration. Permit me then, dear friends, to ask if you have ever duly considered the ultimate object of our teaching? It is not to keep children out of mischief, who would otherwise be running about the streets; it is not to give instruction in reading and singing, or to fix in the memory a few Bible texts. These are not our objects. We are seeking the immediate conversion of our scholars to God, and their establishment in eminent and devoted piety. But a great obstacle stands in the way of the accomplishment of this design. These children, however amiable, however affectionate, even those who seem "made up of innocence and love," have all wicked hearts, averse to God, and everything holy; and before they can possibly enter heaven, these hearts must be changed, their whole moral nature must be completely renovated. This change it is not in our power to produce. We may teach with an angel's capabilities, and an angel's heart too, from noon till midnight, and from midnight till noon again, but all will be to no purpose. God must do the work, if ever it be done at all. But fully as we believe this truth, we do not more fully believe it than we do the fact that God will answer our prayers, and bestow this Divine influence, so necessary to the regeneration of the heart, freely and graciously, whenever it is earnestly and sincerely sought. Is it not then an act of great inconsistency to profess a desire for our children's conversion, while we do not pray for it? But perhaps you say, We pray at home. I hope you do; and sure I am, no man who does not is fit to be a Sunday-school teacher. But then let us remember, special blessings are promised to united prayer. Hear the Saviour's words on this subject in Matt. xviii. 19. We all believe in the superiority of social to individual prayer. If we do not, why do we set apart a day for all our Churches to pray unit. edly for missions in heathen lands? And how is it we were lately called upon to humble ourselves as a nation before God, and as a nation to seek His favour? Let us act on the same principle in regard to our schools, and the happiest results will be certain to follow. to I foresee an objection that may be made to this. Even if we were to have social prayer-meetings, we do not think any great good would ensue; for pious teachers pray as it is, and those who are unconverted would not pray in a meeting, among others, any more than they do at home, alone. While they remain unconverted they would not. But do you not perceive that I am advocating the most likely means secure their conversion? Perhaps the great reason why we have so many unconverted teachers, is, that we do not pray for them. Now, if we have Teachers' Prayer-meetings, one point on which our petitions must bear will be the salvation of those teachers who have not yet given their hearts to the Saviour. Can God's people pray, and pray in vain, when he says, "Every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth," &c.? They Great benefits also must accrue to them from the indirect influence of these meetings. We are all apt to forget the main object of our labours. We lose the end in the means. And this is more especially the case with those teachers who are yet without the hope of heaven themselves. particularly are in danger of forgetting that their object should be to guide little children to the fold of Jesus, in compliance with His parting injunction. What can tend more powerfully to bring and keep this glorious object before them than a weekly meeting to pray that it may be attained? I can hardly imagine a reflective person attending such meetings, if they be wellconducted, without feeling his own incompetency for the work he has undertaken. He must feel that he cannot pray; and as for teaching the way of salvation to others, he does not even know it himself. And may we not hope that this will lead, under the blessing of God, to examination and decision ? We now all acknowledge that teachers without piety are nearly useless (some think worse than useless), |