of condolence, addressed by him to the countess, is given, dated "St. James's place, 14th November, 1746." It is added in a note"He was one of the first members of the Methodist Society in Fetterlane, and with Sir John Phillipps, of Picton Castle, also a member of the same society, very useful in aiding and encouraging the labours of Mr. Whitefield and the Wesleys. He was a correspondent of the celebrated Griffith Jones, whom he assisted in the establishment of his Welsh schools, and of Dr. Doddridge; and a letter from him to Mr. Wesley appears in an early volume of the Methodist Magazine.' His death, which occurred in 1748, was a great loss to the early Methodists. He was twice married, and left five children,". "three children by his first lady, and two by his second." We, therefore, feel little hesitation in identifying Mr. Whitefield's "Squire Thorold". with Sir John, the friend of the Earl of Huntingdon, although there is some obscurity about it; for the editor of "Doddridge's Letters" says, that "Sir John Thorold was high sheriff for the county of Lincoln, 1723" if so, how could he be plain John Thorold, Esq. in 1736?

Windsor, August 26, 1737.

DEAREST SIR,-Did you receive Mr. Ingham's letter? By the good providence of a gracious God I returned safe to this place from Oxford last night, when I found your letter. For reasons you can easily guess, I would not have you mention any. thing relating to M-y in your letters, at least for the present. I shall take an opportunity of letting you have what you intimate. O continue your prayers for me and mine! I doubt not but God will hear you and answer you at last. O may faith and love be the blessed means of knitting our hearts to our God, and bringing us more and more to the image of Jesus Christ! May the blessed power of the Holy Spirit own your sermons that are lately printed. I like that on regeneration. The other I have not seen. Do you go to Dummer, or are you to continue at London? The Lord thy God be with thee, whithersoever thou goest! Oh! may our friendship remain unbroken, never forgotten by us may we love as brethren, and live and die unto the Lord! Remember, I am yours in Christ Jesus,

Rev. G. Whitefield.

J. THQROLD.

Windsor, September 2, 1737. DEAREST SIR,-I hope, by the will of God, to see you face to face on Tuesday next; be so kind as to be with me that evening between seven and eight o'clock. If you find me not within, stay till I come; though I purpose, with Divine leave, to be at home before that hour. The family where you lodge need not sit up for you that night. O may our heavenly Father bless our meeting, and pour the sweet comforts of his Holy Spirit into your hearts! May he give us praying and praising hearts through Jesus Christ! I need say no more at present, than to assure you I do not forget how strictly obliged I am to remain your faithful friend in Christ, Rev. G. Whitefield.

J. THOROLD.

Windsor, September 29, 1737.

• DEAREST SIR,-Praised be the Father of mercies for that gracious continuance of his loving-kindness toward you. O may you never be puffed up with vanity, but be always ready to acknowledge you have nothing but what you receive. Go on in the

strength of the Lord Jesus, and fight his battles against the powers of darkness. Be determined to know nothing save Jesus Christ and him crucified; and be willing, yea rejoice, to be counted a fool for his name's sake.

Mr. Charles Wesley told me there is a report that Georgia is taken by the Spaniards what credit does it meet with at London ?

A pious gentlewoman of this town has lately sent me three guineas for that colony. Mr. Thompson's conversion is joyful news. Write shortly to, Dear Sir, yours in the Lord Jesus,

Rev. George Whitefield.

J. THOROLD. Windsor, August 9, 1738.

DEAR JAMES,-The Lord, of his infinite mercy, increase the number of his true spiritual worshippers. Amen. I purpose (God willing) to write to Hutchings by this post. He tells me he has been threatened with persecution, and the spiritual court, over and over, by persons in pretty much power,. and that he has also been assaulted with violent temptations by the devil; but God has been his helper in both respects; has broke that snare of Satan, and set his soul at liberty and in peace, and given him a desire to suffer whatever his goodness shall permit for his good. What induced you to offer a reward of two guineas for convicting the person who gave Mr. C- the copy of the journal ?* Would you bring him to punishment for it? I doubt that reply to Mr. C.'s advertisement will blow up the coals of anger within him; I think the reading of it gave me concern; it seems, in some measure, to have proceeded from the remains of the old Adam. "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Try whether you feel the emotion of wrath at my dealing thus plainly and friendly with you. if you do, endeavour, through Divine grace, to possess your soul in patience, and then throw yourself before the Divine footstool, and in your humiliation, pray to the Prince of peace, that he would vouchsafe to implant the same mind that was in him, both in you and myself, that we may have the old man exterminated, and the new one raised up in us. O that the root of bitterness may wither, die away, be twice dead and plucked up by the roots, that so we may become trees of righteousness, and bear much fruit, to the glory and honour of our most holy and heavenly Father. If you have leisure, transcribe the letter from Holland, and that of Hutchings's to Mr. Edmonds. The charity school-master and Mr. Jones's clerk are to be with me this afternoon. The Lord be present with us. Amen. The Lord Jesus preserve Ingham, W. and all the Moravian brethren. Farewell in Christ. J. THOROLD.

P.S. If you hear anything from Hutchings concerning a young man I was to allow something yearly to, take no notice of it in your letters to me, but reserve the mention of it till I see you. J. T.

Salute Brother Reid in my name, and Jacobi. May peace and love be multiplied on all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.

The Lord direct the steps of the two brethren and sister. Do you think Ingham will come over a priest of the most high God? O that he, and Wesley, and Whitefield may (in God's time) return to us in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of peace! Give my love to Mr. Broughton when you see him. I pray that Charles Wesley's body may prosper, even as I trust in the Lord Jesus his soul prospereth. The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Hallelujah!

To Mr. James Hutton, bookseller, at the Bible and Sun, near Temple Bar, London.

Cooper, who forestalled the publication of Mr. Whitefield's Journal.

PROTESTANT CHILDREN'S HYMN.

REVIEWS.

Baptism in its Mode and Subjects. By Alexander Carson, LL.D. 8vo. p. 501. London: Houlston and Stoneman, 1844.

THIS work is, on several accounts, an important one. It is the largest book in defence of the dipping of believers, which has appeared for many years; and it is deemed by many the most able publication in maintenance of that system. To an unequalled extent, it has received the sanction of the Baptist denomination. A large portion of it having been before published, its subscribers must be regarded as responsible for the character of what they support, more than subscribers usually are. We suppose, therefore, that its arguments are those most generally approved, and that its style and spirit are not very objectionable, in the judgment of many of its patrons.

The author has retained the mode of controversy which has been unhappily too common in religious discussions, and which has occasioned so much dishonour to Christianity, and so much alienation among Christians. He adopts towards all his opponents a coarse and insulting strain of speech, expressive of that contempt for them which in some instances he plainly avows. Whoever may venture to differ from Dr. Carson, though on subjects concerning which the wisest and the best have differed, must be prepared to receive the most violent and vulgar abuse. Dr. C. employs towards the gentlemen whom he assails, language which no decent company would tolerate for a moment. This language is deliberately penned against some of the most eminent scholars, and most esteemed Christians. It is printed again and again, and that too when some of the objects of his attacks have passed away from the strife of this world. It is justified on the ground, that the respect paid to these wise and good men, is a cause of error, and therefore, if possible, to be diminished.

Now we doubt much, if Dr. Carson would at all advance the cause of Christ, could he succeed in bringing into contempt those whom he is anxious to degrade in public estimation. But we have no fear of this result. If a man err in literature, by all means let his errors be pointed out; and if he err in reasoning, let his mistakes be exposed. Truth and charity require this: and whatever influence is thus taken away, is taken justly. But why should a controversialist publish the scorn which he feels for the learning and understanding of his adversaries? Why should he detract from the candour and sincerity of those, against whom he can

bring no other accusation than that they do not think with him, and will not admit that he is infallible? Surely no judicious persons ever confide in statements of this description. They can only serve to foster pride and uncharitableness. The conscientiousness which prompts to the most offensive exhibition of self-conceit, lest the writer should not receive from the public the confidence he deserves; and to the depreciation of the character of all his adversaries, lest they should receive more than their due, is certainly of a very dubious order. We can understand the conduct of a persecutor, who, in order to repress error, sends those who think differently from him, to the dungeon or the stake. But we confess that we are quite unable to comprehend the conduct of one, who follows in the street those whom he deems the supporters of false doctrine, to throw mire and filth upon their clothes. Will he lessen their influence by so doing? In most places the man whose hands are unclean through such operations, is more degraded than the man whose raiment he defiles. Yet this we presume is the only persecution which Dr. C. would commend. He feels it to be his duty to abuse his opponents; and to soil their reputation he pollutes his own pages. He tells us that he performs this duty with pain. We should never have suspected that the task was an unpleasant one, from the manner in which it is executed. He must be very near to Christian perfection, who can discharge unwelcome duties with so much cordiality and vigour.

This book contains an amount of repetition that is, we think, unparalleled. In part this results from the plan of the work; there being some occasion for repeating against one opponent, what has been already alleged against another. But in part it results from the Doctor's habit of compensating for the absence of proof, by the vehemence and frequency of assertion. We suppose its chief design is, to keep the Baptists stedfast to their faith, as it certainly has little adaptation to attract, or to convince others. But for this end, so large a book was scarcely needed. A little medal with the inscription on one side, “Dr. Carson is infallible;" and on the other, "I say baptizo always means to dip," would be almost as efficacious as this large volume. One of its most remarkable features is the use of the letter I. More we should

think than 5000 I's appear on these pages. Such an extraordinary demand for this little letter must have been very troublesome to the compositor. It is not the fault of Dr. C., if the reader of his book ever while perusing it forget the author. This egotism would be offensive, but that it is carried to such an extent as to become amusing.

The work begins with a chapter on the burden of proof, in which Dr. C. opposes some views of Archbishop Whately, respecting this subject, which are not, we think, quite correct; and for these substitutes others, which are in our judgment still more erroneous. He then proceeds to the Mode of Baptism. After admitting that Bánrw and Sanrio are words whose significations do not correspond, he spends many pages.