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thodist preachers as divinely appointed and attested ministers of the gospel, and of the people under their charge as legitimately within the pale of the New Testament Church. The equivocal position in which the assailants were placed by the facts and arguments of the discourse, was the natural consequence of a provoked examination of their exclusive claims. It would much enhance the interest of this article to introduce a synopsis of the work; but it is published at the Book-Room, and is accessible to all readers. In this able treatise the title of "THE METHODIST CHURCH" was, we believe for the first time in England, boldly claimed, and defended by unanswerable arguments.

Dr. Dixon has published, besides the important treatise just spoken of, a "Memoir of the Rev. William E. Miller," who died in Sheffield in 1840. We have a vivid recollection of this aged minister, who was for many years a supernumerary in Sheffield. Often have we seen the venerable old gentleman, with locks white as driven snow, traversing the streets, or halting, and laying his friendly hand upon a passing youngster, drop half a dozen words of godly counsel in his ear, bless him, and bid him God speed. The aged minister was "instant in season and out of season,” as some perhaps might think, in this duty. Often have we seen him, too, in the sanctuary, his fine figure bent slightly forward as he strove to hear the word of life, and his benevolent countenance beaming with sweet delight as he meditated upon the truths he had himself so often taught. Mr. Miller was passionately fond of music, was himself no ordinary musician and composer, some of his tunes being great favourites with the English Methodists to this day. With this foreknowledge, we took up Dr. Dixon's Memoir with perhaps over-wrought expectation, and experienced commensurate disappointment in the reading. The plan of the work is objectionable is too formal and methodical-being rather a series of essays upon the principles embodied in the main facts of Mr. Miller's life than a biography.

About the same time, Dr. Dixon, who was always an earnest opponent of Popery-and whom, it just occurs to us, we once heard deliver a masterly argument at a missionary meeting, proving that Ireland's much talked of evils sprang directly from her connexion with Popery-published, "The Present Position and Aspects of Popery, and the Duty of Exposing the Errors of Papal Rome;" and "Letters on the Duties of Protestants with Regard to Popery." And in 1843 he published a sermon preached on the occasion of the death of the Rev. Thomas Galland, A. M.-a man of a remarkably independent and generous spirit, respected and beloved through the

whole Connexion. We are not aware that he has published anything else.

We now approach the time when Dr. Dixon visited this country as the representative of the British Connexion. Of that visit little need be said in addition to our observations in an early part of this article. In common with American Methodists generally, we regret that he did not appear more in public during his brief sojourn among us; and especially that in New-York none had the opportunity of hearing him preach. We believe, however, that in this he acted from what he conceived to be duty, if not, indeed, under the imperious obligation of necessity. We apprehend that he laboured more or less under indisposition during the whole of his visit. He was suffering from a severe cold on his arrival, and was far from being in good health when he returned to New-York on the eve of his departure for his home. He, no doubt, did what he could before his visit to Canada, where his duties were sufficiently onerous for one in robust health, and to him, we can readily suppose, so debilitating as to justify him in refraining from farther public duty, in view of the change of climate and habits to which he had so long been, and was still to be, exposed-changes which his predecessor, Dr. Newton, would scarcely feel. We have reason to know that Dr. Dixon was much gratified and delighted by his visit ; that the country excited his admiration and wonder; and that the kindness everywhere shown him by the American people generally, and especially by his Methodist brethren, won his cordial affection and esteem. Nor was he slow to declare this during his brief sojourn in Canada, nor to speak of the high destiny which he saw in the future for this people and continent.

There are circumstances connected with the reappearance of Dr. Dixon upon the floor of the British Conference, for which we find it difficult to account, except upon an hypothesis, which, with our general knowledge of the English preachers, we cannot adopt. Most readers of this article will understand that we refer to the significant utterance of the word “query," by one of the preachers on the platform, (said to be Mr. Scott,) while Dr. Dixon was giving expression to sentiments of unabated loyalty to English Methodism, and to the delay in calling for his report, which resulted in its not being presented to the Conference. We have sought, and expected to receive, authentic information upon this matter; but, practically lessened as the distance between the two countries now is, we have not yet received the desired information. The two circumstances taken together have an awkward appearance. Still, we think that the delay in calling for the report, which has been

construed into an intentional slight upon Dr. Dixon, (and through him, in some degree, upon the Methodist Episcopal Church,) was not caused by the fear that the tone of the document would be too laudatory of what he saw, and that it is capable of a more probable as well as a more charitable solution.

In the first place, we do not think the British Conference would be guilty of such littleness, and such incongruousness of action, as to prejudge and deliberately shut out or smother, without a hearing, the official report of its own representative, whom it had, by acclamation, "affectionately requested" to undertake such a mission; nor that it would be so discourteous to one of its members, so deservedly and universally esteemed as Dr. Dixon is, and one who had once held the highest official station within its gift. Secondly, supposing that Dr. Dixon's views were likely to prove unpalatable (which we doubt) to the Conference, we do not see how they could have become generally known to that body. That the Doctor is not the man to conceal any sentiments which he holds to be just, must be conceded. But he only landed in England a very few days before the Conference met, and therefore could not have disseminated his views among men coming from all parts of the country. They might have been transmitted from Canada by correspondence, or in his own letters; but this could have been done only to a very limited extent. And if the information had been assiduously circulated in the Conference, there were men there curious enough, and others pugnacious enough, to have called the more earnestly for the reading of the report on that very account. And, thirdly, the delay appears to have been unavoidable or accidental, and was so spoken of by the President, Dr. Newton, who is not the man to misrepresent a fact. We know that the Conference was oppressed with the magnitude and difficulties of its regular business; so much so, that important matters, of which regular notices were given at the former Conference, and in one instance, we believe, two years before, were postponed by common consent. The difficulty of adjusting the stations would alone account for the delay. They occupied a much longer time than was anticipated, extending over several sessions. This was business that could not be suspended, and was, we suspect, in conjunction with the excitement it occasioned, the real cause of the difficulty. Dr. Newton is reported to have said, when attention was called to the matter, that he had fixed upon that evening (the evening of the day on which the stations were disposed of, if we are correctly informed) for the hearing of the report. On the other hand, the significant expression uttered during the Doctor's salutatory, and which called forth a fitting and manly rebuke from him,

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shows that individual jealousy had been excited; unless, indeed, the remark was intended to be merely playful, as, from the wellknown good humour of the gentleman who is reported to have uttered it, we strongly incline to think it was. As the matter ended, there can, of course, be no report from Dr. Dixon published in the "Minutes of Conference" for 1848, those documents being confined to the official, journalized action of the body. Whether the reverend gentleman will wait until the Conference of 1849 before he renders his report, or whether, on his personal responsibility, he will give it to the public, remains to be seen. Whenever it is forthcoming, it will, we fully expect, do justice alike to the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States, and to the American people generally, for that he was very favourably impressed by his visit is notorious; and that he will fearlessly and frankly say all that is in his heart, is to be inferred from his known integrity and candour. It is not to be expected, however, that he would consider everything perfect that he saw, either in Methodism or in America; and having full confidence in Dr. Dixon's friendliness of feeling and soundness of judgment, it may be well to prepare our minds to receive, with all kindness, anything he may say unfavourable to us, or unpalatable, and to profit thereby, rather than, as perhaps we have too often done, destroy the benefit of the counsel by charging the counsellor with prejudice. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

P. S. We have before us the "Minutes" for 1848. No mention is made of Dr. Dixon's visit or report. We learn, however, from other sources, that he has embodied the narrative of his visit to America in a lecture or lectures, which he has delivered in Birmingham. Of the substance of his discourse we have yet no information.

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ART. II.—THE LORD'S DAY, THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH.

1. The True Sabbath Embraced and Observed. By Elder SAMUEL DAVIDSON, many years a regular Baptist Minister; now Pastor of the Seventh-Day Baptist Church in Shiloh, New-Jersey. New-York: published by the American Sabbath Tract Society. No. 10.

2. Religious Liberty Endangered by Legislative Enactments. An Appeal to the Friends of Equal Rights and Religious Freedom in the United States, from the Seventh-Day Baptist General Conference. New-York: published by the American Sabbath Tract Society. No. 11.

3. The Sabbath Manual. Nos. 1, 2, and 3. By Rev. JUSTIN EDWARDS, D. D. Published by the American Tract Society, 150 Nassau-street, New-York.

4. Tracts of the Lord's-day Society. Nos. 1-31. London.

5. “Tracts of the Times" on the Sabbath. No. 1-5. Glasgow:

6. Statement of the Proceedings of the Sabbath Alliance. By R. K. GREVILLE, LL.D.

We have placed the titles of these works, selected from many on the same subject, at the head of this article, to indicate a prominent fact in the consciousness of the Christian and anti-Christian world of the present age. The fact to which we refer, is a profound conviction of the vital relation existing between the Christian Sabbath and the Christian religion. Infidelity begins to perceive clearly that this broad outwork of the Church must fall before the citadel can be reached; and that if a clear breach be made here, the remaining work of desolation will be easy and brief. Hence, in the conventions, anniversaries, and periodicals by which it is aping the outward organization and agencies of the Church, the Sabbath is one of the great grievances complained of, and one of the great "abuses" attacked. The tyranny of allowing man and beast one day in seven to rest from the toils of life, and the injustice of laws that prevent the daring fanatic and the unscrupulous employer from invading the peaceful enjoyment of this privilege, are proclaimed with a rueful length of visage, and a dolorous tone of complaint, that are supremely ludicrous. The farce in this case, however, is rather broad, even for "a discerning public." The complaint, that laws protecting the Christian community in the enjoyment of a quiet Sabbath are tyrannical-coming not from those who regard these laws and feel their operation, but from those who disregard and disobey them; and from those who in the next breath will not obscurely hint that, they feel the same tyranny in the laws that protect you in the enjoyment of your own farm, your own homestead, and your own wife; and that the freedom they claim in the one case is but a step toward the freedom they desire in the other has something in it so utterly and ridiculously preposterous, that we marvel the father of lies should

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