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LONDON:

PRINIED BY MANNING AND MASON, IVY LANE,

PATERNOSTER ROW.

PREFACE.

THROUGH the mercy and blessing of Almighty God, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy, we have been enabled to bring to its completion another Volume of THE CHURCH MAGAZINE. And while we record our heartfelt gratitude to the Giver of every good and perfect gift for the mental and bodily health and strength, and for every other blessing which we have received at His all-bountiful and merciful hands during another year of our pilgrimage in the Church Militant here in earth, we tender our grateful acknowledgments to our kind friends, contributors, and readers in general, for the valuable assistance and zealous support which they have hitherto so liberally awarded us. And it will be gratifying to them to learn, that during the past year the circulation of THE CHURCH MAGAZINE has been steadily increasing, and our means of usefulness thus greatly extended.

But what has been most of all gratifying and encouraging to us, has been a succession of letters, chiefly from persons in humble life, testifying, in the most pleasing manner, to the direct utility of the Magazine, in establishing some in the principles of the Church, and in bringing over others from the ranks of our enemies to the fold of God. This will stimulate us to increased exertion in a cause upon which we have set our hearts, and which still requires, and has a right to demand, the most zealous services of every Clergyman and layman in the kingdom. And the knowledge of it will also give those active friends who have taken so much interest in promoting the circulation and usefulness of the Magazine, fresh encouragement to proceed in thus rendering no inconsiderable advantage to the best of causes. The enemies of the Church are still actively engaged in their opposition to the truth, and seem to increase in unchristian abuse and violence in the same proportion as they see the Church increasing in usefulness, honour, and influence amongst the people. And while we cannot but deeply lament their madness in thus kicking against the pricks, and injuring their own souls, we cannot but greatly rejoice at the daily growing activity and prosperity of the Church in every part of the country. The building of Churches, and the coming forth of a host of high principled, active, and zealous young Clergymen, and the constant increase and extended circulation of sound Church publications, are doing great things in promoting

the prosperity of the Church, and thereby the spiritual and temporal welfare of the people. The extension of the Church, and the distribution of sound and good works, are, under the blessing of God, the best means of counteracting the evil influence of Chartism, Socialism, and every other form of licentiousness and infidelity, which have been strengthened in no ordinary degree by the conflicting sectarianism and religious confusion of the age. Under this conviction, we have laboured strenuously, and with all plainness of speech, to supply an antidote to the widely-spread poison, by enforcing, and doing our best to propagate, the Scriptural and Catholic Principles of the Church, in opposition to the multifarious sectarianism which so unhappily abounds. In this respect we have stood almost alone; for of all the Magazines connected with the Church, THE CHURCH MAGAZINE is the only one which faithfully and fearlessly asserts and defends the great Catholic truths of the Church, and manfully opposes the errors, misrepresentations, and sophistry of her enemies. No other publication has ventured to take this ground, which with peculiar advantages we have hitherto occupied, and with the help of God shall continue to maintain. We have pursued our onward course with singleness of purpose and Christian courage, and have secured the attention and approbation of a large portion of our fellow-countrymen, who still have great respect for straightforwardness of argument and honesty of language. And we rejoice to possess the opportunity of doing them good-an opportunity which we hope, and will be careful, never to forfeit.

Upon our Clerical and other friends we know we can confidently rely for assistance in supplying our future pages with articles of utility, variety, and interest. The Portraits, as far as we can command them, will be those of Clergymen distinguished by rank, learning, faithfulness, zeal, or other circumstance; and in point of workmanship they will be found well executed, and worth much more than the whole cost of the Magazine. We have only to add, that we again cheerfully throw ourselves upon the kind indulgence of the Christian public for the most favourable reception of our labours, and in the confident hope of receiving not only their generous support, but a cordial interest in their prayers to God for success upon our humble efforts in the noblest and most glorious cause in which immortal beings can possibly be engaged on this side of eternity.

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