BIBLE CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE.

THE EVANGELIZATION OF THE WORLD.

When the sincere Christian takes a map of the world, and tracing out the countries where idolatry reigns, reflects that the ignorance, vice, and cruelty there prevailing have had the sanction of ages, are deeply imbedded in strong prejudices, and enlist all the strength of nations in their support and defence, he will see that the Evangelization of the world is a work of great magnitude. And when after looking at the greatness of the enterprise he considers the instrumentality through which the mighty moral regeneration is to be accomplished-the universal church of Christ -if he be not tempted despondently to conclude that the work can never be done, he will probably sigh over the prevailing state of things, and with increased emphasis pray, "Thy kingdom come."

If the total number of Heathens and Mahometans be about six hundred and fifty millions, and the Roman Catholics and the Greek Church, and those not strictly Evangelical but not classed with either, be two hundred millions more, and about seven millions of Jews; supposing the population of the world to be about one thousand millions, that leaves one hundred and forty-three millions, nominally Protestant. We do not assert that the above is a correct statement; but supposing it to approximate to anything like the real state of the world, what an amazingly great work remains to be done before the whole world will be evangelized! Taking the population of the united kingdom as being about thirty millions, (five or six millions of whom are Roman Catholics) perhaps those nominally called Protestants are not more than twenty millions. Without leaving our own shores, what a great work remains to be accomplished to evangelize all the sceptical, the superstitious, FEBRUARY, 1865. VOL. I. FOURTH SERIES.

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and the flagrantly vicious! How small is the number of really spiritually-minded Christians compared with the masses! A penetrating glance at the irreligious and immoral condition of millions in this land of Bibles, Christian sanctuaries, Religious Tracts, Sabbath schools, Home Missions, and Bible-women, cannot fail to produce the persuasion that the number of true Christians, even in England, is deplorably small. Perhaps it would be taking too favourable an estimate to suppose that a sixth of the population are true disciples of Christ. If this be the case with regard to this highly-favoured land, with all our privileges, what must be the condition of the rest of the so-called Christian nations of Europe, where the means of Evangelization are so much less, and superstition and ignorance so much more generally prevail ! There are perhaps between six and seven hundred millions of precious souls who have not as yet been favoured with the light of the Gospel, and vast multitudes of them never heard the Saviour's

name.

Whilst reflecting on the present state of the world, in this, the last half of the nineteenth century of the Christian era, and the amazing spread of the gospel in the three first centuries, the conviction that there has been great unfaithfulness in the professedly Christian church seems unavoidable. According to Lardner, "in about three hundred years after the ascension of Jesus, without the aids of secular power or church authority, the Christian religion had spread over a large part of Asia, Europe, and Africa, and at the accession of Constantine, and the convening of the council of Nice, it was almost every where, throughout these countries, in a flourishing condition." After Constantine professed Christianity, he poured in such a flood of riches and worldly honours on the church, especially the clergy, that spirituality speedily declined, formalism and superstition rapidly spread, and during the dark ages, gave birth to the monstrous and gigantic scheme of popery-a system which has persecuted and slain vast multitudes of the more spiritual and heavenly-minded, withheld the scriptures from the people, and so overlaid the truths of the gospel with human tradition as nearly to hide the glorious scheme of the sinner's reconciliation to God through faith in Christ Jesus, by its numerous superstitious rites, its hosts of Intercessors, and its priestly sprinklings of holy water; its after-death purgatory, its crossings, genuflexions, and its Ave Marias. Statesmen too, have often striven hard to make it a system of statecraft, and to accomplish their object have enacted persecuting statutes, to compel men to receive creeds containing prevailing errors.

The Protestant Reformation inaugurated by LUTHER and his fellow workers in the sixteenth century, has resulted in an

extensive circulation of the Holy Scriptures, a wide diffusion of religious and general information, and a'revival of pure and undefiled religion, through a prominent exhibition of Evangelical truth. But through its being in our own and other countries allied to the State, its spiritual mission has been too often overlooked; its vitality being thereby cramped, it has sunk into formality, exalted rites and ceremonies, instead of shining as lights in the world keeps candles burning before its so-called altars, styles its ministers priests, who boast of their apostolical descent, while their vicious practices and persecuting spirit have too often presented a striking contrast to the conduct of the apostles.

The more enlightened and more spiritually-minded strove hard to effect a second reformation; to counteract their efforts the famous Act of Uniformity was enacted in 1662, which compelled some two thousand of the more conscientious clergymen to throw up their livings, retire from the church as established by Law, and practise Nonconformity. Although greatly persecuted, Nonconformists have gone on increasing in numbers and influence; and since the great revival of vital godliness through the instrumentality of the WESLEYS and WHITEFIELD more than a century ago, have so amazingly spread, that at the time of the Census of 1851, the number of places of worship occupied by them was above 6,000 more than was occupied by the state-church; the former being 20,390, and the latter 14,077; although the number of sittings in the latter was more than 400,000 above the former.*

* Since the above was written we have received a pamphlet entitled, "The Debate in the House of Lords on the power of Convocation, &c.,"- --a notice of which appeared in our last number,-from which we extract the following

Extract from Commons' Journals, 11th July, 1860, p. 373.

CLAUSE (proposed by Mr. E. BAINES), the Secretary of State shall, so far as is practicable, cause Inquiry to be made and Returns to be obtained of all Places of Worship, Schools and Educational Establishments, similar to those obtained in the Census of One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, under the heads of " Religious Worship" and "Education"-brought up and read a first time. Motion made and Question "That the Clause be read a second time"-put, and negatived.

Being thus refused official information and returns, similar to those of 1851, we can only present an approximate estimate of the present numbers of Episcopalian Churchmen and other Denominations in Great Britain. In Ireland proper returns were made of religious profession in the last Census, which are here adopted. In Scotland, the entire population-with the exception of the small portion of Nonestablished Episcopalians-must be considered as dissidents from the Established Church of England. No statement is attempted respecting the religious statistics of the Channel Islands, as it has not been possible to obtain sufficiently complete information.

Approximate Estimate of the United Church of England and Ireland, as compared with other Denominations.

The Census Population, 1861, England and Wales

Scotland..

Ireland

Channel Islands

20,061,725

3.061,117

5,764,543

143,779

29,031,164

Various institutions for the spread of Christianity exist among us, and great activity is manifested by Christians of various denominations; yet the work of conversion goes on but slowly. We need much more of the "power from on high" which the Saviour promised to bestow on his church as the great preparation to render it instrumental in the conversion of the world. So well did the apostles and their coadjutors understand the necessity of this, that before they attempted to open their commission, they importunately besought its bestowment in united prayer; and we cannot learn that they made any attempt to propagate the gospel message till, The in answer to prayer, the Holy Ghost descended on them. great want of the churches at present appears to be a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit, that would bring the hearts of both ministers and churches into complete harmony with the Divine purpose, the Evangelization of the whole world.

We have been much encouraged by noticing that in the Autumnal gatherings of District and Pastors' meetings among Methodists, the Congregational and Baptist Unions, and even in Church-Congresses, the subject has been dwelt on, in some cases very emphatically; and trust, if during the "Week of Prayer”—from the 1st to the 8th instant— the subject be made one of deep humiliation for past defects, intense desire to be filled with the Holy Ghost," and fervent, believing prayers for a general out-pouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Universal Church, that she may soon become such an instrumentality as God will employ in the conversion of the whole world. The different religious Denominations are actively engaged in providing increased accommodation for persons desirous of attending Divine worship, which is a very encouraging sign; and if a richer Baptism of the Spirit is generally experienced, we may rest assured a large ingather

In round numbers, the Episcopal Church in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland comprises about 10,700,000, Presbyterians and Protestant Nonconformists, 12,300,000, and Catholics 5,700.000. These proportions must be very nearly correct, whatever allowance may require to be made, in the way of deducting from the first two divisions, for neutrals, or non-religious persons.

This article was written for insertion last month, but was, with other articles, crowded out. We have reason to hope that the "week of prayer," was duly prized and improved by the churches; and trust the gracious influence then realized will increase more and more.-EDS.