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religious state of the inhabitants was, at that time, deplorable. Infidelity and vice were rampant: there was but one place of worship, the church, the services of which very few attended. The Sabbath was only distinguishable from the other days of the week by increased dissipation and folly. In such a state of things it was to be expected that the few who dared to be singular, would be the object of bloquy, and all the minor artillery of persecution. And such was the fact. They were followed through the street with hootings, and sometimes missiles; the door of the room where they met was fastened with ropes tied across, to which dead cats and dogs were appended. The Eule society, however, kept on their course, through reproach and scorn, and, in spite of opposition, gradually increased their numbers, and extended their influence. The room they occupied became too small for the congregation; and they obtained and fitted up an assembly-room in Water-lane, which was opened by the Rev. W. Fish. The approach to this place was very uninviting; yet a thirst for the Gospel prevailed, and the cause grew and prospered. In a year or two, the Congregation having improved, and the society greatly increased, they became anxious to erect a chapel; and Mr. Day, a liberal and benevolent member of the Baptist denomination, generously offered to give them a piece of land for the purpose. After serious deliberation, the friends, afraid to encounter the expense, declined the project. This gentleman, however, built them a small place of worship, which they rented of him. The opening sermons on that occasion were preached by the venerable and apostolic Benson, who always left behind him a holy savour of his rich and evangelical ministry. The impressions of that day's services are still spoken of with much feeling by the senior members. During several years the cause was maintained in this small chapel, with very little variation, excepting that some of the members were called from the militant church, to join the church triumphant, whose places were supplied by those who were added to the Lord. But in March last, the proprietor of the chapel gave notice that he required the building for other purposes. It now became necessary to provide anether place; a meeting was called; and after earnest prayer to God for his direction and blessing, the sum of £115 was subscribed on the occasion. Subsequently, application was made to several liberal gentlemen, who assisted our poor but willing people, by their contributions.

The

following are the individuals, to whom our society is laid under special obligation, for the assistance they afforded :-J. Briscoe, Esq., M. P., £5; H. Pownall, Esq., £5. 58.; Thomas Farmer, Esq., £40; and W. Shippery, Esq., £25. Thus encouraged, several friends were appointed Trustees, who purchased land, and on the glorious First of August, a day which shall be had in everlasting remembrance, as that on which slavery in the British Colonies was abolished, the foundation-stone was laid by Thomas Farmer, Esq., amid the songs and prayers of a large concourse of the pious, of different denominations, who were of one heart and mind. building, so auspiciously commenced, has been completed. Its dimensions are forty feet by twenty-eight, with sufficient elevation to admit a gallery. The whole cost, including the purchase of land, is about £600; of which but £300 remains as a debt. The pews rent well; the congregations are good; the society is harmonious and prosperous; the Sunday-school numbers eighty children; and the prospects are very cheering. May the Spirit be so poured out, that the little one may become a thousand !" "

The

KIRKSTALL, in the Bramley Circuit: -"On Thursday, the 8th, and Sunday the 11th of Jan., 1835, a commodious, and beautiful Wesleyan chapel was opened for divine worship at Kirkstall. Six excellent sermons were preached on the occasion, by the Rev. Messrs. Newton, West, and Barton, and Mr. Dawson; and though the circumstances of the days were unfavourable, the handsome sum of £50. 2s. was collected. The village of Kirkstall has rapidly increased in its population; which at present amounts to about two thousand. The generous-minded men who have mainly contributed to the erection of the chapel have also agreed to build a Sunday-school, calculated to accommodate three hundred children. The whole estimated cost is £1000, towards which £570 have been obtained by private subscription; (in addition to the collection at the opening); and of this sum Mr. Hargraves and family, of Kirkstall, have given £200. The land upon which the chapel and school will be built measures two roods. It originally belonged to the Earl of Cardigan, who leased it to Sir Sandford Graham for nine hundred and

ninety-nine years. Of him the present

Trustees hold it upon lease for three hun dred years, at the ground-rent of £12. 10s. per annum. The seats in the gallery are all taken; and there is a prospect of considerable spiritual good to the vil. lage."

FUND FOR THE RELIEF OF DISTRESSED CHAPELS. "THE Sixteenth Report of the General Chapel-Fund Committee for the Relief of embarrassed Chapels in the Methodist Connexion" has just been published; and the statements which it contains are cheering in a high degree. The private subscriptions, public collections, and donations, during the past year have amounted to £5,204. 18s. 4d.; being an increase upon the proceeds of the previous year of £182. 9s. 1d. The sum of £671 was paid by the Committee of Distribution towards deficiencies of interest on various chapels; £95. Os. 5d. for postage, printing, and incidental expenses; and £4,500 were paid over to the Treasurers of the Chapel LoanFund.

At the time of the last Conference, Final Grants had been made to no less than ONE HUNDRED distressed chapels, by the Loan-Fund Committee, amounting in ail to £26,650; the Trustees having raised, by local exertions, to meet these, no less a sum than £35,580; so that chapel-debts, to the amount of £62,230 were actually extinguished.

Since the Conference, fourteen other cases have received grants, amounting to £3,145; the Trustees having themselves raised £3,996, making together £7,141; so that the real reduction of debt on the chapels relieved, up to this date, January, 1835, amounts to the sum of £69,371; a sum which, for the time, exceeds the expectation of the friends by whose exertions the Fund was established, and inspires the Committee of the Loan-Fund with confidence in the general good feeling and right principles existing throughout the Connexion, in reference to the advantages which are likely to result, in time, from its beneficial operations; and they trust that those Trustees especially, who have received grants from the Fund, will use their best endeavours not only to support, but to increase the subscriptions and public collections about to be made for the General Fund, that other embarrassed Trustees who are anxiously looking for help to the same source may not be disappointed.

The Report states that every case was minutely examined by the Committee, and help afforded in the most impartial and equitable manner. The ratio proposed to be raised by the Trustees to the amount of relief granted, viz., that of £60 for every £40, has, in many instances, been exceeded. In others it has fallen short; and, in the aggregate of all the above cases, the Committee have

found it absolutely necessary to exceed the ratio of relief which had been prescribed. But when it is considered that the Scotch cases generally are included, that these were extremely necessitous, that some other heavy claims of similar exigency in England are also included, and that in each of these the disparity between the amount which the Trustees and their friends have been enabled to raise to what the Committee, under other circumstances, would have required, is very great, the Committee doubt not but their proceedings and statement will be satisfactory to all those for whom they have been acting. They do indeed rejoice to find that nearly £70,000 of chapel-debts have been already extinguished; and are persuaded that innumerable and invaluable benefits have been thereby conferred on many Trustees and congregations, and fearful impediments to the prosperity of the cause of God removed out of the way. They please themselves with the hope that they now see the way to a complete extrication of all our embarrassed chapels at no very distant period of time.

But, that these anticipations may be realized, the most strenuous exertions to obtain additional loans will be absolutely necessary. Nearly one hundred applications, some of which have been accepted, and which will require, to meet the whole, about £20,000, are still before the Committee; but their funds are so nearly exhausted, that they can do very little more until additional supplies are furnished. And even then, the continued and increased liberalities of the friends of Methodism will be required annually, that the engagements of the Connexion with the Trustees who have kindly furnished the loans, may be honourably fulfilled.

The following statement contained in a Circular, addressed by the Treasurers of the Loan-Fund to Trustees in general, is worth preserving :

"The anxiety manifested, in various parts of the kingdom, by the people as well as the Trustees, (some of the latter of whom have given their all, the savings of many industrious years,) and by the poorest of the people, to preserve their sanctuaries to themselves and the Connexion, has been most gratifying and laudable. Instances might be quoted whh would yield you both pleasure and profit. One, which only came to the knowledge of the Committee yesterday, must, however, suffice. At Foleshill, in the Coventry Circuit, where we have a

small society of thirty or forty members, chietly poor ribbon weavers, whose earn. ings are only from 3s. to 6s. per week, the income of the chapel was so very far from meeting the disbursements, that the sale of the building seemed unavoidable. To make an offer of any kind to the Loan Committee, for a final grant, was thought impracticable; and without this the Committee could do nothing for them. But their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality.' Subscriptions of 3d., 4d., 6d., 8d., or 1s. weekly, were promised by several. These have been punctually paid for a considerable time; or, if want of employment has caused an interruption in the regularity of payment in a very few cases, the individuals have been sorely troubled till they have been enabled to pay up their arrears.

By means like these they have at length been enabled to offer £100 for £110, which offer the Committee have unhesitatingly accepted. Each of these humble but noble-minded individuals would be justified in using the language of King David, I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God,' yea,

moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have, of mine own proper good, offered willingly unto the Lord.'

"If the spirit of this pious people be imbibed, and their example followed, by the Connexion at large, then will the design of the institution of the Chapel Loan-Fund be fully answered; and the voice of joy and thanksgiving be heard universally in the tabernacles of the righteous among us."

SPECIMEN OF AMERICAN PIETY.

It is not uncommon for Governments professedly Christian, to appoint days of fasting and humiliation in seasons of great and extensive calamity; and to call the people to the exercise of public thanksgiving on occasion of victories gained in the time of war; but these solemn and general acknowledgments of God are far from being so frequent as the holy Scriptures would warrant. It is, however, pleasing to observe that, at least in one of the American States, that of Vermont, a more becoming practice prevails; and we give the following document as an example. The compliment to their own form of government may be forgiven in a people who never knew the blessings of a limited monarchy like that under which it is our happiness to live.-EDIT.

BY HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM A.

PALMER, GOVERNOR. A PROCLAMATION. "IT is good to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto the name of the Most High God; for his merciful kindness is great towards us, and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever."

I do therefore, by advice of the Council, and at the request of the House of Representatives, appoint Thursday, the fourth of December next, to be observed as a day of Thanksgiving, Prayer, and Praise throughout the State. Suspending the usual avocations of life, let us pause and reflect on the great mercy of our Father in heaven,-let us call to mind that by our sins we have rendered ourselves unworthy of his favour,-let us, in secret retirement in our families, and in the various places of our public

solemnities, present ourselves in His presence, devoutly to praise him for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men. The past year has been signalized by the exuberance of His bounty. The earth has yielded an abundant increase, and rewarded the labourers' toil with a better harvest than for many preceding years; health has been enjoyed throughout the State to an unusual degree, and cases of mortality comparatively few. Our liberties and privileges

religious, political, civil, social, and literary-are still continued, shedding on us and on our country their invaluable blessings, and giving us abundant reason to exclaim, "The lines have fallen to us in pleasant places, and we have a goodly heritage." For these and all other mercies, let us render ascriptions of praise, and honour, and glory, to Him who sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb. Especially, and above all, let us give thanks for the gift of the great Mediator, through whom is laid a foundation for the pardon of the penitent, and a well-grounded hope of everlasting life beyond the grave, to all who believe and obey the Gospel.

And, in connexion with such services, let us penitently confess our sins, and implore forgiveness for our manifold transgressions through the merits of our Redeemer, and seek the aid of the divine Spirit, that, in all time to come, we may render obedience to our Father's will, which is the best evidence of a grateful heart. Let us also implore the continued blessing of Jehovah on our State and nation, beseeching Him to prosper all our interests and lawful pursuits; espe cially that he would bless and guide, by

His wise counsel, the President of the Union, and all officers of the general and State Governments, that, in the faithful discharge of their several official trusts, the blessings of good government may be secured to our country, and our rights and privileges be transmitted unimpaired to the guardianship of their successors,― that He would preserve, in prosperity and peace, our relations with foreign nations, and all useful institutions among ourselves, that all riotous and insurrectionary movements may be repressed, and the supremacy of the laws established and maintained, -that our seminaries of learning may continue to flourish and diffuse a healthful influence throughout the community, that all our youth, the hope of society, may be trained to habits of intelligence, morality, love of country, and true piety,-that the Ministers of religion may be clothed with the garments of salvation, faithfully declaring the

TEMPERANCE

MR. DELAVAN, of Albany, North America, on his return from the great Temperance Convention in Virginia, obtained the following testimony of Ex-Presidents Madison and Adams, and President Jackson, on the subject of drinking ardent spirits:-"Being satisfied from observation and experience, as well as from medical testimony, that ardent spirit, as a drink, is not only needless, but hurtful; and that the entire disuse of it would tend to promote the health, the virtue, and the happiness of the community, we hereby express our conviction, that should the citizens of the United States, and especially all young men, discountenance entirely the use of it, they would not only promote their own personal benefit, but

whole counsel of God,- that slavery in our own country, and throughout the world, with all its crimes and miseries, may speedily come to an end,- that the nations of the earth may be so enlightened and purified as to be qualified for the establishment and enjoyment of Governments, founded on the pure principles of our free institutions,-that success may attend the operations of the various benevolent institutions of our own and other countries, and, finally, that the peaceful and glorious reign of Immanuel may be speedily extended over the whole earth.

Given under my hand in Council Chamber, at Montpelier, this 25th day of October, Anno Domini 1834, and of the Independence of the United States the fifty-ninth.

(Signed) WM. A. PALMER. By his Excellency the Governor. (Signed) GEO. B. MANSER, Secretary.

SOCIETIES.

Oct., 1834.

the good of our country and the world.
(Signed) JAMES MADISON,
ANDREW JACKSON,
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS."
In this connexion we give also the still
more decisive testimony of President
Jefferson :-" The habit of using ardent
spirit," said Jefferson, "by men in pub-
lic office, has produced more injury to the
public service, and more trouble for me,
than any other circumstance that has
occurred, in the internal concerns of the
Government, during my administration :
and were I to commence my administra-
tion again, the first question that I would
ask, in relation to every candidate for
public office, should be, Is he addicted to
the use of ardent spirit ?"

ON SUPPLYING CHINA WITH BIBLES.

THE following letter was addressed by Dr. Morrison, the celebrated Missionary in China, to the Rev. William S. Plumer, in Virginia. It gives an interesting view of the wants of China, in regard to the holy Scriptures, and the means of supplying them to a vast extent. We copy it from an American periodical, just received.-EDIT.

Macao, China, April 18th, 1834. DEAR SIR, YOUR letter of September 3d, 1833, arrived here a few days ago. The documents to which you refer, from the American Bible Society, have not come to hand. That I may be brief, I will, without further preface, give a reply to your several queries.

1. The most probable estimate of the number of inhabitants in countries capable of reading the Chinese Scriptures, is between three and four hundred millions. They are the Chinese, the Coreans, the Japanese, the Hoochooans, and the Cochin-Chinese; also the Chinese settlers in Siam, the Straits, &c.

2. I suppose the number of inhabitants in Northern Asia who cannot read any language, is small.

3. North of China is Manchow Tartary, Mongolia, and Russian Siberia; northwest is Turkerstan.

The Scriptures are, I believe, wholly or in part, translated into the languages of these respective nations. The inhabit

ants are often a mixed community. Excepting Siberia, in all the other regions, the Chinese is the language of Govern

ment.

4. There being no commercial or other intercourse with Corea, or Japan, or the Hoochooans; and but little with CochinChina; and the Chinese Government preventing European access to the interior of their country, an extensive distribution of the Bible in all these vast regions, is not at present practicable. There are required more Bible agents and more facilities for travelling or voyaging in this part of the world. The American Bible Society has granted money to Mr. Bridgman and his associates; and the British and Foreign Bible Society has voted five thousand dollars to Mr. Gutzlaff. And the copies I require of the Chinese Scriptures, I receive from the Anglo-Chinese College at Malacca. The present labourers in the cause are not hindered for want of means. If the American Missionaries had a set of blocks for printing the Bible in China, or somewhere else, it would be an advantage. I do not know that they have funds for the purpose. The funds necessary to take Christian traders with their ships to the countries above-mentioned, and at present unfrequented, would, I fear, be large, and not attainable from any existing Society. The Christian ships are not yet devoted, nor indeed made directly subservient, to the spread of the Gospel. But until you have means of carrying the Bible to mankind, how are you to fill the world with Bibles? The difficulty is great. I cannot at present ask for greater funds.

5. A whole Bible in Chinese, after

the blocks are prepared, costs for paper and printing, about a dollar and a half, or a dollar and a quarter. The New Testament about a fifth of that, and a single Gospel about a fortieth part.

7. In this part of Asia, the Chinese have not the Bible in their language: they have some parts. Were there men and means enough, a version for Japan in the alphabetic characters is desirable. Chinese is the learned language. Some modification of the Chinese version may be desirable for Cochin-China, also; for although Chinese books are imported by them in great numbers, I believe the national language varies in some degree.

I have thus, as fully as the limits of a single letter will permit, replied to your several questions. I would that I could have given more encouraging answers. I beseech you, if you have influence among the opulent Christians in America, to consider the practicability of a Bible ship, to navigate the shores of Eastern Asia. If science, and discovery, and luxury, and commerce have their ships sailing the ocean, and visiting every shore, why should it be thought strange, that the Christian should also have his ship, to convey to man the written mandate of his Maker, the proclamation of mercy from the Saviour of the world, who has issued the command to "go and disciple all nations?" They cannot go unless sent; and they cannot be sent to some places, without a ship on purpose. May the Lord bless you, and help you to devise liberal things for this cause !

Yours very respectfully in Christian love, ROBERT MORRISON.

MISSIONARY NOTICES,

Relating principally to the FOREIGN MISSIONS carried on under the direction of the METHODIST Conference.

SOUTH SEA MISSIONS.

OUR readers have been already informed, from time to time, of the extraordinary prosperity with which it has pleased God to bless these comparatively recent Missions. That prosperity still continues and increases; although in these Stations, as in all others where large numbers of persons, who were previously ignorant of the Gospel and its requirements, have been somewhat suddenly brought under religious influence, various circumstances arise, which call for the special exercise of faith and patience, and of the strictest pastoral care and discipline, on the part of those who have the oversight of the infant Christian churches. The following selections from the Journals of Mr. Thomas will furnish some interesting details, illustrative of the zeal and diligence of the VOL. XIV. Third Series. FEBRUARY, 1835.

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