had to second about building, That if it could be shown that Sunday Schools were among the most important institutions in the universe, that they rise above all philosophy, literature, and science, and politics, that they occupied a ground more elevated than any of these departments, and were more attractive to the angels of God than them all,-let him see the people who would refuse a dwelling place to objects so noble and exalted. Speaking of the excitement of the meeting-he said, of the excitement of the meeting, he could tell them what to do; let them put their hands into their pockets when they are excited, and transfer the contents to the plates; let them keep up the excitement. If it should remain, like an intermittent fever, throughout the year, so much the better. He observed, that the chairman had hinted that a penny a year from each scholar and a shilling a year from each teacher would accomplish all that was intended: he must say that the effort would not be very great, but, in addition, let the minister, who was only the teacher of one first class of scholars, do the same; and he thought there would be no great harm in getting a penny a head from the old scholars in the congregation; and in order to make the thing practicable, he would pledge himself on behalf of his own Sunday-school; and if they would not give it, he would pay the amount himself; so that from his own quarter, they would have the old Irish thirteen pence for an English shilling.

After some interesting statements of the Rev. J. Williams, from the South Sea Islands, relating to the progress and effects of the Sunday-Schools in that part of the world, and speeches from Sir Andrew Agnew, M. P., the Rev. J. E. Giles, and the Rev. Robert Baird, from Philadelphia-Mr. Lloyd announced that the collection exceeded £100, and expressed a hope that it would amount to £150. The doxology was sung, and the meeting separated.

We sincerely wish the success of this Society, as we look upon it as one of the most efficient engines for hastening the Redeemer's kingdom upon earth, which has existed since the preaching of the Apostles. May the Divine blessing continue to rest upon it, and on that numerous body of sincere and pious persons who act in the responsible office of a religious teacher. They are particularly worthy of the support of Christian ministers, being their most faithful, most devoted, and most active coadjutors—preparing the way of the Lord, like the Baptist of old, and making in the highway a pathway for our God.

CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTION SOCIETY.

On Tuesday, the 5th of May, the tenth anniversary of this Society was held. The Earl of Chichester in the chair.

The Chairman, among other excellent remarks, observed, that it was a beautiful law, in the economy of Christianity, by which it was found, that those most anxious for the good of their fellow-sinners in their immediate neighbourhood, were those most inclined to convey the same blessing to others at a remote distance. He felt pleasure in meeting so many fellow-christians, of different denominations, all joining in the same work-all looking to the same end-and all serving the same Master; because, at a period when there was unhappily a great difference of opinion amongst professed and real Christians, which occasioned too great a separation between them, it was most edifying for them to be brought together, and taught to look up to their common Saviour, and to kneel together before the same throne of grace.

The Rev. J. Blackburn read the Report, from which it appeared that during the past year 566 copies of the Holy Scriptures had been circulated, 1662 cases of distress had been relieved, and 2976 children had been induced to attend various schools. At the present time there were 75 Associations, having 1630 visitors, attending 40,666 families, and holding 91 prayer-meetings. To supply the increasing appetite for religious and moral books, apparent in the

lower classes, the Committee had provided a series of Loan Libraries. There were now fifty such libraries, each containing fifty volumes. Several interesting facts, showing the benefit which had resulted from local prayer-meetings, the loan of tracts, and open-air preaching, were adduced. The mission to resident foreigners, announced at the last meeting, and conducted by Dr. Giustiniani, had been attended with the most salutary benefit. Repeated attempts had recently been made, with considerable encouragement, to visit the jails and poor-houses. Supplies of tracts and other publications had been granted to several country Associations.

Thomas Challis, Esq. then stood forward, and presented his accounts as Treasurer, from which it appeared :

That the balance due to the Treasurer at the last anniversary was £126..2..9; the total receipts during the past year amounted to £1041..19..4; the expenditure to £1024..0..1; leaving the balance now due to the Treasurer £108..3..6.

Charles Lushington, Esq. M. P. moved the first resolution, and testified to the advantages of the Society and to the comprehensive and conciliatory principles upon which it was founded; which was to lead all classes of Christians, irrespective of particular denominations, to advance evangelical religion. He thought the Society, in its object of procuring the better observance of the Lord's day, was entitled to much attention. The Society also provided for the preaching of the Gospel, to establish prayer-meetings, and Sunday-schools; and what, he would ask, could be a more laudable design. He knew one Sunday-school, in which the children had small books put into their hands, containing Scripture references, and some of them had answered more than thirty questions in one day. The Society also embraced the circulation of religious tracts-and he was acquainted with a lady who employed her utmost endeavours to diffuse those valuable publications; and in a population of from 4000 to 5000, she had only met with four or five instances in which she had not been received with delight.

The Rev. J. Leifchild remarked, it was very affecting to consider how vast was the portion of the inhabitants of this country who were as yet unacquainted with the great truths of the Gospel, and destitute of a proper spirit of worshipping our God and Saviour. Some time ago, at a great distance from the metropolis, he found, on inquiry, that there were 5000 persons in the neighbourhood, who never went to any place of worship at all. Not far from it he found 8000 persons in one district, and in one county 50,000 persons of a similar description. In the metropolis there were not less than half a million of human beings who, on the Sabbath-day, never frequented any place of worship. These were statements that ought to, and he was persuaded did, affect that audience. He then adverted to the success that generally crowned the efforts of visitors, and that he had, on one occasion, met 250 persons who had been brought together by the visitors, and found them deeply sensible of their exertions. He agreed with a writer who had recently addressed the Bishop of London on this subject.—that the clergy and ministers must go out and proclaim Christ; and that churches and chapels, and private rooms for divine teaching must be multiplied. He spoke of the success of many humble instruments in the Word, and instanced a case in which a deaf and dumb man had communicated the truths of Revelation to his fellow-patients by the language of the fingers; and trusted that, agreeably with the spirit manifested in the speech of the Chairman, the day was coming when they would be lifted up above all little party distinctions, and would unite in the diffusion of the truths of the everlasting Gospel

"Oh come the day, when every sect shall fall,
And Christ, the living Head, be all in all."

The Rev. T. Binning contended, that the Society embraced the objects of VOL. I.-June, 1835.

HHH

all the other Societies; and observed, that in his way to Exeter-Hall, he had stepped into Newgate to see some individuals whom he had been in the habit of visiting for the last six or eight weeks, and who were under sentence of death; and he also saw some others, whom he had not seen before. He had addressed questions to five or six of the unhappy criminals under twenty years of age, and from the replies they gave, it appeared they were capable of reading, that they had been instructed in various Sunday and Parish Schools, and had been in the habit of attending on Divine worship, and thus furnished evidence of the necessity of such a Society as their's, which had for its object the visiting of the poor as they grew up in manhood, and giving them the Word of Life; and concluded by recommending pecuniary asssistance to the Society.

The Rev. J. Burnet in a very eloquent speech looked forward to the union of individual efforts with official teaching, and observed that this method was common to the primitive church. He thought that not only the shepherd ought to gather the sheep, but that the flock might be allowed to help also in the rescuing of souls. It was not only from the pulpit that religious truth ought to be propounded. Could they then turn to the Gospel of Christ, and say that because there were ministers appointed by the word of God and acknowledged by the Church of Christ for certain offices and functions, therefore the people were to do nothing? Were they just to do as had been done in olden times-put out the eyes of science as soon as they were opened, if they had any tendency to throw an inquiring look at Christianity? When it was discovered that the earth went round the sun, the discovery was not suited to the darkness of those times, and persons were forbidden to propagate it, and were commanded to say that the sun went round the earth, because that idea suited the prevailing system of theology; and it was thought desirable not to disturb old theories, however absurd they might be. Unless it were intended to go back to something like that period, it was useless to tell the members of the Church of Christ that they had nothing to do but on returning festivals assemble round the pulpit and hear, ex cathedra, the statements of those who were their official teachers, and just believe what the church believed. The light shone too clearly for that to be done. The tone of the human mind was too far advanced to be brought into that state of things. He held that all who bore office in the Church of Christ might bear it sustained by the people who submitted to its exercise, more profitably and with greater satisfaction to themselves when they found them running hither and thither on the highways and hedges, circulating in the form of Christian Instruction Societies, the truths of that very Gospel upon which their office stood. It was pleasing to find all who submitted to the office of the ministry ready to run with the spiritual charter by which the ministry was held, the act by which they exercised their prerogatives, and make it universally known. It was then that the officers of the church would be sustained in the midst of light and not of darkness. The people had been gathered under them for the very purpose of making themselves useful under their pastorship, and that all the world might know that the Gospel of Christ, in all its functions and functionaries, was sustained by light, and knowledge, and sanctity; that infidelity might hide its head ashamed; and that the world might know that a desire to monopolize the inclusive instruction of mankind belonged only to an arrogant, a usurping, a designing, a corrupt priesthood. (Loud cheers.) Let him ask what would be the result, if at the present moment, they were to pass by the great mass of the people? His conviction had always been that communities which might have been enlightened by the Gospel of Christ, had come short of that light, simply because the great mass of the people had been neglected. Need he tell his Lordship that the mass of the community in no country under heaven would be capable of understanding a continued dissertation and

discourse? Thousands of the terms employed would not be comprehended. They knew not the vocabulary which was used; they knew not what a train of reasoning was. Intelligent men would receive instruction in the way in which it was offered to them, but to the great mass it did not come home in a form that could meet them. They were shut out from the precise mode of teaching which would effectually teach them, and until there was placed between the general reasoner from the word of God, and the community at large, some instrument that could touch both one and the other, could it be said that they were really in contact with the great mass of society around them? (Cheers.) Another reason why the neglect of the lower orders must necessarily terminate in a limited diffusion of Christianity, was that they did not come within its range. Places of worship might be set apart and multiplied ad infinitum, but they would not come to them; they knew not what was going on; they cared not for the persons assembling in them; they had no idea of the services performed in them; they were ignorant of the God worshipped in them, and the Gospel preached in them. They would sooner sleep away their time in indolence at home or squander their moments in the fields, than enter a place of worship. Thus it was necessary to go down' to the lower walks of vice: but there the pastor could not go, simply because he could not be everywhere; and hence the necessity of Christian Instruction Societies, whose agents might bring the people within the reach of pastoral teaching and the range of religious ordinances. He then observed, that it was the peculiar object of the Christian Instruction Society to effect this; and concluded his eloquent address by an allusion to the stability of Christianity above all mutations of time or the mighty conflicts of nature.

After further speeches from the Rev. C. Stovel, the Rev. J. Williams, from the South Sea Islands, Henry Dunn, Esq., the Rev. T. Morel, and the Rev. J. Blackburn, the Noble Chairman again addressed the meeting, and observed in conclusion, that no one would labour effectually unless his efforts were undertaken in faith upon the Son of God, and reliance upon the strength which God had promised.

SLAVES IN THE FRENCH COLONIES.

A discussion of interest arose in the French Chamber of Deputies, last week, relative to the abolition of slavery in the French Colonies. M. Trambert, as the representative of the free coloured people, who are large slave owners, warmly advocated the necessity of emancipation on a principle of compensation to the masters. M. Mauquin endeavoured to alarm the Chamber, by painting in strong colours, the disasterous state of things in St. Domingo, and insisted on the heavy amount that would necessarily become payable to the planters. M. Mauquin receives a salary of £1,200 a year from the slave owners to defend their interests in the Chamber. The Duke de Broglie, though president of the society for emancipating the negroes, discouraged all meddling with the subject until the result of the English experiment should be seen, and it is said that the feeling of the Chamber is decidedly against any attempt whatever at emancipation.

We think that France and all Europe will emancipate their slaves in time, now England has shown the example. It is a blot on Europeans to treat their sable brethren thus,-our conscience, our God, and our laws forbid us thus to enslave the descendants from one forefather.

ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.

Since the establishment of this Institution, rewards have been paid to upwards of 25,000 claimants who have nobly risked their own lives for the preservation of others; and more than 6,000 persons have been rescued from apparent death.

EDUCATION IN IRELAND.

The following are the amounts of money supplied from the public funds, for the purposes of Education in Ireland :—

Besides the societies above-named, there are others existing for the purpose of establishing schools, circulating the Holy Scriptures, and distributing tracts, &c. The London Hibernian Society is one of this kind, which, from its circulation of the Bible has incurred the most unmitigated aversion of the Roman Catholic clergy. The day schools of this society, in 1823, amounted to 653, and 61,387 scholars, of which 340 were in connection with the Kildare-Street Society. The persons in attendance at the adult schools at the same period, amounted to 10,117, and at the Sunday Schools to 17,145, giving a total of 88,649. Up to 1823, the Scriptures were circnlated to the amount of 2005 English Bibles, 12,297 English, and 2000 Irish Testaments. The society disavowed proselytism, and admit into their schools no catechism or books of religious controversy. The scholars are taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, and made to commit to memory certain portions of the Scripture, and this latter particular appears to have been the great object in view. The literary acquirement of the pupils being in every way inferior to any other class of scholars. With nearly the same objects, the Baptist Society was formed in 1824, and has been in a similar way opposed by the Roman Catholic clergy; about 100 schools are formed in this connection. The Irish Society, established about the same period, is principally directed to enable the Irish peasant to read the scriptures in his native tongue.

The society which perhaps has done the most good, with the smallest amount of means, is the Sunday School Society, founded in 1809: this society offers its aid, without exception, to every school that meets upon a Sunday, supplies them with spelling books and the Holy scriptures, at a reduced price. But this led to the establishment of Sunday-schools, by the Roman Catholic clergy, which were held in their chapels, and the schools in consequence experienced a considerable decrease in the number of their pupils. The receipts of the society have amounted to about £2,000 annually, and it has received assistance by grants from the British and Foreign Bible Society.

THE SPANISH INQUISITION.

A curious publication, showing the number of victims sacrificed by the Inquisition has appeared in Madrid, according to which 105,285 fell under Torrequenada, 51,167 under Cisneros, 34,952 under Diego Perez. Those who suffered under the Inquisition who preceded these three monsters amounted to 3,410,215. It is reckoned that 31,912 have been burnt alive, 15,659 have suffered the punishment of the statute, and 291,450 that of the penitentiaries, 500,000 families have been destroyed by the Inquisition, and it has cost Spain two millions of her citizens.