spiritual tyranny.-Demolishing the most inveterate prejudices among men, by appearing a poor man amongst the poor, by tearing from aristocratic pride and priestly insolence their masks of most orthodox assurance, (!) &c., &c., he laid the foundations of civil and religious freedom, of mental power growing out of unrestrained mental energies, (!) and of love and knowledge co-equal in extension with the world. This perfect freedom of universal man (!) he guarded by leaving no DECREES, &c., &c., &c." Thus our Lord is made out to be a sort of democratic reformer, who came to put down kings and priests! Very little more, after this, need be said of this amiable person. The last extract, absurd and ludicrous as it is in language, is not calculated to excite anything but disgust. Let Mr. H. abuse the clergy as he will, but let him spare his Saviour. "Persist, by nature, sense, and taste unawed, But learn, ye Dunces, not to scorn your God." This is a wholesome piece of advice, and not a little required by Mr. Howit; who, after pointing out the wickedness of certain Jewish priests, refers this to the essence of the institution; and, in speaking of tithes, characterizes them as detestable in their nature. When we remember that the Jewish priesthood and tithes were institutions of God, this advice not to scorn him is indeed not unnecessary. As to the coarseness and vulgarity of the style, and the selfcontradictions running through the whole of this common-place compilation of all the old stories of popery, the inquisition, &c., &c., it is not worth while to notice them. Nor is it necessary to do more than notice the fact that, besides the indications of profaneness above mentioned, every page gives token of an anti-Christian spirit, for there is hardly a page through the book which does not contain the coarsest and bitterest revilings. Some people may wonder at this coming from a Quaker, but the fact is, that that sect is divided into two very different classes. It contains many indviduals remarkable for their acquirements, and earnestly striving to live up to their professions of Christian gentleness. But there is a larger class among them in the present day, radicals in politics, and Socinianized in belief, who are as turbulent, mischievous, and as much opposed to every thing like a gentle spirit, as the members of any party. More bitter and pertinacious hatred of the church, more constant opposition to it, more Jesuitical and underhand manœuvring, does not exist among any sect than among this worse part of the Friends. And yet, to do them justice, few among them would be so unchristian as Mr. Howit, and fewer still as ignorant and as absurd. As far as the church is concerned, the reviewer can say with truth, that Mr. H. and his book are entire matters of indifference. Such vulgarity, as is found in almost every page, united with such rhodomontade, and such singular blundering about common facts, will entirely prevent any harm coming from the intentions of the author. He has indeed written himself fiend in every page; but then it is such a poor paltry atom of a fiend that no one can regard its raving. A toad spits out a great quantity of filthy venom, but when it fancies itself a viper and thinks that people will be afraid of its poison, one can only laugh at the folly of the reptile. MISCELLANEA. MORE THINGS TO BE LAMENTED. (From the Home Missionary Magazine.) SECONDLY, That more ministers do not attend prayer-meetings, to guide the devotions and give an address to those who come. It may be urged, that persons can pray without the presence of their pastor, and better for him in VOL. IV.-July, 1833. L his absence than in his presence. One word to those who pray-not to be tedious; a short impressive prayer is far more interesting than a long and tedious one. Some persons are deterred from coming by the tediousness of those who engage; and ministers who had come to address their people have no time left for the exercise. Third, That ministers are so seldom sent for to visit the sick of their flock,so seldom made friends and counsellors by their people in the hour of trouble, -and so seldom invited by their hearers to address their households on the important subjects of religion;—surely this is to be lamented. Fourth, That so few of the more respectable part of some churches are willing to go forth to the help of the Lord, by visiting the sick, distributing tracts, and teaching the rising race; leaving these services to others whose love and zeal are warmer, but whose qualifications are often far less. Fifth, That so little encouragement is given to some pious men, who spend their time, and talents, and property, in providing useful books for their fellowcreatures. It is notorious that some of the most valuable books ever presented to the religious part of the community, have scarcely paid the expense of the labour in getting them up.-[But then the pious men ought not to regret that!] The world will encourage the publication of the writings of a Byron, a Walter Scott, &c., while the writings of some pious men, which are calculated to do good to precious souls, are passed by with indifference: surely this is to be lamented; and especially should congregations encourage the labours of their pastors in this respect, who devote some of their leisure hours to the press, to make up, if possible, the deficiency of subsistence furnished by the people whom they serve (!!) [Then the voluntary system does not altogether answer!] Sixth, That persons should be so unaccountably backward in paying their pew rents-[what! under the voluntary system ?]—by which means the deacons of churches often find a difficulty in making up the very inadequate salary allowed to their pastors (!) Such persons must pay their house-rent, but they withhold that which is to support the servant of God and his family. This is a glaring and extensive evil in our churches. If the offenders herein would seriously consider, if they would remember their obligations to God and his servants, surely they would no longer offend, for it is nothing short of injustice. REPORT S. NATIONAL SOCIETY. A MEETING of the Committee of the National Society took place on the 5th of June, at which were present the Archbishops of Canterbury and York; Bishops of Bath and Wells, Lichfield, Bangor, St. David's, Chester, Carlisle, and Exeter; Rev. Dr. D'Oyley, Rev. Dr. Walmsley, Rev. J. C. Wigram, Rev. H. H. Norris, and J. Trimmer, Esq. The schools of 15 places were received into union, and grants voted in aid of the erection and enlargement of school-rooms in 21 places; amounting in the whole to 1,0551. INCORPORATED SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE ENLARGEMENT, the necessity of the case, were voted towards enlarging, by rebuilding, the chapel of St. Luke Heywood, in the parish of Bury, county of Lancaster; enlarging the chapel of Armley, in the county of York; enlarging, by rebuilding, the church at Lytchett Minster, in the county of Dorset; enlarging, by rebuilding, the church at Wolford in the county of Warwick; building a district chapel at Shildon, in the parish of St. Andrew Auckland, county of Durham; building a church at Worsthorne, in the chapelry of Burnley and county of Lancaster; building a church at Burnley, in the county of Lancaster; enlarging the galleries in the church of St. Mary, Bridgnorth, in the county of Salop; re-arranging the seats in the church at Long Melford in the county of Stafford; re-arranging the seats in, and repairing, the church at Checkley, in the county of Stafford; enlarging the chapel at Bloxwich in the county of Stafford; enlarging and re-arranging the seats in the church at Teddington; re-pewing and repairing the church at Eckington, in the county of Derby; enlarging the church at Darlaston, in the county of Stafford; restoring the church of St. Peter, Birmingham, destroyed by fire. TRIALS. High Court of Delegates.-Friday, June 14. WILCOX v. WHITE. THIS was an appeal from the Arches Court, in a suit brought by appeal from the Consistory Court of London, in which the office of the judge had been promoted by Dr. White, perpetual curate of Hampstead, against the Rev. Mr. Wilcox, for performing divine service, as a clergyman of the church of England, administering the sacrament, &c., in Downshire Chapel, in that parish, without licence from the ordinary and leave from the incumbent. In both Courts, the defendant was held to have acted illegally, was admonished to abstain, and was condemned in costs. After hearing Dr. HAGGARD and Mr. BEERE, on the part of the appellant, and Dr. ADDAMSs and Mr. FOLLETT in support of the sentence, Their LORDSHIPS remained a short time in consultation, and adjourned without coming to a decision. The Commission consisted of Mr. Baron Bayley, Mr. Justice Taunton, and Mr. Justice Bosanquet; with Drs. Burnaby, Daubeney, Phillimore, Blake, and Curteis. Saturday, June 22nd.-The Court met to-day to deliver their judgment in this case, which was, that the decree of the court below should be confirmed, and that the cause should be remitted. No order was made as to the costs, and therefore each party will have to pay his own, which is the usual course in cases of great nicety or hardship. THE LAWS OF PEWS. SIR J. NICHOLL, in a late élaborate judgment, says " By the general law, and of common right, all the pews in a parish church are the common property of the parish; they are for the use in common of the parishioners, who are all entitled to be seated, orderly and conveniently, so as best to provide for the accommodation of all. The distribution of seats rests with the churchwardens, as the officers, and subject to the control of the ordinary. Neither the minister nor the vestry have any right whatever to interfere with the churchwardens in seating and arranging the parishioners, as often erroneously supposed; at the same time, the advice of the minister, and even sometimes the opinions and wishes of the vestry, may be fitly invoked by the churchwardens, and, to a certain extent, may be reasonably referred to in this matter. The duty of the churchwardens is to look to the general accommodation of the parish, consulting, as far as may be, that of all its inhabitants. The parishioners, indeed, have a claim to be seated according to their rank and station; but the churchwardens are not, in providing for this, to overlook the claims of all the parishioners to be seated if sittings can be afforded them.-Legal Examiner.” DOCUMENTS. EXPENSES OF A FARM HIRED IN ORDER TO GIVE EMPLOYMENT TO THE POOR. SIR,-I send you a statement of the accounts for two years of a farm* of 55 acres, which was hired at Michaelmas, 1830, by the parish in which I reside, for the purpose of giving employment to such able-bodied labourers as the overseers were bound to set to work. I also subjoin a comparative statement of the results of the employment of the same amount of labour in spade husbandry and its employment on the roads. It will be seen, that, although the farm is conducted at a great apparent loss, the measure, as contrasted with road work, is of some benefit to the parish. I must also observe that I am not at all qualified to superintend such an undertaking, and that those to whom its management was committed have never paid any real attention to the mode in which it is conducted. Every allowance must, therefore, be made for the want of good management; and the experiment must be considered as having been made under the greatest probable amount of disadvantage. Account for the year ending Michaelmas, 1831. RECEIPTS. 29 qrs. 1 bush. of wheat, average 44 qrs. 4 bush. beans, av. pr. 35s. Keep of Sheep on 6 acres of turn- 26 sacks of potatoes, at 2s. 6d.... tenant £ ad. 84 0 4 78 0 8 25 17 6 16 19 6 25 2 3 1200 3 5 0 65 14 O Total received... 310 19 3 The amount expended otherwise than in labour appears to be 2897. ls. 11d.; this deducted from the receipts leaves a balance of 217. 17s. 4d. to be set against the wages of the able-bodied labourers set to work. £392 8 4 21 17 4 Thus the apparent loss by the farm is, -£370 11 0 The Editor has the warmest thanks to offer to the writer of this valuable paper, who has put him in possession of the name of the parish as well as his own. + Great tithe taken in kind by the lessee. The amount realized by barley and by oats will at once shew that bad fortune was added to bad management this season. The next year's account will also afford proof of this fact. Account for the year ending Michaelmas, 1832. If the sums which were expended on spade labour in 1831 and 1832 respectively had been expended in setting the same individuals to work on the roads, the result would have been nearly what the subjoined statement makes it. The manual labour on one mile of road is as follows: Now it appears from this statement that an expense of 1287. must be incurred by the parish in carting only, to say nothing of tools and extras, to enable them to set to work on the roads men whose wages amount to 3301. 138. 4d. Omitting fractions, and increasing the 330l. to 3921, the 1287. would become 1527. (for 330 : 392 : : 128 : 152.) The Account for 1831 will then stand thus : £ s. d. On the parish farm the receipts, after replacing the outlay neces- And, as there would be no return, the difference in favour of the 183 17 4 • Parish road is intended. |