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good as those who go most to church, in a worldly point of view you may be; for all are miserable sinners in the sight of God; but there is a wide difference between you and them; they are obeying God's commands, seeking him in his appointed way; praying for forgiveness of their sins past, and for strength to lead a new life. Now, are you acting thus? I fear not.'

'I do think you are quite mistaken. It says in the Bible, "God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation, he that feareth and worketh good works is accepted of him;" and I should think it is much better to worship God quietly and privately at home.'

'But, Miss Roberts, I must ask you one question. You find the Sabbath a weariness going to the house of God, praising and praying to him a trouble. You will not tread his courts below, and sing his praises here, how do you expect to enjoy the Sabbath of eternity? If you care not to worship here, how dare you pretend to desire the perfect happiness and holiness of heaven, whilst you continue to act contrary to God's commands?'

A few pages after, we find the writer conversing with a Baptist, who dexterously glides away from some home observations, and takes refuge in the doctrine of election. The author remarks:

'And if you can't see the good of infant baptism, can you show me the harm?'

'Why, you see, we don't like it; and we never see any good come of it; besides that, people as know much better than me, say your service is'nt as it ought to be.'

'I always pity those who find fault with any of our beautiful services, as I believe that the more they are compared with the word of God, the more pure and faultless we find them. But what harm can it do? And you must allow, that it is a far more reasonable way of acting, to bring them to church to be prayed over by the minister, than never to have prayers offered up for them. Do you not think so?'

'Why, I dare say it is: and, I tell you as I told Mr. Douglas, that I wish I had never committed a worse sin than in having them done. But I shan't have the others christened, they are such bad children.'

'How can you expect any thing else? You confess you have never prayed with them nor for them, nor taught them to pray for themselves. They have not been brought to God in baptism, nor had the prayers of the Christian congregation, that they might become 'members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven.' What do you think of Betty O-, who would not give

her child a bit to eat out of her allowance, but starved it until it was quite ill?'

'What do I think of her? Why she's a cruel, unnatural wretch; and if the squire had done as he ought, she should have been

'Stop, Mrs. Jarvis: you have behaved as a mother to the bodies of your children, but what have you done for your sonls? God has given you children, and has ordered you to "nurse them for Him," to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

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'I do. I believe that God knows when I shall die and when you will. I don't know whether it will be by starving, as Betty's child was doing, or by shipwreck, as poor Dora's husband died; but if there were a scarcity of food, would you not go and seek for what you could find? and if you saw there was a storm coming, would you not stay on shore ? '

Lawk, ma'am, none but a fool or a madman would throw away his life in that fashion.'

Well, Mrs. Jarvis, I believe you are acting in a similar way with reference to life everlasting. God sets before you life and death-a blessing and a curse. If you choose life, you will seek it in all the means of grace which God has appointed. You will train up your children-not merely pay for their schooling, that they may be taught something, you know not what, but train them, practise them, exercise them in the right way, and God will then take care that they do not depart from it.'

We really think Solomon would not have wished the making of books to have terminated before' this appeared; and we suspect he would be disposed to say, Go onmake more observations; write more letters," cast thy bread upon the waters, it shall be found after many days." At all events, we without any doubt or hesitation strongly recommend the little volume before us to the attention of our readers, and would strenuously advise its adoption as a present to the young, and a reward book to the senior classes in Sunday and other schools.

Entelligence.

LAY UNION.

A SOCIETY has recently been formed for defending the rights and promoting the interests of the Church. The following Resolutions and Rules have been adopted :

'FUNDAMENTAL RESOLUTIONS.

1. That it is the inalienable right of the people of England to be provided with the means of public worship and religious instruction, through the medium of a national Church.

2. That this right is now invaded by those who are seeking to deprive the Church of England of that which constitutes it a national establishment, and to abstract a part of its resources, whilst it has been abundantly proved that those resources are wholly inadequate to the wants of a rapidly increasing people.

3. That it is the sacred duty of all persons attached to the national Church, and desirous of maintaining the rights of the people of England, to unite in defence of the Church established in this kingdom.

4. That the laity be, therefore, invited to join in the formation of a society for the defence of the Established Church.

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1. That annual subscribers of one guinea and upwards, and donors of ten guineas and upwards, assenting to the fundamental resolutions, be members of the society.

2. That the operations of the society be conducted by a committee, consisting of a chairman, deputychairman, and 24 other members, all of whom shall be lay members of the Established Church.

3. That the operations of the society be strictly confined to measures for defending the rights and promoting the interests of the Established Church; and that it shall at no time entertain any question relating to its doctrines or discipline.'

Donations and subscriptions, in aid of the funds of the Lay Union, are received at the banking-house of Messrs. Herries, Farquhar, and Co., St. James's-street.

'All communications on the subject of the society, and from those who may be desirous of enrolling themselves as members, are requested to be addressed, by letter, to Mr. S. Mills, Honorary Secretary, 28, Cockspur-street.

'London, March 27, 1838.'

SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION IN UPPER CANADA.

DURING the last few years vast numbers of our population have left the mother country, and settled in Upper Canada. The consequence has been an increase of inhabitants far beyond any hitherto known in the history of our Colonies. It could not be expected that the supply of Spiritual Instruction, which barely sufficed in the year 1830, for 200,000 persons, could meet the demands of a population now exceeding 500,000. This great body were generally poor, and could not hold out the inducement of a decent maintenance to Clergymen to settle amongst them. The lack of pastoral instruction has increased to a very fearful extent. The numbers of the clergy of the Church of England have remained nearly stationary since 1830, that is, between fifty and sixty. The emi

grants have sought new settlements, too remote from the spheres in which the clergy were generally located, to admit of their ministering, even occasionally, to the new Colonists.

It is confidently stated, that of the church population of Upper Canada, there are about 100,000 who have no opportunity, from the beginning to the end of the year, of attending the ordinances of their own communion. The evils are still increasing, and the results must soon be felt; for what can be anticipated from a population living without the public acknowledgment of God, and without the means of instruction for themselves and children in his Word and Gospel.

At the very period when an extension rather than a diminution of assistance was needed, the Parlia

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ment of Great Britain deliberately withdrew the annual grant £15,600 from the Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts.' This Society was in consequence obliged entirely to withdraw its aid from the Church in Upper Canada; the lands which were set apart for the Church by the Parliament of 1791 are claimed by all denominations, and are therefore held in a measure in abeyance till a fresh act be passed to decide on the legitimate owners of the grant. Other denominations have received and are receiving assistance from Government. A Bishop of the Church of Rome is paid £1,000 per annum in Lower Canada, where popery is established and possesses large landed revenues; a popish Bishop with £500 per annum, and Priests at the cost of £1500 are supported in Upper Canada ; while in that province the urgent prayer for support for a Protestant

Bishop has been met with a distinct refusal.

A deputation from the Bishops of Montreal and the Archdeacons and Clergy of Upper Canada has in consequence visited this country, and been kindly received by the Archbishops of Canterbury, York, Armagh, Dublin, and Tuam; by the Right Rev. the Bishops of London, Durham, Winchester, Lincoln, Chester, Gloucester and Bristol, Exeter, Bangor, St. Asaph, Ely, Ripon, Salisbury, Carlisle; by the Societies for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts; the Vice Chancellors and Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and by many of the nobility and clergy, who have kindly subscribed to relieve the spiritual privations of the poor Canadians.

Subscriptions in aid of this important cause are received at Messrs. Herries, Hammersleys, &c.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

THE last number of the Society's Extracts contains the following anecdotes:

'Quebec, Upper Canada,

The pressing demands of business of various kinds would prompt me to close this communication at once, were it not that I feel inclined to furnish you with the following copy of a statement from one of our country depositaries, of an interesting anecdote connected with our late proceedings, in supplying every person able to read, in an adjoining county, with the Scriptures, in the course of 1836. The plain narrative is as follows:

'Some time in the year 1836, there was a country-wedding in the county of at which the usual scenes of riot and drunkenness took place, which ended in a law-suit, and cost the bride's father a considerable sum. Revenge burned in his breast, and ended in a fixed resolution to murder the person who was the cause of his loss. The bride's father is from old Ireland, and a Roman Catholic. When a boy, he had been taught to read at one of the charitable schools in Ireland, and could read the Scriptures, but had paid no attention to

that important duty from his twelfth year. While he was considering how to murder the person whom he thought had injured him, a New Testament, from the Quebec Bible Society, was handed into the house where he lived. He took up the New Testament, and turned to 1 John iii. 15: 6 Whosoever hateth his brother, is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.' The word took hold of his heart, and he relinquished his diabolical design. He continues to read the New Testament, though he finds much in it which condemns his profession. On being asked what he would do if the priest were to order him to give up his New Testament: No, I will not give it away,' he replied. 'I love it. It has saved two lives already : and what more it may do, I cannot tell.''

A correspondent from Bavaria writes:

'The Jews here are so anxious to read their Thorah, (the five Books of Moses,) that I am told you can scarcely enter into a Jewish family without finding the inmates assembled around one of your beautiful

copies. They express their gratitude that there are those who, out of affection to them, furnish them the books of their Law at a moderate price. Although they are mostly poor, and obliged to maintain their school and the master out of their own private funds, yet not one of them has solicited a copy gratis, but has cheerfully, and with thanks, paid the price asked.' In compliance with the above request, I lost no time in forwarding to the writer a case, containing 75 copies of the Hebrew and German Pentateuch, and as many of the Prophets and Psalms.

GOSPELS FOR THE BLIND.

MR. GALL having finished the printing of St. Luke for the blind, on your account, invited a few friends and myself to hear and see some of his children read it. They had not before perused it; and, of course, were quite unacquainted with the portion of Scripture on which they were to be examined. We had before us a blind girl of about eleven years of age, and a boy of nine. The boy had only been eight months at school; and did not know the letters when he came to Edinburgh from Montrose, eight months ago. I turned up the book at random; and really, they read it off, to the utter astonishment of all present, as fast as any of us could have done. They met with many new words they had never felt before, but these gave them no trouble. In the hurry they now and then made a mistake; but not more than children of their age and standing, with both eyes, would have done; and, when challenged, they immediately corrected themselves. To prove that their fingers, being hardened by working, would not incapacitate them for reading, the boy put on thick cotton gloves lined with leather, and read nearly with the same ease as before, whereever we opened the book. Two folds of silk made scarcely any difficulty. He read easily, though not quite so fast, through four and six folds. We increased them, even to twelve folds: still he made it out, though with some difficulty. This

sufficiently proved that there was little danger of the letters being so flattened as to prevent their feeling them. We were so delighted with our young friends, that I took the liberty to make each of them a present, in your name, of the Gospel of Luke. I wish you had seen them, when told the book was their own. The little fellow held it up, to feel it weight; turned over to the titlepage; read your designation; turned it over from place to place, reading aloud. We wished him to desist, that we might have some conversation; but no, he would read on. We wished to show the book to some who were present; but he would not let go his hold of it. It is now a settled point

with me, that it is as easy to teach the blind to read as the seeing; and that they would find as much pleasure in reading, if they had books to read. I, at the same time am convinced they ought to be taught when very young, and before they are put to work, just as other children are. When advanced in life, they must feel it as irksome to go through the process of learning their letters, &c. as seeing adults do; and perhaps their fingers being hardened by work, and having been accustomed to learn every thing by memory, they may then be less anxious to learn what gives them a little trouble.

*

Feb. 1, 1338.-The poor little fellow, to whom I gave a copy of St. Luke, as I foretold, would not give up reading till he had finished the book. But, alas! his poor eyes suffered for it; for, ere he was done, they were blistered ;-but, blisters and all, he finished his book?- We have a blind Irish harper here at present, the tips of whose fingers are hard as horns with touching the strings of his harp, who is taking lessons from Mr. Gall in reading, and getting on amazingly well.So much in reply to those who maintain that the working blind cannot read, or be taught to read. They may be taught just as well as seeing adults; but it will always be found an irksome task to teach either.

* His fingers.

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.

At the meeting of this Society, held on Tuesday, April 3d, it was resolved, "That no person be at liberty to publish, or to supply to any newspaper or other periodical work, reports of the discussions which take place at the meetings of this board. The numbers for the resolution were, 150; against it, 68.

The chief grounds alleged in support of the resolution were, that the publication of these reports induced many to speak who ought not to speak, and many to hold their tongues who would do good by speaking; that the reports were partial and incorrect; that, in consequence, a member was in danger of having a word which he might speak in haste and immediately desire to recal, published to all the world; that sharp things were sometimes said which ought to be forgotten, &c.

These reasons would, of course, apply to parliamentary discussions, and to the proceedings of all other meetings, where by any possibility difference of opinion can exist. But, after all, they only afford a miserable apology for that fear of man which bringeth a snare, that impetuosity of temper which brooks no control, that rashness of speech in which men accustomed to have every thing their own way are apt to indulge. And they all lose sight of one important consideration: that when men rise to speak in the presence of archbishops, bishops, clergy, nobles, and gentry-when one or two hundred persons of rank, talent, or education assemble together, the utterance of unguarded language or the indulgence of a pettish temper is of itself a grave offence, every way deserving of public reprehension.

One very strange argument was on this occasion brought forward. A member who had previously advocated the publication of reports now opposed their continuance on the ground that they had not advanced by a line's breadth a change in the Society's publications; that all the change which had been accomplished had been effected by persons on whom those reports had no influence. Now we very much doubt whether it can be said in truth that there are any number of per

sons in the Society on whom those reports have no influence. Men often say, Who care's? and who's afraid? When every auditor is ready to reply, You.

But on this point we will not enlarge. The resolution is passed. To suppose, however, that it will answer the proposed end is manifestly absurd. Already the newspapers are taking up the question. The proceedings of the late meeting appear, or are animadverted on in journals, which have hitherto rarely noticed the Society; and numerous reporters volunteer their services wherever information is desired. The existing members of the society also feel that they cannot be bound by this resolution. Numerous protests have already appeared, and one especially has been published with the signatures of TWENTY-TWO respectable laymen, who protest against the Resolution, because the Board did not possess the right to enact such a law; and further because the noise and interruptions which were created, and kept up by many of the supporters of the Resolution deprived its opponents of a fair hearing, and also deprived the meeting of its claim to be considered a deliberative assembly.

This is somewhat pungent. The turbulent party may well wish for closed doors. Alas! Is it come to this; that an assembly, assuming to itself the honourable distinction of the Church of England representative, should be thus publicly denounced by two and twenty of its lay members in the Record Newspaper of April 12, 1838; and shall no notice be taken of such charges? O, yes! notice will be taken-clamour can never supply the place of argument; and the short-sighted actors in such disturbances will soon find that they have made a grand mistake.

The Chairman on the late occasion appears to have done every thing in his power to maintain order; but his efforts did not succeed. We cannot but feel deep sympathy for those who preside on such stormy occasions, and are not surprized at Bishops and Peers gradually withdrawing from scenes which are at once contrary to their habits and painful to their feelings.

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