reap also bountifully." Though in | this text the general principle is stated, he hesitates about the particular applic_tion, since, as he justly remarks, "It is not certain whether a single spiritual blessing, even for this world, much less for the next, is promised in the whole chapter." But though he prudently declines availing himself of these passages, he is of opinion that a sufficient number remain to prove his point. The first portion of scripture which he adduces is, the conversation between our Lord and the two sons of Zebedee, Matt. xx. 21-23. Mark x. 37-40. The second is the parable of the Talents, Luke xix. 13, 26. The next is Luke xxi. 28-30 From this he proceeds to 1 Cor. iii. 8. and ch. xv. 23. 2 Cor. iv. 17. 1 Thess. xi. 19, 20. 1 Cor. iii. 15. 2 Pet. i. 11. all of which he has happily illustrated, and the evidence thence arising for the diversity of future rewards' is placed in that luminous point of view, that the man who can read his pamphlet without conviction, must be inveterate indeed in his prejudices! But our columns warn us that we must not enlarge. The pleasure and satisfaction which we have derived from this pamphlet has induced us to present our readers with a pretty copious analysis of its contents-for it is of the nature of true benevolence to wish to communicate to others the happiness which itself enjoys. We must apprise them however, that it is only a very imperfect and inadequate idea which they can have of the whole pamphlet from our brief review of it, and that if they find any interest in the subject (which surely every Christian must) they will act wisely in having recourse to the work itself. With the author we have not the slightest acquaintance, having never exchanged a syllable with him; and for aught we know, we are equally unknown to him. No impartial person, however, can go through his pages without perceiving the clearest proofs in it of an originality of mind that is rarely met with, and argumentative powers that are of the very first class. We doubt whether the Baptist denomination can produce five men of equal talent; yet the author of this masterly pamphlet, whose abilities qualify him for taking the lead in their most important concerns as a body, is scarcely ever heard of, be VOL. III. yond the precincts of his own hamlet. We sincerely tender him our thanks for his pamphlet, and hope the time is at no great distance when he will encrease our obligation by publishing a volume of Sermons, such as we know him to be capable of producing. We will answer for their success and surely to himself it can be no light affair to communicate the benefits of his ministry beyond the narrow circle in which he is at present destined to move. He may possibly do some thing towards elevating the tone of preaching which, alas, now prevails in most of the churches both Inde pendent and Baptist-a consummation most devoutly to be wished ! The Evil of Separation from the Church of England, &c. London; Seeley. Price 5s. pp. 233. 8vo. 1817. THE Rev. Peter Roe, a Gentleman professing Evangelical principles, has, it would seem, been much disturbed, by the principles of Dissenterism (as our neighbour, Mr. Cunningham, would phrase it) which have latterly made a rapid progress in Ireland, greatly to his annoyance as the minise ter of St. Mary's, Kilkenny. It would appear too that conscience acted rather a troublesome part, and he was somewhat difficulted to quiet its clamours. In this unpleasant posture of affairs, he instituted a correspondence with some of his conforming brethren; whose letters had the desired effect of producing a salvo to his conscience, and he has therefore laid them before the public. But as it is not likely that any thing we had to offer on the subject would be thought entitled to regard, we shall spare ourselves the trouble, but in parting with Mr. Roe and his learned correspondents, we with all due submission recommend to their consideration, the character which Bishop Warburton gave of this same excellent Church of England, to "The his brother Bishop Hurd. Church," says the learned prelate, "like the Ark of Noah, is worth saving; not for the sake of the unclean beasts and vermin that almost filled it, and probably made most noise and clamour in it, but for the little corner of rationality, that was as much distressed by the stink within, as by the tempest without." Letters from a late eminent Prelate to one of his friends, Letter xlvių 2 E See 210 Religious and Literary Entelligence. SOCIETY FOR THE RELIEF to be permanent, such members will be OF SUPERANNUATED BAPTIST MINISTERS. Remarks on a paper signed "Onesimus," in the Baptist Magazine for May. To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine. SIR. THAT the Ministers who have "conducted Zion's warfare and enlarged her borders," should be "cherished with the warmest glow of benevolence," is past dispute. Without question, our churches will be exposed to just reproach, if they do not anticipate the wants of their veteran leaders, and provide accordingly. But the Patrons of a "Society just formed," are at issue with Onesimus respecting the manner of rolling away that reproach and on this account they offer the following remarks to your readers. From the tenor of the " thoughts" of Onesimus, a person, not acquainted with the Rules of the above Society, would imagine it was instituted exclusively for the benefit of OLD AGE; notwithstanding it was announced to the Public that "The object of this Institution is to make provision for such pastors of Baptist churches as may be incapable of discharging the duties of their office through age or infirmity." Omitting all notice of their avowed object, Onesimus represents this "restricting its beneficence to Society as those who are from age AND infirmity permanently unable to exercise their office." This quotation is palpably imperfect, and the change of a word in what is quoted, perverts the whole meaning of the sentence. The sixth Rule states "That any beneficiary member, appearing to be permanently incapable of exercising the pastoral or ministerial office by reason of age or infirmity, shall be intitled to benefits according to the Rules of this Society." It will be doubtless granted that the "duties" of the pastoral or ministerial office include all the customary exercises thereof. If any beneficiary member of this Society should be incapable of discharging these, by reason of age or infirmity of any description, and such incapacity appear likely intitled to the benefits of the Funds. The mere preaching once on the Lord's day, or administering the Lord's supper once a month, (though in many instances these would be justly esteemed an "invaluable portion of sacred service,") would not be regarded as the exercise or discharge of the duties of the ministerial or pastoral office contemplated in the above Rule, but the honoured invalid would be equally intitled to support as if he were wholly laid aside.* Onesimus covertly accuses the Society just formed of want of liberality. To rebut such a charge, let the plan speak for itself. It proposes to provide a CERTAIN asylum for the aged or infirm, to which the annual receipt signed by the Secretary, and sent to every subscribing minister, in his Title Deed, under which he will demand his proportion of the funds, which are already considerable-but one guinea a year for the purchase of this Title, Onesimus thinks, will be an unjustifiable claim on their immediate income."+ 66 How unhappy it is for reasoners when they labour under a misconception of first principles. Onesimus here seems to advert to a long series of years which must elapse before a beneficiary number will be in a state to require and obtain our aid. We wish, for our churches's sake, his premises were correct. those of your readers who recollect the value, and lament the brevity, of the labours of a Pearce, a Webb, a Rowe, and many other honoured and beloved names, will judge of the validity of an objection built on such precarious ground. 66 But Having, as he thinks, set aside a Society just formed," as illiberal and useless, not reaching the case calling for relief; Onesimus writes, very finely, about and about another incipient institution which is to secure we know not what: for he gives his propositions in so lax a form, that he sends us rambling among old ministers and poor churches without its being clear to us what he intends to do for either. Only this appears very plainly that all his provisions, what ever they may be, are to be independent Viewing the liberal intentions of this Society in this particular, some have expressed their alarm, lest any should relinquish half their labours, in order to make a claim on the Society! These objectors have little knowledge of Baptist Ministers: though many of them labour much with a small pittance, they are not the men to relinquish the work they love on any such considerations as this alarm supposes. + Four Members of any church, at a penny per week, may free their Minister from any more charge than an additional half-penny towards this "unj ustifiable claim." A Hint to poor Ministers. One penny a week from nine Members of each Baptist church would pay the Subscriptions required from the Ministers, and provide a fund equal to the constant supply of 26 Ministers with £50. a year each; of any claims; and every claim made upon his funds will be considered as an incumbrance! If wealthy people choose to make a fund out of their abundance, and give it away by the hands of Onesimus, we shall not object. Our object is wholly of a different class from his. It is our wish to insure to the disinterested and incessant labourer in the Lord's vineyard, that he shall have an asylum if age or infirmity should suspend his exertions or lay him aside. We do not covet that independence which would bring our afflicted brethren, or the grey hairs of our venerable fathers, before us as paupers seeking our alms; nor will the sacred opportunity of applying our funds to their relief ever be deemed our incumbrance. While they know and feel that its objects present the tenderest and strongest claim to general support, this Society has no wish to impose the tax of a Collection on any Congregation in order to secure its benefits to their Minister, as his title would then rest on the willingness and ability of -others. More need not be said. Many of our brethren have already appreciated the value of this Institution, and every week adds to the number of its patrons and beneficiary members. The spirit which pervades the paper signed Onesimus, and the misrepresentation it contains, have called forth these remarks! but neither Onesimus nor his "more liberal Institution" can prevent continual accessions to a Society whose arrangements unite impartial justice with liberality, and the tenderest benevolence with independence. Signed by order of the Committee, John Paul Porter. Secretary. At a Special Meeting of the Committee held to take into consideration the paper signed Onesimus in the Baptist Magazine, It was Resolved, That a Letter now read, addressed to the Editors of the Baptist Magazine, be forthwith forwarded to the Editor of the New Evangelical Magazine, respectfully and earnestly requesting his insertion thereof in the next number of that work. GEORGE EVILL, Chairman to the Committee. JOHN PAUL PORTER, Secretary. PROTESTANT SOCIETY For the Protection of Religious Liberty. On Saturday, May 17, this Society met, agreeable to their annual custom, at the New London Tavern, Cheapside. The Right Hon. the LORD MAYOR in the Chair. His Lordship opened the business of the day, by stating the great pleasure which he felt in meeting the present com pany, as he understood that their Society was not mixed up with any political object (which as chief magistrate he felt it his duty to avoid) but was founded on the broad principles of civil and religious liberty, in supporting which he conceived he maintained the authority of Government, while he protected the privileges of the people: for no government certainly had any right to interfere with our religious principles or forms of worship. THO. PELLATT, Esq. read the minutes of the Committee for the last year, which detailed a number of facts that had called for the interference of the Society; but as they are referred to, both in the resolutions adopted, and in the speeches of the gentlemen who introduced or seconded those resolutions, we think it unnecessary to particularize them in this place. After the minutes were read, J. WILKS, Esq. the other Secretary of the Society, in a strain of powerful eloquence, commented on the various facts which had been referred to. With respect to the different prosecutions conducted by the Society, he thought it sufficient generally to mention the results rather than enter into the detail. The first case alluded to was that of Midhurst in Sussex, where the parties had pleaded guilty, apologized to the public, paid £42 of the expences, and entered into recognizances to keep the peace. But the riots at Abbots Ann, near Andover, which had been mentioned at their last annual meeting, presented a case of the most violent and atrocious outrage. The persecutors were masked and armed; in this disguise they assaulted and beat the minister and some of his congregation severely, and even dangerously, and bade defiance to all law and justice, conceiving themselves to be under his brother, who was Chairman of the the protection of the clergyman, and of Quarter Sessions; two or three and twenty of them had in consequence been sued in the Court of King's Bench, and the expences had amounted to between 2 and £300. They also, after a long course of prosecution, had at last been brought to confess their guilt, to ask pardon in the public prints, to pay £100 towards the expenses of the prosecution, and to enter into recognizances to keepthe peace; which result was effected by the interposition of one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas and had at length been convinced that this Society would not suffer the poor and defenceless to be persecuted by their most powerful or exalted enemies. In the three cases of refusing burial which had this year occurred, the respective clergymen had been taught, that their conduct in so doing subjected them to suspension and penalty, and in one case the Minister had submitted to read the service over the corpse two months after it had been buried. With respect to Sunday tolls, the law had been accustomed to rank Dissenters with Episcopalians; and though attempts were continually made to alter the law by clauses in local acts Parliament, they had bitherto been detected and success fully resisted. To persons in London this might seem a trifling matter, but there are congregations in the country to whom the toll would amount to £30 per annum. 66 In Wales, where there was much Chris→ tian simplicity, and honest zeal, they had met with great opposition, and many attempts to suppress their energy. At Pilwhelly a clergyman thought he had found a law inflicting £100 penalty on any Dissenter who should administer the Lord's Supper to his congregation, and so threatened, till he was better informed by the Secretaries of the Society. At Portsmouth, a hand-bill was circu lated, in which the Rev. R. Hill, was denounced by name as having reared the standard of insurrection and rebellion; and the Dissenters were charged genes rally with the rebellion of the 16th cen tury, and with the like designing at present to overthrow both Church and State. At Tenbury, in Glostershire, a placard The assessment of Chapels to the poor- was stuck up to revive certain obsolete rates is an oppressive and litigious mea persecuting laws of the Stuarts, and sure, to which in more than twelve cases, threatening with heavy penalties all who the attention of the Society has been di- omitted to attend their parish church. rected, and which was certainly unjust This was signed by the principal attorney where the trustees, who are the persons of the place; but to counteract this, they to be assessed, have no beneficial interest had another placard stuck up by the side in the concern; and the inquisitorial of the former, offering a reward of five power which Magistrates claim of inter-guineas for discovering the author of this fering with their concerns, and even con- illegal libel. trolling their expences, and determining whether they were 'necessary" was, in many instances, worse than the sum assessed, and in principle yet more objectionable than the payment of the amount of assessments required. The case of Surrey Chapel had been long litigated, and five or six times the promoters had been foiled; and though at last the magistrates determined it to be rateable, and it had been rated at £650, yet the rate had hot been enforced-the parish was decidedly hostile to its enforcement, and in the last assessment the Chapel had been omitted. This case seemed therefore to be set at rest. But he wished ministers to understand, that, in point of law, all chapels were certainly rateable where any profit arose after the payment of the necessary expences, including the requisite salaries of ministers and others employed. Mr. W. would be very cautious of abusing the doctrine of a special providence; but a circumstance had occurred at Llanbrynfair, which he could not forbear to mention. A Captain Evans had attempted to eject a congregation, who held of him their chapel, which he threatened to turn into a dog-kennel, and vowed to eradicate Methodism from the country. He went much farther; he said he had had a trial with the elect, and now he would have one with their Godand he knew if he got the better, he would send him to hell!-But alas! "whoAs to Rrors they had been numerous. ever hardened himself against God and Another case of riot had occurred at Mid-prospered?" The same evening he spent dlesham, in Suffolk, where 50 persons were concerned in disturbing a Baptist Minister, and the magistrates, several of them being clergymen, refused to listen to any complaint. At Bracknell, in Berks; at Moorchelsea, near Maidstone; at a village near Tewkesbury, Baptist congregations had been also disturbed by such proceedings. At Anstey, near Tisbury, in Wilts, Mr. Hopkins, late of Christ Church, had been persecuted in a way almost unprecedented, The persecutors, among whom were the curate of the parish, and the constable of the village, had not indeed come into the place to disturb the worship; but they had made such noises without, that it was impossible to carry it on-noises that might be heard for 3 miles, and yet the Magistrates refused to interfere, and dismissed the complainants. The parties had, however, been indicted for conspiTacy, and remained to be tried at the next Assizes, the cause having been removed, by certiorari, from the Quarter Session, into the Court of King's Bench, his hours as usual at the Unicorn Inn, and going home soon after midnight, much intoxicated, he lost his way, fell into a pool, not more than two feet deep, and there most unhappily perished. The audience had undoubtedly heard of the case of Mr. Wright, of Liverpool; and though the majority of the Committee differed widely from his theological opinions, they thought it their duty to protect his rights, (applauses,) and he was glad to hear the present company thought with them, In this case, however, there were some circumstances, as to the place where he had preached, which made it not desirable further to dispute his conviction in a penalty of 20s. for preaching in an unregistered place; but contending, as the Committee did, that a place once regis tered is registered for ever, they pledge themselves to try the point, whenever a fair opportunity shall offer: for if it were admitted that the application of a regis tered place to secular purposes vitiates the registration, it would be necessary, in many cases, to procure a new certificate every week. On the point of blasphemy, the Committee could not interfere in a question of fact; but should any dieta be advanced to restrain liberty of conscience, and set aside the law of 1813, in favour of anti-trinitarian Dissenters, he (Mr. W.) should consider it as his duty, and as the duty of the Committee, to protect them. In the county of Lancaster (and indeed in many other places) there had been discovered a strong disposition to raise difficulties in the registry of chapels; for which reason he always recommended registrations in the Archdeacon's Court. But in this county, the Magistrates being called upon to license a house and barn, refused to license both, presuming to determine that one must be sufficient. They had also come to a determination to grant no licences without application through | counsel; so that one, or perhaps two guineas, must be paid to counsel, merely to ask for that privilege which the law formerly allowed for sixpence, and for which the last act generously allows halfa-crown, and no more! When the Catholic Question was about to come under agitation, it had been whispered, that there was an intention to grant to Catholics those rights from which Protestant Dissenters were to be still debarred: the former were to be emancipated, (as they called it,) and Dissenters to be left under the inhibitions of the Corporation and Test Acts. With respect to the laws, he always considered them indefensible, oppressive, and unjust, and the test itself as highly improper, being a gross profanation of an important ordinance of Christianity. glory: for they taught their sons never to shrink from danger, but always to receive their wounds in front. And though he (Mr. W.) deprecated the ferocious spirit of that people, yet intrepidity and courage, in the cause of civil and religious liberty might probably be inculcated on their children by Christian females, who would thus facilitate the progress of knowledge and of virtue, and become blessing to the world. The R. H. the LORD MAYOR now stated, that he was quite sure the Society must be fully satisfied with the exertions of the Committee, especially if they considered not only the good they had done, but the evil they had prevented; for the very existence of such a Society must be a great check on the prevailing disposi tion to encroach upon the rights and liberties of Methodists and Dissenters. He was sorry to inform them, however, that he was obliged to leave the chair, having an appointment on public business with an honourable member of the House of Commons. The Lord Mayor having accordingly withdrawn, ROBERT STEVEN, Esq. the Treasurer, was called to the Chair, and announced that he had just received a collection of £80 from the Rev. Rowland Hill, and £25 from a congregation of Calvinistic Methodists in North Wales. The following RESOLUTIONS were then proposed, and unanimously adopted by the Meeting. 1. That the statement delivered to this Meeting, composed of members of the Established Church, and of Dissenters and Methodists, of the proceedings of the Committee of this Society during the past In the conclusion of this animated and year, as to the exemption of Dissenters most impressive speech, (to which we feel from tolls-as to refusals by Ministers of our incapacity to do any tolerable justice,) the Established Church to inter children Mr. W. alluded to the cases of the Hon. who had not been episcopally baptized-Mr. Noel, Mr. Kent, and Dr. Free's pro- as to the demand of poors rates from consecution of an Hon. Baronet, for not at- gregations not liable to those demands-tending his church, as specimens of the as to illegal and riotous disturbances of narrow and illiberal spirit of the times-congregations assembled for worship-as another symptom of which he remarked in to the rights of Dissenters to the repeal of the exclusive principle of National Schools, the Test and Corporation Acts-as to the in opposition to "Schools for All," He recent persecution of Mr. Wright, of therefore warned the Committee not to Liverpool-and as to various cases of insleep at their posts, but to be active and dividual and public oppression, merits persevering like their enemies, who the very serious attention of all persons studied night and day to take every possi-attached to Religious Liberty, and deble advantage of their ignorance or supineness. With respect to their funds, he regretted to say, that the expences for the last four years had been more than double their receipts, which had so cramped their exertions, that they had been obliged to return to various applications the cold and frigid answer, that they did not come exactly within their laws. He was glad, however, to see a number of ladies in the room whose office it was to form the human character. It was to the female sex the Spartans were indebted for their sirous to transmit, unimpaired, to their children, even those imperfect rights which their forefathers long and strenuously struggled to acquire. 2. That the exertions which have been additionally demanded during the past year, and many notorious circumstances which have recently occurred, demonstrate that the maintenance and promotion of religious freedom, even in this country, and in this age, can alone be effected by the manly, but Christian avowal of those great principles on which that freedom must depend-by unabated |