opens the door to the accumulated wealth of all time locked up in books; another bestows the power of communication, and connects us with the future as well as the present; whilst the last gives us the means of doing perfect justice in our dealings to ourselves and others. Most desirable is it, therefore, that every child be made acquainted with these subjects. But the wisdom which directs to the right use of every acquirement, is beyond all price; the principles of morality and religion must be inculcated. It will usually be found that the morning is the most favourable time for this kind of instruction, and that what is called secular learning may be imparted in the after-part of the day. It is impossible to lay down rules or plans to suit all schools, or to furnish a complete list of books used in teaching; the following appear to your Secretaries to be the most suitable with which they are acquainted :-The First, Second, and Third Books of the Sunday-School Association; Chapman's Life of the Saviour; Ware's Life of the Saviour; Bowring's Natural Theology; Chambers' Moral Class-book; Sullivan's Moral Class-book; Bowring's Footsteps to Sacred Geography; Wood's Bible Story-book; and Abbott's Reader.

It is in the power of ministers and influential members of congregations materially to aid in carrying out the objects proposed. It is not the occasional pleading the cause of Sunday-schools, nor the supplying pecuniary means, that is sufficient to meet existing wants; there needs the exertion of personal interest and influence, in the way of visiting the school, attending teachers' meetings, suggesting improvements, affording encouragements, recommending suitable books both to the teachers and to the library, and thus infusing life and energy into institutions which, for want of such aids, are continually languishing and inefficient. It is in this way, we presume, that the wealthier and better-educated classes can aid in forwarding the objects of these institutions. Nor would such efforts fail of their reward. The interest manifested by such persons would be communicated to their homes; the younger members of their families would have their sympathies awakened and exercised on benevolent objects, and be early enlisted in the noble and sacred cause of educating their poorer brethren.

Regarding the moral and religious education of our scholars as of primary importance, the question as to the best means of imparting it was proposed for discussion. It was hoped that many friends engaged in the work would have contributed the results of their experience. In this we have been somewhat disappointed. It will, however, be gratifying to the meeting to know, that our old and valued friends, the Rev. John Wright, of York, and Mr. Travers Madge, of Norwich, have kindly responded to the call. Their observations will form the basis of the following remarks. The question proposed is, "What are the best means of communicating moral and religious instruction in Sunday-schools?"

In considering the subject, we must remember the shortness of the time allowed for instruction, and indeed the shortness of life itself, during which the foundation is laid of the character of the future man and of the immortal being; also the paramount importance of moral and religious instruction over every other, and the necessity that the teacher himself be imbued with a truly Christian spirit in order to give effect to his instructions. There can be no doubt that children

are taught in an equal, if not in a greater degree, by the example of their teacher, than by mere lessons; hence the importance of the greatest consistency between the example and instruction of the teacher. His object must always be, to cultivate a kindly feeling between himself and scholars-to prove himself their friend, not their taskmaster: this he will find no difficulty in doing, if he have his work at heart. To lead his scholars to think-to feel an interest in their own improvement, in the school and its various institutions-to make the school duties as little irksome as possible, and mix the agreeable with the useful, as far as consistent with the objects proposedmust always be kept in mind. It is of the highest importance to make use of books suited to the capacities and comprehension of children to encourage them to make remarks, ask questions, and tell him their thoughts; then is the time to gain access to the mind and heart, to explain, correct and guide to truth and rectitude. The teacher will find it useful to store his mind with anecdotes, illustrating the power of moral principle and of a truly religious spirit, and occasionally to read to his scholars, or allow them to read to him, the lives of eminent men, either from Scripture or general history, always taking care to speak of religion with reverence, and never expressing any thing but abhorrence towards vice and immorality. The plan of committing hymns and suitable passages of Scripture to memory has its advantages, in storing the mind with beautiful thoughts, which are afterwards remembered during the daily employment, or when lying on a sick bed. In connection with this subject may be mentioned the desirableness of avoiding, in the amusements and festivities of the school, every thing that has a tendency to weaken the influence of previous religious instruction, or to strengthen feelings and habits which it is the business of the Sunday-school to correct and remove. Mr. Madge's opinion is expressed in the following words: "There must be something very wrong in that view of religion which would banish the hymn and prayer from all scenes of pleasure, and something very wrong in that kind of pleasure, in the midst of which it is felt to be harsh and improper to raise the thoughts to God. Such a view of religion will turn the hearts of all scholars away from it; and such amusements, while they may keep many from amusements of a lower kind, yet do no actual good, and are no pleasure to look back upon." Mr. Madge also urges the necessity of a weekly meeting of teachers and elder scholars for the purpose of reading the Scriptures, religious conversation and prayer, regarding such meetings, when judiciously conducted, as highly conducive to mental and spiritual culture.

REVEALED TRUTH INTELLIGIBLE.

IN all truths relating to God, there is much which we cannot understand; but what is revealed truth concerning Him, must, by the very force of the terms, be capable of being understood, or else it cannot be called "revealed;" and not only of being understood, but of being used for our soul's benefit.-Dr. Arnold's Sermons, III. p. 140.

THE PRESENT POSITION OF UNITARIANS, AND "THE RELIGIOUS WORLD."

We live in an age of great religious excitement. The period of a dull indifference has passed away, and all men are now inquiring, What is truth? or, Which is the true Church? This has produced increase of liberality in some, and increase of bigotry in others:-of liberality in statesmen, in men taking wide and comprehensive views of society, its wants, its capabilities and its tendencies; as is evidenced in the passing of the Dissenters' Chapels Bill, and the Bill for the increased grant to Maynooth College:-of bigotry in those who imagine that religious truth has but one outward form, that the deep inward sentiment must be embodied in one only set of dogmas, and that their form, their dogmas, are they only which can be genuine, and that all others are infallibly false, heretical and damnable. But the very upholders of this narrow notion, so incompatible with the nature and history of the human mind, are themselves furnishing the proofs of its unsoundness; for they divide into parties, jealous, violent and bitter; and only unite their forces when they think they can run down a "Socinian," or prevent some act of grace towards "idolatrous Papists," as some of them, at least, call the believers in an ancient faith that, if tradition could claim our reverence, is far more worthy of our homage than an eclectic creed, pretending only to lean upon tradition, or to admit nothing that hath not the certain warrant of Holy Scripture.

The religious elements of society are in a great ferment, not only in England, but on the continent of Europe and in America. By the great mass of orthodox Protestantism, Unitarianism is regarded with a hatred that would be satisfied with nothing short of its complete annihilation, and is denounced with a proportionate virulence. But we stand unmoved from our place. We utter no voice of dread. We shew no indications of terror. We make no preparations for deserting our standard; but, with erect mien, with hopeful eyes, with a calm expression of trust in our countenance, we appear as if a charmed circle were around us, within which our opponents cannot come, and into which they cannot reach to harm us. Nay, if any one from those who stand around comes within that circle, it is to defend our outward and social rights, or our inward and individual liberties. And, so long as we present our face to the world, our charmed circle will remain, around which superstition will jabber, and theological hatred gnash its teeth in vain not until we turn our backs and prepare for flight will the foe rush in; and then they will crush us at our very altars.

How is it that we, a small, firm, but not too closely united band, not only maintain our ground, but exercise much influence, and bring to our rescue, when threatened to be oppressed by unjust laws, the zeal of the statesman and the calm learning of the lawyer? It is not affirmed that we, but that the principles which we maintain, are the salt of the earth, which cannot be trodden under foot of men until it have lost its saltness. It is not affirmed that we, but that the principles which we maintain, are the light of the world, which there is no bushel of bigotry large enough to hide, and which there must be no bed of sloth to smother, with its curtained, downy dreams of "Great is truth and will prevail," while we slumber on in careless forgetfulness, 2 Y

VOL. II.

or criminal indifference to the stewardship committed to our trust. The salt must yet savour the whole earth-the light must yet shine to all that are in the house. And it is because of this necessity that we stand calm and fearless amid the commotions which stir the religious world, at present, to its very depths. We are so maintained in our position for high and holy purposes. Or if, from our unworthiness, we be not, we are maintained until other instruments shall be ready to carry on, with greater zeal, vigour and success, the work of God. This latter view often forces itself upon the mind when we encounter apathy, witness and are chilled by cold indifference, or are tempted to yield to the pressure of adverse circumstances. It is sometimes strongly impressed upon our thoughts that, as the Israelites of old were made the depositaries of the truth until the nations were ripe for change, prepared to receive the glorious gospel of the blessed God, so we are made the depositaries of those true principles of liberty, those few, simple, scriptural doctrines which compose our creed, and of that glorious teaching concerning the infinite and eternal love of the Father, which, with impious folly, the world brands as heretical, only till other men shall come, with heartier shouts of "Hosanna! Glory to God in the highest!"-and shall carry those principles, doctrines and teaching forward, with a nobler song of trust and confidence to a surer triumph! God grant it may not be so; but that we may reap the harvest that we have sowed, that we may carry home our sheaves rejoicing, and may lay up the wheat, with humble gladness and thankfulness, in our Heavenly Father's garner.

In order to see our position truly, we must look out of ourselves, of our denominational interests, even of the holy principles which we cherish as the life-blood of genuine Christianity. We must inquire how the present zealous, excited, divided, antagonistic state of religious parties has arisen. Its history traces from towards the middle of the last century, and it has gone on increasing, changing, deepening, unto the present day.

The religious parties, at and after the Reformation in this country, formed as much by the operation of political as of religious causes, when the fierce strife was over, and especially when, at the Revolution, the country sunk down into internal peace under William and Mary, scarcely broken by the attempts of the exiled family to regain the throne-these religious parties, when they had composed themselves in their respective places, upon such national ecclesiastical revenues, or private endowments, or annual subscriptions, as their several circumstances gave them, gradually sunk from outward peace to inward dulness and inactivity, from the subdued rancour of religious warfare to apathy and indifference, from a remitted watchfulness, that once had challenged, as a sentinel, every passer-by, to a slumbering upon their posts: they not only cultivated the vineyard less diligently, but seemed ready to leave not only the care of the seasons to Divine Providence, but that labour also which is man's appointed share in all the great works done upon the face of the earth, which have human advancement and happiness for their object.

Then came the age of huge folios, of curious disquisitions in theology, religion and morals, which satisfied the zeal of learned men, who felt that they, at least, were worthily discharging the duties of their sacred

office, and bearing their testimony against error and iniquity: but it was also the age of pleasure-loving and pleasure-seeking priests, sleek men of the world, who did duty for a living, or rather neglected it for the fox-chase and the deep potations which succeeded-for the ballroom when young, and for the card-table when idle luxury had made strong exertion distasteful, or the advance of years had rendered cupidity a stronger motive than mingling of hands, the gains of fortune more tempting than the flatteries and smiles of gallantry. A deep sleep seemed to overpower the Church universal, pervading Episcopalians and Presbyterians, Independents and Baptists alike; or, if any were awake and earnest, they saw not the direction in which their labours would be of the greatest avail, but were directing their aims against each other, instead of against that vast mass of ignorance, sin, corruption and impiety, which lay sweltering and festering around

them.

But it could not remain thus for ever. The spirit of the gospel is too vital always to be subdued beneath a worldly spirit, on the one hand, and a spirit of learned self-complacency, on the other. Methodism sprung up in the very bosom of England-in Oxford, at once the seat of its learning and the centre of its profligacy. It sent forth a light which flashed from one end of England to the other, roused apathy at first to opposition and then to emulation, created the Evangelical party in the Established Church, stirred up to renewed and better-directed exertions the orthodox Dissenters, extended its own borders and numbers, until it became too mighty to remain an irregular and unacknowledged off-shoot of the Church of England, and, denied admittance there, made its Conference, in all respects, an independent sovereign power, wielding a wide sway and a wider influence, and animated the friends of rational religion, Presbyterians and General Baptists, to a well-fought contest for Scriptural truth and Christian liberty.

The great principle embodied in Methodism is, that religion is a vital, personal and practical concern-a matter not so much of abstract truth as of conversion to God, redemption from the sins, follies and impieties of the world to a life in God, in Christ, in heaven begun on earth-to a life of love reaching upwards to the Eternal, and downward to the lowliest of his creatures-of love which banishes all doubt, all fear, all impurity of heart and all iniquity of life, which is one constant feeling, borne in, impressed upon the mind, filling it with unspeakable joy, of entire union with the Father, and with Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son.

It is easily seen how such a view of the gospel, up to a certain point perfectly in agreement with sound reason and rightly-interpreted Scripture, in the hands of such a man as John Wesley, should shake old apathy to its very centre, warm and invigorate the religious principle in innumerable hearts, and even where it did not convince of ecclesiastical or theological errors, of wrong modes of acting or thinking, should give a true direction to the noble zeal and emulation which it aroused, should point men to the victims of gross darkness, foul lusts, and impious rebellion against God, as those lost ones whom Christ came into the world to seek and to save.

Such was Methodism in its best days, while it was establishing itself,