Nature has poured forth her blessings here with unwonted exuberance. All that can satisfy the eye with beauty, gratify the appetite with delight, or brace the body with vigour, is amply enjoyed. A scenery at once sublime and chaste, uniting the bold outline of the Cambrian mountains with the rich and flowery plains of England, a landscape in which the peaceful negligence of nature is gently corrected by the discipline of art, and the mantle of cultivation so well adjusted as to rival the simplicity, and heighten the beauty of the form it envelops. Ceres and Pomona here distribute their blessings with equal liberality, and the luxurious opulence of a southern hemisphere is combined with the health and vigour of a northern clime. Thus it is in respect to our natural state; but our moral and religious scenery is widely different. Nature revels, but religion famishes. Here every thing flourishes but the soul. Superstition, infidelity, sensuality, and a death-like apathy, brood over the moral locality, and with their cold and poisonous influence blight every plant, and taint and corrupt the very seeds of spiritual life. Some few spots there are where the rays of light have penetrated through this dark and gloomy atmosphere, and fertility gladdens the heart of the spiritual labourer, but these are few, in deed, compared to the extensive circle within which the wand of superstition has spell-bound her devotees with hellish incantations. The little light which is enjoyed by this county is principally owing to the exertions of a few evangelical ministers in the establishment, and to some pious lay individuals, who have witnessed with concern the wretched state of the people around them. The condition of dissent is miserable beyond parallel in any part of England. In a population of 103,243 N. S. No.33. souls, the Independents possess only nine distinct meeting houses, not one of which is regularly attended by 300 persons. Of this limited number three places are destitute of stated ministers, and rely on the occasional assistance of lay members from neighbouring churches. Two Independent meeting-houses, erected soon after the act of uniformity, have been suffered to perish entirely, and are now either not used at all, or, as is the case with one, used for the propagation of sentiments equally distant from evangelical truth and dissent, by illiterate, ungodly men, who have seized on the property through some legal defect in the trust-deed, or, perhaps, through the want of proper interference by neighbouring churches. Of the nine churches still existing, five of which are coeval with the origin of dissent, and once highly respectable both by the number and character of their members, it is truly painful to speak. They are gradually sinking into oblivion, no friendly eye pitying, no arm held out to assist them. The church over which I preside, though enrolling more than one hundred members, in the commencement of the last century, had decreased to nine when I took charge of it in the early part of this year. The old dissenting families have become extinct, or their descendants have mingled with the throng, who, having no religion of their own, are obliged to accept of that which the law of the land offers them. Our meeting-houses are in ruins, and there is no human probability of their being rebuilt. The venerable place in which I officiate, and which has been consecrated to the interests of scriptural religion from the time of the ejection, is become exceedingly incommodious, both from its dilapidated state and its disproportion to the necessities of an increasing congregation. The 3 Q moved their residence to this vicinity within the last few years, but on finding that the dissenting cause here was in a low state, they have immediately become churchmen! How different this is from the noble conduct recommended by Mr. Hale, I need not say, and I hope his pamphlet may cause such occurrences in future to be as rare as they are dishonourable. UNUS SILURUM. VIGIL'S REPLY TO THE REMARKS (To the Editors.) constituted as the Congregational Body of England confessedly is, I believe it is scarcely possible to produce any extensive impression upon it, but through the medium of the press; and, therefore, I have always considered your Magazine of no ordinary value to the whole denomination, as it affords a mean of communication with the leading Independents throughout the empire. few decidedly pious individuals residing in the county, and possessing sufficient affluence to assist us, are either members of the establishment, or Calvinistic Methodists, from neither of whom can Independents expect much sympathy. To whom then can we fook but to our opulent brethren in London? If, according to the excellent advice of Mr. Hale, some of our pious and public spirited London dissenters, would fix their residence at, or at least during the summer months migrate to, such desolate counties as that I have mentioned, they might become blessings to the cause of dissent, and restorers of those in- GENTLEMEN,-In a community terests which are now neglected and languishing. I know an instance, in this county, of a pious and intelligent minister, labouring in two congregations, at some distance apart, and supporting a wife and eight children on a salary of seventy pounds per annum. The want of some opulent and benevolent individuals is the more to be regretted, as there is a very general spirit of hearing amongst the lower classes, and an attachment amongst our people to the Independent system of worship and discipline, which, if cultivated, might, under the blessing of God, lead to consequences highly subservient to the interests of evangelical religion in general, and to those of dissent in particular. I hope, through the medium of your excellent miscellany, which I love the 'more as it is the only publication which openly avows our scriptural and truly primitive sentiments, this and similar statements may be circulated amongst those who venerate the cause of nonconformity, and that we may see a greater attention paid to our poor churches in those counties distant from the Metropolis than has hitherto been manifested. Several respectable families, from London and elsewhere, have re Of this I was never more convinced than in connection with my paper, on the present Number of Dissenting Theological Students, which you inserted in your Journal for May, and which having appeared in your pages, has become the topic of a very extended discussion in various parts of the kingdom. Besides the notice which an able writer in the Eclectic Review has taken of it, and the interesting pamphlet of Mr. Hale which it occasioned, I have been privileged to hear its merits discussed in various circles. It furnished a topic of interesting conversation after a monthly meeting dinner, when I found my honoured friends, the tutors of two of our colleges, divided in their opinions respecting it. It came most seasonably to the aid of two or three of my brethren at a college anniversary, who found it a fine topic for declamation, and whose jokes at my expense rendered the speeches they delivered unusually cheerful, and on such an occasion did quite as well as argument. At a County Association, its statements were also canvassed; but some of the poor ministers present, on whom the present system bears with peculiar pressure, viewed it with very different feelings to their facetious brethren at the college, and seemed almost prepared to address them in the language of the frogs in the fable," Young Gentlemen, it may be sport to you, but it is death to us. From your "minor correspondence" for June, it appears also to have produced many papers," besides those you have published in that number, so that I may congratulate you, Gentlemen, that your work is extensively read amongst the Congregational Body, and may feel obliged that you permitted me thus widely to propagate my views. Indeed, the effect is precisely that which I desired, for whether I shall be able to support my statements or not, the subject is in itself so important, that its discussion must be productive of many advantages to our denomination, and which will amply compensate for the frowns or gibes which I have been called to bear in some quarters. I have, however, to attempt a reply to the remarks of your intelligent correspondents, Messrs. Ward and P, and with occasional references to the pamphlet of the excellent Treasurer of Homerton College. My general inquiry, "Is not the supply of candidates for the ministry amongst us at the present time greater than the wants of our churches will justify? has been met in the first instance by Messrs. Ward, Hale, and P, with an immediate reference to the wants of an increasing population, and to the many opportunities which annually occur of establishing churches, and which would more than consume the ordinary supply of our collegiate institutions. I cheerfully concede, that the wants of our increasing population are far greater than the utmost powers of production in our colleges can meet. But then, as Mr. Hale has shown, the spiritual wants of a people are very distinct from their demand for religious instruction. To this they are lamentably indifferent, and therefore the churches of Christ must pursue an extensive system of enlightened propagation and missionary effort, to create a demand which will take off, if I may use the phrase, what I still conceive to be a redundant supply. It is indeed to the honour of that Institution, which sends forth the greatest number of candidates for the Dissenting Ministry, that it has, by the liberality and Christian enterprize of its esteemed Treasurer, occasioned a considerable demand, by the revival of decayed, and the establishment of new interests. I am convinced that it will thus devolve upon the managers of other colleges to seek for appropriate spheres of labour for their protegés, and to establish, by the instrumentality of the rising Ministry, new churches where they do not at present exist. How desirable is it, if I may be allowed so direct a reference, that the Trustees of Mr. Coward's property, who are the patrons of that rising and valued Institution, Wymondley College, should employ, from time to time, some of their disposable funds in this way, which would give increased prosperity to their academical Institution, and very effectually promote the intentions of their munificent donor. Yes, "the harvest truly is plenteous," for a great part of that vast multitude of our countrymen, who at the present moment are living without even the forms of religion, might be gathered into our communities, were we faithful to the opportunities which are now afforded us; but then the contemptible jealousies, which exist in some of our ancient churches, of a second or a third congregation being formed, in the large towns where they are planted, must yield to a more politic-a more holy feeling. What! are the disciples of Christ, who regard the primitive order of our churches, always to be shut up within the narrow limits of an old gloomy meeting house; and because of personal interests and private feelings, are we to lose the opportunity of multiplying our churches, and what is far more important, of saving souls! It is in vain to produce able and holy young ministers for the benefit of our countrymen in general, but in connection with a systematic increase of our churches, and I trust, that as we now find in various towns, that wealthy Church men are erecting episcopal places of worship at their own cost, so opulent Dissenters will also imitate the example to which I have already referred, and that many new chapels will be erected to provide at once for a neglected population and a surplus ministry. Permit me in this place to add, that if this demand is to be excited, a spirit of increasing devotedness and zeal will be required in the young ministers themselves. They must be prepared to encounter difficulties, to bear privations, yea," to endure hardships," for the sake of that cause to which they have devoted their lives. Instead of anticipating the ease of a competent income, the pleasures of social intercourse, and the endearments of domestic life, they must be content for years to follow the example of our own Doddridge, dwell in an obscure village, and by fervent prayer-diligent study-affectionate intercourse with a rustic charge-and by many acts of self-denial, to uphold and strengthen some little society, and prepare for some enlarged sphere of usefulness, to which they may eventually be called. Let these dispositions which I recommend but prevail in our various churches, college committees, and college halls, and then, Gentlemen, I shall never dread a surplus supply of young ministers, but shall rather rejoice in the thought, "that our denomination is at present but in the infancy of its proportions." But my question recurs, is our supply greater than the present wants of our churches will justify? To this inquiry, neither Mr. Hale or Mr. Ward attempts a direct reply; but your correspondent P attempts, with much dexterity, to entangle me in my own nets, by another reference to your list, from which he gathers, that there are 80 churches now without pastors-that 38 deaths occur every year on the average duration of ministerial life which I have named— that only 41 students are annually produced by our whole collegiate system, and consequently, that 77 churches must remain unsupplied, unless the number of candidates are augmented instead of decreased. This appears like a conclusive reply; but those who are intimately acquainted with the state of our denomination, know that the great majority of these eighty churches are small interests, which, from the poverty of their members, are unable to support a minister. It is in vain, therefore, to reckon upon them as presenting openings for academical candidates, unless they are prepared to endure the severest privations. To this I would add, that I am persuaded, my average of ministerial life is placed too low, and I would appeal to your journal for the past year or two to show that the pe iods of ministerial labour therein recorded have, on the average, much exceeded twenty eight years. The number of ministers introduced to our churches by the return of missionaries is yearly increasing, and the system of the Home Missionary Society is adding to the amount. I am free to confess, however, that your list of our churches may not be complete, and that the college returns may exceed the average number sent forth; but still, without extraordinary efforts for the establishment of new interests, I am persuaded we are fast approaching to a crisis in our academical system. I know that an advertisement appeared some time since in a religious magazine for a pastor, to whom the people could not give more than £60. per annum, and near 40 applications were received. I know that more recently an advertisement appeared for a minister to a village congregation, which could promise him no salary, but had a parsonage house at his service, and twelve applications were made from ministers who are of from 10 to 40 years standing, and some of the parties are truly respectable; further I know, that at one of our colleges there are frequently several students approaching to the close of their studies, without any charge in prospect; and I have been told by them, that they have felt their situation to be most depressing! These disclosures may be thought by some imprudent, but we are a body that can alone be affected through the press, and the faithful and unfettered use of it may do much to correct the evils of our system, as well as illustrate its many advantages. I therefore presume to say to my brethren in the ministry, to the managers of our colleges, and to the benevolent projectors of new collegiate institutions-Beware! If however they are resolved to prosecute the system in all its vigour, permit me yet further to intreat them to take special heed that they only encourage men of distinguished piety and real talents, and that they afford them a protracted course of instruction commensurate with the growing intelligence of our times. VIGIL. ORIGINAL LETTERS. ་་་་་་་་་་་་་ XXXV.-Rev. G. Whitefield to part any more. My hearty love to your Mr. Savage. London, Feb. 27, 1750-1. MY VERY DEAR FRIEND.-AS I thought it would give you some satisfaction, I could not help sending you the enclosed, which I received on Tuesday. Be pleased to read it over and return it. I thought of leaving London ere now, but the weather, and answering foreign letters, have prevented me. Wherever I am, you and your's are near, very near my heart; I think of you when I awake in the night season, and now am ready to bedew this letter with my tears. May the Lord Jesus bless, direct, reward, and keep you; may be every moment lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and give us ere long to meet in his blessed kingdom, where we shall never dear yokefellow, and little daughter. Forget not to pray for, my very dear Mr. Savage, Ever your's in our dear Lord, G. W. The following note to the little daughter of his friend, is added on the fly leaf. MY DEAR LITTLE MAID-May the Your true soul's Friend, |