worshipping in them, or the officiating minister for the time being, by deed of gift, or by testament or otherwise? 2. Have endowments generally answered the design of the donor or testator? Are the doctrines still propounded, upon the whole, the same as those of the founders? Are there instances of the endowed churches becoming avowedly or indubitably different from their original design and constitution? or any of their becoming utterly extinct? If of this latter class, to whom are the trust properties gone? 3. What effect have endowments had on the trustees? Has their important office evidently produced an increased sense of their responsibility and anxiety to discharge their duty, so as to please both God and man? Does it seem to have made them more than ever solicitous for the prayers and advice of their brethren? Scrupulously attentive to provide things honest in the sight of all men, by a frequent publication of their accounts duly audited? Or has their office seemed to give them a sense of superiority over their brethren; to lead them to act in a selfish, independent, overbearing, proud, tyrannical or teazing manner towards the minister or people? Are there instances in which trustees have acted in a clandestine way, so that they have been suspected of making a private gain of their trust, either in the way of getting money, favouritism, power, and influence in the choice of ministers, or, in short, making themselves masters instead of servants of the church? And have they generally been followed from generation to generation by trustees as faithful as the first were? 4. What effect have endowments been observed to produce on the churches themselves? Have they manifested a spirit of increased liberality, or the contrary? As their means of doing good has been increased, has their diligence and solicitude to be useful increased at an equal ratio? Have their ministers been kept further out of the reach of a dishonourable and spirit-breaking poverty. Have their contributions to other charitable and religious institutions been as they should, double or treble to those of other less favoured communities? or even equal? Have endowed churches been as faithful and impartial in the administration of church discipline? Have such churches really increased, even in point of numbers, in such proportion as the easy condition of its members might have led one to anticipate? Have not such churches been tormented with jealousies respecting their ministers and trustees? Have they not, in many cases, become indolent, cold, and formal, if not extinct? 5. What effect has been observed on the ministers? Have endowments, instead of producing a sense of responsibility, made ministers seem independent, lordly, or indolent? Are there instances of their remaining in their office, after their usefulness was plainly at a stand-still? Of their thus becoming unwelcome, incumbent weights, like mill-stones, on the neck of a church? and of churches thus losing heart and ground together? 6. If churches, ministers, or trustees feel these questions painful, can that pain arise from a good cause? And should they not love the publication of truth more than the sparing of their own feelings or those of their friends; would not truth on this subject lead to salutary and much needed reformations, and prevent the repetition of the evils alluded to? Should not this subject lead us all to examine ourselves as to the use we are making of our various means of doing good, endowed or not? 7. As it cannot be wrong to leave money for good purposes, might it not be wise and seasonable that friends of Christ, possessed of wealth, should be showed in what way they might bequeath any part of their property, so as to be less in danger of its being misappropriated? 8. Is there any means by which all persons can obtain a sight of all trust-deeds of all chapels, churches, and estates left for religious or charitable purposes? I shall anxiously look for answers from time to time to these questions; and sincerely hoping that the agi. tation of this enquiry will benefit the whole of the religious community, I remain, dear Sir, Your Servant, for Jesus' sake, FIDELIS. ON THE USE OF SPIRITUAL STATISTICS TO INDIVIDUAL AND ASSOCIATED CHURCHES. Ar the present time there evidently exists in our denomination a disposition to inquire into the state of our churches, and to improve their separate or associated organization; I am, therefore, encouraged to bring before my brethren some reasons for the general preparation and systematic collection of the spiritual statistics of our churches from year to year. By spiritual statistics, I mean a tabular statement annually prepared by the pastor and deacons of the number of members admitted during the current year into the church, either by the profession of their faith, or by dismission from sister churches; also showing how many have died or removed, have withdrawn or been expelled, during the same period, by which the state of spiritual religion might, to a certain extent, be ascertained, and the success of the ministry, in the conversion of sinners to God, be shown. In some few of our churches this practice obtains. I have now before me a tabular abstract of the number of members admitted each year into one of the most prosperous churches of Yorkshire, from 1816, when it was planted, to 1837. By which it appears that in that period 599 new members were admitted, and 41 received from other churches, being a total of 640 members in 22 years, or an average increase of 29 persons a-year. That during the same period 36 were expelled, 41 withdrew, 76 removed, and were transferred to other churches, and 68 died, showing an annual loss of nearly 10 members, and thus proving that one of the most laborious, eloquent, and devout of our brethren in the ministry, and whose recent efforts at "church extension," have won for him the just admiration of all his brethren, that even he, after all the prayers, studies, and labours of the year, has only secured a positive aggregate increase of 20 persons annually to the church over which he presides. The practice which I now recommend is, I believe, by no means generally observed amongst ourselves, but is very systematically maintained by the Presbyterian, Congregational, and Baptist churches of the United States; by the Wesleyan Methodists of this country, and to a very laudable extent by the associated Baptist churches. The Reports of the Baptist Union exhibit the results of these spiritual statistics in a very instructive light, and I will take leave to give the reader their totals for 1838 and 1839. In 1838-844 Baptist churches received By dismission from other churches 4485 persons 857 575 Showing a clear increase of 2300 persons in 844 churches, or scarcely more than 2 members to each church per annum. In 1839-804 Baptist churches received 5400 persons 937 625 Showing a clear increase of 3272 persons, or something more than four members to each church per annum. Humiliating as is the disclosure that a pastor shall preach for two years, it may be four hundred sermons, and gain from the world, sin, and death, only seven persons as the result of his labours, yet it is better that the truth should be known, and that both ministers and people should realize their true position. I greatly honour the fidelity with which some of these facts have been used by several of our baptist brethren. The Rev. Thomas Steadman preached to his people, at Bradford, a Sermon "on the state of the churches of the West Riding Baptist Association," in June, 1839, from which I transcribe the following fearless anatomy of their spiritual condition at that period, and some portion of his heart-stirring remonstrance on such a state of things. "There are those who thoughtlessly imagine that we have prospered abundantly; at all events, that we have no reason to complain; but I hope to make it apparent, even to them, that the review of the past year is dark and distressing; that the condition of the churches, even if judged by the very low standard of what has been and what is commonly expected, calls aloud on us to repent and afflict our souls before God. The increase of the churches in 1838, was considerably greater than in 1839, whatever way you calculate: that is to say, a smaller number of Christians did more for God in 1838 than a larger number in 1839. Last year, twenty more were received by baptism, and if we deduct from the decrease of that year the thirty who were dismissed from Leeds to form the church at Hunslet, then the clear increase this year is fifty less than it was last. "Compare the account from the Lancashire Association, and you will find that 29 churches there have baptized nearly as many as our 40; while their clear increase is considerably larger than ours. "The Tabular Statement will show you, that of the 300 baptized this year, no less than 172 have been added to six out of the forty churches, leaving only 128 for the remaining 34; that is, on an average, less than four to a church! "Here is another painfully striking fact. The losses fall most largely, most disproportionately on those very churches which have had the fewest accessions. There are ten churches which have received not less than 10 additions each. Now these ten churches have lost altogether only 62, while they have added in all 239, whereas (mark the fact) the remaining thirty churches have added only 116, and out of this number have lost 101. So that it comes to this, if these thirty churches had been blotted from the Association at Leeds, in 1838, our clear gain this year would have been only 15 less! They have increased at the annual rate of half a member to a church, or one member to two churches! "Now making every allowance you can for peculiar circumstances, the conclusion to me appears very plain-most humiliating indeed, most forcibly calculated to awaken the churches to searching self-examination, the conclusion I come to is, that this is a direct expression of God's displeasure--that those who have done so little for the advancement of Christ's kingdom, are called to suffer from the withdrawment of his gracious influence. To recur to the Divine sovereignty for the explanation of facts like these, only indicates a distressing insensibility to the fact, that the Spirit of God has been grieved away. "But we have not yet done with the humiliating process of dissecting the Tabular Statement. "Will it be believed, in this age of the world, under the dispensation of the Spirit, 1800 years nearer to the glory of the latter day than the apostles were (will it be believed in an age when persecution can only show his fangs without fleshing them in the blood of saints) in this age, when we sit in peace in our own vineyard-will it be believed, I say, that after an entire year of twelve months, it may be said of seventeen, nearly one-half the associated churches, that seven are not larger, while ten are actually less? This is going on to the millennial glory with a vengeance! I say these things not in anger, not in censoriousness, but because they are true, and ought to be told, and in deep sorrow of heart for the desolations of the sanctuary. "But what is worse than all, the melancholy facts which I have placed before you-except, I fear, in a very few instances-have passed unnoticed, undiscussed, unlamented. No outcry, deep, piercing, universal, is heard: Zion remains unhumbled, unrepentant. Is it not probable that the majority left the crowded and interesting meetings of the Association, under the mistaken impression that all was well-the sons of God alive-the pastors alive-the churches growing in grace and multiplying in numbers; whereas, if the results are any criterion of the efforts made-if the blessing be in any proportion to the diligence used in seeking it-if there is any appointed connexion between the Spirit and the Word-between the seed sown, the labour expended, the land cultivated, and the harvest produced, the very reverse is the truth. God's people have slumbered at their post, while the devil has been more active than ever. "We are all at peace among ourselves,' says one church, which means they are neither split into parties nor quarrelling on points of doctrine; and further indicates that there is nothing stirring in the way of direct, vigorous, sustained effort for the conversion of sinners-no one is under any particular concern because the work of God has ceased-no one is disturbing heaven with the vehemence of his importunity for a blessing-neither earth nor heaven is moved, to accomplish the work which our great Lord has called his people to perform. And this they call peace! The church remains stationary, but death and sin are ever active; and yet this is thought a happy, a moderately prosperous state! If such peace be a blessing, wherein consists the curse of war? Pray what is the difference between this and death, spiritual death? Have we now to learn that to be at peace in this sense is absolutely the lowest condition in which a christian church can exist at all, without flagrantly reproaching the name of Jesus? To be at peace, is the very lowest ground to occupy: it is the starting point, not the goal. A church at war with itself is sure to fall; and a church at peace, in this low sense, cannot stand-it will crumble to dust. "It is the Lord's work to convert sinners,' complacently remarks another church, after informing us of their decrease during the year. Do I doubt this? No, indeed. Do you doubt it? I trust not. It is a great, a glorious truth of Holy Writ. But oh! to hear this glorious truth abused as a cloak for the idleness, the carnality, the prayerlessness of God's professing people, is humbling beyond conception! Is the Spirit of the Lord strengthened?' 'Yes, Lord, it is,' is the reply. Are these my doings?" 'They are,' declares the church. What next will they not fasten on the Almighty? Am I then tamely to hear the evils which afflict the church, the desolations of the sanctuary ascribed to the blessed God, the Almighty, who waits to be gracious, and not enter my solemn protest against such false testimony? God forbid ! "It is the Lord's work.' If so, why then do you not go to him and beseech him to do it? Go where there is no blessing, where they tell you excusingly that it is God's work; go and ask them what they are doing; God is to be inquired of for these things. Are they inquiring of Him? Where are their strong cryings and tears? which of them afflict their souls? whose bread is embittered, whose rest is disturbed for want of a blessing? Go to their prayer-meetings, and read there what they think. Surely in their distress for the hidings of God's countenance, they crowd, the whole church crowds to the meeting, where nothing is heard but the most heartfelt and piercing entreaties, that God will put forth his power, as they have seen it in the sanctuary. The awful visitation is the theme of conversation, if but two professors meet by the way; it breaks forth at every family altar; God hears it in every closet; and the pulpit resounds with the cry, We are forsaken of God! Awake, awake, O`Zion, give him no rest!' Ah, you will exclaim, there is all the difference in the world between what is and what ought to be. Verily one would imagine they did not believe it God's work at all, for they never attempt to engage him to do it; they rest contented, without even so much as rousing every heart and voice to plead with the Almighty to revisit his forsaken vine! "The whole land is made desolate,' says Jeremiah, because no man layeth it to heart." Jer. xii. 11. If a church, with or without a minister, has remained an entire year without increase, without an evident blessing, should not the people proclaim a fast, and call a solemn assembly to afflict their souls before the Lord, for their manifest indifference and grievous barrenness? The Gospel proclaimed, the means of grace enjoyed; a pastor and a church labouring for a whole year and no blessing, surely the people are guilty before God, and loud is |