mising stations are obliged to be aban- Wardlaw, jun. In the first year the sum of nearly £130. has been raised, and distributed among various Mission ary institutions. doned from want of suitable persons, who are willing to become Missionaries to a people, so near and so urgent in their calls for the word of life. TYRONE MISSIONARY SOCIETY. THE Third Annual Meeting of this Society was held at Cookstown, Oct. 20, 1815. On the preceding evening, Mr. J. Lowry, of Clananesse, preached in the Methodist chapel, from Psalm lxxxvii. 5. On the morning of the day of meeting, Mr. S. Hanna, of Belfast, preached in the New Meeting-house, from 2 Cor. v. 14. After divine service, the President, Jas. Stewart, Esq. of Killymoon, was called to the chair, and the business of the Society was transacted. In the evening, Mr. W. Brown, of Moy, preached in the Methodist Chapel, from Rev. v. 9, and much harmony and love prevailed. During the whole of the services, the congregation seemed highly interested. The Sixteenth General Meeting of the Tyrone Missionary Society was held in the Meeting-honse of Moy, Feb. -9, 1816. Mr. Brown, minister of the place, and Mr. W. Howden, of Armagh, commenced the service with prayer, praise, and reading the Scriptures; Mr. Allen, of Stevenstown, preached from Cor. vi. 19, 20; Mr. J. Lowry prayed after the sermon; and M.. C. Caulfield, Rector of Killyman, one of the VicePresidents, presided in the chair. The weather being exceedingly bad, the attendance of many of the members and others, friends to the cause, was necessarily prevented; but still there was a considerable and respectable meeting. One of the Secretaries read several interesting extracts from the Report of the last year, and the Missionary Chronicle. Several of the other members also addressed the meeting in a suitable manner, and the whole proceedings of the day were well calculated to shew the increasing importance of Gospel Missions to the heathens, and the great encouragement which Christians have to aid the exertions of a Society, whose Missionaries are labouring with much, and in some instances, with remarkable success in the heathen world. SCOTLAND. WE have read with pleasure the First Annual Report of the Glasgow Youth's Auxiliary Missionary Society, of which the President is Mr. Philip Grierson; the Treasurer, Mr. J. Morrison Duncan; and the Sccretary, Mr. W. Inserted by the desire of a Meeting of Ministers and other Members of the WHATEVER degree of knowledge he with those persons whose views of Christian truth and duty coincide with their own; hence a number of denourinations will appear in the church, all united. to the Lord Jesus Christ as their King and Saviour, but par tially differing from each other in some peculiarity of faith or worship. By these means every man possesses an opportunity of serving God as judges to be most conformable to the divine will; and scope is given for the mutual exercise of Christian candour and forbearance. It may, therefore, justly be doubted, whether uniformity would not be a serious evil to the Christian church, in the present imperfect state of men. History shews that the greatest degrees of zeal for propagating the gospel, and of active benevolence in all its forms, are best secured by the distribution of Christians into several classes. Whenever one denomination has become dominant, and has obtained an apparent uniformity, its own members have soon lost their energy and zeal a state of indifference has ensued, and has been quickly followed by an inundation of error and immorality. Though the advantages of existing in a state of distinct denominations are numerous and great, there is, at least a solitary, but serious evil attends it. Men are apt to suffer their minds to be embittered against all persons who are not of their particular sect. should be carefully avoided. right of private judgment is universal and sacred. As we cannot prevent the división of the church into different This The denominations, it is our duty to try to turn it to the best account. This distribution of Christians, gives each individual`a field of action, which his mind can more easily explore; he feels a precision of object,-a definitness of place, and an energy of soul which projects of universal, but undefined philanthropy do not present. The accordance of his views and feelings with those of one Society, encourages him to co-operate in their benevolent designs; while the zeal, activity, and success of other denominations, prompt him and his coadjutors to more strenuous exertions in doing good. Such efforts, indeed, onght not to be made in a spirit of hostility and rivalship, nor in a manner likely to injure other Christian communities. The world is wide enough for all denominations to employ their utmost efforts of beneve lent zeal. Every person, who has been attentive to the state of the different denominations in England, must have observed, that there is a less perfect union among the Independent or Congregational churches, than among other bodies of Christians; and that, in proportion to their number and influence, the Independents have not shewn the same attention to the interests of their body as other denominations have done. There is a visible, perhaps criminal, want of union and system among the Independents; nor can they secure the most efficient employment of their means for doing good, while this state of things continues. an idea; nor is there any thing in our religions views, or the constitution of our churches, to prevent the same degree of union which exists among other classes of British Christians. There is some reason to fear, that the above opinion has been strengthened, by the failure of a late attempt so effect a more general aud explicit union among churches of the Congregational order. But it should be remembered, the valne of an object remains the same, though a proposed plan to obtain it may have failed. Such failure is no just cause to abandon the object, though it should lead us to revise the plan, and to adopt more likely means. In order to a union of our churches being useful, the concerns of the union must be managed, and the burden must be borne, by those who feel a lively interest in the aflair. But such interest cannot be felt, unless the objects of the union come home to their own neighbourhood, and the manner of transacting business be open to a near inspection. The advantages of the union must be local and apparent, or our churches will soon grow indifferent, and cease to support it. The union should also be so contrived, as to secure a pretty large share of public attention and energy. Regard must also be had to the convenience of ministers and others, in attending the meetings of the united churches. To embrace these. ends, the union should not be so small as to crumble our strength and Influence into atoms; nor so large, as to make it very inconvenient and expensive for There may be some difficulty in ministers and other persons to attend. accounting for this phenomenon : it the public meetings. The kingdom, cannot justly be ascribed to the want therefore, should be divided into of a disposition, or of zeal to do good; proper number of districts, each formfor while there is no other denomina ing a perfect body of action within tion which does so little for their own itself, hat possessing some means of body exclusively as the Independents, it easy and speedy communication, whenmay fairly be doubted, whether there is ever it may be necessary for the whole any class of Christians who do more body of Indepeudents to act promptly for the interests of other communities and in unisou. There are no natural than they have done. But if a con- boundaries by which we could conjecture may be hazarded, this want of veniently describe the limits of all the union and co-operation among the In- districts, and the general division inte dependents, is, at least in part, to be counties, is not the most eligible that attributed to an unreasonable jealousy, could be devised. Persons may differ lest a closer union of our churches in opinion as to the proper extent of a should, at some indefinably distant district; and the lines by which it period, lead to a sort of hierarchial should be terminated; and it is impos power and domination amongst us. sible to propose any division that Through such fears of a supposed possible evil, numberless opportunities of doing good are idly and sinfully thrown away. Some persons seem to have taken up an opinion, that it is utterly impossible to bring the Independents into a closer union; surely, no physical cause can be assigned for such a could completely meet the convenience of every individual; a view to the general good should outweigh the study of private convenience, and regulate our determinations in forming and submitting to an extensive plan. In recommending the following division, three things have been kept in view, (1) The size of a district; (2) its shape; and (3) that the boundaries should be such as can easily be determined. penny-a-week societies, by obtaining annual subscribers, or such other methods as they may approve. 8. A small portion of the income to Perhaps it may now be proper to be annually set apart, towards forming suggest some GENERAL PLAN. 1. Let the kingdom be divided into twenty districts, according to the map. 2. Each district to hold an Annual Meeting on the Tuesday or Wednesday in Easter (or Whitsun) week. 3: The Annual Meeting to be formed of the pastors, and two messengers from every Independent church within the district. 4. All business relating to the Union, to be determined by a majority of the ministers and messengers attending the Annual Meeting. 5. A Committee to be appointed of three ministers and three other persons, to prepare the business for the Aunual Meeting. One minister and one other member of the Committee, to go out of office at the close of each Annual Meeting, and successors to be then chosen. a fund to meet the increasing demands, which new schemes of benevolence will never fail to create. 9. All the rest of the income to be annually expended in promoting the cause of religion amongst the Independents within the district. 10. A Treasurer and a Secretary to be appointed for each district. 11. The district, No. 16, in addition to the Secretary of their own district, to nominate a general Secretary for the whole Union. 12. The district Secretaries shall annually send an abstract of the transactions of the Yearly Meetings in their respective districts, accompanied with a list of the names and residences of all the Independent ministers within the district, to be deposited with the ge neral Secretary, in order to facilitate communication with all the Independent churches, whenever it may be needful. It may fairly be presumed, that on an average, there are thirty Indepen dent congregations in a district-that in these congregations, taken one with another, there could be found 50 şubscribers of one penny per week; and that in each district there might be 40 subscribers of one pound each per annum; which, together, would make a yearly income of £365 for the district. If the ministers and messengers of all the churches were annually to meet, with this sum to appropriate in promoting the cause of Christ within the district, what numerous methods of doing good would present themselves to their notice! As a specimen how one year's income might be employed, the following is subjoined :: .... To accumulating Funds for £ s. d. 1. Northumberland and Durham. To fit up a place for Worship 000 100 0 0 5 10 O 50 50 0 50 d. more order, regularity, and dispatch in transacting business, than could be 0 expected without some limitation: and the sixth rule is intended to extend the O pleasure of attending the Annual Meetings to all persons who could make it O convenient to be present. Whether O the Committee. should consist of a greater, or less number than is proposed, and whether it should be permanent, or change by some regular rotations, each district could determine for itself. The means proposed for raising money, might either be arranged by the district meetings, or left to the discretion of each congregation. to encounter some prejudice. Some serious persons have an aversion from raising any funds which are not to be immediately expended. They lay it down as a principle, that every generation is able to provide for its own necessities; and that it implies distrust of divine Providence, to anticipate and make any provision for the next gene ration. It is true, they abandon this favourite principie in the provision they make for their families, but it is It is not pretended that the plan here proposed, would provide for all the necessities of our churches, or that it would supercede the propriety of other exertions: but it is not unworthy of some serious attention. It would help to remove several of our difficulties, and afford considerable facilities Probably the eighth rule would have for doing good: nor is the plan of such magnitude, as to justify despair of its being practicable. There are difficulties in the way of every attempt to do good; but a little resolution and prudence generally overcomes them. Perhaps the greatest difficulty in executing the present plan, would be found in existing associations. Some of these embrace a plot of country which lies in two or three of the districts here delineated; but this is not an insurmountable obstacle, and when once convenient to have this subterfuge, overcome, would not return. Some when they are requested to contribute of the Auxiliary Missionary Societies, to some permanent institution. Other do not at present conform to the limits of the districts here recommended; but a new arrangement in that respect would be very easy, and might prove of great advantage to the Parent Society. If the boundaries of the districts were once settled, the whole machine might be set in motion with great regularity and dispatch. persons, of a very literai disposition, may probably object to the eighth rule, because funds intended for the good of posterity, have some times been abused. There is reason to suspect, that many good men entertain exaggerated ideas on this subject: they forget that almost all our public institutions owe their existence and permanence either to Several advantages would probably ancient endowments, or to large sums arise from holding all the Annual of money collected at the origin of an Meetings on the same day. This cir- institution, and founded to prevent its cumstance would not merely present speedy discontinuance- The instance an object pleasing to the imagination, to which such persons commonly refer but would tend to excite a greater is, that in several endowed meetingdegree of interest. By having the time houses, where the truth of the gospel permanently fixed, county Associations, was once proclaimed, error is now and individual ministers could more preached; hence they hastily, and most generally make their arrangements so unreasonably conclude, that the enas not to clash with the district Meet- dowment was the cause of this defecings. There is, perhaps, no season tion. Besides, this objection is magmore likely to be generally convenient, nified beyoud all due bounds. Some than Easter (or Whitsun) week. In men seem to have taken up an opinion, the depth of winter, it would be un- that all the Arian and Socinian meetpleasant for such persons as live at a ing-houses in the kingdom are endowed; distance from the place of meeting. At if they would give themselves time to Midsummer, many ministers who keep schools, take an opportunity to perform indispensable journies; yet the Annual Meetings should be held at some time when those can best be spared from home, who are expected to attend them. The third, fourth, and fth rules, are proposed for the sake of securing inquire into the state of every such meeting-liouses in their respective connties, they would probably be surprized to find, that the far greater part of such meeting-houses have no endowment at all; besides, it is plain that the pure gospel of Christ continues to be preached in places which have been endowed for a hundred and fifty years; and in very numerous instances, endowments have been the means of preserving or restoring the gospel ministry in places, where otherwise it would not have been maintained. But, after all, these en dowments bear no kind of analogy to the proposition of the eighth rule. And in general it will be found, on examination, that the abuse of such endowments is to be attributed to two causes; 1st, The loose manner in which legacies and deeds made a century ago were worded. The dissenting minis ter,' the dissenting congregation,' or the dissenting meeting-house,' is the mode of expression used in almost all our old deeds; but moderns have learned experience from this, aud by a greater degree of precision, the evil is now prevented. Objectors would do well to ask themselves, if they have known any modern endowments thus abused. 2d, The endowment was generally left to the uncontrouled will of the minister, without any limitation or guard whatever but these dangers do not apply in the present case. After all, if we are not to do good until it can be shewn that it cannot be abused, we must at once abandon every benevolent exertion. Have we a greater, or so great an assurance, that our children will make a good use of what we are laying up for them, as that Societies will faithfully appropriate their means? The specimen offered of the way in which one year's income might be employed, presents several objects which a good man would rejoice to promote; but if a Union were once formed, innumerable ways of doing good would be brought forward from time to time. It is easy to see, that if a regular system were once adopted, many collateral advantages would arise out of it. The want of some general depository for records, belonging to our churches has long been felt; but in each district a place might be appointed, where all legacies, &c. belonging to any of our churches might be registered; attested copies of all deeds might be kept; a brief history of the rise and progress of every Independent church within the district; and in short, all kinds of documents relating to our concerns, whether entertaining only, or highly useful, could be collected and preserved with great facility. Many considerations concur to induce the Independents to attempt a closer union of their churches; one only shall here be mentioned. L It is an acknowledged fact, that petitionary cases for raising money to erect meeting-houses, do notnow receive the countenance they formerly did. A very general prejudice is justly entertained against the practice of sending ministers all over the country to beg. It is not necessary here to inquire into the cause why that mode of obtaining money is growing into disrepute; it is enough for the present purpose that the fact is admitted. And as there is reason to believe that this practice will be more and more discouraged, a substitute becomes indispensable. An attempt has been made to substitute printed letters, but with what success it is not difficult to say. This circumstance calls loudly on Dissenters, to devise some regular and efficient plan, to meet the expence of erecting and repairing chapels. Nor is this the only object to which a well-formed Union would direct its attention. Every minister can testify how many useful propositions have been brought forward at their Associations; how many opportunities of doing good have been suggested; the desirableness of the object, and the wisdom of the plan, have been alike evident; but they are abandoned with regret, because no means are provided to carry them into effect. If we feel rightly as Christians, we shall be solicitous that the honour and worship of God may be maintained beyond the short span of our mortality. We shall wish our children, and our children's children, to enjoy the ines-timable blessing of the gospel ministry; and we shall be concerned to provide our posterity with the same valuable meaus of improvement, which our picus forefathers provided for us. Almost all individual efforts will die with us; but the places devised, and the institutions formed by associated bodies of Christians, are more permanent. How much more good might the great body of Independents have done, if some regular system had been laid down and observed, to excite, concentrate, and direct their energies; but for above a century and a half they have acted in a desultory mauner, without union, without plan ! At a Meeting of the Four Independent 1 That, in order to regulate the admission of applications for assistance in the liquidation of debts on chapels, or in the erection of chapels, of the Independent denomination, a Committee he now appointed from the four congregations in this town. 2. That the Committee shall be elected |