that he rose in his own esteem, and shouted with altogether unwonted might. Some idle brother winds, who had nothing better to do, came rushing in to see what the matter was, and by their foolish haste increased the noise. More and more widely spread the alarm, and faster and faster came the startled breezes. Our eager wind began to feel his own importance, and elated with success, whirled swifter than ever, screaming to the full of his voice, 'A grand work, brothers! a glorious work! This stupid sun is burning up the world, and we must interfere to save it. Come, brothers, come!' To do what?' cried they. 'Agitate, agitate, agitate, you lazy fools!' And away he whirled with such honest zeal, that all the little puffs and then all the big blows too joined him in a grand circumgyration of contagious benevolence. Surprised at his own efficiency, the rapturous wind whirled faster then ever; and the other winds whirled too, all alike ignorant of what was to be done, or how to do it, but all in a great agitation.

All went very well for a while; the flowers nodded—the groves gracefully bowed-the meadows waved-the waters sparkled-and the world seemed waking up. But soon winds of all sorts came rushing in, crowding and jostling, screaming for information, all willing, some for mischief, and some for good ends, and some for excitement, and some for love of power to agitate, agitate, agitate.' And alas! the poor honest wind soon found, that the blast which howled loudest headed the mob. There was no stopping now. In vain he cried, Peace brothers, blow softly, agitate calmly.' Madder and madder grew their frenzy— and now, too, alas! there was no escape. He was whirled to and fro utterly spent, powerless, and horror stricken, at the ruin fast spreading over the fields he intended in some way or other to benefit. Crash went the boughs-the laden orchards were stripped—the long maize with its heavy ears fell prostrate the ripened wheat was strewed to the ground —and where the whirlwind passed, spread a track of desolation. As he was swept along amid black clouds of mingled fragments, the poor wind thus meditated:

"Ah! I meant well, I meant well; but what a fool I was not to know what I wanted to do, before I tried to do it. Had I been true to my nearest duty, and quietly refreshed the plants and trees around me, I should have been useful although humble, and ready for any higher work to which nature might call me. Alas! alas! there was more ambition than benevolence in my love of agitation!!'

IV. Nichol's Phenomena of the Solar System. William Tait. Simpkin, Marshall, and Co.

The popularity of Professor Nichol's last work, The Architecture of the Heavens, was so great, that he has been induced to apply the same idea of popular illustration to the more limited region of the Solar System. The present work not dealing with so vast a subject, is more easily comprehended, and requires less exercise of the imaginative faculty, than the previous one. Both works, however, are, in their respective

provinces, equally elementary, and the Professor avails himself without disguise of all existing information on his subjects: only desiring to make what is little known more known. Of the two books, the present is the slighter one, though probably it will prove the more popular: one half of it consisting of sketches, though very interesting ones, of the progress of the various discoveries, and the labours of the various discoverers, which have contributed to throw light on the Laws of our System. The latter half of the work treats on the constitution and characteristics of the System, and the various bodies, sun, planets, or comets, connected with it. The whole is profusely illustrated with plates. We strongly recommend it to the perusal of our young friends, or any that are young in astronomy.

V. Life and Times of George Whitefield. By Robert Philip. London: George Virtue.

This Biography is written by a regular admirer of preachers and preaching. The world of the pulpit, and of his peculiar doctrinal views of Christianity, is the world in which he lives and moves and has his being. His anecdotes are of preachers; his references are to sermons. Mr. Philip is a good man to write with relish the details and the facts of Whitefield's life but he is not the man to extract its philosophy. "His mass of facts will soon be turned to good account," but not, as he says, "by hinself," though it may be, as he continues, "by some one else."

e;

In fervour and enthusiasm Whitefield may be thought to be equalled by other celebrated reforming preachers; or at least to have these qualities in common with others. But there was one feature in which he differed from them all; and that was, that he was the partizan of no church, of no sect. He preached and prayed for men. The Protestant Reformers opposed the Church of Rome as such, and founded their own churches in particular localities on its ruins. The Seceders of Scotland, and the Dissenters of England have acted similarly. But Whitefield preached against sin, and (as he thought it) false doctrine, and reproved false preachers in every communion, but neither joined nor founded any sect at all. In this respect he was a greater man than Wesley, who was a spiritual despot, virtuous and well-intentioned though he no doubt was. Whitefield's labours were in the four realms of Britain, and in America -in church and chapel-hill-side and street-shows and fairs. His life was one continued sacrifice, after his own fashion, to God and man.

VOL. I. No. 5.-New Series.

20

INTELLIGENCE.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE

PRESBYTERIAN ASSOCIATION.

IN presenting their report for the past year, the retiring Committee are obliged to repeat the statement of their predecessors; that their attention has been mainly directed to the conduct of the appeal before the House of Lords in the case of the Hewley charities, between Samuel Shore and others, and the Attorney-General, on the relation of Thomas Wilson and others. While this important case is still pending, they have judged it expedient not to embarrass the Association by extending its operations to other objects.

They trust that this suit is at length on the eve of decision.

During a sitting of three days, May 13, 14, 15, the case of the Appeal was heard, and that of the Respondents opened; and it has been determined to resume the hearing on Monday next, June 24. Without presuming to anticipate the judgment of the House, or to speak disrespectfully of the decisions of the lower courts, it may be observed, that the admirable speeches of the Attorney and Solicitor General are calculated to produce a strong conviction of the propriety of the Appeal, and to excite entire confidence in its legal management.

The Historical Proofs and Illustrations of the Appellants' case, alluded to in last year's report, have been completed, and a few copies printed in a shape adapted specially for the use of counsel. Although an argumentative purpose has necessarily presided over the arrangement of the materials of this work, and given it the form of a temporary document, it is essentially a production of permanent value and remarkable interest. It contains a complete history of English Presbyterian Dissent, attested by copious citations from the writers, who have most influenced its spirit, and adorned its churches, by their learning, accomplishments, and piety; and in tracing the origin and working, it also vindicates the excellence, of those Catholic principles, by which our forefathers maintained their Christian faith and devotion, without parting with their own mental liberty, or encroaching on that of others. The gentlemen, by whose great industry and judgment this work has been prepared, are entitled to the marked gratitude of this meeting; and it may be hoped, that they will consent to its publication hereafter in a form more convenient for general circulation.

The Committee have not been inattentive to the recommendation, contained in the last Annual Report, respecting the Ministers' Relief Fund. In January last they issued a circular to the ministers in Lancashire and Cheshire, inviting through them the attention of their congregations to the claims and wants of this fund. They regret to report, that this call has been unproductive; yet they cannot be surprised if, under the heavy expense of the Appeal in the House of Lords, with a general expectation of a speedy judgment upon it, and a knowledge that this event must determine all ulterior proceedings, a disposition has existed to wait the

decision, before attempting to create another temporary fund. It cannot be doubted, that the same zeal which is now vindicating the beneficiaries, as well as the Trustees, of the Hewley endowments, before the first tribunal of the country, will be ready, on the completion of this task, to continue its generosity in whatever way the circumstances of our religious societies may appear to demand. The Committee cordially recommend this object to the care of their successors.

One of the oldest of the Presbyterian properties in the north of England has been reported to the Committee as threatened with legal proceedings. They requested the Trustees to acquaint them with the transactions as they arose; and promised such advice and co-operation as the nature of the case might seem to require. It is presumed, however, that no case of this kind will pass beyond its preliminary stages, until the suits now pending have received judgment.

During the last year, the Risley Chapel has passed, by process of law, into the hands of strangers. The case was in some respects peculiar, and was not under your protection as a Society. But the Committee observe with satisfaction the promptitude with which a large subscription has been raised, by private exertion, to provide with a new place of worship the congregation which has been expelled from the house of their fathers. They regard this as a proof, that the calls made by the Association have not exhausted the liberality of our churches; and that it is not the magnitude of a property, but the greatness of a principle, which their zeal is most eager to defend.

In January last, the attention of the Committee was directed to an advertisement in the Manchester Guardian, purporting to be a copy of a Memorial "agreed upon by the Associated Dissenting Ministers of Manchester of the Presbyterian, Independent, and Baptist denominations." In no such Association or Memorial had the English Presbyterian Ministers of that town either joined or been asked to join: and it was impossible to regard this advertisement in any other light than as one of those unwarrantable attempts at exclusion from the great body, and the ancient titles, of Protestant Nonconformists, of which the non-subscribing Dissenters have recently had such frequent occasion to complain. The Committee thought it right to publish a protest against this proceeding, in the same journal which contained the original Memorial.

In retiring from their office, the Committee cannot but advert to the probability, that a task much more difficult than theirs may devolve upon their successors. The next year must decide, whether the English Presbyterians of the present day are to be virtually excluded from the benefit of those laws, which secure to others Liberty of divine Worship, and the Enjoyment of their sacred Properties;-laws, which they and their forefathers were mainly instrumental in procuring, and of whose spirit their early institutions were the anticipation and the model::—or whether without submitting to a creed of judicial imposition, they may still live as a protected class in a country to whose best interests they have always been true. In either case, this Association will have important duties to perform :-under disappointment,—to devise the means of recovery and future security; under success,-to re-unite and re-organize the

scattered few who, amid the threats of persecution, must have discovered anew the dignity and worth of their characteristic principles, and who may be willing, in these times of restored intolerance, to repeat the faithful testimony of their fathers, in behalf of an open Church and an unprotected Gospel.

Altrincham, June 20th, 1839.

MANCHESTER UNITARIAN VILLAGE MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Fifteenth Report.-Read and Adopted at the Annual Meeting, held in the School-room, Lower Mosley Street, on Monday Evening, April 15th, 1839. Samuel Dukinfield Darbishire, Esq. in the Chair.

YOUR Committee, in retiring from office, beg to call your attention to the following results of their stewardship. No new field of improvement has been entered upon. They have, as you will perceive, confined their exertions to those districts selected by their predecessors. Still the Committee trust that, in the following statement, you will find much cause for rejoicing.

The same agencies for communicating religious truths have been employed, as those recounted to you in preceding years, the support and superintendence of Sunday-schools,-the exercises of public worship and instruction, and the distribution of books, to preserve during the week, and to deepen on the minds of the hearers, the impressions of the Sunday.

Swinton. At this Station, during the past year, the average attendance has been,

Astley. It was found advisable, previous to your last Annual Meeting, to conduct the morning service at this Station with especial reference to the Sunday-scholars. The average attendance has been,

Derbyshire-Ashford, Sheldon, Over-Haddon and Flagg, still continue to be the scenes of the zealous labours of your much respected missionary, Mr. Shenton. Occasional services have been conducted in other places; but these are his principal stations.

At Flagg, the Congregation has long and steadily met together, in numbers far too great to be accommodated in the narrow dimensions of a private dwelling. They therefore, a short time ago, determined upon the erection of a Chapel. Aided by the kindness of many sympathizing friends, they have now nearly effected their object, as the Chapel will be opened for Divine worship in the approaching sum

mer.

Padiham.-The average number of those who have attended Divine worship in the Chapel of this place, during the past year, have been, 100 | Evening 115

Afternoon