thren? Does any minister among the Dissenters, intrude upon the charge of a brother-minister, not only without leave, but in defiance of all denial-No. These are perfections of religious zeal, peculiar to certain elect persons, who have set up this, and some other institutions, calling themselves serious Christians, and Evangelical Ministers.

SERIOUS CHRISTIANS! What? Is no man in earnest respecting the mercies of God in the redemption of mankind? Is no man serious in his faith, and earnest in his religions and moral duties? Has no man a regard for the salvation of souls, except this party?

EVANGELICAL MINISTERS too! Why more evangelical than their brethren-who have received the same apostolical ordination; profess the same faith; have taken the same oaths; use the same form of sound words in the services of the same church, and exercise the same priesthood at the same altar? I speak to members of the Church of England (for such, by the title of the meeting, I may fairly conclude all present to be): and I ask, in what sense, but as the Shibboleth of a party, this exclusive title of Evangelical can be assumed by ministers of the Church of England over their brethren; over men, in every respect, whether of piety, of morals, or of learning, at least, their equals? I ask, why I cease to be a true minister of the gospel, because I disdain to join a Sect, whose disorderly pro ceedings I disapprove?

Respecting this Church of England Missionary Society, I beg leave to call the attention of the meeting, to two extraornary circumstances:-First, that on looking over the list of Vice-Patrons, I see the names of only two bishops: one, the Hon. and Right Rev. Prelate here present; the other, the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Norwich! Now, if this Society were founded on principles so firm and so evangelical, by what fatality did it happen that the other bishops did not join it at first? Nay, how comes it to pass, that they have not come in on conviction? I can readily account for the reluctance of a man to tread back the hollow and rotten ground over which he has travelled: but this reluctance to set foot on firm ground; on the ground of the Church of England! This is a mystery too deep for me to fathom.

Secondly, the next extraordinary circumstance is, that among the list of high persons on THE REPORT of this Church of England Missionary Society for THE EAST, I see not the name of the only person who can give either order or consistency to their proceedings in that quarter of the globe. I mean THE TRULY LEARNED AND SOUND BISHOP OF CALCUTTA.-What! was that great man solicited to take under his care and controul-which, as the Hon, and

Right Rev. Vice-Patron knows, the Church of England would demand-was that great man solicited to take under his eare and controul the pious missionaries, who should be sent into his diocese from this society; and did he refuse to receive them? Or, did the steady adherents to the Church of England, who projected this society, never apply to his Lordship for that purpose? I profess myself utterly ignorant on both these questions. But of this I am certain, viz. that "the concerns of the Society in the North of India" are stated in THE REPORT, under the article MISSION, to be under no other authority or controul, than "the management of a corresponding committee." A Church of England Missionary Society, under the MANAGEMENT (that is the word) of A CORRESPONDING COMMITTEF!!! I have indeed heard, but I will not assert it as a fact, a circumstance, that would solve these difficulties, to wit, that the leading persons of the London Missionary Society, which consists of persons of all kinds of religious persuasions, are on the best of terms with the leading persons of THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY FOR AFRICA AND THE EAST. This circumstance, if true, would also account for other circumstances in the history of restless and disorderly pietists, compassing sea and land to gain proselytes, and disturbing their own country with religions contention.

4. I now proceed to the last consideration, viz. that the formation of a Branch Society in this place would be pernicious.

The peace of the city is hardly yet restored from the confusion occasioned by a religious feud, in which, (where the blame lay is no question at present), but in which the Rector was not only insulted, grossly insulted, in the performance of his duty, in his own parish-church; but was compelled to resort to the police officers to protect him from personal outrage. For my part, I declare my opinion, that if you proceed to gratify the same PARTY, who generated that feud, with the triumph of a Church Missionary Society, in the furtherance of which that PARTY is chiefly interested, and they too are members of the Church, you will renew the feuds, which may otherwise sink into oblivion; and will render Bath, like a neighbouring city, a hot-bed of heresy and schism. And sure I am, that the mischiefs which you will occasion at home, will never be compensated by any good that a society, so formed and managed, can do abroad.

Permit me here to observe, that if any person supposes me to be hostile to the professed object of this Church Missionary Society, viz. the universal diffusion of the knowledge of the mercies of God in Christ Jesus, he totally mistakes both my principles and my character. The professed

object of this society is, I trust, as dear to my heart, as it is to the most zealous of your members, as it is to the Honourable and Right Reverend Vice-Patron himself. But that grand purpose will never be furthered, much less accomplished, by such means as are offered or afforded, by an irregular association like this; an association of a character so equivocal, that had not the Lords Bishops of Gloucester and of Norwich honoured it with their exemplary names, it might as well be supposed a Church of Rome Society, or a Scottish Kirk Society, or a Swedenborgian Church Society, as to pertain to the Church of England. No-the conversion of the Heathen to the faith of the Son of God, must be founded, as at the beginning, on a system of ORDER and of UNION; ministered by men duly qualified and orderly consecrated to their holy office. On such system, and on such men alone, can the grace of the Eternal Spirit, the God of order and of unity, and not of confusion, be reasonably expected to descend The ground work, and little more than the ground-work of such a system is now laid in the EAST, founded on a regular apostolical commission, under the superintendance of a sound apostolical bishop. But with neither of these, it seems, does this Church Missionary Society hold communion. But, whether that be the fact or not, I call on you, as members of the Church of England, to look to that Church.

You are summoned hither to discuss the propriety of establishing a Branch of this Church Missionary Society in this city, under the patronage, not of the Lord Bishop of this Diocese, but of the Lord Bishop of Gloucester; who, himself, as Dean of Wells, owes canonical obedience to the Bishop of Bath and Wells; and who, moreover, has no manner of jurisdiction in this city, nor in this diocese, beyond his deanery.

AS THE ARCHDEacon of Batu,— In the name of the Lord Bishop of this Diocese, in my own name, in the name of the Rectors of Bath, and in the name of nineteen-twentieths of the clergy in my jurisdiction,

I PROTEST against the forination of such society in this city.

Whether, or in what manner, the Hon. and Right Rev. Vice-Patron and his friends will condescend to notice THIS PROTEST, I shall not stay to see.

Denominations of Protestant Dissenters in Derby, on behalf of ourselves and the members of our respective congregations, approach your Royal Highness with feelings of dutiful and loyal attachment and of unfeigned sympathy.

It would be vain to attempt the expression of that sorrow which fills our hearts at the recollection of the irreparable loss which your Royal Highness has been called to sustain. That heavenly Providence which rules over all, and whose wisdom we can neither fathom nor arraign, has removed from the world your illustrious daughter; and at a time, and under circumstances, which to human apprehension rendered her continuance here the most to be desired.

To dwell on the virtuous and amiable character of Her Royal Highness, would be only to repeat the praises which fall from every tongue; and we fear to dwell on a subject which, in the poignancy of your Royal Highness's affliction, might tend rather to renew your sorrows than to alleviate them. If effectual consolation were in our power, it would be our greatest happiness to open every source of it to your Royal Highness; but He alone can bind up the heart who has broken it, and to the Source of all good, whose ways, though mysterious, are always merciful, our prayers are addressed, that he will grant such portions of his all-powerful aid as may support your Royal Highness under this awful dispensation of his power.

We trust, also, that your Royal Highness will derive some alleviation of your grief, from the assurance of the affectionate and loyal attachment which pervades all ranks of people in these United Kingdoms.

We offer it to the consideration of your Royal Highness as a source of no mean satisfaction, that a spirit of union and loyalty exists among the people of these realms which cannot be exceeded, and that every attempt to disturb the tranquillity of the empire has proved abortive.

Addressing your Royal Highness from a county which has been represented (unjustly as we believe) to be disaffected to the government of your Royal Highness, we have the highest pleasure in congratulating your Royal Highness on the very decisive testimony which was repeatedly borne by the Judges on the bench during the late trials for high treason, to the steady loyalty of the people at large, a loyalty which no intimidation could for a moment shake.

It was with infinite regret that we observed occasional statements of the transactions which have disturbed our county, in which it was attempted to implicate the Dissenters in the recent outrages. That undeviating fidelity which the Protestant Dissenters have ever exhibited to the illus

Unitarian Fellowship Fund at St. Thomas's, London.

Jan. 26, 1818.

SIR, SINCE the appearance in your valuable Miscellany of Dr. Thomson's excellent plan and regulations of Congregational Fellowship Fonds, its pages have been occasionally occupied by accounts of the establishment of such Funds in various parts of the country. I have now the gratification of reporting the formation of another of them in the metropolis, in the religious society with which I have the honour of being consected. at a general meeting of the congregation of St. Thomas's, in the Borough, held yesterday, in the chapel, after the morning service, it was unanimously resolved, that there should be established, at that place, a Fellowship Fund, to be called The St. Thomas's Unitarian Fellowship Fund," and the names of about a hundred subscribers were instantly announced. The regulatious differ in no material respect from those of other similar institutions. The monies to be raised are to be applied to aid, as occasion may require, in defraying the expeases of conducting public worship at St. Thomas's chapel, to furnish contributions towards the erection or the repairs of other places of worship, to assist small and indigent congregations in procuring religious instruction, to aid in the education of young men for the ministry, to support the Unitarian Fund, and any other society instituted for the promotion of Christian truth and piety, and to grant occasional relief in cases of personal distress."

A subscription of one penny a week, or five shillings annually, to constitute a member; a payment of three guineas at one time to constitute a member for life; and donations of any amount to be received.

For the management of the business, a committee of twelve gentlemen has been appointed, of whom eight have been selected from among the young persons in the congregation; it being thought highly expedient to give this important class in our religious society an interest in such proceedings, and thus to train them up for more extensive services hereafter in the advancement of the same great cause.

The office of president has been conferred on the minister for the time being. S. S. Spyring, Esq. of the Borough, has accepted the office of treasurer; and Thos. Wood, Esq. of the Kent Road, that of secretary for the present year.

I am induced to trouble you with this statement, in order that the subject of these institutious may be kept continually before the public mind, and that other congregations may be stimulated by such examples to adopt them. There is no calculating on their importance were they to become general among us. THOMAS REES.

SIR,

Kidderminster Fellowship Fund. Νου. 11, 1817. Esteeming the Fellowship Fund as being well calculated for the important purpose greater co-operation for serving the cause of bringing Unitarian congregations into

of truth and benevolence, I have been its being adopted, as recorded in your usegratified by seeing the several instances of ful Repository. And considering it proper, and conducive to its further success, that Unitarians in general should have the means of knowing how extensively this valuable institution is approved, it appears desirable that every instance of its being established should be similarly announced. I therefore send for insertion in your next, if room can be spared, a copy of the resolutions of the Fellowship Fund Society lately formed at Kidderminster

RICHARD FRY.

New Meeting Fellowship Fund Society.

At a meeting of the congregation, assembling at the New Meeting-House, Kidderminster, held in the Vestry, October 26, 1817, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted:

Resolved, 1. That in the opinion of this society, it is desirable that a Fund should be forthwith established, to be called the New-Meeting Fellowship Fund.

2. That the objects of this Fund be, to afford some assistance to such congregations as may stand in need of help for providing places of worship, and for the support of the Christian religion-to contribute aid to academical institutions for the education of young men for the ministry— to exhibit relief to infirm or incapacitated ministers-and to co-operate with similar societies in such other beneficial purposes as may appear expedient; all the cases entertained being viewed as consistent with a strict regard to the Divine Unity.

3. That the above Fund be formed and

maintained by voluntary donations, and a quarterly contribution of at least one shilling, to be paid in the vestry to the Treasurer or his Deputy, on the Lord's day immediately preceding every quarter day,