synods. Before it the blood-stained warrior sheaths his sword, and plucks the laurel from his brow; the midnight murderer turns from his purpose, and, like the heartsmitten disciple, goes out and weeps bitterly. It brings liberty to the captive, joy to the mourner, freedom to the slave, repentance and forgiveness to the sinner, hope to the fainthearted, and assurance to the dying. It enters the hut of the poor man, and sits down with them and their children; it makes them contented in the midst of privations, and leaves

behind an everlasting blessing. It walks through great cities amid all their pomp and splendour, their imaginary pride and their unutterable misery, a purifying, ennobling, correcting, and redeeming angel. It is alike the beautiful companion of childhood, and the comfortable associate of age. It ennobles the noble ; gives wisdom to the wise; and new grace to the lovely. The patriot, the priest, the poet and the eloquent man, all derive their sublime power from its influence.

THE last Lord's day in August is the time appointed by the late Conference for the commencement of special and simultaneous religious services throughout the Connexion, for humiliation before God and prayer for the general outpouring of his Holy Spirit. We hail this appointment, and so will the thousands of our Israel. We have no doubt it will be generally observed, and we hope it will be so observed as the occasion demands. Glad shall we be to find that the occasion proves a season of holy quickening to believers, restoration to backsliders, and salvation to many precious souls. The intended services should be made a topic of frequent conversation and earnest prayer. friends should be made thoroughly acquainted with the objects contemplated, and pains taken to excite

Our

OF

LAYING OF FOUNDATION-STONE ZION CHAPEL, LEES.-MOSSLEY CIRCUIT. MR. EDITOR.-I am happy to inform you that we are now doing what ought long since to have been done, viz., pulling down the old chapel and schools, and erecting larger and more convenient

ones.

The schools are completed, and will afford good accommodation for 500 scholars. The chapel is in course of erection, and is expected to be finished by the end of September. The foundation-stone was laid on Saturday afternoon, June 5th, 1852. At one o'clock, the ministers, friends, teachers, and scholars assembled in the new schools, formed into a procession, and walked through the village and surrounding neighbourhood. About three o'clock we returned to the site of the new chapel. The open-air services were commenced by our highly respected superintendent, the Rev. T. W. Ridley, giving out a hymn, which was heartily sung by the congregation. The Rev. C. Atkinson offered prayer, and the Rev. H. Watts read a suitable portion of Scripture. The Rev. T. W. Ridley made a few remarks, and then presented a silver trowel and mahogany mallet to William Halliwell, Esq., of Clayton-house, Spring

general attention and interest. While discourses from the pulpit are faithful, pointed, and heart-searching, bearing expressly upon the object placed before us, there should be such arrangements made in every Circuit and in every Society as will afford ample opportunity for social prayer and fellowship meetings. The special outpouring of the Spirit upon our Churches should be the prevailing theme of our meditations and prayers; for if we obtain this in rich and abundant measure, we obtain every other spiritual good. "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubim shine forth. Before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved."

head, Lees, who laid the stone in the usual way, accompanying the ceremony with a short and appropriate speech. The Rev. Wm. Shuttleworth delivered a very able address, which he had specially prepared for the occasion. After the address was finished and prayer offered, we retired to the school and enjoyed ourselves over a refreshing cup of tea. The tea being over, Wm. Halliwell, Esq. (in the absence of J. Buckley, Esq., of Mossley), was unanimously called to the chair. Addresses were given by the Revs. C. Atkinson, H. Watts, L. Stoney, and G. Wood, Mr. Thomas Hannam, and the chairman. The meeting separated at an early hour, much gratified with the day's proceedings. When the chapel is completed, a longer account will be given. Lees, June 14th, 1852.

S. B. C.

MR. SHUTTLEWORTH'S
ADDRESS.

TO THE EDITOR.-DEAR BROTHER.At the special request of our esteemed friends at Lees (Mossley Circuit), I furnish you with the following Address, delivered 5th June, on the occasion of laying the corner-stone of their new chapel.

I have considerably abridged it on several accounts. I have, however, retained such portions as I supposed would prove most gratifying to them and most useful to your general readers, in the form, or nearly so, in which they were delivered. Other portions, inclosed within brackets, are designed merely to preserve the unity of the entire address, and are expressed in as few words as possible. I commit the whole to you, either to reduce more or to throw into any shape that may suit your taste and your editorial arrangements, knowing as I do, that you must be controlled, in some degree, by the more detailed communication, narrating the ceremonies that took place when the address was delivered, which, I understand, will be furnished to you by some friend on the spot who witnessed the whole. W. S.

Pine place, Chorlton-road,

Manchester.

FRIENDS OF CHRIST,-I am glad to meet you on this interesting occasion. I will say too, that high as my gratification is, it would not have been reduced had I to take a less prominent part than that assigned me by the partiality or kindness of the friends appointed to carry out the arrangements connected with the impressive, and yet not ostentatious ceremony of the day.

To some esteemed friends present it is well known that I am a somewhat reluctant occupier of my present position, and tried to avoid it, offering to barter it for other services more laborious to myself, that I might be released from the service I now shrinkingly undertake.

But understand me. Not that I am insensible to the honour conferred-not that I am uninterested in the present important movement-not that I cannot and do not rejoice in any and all feasible operations tending to extend Messiah's kingdom and to promote the best interests of my fellow-men, and especially of my fellow-countrymen. But I was not unwilling to hope that some one could be found who, if he did not and could not bring to the work a heartier goodwill, might be in various ways much more influential and efficient, and better adapted to the undertaking. But no! I was kindly assailed by my respected

friend, Mr. Atherton; and who is there can resist such appeals as he can put forth? Had he been a stern, absolute, domineering man, I could have managed him easily and have escaped. But his Christian kindliness and intreaty, together with his general character as a man and a religious professor, were absolutely resistless at least I could not resist him; and I hesitatingly appear before you, not to do as I could wish, but as best I can; and you, my friends, must take the will for the deed.

I commence by observing, that, on this occasion, I shall, doubtless, be expected to state who we are as a body of professing Christians, and what are our prominent distinguishing peculiarities.

[On these particulars, remarks somewhat at length and in detail were made on our adoption, as Christians, of such religious opinions as are considered evangelical by all Churches throughout the world, and which constitute us sound in the faith. It was observed, too, that we are Dissenters both in practice and profession, and call ourselves" Protestant Dissenters," in all our legal documents, though not enemies to such as adhere to the Established Church, they having a right to adopt such officers and such à ritual as their Church enjoins, if it meet their views; only we demurred against being compelled to sustain them, as we hold that all Churches should be supported voluntarily, and that no Church should possess superior legal privileges over another.]

We think, too, that if worldlypolicy would let religion alone, or, as Milton expresses it " leave the Church to the Church," and permit it to stand, and walk, and work in its own strength, it would advance with giant strides, and the sooner traverse and subdue the world.

[It was then asked, if such as represented us as enemies to the Church would not think it unjust and oppressive, and an infraction on their rights, if the Legislature were to pass a law compelling them to support us, or other sects, to the amount of some millions a year; and left the answer with the hearers, not doubting it would harmonize with the golden, scriptural rule, requiring men to do to others as they wish others to do to them; we holding, with Cromwell, that "liberty of conscience is a natural right;

and he that would have it ought to give it." It was then remarked that we were Methodists, holding and teaching the doctrines taught by the venerated founder of Methodism, whose memory and labours were dear to our hearts. But that, after all, we were Methodists of the New Connexion, differing in several respects from our Wesleyan brethren; yet that these differences were not doctrinal, but in Church-polity.]

We are a representative people, having no Church-meetings whatever from which our people are excluded.

[And instanced our leaders' meetings, our quarterly, our district, and our annual meetings or Conferences, in all of which the people have an influence and a voice, and assist in making and in executing the laws by which both they and the ministers are governed; we having no meetings which would be accounted constitutional without their presence. It was then observed and dwelt upon at some length, that on some occasions (not so much of late as formerly) we had been grossly misrepresented and calum. niated, by being represented as disaffected to the Government of our country and disloyal to our Sovereign; whereas the fact was, we were a religious and not a political body, whose published rules enjoined it as "the duty of all our people to submit themselves to the constituted authorities of the State; to maintain the laws of the land; and to implore the Divine blessing on kings, governors, magistrates, and on all classes of our fellow-subjects." And that our whole history showed, as did the conduct of our ministers and people in that neighbourhood, that we were a loyal and Christian people. To illustrate our representative character, for the sake of those present belonging to other communities, a detailed account was given of the manner in which all our Church-meetings are constituted, from cur leaders'-meetings up to our annual Conferences; the latter of which was so regulated as to render the preachers and lay-persons constituting them as nearly equal in numbers as practicable.]

The Wesleyan Conference (it was observed) consists of preachers only. Without quarrelling with them on this score (for they have a right to have it so if they list), we may be allowed in all charity to say, we humbly think that we have Scripture warrant for our custom; and sup

pose that they have not the same clear authority for theirs.

We know, too, that another branch of the Wesleyan family (perhaps more than one), constitutes its annual meetings not on the equality principle, but claims the right of sending to its Conferences some two or more laymen for one preacher. It, moreover, claims the right not to send to Conference any preacher at all, if it so choose; and to send thither, if it has more preachers than one in its Circuit, which of them it likes, irrespective of superintendency. We question not its right, nor do we further quarrel with such arrangements than modestly to state, that we think ours is the more excellent way, and to offer a few brief considerations in its vindication. We think, that where the ministry is unequally borne upon, or overborne, by lay-influence, the spirit of New Testament teaching is not properly sustained; that there is not sufficient respect paid to an officer, said to be "worthy of double honour;" and that, generally speaking, talent, refined feelings, and high moral and mental worth are more likely to be repulsed than won where this prevails. We think, too, that where all the ministers in a Circuit are equally eligible for choice as representatives to Conference, that almost any succumbing, designing, selfish, coarse-minded sycophant may, by a little adroitness, become the object of choice, in preference to a better qualified and more dignified person, who will not and cannot stoop to any course that would lower self-respect; at least, the temptation is obviously in this direction, and may, to say the least, produce Jealousy and disunion among the preachers, to say nothing of the mischievous plottings and ill-feelings that may be engendered in societies by favouritism and petty spleen.

And, then, as to the superior eligibility of the superintendent going to Conference, as a rule, and except in very extraordinary cases, we see nothing so proper, as it is sending him back again to meet that body which has intrusted him with the care of a Circuit, to give them an account of his stewardship.

Indeed, it seems to us like a mockery of responsibility, if he is not thus held responsible, and considered as the most proper, and the only proper person to return at the close of the year to those who, at its commencement, confided to him an important trust. I know it has been said that our regulations, requiring a close approximation to equality in numbers, between preachers and laymen in Conference, is open to objection, inasmuch as ministers, being more in the habit of public speaking than lay-brethren, have a manifest advantage in debate. I demur to the objection in toto, so far as our Conferences are concerned, and aver that laymen, in this respect, labour under no disadvantage whatever. Besides, many of them are local preachers, and are otherwise engaged as public men, and are accustomed to take an active part in their Churches at home, and are in no ways, for confidence and inclination too, a whit behind those who are their ministers, as a whole. And then, again, let it be remembered that, in all our other Church-meetings connected with Circuit operations, our ministers are very, very few, while our lay-brethren are numerous; and surely it may be endured, by even the most fastidious laymen, to stand with them numerically equal once a year, and especially in a meeting where laws are made to govern all. Besides, though myself have been, and still am, I suppose, as much identified with the ministry as the laity, and even more, I am no ways indisposed to confess that, on the whole, ministers, from their pursuits and early disassociation from business habits (supposing they ever possessed them), are not, and, perhaps, never may be, the most apt and fertile in, and conversant with, the routine of the mere secularities of even Connexional operations.

I have said thus much on this subject, not to satisfy our own friends with our arrangements, for they are not dissatisfied with them, but to show to others that we can assign some reasons for our regulations, and that they will bear reflection and examination. And we observe, too,

that we are the first and oldest reformers connected with the Wesleyan family; and, I am willing to hope, have learned, and are still learning, not being, perhaps, yet perfect, a little from experience; and I think I may venture to say, in my own name (not a youth), and in the name of not a few of our more discreet and soberminded friends, that our own body is based fully on as broad a principle of liberality as can be practically and successfully sustained. Ministers, while brethren, must have their legitimate and scriptural position, or you cannot animate them with that holy enthusiasm and devotion which are absolutely necessary to secure the desirable prosperity of your Churches. You must have gifted, cultivated men, men of piety and refined expanded views, or your Churches will droop and die. And men of this stamp, as a rule, will shrink from your ministry, and avoid it, too, if cramped, and fettered, and humiliated beyond the requirements of reason and the teachings of Holy Wirt. Be most careful whom you choose to the sacred office; but when chosen, let them stand in their proper position, on the ground marked out for them in the Word of God. I have thus spoken, not to assail others-far from it but to tutor and vindicate ourselves.

Having said thus much on matters connected with the community at large, I now turn to the more immediate object which has brought us together on this cheering occasion. And here I observe that I sincerely congratulate our friends on their attempt to extend their borders, by the erection of a new and enlarged place of worship; and devoutly pray that their work may be begun and finished in the fear of God; and that, when their Zion is reared and devoted to religious purposes, it may be covered with the cloud of God's presence, and filled with the divine glory-prove a special blessing to this interesting neighbourhood, by becoming signal for conversions to God. I know a little of your history, furnished principally by our mutual friend, now present, Mr. John Andrew,

one of the fathers of our interest in