accustomed to the lowest and most degraded tone of morals which can be conceived. As an instance, take the report of an inquest in a morning paper of August 23. The case was this:-The daughter of the late Clown at Drury Lane (who himself committed suicide six years ago!) committed suicide at eighteen years of age. She was the kept mistress of a chemist, who was sent to jail for a debt of 24s. He was released in a few hours by a medical student who was intimate with the party, but before he could get home she had destroyed herself. The student exprest his firm belief that the chemist meant to marry her, and could not conceive how he went to jail for such a sum, as his friends were in good circumstances. The report proceeds as follows:-"Both Coroner and Jury commented in the strongest terms on the severe law of imprisonment for debt, when a man could be dragged from his home for a few shillings. It was high time the Legislature should put a stop to such things. The Coroner observed, there could be no doubt that the unfortunate young creature had sunk under the shock of her intended husband being dragged away to prison. From her tenderness of years, she magnified the horrors of it, which, in addition to her peculiar situation, drove her to the commission of the act."

Here is a man settled as a tradesman, able to keep a mistress, and having friends in good circumstances, who yet cannot, or will not, pay a debt of 24s., which, however, is paid for him in a few hours-before the expiration of which, however, his mistress destroys herself! The only reflexion which this real tragedy draws from the Coroner and Jury* is, that the law of imprisonment for debt is detestable, and must be altered. All the evil is attributable to that! No one else, and nothing else, was in fault! Had there been no such punishment, all would have been well; the running into debt, seducing a creature of seventeen, on the one hand, and the yielding to temptation, and giving up virtue, character, every thing, on the other, all this had nothing to do with the matter! Defying every law of God and man leads to no mischief, and is not worth a remark from a Coroner and Jury; but if a law is somewhat sharp with rogues, that calls forth their vehement and virtuous indignation in a moment. Their logic is as good as their morals. If this virtuous chemist had been imprisoned for robbery on the highway, their logic would have been just as good against the law which imprisons highway robbers: for it was the villainous law which imprisoned him which did all the evil, while his acts were of no consequence; and if he were imprisoned, and his mistress committed suicide in consequence, the law, whatever it was, which caused such effects, ought to be repealed! How dare public men, in the face of Heaven, insult God, and injure man, by such monstrous proceedings?

Look too at this Coroner's language. While he and his Jury use the strongest terms against the law, he can only talk (if the report is to be believed) of the peculiar situation of the suicide, and say that she was driven to the act! Had this miserable woman been a wife, instead of a kept mistress, at eighteen, had the more wretched survivor,-(more wretched, alike whether he has or has not any strong feeling)-had he been her husband, instead of her seducer,—had they been Christians, bound together in a holy tie for ever, even supposing that it had pleased God to visit them with misfortune, and to make the husband the inmate of a prison,-would her body have now been cold in the grave-would her spirit have gone forth, uncalled, to stand before her Judge?

Where can we find a stronger comment on the words, that "Godliness hath the promise of the life which now is"? Of a truth, if newspapers, instead of being quite careless about such things, sincerely wished to uphold

If the newspapers have misrepresented the Coroner and Jury, they should have set the matter right. It is not a thing to be overlooked. As the report is not contradicted, it must be taken as correct.

the cause of Christian morals, and promote the real happiness of man thereby, they might give us lesson after lesson to the same effect. A few days before this, was the history of an old man who left his wife, and gave her a miserable pittance,-lived with other women, by whom he had children,— and was, finally, poisoned by persons who wished to get his money. Would this have happened if he had been living in the fear of the law of God? Just at the same time was an account of the death of a woman at Dublin in a fight. Another woman had sold her own daughter, for a sum of money, to an officer at Dublin; the deceased had, or fancied she had, some claim to a share in this defiled and defiling money; they quarrelled, fought, and she was killed.

The last week gives us the history of a German who abandoned his wife and son, and took his servant to live with him as mistress. When distress from money matters came on the wretched and sinful man, without hesitation he killed the partner of his iniquity, four of their children, and himself! Will men refuse to believe these unbiassed testimonies that sorrow follows sin?

But to return for a moment to the history of the suicide. For her but one feeling can now be entertained-the deepest pity and commiseration; but for her sin, let not a word be said in extenuation of that. What a picture of society, -what lessons as to the tendencies of modes of life, does the whole history present! This poor creature was brought up, probably, in the precincts of a theatre, a school and scene and nest of infamy, as things now are, and the seed soon ripened to a fearful harvest. Before eighteen, she is living regularly as a kept mistress. Then a tradesman, one in that class of life to which decent habits at least would seem essential, starts in life with open profligacy; and a medical student, one of those who are to go forth into some country village, to have the ear and eye of respectable familics, unblushingly confesses himself the regular associate and friend of this low and vicious household. At the least, probably the first, instance of adverse circumstances, without a thought that she deserved to suffer,-without a struggle to bear her sufferings,-without a fear of what is to come,-in a few hours this miserable creature destroyed herself, in impatience, passion, and desperation! Such are the fruits of sin! Such is a picture of English manners! Alas, for England! It is bad enough when the higher classes are immoral,-but when things have gone on so far that their example has contaminated the middle ranks,—when open sin has become so common, that it can be had at a low price,-when, in short, vice has got hold of classes on whom it can get no hold except they can sin cheap and economically, the case is fearful indeed!

STATE OF THE CHURCH NEAR FARNHAM.

AN ADDITIONAL INSTANCE OF NONCONFORMISTS' LOVE OF TRUTH AND CHARITY.

"He that is first in his own cause seemeth just, but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.”—Prov. xviii. 17.

THIS verse has been called to my mind in reading an extract from a pamphlet entitled "A Plea for the Nonconformists," printed at Chelmsford, in the present year. It has been still more forcibly impressed upon me since I have been able to compare the statements given in the "Plea" with those which, on inquiry, I find to be the truth.

The scene of the author's lucubrations is laid in the Keep, behind the Bishop's Castle, at Farnham. Thither the author invites one, whom he supposes to be a zealous churchman, to ascend; with what object is best known to himself. If elevation of place gives advantage, he certainly is there on the

vantage ground; but the position chosen brings to my mind the situation of one, who, on another eminence,

"Even on the tree of life,

The middle tree and highest there that grew,

Sat like a cormorant; yet not true life
Thereby regained, but sat devising death

To those that lived."

I write in sorrow and not in anger. It is indeed a saddening and a strange scene which the true churchman is called to contemplate in these latter days. The wild boar has not yet broken down the fences of his Zion, but he cannot help seeing with what a determined spirit of hostility he is gazing upon them. "He has heard the reproach of many; fear is on every side."

For myself, I feel that one of the greatest dangers to which we are exposed, is the contagion of an uncharitable spirit. Like begets its like. Let the churchman beware lest the slander of the nonconformist produce a hostile and a slanderous spirit in him. Our best armour in these evil days is the armour of love. "To do, to suffer, and to love," it has been beautifully said, “was the primitive taste." Can we have a better model, a diviner law? Let us be the representatives of those, our Christian forefathers. As our church, blessed be God, is the ark and depository of their doctrines, so let our lives testify that we are the true representatives of their virtues—the heirs of their patience and love.

Whilst, however, we bear with a meek spirit all that is slanderously reported of us, we must not allow the walls of our Zion to be assailed without attempting to defend them. "Truth is great, and will ultimately prevail;❞— but its advocates must exert themselves in her defence, or she may be suffered for ages to be trampled in the dust.

With these remarks let me introduce to the notice of your readers an extract from the pamphlet which I have alluded to, accompanied by a statement of the real facts of the case. This statement I am able to give on the very best authority, and I will simply ask the reader, when he shall have perused both the one and the other, to judge between us. Whether he be churchman or dissenter, I shall fearlessly await his decision. It is difficult to say whether the "Plea for the Nonconformists" be special or general. It may, perhaps, be more correctly termed an indictment against the church in the neighbourhood of Farnham, more especially directed against the excellent bishop who resides there, and containing several counts. These I will give separately, with their answers; that so, by juxta position, the contrast of truth and falsehood may be the better seen. The indictment is thus opened :—

"For instance, let him ascend the top of the keep of the ancient castle which stands at the back of the palace of the Bishop of Winchester, at Farnham, in Surrey. We will not leave him to imagination here, but will describe the reality."

Count 1.- "Just beneath him he sees the parish church; he sees a large and beautiful parish, rich in corn-fields, fertile meadows, and the fine and far celebrated hop-gardens. He sees the rectorial tithes taken away by a layimpropriator; he sees the vicarial tithes taken away by a non-resident vicar; he sees tithes to the amount of 2000l. per annum and upwards, taken away and spent by these two persons; and he sees a curate performing the duties of this enormously productive parish for 1007. per annum-(that is to say)—for about three times the wages of a middling labouring man who works in the hop-gardens, not twice the wages of a journeyman carpenter or bricklayer, not so much as the wages of a good journeyman locksmith in London; and this, observe, in the very finest parish, all taken together, in the whole kingdom."

So much for the first count. Now let us see how far the statements of this

nonconformist with the church are those of a conformist with truth. I will give the facts as I have received them from authority.*

Farnham-an endowed vicarage, value 4481. per annum. The great tithes belong to the archdeaconry of Surrey. The vicar is non-resident by exemption, being resident on his living of Ashington, Sussex. There are four curates, all resident, and with stipends amounting on the whole to 400l. The population is 5,858.

How wonderful a magician is Truth! She waves her wand, and at once the airy fictions of falsehood disappear, and leave not a wreck behind. The hop-gardener, the journeyman carpenter, the bricklayer, the London locksmith, " come like shadows, so depart.” Turn your eyes, courteous reader, from the "Plea" to the facts, and you will see that there is not a shadow of a foundation for the statement of the former. I beg the nonconformists' pardon. The parish church does lie below the castle;-the parish is a large and a beautiful one: it is rich in corn-fields and fertile meadows, and its hopgardens are fine and far celebrated. The churchman might have discovered all this without the aid of his friend, the airy-footed nonconformist. But the rectorial tithes are not taken away by a layman; the vicar is non-resident, but the law of the land allows of his absence, and no bishop could bring him back. The amount of rectorial tithes I have no means myself of ascertaining, and I challenge the writer of the "Plea" to give his authority for stating them to be 2,000l. per annum. Instead of seeing "a curate" performing all the duties of this immensely productive parish-the churchman, without wiping his glasses, or borrowing" buckram" from Sir John, sees four curates, all zealous and active men, whose joint salaries all but reach the amount of the vicar's, and whose labours, unless the vicar be an anti-Homeric man,† must vastly exceed them. Wherein then, he may justly ask, is the church, or the parish, or the community injured, or the bishop to blame? Wherein is nonconformity defended or advanced by the first count in the indictment?

I confess, Sir, I was astonished when I first read the statement in the "Plea" relating to Farnham-astonished not at the things related, as though they could by possibility be true, but at the bold front which falsehood had put on. It had happened to me to be on a visit in the town of Farnham during the course of last year. My visit lasted three weeks, and during that time I had many opportunities of knowing the circumstances of the place, especially as it respected what I may call its ministerial wants and their supply. I found the church opened three times on a Sunday, and once on a week day, and each time thronged with an attentive audience, composed of every class of persons. It will not be easy for those who have seen it to forget that most interesting gallery of aged and of labouring men who sit directly facing the pulpit, occupying the very best position in the church. Placed close above the bishop's pew, it could not but bring to the mind the apostolic injunction (James ii. 1-6.)-"The rich and the poor were met indeed together," and the heart felt that the Lord was the maker of them all.

In reading the "Plea," I found it stated that "a curate" was performing the duties of the parish for 100l. per annum. I knew that curates-there were four-and that one of them received 200l. per annum. I found it stated, as the reader will find hereafter, that not one clergyman in all the seven parishes, which the Pleader pretends to survey, could keep a servant of any description; and I knew, of my own knowledge, that servants of several descriptions were kept in the houses of three out of the four curates of Farnham alone.

See the Bishop of Winchester's letter to the Rev. J. S. Dunn, published in the "Essex Standard" of July 24.

But I will proceed to the other counts of the indictment.

Count 2.-"Lifting his eye from this parish church, he looks over the hill on the other side of the valley, and there he sees the large agricultural parish of Frensham, yielding tithes to the amount of 500l. per annum, and he sees a miserable curate there, with a stipend of 40l."

The curate may be miserable-I have not the honour of his acquaintancebut it is not because he has only forty pounds a year. The facts relating to Frensham are these:-It was anciently a chapelry belonging to Farnham, and is now a perpetual curacy. Its annual value is 1067. The great tithes form part of the corps of the archdeaconry. The population is 1,388. The reader will take notice that the perpetual curate is the incumbent. There are three titles of incumbents-viz., rectors, vicars, and perpetual curates. These titles depend not on ecclesiastical appointment, but on the nature of the income, or part income, which the avarice of the Roman catholic religious bodies before the Reformation, or the mercy or rapacity of our royal and noble reformers at the Reformation, left to the officiating clergyman. The Duke of Bedford could tell us something of this. The nonconformist would make the reader believe that the resident incumbent of Frensham is only a stipendiary curate—a locum tenens for another-whereas he is the parson, or persona ecclesia, enjoying all the income that has been left to the clergyman in that place. To proceed.

Count 3.-" Shocked at the sight, he turns his eyes a little to the left, but there they are met by the parish of Elstead, with tithes again amounting to 500l. per annum, and with a still more wretched curate, for he has only 201. per annum."

Riches and happiness seem to be convertible terms with our observer, and if, with such a view of things, the curate of Elstead has made him the depository of his sorrows, I cannot envy him the counsel, however much I might value the sympathy which he has no doubt already received. I am happy, however, to be able to inform the observer, that the load of the wretched curate's imaginary misery is only one-fourth of that which he supposes, his income being 801. per annum, and not 207., as stated in the "Plea."

The circumstances of the benefice are similar to those of Frensham. It was anciently a chapelry belonging to Farnham, and is now a perpetual curacy-annual value is 781. The incumbent of Frensham is also incumbent of Elstead, with the title in both of perpetual curate; and the reader will not fail to observe, that he gives his curate 27. more than he himself receives. If happiness, therefore, be a matter of pounds, shillings, and pence, the stipendiary curate is happier quoad Elstead by two pounds, than his principal, the perpetual curate of Frensham.

Count 4.-"This is too bad, exclaims the zealous churchman, and turning his eyes in disgust from the south, and looking to the west as it were towards Winchester, and silently beseeching the right reverend the bishop, the overseer of the shepherds, to bring them back to their abandoned flocks, there his eyes, the moment they pass the confines of Farnham, are met by the fine productive parish of Bentley, where he finds tithes amounting to 350l. per annum, and a curate living on 281."

Again, the observer's statements are as grossly at variance with truth as they well can be.

Bentley, like Elstead and Frensham, was anciently a chapelry belonging to Farnham. It is now a perpetual curacy. The incumbent, whom the observer styles the curate, as if he were the locum tenens of another, is the perpetual curate. His salary is again more than four times as great as that stated, being 1167. instead of 281. The great tithes are as before-the population 728. Count 5.-" Exclaiming O God of justice and mercy! he hastily turns to the east, and the first spot on which his eye lights are the parishes of Seale and Tongham, with 350l. per annum tithes, and a curate with 257. between them."