detail in the resolutions adopted at Derby. To consolidate the strength and union of the friends of voluntary Education-to establish a centre for counsel and effort-to obtain increased contributions-to establish forthwith an effective Normal school for training male teachers to assist public schools-to publish firstrate school-books-to maintain and promote the independence of the people in the vital interest of the education of their children;-such are the objects, for the accomplishment of which immediate and vigorous measures are proposed.

One of the first of these measures will be the procuring of popular lectures on the various branches of the great Educational question, first in London, then in the chief provincial towns, and afterwards in every accessible locality. For the subject is not only one of supreme importance, but one on which the public mind exceedingly requires to be moved and directed. By economy in money, and willingness in labour, a great work may be done at small cost in a good work on right principles. Such is the position, and such the prospect, and such must be the policy of the firm friends of voluntary Education at this time.

It can hardly be maintained, that the Congregationalists at present hold the first place in zeal and effort for popular Education in dailyschools. They labour now under the disadvantage of some considerable difference of opinion as to the receipt of Government aid for dailyschools under the conditions propounded by the last Minutes of Privy Council for its distribution. They are also, to a great extent, associated in all the towns of England with Christians of other bodies in the maintenance of British schools. The want of schools is already generally met in localities where Congregationalists could act most effectively. Still there will be found room in free England for an extended practical witness in favour of voluntary Education; and to seek out all the occasions, to adopt all the means, to exhibit all the zeal available in this great work, will be the duty of the Board for popular Education connected with the Union.

Addressing itself vigorously to this important vocation, the Board hopes that, by the time of the ensuing Annual Assembly of the Union in May, it will have brought its operations into such a state as will revive hope, and call forth united approval and liberality. Present difficulties are not overlooked or under-rated. But the cause is so vital and great that they are acknowledged only to stimulate zeal, courage, and effort.

BRITISH MISSIONS.

On entering on a new year, it is a very natural and most suitable exercise to review the past. This is no less applicable to the efforts of the churches for the promotion of British Missions than to anything else. Each church, every individual, should inquire, Have I done all that I might have done, either in the way of personal exertion or pecuniary contribution? Have I diligently improved every opportunity that offered itself for speaking a word for Christ and his cause, or of giving of my property for its support? Does my conscience acquit me of any charge of negligence? I have one or more talents intrusted to me by my Lord, who has

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said, "Occupy till I come;" should he appear and call me to render up my account, have I reason to expect he would pronounce the approving sentence, Well done! good and faithful servant?" If there be any misgiving in the minds of those who may peruse these questions, let them follow it up by a determined resolution that the year now commenced shall be an improvement on the past. If such a resolve be made in a spirit of humiliation for past neglects, and with earnest prayer for grace to be faithful for the future, it cannot be doubted the present will be a happy new year indeed. Let such indicate their feeling by a liberal contribution to the cause of their divine Lord at once. It is a good thing to begin well. Let the year 1848 be commenced in a spirit of prayer, zeal, and liberality, and, like the keynote in music, it will keep the soul in tune for the year. Our Missions all need increased-support. Their success has created this necessity. If the prayers of the churches have been sincere, when they implored the Divine blessing on the labours of the Missionaries and other agents, now that those prayers have been to so great an extent answered, there will surely be no lack of the means to sustain the successful efforts which have been put forth. The British Mission Societies, though not favoured with extensive fruitfulness in every field of labour, have still to rejoice in witnessing the verdure of many. If they have not yet reaped a full and abundant harvest, they have already gathered the firstfruits; and are encouraged, by the promising aspect that presents itself, to anticipate that ere long they will "return" with gladness and joy, "bringing their sheaves with them."

HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

THE Committee would earnestly appeal to their friends both in the metropolis and the provinces, especially the churches with their pastors, on behalf of the Institution, the management of whose affairs is intrusted in their hands. In discharging the duties devolved on them, they have become extensively acquainted with the condition of our country, and are often distressed by the ignorance and vice which, in many districts, prevail. Could they in every case send the faithful Missionary to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation, their sorrow would, in a great measure, be relieved. They would be encouraged by the hope, that these barren spots, brought under spiritual cultivation, would soon yield an abundant harvest. But when, from the want of adequate funds, they are compelled to postpone or refuse the efforts which are earnestly solicited, their distress is augmented to a degree which is most painful to endure. There is, it is true, in every parish a "church," and one or more professed ministers of religion, whose official duty it is to promote the interests of virtue, and check the progress of crime. Were such men to devote themselves heartily to their own proper work, it is believed that much good would be accomplished. But without meaning to speak reproachfully of the clergy as a body, or to express any opinion on the expe. diency of ecclesiastical establishments, it cannot be questioned, that in multitudes of instances no beneficial effect whatever has resulted from the existence of the parish church, and the

performances of the services therein conducted. The ignorance of the people is as profound, and the depravity as gross, as it could be in the absence of even the formalities of Christian worship. Is this doubted? Let the following extract from the journal recently forwarded by one of the Missionaries, be taken as a confirmation of the sentiment now expressed :

"On the 8th of October I preached at, a hamlet in the parish of On my way thither I fell in with a boy, with whom I held the following conversation :- Well, my little boy, can you read ?' 'No, sir.' you?'

How old are

What!

In my tenth year, sir.' 'Then you do not go to a Sunday-school?' No, sir.' do you work on Sundays as well as week-days?' 'Yes, sir.' 'But when do you mean to go to school?' I don't know, sir. When I have done working, I suppose.' Well, now, can you tell me who it was that came down from heaven to save sinners?' 'No, sir.' But did you never hear? did nobody ever tell you some one came down to save us and take us up to heaven? Who was it? Now, think a little.' After some time he said seriously, I think it was the devil, sir! Oh, dear, no! who told you that, my little boy?' Father, sir,' was his reply."

Such is the deplorable ignorance which prevails amongst the peasantry of this highlyfavoured country. Could it be greater if there were no churches and no Bibles in the land? Is it any slander to say, that no good has resulted from the ecclesiastical establishment of the country, in the absence of an enlightened Evangelical ministry? It is for the purpose of sending the gospel to such "dark corners" of our country the Home Missionary Society was instituted, and has been in vigorous operation for more than twenty-eight years. Were the instance given above a solitary case; were it a mere exception to the general condition of the people; the Committee, much as they would regret that a single instance of such profound ignorance should exist, would be less anxious on the subject; but knowing, alas! too well, that thousands and tens of thousands of such could be cited, they would implore the friends of vital religion seriously to lay it to heart, and inquire whether they have yet "done what they could" to irradiate the darkness, "the gross darkness," in which such multitudes are enveloped.

It is gratifying for the Committee to be able to present, in striking contrast to the above, the following statement as the result of ten years' labour of one of their devoted Missionaries in a western county. He was appointed to his station at the close of the year 1837, at which period there was one chapel, but no Christian church, no sabbath or day-school, nor any systematic effort for the spiritual, or even the temporal benefit of the people. The following is a list of the chapels, schools, &c., now existing and in vigorous operation

The surplus of expenditure over the receipts is accounted for by the remaining debt on one of the schools and one of the chapels. "I find," says the Missionary, "that our beloved helper, Mr., has contributed £1,050 of the amount received. This is of his published contributions, but takes no account of his private benevolence, which is known to be very considerable. Lord spare him to us very, very long!"

The

The Committee have great satisfaction in presenting this statement to the subscribers and friends of the Society. They feel persuaded it will be read with much interest, as clearly showing the great value of the Institution. If it should excite the wealthy in our churches to contribute more largely to its funds, and thus enable the Committee to extend its labours, they will sincerely rejoice. The statement is given with a hope that this will be the effect. Let the example furnished by the efforts of the poor (for they are mostly poor) on the station above referred to, be imitated in a fair proportion by others who are intrusted with a larger

measure of this world's wealth, and the Committee will not have to deplore, as at present they have, the insufficiency of their funds to meet the pressing necessities of the Society.

IRISH EVANGELICAL SOCIETY. THE Committee, on reviewing the transactions of the past year, see much to encourage them, though there are some things which still excite their deepest anxiety. When the land, at the beginning of 1847, and during the first half of the year, was famine-stricken, and multitudes were reduced to the most appalling state of destitution and misery, the churches generously contributed to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. The distribution of the fund intrusted to the Committee, has awakened a feeling in the minds of the people highly favourable to the operations of the Society. The agents universally receive a welcome in their visits to the poor. "I feel pleasure," writes one," in being able to state, that our congregation in the town is still on the increase. Our being able to supply the poor with relief so long, has made a great impression in our favour on the minds of some of the more respectable classes as well as the poor. There is not a day I pass through the streets that I do not receive the blessing of the people. They say it was God who sent us among them; for without the aid we rendered many of them would have died through want. We have free access to the Roman Catholics whom we have relieved. Many of them say that the priests have no religion at all, for they would have left the poor to starve. Latterly, some of them begin to attend our preaching in the town; and as there is nothing controversial in our addresses calculated to excite prejudice, but a simple statement of the truth of the gospel, I hope our labours will be made a blessing to them."

me.

Another writes to the following effect:-"I was well received; both among Roman Catholics and Protestants. The former are very willing to be instructed, and lament very much their ignorance of the Scriptures, and many of them desire to be supplied with copies of the New Testament. On Monday I went to a place called and visited seventeen families, all of them Roman Catholics but one. A man by the name of -, felt unwilling to part with He was greatly pleased with all he heard, and said the priests had kept them long in darkness, and would not allow them to read the Scriptures. He requested I would get him a Testament, which, he said, the priests should never get from him. The prejudices of the people generally against reading the Scriptures are greatly broken down. They perceive that Protestants are their best friends; and now, instead of treating the Missionary rudely, or shutting the door against him, as they have heretofore been accustomed to do, they receive him with the greatest delight, and listen to his message with deep interest and attention." The feeling thus described is general, especially in the more Catholic portions of the country. The Committee are, therefore, anxious to meet the rising desire for instruction, and to send an increased number of well-qualified agents to every part of the land. They believe that such a willingness to listen to evangelical instruction has

never before been displayed. The Committee would fain hope that the British churches, which displayed such a noble generosity in mitigating the temporal sufferings of the people, will be, at least, equally zealous in ministering to their spiritual necessities.

If by this state of feeling among the people the Committee are encouraged, the insufficient amount of contributions adequately to meet it, excites their anxious solicitude. The simultaneous collections for British Missions have been considerably more productive than last year, which is the more satisfactory when the pressure of commercial distress is considered. Still, however, the proportion received by this Society is considerably less than the unavoidable expenditure for the year. By the incorporation of the Missionary operations of the Congregational Union of Ireland with this Society, a considerable augmentation of outlay is incurred. It will require an income of, at least, £4,000 to meet the present expenditure, to say nothing of those extended efforts which are so loudly called for by the present condition of the country. It is the uncertainty of obtaining this which awakens the deep anxiety of the Committee. must be an enlarged scale of contributions, or it is impossible the Society can continue its labours. Will the friends of Ireland consent that the number of agents and scale of operations should be lessened, now that the opportunity for greatly increasing them occurs? The Committee are unwilling to believe this; and would, therefore, still cherish the expectation that this statement of the facts of the case will secure that increase of income, which will allay their fears, and encourage them to persevere in their

course.

There

COLONIAL MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

THE REV. J. C. Gallaway arrived safely in his native land on the 17th of December, 1847, his family having preceded him in a previous vessel. Mr. Gallaway, while in England, will avail himself of every opportunity to advocate the cause of Missions to the Colonies; and, in particular, to make statements respecting the hopeful prospects of Congregational Missions in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Much advantage to this most important cause is anticipated from Mr. Gallaway's appeals and representations.

The Rev. F. Tomkins, A.M., reached Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, after a rough voyage to Halifax, and a fatiguing journey thence across the province to his station, on the 9th of December; having assisted, while in Halifax, with Mr. Gallaway and Mr. Markland, in holding a public meeting to expound and advocate Congregational principles. Mr. Tomkins also spent a Sunday and preached at Weymouth, on his way from Halifax to Yarmouth; and opened his permanent ministry there on Lord's-day, the 12th of December, amidst a cordial welcome of his friends, with much encouragement and hope.

Mr. Gallaway will hardly be persuaded to return unless accompanied by a minister for Halifax; and the opening in that city is of the very first importance and promise. But what shall the Committee do with the arrears of former years unpaid, and increasing expenditure in prospect?