learn to write twenty-six letters, does it follow that they could have learned to write forty, some of them much more complicated than those now in use? As much to the purpose would have been the great fact that 30,000 persons visited the British Museum on Easter Monday. Again

IV. "It is a fact, that in consequence of the great difficulty shewn to exist in learning to read and spell, England and Wales with their sixteen millions (how many more?) of people, contain nearly eight millions unable to write their name, and not less than five millions unable to read their mother tongue."

Then there are eight men able to read for every five who can write their own names. So much for the insurmountable difficulty of learning to read under the present system. The Phonetic mania does not surely contemplate any alteration in the proper names of individuals? Mr. Smythe is not, we presume, to become Mr. Smith; or the numerous family of Johnstones, Johnstons, or Johnsons, to merge into so many Jonsuns? If so, we shall indeed have confusion worse confounded; and if not, what on earth can Phonography have to do with writing one's own name? All the world knows that a man's signature is a mere conventional mark, or system of marks, upon paper; and it is a singular fact, and one sadly unfortunate for our Phonetic friends, that the highly-educated almost invariably sign their names less legibly than the middle or lower classes. The plainness, therefore, of a man's autograph is little or no criterion of civilization or refinement. And now for the fifth and last fact

V."It is a fact that by means of the Phonetic alphabet persons may be taught to read all books printed phonetically with mechanical correctness, both as to pronunciation and accentuation, in a very short space of time, varying according to the intelligence of the learner, from one day to three months."

This reminds one of the new royal roads to Language, so widely advertized in the present day. "French in comparatively no time." "Italian at one sitting." But it is an exparte statement after all. It should be first shewn that similar proficiency is unattainable by the old method. One manifest

disadvantage attaches to the new system-the books, must be printed phonetically; and as ages will probably elapse before we have many that are worth reading in this type, if we except the "Bibul" and "Wotsez himz," we had rather not wait the full development of this theory.

We are firm friends to Truth and Progress, but we like to see them travelling together. Phonography has " some good thing" in it; and we wish it success so far as it is practically useful. When however it arrogates such claims as are put forth in the following paragraph, we are compelled to limit our aspirations, and to ask for it no more haste than good speed :"Phonetic printing comes before the public as of national importance as the vital question of civilization. Shall the masses be educated? If they are not educated, we must sink into barbarism. They cannot be educated till they have been taught to read; and we assert it advisedly, after much thought on the subject, after studying many reports, and looking over much statistics-the masses which compose the population of England can never be taught to read, and can therefore never be educated, until phonetic spelling is adopted!"

HOW IT SPREADS.

Doddridge was first instructed in holiness by the tiles about the fire-side of his mother's chimney. His work, entitled, “The Rise and Progress of Religion" was the means of converting a man whom we shall ever honor-Wilberforce.

Wilberforce wrote his "Practical View," and that was the means of turning another man into the way of God who was going into the ministry, and that was Legh Richmond.

Legh Richmond wrote "The Dairyman's Daughter,”—and we know that has been the means of converting hundreds.

Enquiries and Correspondence.

Matthew xii. 30, and Mark ix. 40.

DEAR SIR, Would you oblige me by reconciling these two passages, Matt. xii. 30,

"He that is not with me is against me; and

he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." And Mark ix. 40. "For he that is not against us, is on our part."

Yours truly,

J. J. B. E.

The latter text is in no way affected by the former. John had complained to Christ that he saw one casting out devils in His name, and had forbidden him. Jesus reproves him for his littleness in supposing that the disciples were to monopolize the privilege of confessing His power and godhead, which this man had virtually done. "No man which shall do a miracle in my name," says he, "can lightly speak evil of me."

This miracle-worker, therefore, was with Jesus-not against him, as is evident both from his own conduct, and the inevitable inference from our Saviour's remark: "Forbid him not, for he that is not against us, is on our part."

HISTORY OF THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY,
(From the Christian Spectator.)

I will just notice the circumstances that led to the formation of this Religious Tract Society. Mr. Burder, when living as the Independent minister of Lancaster, felt the great importance of calling the attention of the whole town to the great truths of the gospel, and he therefore wrote a tract with which most of you are perfectly acquainted, entitled, "The Good Old Way." He printed that tract at his own expense, and sent a copy to every family throughout the town. Now this plan was exceedingly novel in those days, and therefore created considerable excitement. There were some persons who thought it a very impertinent thing for a man to dare to send to every family a religious publication, which was called a methodistical tract. A reply appeared to this tract; but who do you think sent it forth? organist of the parish. He wrote a violent, impertinent pamphlet, condemning the act of sending these gospel tracts to every house in the town of Lancaster.

The

There was one singular circumstance which took place, which is not unworthy of notice; the worthy churchwardens of Bolton observed the advertisement of a new tract, entitled "The Good Old Way." Why, they very naturally said there could be no good old way except the way they were pursuing; therefore they ordered a large number of

this tract condemned at Lancaster, to give away at the church-doors at Bolton, to teach the people the good old way in which their fathers had gone.

After the appearance of this tract, Mr. Burder's mind was greatly impressed with the importance of works of this character. Mrs. Hannah More now appeared, and sent out her first little tract, called "William Chipp." At that time she was unknown as a writer of tracts. "William Chipp" was followed by "The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain," and many other beautiful tracts, which produced a powerful impression on the public mind at that time, when the French revolution referred to by the Chairman was raging in all its power. I heard Mr. Burder once say, "I read the tracts of Hannah More with the deepest interest, but with one source of regret, namely, that they did not contain enough of evangelical truth. I thought it highly desirable that tracts containing a correct statement of the gospel should go forth;"-to that particular object the mind of Mr. Burder was directed. He went to his beloved friend Mr. Greathead, they determined to reprint a few village tracts, and six soon made their appearance in London, charged one penny each.

Now I come to the little turning point which led to the formation of this Society. Mr. Burder employed a man in London-I will not mention his name, that would not be quite right: but whatever was the character of the man one thing was quite clear, he was a good tradesman so far as his own interests were concerned. He said to Mr. Burder, "The simple plan of doing business will be this: You shall pay me for paper and all the printing charges, and then, when I sell the tracts, I will give up the money, after charging the commission." Mr. Burder and Mr. Greathead paid all the expenses, and trusted the worthy tradesman; who after he had sold the tracts became a bankrupt, and they lost their money and their labor too.

But it was the bankruptcy of that man that led Mr. Burder to say, "These private efforts will not do, and therefore we must, if possible, have a Society formed for the especial purpose of printing and distributing cheap tracts." Mr. Burder's mind was always dwelling on this point. I believe that some of the greatest works have been accomplished by persevering individuals, who never allowed a good thought to pass from them until they were enabled to carry that thought out in the formation of an important institution. So it was with Mr. Burder. He appeared on the 8th of May-just fifty years ago yesterday-in the vestry-room of Surrey Chapel; the missionary sermon was preached that morning, and before the service began, he requested an interview with that holy, but somewhat eccen

tric, man, the Rev. Rowland Hill. He said, "I have felt very much the importance, for some time past, of the formation of a Society for printing and distributing religious tracts. Have you any objection, sir, to my requesting my brethren to meet me in the school-room at the close of the service?" If we were now to make a request of that kind, before the missionary sermon, it would not be attended to; it would be probably said that the collection would be injured. But in 1799 it was not thought proper to have a collection after the sermon, lest the people should get tired of well-doing. Mr. Hill consented to Mr. Burder's wishes, and he invited the attendance of the ministers from the pulpit: a meeting was held in the school-room after the service. Mr. Burder mentioned his plan.

There were some that thought it was not desirable to take up a new object: "We have a great many things to do now, besides we have come to town for missionary purposes; appoint some other time." I cannot help thinking that the mind of Mr. Burder was especially directed in appointing that "some other time." If he had said, "If spared another year to come to London, then we will talk about it," this Society might not have been formed; but Mr. Burder was promply led to say, "I will appoint to-morrow morning, at seven o'clock." I am quite sure that much good remains undone, because it is not done at the time the suggestion occurs to the mind. There were some that thought seven in the morning very early for a special meeting, for a new object. But they met about thirty holy and devoted men. When the plan of the Society was discussed, Rowland Hill raised a few objections. He said, "1 don't much like the title Religious Tract Society.' Is there not a little cant about it? Let us call it the 'Christian Tract Society.' But the good man was has been ever since, "The

overruled; and the Society was called, as it Religious Tract Society." From that time God, I believe, has been with the Institution. I will now refer to a few statistics. But in talking about a Society that has been laboring fifty years I quite feel the power of Mr. Wells's remark on Friday night, "What can a man say in twenty minntes in reference to a Society that has been laboring fifty years?"

The Committee soon got to work, but they worked very steadily and carefully in those days. I find in the first year they printed thirty-four tracts; the second year twenty-seven; and then the worthy men seemed to be quite worn out with exertion, for in the third year they only printed one tract. Even the leisure which they obtained by printing but one tract did not quite restore their strength, and therefore during the fourth year not a single publication left the