have been useful, I have had many excellent coadjutors. In fact, it may be said, and I frankly acknowledge it, that in scarcely any instance have I been the original proposer of the several useful schemes in which I have assisted. With regard to the origin of Sunday-schools, I was urged to that by a very excellent friend of mine, Mr. T. B. Bailey, who at that time filled the situation of chairman of the quarter-sessions in Lancaster, and was also chairman of the Warrington Academy, at which I was educated. In one of this gentleman's charges to a jury, and almost immediately after the establishment of Sunday-schools by Mr. Raikes, he recommended their formation throughout the populous manufacturing district over which he presided. He afterwards sent me a copy of the charge, and a letter, urging me to establish a school in this town. These I communicated to several of my young friends, of both sexes, belonging to the congregation with which I have had the happiness to be so long connected; and in December 1784, was opened, under their superintendence, the first Sunday-school that had been formed in this neighbourhood: and I have had the gratification to see, that since that time, they have been very successfully adopted by persons of every denomination, and become the source of great religious and moral improvement. With respect to the Literary and Philosophical Society, also, it originated, as I have stated before in an address upon the opening of the present building, in a club then held in the town, of which Mr. Sorsbie, Mr. Cramlington, and several other influential gentlemen, were members; and after a good deal of conversation, I was desired to put upon paper the circumstances and particular views to which the discussion gave rise, and that statement, on being circulated, was certainly the cause of the meeting to which the Literary Society owes its origin; but in this respect, it must be observed, I had little more to do than with the winding, or what may be called the employing the pen of a ready writer, to put down the suggestions of other highly respected individuals. As to the commencement of the Royal Jubilee School, all of you are aware, that when our late venerable monarch attained the 50th year of his reign, the whole nation was desirous of congratulating him upon the event, by showing every mark of respect and loyalty in their power. Among the rest, it was proposed that the inhabitants of this town should testify their affection by a general illumination. It was at that time I was met in the street by Mr. Hadwin Bragg, a most respectable member of the Society of Friends, who said, 'Is there no way to put a stop to this? During other illuminations, for victories and such like, our known detestation of war has procured us some degree of respect, and we have never been subject to annoyance for not illuminating on such grounds. But though we are equally desirous with any other class to evince our loyalty and reverence to the king, we shall be particularly liable to attack, if, through principle, we decline lighting our houses on such an occasion.' He then proposed, that as His Majesty had lately granted an interview to Joseph Lancaster, and expressed his wish that every poor child in the kingdom might be able to read the Bible, I should

endeavour to make this the occasion of doing something towards effecting that object. Soon after, a very worthy friend who was then engaged in the Russian trade, said to me, concerning the proposed illumination, that in this time of war, tallow being extremely dear, it would be a pity to see it wasted in that way. It immediately struck me, that by putting the commercial and the religious consideration together, I might draw out a petition to the corporation which would have some effect. I then waited upon my friend, Mr. Smith, the late Vicar, and we set to work and drew up a petition, which we got engrossed, and presented it in due form. The members of the corporation were so much pleased with the idea, that they immediately discouraged the illumination, and requested the principal inhabitants to go about from house to house, and solicit subscriptions to the amount each family intended to lay out in candles-many of them, especially the Quakers, giving much more, and the corporation devoting 300 guineas to the object. Thus, instead of a momentary glare, and a wasteful, troublesome mode, not unattended with risk, of expressing our attachment, we have a noble building, calculated to bear lasting testimony to the excellence of the good old king's wish-May every poor child in the kingdom be able to read the Bible.' Not long after this, M. Sismondi, the French traveller, came through this town with his family, and I took them to see the school. They were much gratified, and earnestly attended to the whole routine of discipline; and when the last boy had left the school, Mad. Sismondi turned to me, and said, But, Sir, these boys will want wives, and they ought to have wives whom they need not be ashamed of. You should also establish a school for girls.' I went to the next committee meeting, and related the story, when an excellent friend, always ready to encourage good designs, immediately laid down a check for £100, and sufficient money was presently raised to build a girls' school, by which, with the boys' institution, the town possesses the means of educating from seven to eight hundred children. In noticing Infant Schools, I must confess that there is a branch of history connected with them, which comes a little nearer home to me. Mr. Owen, the proprietor of the Lanark mills, whose notions, if sometimes visionary, were at all times benevolent, having accompanied myself and another, who, whilst health and strength permitted, was very constant in her attendance, to the schools, and after he had expressed his pleasure, was there addressed by my female friend to this effect:- But, Sir, these children bring bad habits with them, which we cannot get rid of. I wish we could find out some way to get them at an earlier age, before they acquire these habits, and I am certain that we should make more of them.' Mr. Owen immediately offered, with that warmth of benevolence which so eminently belonged to him, that he would be at the yearly expense of fifty pounds, if she would commence a school for their particular instruction. She answered, that it was entirely out of her line; but the idea had not been lost, for as soon as he got back to Lanark, he established an infant school, from which Mr. Buchanan, the master, was shortly afterwards brought

to London, by the present Lord Chancellor, and they established the first infant schools at Westminster, from which have originated all the infant schools in England. I have now only to thank you for the patience with which you have listened to the garrulity of threescore and ten, and beg to drink to all your good healths." Mr. Turner sat down amidst great applause.

John Brandling, Esq. immediately rose and said, he felt extremely anxious to propose a repetition of the toast. He had never listened to a more modest discourse, or to a greater attempt to deprive true merit of its just reward, than the address Mr. Turner had just delivered. It was true, that the rev. gentleman might not, in many instances, have originated the institutions which their learned Chairman had adverted to; but he (Mr. B.) was confident that, unless his talent, time, and energy had been bestowed upon them, however they might have originated in the minds of others, they would never have arisen to their present degree of utility, nor given to the town that importance which their establishment had so signally conferred upon it. He did not know-and he was proud to say it-any one individual who had, in so quiet, sensible, and rational a way, done so much to form a good and honest people. He should not detain the company longer; but, to show that they were all of one mind, and unconvinced by the speech of his rev. friend that he did not pos→ sess the merits which only his modesty disclaimed, he proposed that they should once more drink the health of the Rev. William Turner, with three times three. This was accordingly done, "one cheer more" being given at the request of the Chairman; and Mr. Turner briefly returned thanks.

THE people of Cork, as our readers already know, led the way in the exposure and reprobation of the anomalies and exactions of the misnamed "Church of Ireland." They have begun the year 1832 well, by issuing a " Declaration for the voluntary support of Religion. It has already received the signatures of individuals of various religious denominations; Episcopalians, Catholics, and Dissenters, uniting in the protest against a Government Religion, the supporting Christianity by legislative taxation, and, above all, repudiating the monstrous idea, that a sect opposed to the feelings and principles of a vast majority of the people, should be maintained in luxury and splendour, by the forced contributions of an unwilling and impoverished country. These we deem to be truly Christian principles. If that declaration be followed up in Cork and elsewhere, by a practical imitation of the admirable conduct of the Society of Friends, in relation to Church Taxation-if all who consider Church Establishments as antichristian, would suffer their goods and chattels to be distrained for payment of tithes, and rates, and Easter dues, rather than be in any way accessory to countenancing the unholy monopoly-if a determination not to purchase such goods, were also formed, and that he who violated that determination, should be regarded as a foe to the liberties of conscience and of man-then might we speedily bid farewell to the unseemly sight of a Church

without a people; and the revolting scenes of a tithe-exacting hierarchy, and a peasantry resisting even unto blood, would give place to one combined effort to raise the moral and intellectual condition of a long oppressed and cruelly neglected land. The following is the declaration:

"We, the undersigned Parishioners of the Parish of Christ Church, in the City of Cork, thinking it both our duty and interest, voluntarily to support our own several Churches, desire to be unaided, and uninterfered with, by Government; and also declare, that no man should be compelled to contribute to religious purposes, under which denomination Tithes, Church Rates, and Minister's Money are now imposed on the People of Ireland, which system we protest against, as impolitic, unjust, and antichristian. "We consider constrained Taxes for Religion 'impolitic,' because Religion itself is charged with the iniquity attending the levy of Church Taxes, and men are offered the perfect law of liberty' associated with the tyranny of Church Rate Collectors' and Tithe Proctors, which, as far as bad laws can, make Christianity burdensome and grievous to the people.

"We consider constrained Taxes for Religion unnecessary, because whatever ignorant slanderers, or interested Tax-devourers may allege to the contrary, men, if not unreasonably burdened otherwise, will cheerfully maintain the religion of their choice, in sufficient affluence for the purposes of utility. History shows that mankind, savage and civilized, in heathen and in Christian lands, have always, when permitted to act freely, voluntarily yielded to a working priesthood a respectable competency. The accumulations of ecclesiastical property in former times, were principally the result of free-will offerings; but the fact which is of most consequence in a practical point of view, is the religious affluence of the Republic of America, which proves beyond question, that the multiplication of churches and clergy, and all the aids of Religion, are most liberally promoted by leaving the people to their own unembarrassed exertions.

"Having shown, that constrained Taxes, even for a National Religion, are inexpedient, it is manifest, that an impost for the religious expenditure of a favourite sect, is, though legal, grossly unjust. These taxes, levied without the consent of the people, arbitrarily place a very small minority in the uncontrolled enjoyment and use of the property of the majority of the nation.

"Even the Sovereign has, perhaps, now, but a nominal title to dictate in matters of religious faith and practice; consequently, it is an odious infraction of civil and religious liberty-of every man's right of conscience and property-to compel him to support a Church he disapproves. Episcopalians of the Church of England would feel it an intolerable grievance to be compelled to support a Roman Catholic Hierarchy, or a Protestant Dissenting Ministry; neither can the Congregations of these Teachers be justly coerced to support the State religion.

"The evils which enforced taxation, under a colour of religious 'ways and means,' inflicts on the prosperity of the commonwealth, are too numerous for this Declaration to comprise; consequently,

we conclude by declaring, that Tithes and Church-Rates are not justified by the Christian Religion; and it is quite apparent, that Minister's Money and the sectarian part of the Church-Rates will speedily produce in towns the same ill will and excitement which Tithes have brought about in the country. Constraining one man to support another man's religion, must provoke sectarian exasperation, and continue to exalt contention and jealousy into hatred and violence, destined to terminate in demoralization and murder.

"We, then, as good Citizens, desirous to adopt and bring about a Christian mode of supporting the Christian Religion, publicly declare our utter reprobation of a money tyranny, which, under the fiction of sustaining Religion, extinguishes every benevolent feeling, and causes the nation to discredit Christianity; instead of, by public virtue, and brotherly kindness, giving glory to God in the highest,' and promoting on earth peace and good will to

men.

In hearing, from time to time, of the "gift of tongues" and the "outpourings of the Spirit," possessed and exemplified by some favoured 'individuals of the congregation, to which the Rev. Edward Irving ministers in London, we have marvelled not a little at the profound silence maintained by "the Oracle" in Scotland. In June 1830, we inserted in the Christian Pioneer (Vol. iv. p. 361-362), a specimen of the "unknown tongue.' Our readers will recollect, that the gift was first exhibited at Port-Glasgow, by individuals of the name of Macdonald, who had formerly been in India; and who, just previously to its reception, had restored their sister and Miss Mary Campbell of Fernicary, to the use of their limbs-in the one case, by personal exhortation, and in the other by addressing a letter to the diseased party. In the mean while, Miss Campbell got married, and removed to Edinburgh; persecutions for heresy hung over the Pastor of the Row, and his final deposition by the Church of Scotland, followed. With the exception of a prayer by the lady, of six hours' duration, delivered the day preceding the meeting of the Synod of Glasgow and Ayr, the public knew not but the power of healing had departed, and that the tongues were voiceless.

In the month of December, they again became audible. Meetings were held on Sunday evenings at Greenock, and Mr. Macdonald of Port-Glasgow, the original possessor of the tongues, conducted the services; crowds attended. In his discourse, the preacher affirmed, that "besides, the ordinary operations of the Holy Spirit upon all who are regenerated, there are some whose strength of faith is rewarded with the communication of extraordinary gifts, of which that of strange tongues is one. There was considerable confusion, on the 4th of December, occasioned by an individual endeavouring to show, that these ideas were irrational and unscriptural. On the 11th, all was peace, save that on that, as well as the preceding Sunday, the ears of the audience were saluted with the sounds of the unknown tongues-sounds described as very euphonious, partaking partly of the liquid softness of the North American Indian dialects, and the more manly energy of the Greek, indeed many parts sounding like one conjugating a Greek verb.

These are melancholy and preposterous perversions of Christianity. And yet no member of the Churches of England and Scotland, no one who holds the common notions of the influences of the Spirit, can, as it seems to us, consistently condemn them. If there be such a thing as an "infallible assurance of faith," if its "inward evidence" be the "testi