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INTELLIGENCE.

Christian Tract Society.

THE Anniversary of this Society was holden at the Old London Tavern, on March 6th; JAMES ESDAILE, Esq., in the Chair. The Treasurer read his report, from which it appeared that there was a balance in his hands of £52. 16s. 2d.; but the Society was stated to be indebted to its stationers and binder, £76. 108. Od. The Committee's report was then read. The arrangements for a medal to be presented to the Author of the best Tract, in each year, which had been referred to the Committee, were briefly noticed; Mr. Parkes, who had generously offered the dies and the medal, being prepared to lay the medal before the Meeting. When the report was finished, Mr. Parkes laid on the table two medals, one of Silver and the other of Bronze, leaving the Soeiety to make its election. That of Silver was accepted.

The appointment of a Collector, which had also been referred to the Committee, was next adverted to; Mr. Titford, whom the Committee had re-appointed, having

published three new Tracts-"The Father's Treatment of the Lost Son on his Return," by Mr. Wright, and "Family Dialogues, or Sunday well spent," and "The Good Grandmother, or a Visit to my Uncle's," by Mrs. Hughes. Of each of these 2000 copies have been printed, and eight of the former Tracts have been reprinted; making in the whole 22,000. The total of the Tracts published by the be 317,000, of which 278,000 have been Society from its formation was stated to

sent from its store.

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a few months since resigned his office in Balance of the Society's}£328 1 2

consequence of his intention of going to Jamaica. A gentleman was known to the Committee who was willing to accept the office; but as the collectorship to the Unitarian Society, Unitarian Fund, and Unitarian Association was also vacant, the Committee did not recommend the Society to proceed to that gentleman's election; it being thought desirable that the four societies should avail themselves of the services of one Collector. The appointment was therefore again referred to the Committee, who will doubt less give the subscribers the earliest possible notice of their having found a gen

tleman to fill the office.

Some of the Tracts sent to Piedmont in 1820, were reported to have been translated by the pastor Geymet, who speaks of them in terms of high commendation. From the Moravian Tract Society at Zeist, near Utrecht, some of their publications had been received in return for a set of those of the Christian Tract Society; but as yet the Committee were not prepared to make a report of their contents. To France another set has been sent; but it was feared that the recent restrictions laid on the press in that country might operate against their circulation.

During the year the Committee have

ing announcement, that the Rev. JAMES The Report concluded with the gratifyYATES, of Birmingham, had kindly consented to become the Society's Agent for the Midland Counties, and that, with his permission, the Committee had sent down 50 sets of the Tracts, as Mr. Yates anticipated a considerable increase of Subscribers.

Fund Societies becoming Subscribers in Sunday-school and Fellowship the Midland or Northern counties will thus be enabled to procure the Society's Tracts at a comparatively trifling expense for carriage. Mr. Yates has enand to forward their allotments. gaged to receive the names of Subscribers

The following gentlemen were elected into office for the ensuing year:

JAMES ESDAILE, Esq. Treasurer,
Mr. GEORGE SMALLFIELD, Secretary.

This office was accepted conditionally, Mr. S. stating that he was unable to devote to it the time which the interests of the Society required. The Committee are pledged to endeavour to find a successor.

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and there is a clause inserted in the deed, securing the property to the UNITARIAN FUND, should Unitarian worship be discontinued in the Chapel. Of this, however, there is little fear, as the prospect at Port-Glasgow and in its neighbourhood is very encouraging. The morning and

Messrs. C. Lean, C. Richmond and S. evening sermons, delivered by Mr. Harris, Bayley. are published, at the unanimous request of the congregations which heard them delivered.

The Society afterwards dined together; WM. FREND, Esq., in the chair. In the course of the evening the sentiments. given by the chairman called up the following gentlemen-the Rev. R. Aspland, S.. W. Browne, Dr. T. Rees, Mr. R. Taylor, &c. &c. By desire of the Subscribers, the Silver Medal given by Mr. Parkes, was presented by the chairman to Mr. Asplund, requesting him to convey it to Mrs. HUGHES, with expressions of the liveliest gratitude for her numerous and highly useful literary productions, and the most cordial respect of the Subscribers.

On the health of Mr. Parkes, and thanks to him for his handsome donation, being given-that gentleman rose and said, he had two favours to ask of the company, which he trusted they would readily grant him. The first was, that every Subscriber would demand his allotment of Tracts, and endeavour to find means of distributing them; the second, that every Subscriber present would strive to make the Society as extensively known as he possibly could and as it justly

merited.

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THE Subscribers to the Greenock and Port-Glasgow Unitarian Chapel are respectfully informed, that on Sunday, January 20th, 1822, the Chapel built at Port-Glasgow was opened for the worship of Almighty God. Friends were present from Greenock, Glasgow, Paisley and Renfrew. Three Sermons were delivered in the course of the day by the Rev. George Harris, of Liverpool, to deeply attentive audiences. In the afternoon, the Rev. David Rees, of the University of Glasgow, concluded the devotional services; and the Rev. David Logan delivered his acceptance of the pastoral office to the Port-Glasgow Congregation. The chapel is a very neat and commodious building, and there is a house, ultimately intended for the use of the minister of the place, under it. The whole expense will not exceed £500, which will leave but a small debt to be discharged. The buildings are secured to seven trustees, of whom the Rev. George Harris is one,

SIR,

Clapton, March 27, 1822.

I BEG leave to inform the Subscribers which concludes the theological part, will to Dr. Priestley's Works, that Vol. XXI., be ready for delivery at my friend Mr. Eaton's, 187, High-Holborn, on Saturday, April 20th.

I have found, on a late examination, so large a number of the former volumes for which subscribers have not applied, that I cannot but request them to consiposed by such neglect, upon an Editor, der the great pecuniary inconvenience imunavoidably occupied in the literary duties of an undertaking, laborious and unproductive; except of the high gratification afforded by the prospect of accomplishing a favourite, and, as he trusts, no useless project.

I am, however, indebted to many subscribers, for their prompt attention to the notices which I had deemed sufficient, and which have always appeared in your Repository, when any volume was ready for delivery. Of such subscribers, (excepting those with whom I am in correspondence,) I have only to request that they would procure Vol. XXI. from Mr. Eaton, sending at the same time their full address, that I may correct my list, which I have reason to fear is, as to some names and places, very inaccurate.

Subscribers who have not received the whole of the 18 Volumes, now ready for delivery, must request immediately to apply by letter to Mr. Smallfield, Printer, Homerton, Middlesex, mentioning what volumes they have received, and directing where the rest, with Vol. XXI., shall be sent, adding an order for payment in London.

As the Subscribers are generally readers of your work, I trust that these requests will come under the observation and be favoured with the attention of those whom they concern. A very few copies of Dr. Priestley's Works are yet at the service of any who may wish to possess them.

J. T. RUTT.

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Communications (post paid) may be addressed to the Secretary, Mr. H. Taylor, Bold Street, Liverpool.

ON Thursday evening, March 21st, the Meeting-House in Sir Thomas's Buildings, Liverpool, formerly a Catholic Chapel, was opened for Unitarian worship, when a sermon was preached by the Rev. George Harris, explanatory of the doctrines maintained by Unitarian Christians. The place was crowded to excess. The Meeting House is intended for the use of the Society formerly assembling in Great Cross Hall Street, and religious worship will be conducted there on the morning and evening of Sunday, and on Thursday night, commencing with the first Sunday in April.

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On Sunday, April 7th, 1822, the Meeting-House in Moor Lane, Bolton, formerly a Calvinistic Chapel, will be opened for the worship of the One True

God, the Father. Three Sermons will be delivered, those in the morning and evening by the Rev. George Harris; and that in the afternoon by the Rev. W. J. Fox, of London. On Monday the friends and members of this new church will dine together in the Cloth Hall; and in the evening, the Rev. W. J. Fox will preach in the Meeting-House.

THE Friends of the late Rev. HENRY TURNER, of Nottingham, propose to print in 8vo. (price 12s.) a volume of his. Sermons. They request the names of such as propose being subscribers may be forwarded as early as convenient.

FOREIGN.

FRANCE..

WE perceive that in our last, (p. 128,) we stated prematurely that the law restraining the press had passed the two Chambers. The event thus anticipated has since taken place. The discussions in the Chamber of Peers, as well as in that of the Deputies, were very animated: the speech of Prince TALLEYRAND has been much applauded. This disastrous' measure was carried in the upper chamber by only a small majority: it is now, however, the law of France, and will be so as long as the present system of government is suffered to continue.

Tumults have arisen in various parts of France, principally in places of public education; the young men being very reluctant to submit to the yoke of legiti macy.

One great source of discord is the preaching of the Missionaries, that is,` priests who go about carrying the cross, preaching up the old doctrine of passive obedience, fulminating church-censures against those that took a part in or profited by the Revolution, asserting the divine right of tithes, calling back, as far as words avail, feudal times and usages, and in some cases pretending to miracles. Fanatics and impostors as they are, they are countenanced by the government, and on that account, perhaps, more than from any dislike of superstition, they are obnoxious to the people, who have on several occasions opposed their preaching so riotously, that they have been obliged to claim the protection of the military.

Certain state-prosecutions bave brought out very prominently the political feeling" of the French people. Alarmed by this and other demonstrations of disloyalty, the police are very active in their inquisition after heresy and blasphemy. We copy a paragraph on this subject from a paper which we do not often quote, but which we never see without amusement,

the New (or pretended) Times. So ex travagant, and therefore so iunoxious, is this wretched journal, that it rebukes the Courier, (the regular ministerial paper,) for speaking with decency of the Opposition in the Chamber of Deputies, and especially for naming BENJAMIN CONSTANT with respect. CONSTANT is the friend of La Fayette, of Gregoire, of LANJUINAIS, and was the friend (which of itself is a testimonial that might carry him with honour through the civilized world) of the wise and virtuous ROMILLY; but he stands up for the Charter, and not merely for the family of the Bourbons, and therefore the ex-jacobin Dr. STOD DART, points him out as a revolutionary monster, whom the majority of the Chamber would do well to impeach. The paragraph referred to is in the paper of March the 19th, and runs thus: "We perceive from the Paris journals that the police exerts itself with laudable diligence In the seizure of blasphemous and sediti ous publications. A writer named DuPUIS, several years ago wrote a book entitled, De l'Origine de tous les Cultes, which was intended to prove, among other things, that there never was such a person as Jesus Christ. In order to bring the substance of this impious work within the reach of the common people, an abridgment of it has been printed at Paris, which, we are happy to find, was immediately seized, and we trust that the vender, M. CHASSERIAN, will be made an example of,"

PORTUGAL AND SPAIN.

A DISPOSITION to loosen the shackles of Popish authority has been for some time visible in the former country, and that disposition has been much encouraged and strengthened since the establishment of the constitutional system. The office of the Patriarca, or supreme Bishop of Lisbon, has been extinguished. The re spect with which the regular clergy have been regarded by the people is singularly diminished, and even among the peasantry questions as to the utility of the monastic establishments, are sometimes started and answered in a spirit of bold inquiry. During the Lent just over, the Cortes applied to the Pope for a Bull to allow the people to eat flesh. His holi ness refused for some time; but being given very plainly to understand that his refusal would not alter the determination of the national representatives, who were resolved to root out some of the foolish superstitions of the Portuguese, he at last consented. The Bull was received, published, and Lent has been observed without those forms to which folly and igno

rance attached so much importance, and which fraud and cunning made availing for their sinister interests. There are many ecclesiastics in the Portuguese Cortes, but they are generally disposed to support the independence of the Lusitanian church. Ecclesiastical reform has not, however, on the whole, made such rapid progress as in Spain. No church or convent property has been hitherto confiscated. In half a century the religious orders will, however, be extinct by the non-admission of noviciates. In Spain their suppression is much more rapid; as they have been there deprived of much of their revenue, every encouragement has been given to secularization; and many convents have been already alienated where the number of Friars was small, or where a neighbouring convent existed of the same order. Of the most enlightened among the Friars in Spain, a considerable portion have been absolved from their religious vows. The Spanish Cortes have assumed a high tone in their intercourse with the Church of Rome. An annual sum was formerly paid in the shape of tribute to the Holy See. Since the Revolution that sum has been very much diminished, and the Cortes refused to allow any thing unless it were received as a free gift,—not claimed as a recognized right. The Jansenists are becoming stronger in Spain. To that party belonged the leading ecclesiastics of the last Cortes. One religious journal is pub lished at Madrid, called the Cronica Religiosa. Its character is liberal, and its object is to destroy the Papal influence; but involved as all men are in party-politics, it does not seem to excite much interest or obtain much circulation.

The remnants of old intolerance have been but too visible in Spain during the late discussions on the Penal Code; many of whose articles breathe the most furious bigotry. The strongest assurance was given that they would not be permitted to pass; however, they were approved almost without discussion, in spite of a very general conviction of their absurdity and cruelty. "Let us make this cession (they said) to the ignorance of the clergy, as no Spaniard can be affected by it. To us, all the forms of religion are indifferent, and the common people are too sound in their faith to be exposed to the consequences of heretical pravity. The ecclesiastics will allow civil reform to move onward, if we give them enough of church tyranny as the price of their acquiescence!" Thus it is, that fancied wisdom becomes the ally of folly, and that truth itself is made the herald and the handmaid of error.

THE

Monthly Repository.

No. CXCVI.]

APRIL, 1822.

[Vol. XVII.

SIR,

On Church Establishments.

Nottingham, must be supposed to be perfectly conOctober 25, 1821. sistent with the best interests of so

peace

in this respect, than improved, by the interference of human authority. A religion founded upon Divine Revelation, must contain within itself the best possible means of ascertaining and authenticating its real dictates; and the errors into which human weakness and fallibility might fall in regard to it, would be much more effectually corrected by the private exertions of learning and integrity, than by the ostentatious superintendence and controlling direction of the civil power. So that the interference of the civil magistrate is an act of supererogation on his part, since a religion founded on truth is much better qualified to serve him, than he is to serve such a religion. Leave it to the undisturbed exercise of its native energies, and it is sure to advance the peace and good order of society; but interfere with it and restrain it, and its nature suffers a material change; it becomes worldly and intriguing; and the magistrate will soon find himself compelled to purchase at a high rate the supineness and indolence of its ministers, lest their activity should be turned against himself.

RELIGION is so powerful an en-ciety, and is more likely to be, injured gine for moving and governing the human mind, that it is no wonder the statesman has endeavoured to turn it to his purposes, and, under the specious pretence of protection, has assumed the management of its concerns. It might be questioned, indeed, whether he has acted wisely, even as a statesman, in intermeddling with things of such a nature. Had he adhered to the peculiar line of his vocation, that of maintaining the of society, by protecting the equal rights of every citizen, other things might have gone on more to his satisfaction than he is willing to believe. He would probably have been no loser by his moderation and forbearance. He would have executed the useful part which is especially assigned to him with greater skill, from confining his attention to it: and the interests of which he had declined the superintendence, through a wise diffidence of his ability to serve them, would have thriven by their intrinsic importance, and the hold they possess of the desires and affections of mankind. Religion is too firmly established in the human breast to require that it should come recommended and enforced by the enactments of the civil magistrate. And although, on the supposition that all religions were alike fabulous and unsupported, it might be necessary for hun to endeavour to make such a selection as would be most favourable to the peace and good order of society, nothing of this kind can be alleged with regard to Christianity, which, having its origin from God himself,

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If what we have now stated be true, we have, we suspect, decided the question of establishments already; for if it can be proved that a patronised religion is of less value to the statesman than one left to depend upon its native energies, he will no longer be anxious to lend it his support. We shall hear no longer of his wish to subserve the interests of piety and truth: he will no more think of interfering with the concerns of religion than he will trouble himself with the inquiries of the metaphysician or the grammarian.

I am aware that the question is usually argued upon other grounds;

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