racter.

While the minister was

speaking of the sufferings of Christ, the perfection of his atonement, and his capability to save the chief of sinners, the reprobate servant was pierced to the heart, and cried out in the most affecting manner for pardoning mercy and renewing grace.

In a little time after, the good work became more general, until at length all denominations in the neighbourhood caught the flame. The worst of characters were conquered, and scoffers ceased to scoff. Methodists, Baptists, and Independents felt the heavenly flame. The revivals did not stop in that part of the country, but soon appeared in a line from Cilycwm to Lamortyd, and even as far as Builth. Landovery, Landilo, and many other places, were visited in a similar manner. There were also great revivals in Glamorganshire, especially at Cwmllynfell, Neath, Morriston, Mynyddback, and Swansea. Mr. Evans, of Mynyddback, in December last, received above 200 persons to communion. During the last two months, above 600 have been admitted to the fellowship of the Independent church at Morriston, including those on probation. The moral change which has already taken place in the neighbourhood of Swansea and Morriston is truly great. As a friend of mine was returning one evening, about a month back, from Lansamlet to Swansea, he could hear nothing on the road but singing of hymns and repeating portions of Scripture, even by those persons whom he had seen a few Sunday evenings before dancing and rioting. Instead of quarrelling and fighting, as usual, they now return from their work in peace and harmony, congratulating each other on the great things which the Lord hath done for them.

I am not in possession of a correct account of the numbers added to the Baptist and Calvinistic Methodist churches; but you may depend on the correctness of the following list of additions made to the following Independent churches since the commencement of the revival :

The general opinion is, that upwards of 3000 souls have been added to the churches of Christ (including all denominations) in South Wales, within the last year. There is at present, throughout South Wales, a general desire for the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit:_and there are Union Monthly Prayer Meetings in various parts, for the out-pouring of the Spirit, which are numerously attended. Indeed I have no doubt that many ministers and churches, besides those which I have mentioned, do already experience, in some degree, the outpouring of the Spirit. Great additions have been made to many Dissenting churches not mentioned in this letter, in the course of last year; and from the aspect of things throughout the country, we have every reason to hope that God will soon cause revivals to be general in Wales. That you may enjoy much of the Divine presence, and great success in the ministry, in the sincere prayer of,

-

Dear Sir, yours, respectfully, &c.
DAVID PETER.

Carmarthen, Feb. 7, 1829.

CORRESPONDENCE ON THE REGISTRATION OF DISSENTERS' BIRTHS AND BAPTISMS.

South Shields, March 11, 1829. To the Editors.-It afforded me great pleasure to read, in your last number, a letter from that intelligent and liberal Nobleman, Lord Nugent, on the registration of Dissenters' births and baptisms. The subject is of the deepest and most vital importance to Dissenters. It is one which ought to receive the immediate and particular attention of every Dissenter in the kingdom. As some proof that there is already a feeling abroad upon it, the Deputies of six Congregations of Protestant Dissenters in South Shields, unanimously agreed to petition Parliament on this subject: and, consequently, petitions, numerously signed in their respective places of worship, have been forwarded to the Marquis of Cleveland and Lord John Russell, for presentation. The following is part of a correspondence which passed on the subject with Lord J. Russell, to whom we are already obliged beyond expression, who, you will be glad to observe, has been good enough to promise to give it his "best attention," during the present Sessions. I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, Your most obedient Servant, JAMES MATHER.

Copy of a Letter to Lord J. Russell. South Shields, January 28, 1829. "My Lord--I have it in command from

G g

the Protestant Dissenters of South Shields to forward to your Lordship, which I do this day, their Petition, approved by six congregations and their ministers, on the registration of births and baptisms, and in doing so they are most anxious to put your Lordship in possession of their real views on this subject, particularly as your Lordship, in your favour of the 23d November, seems somewhat to have misunderstood them.

"My Lor!, we are most willing, and would receive with gratitude, the law that authorized the registration of births and baptisms in any convenient place in each parish or district. But, unfortunately, we know of no law which recognizes Dissenters' Baptisms as registered in their own places of worship, or which makes provision for their being registered in any other place. As the law now stands, as far as we can learn, and are able to comprehend, Dissenters' Baptisms are not known to the law of England. Judge Bailey has, ex cathedrá, refused to admit them as evidence in the court over which he presided, as not of any legal weight, and as it was matter involving interests of some importance, his was, doubtless, no hasty or ill-advised decision. The general feeling, both amongst Dissenters and members of the English Church, seems also to be in accordance with this opinion of Judge Bailey. And, my Lord, what is infinitely worse, there appears no other legal register in which they can be recorded. An application which I made a short time ago in the name of the Dissenters here to the Incumbent of this Parish, to have their baptisms entered in the Parish register, was met with a decided refusal, on a law passed in the reign of his late Majesty, wherein Dissenters had been entirely overlooked or neglected. And on a reference to that law, 52 Geo. 3. ch. 146. it will be found such refusal was perfectly warranted. So that it will appear to your Lordship, if this statement be correct, which to the best of our knowledge and belief it is, the Dissenters of England, in this matter, are placed altogether without the pale of the law, and they have no reason to be proud of their boasted liberty of worship. "The existence of such a state of things has unfortunately been the frequent cause of much unpleasant altercation, disreputable to a Christian people. Two cases of our own, no very long time back, will give your Lordship an idea of the state of feeling and misunderstanding of which this unsettled question is productive.

"Two children, of different parents,

Protestant Dissenters, had been baptized by their own respectable clergyman; they died, and were taken to the church-yard for interment, but were refused it till the baptismal fees of the Establishment were paid. They were paid—but it produced a disagreeable discussion before the point was conceded, as if even our simple right of baptism, and a strong feeling of excitement, as well as serious alarm at the exposed and humiliating situation of Dissenters, was deeply experienced amongst us in this district.

"My Lord, we humbly submit that such a state of the law ought not to be allowed to exist one Session longer, and we cannot possibly 'conceive that any thing but misapprehension could have allowed its continuance to this late and enlightened period.

"My Lord, should your Lordship be moved to inquire into this subject, we take the liberty, and trust, under the circumstances of the case, an excusable one, of suggesting that the Establishment be not made in each Parish the place of record for Dissenters. It certainly would seem no great hardship or inconvenience for Dissenters to be obliged to make a statement of their baptisms to the Establishment; but, my Lord, it would be an humble acknowledgment of inferiority, which would prevent a great majority of Dissenters' Places of Worship making any return at all. The fault, and its consequences, would, doubtless, to a certain extent, be imputable to themselves; but from this, my Lord, you might well conceive the nature of such objections, when men would be thus willing to submit themselves, and entail upon their offspring, the almost certainty of the most serious evils, rather than acquiesce in such a law.

It would thus be beneficial to no one-few or no Dissenters would register according to it; the Establishment, by it, would raise up to herself angry and no mean opponents. Thus the law would be evaded and despised, and the Dissenters suffer.

"To prove to your Lordship, that we are actuated by no factious or sectarian spirit in this demand for redress, we should be amply satisfied by a law authorizing every church or chapel enjoying the right of baptism, to transmit annually, or at any appointed period, directly to the Registrar of the diocese, by the clergymen, deacon, elders, or any other regular church officer, extracted from their books, and done on parchment, an attested or affirmed copy of the births and baptisms of each particular church or chapel, distinguishing the parish in which it is situated, the names,

and professions, and place of baptism, and residence of the parents, and any other requisite information. And that such copy of Dissenters' registers be considered in every respect a legal document, to be inserted in the records of the registrar of the diocese in a similar manner as those of the Establishment.

"Such a law, we humbly apprehend, would answer every state purpose, and would remove a great and serious inconvenience from a large body of loyal 'subjects. At present the State possesses no returns of Dissenters' births and baptisms, as the law does not only not compel, but absolutely prevents them-Dr. Williams's Library, London, being understood as the only place of legal record for Dissenters, of whom nine-tenths, I am convinced, do not ever think to avail themselves. We trust then, my Lord, that for the advantage of the State, and the relief of a great and increasing portion of the community, that this matter will obtain the honour of your Lordship's

attention.

"Dissenters owe your Lordship and the House of Russell obligations of the deepest and most lasting nature; but there are none of them, my Lord, would be more gratefully remembered than the unshackling of the valuable right of their worship, and bringing them and their property within the pale and protection of the law.

"With an apology for having inflicted so tedious a communication upon your Lordship, which nothing but such a subject, addressed to such a quarter, could have produced or justified, I have the honour to remain, with sentiments of profound respect,

(Signed)

"My Lord,

"Your Lordship's most obliged "and humble servant, "JAMES MATHER, "Secretary to the Protestant Dissenters of South Shields."

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON DIVINITY

are

LECTURE.

We are happy to learn, that lectures

now delivered in connexion with this liberal and useful Institution, on Natural and Christian Theology. This plan is a part of the design, which, as we are informed in the prospectus, was early formed for the religious instruction of the students, and its execution has devolved on the Rev. Mr. Dale, the Professor of the English language and literature. These lectures are expressly designed for the benefit of those students, who are of the persuasion of the Church of England, though not to the exclusion of those of other denominations--all students being allowed to attend them gratis; and we are gratified to say, that we believe all may attend them, not only with advantage, but with pleasure, who have been educated in any of those sections of the world of professed Christians, where the grand fundamental truths, which constitute Christianity, what it is, are received. It will give satisfaction to those of our readers, who are anxious for the prosperity of this Institution, and who are at the same time attached to those doctrines which, as revealed by an all-wise Being, cannot but be of the most awful moment to mankind, to find the following language in the prospectus: "It will be demonstrated, by the combined evidence of personal and recorded experience, that man is uniformly a fallen and degenerate being; and consequently unable to render that perfect obedience which is imperatively demanded by the essential and inseparable perfection of a Divine law. Hence will be appropriately deduced the necessity for a mediatorial system, as developed in the Scriptures."

We have before recorded our humble opinion, that the plan on which the University of London is founded, is the only one which, in the present state of the world, with regard to religion, can reasonably be adopted. We repeat, according to our former sentiment, that we should truly rejoice to see all the Institutions of literature and science, and all the schemes of business engaged in universally under the distinct auspices of that religion, which so justly demands the consecration of every talent, and the employment of every means, to the glory of its great Author. But in order to this, it would not even be sufficient, that the whole of society were christianized, and that every form and species of infidelity were to cease- more would be required far more--every individual

must be a disciple of Christianity, or to use the plain language of the Gospel, all must be renewed in the spirit of their minds. Learning and commerce, though lawful in themselves are only secular things; and it will demand all the newcreating power of a millennial state of the world, to inspire them generally with the living soul of Christian piety.

We have before declared, and it is a sentiment which breathes throughout all our pages, and must approve itself to every unprejudiced mind, that religion is, and must ever be a voluntary thing. Every merely secular inducement; every human law binding to the profession of any form of it, is nothing more than a bounty on hypocrisy. All-important as religion is to the weal of mankind, both in this life, and the life to come, it can never be the object of compulsion. Mere moral actions and duties, may and ought to be, within certain limits enforced by human authority, and they are so in all well-regulated communities; but religious sentiments must be left to other influences. We cannot be suspected, after what we have said, of being supposed to imply, that we connive at that laxity of thinking, and that disaffection to the authority of God, which makes the theory of religion to be a matter of little or no account, provided the outward conduct be correct. We recoil, with an aversion bordering on horror, from all those systems, by whatever name they are called, which are tinged with the hue of infidelity; because we honestly believe infidelity in all its shades, from absolute theism to the more plausible form of Unitarianism, to be nothing less than a contravention of the purposes of the Most High; the puny attempt of human folly and impiety to dictate to infinite and unsearchable wisdom; and to prescribe to the Governor of the universe, the laws by which he shall treat with his frail and fallen creatures, and the limits of power and wisdom to which his manifestations of himself are to be confined, in order to accommodate themselves to the pride and folly of human wisdom; but persecution and proscription will never cure the moral disorders of man, nor convince his understanding of those truths which all mere human authority does but rob of their power and sacredness.

Should our pages meet the eye of any of the students, who are Dissenters, we cordially recommend them, if possible, to avail themselves of the privilege of attending these lectures, which is so liberally extended to them; especially as the plan for religious instruction is at present only partially developed.

We subjoin the following extracts from the Prospectus:

"The Theological Lectures on this foundation constitute a part only of that plan, which was originally formed for the religious instruction of students of the Established Church, and which experienced such prompt and liberal support from the noble and distinguished individuals, whose names are subjoined. Circumstances having unfortunately precluded, for the present, the complete execution of the proposed scheme, it has been considered expedient to modify the character and the subjects of the lectures, with a view of supplying, as far as practicable, the unexpected and important deficiency.

"The foundation of all religion is the being of a God. The first part of the course will accordingly be devoted to the direct proof of the existence of the Deity, combined with an exposition of his attributes; and connected with an application of the whole to man, as the creature of his power and the subject of his moral government. This division will include a comprehensive view of the principal arguments for the immortality of the soul, in which the objections of Atheists and Materialists will be incidentally noticed and refuted.

"An inquiry into the moral character of mankind will immediately succeed this consideration of the Divine attributes. It will be demonstrated, by the combined evidence of personal and recorded experience, that man is uniformly a fallen and degenerate being; and, consequently, unable to render that perfect obedience which is imperatively demanded by the essential and inseparable perfection of a divine law. Hence will be appropriately deduced the necessity for a mediatorial system, as developed in the Scriptures.

"The attention of the class will next be directed exclusively to revealed, as distinguished from natural, religion. The divine origin of the Old and New Testaments will be established successively by internal and external evidence; and the course will be terminated by a few lectures on the end and object of the Christian revelation; its compatibility with the character of the Deity, and its adaptation to the circumstances and condition of mankind. Here also the principal objections to these Doctrines will be reviewed and answered.

"It has been observed that these lectures form a part only of the objects which were originally contemplated in the plan of theological and religious instruction. A plan, however, is now in preparation, and will probably ere long

be submiited to the public, by which it is hoped that this great object (rendered by existng circumstances peculiarly desirable) may yet be carried into effect upon a more extended scale, and with fairer prospects of permanent efficiency.

"In the mean time temporary accommodation has been procured at No. 62, Gower Street, where the lectures will be delivered for the present session. Tickets of admission to the course, £1. 1s. each, may be had of Mr. Taylor, Upper Gower Street. As however it is the leading feature of the plan to provide religious instruction for all who may be anxious to avail themselves of the opportunity thus afforded, the Lecturer notifies that any student of the University may be supplied with a free admission on application to him, either personally or by letter."

The crowded state of our columns compels us to defer those extracts from the Report of the Council of the University, presented to the late Annual Meeting of Proprietors, but they shall appear in our next.

PETITIONS OF DISSENTERS ON ROMAN CATHOLIC AFFAIRS.

We have already avowed our intention not to make this Magazine a party in the distracting controversy which now agitates the Empire. As faithful journalists of matters interesting to the great body of Protestant Dissenters, we cannot, however, avoid referring to some events of the past month, not to justify or censure the respective parties, but to put the matter in the light of truth and justice.

Two petitions to Parliament have been already announced in our former numbers, sent by two bodies of Dissenters of the metropolis, in favour of the Roman Catholic claims.

It may be necessary to state, in a few words, how these bodies are constituted, as very incorrect opinions of them have been conveyed to members of Parliament, and through them to the public at large.

The body of Dissenting Ministers of the three denominations, Presbyterian, Independent, and Baptist, meeting at Red Cross Street, has been organized for more than a century, and enjoys the privilege of addressing his Majesty the King. In is constituted by a return made at its annual meeting, in April, of all those ordained and accredited ministers who have been recognized by their own denomination, and admitted formally during the year, to the body with which they belong; and thus, by their acknow

ledged relation either to the Presbyterian, Independent, or Baptist boards, secures them the privilege of uniting in the deliberations of the General Body at Red Cross Street.

The second body referred to is the Protestant Dissenting Deputies, for the several congregations of Protestant Dissenters, in and within twelve miles of London. This is a luy delegation, and usually includes the most intelligent and influential members of the congregation they are called to represent. Any Dissenting congregation is at liberty to address the Secretary, requesting to appoint deputies, which application is answered by the copy of a formal return for that purpose. At present there are 99 congregations so represented. The Petition of the body of Ministers has been represented as "from Socinians," or, Ministers, who, like briefless Barristers, are without congregations."

66

As we have not published this document, we now insert it.

The Petition of the undersigned, the Protestant Dissenting Ministers of the three denominations, residing in and about the Cities of London and Westminster,

"Humbly sheweth,-That the Petithe Supreme Ruler, by whom kings tioners are thankful to the providence of reign and princes decree justice, for the tant Dissenters of Great Britain by the signal benefit conferred upon the Proteslate repeal of so much of the Corporation tal Test. and Test Acts, as imposed the Sacramen

"That deeply impressed with a sense of the importance of this measure to the interests of true religion, and the peace and prosperity of the kingdom, your Petitioners cannot refrain from expressing to your Honourable House their earnest desire of the repeal of all the remaining Statutes that attach civil disabilities to religious opinions.

"That at the present crisis, your Petitioners feel it to be their duty to declare their loyal confidence and conciliatory spirit of your Honourable House, and of his Majesty's Government.

"And that your Petitioners entreat your Honourable House to take into your early consideration such measures as may unite all the subjects of the realm in the enjoyment of equal religious liberty.

"And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.

F. A. Cox, LL.D. Chairman. Thomas Rees, LL.D. Secretary. Robert Aspland. Ben. Mardon, M.A. John Scott Porter. A. Barclay, LL.D.