EDUCATION.

THE subject of Education has of late greatly occupied the minds of many of our leading men; and it is to be hoped, that it will not only continue to do so, but that the churches generally will betake themselves to the investigation of the subject, which is one of vital moment to the true interests of the church of God and of our common country. It is a fact, not a little remarkable, that the Prize Essays, and all the other chief Works on Missions, are by Independents; that the Prize Essays, and all the chief Works on Christian Union, are by Independents; that the Prize Essays, and all the chief Works on Education, are by Independents; and that the principal writers in the discussions now going forward are gentlemen connected with the same Body. These are facts which, while they reflect not a little credit on the Congregational Community, trumpettongued proclaim the vast responsibility attaching to such a position among the churches of this great country. But, notwithstanding the advanced position of our Body, it is a fact, that there is considerable diversity of opinion among them relating to Government aid and interference, which it is exceedingly desirable, as quickly and as largely as possible, to reduce, -an object that can be effected only by enlightened, continued, candid discussion, and a comprehensive survey of the Statistics of Education in England. As the matter now stands, if the advocates are to be taken as a fair representation of the Congregational Community, which, however, may be questioned, the majority are against Government interference. On the one side stand the publications of Dr. Hamilton, of Leeds, and Mr. Parsons, of Ebley; the Patriot, the Nonconformist, and the Eclectic, and, at the head of them all, the

Leeds Mercury,-which has brought to bear upon the question an energy, a perseverance, an intelligence, and an eloquence, which, while reflecting the highest credit on itself, serve to dignify the whole Provincial Press. On the other, are Mr. Milner, in his recent work, "The Elevation of the People;" Mr. Swaine, with his "Equity without Compromise; or, Hints for the Construction of a just System of National Education; with Remarks on Dr. Hook's Pamphlet, and the Letters of Edward Baines, Jun., Esq., to Lord John Russell;" the British Quarterly; and Dr. Vaughan, who has also written a series of Letters. To all this must be added the fact, that this difference of judgment obtains in the Educational Committee. What is the inference?

BIBLE EMANCIPATION.

DR. THOMSON has just issued a tract, entitled, "Bible Emancipation; or, the Extraordinary Results of Unfettered Bible Printing: a Review of the last Report of the Board of her Majesty's sole and only Master Printers in Scotland: with Remarks on the immense Saving in the Price of the Scriptures to the British and Foreign Bible Society, to other benevolent Institutions, and to the Community at large. By ADAM THOMSON, D.D., Secretary of the Free Bible Press Company, Coldstream. Published by Geo. L. Thomson and Co., 26, Paternoster-row; and to be had by order of every Bookseller in the United Kingdom." To all who want threepence worth of wonder in the highest walk of human labour, we specially commend this publication. On the subject of increase the Doctor says

"The great increase which has resulted from the abolition of the monopoly,' the Report goes on to state, is placed in a still more imposing

point of view, when we advert to the fact, that the number of Bibles printed under the superintendence of the Scotch Board during the year ending January, 1846, exceeds the total number printed by authority in Great Britain during either of the years 1832, 1833.' What, however, will, perhaps, be thought still more wonderful,and is certainly a more striking proof of the increase of Bible circulation, as resulting from the reduction in price, since the abolition of the monopoly, the number of Bibles printed at Coldstream alone in the year 1845, exceeds by 23,780 the whole number printed during the year 1832 in all England by the Queen's Printers, and both the privileged Universities !*

"But what must be the increase of Bibles printed in England now, when, besides all that were sold by booksellers to individuals, to families, to schools, and to congregations, there were disposed of by the British and Foreign Bible Society alone, during last year, the enormous number of 1,441,651,-viz., from the Depository at home,1,104,787; from Depôts abroad, 336,864, -being 525,840 copies more than in the preceding year!!!—and, I may add, being probably above a million more than in any one year prior to the abolition of the Bible monopoly in Scotland!"

On the subject of price the Author makes the following statement :

"But this matter may be best explained, by taking as instances the two sorts of Bibles particularized in the Report, as those in which, on the sheets merely, there has been a saving in the course of two years of £28,736. These are the 12mo, or School Bible, and the 24mo, or Pocket Bible. Now, the price of the former, according to the best information I could obtain, was at one time 48., bound in sheep; and of the latter, embossed and gilt, 5s. But the School Bible is now sold at 1s. 1 d., being a reduction of about 300 per cent.; and the other is 18, being a reduction of 400 per cent.

This will by some be pronounced an exaggeration; and I shall not therefore found upon it. But it will not, I suppose, be denied by any one, that the reduction since the abolition of the Scotch monopoly in 1839, has been, at the very lowest calculation, at the rate of two-thirds in price. Assuming this to be the fact, although it is far below the mark, let us see what must have been the saving in the British and Foreign Bible Society's issues alone for last year. Here again I admit, that it is impossible to arrive at perfect accuracy, on account of the variety in the sheets, and of the bindings of the books issued. But I shall suppose them to have been chiefly of the cheapest description, say one shilling each, though many would be five times, and some ten times as much. The cost, then, of the entire issues for the year of 1,441,651 copies, at 18., would be £72,082 11s.; and the saving, on the assumption above made, will, of course, be in one year £144,165 2s. But if to the issues of

It appears from the Report that in the year 1832 the numbers printed in Great Britain were 234,420. Deducting from these as printed in Scotland 80,000-that being the average yearly number printed in Scotland for the years 1831-1836 inclusive-there remain as printed in England in 1832 only 154,420, while the number printed last year at Coldstream was 178,200, leaving the difference as above stated.

the British and Foreign Bible Society be added those of all other Bible sellers in England and Wales and those, too, of the Bible Societies and other Bible sellers in Scotland, Ireland, and the Colonies, not to speak of America, where we now send many Bibles of various descriptionsthe saving, I am persuaded, will be more, rather than less, than half a million sterling!"

Such is the beginning. What will the end be? Thanks be to God for what the much honoured writer has already achieved! Europe has resounded, and justly, with the celebration of the glories of Cheap Postage and Cheap Bread; but what are these to Cheap Bibles? The former is the medium of communication between man and man, but the Bible of communion with God! The latter is the means of sustenance to the perishing body; the Bible is the bread of heaven for the nourishment of the immortal soul! We are second to none in our grateful admiration of Rowland Hill and Richard Cobden; but their services are no more to be compared with those of John Childs and Adam Thomson than body with soul, or time with eternity.

SLAVERY.

We wish our introduction of the subject of Slavery, at the present time, to be rightly understood. Our act is wholly unconnected with the meeting recently held at Exeter Hall, to review the proceedings of the Evangelical Alliance. Although repeatedly honoured by a request to share in the business of the said meeting, we preferred to stand alone, and take our own course. We act on grounds entirely independent, while our deed is prompted mainly by the course adopted by the Free Church of Scotland, and the Evangelical Alliance, respectively, with regard to American Slavery. We know little about the new League that called the meeting, and we are not exactly at ease respecting Mr. Garrison. His high qualities, and his heroic course, are not unknown to us, and to these we accord due respect and admiration; but still there were, there are, great difficulties in the way of our comfortable co-operation with him. We attended the meeting aforesaid, in the spirit of candour, to hear and judge for ourselves; and the result, as to Mr. Garrison, was far from favourable. The speeches of Mr. Thompson and Mr. Douglass were all that could have been desired; both were worthy of the occasion, and of themselves. For America, we cannot speak, but we unhesitatingly affirm that, in England, Mr. Garrison will command small sympathy, and few friends, among either the wise or the good. He is not adapted successfully to address an English audience. He seems

to have made the science of offence a special study, and he has, we think, attained to a high proficiency. He repeatedly went out of his way to assail the principles, or, if he chose, the prejudices, of his audience, in a manner from which to us he appears to breathe a spirit of fierce hostility to Evangelical religion, and to cherish a feeling of bitter contempt for its institutions, its ministers, and its professors; and such, we have the fullest reason to believe, are also the characteristics of his party in America. As an illustration of this, we offer the following resolution, lately adopted in New York, at one of their great gatherings, in the Broadway Tabernacle, on the 12th of May last, W. L. Garrison in the chair :

"RESOLVED, That this Society rejoice in the present declining state of American religion, inasmuch as it voluntarily comes forth to baptize and to sanctify Slavery, which Mahommedanism abolishes, and Catholicism condemns; and that it will endeavour to warn the world, particularly the socalled heathen portion of it, against its influence."

"Decline" is the precursor of dissolution. If, then, the "decline" of religion gives joy to "this Society," surely its extinction would excite rapture. The principle, then, of "this Society" is, INFIDELITY! Its meet motto, we infer, is, Let Christianity perish, that the slave may go free! In harmony with this view, "this Society" " will endeavour to warn the world, particularly the so-called heathen portion of it, against the influence" of American religion. We hope this new mission of mercy against Christian missions will commence its labours among the Sandwich

Islands, and make its appeal to the natives there who are now fully able to decide the question.

Is, then, the hope of the slave founded on the extinction of Christianity? Is it come at last to this? Such, at least, is not yet the doctrine for the people of England. Whosoever may constitute this new Anti-Slavery League, it behoves them well to consider their relations with "this Society," of which Mr. Garrison is the head and chief. But we think before this League proceed much further, it ought to stand forth with proofs of its necessity, as new societies are not to be unnecessarily multiplied. It strikes us that our old, tried, trusty British and Foreign AntiSlavery Society is a ready-made institution, sufficient for every purpose connected either with the present or with any future emergency. It is, we doubt not, neither dead, dormant, nor indifferent. Let it then take sword and shield, and once more step forth to the field of conflict in behalf of the oppressed! It deserves, it has the confidence of the empire. It can-will it not?-do essential service to the American slave!

While the American churches, in this matter, are steeped in guilt, the slave there is far from friendless. The American Anti-Slavery Society is a wise, a noble, a powerful, laborious, and efficient confederacy, enjoying the confidence of the mass of the slave's true friends, and meriting that of this country. A body comprising such men as A. and L. Tappan, J. G. Birney, A. A. Phelps, J. Leavitt, H. B. Stanton, G. Smith, W. Goodell, B. Green, J. Kellogg, J. Blanchard, and Dr. Brisbane, requires no certificate.

IN proceeding with our promised philosophical review of the late Convention, we have been unavoidably turned aside in part, for a moment, by the subject of Slavery, which at present particularly presses. We nevertheless lay before our Temperance readers the counsel of a thoroughly practical man, whose character and high position entitle it to special notice:

THE EXPERIENCE AND ADVICE OF A TEETOTALER.

To the Editor of the Christian Witness.

I have read with deep interest your account of the "World's Convention." I regret that circumstances prevented me from participating in the mental and moral feast which was then enjoyed by thousands. Will you permit me to

state, through the medium of your pages, and by way of contributing my mite to the promotion of a good cause, what appears to me to be one obstacle to the success of temperance operations, and also to give my own experience in relation to it.

There are many teetotalers who think that they must have, besides good water, some substitute for spirituous liquors; I mean, that they must drink tea, or coffee, or lemonade, &c., at the periods when they were in the habit of taking ale, or beer, or wine, &c. For instance, after dinner, when others take their glass of wine, they must have their cup of coffee; or, when they are engaged in labour, at the hours when they formerly took their beer, they must now have their tea, or their ginger-beer, or their milk, &c. And there are cases in which they give so much trouble in this way, that their employers, though favourable to the cause of temperance, say they would rather give them beer, as usual, and be done with them. Now these

persons throw a reflection on teetotalism. They sanction the idea that water is not sufficient for a beverage, but that something else is necessary besides it and wholesome food to support the human frame. Now, I am no enemy to tea and coffee; I enjoy them as much as any man, and take them every day, morning and afternoon. But I have found by experience, and I have been a teetotaler for ten years, that good water is the best beverage, and that, as a substitute for fermented drinks in all their variety, there needs no other. I have tried the plan of taking coffee, &c., after dinner, and at other times between meals, and I invariably found that they made me dull and heavy, and impeded digestion, and unfitted for action, or that they caused an unnatural and unhealthy excitement; in short, that pure water is far preferable to them. Now, all I wish is, that every one would fairly try for himself whether or not this is the case. I say

their fellow-men. It is not often that so much interest is thrown into a space of thirty pages. This unpretending narrative presents such an example of the power of personal energy, as, apart from religious missions or horrid war, is nowhere to be found. Monday, July 8th, 1833, on which the first Total Abstinence Mission, composed of Thomas Swindlehurst, Joseph Livesey, James Teare, Jonathan Howarth, Henry Anderton, and Randal Swindlehurst, went forth from Preston to disseminate the New Principle, will be ever memorable in the true history of Moral Reform in England. Of these men each was a host in himself. They believed their doctrines, and were

habit, and the longings of appetite for its accustomed gratification, for the real demands of nature. Let him make the trial, determinately and for a sufficient time, and I am very much mistaken if experience does not confirm what I have now advanced. I have often lamented to see that many temperance men, as they call themselves, are not temperate, but that they merely exchange one form of unnecessary and even pernicious sensual indulgence for another. I am in the habit of rising early, and of working two hours before breakfast, and I find that nothing fits me so effectually for my labour as two or three glasses of cold water next (to use a common expression) my stomach.

Permit me also to say, that I deeply lament to see so many teetotalers slaves to the mean, dirty, and pernicious habit of smoking. I wish, Mr. Editor, you could induce them to take this habit into serious and impartial consideration. I am sure this would be enough to induce them to abandon it. They may rest assured that it operates, in many cases at least, very injuriously as it regards the success of their efforts on behalf of temperance.

We beseech our friends calmly and seriously to ponder this communication of one who is both a faithful and a powerful friend. We very much wish the writer's modesty would have allowed the appendage of his name, which is that of one of the most able, useful, and influential ministers of the Independent Body. It is exceedingly to be desired that men whose years, talents, character, and position, lend force to their example, could muster courage to identify themselves publicly with this great movement.

in their propagation. All honour to such men! The effect of their labours in Preston is thus summed up:

The principle of total abstinence was now thoroughly established in Preston, and no other doctrine was allowed to be advocated at any of the meetings, nor to be published in any of the tracts of the Society; and its effects were visible in the restoration of some of the worst characters in the town, some of whom had been drunkards twenty, thirty, and even forty years, but were now sober, respectable, and useful members of the community, and are to this day consistent advocates of true sobriety. Crime, also, continued to decrease, just in proportion as we attacked vice and immorality, and persuaded the people to abandon strong drink; and, thank God, the naked were clothed, the hungry fed, the public-houses were forsaken by hundreds, and the house of prayer was frequented. Indeed, no mortal can form any idea of the vast amount of physical, moral, and religious good which has been effected by the carrying out of this principle.

The following passage illustrates the character of James Teare, and the rapid progress of the reform:

In the commencement of March, 1836, the teetotal principle had made such rapid progress throughout Lancashire, Yorkshire, and other parts where it had been introduced, that it was thought, by many of its friends, that more than. forty thousand persons had abandoned the use of strong drink, and that some hundreds, if not thousands, had been reclaimed from intemperance. The consequence was, that the Preston advocates were besieged by letters and invitations from all parts of the country, entreating their help and assistance. In the month of March, James Teare came to the conclusión, that he would devote the whole of his time to the promotion of the temperance reformation. This he did from a thorough conviction that it was his duty towards God and his fellow-creatures; and at a meeting of the Committee of the Preston Temperance Society, held in the Temperance Hotel, on Thursday, March 1st, Mr. Joseph Braddock in the chair, "it was unanimously resolved, that Mr. James Teare is a fit and proper person to go out as a temperance

missionary; and we do hereby most cordially approve of his visiting different parts of the kingdom for the purpose of promoting the progress of the temperance cause. Signed, H. BRADLEY, Secretary." James Teare was not sent out by the Committee, or by any other persons; he went entirely on his own responsibility; but still, the Committee were exceedingly anxious that he should go, and gave him the above credential, to show that he had their sanction and good wishes. It was on Monday morning, the 4th April, 1836, that James Teare set out from Preston, as the first teetotal missionary, with the determination, if his life was spared, that he would introduce and establish teetotalism in every county and town in Great Britain. During the first twelve months he established the cause in the following counties: ―viz., Cheshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Montgomeryshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Surrey, Kent, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Middlesex, Sussex, Monmouthshire, Glamorganshire. He also devoted five months out of the twelve to London, and the surrounding country. The following, also, are some of the towns and cities which he visited this year :- Worcester, Chester, Gloucester, Wrexham, Cheltenham, Bristol, Bridgewater, Taunton, Exeter, Devonport, Bath, Southampton, and a great many other large towns and villages, in all of which he established the cause on the total abstinence principle. He succeeded also in introducing teetotalism in Wrexham and Swansea, in North and South Wales. In this year he travelled above eight thousand miles, and held nearly four hundred meetings, most of which he addressed more than two hours, frequently speaking twice in one day, and not unfrequently three times on the sabbath.*

Great success attended this mission, and thousands of all classes of the community were led to abandon strong drink; and not a few of the most degraded of our fellow-men were made sober, and brought to a knowledge of religious truth. It is also gratifying to state, that James Teare's advocacy was the means, in this year, of convincing two eminent literary gentlemen of the importance of the total abstinence principle, both of whom signed the abstinence pledge, and have since powerfully supported the cause,— viz., the Rev. Benjamin Parsons, author of "Anti-Bacchus," &c. &c.; and the Rev. William R. Baker, author of "Intemperance the Curse of Britain," &c. &c. We may here remark, that James Teare has, without intermission, continued to the present time to advocate the good cause, and has visited every county and town in England, besides many towns in Wales and Scotland; having held above four thousand meetings, and travelled nearly one hundred thousand miles.

"Four thousand meetings!" "One

hundred thousand miles!" And all for what? Love to Christ and mankind! Up to this hour he has no one year received from the public more than two-thirds the wages of a first-class

It may be mentioned that James Teare was often invited to preach on the sabbath, by the Independents, Baptists, Wesleyans, and other denominations.

mechanic. He has devoted the toils of fourteen years to the cause, ten of which he has been constantly travelling. James Teare stands foremost and alone among Temperance Advocates,― a most deserving body of men, who are the hardest worked, and the worst requited portion of the whole body of philanthropists. Before he commenced his career, he saved a little by his business; and not only did he give it up, but went forth, so far upon his own charges, as never to make collections, nor to ask for anything towards his expenses; if freely offered, he did not refuse to accept it, but, to a very great extent, he not only had to labour without reward, but with the sacrifice of his own earnings. It is on these grounds, with great satisfaction, we observe an advertisement in the National Temperance Chronicle for August, that a TESTIMONIAL is to be presented to Mr. Teare, and a Committee formed for that purpose. By the success of this appeal we shall test the sense, the spirit, the generosity, the justice of the Teetotal community. The Committee thus states its object: "In the view of so much devotedness to the happiness of his fellow-creatures, and believing that he still purposes to devote his time and the best of his remaining energies to the object which already owes so much to him, the undersigned have deemed it but an act of justice to endeavour to present him with such an amount as will, at least, remunerate him for past services; and, if possible, furnish him with the means of maintaining the conflict against intemperance with that feeling of independence he has hitherto been so laudably desirous of cherishing."

It may be proper to say, that we know not one of the gentlemen who compose the Committee, that we never met Mr. Teare himself till the Convention, where he was the only man with whom we came into strong personal collision, by our emphatic protest against his extreme notions on some points, and that this passing tribute is altogether voluntary and tendered wholly on public grounds. We consider him a highly amiable man,

a most laudable enthusiast in the work of doing good, a great public benefactor, and every way a proper person through whom to honour private worth and official consistency. Whatever dispute we may yet have with him on some of his views, there is none concerning his virtues,-nothing to prevent the shout of a multitudeHEALTH, HAPPINESS, ALL HONOUR JAMES TEARE!

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