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able to trace. It was supplied for seve. ral years by the Rev. WILLIAM RAW LINS, a Presbyterian minister, who preached to the people every alternate sabbath. He died in January 1783; and some time after his decease the keys of the meeting-house were procured by the late Mr. WILSON, under whose patronage the pulpit was occupied by various ministers, particularly by the Rev. THOMAS JONES, afterwards of Oat-hall, Sussex, who was settled in this town and preached here for several years. This place has since been taken down, having been rendered nearly useless, in 1800, by the pious munificence of a native of the town, Mr. JOHN COOPER, of London. That gentleman has erected in Ashburn a new and very neat and commodious chapel, entirely at his own expense, which was opened on the 20th May, 1801. As a further testimony of his affectionate concern for his native place, he has erected a dwelling-house for the minister, and seven alms-houses for poor aged women, all which he has liberally endowed, and vested the property in the hands of the trustees of the late Lady Huntingdon's establishments. The Rev. Mr. START, formerly of Folkstone in Kent, has recently been settled over the congregation which assembles in this place.

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ASHFORD.-Bradwell, Chelmerton, and Hucklow, have been much connected with this place, and united under the same ministry; but as they have separate places of worship, and of late years have had separate pastors, a distinct history of each will be given. Lysons, in his Magna Britannia, Derbyshire, p. 31, says, under Ashford, WILLIAM BAGSHAW, the Nonconformist divine, who was called the apostle of the Peak, established a meeting house at this place, which was supplied by a minister from Hucklow. It is still in existence and has of late been occupied by various sects." The historical importance of this curious sample of British Topography will be duely estimated when we have concluded this article. It appears by Calamy, (vol. 2, p 197,) that Mr. WILLIAM BAGSHAW was born in this county in January, 1628, where he studied successfully till his entry into the University of Cambridge, and gave proofs of a pious turn of mind in early life; and that, after entering into the church and performing the duties of a curate and assistant, he was ordained at Chesterfield January 1, 1650, and a few years afterwards settled at Glossop in this county, from the pulpit of which parish he was ejected in 1662. His conduct while he held his church preferment is thus described: .. He went

about among his people doing good, and God was with him. He kept back nothing that was profitable for them, but taught them publicly, and from house to house. He laid hold of all opportu nities to awaken, instruct, and comfort them. Observing people to be more than ordinarily affected with funeral sermons, he very willingly preached on such occasions, even when he had no prospect of being in any way gratified for it. His administration of the sacraments, especially that of the Lord's Supper, was with great solemnity and care. As he would not admit the grossly ignorant and notoriously profane to that sacred feast, so he durst not exclude those in whom he saw any thing of the image of Christ, though they were of different sentiments from him in lesser matters of religion, and had been avèrse to that way of church government, which he believed most agreeable to the rules of the Gospel. He was very diligent in fulfilling his ministry, and his carriage towards his people was with such humility, meckness, inoffensiveness, and undissembled affection, as gained him universal esteem. "After his ejectment, he retired to a neighbouring parish, and lived there upon his

own estate, a conscientious nonconformist, reluctant to engage in disputation, and attending worship in the parish church with his family; but in this course he felt it impossible long to continue, and began to preach privately in his own house, and occasionally elsewhere on the evening of the Lord'sday, till the indulgence in 1672, when he recommenced a public ministry in Hucklow Glossop, Ashford, and other places; having for his carliest asssistants and fellow-labourers, Mr. PORTER and Mr. JOSEPH MORE. Although Mr. Bagshaw does not appear to have suffered imprisonment, he did not altogether escape persecution by informations, which interrupted his proceedings, and compelled him occasionally to retire into other parts of the county. He lived to see and to rejoice in the complete establishment of religious liberty in England, and survived not only the downfall of ecclesiastical tyranny, but the Prince, by whose agency that great event was brought about. Calamy says, that his last sermon was preached on the 22d March, 1701, on Romans viii. 31. "He had but a little before received the news of King William's death, and would have studied a new sermon for that occasion, but wanted strength for it;" he nevertheless surprised his hearers, by the life and spirit which he displayed in the delivery of the discourse. He died in April 1702, in the bosom of his mournful hearers,

solemnly declaring his satisfaction in his nonconformity, and blessing God, "who had kept him from acting against his conscience in those affairs."

66 Having lived an eminently holy and useful life, he had the favour of an easy death, and was buried in Chapel-le-Frith; and his funeral sermon was preached by

Mr. J. Ashe, from Heb. xiii. 7. which sermon, with Mr. Bagshaw's life and character, has been since printed, and to which and Calamy's account of ejected ministers, we refer such of our readers as are desirous of obtaining further information respecting this venerable man. He published a considerable

number of sermons and tracts under the following titles-"Living Water,"

1653.

A Sermon of Christ's Purchase, being his Confession of Faith at his Ordination ;" "Rules for Behaviour," &c; "The Ready Way to Prevent Sin," 1671; "The Ministers' Monitor," 1675; "The Sinner in Sorrow ;"" Brief Directions for the Improvement of Infant Baptism," 1678;

The Riches of Grace,” 1685; “Trading Spiritualized;"" De Spiritualibus Pecci," 1702; and there is a posthumous publication, entitled "Essays on Union to Christ," 1703. Besides which, he left behind him 50 volumes in manuscript.

Of Mr. Bagshaw's assistants, the Rev. Mr. SIDEBOTTOM, a pious young man, who gave promise of great use fulness in future years, resided at Ashford, and probably preached to the congregation fill his decease, on June 30th, 1693. Some time after the death of Mr. Sidebottom, the Rev. JOHN ASHE, an eminent minister, who had been educatad under Mr. Frankland, and was then chaplain to the Lady Sarah Houghton, was called to supply his place at Ashford, and to assist Mr. Bagshaw, whose strength had become unequal to the fatigue of preaching to the several congregations which he had raised. Mr. Ashe generally preached one Lord's day in the month at Huck low or Bradwell, one at Chelmerton, and the other two at Ashford. He was ordained about Midsummer 1695, and continued his labours for several years with unremitting diligence till Mr. Bagshaw's death, after which he ob

tained the assistance of several young ministers. Being blessed with a strong constitution, he was thereby peculiarly fitted for the services which he was called to perform, and to encounter the stormy blasts, and make his way through the deep snows, which fre quently prevail on the roads to those barren places, in this mountainous district, at which he preached. But at length, when his health began to decline, and he became incapable of enduring those fatigues, he resigned the care of the congregations at Hucklow and Bradwell to the Rev. Robt. Kelsall, and confined his own labours chiefly to Ashford, though he still continued to administer the ordinances to his former hearers at the other places. Mr. Ashe died on the 2d of October, 1733, and was succeeded, in the care of the congregation at Ashford, by the Rev. SAMUEL EVATT, who continued there for many years, and who, it is stated, afterwards conformed to the Established Church; but another account contradicts this statement. He was living at Ashford in 1760; but the congregation appears to have been in such a declining state, that when Mr. Kelsall died in 1772, the chapel at Ashford had gone to decay, and the regular service there had been discontinued for a number of years. The Rev. DANIEL GRONOW, however, preached there occasionally, till at length, while Mr. Evans was minister at Hucklow, &c. two generous friends, Samuel Store, sen. Esq. of Meersbrook, near Sheffield, and Robert Newton, Esq. of Norton, nearly rebuilt the chapel, and invested the sum of £300 in the 3 per Cent. Consols, for the benefit of the minister. Mr. EVANS thereupon undertook to preach at Ashford, in conjunction with the other places which he supplied; and some of his successors, previous to 1798, fol. lowed his example. Since that date, the Rev. Naylor, an Unitarian minister, has been settled over the people: but it is not with them now as it was with their ancestors, in the days of Bagshaw and Ashe, because the doctrines preached by those excellent men are now no more heard in this and others of the chapels erected by them. (To be continued in our next.)

II. MISCELLANEOUS.

Moravian Missions. It is with feelings of deep regret, that we have to describe the afflictive dispensation which has visited the once flourishing stations of the Moravian Missionaries, in the Colony of the Cape. Groenekloof, Gnadenthal, and Enon, secured, by their attractive appearance, the applauses of the traveller,

and, by thelr civilizing and evangelizing influence on a race once thought the dregs of humanity, claimed the admiration and the gratitude of the Christian. It has, however, been mysteriously ordained, that these settlements should experience the instability of all sublunary prosperity. In 1819, Enon was

ruined by the Kaffers, and we have now to record the destructive effects of a heavy visitation, of a different kind, on the two other stations. The heavy rains which in 1822 fell in that quarter, caused immense damage, both to the buildings, the cattle, and the produce of the earth. At Gnadenthal, out of forty-eight houses which were materially injured, twenty are absolutely in ruins. Out of 400 head of cattle, one half either perished, or were consumed, within three months. These calamities have thrown the support of the natives entirely on the Missionary funds, and some unexpected and providential receipts have enabled the brethren to furnish them with simple food. " My despondency," writes Brother Hallbeck from Gnadenthal was gone, tears of gratitude to our Saviour filled my eyes, and I promised myself anew, not to suffer myself to be overcome by the suggestions of distrust and despondency; for I saw, is it were, with open eyes, that "the Lord will never leave nor forsake us." A couple of Hottentot women are just busy preparing the dinner, in 9 huge pots, while upwards of 200 women and children, in joyful anticipation of the promised meal, are busy cleaning the water-courses, planting hedges, making new ditches, &c. and I am just hastening to arrange the company and distribute the dinner. You must, therefore, excuse my breaking off rather rather abruptly. I cannot possibly deny myself the satisfaction of being present on this joyful occasion, which reminds me of the scenes when our Sa

viour fed his hungry hearers in a miraculous manner. Never, in all my life, have I felt more honoured, than when

carrying round the sooty pots, and wielding the large wooden ladle." At Groenekloof, cottages were thrown down, gardens swept away, the reservoir filled up with sand, and the gable end of the "beautiful church," destroyed. In this extremity, the Committee of the "London Association in aid of the Missions," have made an appeal to public liberality, and contributions are received by the bankers, &c. whose names are inserted in the advertisement on our cover.

Favourable accounts have been received of the success of the Tartar mission at Sarepta, but if the report be true, that the Emperor of Russia has imposed restrictions on the Missionaries, we can only trust ourselves to say, that we lament his infatuation, both on account of the brethren, the Calmucs, and himself.

New Fund Society.--Our information on the subject of the New Fund Society, appears to have been, to a certain extent, imperfect. The association is intended to act on a more extensive plan, and to distribute relief to a most meritorious and depressed class of individuals-dis

senting ministers with inadequate salaries. The particulars of the scheme are not yet finally arranged, and we hope to be made acquainted with them in time for our February number; and in the mean time we shall only announce that Mr. Procter, of Fleet Street, has accepted the office of Treasurer, and that the Society's office is at No. 24, Paternoster Row, where all communications are to be addressed.

The importance of its contents induces us to give insertion to the following paper. If such be the state of this Metropolis, how loudly does it call on the friends of religion for more strenuous efforts than have yet been made in coun

teraction of the increase of sin and misery.

London.-London, as a Metropolis, now includes the cities of London, Westminster, and Borough of Southwark, which form large towns, closely conand about fifty villages and hamlets, nected with each other, as the vicinity or suburbs of the city. This metropolis is about ten miles in length, and five miles in breadth.

thousand souls.

The population of London is now estimated at one million two hundred It fills a circumference of thirty miles. It has upwards of ten thousand streets, squares, lanes, alleys, and courts. It is covered with more than two hundred thousand buildings. It is divided into nearly two hundred parishes. It contains five thousand public houses, and expends in porter, gin, and dred thousand pounds annually. As to compounds, three millions three hunits wealth, it is the place of transit or deposit by ships, river craft, and land conveyance of property amounting to two hundred millions of pounds every year. The estimated amount of fraudulent insurances in lotteries and gaming per hundred and sixty thousand pounds. The annum, in London, is ten millions four number of unhappy women who are more or less concerned in prostitution, is upwards of fifty thousand, a great part of whom pass into eternity every ten or twelve years. The depredations annually committed in London amount to more than two millions of pounds.

In licensed lottery speculations among servants. If there are one hundred thousand families in London who keep two servants, and each servant averages an expenditure of 25s. a year, there will be half a million of money expended by servants in the lottery alone.

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Above twenty thousand miserable persons, of various classes, rise up every morning without knowing how they shall be supported during the passing day, or where they shall sleep the next night. Ten thousand boys and girls at least are

constantly in training at low public houses and brothels for future depredations. Three thousand persons are annnally committed to prisons, and nearly two thousand of them are afterwards thrown back upon society, ten times worse than when they were apprehended. Upwards of ten thousand servants are constantly out of place, exposed to become thieves or prostitutes. Concerning an immense mass of the population in London, a most experienced and judicious Magistrate for the counties of Middlesex, Surrey, Kent, and Essex,-for the city and liberty of Westminster, and for the liberty of the Tower of London, most solemnly declared, "that they are restrained by no principles whatever of morality or religion, and he has often had occasion to witness the extreme ignorance of the younger part of this class, when called upon to give evidence in judicial proceedings. Of the nature of an oath they had not the least conception, nor even of the existence of a Supreme Being."-Colquhoun on the police.

The origin of crimes in the metropolis, is traced to the ale-houses, theatres, tea gardens, brothels, gaming-houses, receivers, pawnbrokers, apprentices, Jews, fashions, and fairs. Two hundred thousand persons, chiefly servants, and persons of the lower classes, visited Bartholomew fair this year in one week, and about ten thousand pounds were expended there from Monday to Saturday. Greenwich, Peckham, Camberwell, and Edmonton fairs exhibit scenes at which heathens might blush, and entice thonsands of young persons, who, from that period, enter a course of immorality that conducts to infamy, ruin, and everlasting woe. Every day multitudes are passing from London, ignorant and depraved, into an awful eternity by suicide, drowning, burning, and a variety of casualties and natural deaths. In London, during the last four years, Mr. Richard Carlile, Lord Byron, and the Editor of the Examiner, and Mr. Byshe Shelley, and many others, have laboured most assiduously and successfully, to deluge the population with books and tracts on Republicanism, Deism, Atheism, and Materialism. Mr. Carlile boasts, that he has sold more than 20,000 copies of Paine's Age of Reason; and booksellers say, that Lord Byron has scattered thirty thousand copies of Don Juan among the people. Infidelity is rapidly increasing; prosecutions sell the works, and augment the number of Deists exceedingly. Lord Byron and Leigh Hunt at Pisa, with Mr. Carlile at Dorchester, and his active colleagues in London, are powerfully acting on the mass of Metropolitan depravity, avowedly to annihilate Christianity, destroy Monarchy, and give to London

the republicanism and infidelity of Paris in 1793. Few persons are aware of the number of Infidels in the learned professions, who laugh at revelation, and poison domestic circles. To meet this torrent of iniquity, and counteract its influence, experience proves, that our police, our prisons, our hulks, our transportations, and executions, are totally inefficient; notwithstanding we have at least seven thousand persons connected with the various departments of the law in London, independent of prison, police, and parochial officers. Our places of divine worship in the metropolis, English and foreign churches and meetings, do not exceed seven hundred, and the proportion of persons who are accommodated with religious instruction, may be seen from the following statement.

Shoreditch parish fifty-four thousand inhabitants, church and all meetings can accommodate fifteen thousand persons; St. Luke's parish has fifty thousand inhabitants, can scarcely accommodate fourteen thousand persons for divine worship, so that in a population of one hundred and four thousand, only thirty thousand have religious instruction; leaving a seventh part totally destitute. Mary-lebone has one hundred thousand inhabitants, and can accommodate about ten thousand. A brief view of these calcu lations will convince every friend to morality and Christianity, of the absolute necessity of a Metropolitan Evangelical Institution, to communicate religious instruction from house to house, on the popular plan of the Rev. Dr. Chalmers, of Glasgow, in his Christian and Civic Economy of Large Towns. Such a Society, called the London Evangelical, is now formed. Communications to the Provisional Committee, No. 18, Aldermanbury, may be of consequence..

A public meeting of this Society will soon be announced at the City of London Tavern.

The Annual Sermon for the relief of the necessitous widows and children of Protestant Dissenting Ministers, will be preached on Wednesday, the 2d of April next, at the Old Jewry Chapel, removed to Jewin Street, in Aldersgate Street, by the Rev. Jenkins Thomas, of Oxford service to begin at 12 at noon precisely. The Subscribers and Friends to the Society will afterwards dine together at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate Street.

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The Rev. John Foster, author of the Essays on a Man's writing Memoirs of Himself," and other subjects, has engaged to deliver a Lecture, at Dr. Ryland's meeting-house, Broadmead, Bristol, on the Wednesday before the second Sabbath, and the Thursday before the fourth Sabbath in each month (July and August excepted), during the present year.

WORKS PREPARING FOR THE PRESS. Preparing for publication by the author of the Wonders of the Vegetable Kingdom Displayed, &c." The Wonders of Conchology displayed, with a description of corals, spunges, &c. in a series of Letters.

The Rav. R. Philip, of Liverpool, inends shortly to publish a volume of sermons for the use of Seamen. The price will be as low as possible.

In the Press, a Sermon on the Doctrines of Grace conducive to eminent Holiness, delivered at Salters' Hall, on Thursday, Dec. 5., at a monthly meeting of ministers, by J. B. Innes.

In the Press, Pulpit Orations, Lectures, and Sermons, delivered in the Caledonian Church, Hatton Garden, by the Rev. Edward Irving, A.M., in one vol. 8vo.

Mr. Audley, of Cambridge, will shortly have ready for the Press, Memoirs of the late Rev. C. Feary, of Bluntisham, Hunts.

The Rev. Alexander Fletcher, has in the Press a volume of Sermons addressed to Children.

The Eventide, being dissertations on the Prophecies of Daniel and St. John, by J. A. Brown, 2 vols, 8vo.

Five Leotures on the Pretensions and Abuses of the Church of Rome, by the Rev. J. Birt, of Manchester.

Dr. Chalmers' Christian and Civic Economy of large Towns; No. 14, On the likeliest means for theabolition of Pauperism in England, will be published in February.

WORKS RECENTLY PUBLISHED. GROWTH IN GRACE--A Sermon preached before the Middlesex and Herts Union of Ministers, by the Rev. John Knight, of Pouder's End.

Memoirs and Remains of the Rev. Jobu Griffin, jun, late minister of Castle strect Chapel, Exeter, by John Griffin, of Portsea. 8vo. 8s. bds.

Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots, by Miss Benger, in 2 vols. 8vo. £1. 4s. bds.

The History of the late War in Spain and Portugal, by Robert Southey, Vol 1. 4to. £2. 10s. bds.

The History of the English Baptists, by the Rev. Joseph Ivimey, vol. 3. 8vo.

148.

A Keep-sake; or, the Sunday-school Teacher's last Gift, by Mrs. W. Č. Bousfield, 3d edition, price 8d.

Dr. Chalmer's Christian and Civic Economy of large Towns. No. 13. price is. Roper's Life of Sir Thomas More, by S. W. Singer. 12mo. 8s.

Burns, (Rev. Willlam) on the Person and Character of Christ. 8vo. 10s. bds. Selections from the British Poets, by N. Bullar, of Southampton. 78. 6d.

The Bible Catechism, arranged in Forty Divisions, with answers in the exact words of Scriptare, by W. F. Lloyd, 18mo.

2s.

Examples of Juvenile Delinquency, no just ground of discouragement to the moral and religious Instructor, by John Clayton, jun. 8vo. 1s.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS, &c.

COMMUNICATIONS have this month been received from The Rev. J. A. James-J. Leifchild-J. Belcher-J. Bulmer-W. Greenwood-J. Anderson-J. Turner-J. B. Innes-C. N. Davies J. Herrick--B. Jeanes.

Also from T. Wood-Teth.-J. Woodford--I. E. R.-D. A. Borrenstein.-J. Mortlock--Astrop.

The highly respected friend, who has adverted to a certain name which appeared in our December list of Correspondents, gives us a desirable opportunity of stating, that we have not the slightest acquaintance with the person in question, and that the commu. nication then acknowledged is the only one we have received from him. In his letter he expressed himself with much liberality of sentiment; and, although professing himself a member of the Establishment, offered us his cordial assistance in the correction and completion of our Statistical department. Should this note, in his present situation, meet his eye, he will, of course, understand that we decline his offer.

Our valued correspondent, A Country Dissenting Minister,' has a very courteous way of conferring a favour. His important paper, with one slight exception, perfectly expresses our own feelings on the subject.

Where did our literal friend find the following various reading of a well known motto, Audi in alterem partem.'

We shall probably feel it expedient to notice the important subject adverted to by Mr. Mortlock. In the present number it was impracticable.

We are indebted to Astrop for many valuable communications, and for his present kind suggestion. We are aware that the stated article to which he alludes would be attractive, but there are weighty objections to the scheme. The other plan it is impossible, for various reasous, to adopt. The Beni Khaibr' will probably appear in our next.

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