Sir,

April 19, 1816.

I hereby give you notice to procure, or cause to be procured, at the hearing of the above cause, at the next General Quarter Sessions to be holden in and for the county of Surrey, a certain notice directed to you, signed Geo. Farquharson, and dated the 10th day of April, 1816; and also the last deed, poll, or writing, entered into between you and the trustees of the chapel, commonly called Surrey Chapel, and any other deed, instrument, or writing in your possession, custody, or power, or which you can come at; and also the last half-yearly settlement of the accounts of the said chapel, as settled between you and the other trustees.

dency principally produced their an- George Farquharson, Appellant; tipathy and inspired their opposition. Parish of Christ Church, Respondent. The exposure of the trust deeds, the developement to vulgar curiosity and to hostile magistrates, of every part of the receipts and expenditure of Dissenting and Methodist congregations, were evils hitherto unknown, and not to be permitted with unresisting acquiescence. Two further attempts, in addition to four previously made, to compel the assessment of Surry Chapel, had been therefore repelled by the Committee at considerable expense, but with continued success. They had again availed themselves of the legal ignorance and professional inaccuracy of these domestic persecutors, who, in April last, for the sixth time, had been again defeated; and although their unworthy efforts would be renewed, the Committee hoped that such antagonists would not even finally prevail. A cheap but able pamphlet, entitled "Religious Freedom in Danger by Parochial Assessments," published on the subject by the Rev. Rowland Hill, and the profits of which he had dedicated towards the reimbursement of the large expenditure of the Committee, it was therefore their duty, from interest as well as from inclination, to recom

mend, and thereby to add their tribute of praise to the plaudits which upon that publication the Evangelical and Eclectic Reviewers, and other enlightened men, had not delayed to bestow."

I heartily concur with that Society in requesting the friends of religious freedom more fully to consider the arguments adduced by Mr. Hill against this oppressive taxation; which, if once saddled upon us, will be a source of perpetual vexation, and to the poorer congregations almost ruinous. One of the abominable evils connected with it will be the exercise of an inquisitorial power to enquire into the income and expenditure of the chapel: a measure odious in itself, and subversive of English Freedom; and that such will be the practice, is already evident by the following notice served upon Surry Chapel:

I am, Sir,

Your obedient Servant,
GEO. FARQUHARSON.

To the Rev Rowland Hill,
one of the trustees of Surrey Chapel.

Such being the dangers with
which we are threatened, I feel it
my duty to call upon all who know
the value of their religious privi-
leges, to resist this invasion of them
stitutional means.
by every legal, peaceable, and con-

Sir,

VINDEX.

WATERING PLACES.

To the Editor.

As the season is now approaching for the annual emigration of genteel professors of religion to some fashionable watering-place, I would, through your medium, present to them a few observations; which, if considered with proper attention, may render their projected visit profitable to themselves, and honourable to religion. I am a constant resident at a place of this description, and have often felt my mind deeply pained in witnessing conformity to the world, and a general relaxation of religious principles among that portion of our

cuously with those of a totally oppo

site character. Yet these are scenes which many professing Christians are not ashamed to visit, where they for the most part spend their evenings; and if they do not themselves enter into the spirit of the follies around them, yet they permit their children thus to be amused at the expence of their virtue."

visitors, who, by their connexions but females of the most correct at home are esteemed pious and morals with their innocent daughconsistent characters. The evils of ters, are brought to mingle promiswhich I complain, and which will fully justify the censure I have pronounced, may be classed under the amusements which professors of Christianity share in common with the most dissipated; their sad and culpable neglect of public worship; and their inexcusable disregard of the just claims of the ministers at whose chapels they attend, where they receive every necessary and even convenient accommodation.

-

The characteristic amusements of watering-places, in which the individuals to whom I allude are not ashamed to participate, are thus forcibly described in a sermon recently published, entitled "The Temptations of a Watering-Place," by Dr. Styles; the whole of which deserves the serious perusal of all who meditate a temporary residence on the sea coast. The writer's condemnation of the stage is well known*; yet he observes,

The charge of neglecting public worship falls heavily on many of our visitors, from whom we ought to hope for very different conduct. They do not indeed entirely omit the performance of this duty, but their Sabbath but too much resembles a Sabbath in France. The forenoon seems to be considered as sufficient for attention to religious duties; and the remainder of the day is spent on the promenade. In the morning our places of worship are crowded to excess; in the afternoon and evening they are left to be occupied by the residents, and those very few occasional hearers, who consider it

as their duty to maintain the consistency of their religious character even by the sea-side, by being Christians abroad as well as at home. The services in the week-day evenings, which are set apart for devotion, with the exception already mentioned, are totally disregarded.

"I would pronounce the Theatre to be far less criminal than those which at a watering place are so The Theatre mightily attractive. does not deprive the fair and honourable tradesinan of his profits by an illegal and grossly immoral traffic; it requires in the audience some portion of intellect, exercises the judgment, and gratifies the taste. It does But however deficient this large not reduce a whole assembly to the level of selfish gamblers or gazing class of persons may be in perform ideots; and however it may deserve ing the duties to which they are censure as a scene which attracts the engaged by their religious profeslicentious and dissolute of both sexes, sion, they yet attend to them sufand where the basest passions of our ficiently to incur an obligation, nature are inflamed, it is, even which they are, in very few inin this respect, less dangerous than stances, willing to discharge. Inthose temples of dissipation where deed, the neglect of the just elaims multitudes of the same description

assemble, not as in places exclusively of ministers officiating at fashionappropriated to them, as at the thea- able watering places by opulent tre, but filling every part, and ob- and respectable visitors, who, as truding into every circle. Here, no often as they attend during a distinction, even in appearance, exists month or six weeks, occupy the between the virtuous and depraved; best pews, certainly deserves to be strongly reprobated. till the beginning of the last season

* See Styles on the Stage; of which work a new edition is just published.

It was not

and if I could, how

my

I am a

that I was accurately informed as to his presence! the fact. Observing, that during five ungrateful, how sinful would be months in the year the chapel where the attempt! That presence has been my solace in affliction, support in difficulty, my defence in danger! why should I wish to escape from it now? stranger, and unknown; but my light is to shine before men.' Let me choose for my companions the righteous, who are the excellent of the earth. Let me enquire what benevolent and religious institutions already exist, that I may forward them to the best of my ability. Can ly established, and thus live to the I not suggest others that may be easi glory of God, and the good of my fellow-creatures? Let me countenance the ministers of Christ; and assist them by my prayers and example, to stem the torrent of abounding iniquity, and, as far as I can, to check the subtle operation of a worldly temper in a situation so full of danger." OBSERVATOR.

I attend was regularly crowded in the forenoon, with persons of the most genteel appearance, and that several carriages were waiting to convey many of them to their respective abodes, I concluded that the minister's salary arising from the subscriptions of visitors alone must be considerable upon enquiry, however, I learned, with pain and astonishment, that ninetenths of these hearers, whose appearance was so splendid, made no sort of remuneration for the accommodation afforded them; that not only the minister but the very pewopeners were neglected; and that the income of the former, so far from enabling him to live independently of other means, in a state of decent comfort, suited to a situation which necessarily subjects him to innumerable claims of hospitality and benevolence, did not exceed the salary of a third or fourth rate clerk in a merchant's counting-house. This may, perhaps reflect on the thoughtlessness or parsimony of the stated congregation; but in a watering-place, where so large a proportion of the attendants on our chapels are those who come down for a short time in the summer, it is at least as severe a reproof on the injustice of visitors.

I do not think I can conclude better than by an extract from the closing address of the sermon which I have already taken the liberty to recommend.

THE SHELL:

an Anecdote.

the sea-side, meditating on the doc-
ST. AUGUSTINE, as he walked by
trine of the Trinity, looking aside,
observed a child pouring the water
of the sea into a shell, which had a
hole in the middle of it. "What,
The child answered, I am putting
are you doing?" said Augustine,
all the sea into this shell.
child indeed! Can a shell, think-
Father replied, "Thou playest the
est thou, comprehend all this sea?"
the child, who would by Reason
And so do you, Sir,' rejoined
comprehend the Trinity.'

The

"The man who fears God, while The child, says the story, vahe sees others idle, worldly, and self-nished; the Father was instructed; ish, will consider how he may active- and he perceived in the end that it Jy be employed in promoting the divine glory. Every place, he will say, was an Angel who gave him this shall be the better for my presence; lesson. 1 will be the same character everywhere, and in all circumstances; I

must act as

Considered as a Fable, the story is useful; and had certain authors read it, they would probably have saved themselves much labour, and their readers much perplexity.

which is a mercy; and though troublesome to man, they are likewise useful in keeping down the number of those animals which are so prolific, that, if unmolested, would soon be a serious nuisance to the

world: such, for example, as rabbits; one pair of which would soon few months ten thousand ; and in a become a thousand; and these in a few months more these would multiply to a prodigious multitude.

Obituary.

DIED suddenly in London, on Sunday, March 24th, Mr. Js. Brett, junior, at the age of 22. He had been ill during the day before his dissolution; but no alarm being excited, his relatives were not sent for till the hour of it had arrived; and none of them reached his lodgings till after it had taken place.

for God, and his life was the incense vigour and perseverance of the efforts of praise. No man with moderate which he made to obtain it. Placed talents in the Christian ministry, per- in a situation of great temptation, haps, ever did more for the cause in he watched and prayed against sin; any neighbourhood, by an orderly and confessed Christ with humility, deportment, unassuming modesty, yet with decision, in the presence of gravity of character, and holiness of those who treated him, on account life, than he did. The man gave of the confession, with contempt weight to his sermons, because his and ridicule. His attendance at the hearers knew him to be what he de- house of God was constant and joyful scribed. He painted from life; and whenever it was in his power; and his pieces were recognized and pro- having found a minister from whose duced effect. labours he derived peculiar advantage, nothing could induce him to leave his ministry, and to wander, like too many in large towns, influenced by the love of novelty, from place to place. The exercises of the closet also he conscientiously observed; and papers have been found by his friends since his decease, which, being kept merely for his own use, he would probably have destroyed if Providence had given him opportu nity, in which he had carefully written down the various features of his religious experience. A deep conviction of his own weakness and sinfulness, led him to look with daily and fervent desire to the grace of God for help in time of need, and to the mercy of God, through the Redeemer, as the only medium of acceptance with him. And though he often laboured under much discouragement, arising from feeling that the law of sin still existed in his members, he continued to strive against it till the end of life, conscious of obtaining progressive success in the important conflict, and anticipating with growing hopes his final victory.

His mourning relatives, while they lament his departure, enjoy the strong consolation, arising from a good hope, that the suddenness of his decease, though it is to them a painful dispensation, having deprived them of all opportunity to be gradually reconciled to a separation from him, and to enjoy the melancholy satis. faction of attending him in his last moments, to alleviate his sufferings, to impart consolation, to hear his dying words, and to close his eyes after they were sealed in death, has not only preserved him from much suffering, which is frequently experienced at the close of life, but heightened to him those rapturous joys which surprise the souls of the righteous, when they find themselves safely landed on the shores of bliss.

Blessed with the advantages of a religious education, he was early the subject of serious impressions. As a son he was dutiful, as a brother affectionate; and both when an apprentice and a journeyman, his faithfulness and diligence in the management of his master's business secured his affectionate regard. But it was not till the last two years of his life that he drank deeply into the spirit of religion, or resigned himself to its prevalent and permanent influence. During that period, his strong sense of the value of salvation was manifested by the earnestness of the desires which he expressed, and the

His removal admonishes his surviving relatives and friends, while they bewail their loss, to raise their affections from earth to Heaven, to follow him as he followed Christ during his residence below, and to prepare to follow him to the Sa viour's glorious presence. His youth renders it an impressive lesson to the young, as it reminds them, that even youth, in all its bloom and vigour, affords no security for the continuance of life; and its suddenness places in an affecting light the unspeakableness of that folly of which they are guilty, who defer repentance till death appears to be near; for in such an hour as we think not, the Son of Man may come.

A. R.