too high-principled to refuse national funds), he wishes to make the system more palatable to them. The Country Squires, and the well known Hebrew novelist, who compose his cabinet, are not likely to check the High Church tendencies of his lordship. Dissenters may therefore look, during his continuance in office, for renewed efforts on the part of the Church party; though they need not, we think, expect, at the present day, direct attacks upon their own liberties. Mr. Disraeli plainly avows that he approves of the present Church-rate system. We cannot think Lord John Russell a loss to Dissenters. His conception of Religious Liberty is bounded by the Repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts. Bishop-making, at home and abroad, was his delight. We can neither forget nor forgive his lampooning the voluntary support of the christian ministry, because he perseveres in the same tone of feeling; nor do we remember with much pleasure his singular inconsistency in making Dr. Hampden (who, however, has turned out a Baptismal Regenerationist) bishop of Hereford, to strengthen the Protestant interest, and his celebrated letter against the Pope's interfering with bishop-making in England, and also his attending the out and out Puseyite performances at St. Barnabas. We think Lord Derby is a gain to Dissenters, in so far as their political prepossessions no longer interfere with opposition to an avowed antagonist.

In the grand and renewed struggle of the resuscitated League with the new Protectionist Cabinet, we feel also a deep interest, and record, with pleasure, that the subscriptions have reached nearly £70,000. Our Associations, most consistently we think, petitioned in favour of Cheap Bread for the poor in the days of the old League; and we hope that christians generally will consider this question as one wholly removed from the sphere of mere party politics.

It is to be hoped that an Election is very near at hand, since the new Cabinet will not pledge themselves to give up their foodtaxing policy; and equally to be hoped, that every christian will feel the duty of returning members to Parliament pledged most sacredly, or rather pledged by their known principles, to maintain the first right of the poor and needy,-namely, to buy his food in the cheapest possible market. Happily, the evidence is overwhelming of the beneficial effects of Free Tr de on the comfort of the working population, and on the incomes of the wealthy also. In Whig and Tory squabbles and party politics we feel no interest whatever, but we do feel deep interest in questions of the kind just mentioned, and could wish all our readers to feel a christian interest in them. Amidst the vehement struggles of parties at Elections, it is, indeed, hard for a christian not to share in some unhallowed forms of excitement; still he must calmly and prayerfully ponder which cause he ought to support, and not neglect the duties of the christian citizen, because others sink the citizen in worldly strife and contention.

Dissenters need not moreover forget, that while Cheap Bread will be necessarily the first watchword in the coming battle, Voluntary Religion ought to be the second. The advocates of the latter, are almost uniformly the advocates of the former. Dissenters ought to have competent men from amongst themselves, to enlighten the government and the country, from the House of Commons. Two or three are there already, and have done good service. We hope Rochdale will honour itself by adding another in the person of Mr. Edward Miall. Mr. John Burnet would be a host. Others might be added. In places where Dissenters enable the liberal party to return two members, how fair it is that one of them should be a Dissenter. The Church Question is the next great question, and in the view of every enlightened christian the greatest question. Freedom for every man to worship God, without being taxed by an arrogant compulsory Church,-freedom to vote without fear or bribery for the representative he prefers, are the two grand practical objects of all enlightened and honest politicians at the present day.

TESTIMONIAL TO THE REV. F. CLowes.

We have great pleasure in inserting the following letters, forwarded to us by the Secretary of the fund. Comment from us would be superfluous, since the letters speak for themselves; and, interested as we must always be in recording similar acts of kindness, our readers are well aware, that we have peculiar reasons for gratitude in the present instance, which preclude all remarks on our part.

To the Rev. F. Clowes.

Dear Brother,

Scarbro', March 9th, 1852.

We have sincere pleasure in now offering for your acceptance the result of the appeal we took the liberty of making on your behalf, when, by one of those afflictive events of Divine Providence which sometimes occur, you were compelled to relinquish the Classical Tutorship of Horton College. Your long and efficient occupancy of that important post, the interest you have always manifested in our Denominational Institutions, and your efforts to advance the happiness and liberties of man, as well as the kind and christian spirit ever manifested by you, prepared us to expect a cordial response to our appeal. With trifling exceptions, this result has arisen from our printed circular. If personal application could have been made by different members of the Committee, the amount, beyond all doubt, would have been more cheering still.

It has been peculiarly gratifying to us to receive, from brethren in different parts of the kingdom, and many of whom fill the most important situations in our body, the expression of their sympathy with our privation, and your distress. Cordially and fully has this been expressed from all quarters.

The distance to which you have been

compelled to remove, as well as the state of your health, have induced us to prefer this quiet way of presentation. To all your friends, a public meeting would have been gratifying; but we feel that a sacrifice on our part was more becoming, than an exposure to danger, by inviting you here at this season of the year.

In begging your acceptance of this expression of public affection (£305 3s. 6d.), we cannot part from you, dear brother, without again conveying to you our best wishes for the speedy restoration of your health, and our earnest prayer that our God and Father would speedily guide you to some important sphere of labour, where your cultivated mind and sanctified intelligence may be brought into full play, and be consecrated, as we feel assured they will, to the enlargement of the empire of holiness and truth.

Signed on behalf of the Committee,
B. EVANS, Secretary.

To the Rev. B. Evans.
Stalham, near Norwich,

My Dear Brother,

March 18th, 1852.

Allow me, through you, to return my most grateful acknowledgments to the Subscribers to the Testimonial, for their exceeding great kindness. Though the amount is so very much larger than I could have conceived the friends of the College and other christian brethren would have thought of raising; and though, in my present uncertain circumstances, the money itself will be a great comfort to me and my family; yet you will readily believe, that the kindness of the effort, the respect and attachment manifested, are by far the most affecting to me. Unable to see in my poor labours the value, which others appear to attach to them, it is no affectation or merely commonplace expression to say, that such kindness as that I have now received at your hands, and as I received a short time ago from the dear brethren now in the ministry, who were educated at Horton during my residence there, quite overpowers me whenever I think of it; and no words would do more than express some part of the gratitude 1 feel.

I am truly thankful to say, in responding to your kind wishes, that my health is very much improved since I left the north, and that I have every hope now of enjoying, in a more suitable climate, sufficient health to engage in some useful employment. It will be, indeed, gratifying to me, should I (though debarred, at least for a time, from public speaking), be guided to some employment in which I could still promote the moral and religious welfare of my fellowmen; especially should our heavenly Father permit me to be of use to that Religious Denomination which, though not insensible to its defects, I cannot but regard as the nearest of all to the Apostolic faith. thorough heartiness of the great body of Baptists in those views of Civil and Religious Liberty, which flow so naturally from their

The

distinguishing tenet, has always been, and will ever be, with me, one ground of strong attachment to it.

I beg to thank you, too, for your kindness in communicating the result of your kind appeal in this quiet mode; much as it would have gratified me to have seen many valued friends, I should prefer doing so at another season of the year, and should have regretted their being requested to meet from distant places for so personal an object.

May the blessing of the Lord still rest upon the College, and upon the cause of Christ in your northern parts. An efficient ministry is, under God, the great strength of our churches, and I trust the College will be yet more largely than ever the means of supplying it.

Believe me, my dear Brother,
Most gratefully and affectionately yours,
FRANCIS CLOWES.

LIQUIDATION OF THE DEBT ON THE BAPTIST
CHAPEL, ROTHERHAM.

We are glad to record the fact, that the debt upon this place of worship has now been entirely liquidated. The edifice cost £1,500. Upwards of £450 remained upon it, when, two years ago, an effort was made by the pastor and members to remove the burden. A bazaar realized £50; upwards of £100 was contributed by the church; and the rest was obtained by the pastor. To commemorate this event, interesting services were held on Lord's-day, March 14th," when sermons were preached by the Revs. A. Raleigh, of Masbro', and C. Larom, of Sheffield; and on Monday, the 15th inst., when a public tea-meeting was held in the chapel. At this meeting, James Yates, Esq. occupied the chair; and addresses were delivered by the Revs. A. Dyson, C. Larom, W. Cathcart, J. Stock, and other friends. As significant of their esteem for his untiring energy in the extinction of the debt, the members and friends presented, by the hands of the oldest deacon, Mr. James Hudson, to the pastor, Dr. Kitto's Cyclopædia of Biblical Literature, and Dr. Carson on Baptism; also, to Mrs. Dyson, a china tea service and tray.

STOCKTON-HEATH, NEAR WARRINGTON.

On the evening of February 3rd, 1852, some friends of the Lord Jesus in this place, having previously been baptized upon a profession of faith, met for the purpose of being formed into a christian society. Mr. Joseph Wilkinson, who has lived among them all his life, and who, for some time, has exercised his talents in preaching with acceptance, was most cordially chosen to be their pastor; and two aged brethren were elected to the deacon's office. The number of friends thus uniting is about thirty, most of whom were formerly members at Hillcliff. After the church had been organized, there was a public meeting held, in which Messrs. J. Wilkinson, the newly-elected pastor, Merridith, Thomas Smith, of Little Leigh, and Simpson Todd, of Rochdale, took part. The proceedings of the evening will long be remembered with pleasure.