Monday, 2nd. Morning, Eleven. WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Annual Meeting, City-Road Chapel. Joseph Butterworth, Esq. M. P. in the Chair. Monday, 2nd. Evening, Half-past Six. GOOD SAMARITAN ITINERANT SOCIETY. Annual Meeting, City of London Tavern. Rev. Alexander Fletcher in the Chair. Monday, 2nd. Evening, Half-past Six. CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Annual Sermon, St. Bride's, Fleet-street, Rev. John Bird Sumner. Tuesday 3rd. Morning, Eleven. Annual Meeting, Freemasons'-Hall, Admiral Lord Gambier in the Chair. Tuesday, 3rd. Evening, Seven. IRISH SOCIETY OF LONDON. Annual Sermon, St. Paul's, Covent Garden, Rev. Fountain Elvin, A. M. Wednesday, 4th. Morning, Eleven. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. Annual Meeting, Freemasons'-Hall. Lord Teignmouth in the Chair. Wednesday, 4th. Evening, Half-past Six. PRAYER BOOK AND HOMILY SOCIETY. Annual Sermon, Christ Church, Newgate-street, Rev. John Kempthorne, B. D. Thursday, 5th. Noon, Twelve. Annual Meeting, Stationers'-Hall, Right Hon. Lord Bexley in the Chair. Thursday, 5th. Noon, Twelve. LONDON FEMALE PENITENTIARY. Annual Meeting, Crown and Anchor Tavern. Thursday, 5th. Evening, Half-past Six. LONDON SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIANITY AMONG THE JEws. Annual Sermon, St. Paul's, Covent Garden, Rev. George Hamilton, M. A. Friday, 6th. Noon, Twelve. Annual Meeting, Freemasons'-Hall. Friday, 6th. Evening, Half-past Six. MORAVIAN MISSION. Annual Sermon, St. Clement's Danes, Rev. William Burrows, M. A. Saturday, 7th. Noon, Twelve. LONDON HIBERNIAN SOCIETY. Annual Meeting, Freemasons'-Hall. H. R. H. Duke of Gloucester in the Chair. Sunday, 8th. Morning, Eleven. GUARDIAN SOCIETY FOR UNFORTUNATE FEMALES. Annual Sermon, St. Mary Woolnoth, Lombard-street, Rev. Thomas Mortimer, M. A. Monday, 9th. Noon, Twelve. BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY. Annual Meeting, Freemasons'-Hall, H. R. H. Duke of Sussex in the Chair. Monday, 9th. Noon, Twelve. PORT OF LONDON SOCIETY. Annual Meeting, City of London Tavern, Admiral Lord Gambier in the Chair. Monday, 9th. Evening, Six. City of London Tavern. LONDON EVANGELICAL SOCIETY. Annual Meeting, Tuesday, 10th. Morning, Six. SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION. Annual Breakfast, City of London Tavern, Joseph Butterworth, Esq. M. P. in the Chair. Tuesday, 10th. Morning, Eleven. PORT OF LONDON SOCIETY. Annual Sermon, on Board the Floating Chapel, Rev. J. Griffin, of Portsea. Afternoon, Three. Rev. Jenkyn Thomas, of Cheltenham. Tuesday, 10th. Noon, Twelve. NAVAL AND MILITARY BIBLE SOCIETY. Annual Meeting, Freemasons'-Hall. Tuesday, 10th. Evening, Six. IRISH EVANGELICAL SOCIETY. Annual Meeting, City of London Tavern, Thomas Walker, Esq. in the Chair. Tuesday, 10th. Evening, Half-past Six. CONTINENTAL SOCIETY. Annual Sermon, St. Ann's, Blackfriars, Rev. Dr. Thorpe. Wednesday, 11th. Morning, Half-past Ten. LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Annual Sermon, Surry Chapel, Rev. Dr. Morrison. Evening, Six. Annual Sermon, Tabernacle, Rev. Dr. Belfrage. Thursday, 12th. Morning, Half-past Ten. Annual Meeting, Great Queen-street Chapel, W. A. Hankey, Esq. in the Chair. Evening, Six. Annual Sermon, Tottenham-court Chapel, Rev. Mr. Hamilton. Friday, 13th. Morning, Six. RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY. City of London Tavern. Joseph Reyner, Esq. in the Chair. Annual Breakfast, Friday, 13th. Morning, Ten. LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Annual Sermon, St. Ann's Blackfriars, Rev. Mr. Williams. Evening, Six. Annual Communion, Sion, Orange-street, Silver-street, and Kennington Chapels. Sermon to Juvenile Auxiliaries, Spafields Chapel, Rev. W. Thorpe. Friday, 13th. Noom, Twelve. AFRICAN INSTITUTION. Annual Meeting, Freemasons'-Hall, H. R. H. Duke of Gloucester in the Chair. Saturday, 14th. Morning, Quarter before Eight. SOCIETY FOR IMPROVING THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF DISSENTING MINISTERS. Annual Meeting, King's Head Tavern, Poultry, W. A. Hankey, Esq. in the Chair. Saturday, 14th. Morning, Eleven. PROTESTANT SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. Annual Meeting, City of London Tavern. Monday, 16th. Evening, Six. HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Annual Sermon, Barbican Chapel, Rev. J. Cooke. Tuesday, 17th. Evening, Six. Annual Meeting, Spa-fields Chapel, Joseph Butterworth, Esq. M. P. in the Chair. Irish Chronicle. THE Committee have been gratified to learn, from a respectable Gentleman, not connected with the Society, who has been lately in Ireland, and who visited some of their Schools, that they are well-conducted, and that the scholars are making great improvement. A satisfactory proof of their utility will be found in the letter of Mr. Wilson, which gives an account of the subscriptions received this year from Gentlemen in Connaught, residing in their immediate vicinity, and who are, there. fore, well able to appreciate the advantages derived from their establishment. The Committee indulge the hope, as the scriptures is the only school-book in these humble seminaries, the promised blessing of the Holy Spirit will be afforded; so that many of the rising generation in our sister country will be emancipated from the bondage of superstition and vice, and become interested in all the privileges and immunities of the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. The journals of the Irish Readers are very interesting. From the Rev. J. Wilson to the Secretaries. Dublin, March 23, 1825. DEAR BRETHREN, You will perceive by this that I am now in Dublin, and have begun collecting our subscriptions in this city. It will be gratifying to you and the Committee to hear, as it gives me great pleasure to state, that our subscriptions in Connaught this year amount to £150, including a donation from the Marquis of Sligo of £5, which is twenty-three pounds more than any former year. And I will here add, that one Gentleman, on handing his guinea to the person I sent, said, that "he paid it more freely than any money he spent within the year, because of the extensive good he was persuaded the Society is doing." You will perceive, by the account of the Schools, that they are recovering from the consequences of the unexampled opposition made against them during the winter; but I have not given, as is usual at this time, the precise number of children belonging to them. For, in fact, it is impossible to give a correct statement, the number being so fluctuating, according to the conduct of those who are so frequently endeavour. ing to annoy them; on one day, fifty children may be found in a school, the next not more than twenty, and on the following there may be sixty or seventy. I shall purposely defer any particular observations relative to the Schools till a future opportunity, but will take care that you shall have them in time for the next Report. From the Rev. W. Thomas to the Secretaries. Newmarket on Fergus, March 18, 1825. Through mercy I have again arrived at home, after a long absence. I have been through a considerable part of the counties of Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, and Galway, having preached in a number of places. Twice at Tomgrany, at Clonmell, Mont Shannon, Moynoe, Tullo, Killaloe, Doonass, Limerick, Ballyorgan, Kilfinan, &c. To mention every particular would be an obtrusion on your time, and might fill a volume. I preached at Kilfinan to about 200 persons on Lord'sday, Feb. 20; and the next morning, before I was up, at seven o'clock there was a person from Ballyorgan, on the borders of the county of Cork, to request me to go there to preach; not being well, and Kilfinan, I feared I should not be able to having that evening to preach again at accomplish it; however, I went off, preached to a house full of people, and returned to Kilfinan, after a walk of seven miles, and preached to a large congregation. I was greatly pleased with the progress of the Sunday school which I established when I resided there. One hundred children were in attendance, whom I examined in the Old and New Testaments, their improvement and answers gave me the greatest satisfaction. The exertions of Mrs. O. are most laudable. She is certainly one of in Limerick on board some ships at the "the excellent of the earth." I preached Quay; there were great crowds, who heard with the greatest attention. Since my last journal, a man of the name of Valantine Thyne, called on me, who said that he took the liberty of coming to see me in consequence of a sermon he had heard me preach at Moy, in the west of the County Clare, last September. I asked him from what I preached; he said, from Gal. vi. 14. God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ," &c. I perfectly recollected it. I asked him, From a School-mistress in the County of LADIES, how he expected to be saved? he replied, life." Many of the children make the "Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." most pleasing answers. I asked him, "If his works would not assist in obtaining his salvation?" he replied, "That works were good in their place, but that they were only the fruits of faith." On enquiring of him how he obtained a living; he said he was a schoolmaster, but that since he had heard me preach he would go no more to mass; the priest had dispersed his school, de prived him of support, and left him and a helpless family to starve. I asked him how many scholars could he get, who would not be influenced by the priest? he said, from twelve to eighteen, who were the children of two or three families in his neighbourhood, who had thrown off popery, that there were no others there. I then asked him if he could read the Irish language? he said he could. I got an Irish Testament and tried him. He read and translated the third chapter of John's Gospel perfectly. He said he had never seen a Bible before he heard me preach, and had only obtained one a fortnight since, and that now he diligent ly read it, I gave him an Irish Bible and some school books and Testaments, desired him to go and teach as many Kilanumery, Jan. 14, 1825. children as possible, to diligently read the Irish scriptures to the people, and endeavour to turn them from darkness to light, and to go forward in the Lord's strength; that I would mention him to the gentlemen of the Committee. I feel great happiness in being able to inform you, that my school (under the superintendence of Mrs. Boland) is doing well, notwithstanding the opposition of our parish priest. I find the number of my pupils still increasing, and acknowledging themselves truly sensible of their obligations to the charitable Ladies, who have taken their bewildered state into consideration. At present the improve ment is tolerable, and, I trust, ere long, that gospel grace will bear its influence upon the mind of every individual in my little seminary, so as to offer their sincere supplication for the prosperity and eternal felicity of every human being con. cerned in our support and welfare. I am, Ladies, The opposition which has been made to the schools has been over-ruled for good, and it will eventually tend to render the triumphs of the cross more glorious. The Lord will make the wrath of man to praise him, and the remainder he will restrain. I trust the Lord will arise and have mercy upon Ireland, and that the time to favour her will come; yea, I hope the set time is come, The Irish readers have been diligent, though greatly oppressed. After an argument which Ryan had with a Roman Catholic, he offered to give Ryan security if he would lend him his Testa ment. I said to Macnamara, a Sabbath Irish reader, and teacher, that if he went on as he did at present, the priest would not come to anoint him when dying; he replied, I will not trouble him, Sir, as I hope to have the benefit of the blood of Jesus. The Schools are increasing, and I hope in a short time will be as nume rous as ever. I questioned one of the females, when she was reading that pas sage in the tenth chapter of John, “I am the door," do you suppose that Jesus is a door, like that? pointing to the schoolroom door;" ;" "No, Sir, she replied; " but he is the way of entrance into eternal With gratitude and respect, From a School-mistress to Mrs. Kitson, MADAM, Riverstown, Jan. 14, 1825. I have the honour to inform you, for the information of the ladies composing the Walworth Lion-street Committee, that the number of females attending their School at Riverstown, of which I have the charge, consist at present of sixtyeight, who attend pretty regularly, viz. and six learning their alphabet. Several Fourteen reading-forty-eight spellingof whom commit the scriptures to memory. The greater part of these girls plers, plain work, and knitting. Some can work, some of them very well. Samof the old scholars attend occasionally, but from not coming regularly, their names have been erased from the list. I have the honour to be, Madam, Your faithful humble servant, MARGARET CONNOR, Governess of the Walworth Lionstreet School, Riverstown. Religious Tract Society. THE Committee of this Society have kindly sent a large supply of Tracts to the Agents of our Society in Ireland; the following is their Address in relation to "The late Discussions in Ireland." January, 1825. The Committee of the Religious Tract Society have not overlooked the increasing activity of the Roman Catholics, and their systematic opposition to the circulation of the Holy Scriptures. Indeed, it would be equally contrary to the prin ciples of their Institution, and the line of conduct it has hitherto pursued, if they should view this contest with silence and indifference. They desire to state, most clearly, that with respect to points of a political or merely controversial nature, they have no intention to interfere; but in the cause of Truth as opposed to error, and with respect "to those Evangelical principles of the Reformation, in which Luther, Calvin, and Cranmer were agreed,' (see the Address of the Committee,) they feel that it would be criminal for them to be silent. Former Committees have frequently referred to the active circulation of Tracts by the Reformers as a pattern and example for themselves to pursue, and in various Reports of the Society, have stated that "they desired to tread in their footsteps." They have considered themselves (see the Report for 1814) "as followers of those illustrious characters, not only in the mode of diffusing knowledge, (by Tracts,) but also in the doctrinal and practical substance of their instruction;" and "they have considered the Luthers, the Melancthons, the Calvins, the Tindals, the Cranmers, the Latimers of a former age, as their patterns in sound doctrine and active exertion." heard from the lips of a votary of infi, delity. The subjoined list points out some Tracts which the Committee consider as time, and if it appears that some of them suitable for circulation at the present have less immediate reference to the differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics than others, they would again observe that they deem it not less im portant to refer to the principles of the Church of Rome than to its proceedings, and that when the mind is, by the divine blessing, grounded in the truths of the gospel, error will not find a place therein; but the plainest Christian will be "ready always to give an answer, to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in him, with meekness and fear." It was thus simple artificers and poor uninstructed females were enabled to stand his associates, and finally triumphed over unmoved before the bloody Bonner and the sophistries and threatenings of their persecutors, The Committee conclude this address by an extract from the Fifteenth Report of the Society, already referred to. In contemplating the means which the Religious Tract Society employs for the universal diffusion of divine truth, your Committee gladly observe, that they in a great measure resemble those which prov ed, under the blessing of God, the instruments of effecting the great work of the Reformation. At that memorable period, not only was the volume of inspiration, after a lapse of many ages, put into the hands of multitudes, who had so tong sat in darkness and the shadow of death; but the venerable confessors of The Committee earnestly call upon all those days also published, and widely to whom scriptural truth is dear, not to be circulated, a variety of short, scriptural, indifferent to this most important subject; and impressive Tracts. Several of these they would exhort that it be not taken up compositions yet remain, as historic proofs as a party or a political matter, but as a of the pious activity of our forefathers; duty incumbent upon every follower of and clearly demonstrate, that much of Christ with a reference to its important the light of the Reformation was diffused influence upon the souls of men. They through the influence of Religious Tract earnestly recommend increased activity distribution. The writings of Fox the in the circulation of those Tracts which Martyrologist, and other cotemporary place the leading truths of the Protestant historians, fully confirm and elucidate religion in a prominent point of view; this statement. One of the Popish comsuch as the atonement, salvation by faith plainants against Protestant zeal, during through Christ alone, and the necessity that eventful struggle for spiritual liberty, of a free circulation and unrestricted perusal of the Holy Scriptures. This last Nos. 23-25-28-29-56-65-67point they would particularly notice as, 74-86-99-101-110-111-115–124 with reference thereto, the church of -125-126-128-130-132-133-141 Rome and the powers of infidelity appear -143-153-158-160-163-164-171 to have united; and the advocates of the -172-174-187-190-193-201-202 see of Rome have not hesitated to adopt -501-524-570. Also a short series of language from which the British public Tracts, now in course of publication, enlately shrunk with horror when it was titled "The Lollards;" and some others. says, "The Gospellers of these days do fill the realm with so many of their noisome little books, that they be like to the swarms of locusts which did infest the land of Egypt."-Your Committee will rejoice in being enabled, through the liberality of the public, to imitate the example of these Gospellers of the Reformation, and to add swarm to swarm of their little books, till they abound in all the regions of the earth. But the Members of the Religious Tract Society have the gratification of knowing that they are followers of those illustrious characters, not only in the mode of diffusing knowledge, but also in the doctrinal and practical substance of their instruction. The firm basis of doctrine and scriptural interpretation on which this Society rest, is that of the great body of the English and foreign Reformers. They can appeal with confidence to the system of truth comprised in "The Harmony of the Confessions of the Reformed Churches," both at home and abroad; to the writings of their most esteemed individuals; and to the avowed principles of the thousands who then burst from the iron yoke of Popish domination. They consider the Luthers, the Melancthons, the Calvins, the Tindals, the Cranmers, the Latimers of a former age, as their patterns in sound doctrine and active exertion. They desire to follow them, as they followed Christ. To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine. DEAR SIR, Having just had occasion to refer to a volume of a contemporary publication for the year 1816, the following lines arrested my attention. They seem calculated to increase an interest in the benighted state of our sister country; if you Lo a spot of land most glorious! J. B. Arm'd with rocks, and girt with sea; Where in triumph reign victorious, Faith, and Law, and Liberty: Happy nation! Still more happy let her be. Britain! 'tis a name enchanting, To all countries far and near; Rich in mercies to the wanting, Blest are all within thy sphere: Truly blessed, Let them be from year to year! Near thee, on the western shores, Who thy gospel-aid implores. Shall she be neglected still? Shall we not henceforth assist her? Yes, we ought, we can, we will: Good Britannia Shall her horn of plenty fill.. Now with warm affection glowing, Moved by her plaintive cries; More and more their ardour growing They assemble,-they devise; The Subscriptions from Lancaster, Kendal, Yeoland, Rochdale, and Bacup, collected by the Rev. Moses Fisher, in October, 1824, have been duly received by the Treasurer, and will be acknowledged, with the names of Subscribers, in the next Annual Report. |