services; and it is hoped the engagements of the day, which were most delightful and encouraging, will leave a permanent and beneficial impression.

Recently, the Rev. James P. T. Lazarus was solemnly ordained as pastor of the Independent church at Horbury, near Wakefield, Yorkshire. Such was the interest excited on the occasion, that the Independent Chapel was considered too small to accommodate the numbers present, on which account the congregation assembled in the Wesleyan Chapel, kindly lent for that purpose. There was a large attendance of ministers, who, along with friends from a distance, were most hospitably entertained at the mansion of George Foster, Esq. In the morning service, the Rev. W. Lamb of Wakefield, read the Scriptures and prayed. The Rev. J. H. Cooke, of Gomersal, delivered a lucid discourse on the nature of a Christian church. The Rev. T. Roome, of Silcoats, proposed the questions to the candidate for ordination. The Rev. J. Scott, of Cleckheaton, offered the ordination prayer, accompanied with the laying on of hands of the brethren present. The Rev. J. H. Weeks, of Dewsbury, concluded the service with prayer.

The answers given by Mr. Lazarus, awakened much emotion. Few cheeks were dry during his relation of the way by which the God of his fathers led him to renounce the Jewish religion, and to embrace the Messiah. The confession of faith was characterised by great simplicity and clearness.

In the evening the congregation was still more numerous than in the morning. The Rev. S. Sowerby read and prayed; after which, the Rev. J. Bruce, of Howden, delivered an appropriate and faithful charge to the minister. The Rev. J. D. Lor raine, of Wakefield, preached the sermon to the people, in the course of which, special reference was made to the Puseyism at present rampant in the immediate neighbourhood; whilst the people were judiciously counselled to beware of its insidious and delusive spirit. The Rev. B. Firth, of Wike, concluded the solemn and refreshing services of the day with prayer.

Mr. Richard Henry Smith, from Highbury College, has accepted a unanimous invitation from the church and congregation at Brading, Isle of Wight.

Mr. P. H. Davison, late of Rotherham College, has accepted an unanimous invitation from the retiring pastor, (Rev. D. Clark,) and the church and congregation assembling for Divine worship at the Independent Chapel, Dronfield, Derbyshire. On Wednesday, December 18, 1844, the Rev. A. E. Lord was ordained to the pastoral office, over the recently-formed Congregational church worshipping in the Circular Chapel, Hersham, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. The Rev. B. H. Kluht, of Twickenham, commenced by reading and prayer. The Rev. J. Matheson, D.D., of London, lucidly stated the nature of a Christian church. The Rev. J. Churchill, late of Ditton, asked the usual questions. The Rev. E. Miller, of Chiswick, offered up the ordination prayer, which was accompanied with the imposition of hands. The Rev. J. Edwards, of Kingston, delivered a very impressive charge, from 1 Timothy iv. 6, to minister and people. The Rev. S. Schofield concluded by prayer. In the evening a special service was held for devotion. The Rev. Messrs. Schofield and Kluht delivered addresses; and the Rev. Messrs. Anderson, West, Newbery, Stevens, and Lord, assisted in the services. The church, which is the fruit of Home Missionary labour, was formed on the 21st October last, the Rev. J. Edwards presiding: twenty-two persons united themselves together to compose the church. Mr. Lord, the Home Missionary Society's agent, was elected to the pastorate, by the unanimous consent of the church; and Mr. Bartholomew was unanimously elected to the office of a deacon. May God smile upon the infant church and its officers, and add to them many souls, who shall be saved in the day of the Lord!

The Rev. S. Hillyard, late of Runcorn, has accepted a very cordial and unanimous

invitation from the church and congregation assembling at the Old Independent Chapel, Bedworth, Warwickshire, and will, D. v., enter upon his stated labours the first Lord's-day in March.

NEW CHAPELS.-ISLE OF ANGLESEA. The following six new chapels have been erected and opened for Divine worship, in the island of Anglesea, in connexion with the Independents, in the course of the last two years,-Bodgadfa, under the care of the Rev. W. Jones, Amlwch; Ialwrn, under the pastoral care of Rev. H. Rees, Pentraeth; Llangefrie, under the care of Rev. D. Davies; Glanyrafon, Llanfair, and Brynsiencyn, by the united efforts of the ministers of the county.

THE WYCLIFFE SOCIETY.

We are happy to announce the issue of the first volume of this important Society, which consists of The Tracts and Treatises of John de Wycliffe, D.D. With Selections and Translations from his manuscripts and Latin works. With an Introductory Memoir, by Dr. Vaughan." It is in every respect an encouraging commencement. A volume of the treatises of the Rev. David Clarkson, B.D. sometime fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge, the tutor of Archbishop Tillotson, and the successor of Dr. John Owen, is at press; and will be followed by a volume of the pieces of the admirable John Robinson, the father of Congregationalism in New England. These will be given by the Committee for the first year's subscription; and the second year's subscription will not be called for till Clarkson's volume has been delivered. We venture to express a hope, that now the Society is fairly at work, many of the members of the Congregational Union who have not yet subscribed, will forward their names to the Secretaries without delay.

EXTINCTION OF THE DEBT ON DUCIE CHAPEL, MANCHESTER. About the year 1838 the Rev. E. H. Nolan, at that time in the service of the Irish Evangelical Society, was induced by a few zealous friends at Manchester to undertake a mission in a low and neglected part of that populous town, mainly inhabited by the lower orders of the Irish residents. A building that had been used as a cholera hospital, situated in a dark and dirty street in George's Road, was obtained, and temporary accommodation secured. He commenced his labours there without knowing one person who would attend upon him, but God prospered the effort; many of his poor countrymen listened, other friends gathered round, a Sabbathschool was opened, a church formed, a town missionary employed, and at length a new chapel was built, capable of holding 1000 persons, and with 300 sittings for the poor. This chaste and beautiful structure, one of the best in Manchester, cost with the site nearly £6000. After very liberal efforts there remained a debt of £1400 unpaid. It was resolved at the close of last year to blot it out, and on the evening of the first of January, 1845, a meeting was held in the school-room beneath the chapel, to celebrate its extinction. Charles Hindley, Esq., M.P. presided, and was supported by Alderman Kershaw, Alderman Burd, Alderman William Burd, George Hadfield, Esq., Joseph Thompson, Esq.; about 500 friends were present. Dr. Nolan delivered a highly interesting address, from which it appears that on that spot a complete apparatus of evangelical benevolence has been constructed. The church has 140 members, there are 500 children in the Sabbath-schools, there is a Christian

Instruction Association, that last year paid 2100 visits to the poor, and they have also a Working Men's Benefit Club that has enrolled in two years 2700 members, and has funded £300.

Most cordially do we congratulate our esteemed brother Dr. Nolan upon these results. May they provoke our churches in large towns, but especially in the metropolis, to multiply such efforts! Our dispensation, as a people, is pre-eminently adapted to the towns and cities of our country. God grant that we may not delay to fulfil it, till a free and independent church of Christ is founded wherever the population may require the boon!

EXTINCTION OF CHAPEL DEBTS AT LEEDS.

The Congregational churches in this important town are well known for their intelligence, public spirit, and cordial fellowship in the Gospel. They have just accomplished a task that is highly creditable to their liberality, and which we trust will provoke many other churches to "go and do likewise."

Belgrave Chapel, occupied by the church under the pastoral care of Dr. Hamilton, was erected in 1836, at a cost, for building and site, of £5500. East Parade Chapel was erected in 1841, by the church over which Mr. Ely presides, at a cost in land, edifice, furniture, and interest, of £15,000. On both of these places of worship there were heavy debts, as well as upon Queen-street Chapel, Rev. Thomas Scales', and Salem Chapel. A noble spirit of zeal has been excited amongst these churches, this spring, so that within six weeks they have extinguished the whole amount of debt, exceeding £10,000; as under

Truly a happy instance of the power of the voluntary principle when heartily applied!

OPENING OF THE ROBY DAY AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS, MANCHESTER.

The church and congregation assembling at Grosvenor-street Chapel, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Richard Fletcher, have most cordially entered into the education movement of the Congregational Union, and have just completed a fine new building in the grave-yard behind their chapel, and over the tomb of the venerated William Roby, who might almost be denominated the father of Independency in Manchester.

The Roby Day and Sunday Schools are erected in the Elizabethan style of architecture. The front wall is supported upon a range of nine ornamental arches, and the back wall on iron pillars and beams, so as to avoid any interference with the graves below. The one pair is approached by two staircases (one on either side) for the boys and girls, and consists of a lofty library and a school-room, capable of accommodating about 400 children; it is fitted up with neat oak desks and forms. Besides the library and school-room, there are two class-rooms on this floor. The

upper story consists of two class-rooms, over those beneath, and one large and lofty room extending over the area of the library and school-room, on the one pair, being about 90 feet long by 36 feet wide. Particular attention has been paid to the ventilation of the rooms, by means of shafts or flues communicating ultimately with the external air, and the plan adopted has given general satisfaction.

The general effect of the building may be seen by this elevation :

A public tea meeting was held in the principal room on Tuesday evening, January 28th, when they were formally opened. The Rev. Richard Fletcher presided, and was supported by a large assembly of the influential ministers and lay brethren of the town and neighbourhood. He read a brief historical memoir on the progress of popular education in our country, and especially in the town of Manchester, which was listened to with great interest, and loudly applauded. Mr. Lewis Williams, in the place of Mr. Samuel Fletcher, the chairman of the committee, who was prevented by indisposition from making the statement, reported as to the cost, &c. of the edifice, which with the internal fittings, the library, and infant-school, would not exceed £2,700. Another school in Ashey Lane is projected, at an estimated cost of £1,400. The Roby schools have accommodation for about 200 children in the infant-school, for nearly 1000 in the day-school, and for about the same number in the Sunday-schools and classes. They propose to charge for the education to be given, twopence a-week for infants, and fourpence for day scholars; the course of instruction being in reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, history, drawing, sewing, and many other not only useful but ornamental sorts of education. The plan of education was that of the British and Foreign School Society, and they have already engaged teachers to whom they will pay salaries of at least £160 a-year. For the purpose of testing the progress of the children, class-rooms are to be prepared, into which the visitors may at any time draft classes from the school for examination. A large portion of the lower room is partitioned off for a library-a library which is to be of no mean extent, and to render it as available as possible, it will be fitted up with seats, fires, and lights, to induce the young people to come and read.

We cordially rejoice in these efficient movements, and trust that they will be attended with large success.

BRIEF NOTES ON PASSING EVENTS.

Now that the busy period of the year has come, it is not easy to do justice to the many topics which crowd upon the attention of the public.

The news from INDIA by the overland mail is satisfactory, as peace generally prevails throughout the peninsula. The new Governor-General, Sir Henry Hardinge, is strenuously promoting the cause of education, and general enlightenment of the people, and is working out plain common-sense improvements in all directions. The activity of the Jesuit missionaries in almost every part of India is great; their energies unfailing; and it is said that their influence is rapidly extending throughout the country. Their rise has been very rapid; and as there are amongst them men of high ability and good character, so their efforts cannot fail to be very dangerous to our Protestant missions.

The Congress of the UNITED STATES of America is in session, and the House of Representatives has been occupied with six or seven different schemes for the annexation of Texas, and for the upholding and extending slavery in the South, thereby. The parties who covet this prize are, however, so happily divided amongst themselves, that there is good ground to hope that the guilty and infamous project will not be consummated, at least not during their present session. The emissaries of Rome are most active everywhere. Thirteen colleges are now under the charge of Catholics with about 1300 students. Their efforts are chiefly in the Western States, for they well know that whoever controls the Western States, will eventually sway the destinies of that great republic.

Throughout EUROPE the same elements of disquietude and change are in action. The Romish clergy throughout SPAIN denounce from the pulpit the sales of church lands, that were effected under Espartero, as sacrilegious spoliations, and describe their purchasers as impious; whilst the queen's mother is intriguing both with the Pope and the ministry for their restoration.

M. Guizot has retained his position as prime minister of FRANCE for the present, but there are many elements at work that threaten his overthrow. One of these is the temper of the popish clergy. Here, as everywhere else, they seem resolved to make another struggle for ascendency. Cardinal De Bonald, the archbishop of Lyons, has published an extraordinary condemnation of M. Dupin's celebrated work on "The Liberty of the Gallican Church." It is said that the Cardinal is to be called before the council of state, to answer for the publication of this mandate, and that other prelates are ready to avow their concurrence with the views of the archbishop. So the old struggle goes on, for which the withdrawment of all State interference in ecclesiastical affairs appears to be the only cure.

The Tahitian question is not yet settled, and the King is addressed from all parts of Protestant Europe by evangelical Christians, who mourn over the desolations of our mission in the Georgian Isles.

The once peaceful and happy cantons of SWITZERLAND are threatened with all the horrors of a domestic warfare. The government of Lucerne, one of the most populous cantons, and almost exclusively popish, have resolved to receive the Jesuits, whilst that of Berne and Zurich, the largest and most influential, and almost entirely Protestant, sternly oppose it. In the Canton de Vaud, the hostility of the people was so great, that the council of state could not repress their excitement; and as the troops would not obey them, they were compelled to abdicate, amidst cries of "Down with the Jesuits." These are some of the fruits which the governments of Europe will have to reap for permitting Pius VII. to restore that pestilent order in 1814.