open both to Poor and Rich the best Sources of Instruction and Comfort, will be recorded, in future Ages, to the Praise of our much-revered Sovereign.

"As Protestant Dissenters, we recollect with peculiar Thankfulness that, conformably to the Decla ration with which his late Majesty commenced his Reign, he not only maintained the Toleration inviolate, but enlarged its Protection and Benefits.

66

"WE your Majesty's dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Protestant Dissenting Ministers of the three Denominations in and about the Citics of London and Westminster, approach your Majesty with profound Respect, to express our sincere Condolence on Occasion of the Breaches made by Death in your illustrious House, and more especially on the Demise of our late venerable and beloved Sovereign, your Royal Father; as well as our cordial Congratulations on your Majesty's Accession to the Throne of the United Kingdom of Great Bri-tection and similar Benefits. tain and Ireland.

"We partake of the Satisfaction which his late Majesty's Subjects in general, and his own illustrious Family in particular, must have experienced in the extended Duration of his Life and Reign: and whilst we Jament the personal Affliction which during his latter Years deprived the Nation of his public Services, we bow with devout Resignation to the mysterious Will of Almighty God; and we reflect with Pleasure on the filial Attention manifested by your Majesty, and the other Branches of his Family, to his Dignity and to his Comfort during his Seclusion from the Duties and Enjoyments of social Life.

"We also render to the supreme Arbiter of the Condition of Man our unfeigned Thanksgivings, that his Dissolution succeeded a gentle and gradual Decay, without any previous suffering.

We should the more deeply lament the Decease of our late Sovereign, if we were not warranted to direct our Views to your Majesty as his Successor, and to assure ourselves, by the Experience afforded us during your Regency, that you will continue to us the same Pro

"It is, we trust, needless for us to make any public Avowal of our Attachment to your Majesty's Person and Family, and the Form of Government established in the British Realms.

"Whilst we are ambitious of expressing ourselves the invariable Friends of civil and religious Liberty, we are no less the Enemies of every Kind and Degree of Licentiousness, both in Principle and Practice.

"As none of our Number were ever degraded by Hostility to the civil Government of our Country, as it is by Law established, we are per suaded that none of us will be found amongst those who profane Religion, deride the Holy Scripture, and diminish the Influence of sacred Subjects on the Minds of the People; but that it will be our uniform Solicitude and Endeavour to manifest and to inculcate a due Regard to

Religion, to the Constitution and
Laws of our Country, and to the
Honour and Tranquillity of your
Majesty's Life and Reign.

"Thus avowing our Principles and Conduct, we humbly solicit, and feel confident of enjoying your Majesty's Protection and Favour. Prompted as we are by Inclination, as well as Duty, it will be always our earnest Wish and ardent Prayer, that your Majesty's Reign may be long, peaceful, and prosperous; and that at a distant Period your Majesty may exchange your present Crown, after having exhibited its brightest Lustre in the uninterrupted and increasing Attachment of a free, grateful, and loyal People, for a Crown of celestial Glory that fadeth not away."

THE ANSWER OF THE KING.

kissed his hand, and twelve or fourteen of the senior members had been presented, the Chairman intimated his apprehension that the approach of others would fatigue his Majesty. On which the King replied with ardour," By no means-So excellent an Address, and so well delivered-I am highly gratified"— and continued to present his hand till the whole Body had received the same honour. To the Chairman he condescendingly intimated his satisfaction on seeing him present on the occasion, and more particularly as he was given to understand that he had accompanied the Address when his late Father had ascended to the Throne. And as the Body were retiring, he was heard to say to the surrounding nobility, This Address came home to the feelings of every person who heard it, and more particularly to my own," (laying his

66

Before the admission of the Body, the Address of the Court of Lieutenancy of the City of London had been received by the King, and it had been intimated to the members not to withdraw from the Palace before his Majesty should retire to his private apartments. After the Body had delivered their Address, a simi

"I RECEIVE with great Satisfac-hand on his heart.) tion this loyal and dutiful Address. The Justice which you have rendered to the Memory of my beloved Father, is highly gratifying to me. You may be fully assured of the Continuance of that Protection which you experienced during his beneficent Reign, and my Determination to maintain strictly, and inviolably, the Toleration now so hap-lar intimation was made to them, pily enjoyed."

till our brethren the Friends (or Quakers) had presented their Ad

On Wednesday, May 3, eighty-dress. When they had received nine members of the general Body their answer, the King descended inct at the Library in Redcross- from the Throne, and retired through street, and proceeded to the King's the State Apartments; the members Palace in Pall-mall, where they ar- of the different bodies who had prerived by appointment at three o'clock. sented their Addresses forming a As a very few only of other bodies, passage for him. And when he who had presented Addresses, had came up to the venerable Chairman been permitted to kiss the King's of the Body, he noticed him again, hand, owing to his late severe ill-shaking him by the hand in the ness, the Secretary, to prevent any most condescending and affectionate confusion or disappointment, inti- manner, inquiring after his health, mated that the same arrangement and expressing his pleasure at scemight be followed on the presenting him on that day.

occasion. The Body were conducted through the State Apartments into the Great Room, where they were presented to the King on his Throne by Lord Viscount Sidmouth, Secretary of State for the Home Department. When the Chairman (Dr. Rees) had read the Address, received the King's Answer, and

THE LATE DUKE OF KENT.

AT a meeting of Protestant Dissenting Ministers of the three Denominations, held at Dr. Williams's Library in Redcross-street, on Tues

day, March 7, the following Resolutions passed unanimously.

"Resolved, I. That this Body, deeply affected by the irreparable Loss which the Cause of Truth and Humanity has suffered in the recent Death of His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, cannot deny themselves the melancholy Satisfaction of thus publicly expressing their Grief on an Event which has taken from the Royal Family one of its brightest Ornaments, and from the Nation one of its best Hopes.

"II. That whilst the Character of the illustrious Deceased commanded the Esteem of Men in all Ranks, and of all religious Persuasions, His Royal Highness was endeared in an especial Manner to Protestant Dissenters by the enlarged Opinions which he entertained and avowed on the Subject of Religious Freedom, and by the cordial Support which, in Connection with his illustrious Brother the Duke of Sussex, he was ever ready to give to those charitable Establishments in which Dissenters were chiefly interested. That this Body admired, above all, the Ardour with which he espoused, and the Diligence with which he promoted, that comprehensive Plan for the Education of the Poor which his Royal Father had sanctioned with his Approbation, and which is not confined to Classes or Sects, but adapted to the general Exigencies of human Nature, and to the general Improvement of rational and immortal Beings.

stitutions, has been withdrawn so soon, by the inscrutable Decree of Providence, from Labours of Love, as pleasing to himself as they were important to the best Interests of Mankind.

"IV. That painful as this Dispensation is, the Body of Protestant Dissenting Ministers bow in humble Acquiescence before Him who giveth, and who taketh away; and their Resignation is rendered the more cheerful by the Assurance, that such an Example as that which has been left by the Duke of Kent, cannot be lost to the World;-that it will continue to be remembered, admired, and imitated, especially among the Great, and that not this Age only, but a grateful Posterity, will have reason to say of him, 'Though dead, he yet speaketh.'

"V. That in thus testifying our Grief the Members of this Body are desirous, at the same Time, of expressing their heartfelt Sympathy and sincere Condolence with the illustrious and amiable Princess so unexpectedly bereaved of a Husband, who was as remarkable for Tenderness and Affection in his private Relations, as he was distinguished in his public Capacity for every princely Quality and every social Virtue: and it is their fervent Prayer to Almighty God, that he will preserve to Her Royal Highness that Pledge of Love which her honoured Consort has left her, and all those Attentions of fraternal Kindness which are so needful and so precious to the widowed Heart."

"III. That this Body, partaking of the same catholic Spirit, and The Deputation consisted of Drs anxious for its wider Diffusion, look Lindsay and Waugh for the Presback, with a mingled Sentiment of byterians, Winter and Collyer for Pleasure and Regret, to those pub- the Congregationalists, and Rippon lic Meetings at which it was so and Newman for the Antipædobeautifully exhibited in the bene- baptists,-who, with Dr. Rees the volent Countenance, and so power- Chairman, and Dr. Morgan the Sefully recommended by the appro-cretary, waited on the Duchess of priate and winning Eloquence, of a Kent on Friday, March 24, and preKing's Son. That under this Im-sented a copy of these Resolutions pression they cannot but feelingly lament, that a Prince so greatly honoured and so deservedly beloved by the wise and good, and who in thinking for himself had risen superior to all partial Interests, and become the enlightened Advocate of all liberal Views and all useful In

VOL. XII.

to Her Royal Highness, who received it with lively sensibility. Prince Leopold, after apologizing for his Sister's inability to reply in the English language, assured the Deputation of her deep sense of the attention which was shown by them to her, with polite and appropriate acknow

ledgments, The Deputation had a profession of their faith in Jesus Christ, afterwards the honour of being The Rev. S. Barker of Henley preached individually presented to Her Royal on the occasion, formed the church, and Highness and of kissing her hand. administered the Lord's-supper, The Upon their intimating a wish of sce-ably attentive; and numbers were very congregation is very good, and remarking the surviving Pledge of her late much affected. It was a day not soon husband's affection, the infant Prin- to be forgotten. I trust the Lord was cess Alexandrina, a very interesting with us of a truth, Baptizing being a child, and possibly the future novel thing here, a considerable ferment Queen of the British Isles, was was created in the town and neighbourbrought forwards from a contiguous hood. One of the persons (a widow apartment, and presented to the with three children) has been turned out Deputation. The Chairman seized of doors by her father; and a young the occasion, in his own name, and woman (the servant of the rector of the in that of his brethren present and parish) has been discharged from her absent, as well as on the behalf of place: but they have been enabled to thousands and millions of His Ma- knowing (I trust) that they have in take joyfully these inconveniences, jesty's subjects in different parts heaven a better and an enduring subof the kingdom, to express the most fervent wish and prayer, that His Royal Highness and his beloved Sister the Duchess of Kent, allied to our country by several endearing and interesting connections, may enjoy a long and prosperous life, for administering happiness to each other, and to all over whom their influence shall extend, and for training up in principles of piety, virtue, and liberty civil and religious, those who, according to the order of Providence, may possibly, at some future period, dignify the throne, and impart lustre to the crown of the British Empire.

The Deputation, we understand, were also admitted to an interview with the Duke of Sussex, who received them with great condescension in his library, and showed them many of his books.

stance.

manifested has been overruled for good, The opposition which has been the congregation having visibly increased under it: numbers also come on a Lord'sday from the neighbouring villages, who I hope will be the means in time of introducing the gospel among their ignorant fellow-creatures. Southam, which is so eligibly situated in their centre, will then become more and more importill every village is blessed with a temple tant as the source of supplying them all, for God, with a church of Christ. Our prayer-meeting is also attended beyond what (considering the previous state of the town) I ever expected. Three or four years ago, I have many times preached to ten or twelve persons on a Lord's-day; and now we have at our Wednesday-evening meetings between thirty and forty, and on a Lord's-day from fifty to seventy.

May the Lord turn again the prosperity of this place, as the streams of the south, until it shall become like the garden of God.

ORDINATION.

HIGHGATE.

ward Lewis, formerly of Manchester, On Friday, March 31, 1820, Mr. Edwas ordained pastor over the Baptist church meeting in Southwood-lane, Highgate. The services commenced with singing; after which the Rev. J. Thomas of Highgate read the Scriptures and prayed. The Rev. C. J. Mileham (the former pastor) stated the nature of a Christian church, asked the usual ques tions, and received Mr. Lewis's confession of faith, The Rev. Mr. Elvey of Fetter-lane offered up the ordination prayer.

The Rev. G. Pritchard of Keppel- ing of the Meeting-house, &c. have cost street delivered the charge to the mi. nearly £700, of which sum nearly £120 nister from Prov. xxiv. 27; the Rev. J. have been realized. We hope the kindIvimey of Eagle-street addressed the ness of a generous public will not be church from Isa. v. 4; the Rev. J. Snel-wanting towards defraying the remainder