memorative of that fatal event. He had attempted the task; and, by the leave of the Meeting, he would read to them what he had written. Mr. Montgomery then recited, with much feeling, the following exquisite stanzas, composed under the circumstances and on the subject adverted to : NOT by the lion's paw, the serpent's tooth, The sultry whirlwind spared thee in its wrath; Its blind and lame, diseased and dying, hordes. Temple where temple never stood before; Thy friends were nigh thee,-nigh thee were thy foes. The house of God, the gate of heaven, was there; At midnight, in a moment, open stood The' eternal doors, to give thy spirit room; At rest beneath the ever-shifting sand, This thine unsculptured epitaph remain, Till the last trump shall summon sea and land,— AND must with thee thy slain companions lie, Their life, their death, the fruits of both, to tell! O'er their lost relics, on the spot where guilt Relating principally to the FOREIGN MISSIONS carried on under the direction of the METHODIST CONFERENCE. ANNIVERSARY OF THE WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY. THE Anniversary of the Wesleyan Missionary Society was celebrated according to the announcements published in our Numbers for April and May; and was, by the blessing of God, such in all respects as its best friends could desire and pray that it might be. It was worthy of its peculiar character as the first Anniversary in the second century of the existence of that religious community now generally known by the designation of Wesleyan Methodists. It afforded ample proof that the Christians of our body, aided and cheered onwards by the liberal assistance of the friends of Protestant evangelical Missions of other denominations, are increasingly attached to our great cause, and that the impulses of their pious and benevolent feeling in its favour are steadily sustained by the convictions of their awakened consciences and enlightened judgment. At no preceding Anniversary were the religious services more acceptable or more hallowed; nor has any former Annual Meeting been more satisfactory in its general character and auspicious results. The first sermon before the Society was delivered in Hinde-street chapel on Wednesday, April 29th, by the Rev. Philip C. Turner, of Birmingham, on 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. The second annual sermon was preached in the City-road chapel on Thursday, April 30th, from Isaiah xl. 9, by the Rev. John Maclean, Governor and Chaplain of the Wesleyan Grammar-School at Sheffield. And on Friday morning, May 1st, the third and concluding discourse, founded on Matthew xvi. 3, was delivered before the Society in Great-Queen-street chapel, with great energy, eloquence, and power, and, we trust, with good and lasting impression, by the Rev. James Dixon, of Sheffield. On the following Sunday, May 3d, the annual congregational sermons on behalf of our Missions were preached in the City-road, Great-Queen-street, Spitalfields, Southwark, Lambeth, and Hinde-street chapels, by the Rev. James Dixon, the Rev. A. E. Farrar, the Rev. P. C. Turner, the Rev. Robert Young, the Rev. William M. Bunting, the Rev. John Maclean, the Rev. Samuel D. Waddy, and the Rev. John Tindall. The Public Meeting was held in Exeter-Hall, on Monday, May 4th, when the chair was occupied with great ability, and universal approbation, by SIR PETER LAURIE, KNIGHT AND ALDERMAN. The Hall was crowded, as usual, at an early hour; and the interest of the assembled multitude in the proceedings was sustained without diminution, though the Meeting was continued for six hours. The platform was filled by persons of high respectability and influence, among whom were a number of Clergymen and Ministers of other denominations. VOL. XIX. Third Series. JUNE, 1840. 20 The two Ashantee Princes, William Quantamissah and John Ansah, accompanied by their excellent Travelling Tutor, the Rev. Thomas Pyne, were received with peculiar interest and pleasure. We abridge from the "Watchman" of Wednesday, May 6th, the following account of the public Meeting; and beg to call particular attention to the first five Resolutions, as incorporated, in their proper places, in the subsequent Report, but especially to the fifth, on the subject of petitions to Parliament for the effectual termination of the connexion, still subsisting in the presidency of Madras, between the British authorities and the idolatry of India. The particulars of the contributions received in connexion with this Anniversary will be found at the close of the Report. The Rev. Dr. Bunting commenced the proceedings, a little before eleven o'clock, by giving out the first two verses of the psalm commencing, "From all that dwell below the skies;" after which he offered up prayer, and then said,-" I have the greatest personal satisfaction in announcing to the Meeting, that, at the earnest and respectful request of the Committee, Sir Peter Laurie, Knight and Alderman, has consented to do us the honour of presiding on this occasion." SIR PETER LAURIE presented himself to the Meeting, and was received with enthusiastic applause. He said,Perhaps it may be necessary, in opening the business of this day, that I should state, in a very few words, the circumstances which have led to my occupying this honourable and distinguished station. It may be in the recollection of some gentlemen near me, that, about the close of the last year, I was called upon, in my corporate capacity, to pass a vote of thanks to a gentleman, for a sermon preached before the corporation of London. In that measure I could not agree; and I most expressly stated my disapproval of the attack made, in that discourse, upon, in my opinion, two of the best men that ever lived in this country,-Mr. Wesley and Mr. Whitefield. I had no intention that this expression of my opinion should find its way into the public prints; but that was the case; and a correspondence, which some of you, I have no doubt, have read, was the result. I rejoice that this circumstance afforded me the opportunity of stating publicly, what is my sincere conviction, that a better man than your Founder never lived. I have long been an observer of the religious communities of this metropolis; but this is the first occasion on which I have ever raised my voice in one of their assemblies; nor should I have entertained the idea of doing so now, had not the Committee of your worthy and excellent Society solicited me to take the chair; a request with which, I regarding, as I do, your exertions as beyond all praise, I could not hesitate to comply. I shall leave it to those gentlemen whom I see around me, to communicate to you information on the subject of your foreign Missions. make it a rule to speak merely about that which I myself understand; and I shall, therefore, on this occasion, confine my remarks chiefly to what has fallen under my own observation in this country, and in this metropolis. I may unhesitatingly state, that your society has, in my humble opinion, done more good in the metropolis than any other. I have long been an active Magistrate; and I do not remember any instance when I have had to send one of your body to prison. The prisoners in Newgate and Coldbath-Fields are allowed, when they apply for religious instruction, to have a Minister of their own denomination; and I have no recollection of any prisoner ever asking for the visitation of a Wesleyan Minister. How little was it in the anticipation of the five or six students of Oxford, who, upwards of a century ago, met together for prayer and the study of the Scriptures, that the little seed sown by them would become a mighty tree, and throw its shadow over every clime and country of the world! for, I believe, in almost every country where civilized man has set his foot, have the Missionaries of your denomination endeavoured to propagate the truths of Christianity. I have read your laws and regulations; I am well acquainted with the organization of your societies; I highly approve of your tenets; and I glory in thinking, with you, that man is a free agent, and that he is a responsible being. I have been censured for calling your great Founder an Apostle. I here repeat the term. He was an Apostle, especially to the miners and manufacturers. Wherever you see the enterprise of our countrymen establishing mines and manufactories, there you find the unobtrusive, diligent Wesleyans following in the track, and supplying those miners and new settlers with religious instruction, by raising chapels for the worship of God, and endeavouring to lead souls to heaven. This has been your conduct throughout England; and I rejoice, when travelling through the laud, to find, in every hamlet, a little, unobtrusive chapel of the Wesleyan Methodists. O, ladies and gentlemen, I would much rather see such a building, than a station-house for a rural police! and I would that all the country might embrace your sentiments, and emulate your moral character; for then, indeed, no police would be heard of. If you go on erecting chapels, you will prevent the erection of gaols. I may be told, however, and it is the cant of the day, "O, give us education!" I deny that education can be efficient, without religion. Education may do well for youth; but you must control manhood, and you must give consolation to the aged; and mere education will not do this. If you commuricate education alone, you give power without principle; you give sails without a helm; and unless your religion is mixed with your education, it will not succeed. O, there are many people educated! Why, the new sect of Socialists are educated; and yet they are the curse of the country; and I really think that, at the present moment, your exertions are as much required in England as in your foreign fields of labour. I rejoice to find, from reading your last Report, that your exertions in Ireland have been crowned with such success. In that country, your labours are greatly needed; and there, I trust, you will direct your efforts to check the growing progress of Popery. I have told you that I am an observer of the different religious denominations; and I am about to make a statement which may, at first, appear somewhat startling. I deny, as far as my own observation goes, the increase of Popery in England. I admit that there is an increase of Popish chapels, which are built in the most prominent situations that can be obtained. But I ask any man this question: "Do you know any, among your friends, who have been converted to Popery ?" I venture to say, "No." At least, in the course of my inquiries, I have invariably met with this reply. If Dr. Bunting applies to your Ministers throughout the country, he will find them agree in stating, that much of this building of chapels is mere ostentation; that the vague reports of conversion which we hear are, for the most part, empty vapouring; they are not increasing, nor, while the people can read the Bible in our own language, will they ever increase. There is, however, another sect in this country to which I will allude,—I mean, the half-Papists of our own Church. What are these half-Papists? Almost whole-Papists. They tell you the people have nothing to do with such objects as we have this day met to promote, and that Exeter-Hall ought to be abandoned. In short, they say the laity have nothing to do, and ought to do nothing, but what the Ministers tell them to do. Now, I rejoice that, in your society, there are many active, enterprising young men, who, applying themselves, during the week, to secular affairs, devote the Sabbath to the instruction of others in the principles of religious truth. These half-Papist Churchmen, however, tell us that the people have nothing to do with these matters; but that all must be left absolutely to the administration of the Clergy. What! would they do away with private judgment? I have seen, and my friend on my right, Mr. Tooke, has seen, symptoms in the Isle of Wight which would frighten any man; but they cannot succeed. Wherever you find the readers of these Oxford Tracts, or rather, trash, in any parish in Great Britain, these sticklers for genealogy, and lineal apostolical succession; (for it is all the outside of the platter; there is nothing of religion in them; the Scripture with them is nothing, and tradition everything;) there you must erect another Wesleyan chapel, and you will find, that the good sense of the community will not be led away by these old women's fables. No: the good sense of the people will prompt them rather to come to you. You must, therefore, make preparations, whenever these Puseyites come to your parishes, to erect additional Wesleyan chapels. What is the object which you have to-day met to promote? It is not to aggrandize one party over another. You do not wish to bring down the national Estab lishment of this country. (The speaker was here interrupted for some minutes by general cries of "No, no," and three distinct and enthusiastic rounds of applause.) That long and loud expression of your approbation proves to me that my opinion is right. No; you wish to support a tolerant Church; and when that Church becomes intolerant, then desert her. O, how mistaken are some of our Dissenting brethren, who make common cause with the Roman Catholics for the purpose of uprooting our national Church! Little do they consider the effect which must be produced by the predominance of Roman Catholicism: make that system triumphant, and it would soon put a padlock on their mouths. They would soon be told, "There is but one visible Church; and if you are not with us, you are nobody." But they will not succeed while there is so well-organized a body as the Wesleyans. I rejoice that I have had the satisfaction of witnessing, after one century, Wesleyan Methodism in its present state of prosperity; and I am most happy to learn that, in the city with which I am connected, you are now erecting a monumentary edi. fice, to show to posterity that though your Founder has gone to his reward, the spirit that was in his bosom still animates a Bunting and others. I hope you will still go on through the length and breadth of the land. Wherever you go, you labour to make people happy here, and that is important; but you go further, and you seek to impart to them that which will bring them to glory, and render them happy for ever and ever. (Sir Peter then took the chair amidst universal expressions of applause.) The Report was read by the REV. JOHN BEECHAM. It began by adverting to the Missions in Ireland, which had, during the year, been deprived, by death, of the invaluable services of the Rev. Gideon Ouseley, who had laboured for forty years among his benighted countrymen. The number of Missionaries was stated to be 23, of central stations 17, and of schools 37. Sweden was next adverted to: £100 had been received from the Swedish Missionary Society, for general purposes, and a second grant of £60 for the Negro school, under the care of Miss Scott, in St. Bartholomew's: Mr. Scott continues to prosecute his labours with success at Stockholm. In Germany, at Winnenden, in Wirtemberg, upwards of 250 persons have been added to the society, which now. amounted to 703 members, and 80 religious services are held weekly in 41 places. An unusual measure of success has been vouchsafed to the labours of the Missionaries in France, and the societies have a net increase of 215 members; in the society are 946 persons, and in the schools 1,055 scholars. In Spain, the influence of the Popish Priesthood has led to the banishment of Mr. Rule and Mr. Lyon from Cadiz, neither of them being allowed to remain to administer even to the religious wants of their countrymen; but the Mission at Gibraltar is in a prosperous state. At Malta, the Missionary has to encounter many difficulties, but he is encouraged by the tokens for good. The Missions in Ceylon and Continental India next passed under review. In South Ceylon there has been an increase of 72 members, making in all 741; there are 5 English Missionaries, 9 Assistant Missionaries, 15 local Assistants, 71 schools, and 3,434 children under instruction. In North Ceylon, the members are 134, and there are about 2,000 children in the schools. On the continent of India, the Missionaries are prosecuting their important labours with some degree of encouragement: two promising young natives have become Assistant Missionaries; a new station has been commenced; a superior dayschool has been undertaken at Madras, under the judicious direction of Mr. Crowther; and additional plans have been brought into operation for increasing the efficiency of the Mission. On the subject of idolatry in India, we call special attention to the following ex tract: "The Committee cannot close their notice of our Missions on the continent of India, without once more adverting, with the strongest feelings of regret and Christian indignation, to the continuance of the connexion, in the Madras Presidency, between the British Government and Hindoo idolatry. Last year, they expressed the hope that this great stain upon the national character, and formidable obstruction to the spread of the Gospel, would speedily be removed. The events of the year have, however, disappointed this expectation. Idolatrous ceremonies are still saluted by the guns of Fort St. George, Madras; the connexion of the Government and its servants with the various pagodas is as intimate as ever; Christian officers are still called to interfere in the interior |