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attended.

The attendance was numerous as well as respectable, the collection ample, and the chairman (G. Lane Fox, Esq. M.P.), the Rev. W. Dixon, Canon Residentiary of York, the Rev. Dr. Hook, and others, did full justice to the claims of the Society.

"On the following morning, Sunday, Sept. 22, I advocated the Society's cause in the small church at Newton Kyme, -the Rev. E. Duncombe, the rector, is one of your most useful supporters in that neighbourhood; and in the evening, at the ancient and interesting church at Tadcaster, I collected above 14/., a larger portion of it than usual in halfpence, from the inhabitants of a small town, where the operations of the Society have heretofore been little known.

"These places are in the West Riding. I turned from Tadcaster towards the East Riding; a locality where less has heretofore been done for the Soci, ty than perhaps in any county of England. An attempt was made last year to establish a District Committee at Bridlington, which, owing to the lamented death of one of its officersthe Rev. Marmaduke Prickett, and the removal of the other, it has been necessary to renew; but with this exception, no District Committee whatever has existed in the whole Riding.

"At Pocklington, on the 24th of Sept., George Legard, Esq. (the chairman), undertook the office of Treasurer, and the Rev. Charles Carr, that of Secretary. The meeting at Beverley on the 20th (Henry Broadley, Esq. M.P. in the chair), was attended by persons of great respectability from the neighbourhood; above 50l. was put down either in donations or annual subscriptions, and the Rev. C. A. Thurlow, incumbent of the minister, who had materially furthered the Society's interests, as well by an excellent speech at the meeting, as by making the preliminary arrangements, consented to be Secretary. Next day at Hull, the meeting was still more numerous, and the Society had the benefit of being introduced to the public by that venerable and highly respected man, the Rev. T. Dikes.

"From Hull I returned northward to Scarborough, where I preached on

VOL. XXI. NO. XII.

Sunday, Sept. 29th, for that long tried friend of the Society, the Rev. M. H. Miller, and on the following day attended a very respectable meeting, at which the first anniversary of the Scarborough District Committee was commemorated. Sir John Johnson took the chair, supported by Sir Thos. Legard, and other persons of influence in the neighbourhood. My labours closed yesterday with the re-establishment of the District Committee, in the adjoining town of Bridlington. In the absence of the Archdeacon, his official (the Rev. G. W. Wrangham) took the chair, the Rev. F. Simpson was appointed Secretary, and the Rev. Wm. Tiffin Treasurer to the Committee.

"Nothing now remains before me but a visit to some of the wealthy and populous cities of the West Riding. I trust that in my several wanderings (besides the sums collected, and which the local Treasurers will transmit), there has been diffused an increased knowledge, both of the need of greater efforts for the extension of the Gospel, and of the position of the Church as the Missionary Society. Aid me, Rev. Sir, by your prayers, that this feeling may spread more widely both among our clergy and people. Should my feeble efforts tend to this result, I shall not repent having placed myself in circumstances in which I have felt my own incompetence, as deeply as I have the greatness of our common cause. "I am, Rev. Sir,

"Your obedient servant, "ROBERT ISAAC WILBERFORCE."

"To the Secretary of the Society.

East Farleigh, October 30, 1839. "REVEREND SIR,-When I wrote to you some time back from Bridlington, I stated that I had it in contemplation to spend a few days in the West Riding. They proved to be days of great interest. As it would occupy too long a time to describe all I saw, I will merely give you an extract from my journal.

Oct. 15. Monday Evening. Leeds. Immense meeting. Dr.Hook's great popularity. Surprising to see the influence he has already gained.

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All allusions to the system of the Church enthusiastically responded to. -Dr. Wolff's famous speech. He bore testimony to the zeal and piety of the Society's missionaries, with whom he had met in India; and also to the importance for that country of the system of the Church. In the East he found everywhere Bishops, priests, and deacons. The first question to a missionary, by what Bishop were you sent out? On this point he appealed to Assad Yakooh Kayat, whom he had known in Syria. Assad followed and confirmed him. Spoke shortly myself, there being many speakers, Messrs. Poole, Martineau, &c. Meeting not over till half-past ten.-Tuesday. Huddersfield. Meeting not so large as Leeds, but very good. Dr. Wolff again. District Committee formed with every prospect of large support. Messrs. Oldham, Wilkinson, &c. warm friends.-Wednesday morning. Large meeting at Halifax. Another important District Committee formed. Archdeacon Musgrave in the chair. Dr. Hook, and Kayat the Syrian, took part. Spoke myself more fully than at Leeds.-Thursday morning. meeting of the Ellend Society. Evening to Bradford. Large meeting.

At

Another new District Committee. Dr. Scoresby the new Vicar in the chair. His first appearance and friendly reception.-Saturday. To Kildwick.Sunday. Preached in the morning at Kildwick. Large congregation of agricultural poor. Interesting population and Church, called the Langkirk, because the longest Church in Craven. Afternoon preached in Mr. Parson's Church at Skipton. Church but lately built, through Mr. Sidgwick's means. Good congregation. Nearly the handsomest modern church I have ever seen.- -Monday. By Bolton and back to Leeds.

"I feel satisfied that the principles of the Incorporated Society need only to be known, in order to obtain for it ample support from this wealthy and populous part of the county of York. "I have the honour to be, Rev. Sir,

"Your obedient servant, "ROBERT I. WILBERFORCE."

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"To the Secretary of the Society, Brightstone Rectory, Oct. 23, 1839. "REV. SIR,-Having concluded my western tour for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, I believe you will wish me to follow up my last letter by a few lines, which will give the general summary of my proceedings. My last account brought me to South Malton on Wednesday the 2d of October. On the 4th, a morning meeting was held at Tiverton, the Bishop in the chair, surrounded by the gentry of the town and neighbourhood, of all shades of political opinion: 201. were collected in the room, and new subscribers to the amount of 131. 5s. enrolled their names on our list. On the following morning the archdeacon of Exeter presided at a meeting at Sidmouth, where 211. were collected at the doors, and 167. 8s. 4d. subscribed. On the following day, Sunday the 6th, I preached for the Society in the city of Exeter, at St. Sidwell's in the morning, at St. David's in the afternoon, to crowded and attentive congregations, whose donations to the cause were, in the morning 221. 4s., and in the afternoon, 27. 10s. 4d. On the evening of the next day, Monday the 7th, I preached at Crediton to a congregation which filled the noble Cathedral Church of that town; collection 16. 4s. 10d. On Tuesday the 8th, at a meeting held at Honiton, the archdeacon Stevens in the chair, 36l. 11s. 114d. was collected in the room, and the names of

new subscribers entered to the amount of 321. 1s. On the Wednesday I attended a strictly parochial meeting in the agricultural parish of Broadclist. Sir Thomas Acland, Bart, M.P. took the chair in the village schoolroom. The interest of the people in our cause was most encouraging: it was shown not only in their attendance and fixed attention, but by a collection at the doors of 13. 15s. 6d. and a list of annual subscribers to the amount of 191. On the following day, after attending at the Bishop's visitation, and being introduced by him to his clergy, I went on with Archdeacon Barnes to a meeting held at Topsham, where 6l. 3s. 6d. were

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collected and subscribed. On Friday the 11th, our great Exeter meeting was held from the cathedral service, where 78. was collected for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, we adjourned to the largest rooms in Exeter, which were completely filled by a most gratifying assemblage, and where (for the 15th time) the Bishop presided over and opened our proceedings. Lord Courteney, and Sir T. Acland, and the Dean of Exeter, and others, took a part in moving the resolutions; at the close of which, 911. 5s. 11d. were added to the morning collection at the cathedral. On the 12th, I proceeded to Torquay, where, with Sir John Yarde Buller, Bart. M.P. as chairman, and the neighbouring gentlemen and clergy present, we held an important meeting, at which 591. 17s. 54d. were given and subscribed. On the morning of the next day, I preached at Torquay Chapel, and in the afternoon at the mother Church of Ion, when 467. 13s., and 19. 14s. 7d. were respectively collected. On Monday the 14th, I attended at Teignmouth, Mr. Sweetland, president of the District Committee last year established, acting as our president, Lord Devon moving the first resolution, supported by the clergy of the place: and 371. 4s. 9d. were collected and subscribed. On Tuesday morning I went with Lord Courteney (who presided) and Sir T. Acland, to a meeting held at Dawlish, which yielded 361. 18s. 6d. in donations, and 38/. 11s. in new annual subscribers; and thence went on to Exmouth in the afternoon, where archdeacon M. Stevens took the chair at a large and most respectable meeting. Here, including a donation of 251. from the Rev. Jas. Godwin, 607. 16s. 11d. were received at the door, and new subscribers' names to the amount of 157. 11s. On the Wednesday I went on to a meeting held at Newton, where 521. 17s. 6d. were given and subscribed. From this place I hastened to an evening meeting held at Exeter. It was determined to give the middle classes of that important city, who could not attend the morn

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ing meeting of the preceding week, an opportunity of listening to a statement of our case: the result abundantly justified the experiment. hour before the chair was taken, the room was crowded by a most respectable audience, who listened with the deepest interest to the principles and facts brought out before them. The very Rev. the Dean of Exeter presided. 741. 2s. 14d. were collected in the room (almost 50l. in silver), and the new subscribers announced since the former meeting amounted to 204. 3s., being, as it was believed, but a small part of the total expected increase. On the next day I concluded my tour with a meeting held at Axminster, the border parish of the diocese, where 40l. 11s., in collections and subscriptions, were added to our funds.

"I cannot close this brief account without expressing my thankfulness to God for the successful issue of my undertaking. As far as man can judge, this great cause has taken a deep root in these parts, and will not, I trust, be suffered hereafter to wither. Men of all political parties have come forward to join us the clergy of all shades of sentiment (with one or two exceptions marked by their rarity) have heartily cooperated with us; and allow our claim to be the first missionary organ of the Church. The sum already raised has been very considerable, and is doubly valuable as an index of feeling.

"In my former letter I announced a total of 1210l. 3s. 2d., to which I am now able to add further collections, as reported to you in this letter, of 8647. 10s. 34d., making a total of 20741. 13s. 5 d.

"All now depends, under God's blessing, on the vigour with which 'parochial associations' are carried out. There need be no limit to their success; from the small town of Fowey I have just heard that the subscribers have increased, since my last letter, from seventy-eight to eighty-eight persons. Broadclist parish is an encouraging specimen of what agricultural districts may yield. Much must turn on the activity of your district secretaries. Where they are able to

help the clergy round them in forming parochial associations, holding their first quarterly meetings, and organizing a body of collectors, the work flourishes abundantly. In this the district secretaries of the west appeared to be willing, and able to exert themselves. But to carry out this benefit fully, it is very desirable that the districts should not be too large: that those only should undertake the office who are able to carry it out with the spirit which your present circumstances require: and that they should send in annually a registered report of the doings of every parish in their district. To the importance of this plan, I found them everywhere awake. Indeed, just so far as we can make the work parochial, and co-extensive with our general Church machinery, just so far will our success be widely and securely spread.

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"I cannot close this letter without expressing in it, both on your behalf and on my own, my deep sense of the uniform kindness, forbearance, and aid which I have every where experienced from almost every clergyman and layman whom I have had the happiness to meet in Devonshire and Cornwall. Very long indeed will it be before these impressions are effaced. the Lord Bishop of the diocese it would be unseemly in me to say anything; but I must once more express my conviction that a large measure of our success has been owing to God's blessing on his patient, earnest, and most able labours in the behalf of this Society. May they be repaid him in a blessing on his own peculiar diocese. "I have the honour of remaining, "Rev. Sir, your obedient Servant, "SAMUEL WILBERFORCE.'

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Archdeacon Brymer presided, as he also did at the subsequent meetings at Langport, Taunton, and Crewkerne; on the 18th, an association was formed in Wellington; and on Thursday last, 31st, I had the satisfaction of forming a Deanery Committee at Dunster, under the presidency of Sir T. D. Acland, Bart, M.P., Sir John Trevelyan, Bart., and Colonel Luthill. The collection at Bridgewater was 417.3s.1§d., at Crewkerne, 36l. 9s. 34d., and at Dunster, 391. 7s. 10d. I believe the amount of contributions in West Somerset will be about 150l. or more; making the whole, in Somersetshire, somewhat more than 3701.; exclusive of many new subscribers, and without reference to the city of Bath.

"But we shall estimate the advantage of these meetings very imperfectly, if we look only to the present amount of contributions. Much greater good is done by thus exhibiting the Church in one of her most important and most interesting offices; and by uniting her members in maintaining and extending Christianity throughout the vast field of the foreign colonies and settlements of the British crown.

"A detailed account of the new committees and associations formed, will be forwarded to your board. And I have only now to assure the standing committee, that I have had very great pleasure in executing to the best of my power the charge confided to me; I have received very kind assistance and great hospitality from several friends of the Society among the clergy, more especially from Archdeacon Brymer; and the committee will be sensible how much is due to Mr. Pinder, and to Mr. Baker, the diocesan secretary. I would hope it is unnecessary for me to add, that I shall most readily at all times give my best exertions towards furthering the sacred interests of the society in all their objects and operations.

"I am your faithful servant,
"GEO. BARNES."

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practical results of your suggestions for the formation of Parochial Associations in aid of the Society for Propagating the Gospel,' it gives me great pleasure to be able to tell you that I have adopted them with a success far exceeding my most sanguine expectations. I proceeded in a manner, which I know will be approved by the Society, and which appeared to me most likely at the same time to test the real feeling of my flock, and to insure steady and permanent support. I placed notices on the church doors, stating that sermons would be preached on the subject of the society, and that a meeting would be held on the following Tuesday, for the purpose of establishing a parochial association in aid of the funds. Without canvassing a single person, either for their attendance or support otherwise than I have stated, our schoolroom, capable of containing more than 100 persons conveniently, was crowded to excess, and I fear that those who crowded round the doors and windows were unable to hear the explanations of the nature and objects of the society, in giving which I had the kind assistance of two neighbouring clergymen. I enrolled no less than eighty names at the close of the meeting, mostly agricultural labourers, at a payment of one penny monthly. I admitted the children of the school at d. monthly. I have not done yet, and I shall be much disappointed if a considerable addition is not made to my list before the end of the week (my population is 541). I had no collection at the doors, as I am now more than ever convinced that the system of enrolment is the only one to secure the sort of support we are so anxious to obtain. Only let the clergy be persuaded to follow your suggestions, and by God's blessing nothing can hinder the results that you anticipate: not only will you get abundance of money, but the interest excited for the members of our communion in foreign lands, will be found to form a new bond between the pastor and his flock; it will kindle the love of the people to their church, by showing them, that it is not a mere name or abstraction, but a living and spreading communion,' and I am most fully persuaded, that

'whatever labour any clergyman may take in the establishment of an associa tion, and in superintending and directing its machinery, will not only prove a blessing to the ends of the earth, but will also return abundantly into his own parish, and his own bosom.' In the anticipation of these results in my own case, I beg to return the society my sincere thanks for their suggestions; and I only speak the words of truth and soberness, when I declare that I would not accept from any single person a sum double the amount in exchange for my list of subscribers. That God's blessing may rest on the society's labours is the earnest prayer of yours very faithfully, "JAMES CLUTTERBUCK."

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