worship God according to the dictates of our conscience-and the maintenance of civil equality amongst all who sustain, as subjects, the same relation to the throne, and are therefore all equally entitled to the protection of the state. We hold as Congregational Christians no principles which do not admit of the freest, fullest fellowship with all of every other denomination who embrace the fundamental principles of our common Christianity, and utterly repudiate as directly hostile to the spirit of our holy religion, and the precepts of its Divine Author, any terms of communion that would fetter the practical exercise of Christian charity, erect the Shibboleth of a party as the standard of personal religion, or render the entrance into the church of Christ narrower than the gate of heaven. We recognise the duty and privilege of aiding individually and collectively, in the work specially committed to the Christian church, of fulfilling the valedictory commission of our Lord, and spreading the leaven of true religion throughout the mass of the world's population. "Our heart's desire and prayer to God is, that within the precincts of this sanctuary, now prospectively devoted to the service of God, many a heart, hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, may melt in penitential contrition,—that here many a publican may smite upon his breast,-that here many a prodigal, returned from his wanderings, may receive a Father's blessing. Confiding in the promises of Divine truth and mercy, we trust that the infant church which will soon worship on this spot, will enjoy, in richest plenitude, the precious influences of the Holy Spirit,— that peace and purity and love will here prevail-and that walking in the fear of God, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, they will be multiplied.

"And now, O thou King of Zion! Head of thy church, and Heir of all things! look down from heaven, and visit this spot, and the house here to be erected to thy glory. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children; and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish thou the work of our hands upon us,-yea, the work of our hands establish thou it !"

The Rev. J. Drummond, of Brockville, then pronounced the apostolic benediction, and the assembly dispersed.

TRANSACTIONS OF CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES. CONGREGATIONAL UNION OF ENGLAND AND WALES.-Adjourned meeting of the Thirteenth Annual Assembly, appointed to be held at Leeds in October next.

The arrangements for this important meeting are not yet completed, but they have advanced so far as to admit of the following announcement:

The days appointed for the proceedings are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the 10th, 11th, and 12th, of October.

On the evening of Tuesday, the 10th, the sermon will be preached by the Rev. Thomas Binney, of Weigh-House Chapel, London.

On the evening of Wednesday, the 11th, a public meeting of the Union will be held ; and on the evening of Thursday, the 12th, a public meeting in aid of British missions.

The forenoons of Wednesday and Thursday will be devoted to meetings of conference for delegates and other brethren. The chair to be occupied by the Rev. J. Reynolds, of Romsey, chairman of the annual assembly. Among the subjects intended for discussion in these meetings, the all-important topic of general education will occupy a prominent place.

All brethren intending to be present at these meetings, and desiring accommodation during the visit, are requested to give timely notice of their intention to the Rev. R. W. Hamilton; the latest day on which these intimations can be received, will be Saturday, the 7th of October. The friends at Leeds cannot hold themselves responsible for the accommodation of any whose letter of announcement is not received on or before that day.

THE DORSET COUNTY ASSOCIATION was organised at Wareham, September 9th, 1795. Ten county ministers were present at its formation. Its income in 1801, was £83. 16s. 9d. Its leading object, from its first formation to the present time, has been to aid weak churches, and to extend the Gospel to the neglected parts of Dorsetshire. The amount of good effected through the instrumentality of this association, during the last forty-eight years, can never be determined till the day of final account. The following statistics will enable the reader to form his own opinion of the present state of the association, and the united churches and missionary stations. It at present embraces twenty-nine churches, containing 2070 communicants, and having connected with them, inclusive of the members, 9599 persons; and also fifty-eight village stations, in which the average hearers are 4803; so that the total number of persons connected with the Dorset County Association may be stated at 14,402. Six feeble churches, having on an average about thirty members each, are assisted from the Association Fund. The Dorset Sunday School Union embraces 4523 children, and 512 teachers, of whom twothirds are church members. The associated churches have contributed during the past year, to the London Missionary Society £480. 15s. 5d.; Home Missionary Society £147. 198. 3d.; and the Dorset Association £150. 16s. 10d.-We are happy that this association has done so much towards their ecclesiastical statistics; an example which we trust will be followed by all the sister associations.

NEW CHAPELS OPENED OR COMMENCED.

FALFIELD, NEAR THORNBURY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE.-The opening of the new Independent chapel in this village took place on Wednesday, August 3rd; when the Rev. Thomas Haynes, of Bristol, preached in the morning, and the Rev. Dr. Henderson, of Highbury College, in the evening. The erection of this place of worship has been distinguished by the liberal and decided patronage of Earl Ducie and his lady, whose friendly feelings towards the principles of Independency deserve to be gratefully recorded. His lordship was a principal contributor to the erection, provided a dinner for the ministers and visitors, (upwards of two hundred of whom were the partakers of his lordship's hospitality on the occasion,)and the park was thrown open to the company in the afternoon of the day. The attendance at the services was unusually large, the earl and his family being among the auditors. The projected erection of school rooms, adjoining the chapel, will make provision for the daily instruction of the children of the villagers. The whole has been arranged under the direction of an excellent brother, the Rev. W. Dove, of Thornbury.

FORMATION OF A NEW CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AT TAUNTON, SOMERSET.

THE church and congregation assembling in Paul's Chapel, Taunton, have been long known as among the largest and most influential in the West of England. At the first glance, it would appear deeply to be deplored that any differences should divide the strength and weaken the influence of such a community. Discussions, however, arose many months ago upon a question that involves a foundation-principle of Congregationalism; and, though they have now terminated in the formation of a second church, yet the whole affair appears to have been conducted in a spirit so eminently Christian, that we trust it will be for the extension of the Gospel in that populous town, and that it will be admonitory and profitable to our whole connexion. The occasion of this division is, we understand, the existence of the custom of giving subscribers to the chapel a concurrent power with the members of the church, by

which a joint committee of management is chosen composed of members and subscribers, who are elected for life. How this constitution of things is regarded by the brethren who have seceded, may be seen by the following letter, which was sent to the deacons of the church in January last, to be submitted to the church at large.

"To the members of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, assembling at Paul's Meeting, Taunton.

"Dated January 20th, 1843. "Beloved Brethren,-We, the undersigned, who have been accustomed to enjoy fellowship with you in the Gospel, beg to lay before you, for special consideration, the views we entertain concerning the present state of our affairs as a religious community.

"It has long been a source of great uneasiness and regret to some who now take the liberty of addressing you, that the system of management maintained at Paul's Chapel is not known to the Word of God, which we all recognise as the warrant and law of every church, professedly built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.'

"We do not understand the grounds for an arrangement which has existed for the last fifty years, whereby the members of the church have been deprived of their right of managing, without partnership or control, the affairs of Christ's cause and sanctuary.

"We do not believe that a select committee, or a mixed assembly, composed of members and subscribers, have any warrant in revelation or in reason for meeting to decide on great and solemn questions connected with the maintenance of the Redeemer's kingdom. We think, dear brethren, that none but members of the church should have power to decide on the resignation of the departing pastor, or the acceptance of the coming one-that the order of Christ's house—the occupation of the pulpit-the ordinances of the sanctuary, and the finances of the cause, should be all vested in the men who have professed faith in our Lord Jesus, and have sworn allegiance to him. Those, and those only, who are in the kingdom should be entrusted with the concerns of the kingdom. The New Testament shows us (to refer but to two instances,) in the first and sixth chapters of the Acts, that the disciples' were to elect their spiritual guides, and the 'multitude' of the disciples were to look out," from among' themselves the officers who were to have the charge of their temporal affairs. It appears to us, beloved brethren, after much consultation and prayer, that a committee is not known to the New Testament, that it is an usurpation of the deacon's office that a church is competent to manage its own affairs, and is not a spiritual ward in Chancery;' that where two bodies are found in authority in one place, the church must over-rule the committee, in which case the latter is proved unnecessary and useless; or the committee must over-rule the church, in which case the former is proved a tyranny and a plague. We deem, too, the office of a committeeman as holden for life, and not dependent on the respect, affection, and confidence of the people, as a flagrant contradiction to the spirit and practice of a free constitution, and that no man should be placed in a situation for which there is no valid scriptural election-no discipline in case of offences-and no law.

"Our dear brethren will, we trust, consider these things at our earnest request. The practice too, of taking the votes of a mixed assembly on any great question affecting the interests of the church, we cannot but solemnly repudiate and condemn. On this plan of providing the executive for Christ's kingdom, the unconverted have a larger share in the management of its affairs than those who are truly godly-the aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,' can outweigh by their votes the principles and best hopes of its genuine subjects; and the greatest profligate in the parish,

by becoming a subscriber at our place of worship, may obtain a right to come into our assembly as a counsellor, and to hold up his hand for the decision of any matter, however solemn and grave its character and future results. Upon these grounds, then, beloved brethren and sisters in Christ, we beg you to give your determined and devout efforts to the immediate abolition of the present system of management at Paul's Chapel. We do not wish in any way to wound or disturb your minds by the agitation of any question of a personal or party character, but we deem it our duty to Christ, and the great statute-book and charter of His kingdom. We deem it our duty to you as the people of God, and to ourselves, our families, and the 'generation' whom we are bound to 'serve,' to testify against an unscriptural order in the 'house' of our great Master, contrary, as we believe, to His will, our rights, and the general good. If you are led to see with us in this matter, and, walking by the guidance of the New Testament, determine at once, without hesitation or delay, to abolish the present system of rule, by a committee and mixed assembly, we shall feel it our duty, privilege and pleasure, to remain with you, and to spend our lives, as God shall give grace, in 'striving together' with you 'for the faith' of the Gospel; but if you feel either unable or unwilling to remove the evils of which we complain, we must, in all candour and affection, declare, that we shall then feel it our duty to retire from your communion, and to seek out some distant locality in the town, where we may endeavour, under Jehovah's blessing, to found a church, whose order, fellowship and rule may be in accordance with the blessed will of our Lord Jesus Christ. In such a case, beloved brethren and sisters, we shall secede from you, but without hostility; we shall choose our path-you will still pursue your own; and it will remain for us to labour separately as believers in a common Saviour, and servants of a common Master. That he may be glorified in you, and in us, and in all his people, is the prayer of

"Yours in the bonds of the Gospel."

Here follow the names of thirty-four members of the church. Although we are not acquainted with all the proceedings, yet it appears that some legal difficulties were supposed to exist, and that the opinions of Mr. A. W. Kinglake and Mr. Romilly, two chancery barristers, were taken on the case: they advised that the present system of management is illegal, and that the alteration contended for in the memorial, if effected, would have been legal, and consistent with the trust-deeds of the chapel, and in perfect accordance with the declaration of faith, church order, and discipline published by the Congregational Union of England and Wales. The reluctance of the majority to effect the desired reform, led sixty-one members of the church to send to their brethren the following document, announcing their withdrawment from their communion:

"Dated June 22nd, 1843.

"Beloved Brethren,-After a long-continued, painful, and we are grieved to say unsuccessful effort to induce you to act with us in the abolition of the unscriptural system of management now existing at Paul's Chapel, to which many of us specially called your serious and devout attention in our Memorial of the 20th of January last, and as you are unwilling, although we believe not unable, to remove the evils of which we complain,' we are compelled, with much regret, yet under a sense of duty, to act upon the resolution expressed in the memorial, to leave your communion, for the purpose of associating together as a church, in accordance with the principles and precedents of the New Testament. As we have also the satisfaction of being supported in our views by the late distinguished divine, the Rev. Robert Hall, we subjoin an extract from his works, vol. iv., page 319:

"In every Christian congregation the church ought to be regarded as the principal

object, to which the auditory are but an appendage, and for a union with which it should be their highest ambition to become qualified.

Congregations are the creatures of circumstances; churches the institutions of God: and, if we adhere to the maxims and examples of Scripture, and of primitive antiquity in all religious proceedings, their judgment will be first consulted, and their official character recognised.

"But in the economy of modern dissenters a growing tendency may be perceived to merge the church in the congregation, and to commit the management of most weighty matters to a body of subscribers in preference to the members; an innovation, should it generally prevail, productive of incalculable evils. Many of those who compose the auditors, in distinction from the church, may possess genuine piety; but while they persist in declining to make a public profession of Christ, it is scarcely possible for them to give proof of it; the greater part, it is no breach of candour to suppose, are men of the world; and surely it requires little penetration to perceive the danger which religion must sustain, by transferring the management of its concerns from persons decidedly religious, to those whose pretensions to interfere, are founded on pecuniary considerations. The presumptuous intermeddling of worldly, unsanctified spirits, with ecclesiastical concerns, has been the source of almost every error in doctrine, and enormity in practice, that has deformed the profession of Christianity from the time of Constantine to the present day; nor is Dissent of much importance except as far as it affords an antidote to this evil. The system which confounds the distinction between the church and the congregation, has long since been carried to perfection in the Presbyterian denomination, and we all know what preceded and what has followed that innovation,-the decay of piety, the destruction of discipline, a most melancholy departure, in a word, both in principle and practice, from genuine Christianity.'

"It now, therefore, only remains for us to tender our resignation, and this we do without cherishing in our hearts the least unkind feeling; on the contrary, we would offer the earnest and sincere prayer that you may be abundantly blessed with every spiritual blessing, and that thousands of souls may be brought, through grace, to the knowledge and faith of the Lord Jesus Christ within the walls of that sanctuary in which many of our fathers worshipped, and where many of us first received in our hearts, the words of eternal life. Brethren, 'pray for us;' and accept, in the same spirit of Christian sincerity and love in which it is presented, our last and affectionate farewell.

"Yours in the bonds of the Gospel."

Here follow the names of the sixty-one members. The brethren who thus retired first met for worship in some commodious rooms in the Crescent, but have since erected a temporary place of worship on part of an extensive freehold site they purchased for £1000, in North Street, a district of the town where there is no chapel, and in the midst of a large and increasing population.

Having obtained plans and specifications for a new chapel in the early English style, 67 by 43 feet in the clear,-Thursday, the 10th of August was fixed on for laying the foundation-stone of the intended edifice.

Prayer-meetings at seven, and at eleven o'clock in the morning of that day, were held, and found to be seasons of hallowed enjoyment by many.

The Honourable Mrs. Thompson, of Poundisford Park, who has been long known in Taunton as the friend of every benevolent and Christian enterprise, was requested to perform the ceremony of laying the first stone.

About 1000 persons had assembled on the ground, when the Rev. W. H. Heudebourck of Tiverton offered prayer, and the foundation-stone was lowered to its resting-place. Thomas Thompson, Esq., the senior treasurer of the Home Missionary Society, then,