purpose that the committee were extremely anxious to form a library, and the munificent offer of the president of the association seemed to provide them with a very good foundation upon which to proceed; but there were one or two difficulties which they had never yet been able to surmount. One great difficulty was a suitable place to have it. But there was another difficulty, and he would strongly press it upon the meet. ing that night, because he thought it was more within the reach of those present to overcome it. The committee brought the question before an assembly of teachers, and it was the very scanty offers of support in answer to that ap. peal that threw the greatest damp upon the proposal. He thought it was of vast importance to have a well selected library for the young men of the labouring classes, and he could not but think that if it were fully pointed out there would be a stronger response to the appeal that was made than was experienced then. (Hear, hear.) The Rev. gentlemen then alluded to the subject of national education, and expressed his cordial concurrence in the sentiments which he had heard the Rev. Mr. Jackson express that evening. It was calculated that at the present time there were scarcely less than a million children in the schools of the Church of England. He thought, that however the enemies of Christian education might vaunt themselves and talk largely of what they intended to do, churchmen might confidently say that the education was really in their own hands, and if they did their duty it would remain so. (Applause.)

The REV. J. H. F. KENDALL moved appointment of the committee for the ensuing year.

MR. PARKER seconded the resolution; and after it had been put and carried a hymn was sung.

MR. SAVERY proposed a vote of thanks to the gentlemen who had de

livered lectures before the institution during the past year.

MR. PEARSON, in seconding the resolution, said the day-school teachers did all they could to forward the establishment of a library, and they would still be happy to do whatever they could in furtherance of that object. Mr. Pearson afterwards referred to the question of national education, and said he understood that three bills were shortly to be brought before parliament on the subject Something must be done, and by applying their energies in the right direction, doubtless they still might have the means of forwarding the work and let the church still retain the great hold on the education of the people which she had ever maintained.

The Rev. THOMAS NUNNS returned thanks for the vote, and made some interesting and instructive remarks on the office of the Sunday school teacher. He also touched upon the subject of national education, and said he was a great friend, as he knew the chairman was, to secular education. He called upon the meeting, if they found it necessary to petition parliament on the subject, to be content with nothing less than a religious education, and such a religious education as they imparted themselves to their children in Sunday schools. It was very natural that the friends of merely secular education should want to separate it from religion. Mr. Jackson had told the meeting that by far the largest proportion of the education of the country was in the hands of the Church of England. What did this mean? The modest request was made, that the Church should give up all this education into the hands of other parties Were they to do it? If they were unfaithful to their principles they would do it, but if faithful, they would not.

Mr. WOODHEAD proposed, and Mr. J. H. JOWITT seconded a vote of thanks

to the ladies who had presided at the tea-tables. (Applause.)

Mr. NEWTON proposed, "That the thanks of the meeting be given to the Rev. the Vicar, for his valuable services this evening, and also as President of the association."

Mr. J. FAWCETT seconded the resolution, and it was carried by acclamation.

The Rev. Dr. Hook acknowledged the vote, after which the doxology was sung, and the interesting meeting then terminated, about half-past nine o'clock.

This Society, which is in connexion with our Institute, held its Annual Meeting on the 7th instant, it was presided over by H. S. Pattison, Esq., Vice-President. The speakers were the Revs. A. Rigg, W. W. Andrew, J. F. Osborne, and Messrs. E. K. Harvey, E. B. Everett, and W. Boswell, who moved and seconded the several Resolutions, which were framed from those adopted at the last Annual Meeting of the Institute. The speeches were interesting and instructive, that by the Rev. W. W. Andrew was illustrated by the facts obtained during an experience of twenty-five years in Sunday school teaching.

The Report of the Progress of the Union was a favourable one. The Income (to the 31st December) for General Purposes showed an increase upon the receipts of the first year of £3 16s. It is encouraging to find the

Report recording that the attendance on the Bible Class steadily increases, and that a desire is manifested by those who belong to it to induce others to avail themselves of its advantages.

The attendance of members and friends was the best yet obtained at the meetings of the Union.

We take this opportunity, while expressing our pleasure at recording the encouraging nature of this meeting, of stating that we shall feel obliged for information respecting similar meetings of Associations, whether in connexion with the Institute or not-only stipu lating, as our space is limited, for as brief an outline as possible of such meetings, thus accomplishing one of the ends aimed at by means of the Quarterly-the binding together as one the many societies of Church Sunday School Teachers established in various parts of the kingdom.

throughout the land, there are young devoted followers of the Lord Jesus, who would gladly assist in Sunday school work, but, no one has invited them. Their pastor, engaged perhaps in the many duties of a large parish, in other ministrations that completely absorb his thoughts, thinks not of the quiet unobtrusive member of his Church that is only waiting to be asked, in order to enter joyfully on some Christian work: and the superin

tendent, with limited time, perhaps limited acquaintances, occupied throughout the week in his office or his shop, engaged during the Sunday in his school, has not the opportunity of meeting with any beyond his own immediate circle of friends, already enlisted as teachers in his school. The result is, that the superintendent is perplexed, the school is materially injured, | and the ardent, willing assistant, is idle.

There must be something wrong in that Church, the congregation of which has not a Sabbath school, or does not afford an abundant supply of teachers for its management. Where God's grace accompanies the word preached, there will be an earnest seeking after the children of the neighbourhood. The heart fully alive to the importance of eternal things, will naturally look for the fresh and impressionless mind of the young, to scatter the seed of everlasting life; if there be no school where that feeling has taken root, efforts will be made to establish one, and if here be a school, the first thought willt be, Can I not be a teacher? This is the experience of every regenerate heart, called to know God in youth. Then why is it that there are not more schools, and especially why is it that there are not more teachers? Our answer is, the want is not so much in a deficiency of right-minded, willing, and efficient persons, as on the need of a machinery, by which they can be reached, and placed in that department of the work they are most fitted for; a machinery that will attach itself to a parish, or a district, to a Church wherever situated, and, if there be no school, at once set about formation, and if there be one, bring out from among the parishoners, or the congregation, those suited for the work of teachers, and then hand them over to the Superintendent, or the Committee for employment.

This machinery-a sort of missionary

agency, charged with the great purpose of establishing Sunday schools whereever there is a district without them, and of providing teachers for every Sunday school that is crippled in its work for want of them, is what this age, and what our Church requires; and we are rejoiced, that such an agency is now in process of formation.

We have received a preliminary paper of an Association in the west of London, that aims at supplying the great need that we have pointed out the following extract from the paper, will show the nature of the work contemplated by the Society.

66 WEST LONDON CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE. The object of the Association is to employ young men in the different departments of Christian labour. 1.Sunday, daily, and ragged schools. 2.-Adult evening classes for the poor. 3. The promotion of Christian missions. 4.-District visiting. 5.-Bible classes and conversational meetings. 6. Formation and management of working men's reading rooms and libraries. 7.-Lectures and other efforts for the social and moral welfare of the poor and working classes.

There are many young men in London, anxious to be engaged in some Christian work for the good of others, and there are several spheres of usefulness unoccupied for the want of labourers. This Association aims at supplying the labourer where the field is ready, and preparing a field for the workman who may be waiting for employment.

All young men who join the Association will be placed in connection with some department of Christian work, in which they may be interested, and for which the Committee may consider them qualified.

The Association has already some of its members engaged in Sunday school and Ragged school teaching-in the management of a working men's reading room and evening classes-in district

visiting, and in aiding missionary societies. And it is hoped that soon the Association will be in a position to supply Ragged and Sunday school Committees with teachers, and other depart ments of Christian work with willing and efficient assistants."

It is of course to the expression of hope in the last sentence that we most cheerfully accord our praise and join our prayer for its fulfilment. Interested in all the other objects of the Association and wishing to all the Divine blessing, yet, engaged as we are in Sunday school work, we shall not be thought too selfish, too exclusive, if we confess that the feature which recommends itself most strongly to us, is the position it assumes with regard to Sunday schools.

There is nothing local in the plans or constitution of this Association; whereever Christian work is to be done, there may it exist; Sunday school teachers have originated the agency, and to Sun

day schools generally it will, we trust, prove a valuable auxiliary. When in full operation—and there is nothing to prevent its extending itself over London and ramifying through the provinces, and even finding a habitation in the village wherever there is a Church and a congregation, there we hope will be found a branch Associ ation. When in full operation, every young person fitted for Sunday school teaching and willing to engage in it, will be within the knowledge and reach of this Association,-the ardent and the courageous to be at once employed, and the timid and retiring to be counselled, encouraged, and gently led into the work.

The papers of the Association and further particulars than we have space to give, may be obtained by communicating with the Honorary Secretary, F. R. Jones, Esq., 10, Brunswick Square. We do most cordially wish the Association every success.

WE have lately met with a document issued a year back, entitled "Report of proceedings at a Conference of FirstDay School Teachers held at Manchester." We have read it with much interest, and it occurred to us that the readers of this Magazine might be pleased with some brief account of the Sunday schools conducted by the small, but in many points most respectable sect, calling themselves Friends, but whom it would seem affectation in us to describe by other than the usual appellation of Quakers.

It appears that the Quakers in "this country" (England alone, we presume) are estimated by themselves as about 20,000 in number. On their peculiarities of doctrine and practice we need not dwell; but we find with pleasure that they do not include among

these a neglect of, or antipathy to Sunday Schools. How long such schools had been in existence in any number, does not appear from the Report; but one or two existed at the close of last century, which gradually increased until an Association for their support was formed in December, 1847, under the control of a central committee, seven only in number, resident in Bristol. It is termed the "Friends' First-Day School Association," and its objects are much the same as of all other Sunday school associations. Every connected school appoints two correspondents, who are also ex-officio members of the central committee. These district committeemen furnish statements of progress and other points of interest, every three months at least; and are also expected to furnish funds for the association.

An annual meeting is provided for, and the Minutes of one of these are here before us.

There were present members from Birmingham, Bristol, Bolton, Lancaster, Leeds, Manchester, Middlesborough, York, Newcastle, Nottingham, Preston, Reading, Sheffield, North Shields, Ackworth, Bradford, &c. The returns for March, 1849, presented a total of 322 teachers, and 2,464 children, an increase of about 90 teachers and 600 children in fifteen months. A brief abstract of the Report before us will best shew the similarity both of design and of experience between these and other Sunday schools.

The subjects discussed (according to previous arrangement) were the fol lowing:

1.-Does not the regular use of the Bible in our schools tend to lessen in the minds of the children the regard and reverence due to its Sacred contents?

2. The best mode of imparting Scriptural instruction.

3. New lesson books, and Mimpriss's system.

4.-The ticket system. 5. The scholars.

importance of visiting

6. The most appropriate and impressive mode of opening and closing Sunday schools.

7.-The importance and claims of adult schools.

8.-The best plan for retaining and instructing senior scholars.

9.-The publication of a selection of hymns.

gence and earnestness, and cannot but regret that men in general so up to their work should be fettered, as they evidently are, by what in several passages they designate "the peculiar views of Friends."

Referring to the first two of the above heads, we gather that the practice in these schools is generally as in others, the scholars reading, and being questioned; though sometimes the whole school have a chapter read to them, and are catechized on it. The constant use of the Bible as a reading book, and the requiring that portions be committed to memory, were viewed with suspicion by some of the teachers, and here and there a tendency was evinced to cling to the old mistake of giving secular instruction on Sundays; but the result of the discussion was the excellent minute that "Scriptural instruction should form the most prominent feature in our schools; but that the Bible should not be used as a task book, nor reading taught by it." Mimpriss's system was the topic of some conversation, but it did not appear that its merits had been thoroughly tested, so that no decided opinion was expressed. One speaker remarked that "systems were like suits of clothes, and what fitted one man might not fit another."

The Ticket and Reward System then came under review, and the remarks made were much the same as on all occasions when we have heard any discussions thereon-complaints of the ticket plan, and strong pleading for resting on high motives in obtaining

11.-The publication of a Magazine. 12. The union or separation of boys

and girls in school.

reply, that children are not grown up people are not influenced by those higher motives to any great extent, and that therefore we must appeal to lower

All these subjects are repeatedly forcing themselves on the notice of teachers. We find them discussed here with a fully average degree of intelli

really injurious.

The teachers assembled on the occasion appear to have been ignorant of the plan of Conduct cards, by which one great end of ticket-distribution,