in a massive rustic style, of Gothic architecture, and comports admirably with the character of the contiguous picturesque and romantic scenery. An ample burialground is attached, which, with the site, were the handsome gift of John Harrison, Esq., of Bakewell. [The Editor regrets that, by an oversight, the insertion of this article has been so long delayed.]

RE-OPENING OF KINGSLAND CHAPEL, LONDON.-This place of worship was reopened after its enlargement, on Thursday, the 24th of July, when the Rev. Dr. Leifchild preached in the morning, and the Rev. Caleb Morris in the evening. The devotional services were conducted by the Revs. W. Holmes, (of Wisbech,) J. Jefferson, J. Adey, T. James, and C. F. Vardy. On the following Sabbath, the Rev. Thomas Aveling preached in the morning; the Rev. W. H. Cooper, of Dublin, in the afternoon; and the Rev. Dr. Reed in the evening. Upwards of £200 were collected on Thursday and Sunday; making the sum raised £950. The whole amount of the debt, incurred by the re-enlargement and necessary repairs, was £1100. The remaining debt, it is expected, will be paid off in a few weeks. This chapel is now capable of seating about a thousand persons, and is greatly improved both in its appearance and accommodation.

THIRSK.-The commodious and beautiful Independent Chapel at Thirsk, (the site for which was given by John Bell, Esq. M.P.,) which has been erected for the Rev. E. Gatley, was opened for Divine worship on Tuesday, April 15th. On Monday evening a special prayer-meeting was held. The following morning, the Rev. James Parsons, of York, preached: in the afternoon, the Rev. Thomas Stratten, of Hull: and in the evening the Rev. R. W. Hamilton, D.D., of Leeds. The Rev. Messrs. Wilkinson and Haworth, (Wesleyans,) Schofield, Sutcliffe, Palmer, and Walton, took part in the devotional services. The congregations were large and respectable. On the following Sabbath, two sermons were preached by the minister of the place. The collection amounted to £120. [This announcement only came to hand at the close of the past month.]

NEW CONGREGATIONAL CHAPEL.-Stockton-on-Tees is one of the most populous and flourishing towns in the county of Durham. Hitherto, however, Congregationalism has been scarcely known among its inhabitants-a variety of untoward circumstances having stunted its growth and impaired its efficiency. To secure its progress, its friends have, for some time, deemed a commodious chapel essentially necessary; and on Thursday, the 1st of May, they had the high satisfaction to see the foundation of a new sanctuary and school-room laid. On the interesting occasion, the service was commenced by singing a part of the 179th hymn in the Congregational Hymn-book; prayer was offered by the Rev. W. Campbell, M.A.; the foundation-stone was laid, and an eloquent and powerful address on the principles of Congregationalism was delivered, by the Rev. J. Ely, of Leeds; and the concluding prayer was offered by the Rev. R. C. Pritchett of Darlington. The chapel and schoolroom, including the expense of the site, will cost about £1400. Towards this sum, the people have already contributed upwards of £600, and hope, by the various efforts which they contemplate, to open their chapel with a comparatively small debt.

MANCHESTER.-On Wednesday, May 7th, 1845, James Carlton, Esq., laid the foundation-stone of a new chapel for the use of the church and congregation under the pastoral care of the Rev. D. E. Ford, Greengate. The entire length of the building, when completed, will be ninety-two feet, including the organ-loft behind the pulpit. The style of the architecture will be the decorated English; it will be built of Yorkshire stone; and as a whole, will probably be the most handsome structure belonging to the Congregational denomination in either Salford or Manchester.

COLLIER'S RENTS CHAPEL, SOUTHWARK.-This chapel, after having been entirely closed for more than a year, was again opened for Divine worship, on Thursday, May 8th, when a sermon was preached by the Rev. James Sherman, of Surrey Chapel. In continuation of the opening services, the pulpit was occupied on the following Sabbath (May 11th,) in the morning, by the Rev. Dr. Reed, of Wycliffe Chapel; in the afternoon by the Rev. Caleb Morris, of Fetter-lane; and in the evening by the Rev. George Clayton, of Walworth: at all these services the attendance was most encouraging.

Owing to a series of untoward occurrences, the cause at Collier's Rents had become involved in legal and pecuniary difficulties of no ordinary perplexity. These are now happily removed, and the premises are vested in the hands of J. Morly, S. Morley, J. Wilson, and J. East, Esqrs., who are the present lessees.

During the time that the chapel was closed, the church (which is reduced to a very low state) met at the house of the deacon, for purposes of Christian fellowship and for the celebration of the Lord's supper.

In addition to the morning and evening services on the Lord's-day, conducted by the present pastor, the Rev. R. Littler, there will be an afternoon lecture sustained by esteemed ministers in the neighbourhood, who have kindly offered their services. If this attempt to revive this ancient cause, which had sunk into decay, should meet with due encouragement, it is intended to erect day-schools for the advantage of the children residing in the immediate locality.

NEW CHAPEL AT BESBOROUGH, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.-The inhabitants of this thriving and populous village, who have hitherto been supplied by students under the care of the Rev. Walter Scott, of Bothwell, have succeeded in obtaining the establishment of a permanent place of worship here.

Thomas Loak, Esq., having converted a large and commodious building, originally intended by him for a factory, into an Independent chapel, it was opened for Divine worship on Lord's-day the 13th of April last, when three sermons were preached by the Rev. James Orange, of Nottingham. Crowded congregations assembled at every service, and in the afternoon and evening great numbers went away unable to gain admission. Collections were made at the close of each service: £13 were obtained. Mr. Ellaby has been engaged as the minister, with flattering prospects of

success.

ORDINATION.

On Thursday, June 26, Charles J. S. Russell, B.A., late of Coward College and University College, London, was publicly ordained as a minister of Christ and pastor of the church assembling in Lower Forres-green Chapel, Nailsworth. Rev. G. F. Newman, of Shortwood, conducted the introductory devotional services. Rev. J. Burder, M.A., of Bristol, delivered the introductory discourse. Rev. W. Dove, of Falfield, asked the usual questions. Rev. N. Wheeler, of Stroud, offered the ordination prayer. Rev. P. W. Jenkyn, D.D., theological tutor of Coward College, gave the charge to the minister, from Isaiah vi. 6. In the evening, by the kind permission of Rev. P. F. Newman, the Baptist chapel at Shortwood was opened for the greater convenience of the congregation, and the sermon to the church was preached by Rev. G. Clayton, of London, from Colos. i. 7. The day was marked with special interest, the addresses delivered were of no ordinary character, and there is reason to believe that the Divine blessing has very eminently rested upon them. The following Sabbath two very impressive sermons were preached at Lower Forres-green Chapel, by Rev. Dr. Jenkyn, when collections were made on behalf of the debt, which is the only dark feature of this interesting cause; much encouragement, however, has already been given, and it is fondly hoped that 1846 will find the church perfectly free.

MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE.

AN AUTHORISED REPORT ON THE STATE OF RELIGION IN THE

UNITED STATES.

IN REPLY TO THE ARTICLE IN "THE CHRISTIAN WITNESS."

To the Editor of the Congregational Magazine.

THE following letter is an official answer to an article in "The Christian Witness," on the state of religion in the Revivalist Churches in America. I had seen that article in type; and, being shocked by it, I sent an account of it to Albert Barnes, of Philadelphia; assuring him that Dr. Campbell had used American documents only, and would have been glad to throw doubts upon them, had the paper which first gave them, ever qualified them at all. I need not say, that I had no idea that my private letter would be answered by a public body. But, now that it is so, I owe it to that body, to publish their answer; for their appeal is as much to their own country as to our candour; and their well-known and honoured names will have weight in their country.

Maberly Chapel, August 22, 1845.

ROBERT PHILIP.

The Committee to whom was referred the letter of the Rev. Robert Philip, of March 24, 1845, respecting the state of religion in the United States, recommend to the Pastoral Association the adoption of the following as a letter to be sent to him in reply.

Philadelphia, May 11, 1845.

Rev. and dear Sir,-Your letter of March 24, 1845, to one of our number, Mr. Barnes, was read before us, and we deemed the subject so important that it was referred to a committee, in order that we might state to you our deliberate judgment on the points to which you have referred. In that letter you state that there was to be published in the April number of "The Christian Witness," an account of the American churches and concerning the ministry; and that the "shipwreck of both faith and morals-especially of the latter-charged upon ministers of all denominations is astounding, and will create a great sensation in your country; that the principal letter seems to you to be from the pen of Dr. Humphrey, late of College," and that all the accounts "culminate in one dark point-that the revival churches, and many of the preachers they gave rise to, are deplorably sunk!" You add, that "some of your churches give statistics, I find; and thus specify districts, where the excommunicated, last year, far outnumber the accessions to church fellowship."

We have not had an opportunity of seeing the article to which you refer, and therefore can only judge of its tenor by the statement which you have made. Yet charges of so serious a nature, and so deeply affecting the cause of religion in general, and of revivals in particular, in this country, we have thought demanded our attention, and a statement to you of our judgment in regard to their correctness.

It may be important, in order that you may see whether our opinion is of any value in a subject like this, to say, that our "Pastoral Association" is composed of the ministers connected with what is commonly known as the New School, or Constitutional Presbyterian Church, residing in Philadelphia and the vicinity. Our number consists of about twenty or twenty-five commonly in attendance; and about twenty were present at the time when your letter was laid before them. A large part of our number is made up of pastors of churches in the city and vicinity, and, with them are associated the editor of our religious newspaper-"The Christian Observer,” and the secretaries of the Education and Home Missionary Societies, and the agent of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Occupying, as we do,

a central position, and having opportunities for extensive observation, we should hope that our testimony on the point to which you have referred-for we do not propose to enter into an argument on the subject—might be entitled to some weight in regard to the state of religion of our country.

The perusal of your letter excited our deep surprise. The account to which it referred respecting the state of things here was by no means such as we would have given; nor is it such an one as we would have supposed that any intelligent and candid man acquainted with our churches could have given. We think there must have been some great misapprehension—we would trust not of design—and we are certain that the readers of that account will not obtain a view of the state of things, which will do justice to the ministers and churches of this land.

We should, of course, be better able to meet these statements if we had the article before us; yet we would beg leave to say, that a very unfair representation of the actual condition of this, or any other country, might be given from accounts taken, as this appears to have been, from the "newspapers," connected with one or two letters from individuals, who, however high their station, or honest their purpose, are liable to be secretly influenced by views and feelings which would give an undesirable colouring to their views. We need not say to you, that, if one disposed to form such an article should collect together all the accounts which he could find in British newspapers, of crimes committed in your large towns; of the ignorance of certain portions of your population; of disorders occurring occasionally in your manufacturing districts, and of the burdens laid on your labouring population, &c. &c., that an account could be drawn up which would give no correct representation of the state of things in your United Kingdom. Our country is large. We have, in some parts of it, a heterogeneous population, and from the necessity of the case, a great variety of religious opinions. We are making a great experiment on the question, whether we are capable of self-government, and whether religion can be sustained, when unconnected with the State. We do not deny that there are evils in our country, as there are in all others; nor that there may be some peculiar to us. We do not deny that there are extravagances and irregularities in matters of religion in many districts, and that if all these were collected together, a most unfavourable picture might be given. We do not deny that there have been irregularities connected with revivals of religion, and that amidst the different denominations which are friendly to revivals, and under the countenance of some who have been extensively known as revival preachers, there have been things which the great body of evangelical Christians have regretted. But we suppose that these things in themselves do not constitute a proper basis of judgment respecting the state of religion in this country, and that if an opinion is formed from these alone, no one can understand it. We fear that the article to which you refer has been drawn up in this manner.

There are a few points in the general subject, to which we will refer more particularly.

I. It is true that the past two years in our churches have been characterised by the withholding of those special Divine influences, which in former times we have so richly enjoyed as producing revivals of religion. We would by no means say, that there have been no revivals, or that religion has been in all places, and in all senses, on the decline. We do not believe this to be so. There have been many places where revivals have been enjoyed with the same power as in former days and we do not believe that the general cause of religion is on the decline. What we mean by "coldness" and " deadness," what the churches so much mourn over, is the want of those influences by which large numbers are simultaneously impressed with Divine truth, and led to yield their hearts to God. The Gospel was never more întelli

gently and faithfully preached than it is now. The numbers in attendance upon the ministration of the word, the harmony, peace, and increase of the congregations, were never greater. There never has been a period, we think, when there have been fewer cases of discipline. As an instance on this point, which may be of some importance, we may observe, that the synod with which we are connected, and which is extended over all the eastern part of Pennsylvania, and parts of Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey, has been in existence, under its present organisation, for seven years, and that during the whole of that time we have never had a case of discipline for any offence against good morals, either in relation to a minister or private member of the church, brought before us; nor, in any of our presbyteries has there been a charge alleged against a minister for immorality of any kind. We suppose that the true state of our churches, in reference to the progress of religion, is about what it has ordinarily been in those evangelical denominations under the regular and faithful preaching of the Gospel, where what are known in this country as revivals have been little experienced. Our public worship is marked with decency and order; there is a growing attachment to the truth and to the cause of Christian benevolence; there are numerous accessions to the churches; there are few communions that pass where there are not some accessions; and there is a steady increase of churches in those portions of our country which have heretofore been destitute of the preaching of the Gospel.

Yet we admit that there is a state of coldness in religion, over which the friends of evangelical piety have great reason to mourn. It was said in a letter to you, written by Mr. Barnes, that "the causes of it we are not able to search out." What those causes are, we do not pretend to say,-but we can say what they are not. They may be owing to our returning prosperity; to the fact that our people, having passed through a great pecuniary crisis, with great losses of property, find themselves again in strong temptations to accumulate wealth; and that from this cause a general spirit of worldliness has spread over the community. But we are CERTAIN that the cause is not what it is stated in the article in "The Christian Witness" to be, if we have a correct view of the nature of that article. We are certain that the "shipwreck of faith and morals" charged upon ministers of all denominations, has had nothing to do in causing this declension of religion. We have never heard this referred to as contributing at all to it; we do not believe that it has had any influence of that nature. The instances of immorality in the ministry, as we shall remark under another point, have not been comparatively so numerous or so aggravated, as to produce any effect on the cause of religion at large. Equally clear are we in the opinion, that it is not because the great mass of our ministers and people have lost confidence in revivals; or that there have been such extravagances in revivals, or such irregularities in ministers friendly to revivals, and who have laboured to promote them, that they have no confidence in them, and no desire for them. So far as we can judge, there never has been a time in the history of our country in which there was a more steady confidence in such works of grace, or a deeper conviction of their desirableness for the preservation and extension of religion in our land.

II. So far as we can judge, the cause of evangelical religion is steadily advancing in our country. Religion is securing a firmer hold on the public mind, and in all the forms in which it developes itself, it obtains steadily-augmenting favour among the people. This, we think, is true in every department of religious effort, and is manifest not only in the churches, but in the community at large. We would refer particularly to such things as these :

(a.) Infidelity meets with much less favour than it did some years ago, even within our own recollection. Men in public are less willing to own themselves to be