have had eight children, five of whom are yet alive, and they, together with my wife, compose my present family. Hitherto I have been provided for; and amidst all the cares, and perplexities, and changes through which I have passed, if my afflictions abounded, my consolations have also abounded. I have given up my business, for I found it a losing concern, as English goods-selling is a business here much overdone. What I shall now engage in for my future living, I find it not easy to determine. I wait for divine providence to point out my path, for, as an honest man, it was not my duty to go on in business at other people's expense. Such is a brief sketch of my past life, and the history of my change of opinions. It only remains to say in brief what these now are.

It has been already noticed, that after I came to this country, I became a Baptist. On this point, I have seen no reason to change my opinion. It has also been hinted at, that I renounced the doctrine of the Trinity. I am increasingly convinced, that the doctrine of three persons or beings in one God, has no foundation in the Bible. Some time ago, I wrote a series of Letters, published in the Universalist Magazine, showing that the Spirit of God, or Holy Spirit, means the power or influence of God, and has no reference to a distinct intelligence from the one living and true God.* As to Jesus Christ, I believe that his life, wisdom, power, and all he possessed, he derived from his Father and our Father. As to the nature of Jesus Christ, or even God himself, I consider as an idle speculation. What the Bible reveals, and what we are concerned with, is their character; and surely this is not a mystery.

(To be concluded in our next. )

* In these Letters, all texts where ruh and pneuma, rendered spirit in the common version, occur, are classed and considered. The phrases Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, Holy Spirit, &c. are particularly examined. I had noticed in the course of the controversy between Trinitarians and Unitarians, that very little was said by either of them respecting the divinity and personality of the Spirit. This examination was undertaken entirely for my own satisfaction, when my mind became shaken on the doctrine of the Trinity. It ended in the most perfect conviction, that if there were two persons in the Godhead, there was not three. I do not see how any candid rational man can come to a different result, who will take the trouble to examine the passages.

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To the Editor of the Christian Pioneer.

RESPECTED SIR,

CORK, August 1829.

THE following original and eccentric document fell into my hands at the time of its publication, which was June 1828. I beg to forward it for insertion in your most useful Journal. I think it an excellent specimen of the consequences attendant on driving absurdity in theological notions to its extreme result. In mathematics, this process is well known, and has given name to one kind of argumentation; how far it may be fair to apply this method as a test of religious truth, I am not prepared to discuss, but, certainly, if the orthodox theory of the matter in question be true, the deductions made from them must be admitted to be correct. The document alluded to, is as follows:

"NOTICE.

"On next Sabbath, the 15th June, a STRANGE Man will preach in the Old Baptist Meeting-House, Marlborough-Street, Cork, on particular subjects: Who is the preacher? What are the subjects?-Come and hear!— Compare and reflect!! Among other things, it will be proved, THAT DEVILS PRAY, AND THEIR PRAYERS ARE HEARD!!!-while a follower of Christ prays, and his prayer is rejected!!!

"Service to commence at Half-past Eleven o'clock, forenoon, and at Six in the evening.

"N. B. No particular Collection.

"BOLSTER, Printer, Cork.

This strange man did preach, and illustrated the first part of his argument, from the case of the Devils being permitted, at their own request, to go into the herd of swine, and also from Satan's having got leave to torment Job! The second clause, he proved by a detail of the poor result obtained for his own prayers, and for those of Apostles like him. This man's hand-bill gave great offence to the orthodox here; but if they believe, as he does, literally in a semi-omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient Diabolical Spirit, they are, with him, on the horns of the dilemma which they adopt along with him; and it is not very obvious how they can resist his conclusions given above.I am, SIR,

With admiration of your exertions in the cause of truth, R.D. (R.)

The Wealth of the Church.

Ir may not be without its use, to apprize the public of the good things that are connected with St. Paul's Cathedral. To begin with the Bishop:-The Chair of the See of London is fixed in the Cathedral. The income of it averages from £15,000 to £20,000 per annum, with a prospect of great increase at no distant period, from the falling in of building leases; for, within twenty years from the present time, the annual revenue of the bishopric, will, it is said, exceed £100,000. There are two superb houses in St. James' Square and Fulham, and at least thirty manors, together with good but not very extensive patronage. Surely this is a little too much for a successor of the Apostles. Much complaint, and justly, is made of the miserable stipends on which the working part of the clergy have to eke out a miserable existence. And there are those who think, that a part of the immense revenues of the Bishop of London, might be advantageously employed in augmenting the salary of the poor half-starving curate. This we must not, however, expect from a sense of propriety on the part of the Bishop: nothing but the law of necessity will induce him and his brethren on the Bench to spare of their superfluity, that others may have whereof

to eat.

The Dean is next in rank. A good town-house, and a revenue of many thousands, per annum, are attached to this dignity: the service required, very small. Then follow the Residentiaries. They are a set of very comfortable priests, living in snug houses, in their quiet retreat in "Amen Corner," enjoying about half the emoluments of the Dean, that is, £3000 per annum, each. The Prebendaries are numerous, but with various incomes. Dr. Percy, the cousin of the Duke of Northumberland, who is also Bishop of Carlisle, and half-a-dozen things besides, receives some thousands a-year. The duties of the Prebendaries, as well as those of the Residentiaries, are chiefly performed by three-and-sixpenny substitutes! The Chancellor, Precentor, Treasurer, &c. &c. have all fat births, and little work. The Minor Canons are the next. They are poorly paid, till they become entitled to the patronage of the Church, in which are found livings as high as £2000 a-year. Some years ago, they found a substitute upon still cheaper terms than their superiors, who pay 3s. 6d.

It is their duty to perform the early service in St. Paul's Cathedral. Reluctant as they naturally might be to leave a warm bed for a cold church, they engaged a miserable minister, who, for ninepence a-morning, read the prayers! Of course, the other inferior officers are badly paid. These are the Vicar's Choral, Choristers, Vergers, &c.; but they tax the public, by disgracefully extorting money from the spectators of the Cathedral and its national monuments..

We have given our readers a specimen of the riches wasted in the Church. In every Cathedral, similar abuses prevail. But how fare the working Priests? With the enormous revenues of the Bishop of London, and other dignitaries of St. Paul's, let our readers compare the following statements, supplied to us by writers both of and for the Church. There are 3,589 parochial benefices, not exceeding £98 per annum; there are 4,809, without fit habitations for the residence of the incumbents; and there are more than 1000 livings under £60 per annum, and 442 under £30! And how many hundreds of Curates, with but half-a-belly full, it is not easy to say. Turning from the Church, let us ask what is the condition of the poor of the poor, for whose support one-fourth part of the property of the Church was originally given? Hundreds of thousands are on the edge of starvation. Is this just? Is this what we might expect in a Christian country? Is the conduct of the Church dignitaries, the conduct recommended in the Gospel? If not, why are such things? The answer is plain. The people are to blame. It is in their power to put an end to such iniquities—it is their dutyit is their interest to put an end to such iniquities. The voice of the people, is the voice of God-it is irresistible.

We request our readers' attention a little longer. The annual emoluments belonging to the English and Irish Church, are greater in amount than is the sum of all the salaries of all the ministers of all Christendom beside! £8,896,000, it has been computed, are annually received by the English and Irish clergy! Who, not being a sharer in these riches, and made of flesh and blood, can hear such a statement, without crying, shame, shame? But those who profess themselves of the Church of England, are only a portion of the inhabitants of these kingdoms; of the professors, thousands are not hearers, and yet the professors are estimated at the low number of 6,400,000; while the professors of all other denominations, amount to

14,600,000; and, while fourteen millions and a-half have the ordinances of religion administered to them, at least as well as the professors of the Church, for £1,024,000, the cost of the religious provision for six and a-half millions, is, nearly nine millions of money! Out of this enormous sum, the Church of Ireland, which has, for professors, only 400,000 people, takes no less a sum than £1,300,000; that is, more than is expended in the religious education of all the professors in the kingdom besides, excepting those of the Church-more than is expended for fourteen millions of hearers! In France, the number of hearers is estimated at thirty millions, and for these for 30 millions, not so much is expended as for 400,000 in Ireland! In the United States of America, 9,600,000 persons are taught for £576,000; that is, nearly ten millions of people are taught for half the sum consumed in Ireland, on the instructors of 400,000 Protestants! Add to all this, that it is notorious, that, in the majority of cases, the work of the Church is ill done, and done worst where most is received. It is a fact, the English Church is best paid and worst served, of any Christian Church in the world. How long, my countrymen-how long shall these things be? d G. C. S.

BRIGHTLY, oh brightly shines yon silver star
On the dark bosom of the dappled clouds!
Oh, surely 'tis some lovely harbinger...

Of happiness; for, seeno darkness shrouds Its lustre bright! Often I've fondly thought

That those fair gems which light the vault of heaven, Are happy regions, where the bless'd have sought That rich reward which to the good is given;

... And as I've gazed upon their sparkling forms, I've fancied, in my fever'd joy, my sight

S

Had met their glance, who, sever'd from the storms*** Of sorrow, breathed the air of pure delight!

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Oh grant, kind Heaven! be mine indeed the lot,

To gain a resting-place in such a spot.

vul May, 1829.1 to 5% 801 51651 R. M.T.