336 duct, and for the very satisfactory CULCHETH SCHOOL, MANCHESTER NORTH CIRCUIT.-The annual teameeting in connection with this institution was held on Easter Monday. Our valued friend, Mr. Pegg, was in the chair. For some time the school has been crowded to excess, and many of the adult scholars have been lost for want of room to accommodate them. This fact has been most painfully felt and deplored during the past year. Enlargement, therefore, became the common topic of conversation, and that question was freely ventilated at the meeting in question. The Revs. L. Stoney, T. Gutteridge, W. Baggaly, and Messrs. Andrew M'Namee and Blakey, spoke with great freedom and effect. The venerable John Smith led up the singers with his usual ability, and enlivened the meeting by several interesting pieces. Ere the meeting was brought to a close, the general impression appeared to be that the enlargement of the school was quite a settled question; and in a short time the object so much desired will, no doubt, be accomplished with all that zeal and energy by which the friends at Culcheth have so frequently distinguished themselves. BAZAAR FOR THE REDUCTION OF THE DEBT ON WOODHOUSE LANE CHAPEL, LEEDS. A noble effort object has just been successfully comfor this pleted. For many months past preparations, with unflagging zeal, had been made. Arduous as they necessarily were, if the enterprise were to succeed, willingness and self-forgetfulness characterized them all; and the result, morally and pecuniarily, has been so healthful and satisfactory, that it has been accepted as something more than a recompense, even as a stimulus and pledge to future labour. It will be recollected by many that the chapel was very auspiciously opened a year ago, and that then, as a complement to a beautiful and commodious structure erected in the place of the superannuated Ebenezer, such munificent collections were made as placed the Leeds friends, for united and timely liberality, in the front ranks of the Connexion. Before this notice closes, it will be seen that the lately terminated effort is not one made by a people of spent strength, but by those in the vigour of their powers: the out-come of real vitalitynot the reflection of a former spasmodic effort. Through the generosity of J. Love, Esq., and of the true-hearted friends of the cause in Leeds, the debt on the chapel, last Conference, only amounted to £2,300. It was then determined to have, at the celebration of the first anniversary, a bazaar, which it was hoped would realize at least £500. The Ladies' Sewing and Crochet Meetings, with a kindness which was as generous as it was indispensable, volunteered their services; and all interested in the movement set to work in right earnest. With wonderful ingenuity and unremitting toil, fair fingers wove into graceful forms the creations of their fancy, or developed, in useful articles, the practicalness of their understandings. The result was a rich, varied, and serviceable assortment of goods. Easter week was fixed upon for their display and sale. The labour was completed, the arrangements perfected, and then success awaited. The unpropitious state of the weather on Monday and Tuesday, combined with the excitement and turmoil of the borough election, raised some fears whether all that had been anticipated would be realized. But earnest and wise effort, with God's blessing, proved them groundless. On Wednesday, April 27th, in the New Town Hall, the bazaar was opened, after the Rev. S. Hulme had given out the 545th hymn, and the Rev. T. Griffiths engaged in prayer. The stalls, &c., had been arranged under the superintendence, gratuitously given, of W. Hill, Esq., the architect of the chapel, and whose tasteful skill therein displayed deserves and receives our warmest thanks. The great beauty of the Victoria Hall rendered extensive decorations unnecessary. It would be impossible to enumerate and describe the character and variety of the articles exhibited on the occasion. Almost every form of want and shade of taste in useful and elegant fabrics had its supply and its counterpart; and the ladies well sustained their previous assiduity in the urbanity and success with which they wooed their friends to purchase. Their names and receipts will be found below. The refreshment stall was most richly furnished, and contributed much to the comfort of visitors. In this department the un grudging labour and liberality of Mrs. E. Blackburn, Mrs. R. Heaps, and Mrs. R. Garside, of Hunslet, will not be forgotten. The whole proceedings were enlivened by the frequent performance of a drawing-room band, accompanied by a friend on a grand pianoforte, kindly lent by Messrs. Hopkinson, makers, of London and Leeds. On the first day the attendance was large, and the receipts (£534) most encouraging. We were favoured with the presence of J. Love, Esq. and Mrs. Love; J. Ferens, Esq. and Mrs. Ferens, of Durham, who purchased liberally; B. Fowler, Esq., and family, of Liverpool; H. Woodhouse, Esq., and party; B. Senior, Esq., and party, of Batley; E. Lumby, Esq., and Mrs. Lumby, of Halifax; Mrs. J. Crossland, and T. Crossland, Esq., and Mrs. Crossland, of Huddersfield; Mr. Alderman Blackburn, Messrs. Councillors Mellor and Garside, &c., &c.; the Revs. Dr. Crofts and Mrs. Crofts, P.T. Gilton, J. Taylor, J. Ogden, T. W. Ridley and Mrs. Ridley, T. Clifton, C. Shaw, and T. S. Rushworth. The interest but little abated on the succeeding day, while the attendance very much increased-1,200 being admitted. On Friday and Saturday, the concluding days, we were proportionately successful, for when on Saturday evening, at eleven o'clock, the Rev. S. Hulme announced the proceeds, not many articles remained unsold. Expressions of thanks, thrice repeated, were given to the ladies, who had so perseveringly and successfully carried out the project; and after the doxology and benediction, the friends retired, wearied, but full of thankfulness. Summary of the four days' receipts:Stall presided over by Mrs. J. K. Darby and Mrs. Slater, £105 ls. 8d.; Mrs. H. Dixon, Mrs. S. D. Dixon, Mrs. J. H. Wright, and Mrs. J. O. Garside, £150 28.; Mrs. J. G. Heaps and Mrs. T. Heaps, £203 9s. 6d.; Mrs. B. Musgrave, Mrs. J. Ripley, Mrs. D. T. Moss, and Mrs. F. Nettleton, £102 10s. 6d.; Mrs. Josh. Steele, Mrs. A. Swallow, and Mrs. W. Walker, £83; Mrs. Tiffany, Mrs. T. Parker, Mrs. C. Heaps, Mrs. E. Tiffany, and Mrs. T. B. Hopkinson, £275 10s. 3d.; Young Ladies' Stall, £76 5s. 1d.; Tree, by Children of Stall-keepers, £16 14s.; Mrs. W. Hill, Miss Ousey, Secretaries; assisted by Mrs. Alderman Blackburn, Mrs. R. Heaps, Mrs. R. Garside, Mrs. Laycock, Mrs. Barr, Mrs. W. Musgrave, &c., Confectionary and Refreshment Stall, £108 6s. 8d.; Admission Receipts, £78 11s. 8d.-Total, £1,199 11s. 4d. The next day, May 1st., the first anniversary of the chapel was celebrated. The Rev. J. Stacey, of Sheffield, preached in the morning on "Music in Heaven," a subject, conceived in such a fervid spirit, analysed with such philosophical discrimination, and delivered with such chaste and dignified eloquence, that every one felt it to be peculiarly fitted to divert from the fleeting to the permanent, from discord to harmony, from earth to heaven: a sermon, in short, an enumeration of whose features is sufficient praise-all else is vulgar. In the evening the Rev. S. Hulme, our highly esteemed superintendent, preached on "The Atonement". powerful and comprehensive exhibition and defence of the evangelical argument, and listened to with the same attention and admiration which greet all Mr. Hulme's pulpit labours in this circuit. The congregations were very good, as also was the collection-£21. Of course no special effort was made. -a On Monday evening, May 16th, a congratulatory tea meeting was held in the school-room underneath the chapel, over which the Rev. S. Hulme presided. In his opening remarks he forcibly reviewed the principal features of the enterprise, and invited the prompt and spirited union of the friends for the attainment of religious prosperity. A brief history of the bazaar was then read by Mr. S. Slater, the secretary; and Mr. H. Dixon, the treasurer, presented a detailed statement of accounts, from which it appeared that, after the deduction of all expenses, there remained £1,098 16s. 4d., exclusive of the Sunday collections, which sum was formally handed over to Mr. S. D. Dixon, the treasurer of the trustees, and acknowledged by him on their behalf. It was then stated by Mr. Slater that the cost of the chapel and land had been £6,800-that £5,600 had been raised, leaving a present debt of £1,200. The Rev. E. J. Baxter moved, and Mr. J. G. Heaps seconded, a resolution expressive of deep thankfulness to God for the success he had vouchsafed, of the unanimity which had prevailed, and of the hope that the remaining debt would soon be extinguished. Hearty votes of thanks, on the suggestion of the chairman, were then accorded to the various persons who had originated and continued the enterprise, and also to those who had rendered special labour or kindness. A resolution, pledging the meeting to united, prayerful effort for spiritual prosperity, was unanimously passed, moved by the Rev. T. Griffiths, and seconded by Mr. E. Tiffany. After a vote of thanks to Mr. Hulme for his services in the chair during the evening, and for his presidency of the bazaar, the benediction was pronounced, and the meeting separated. Its most marked and delightful aspect was the perfect oneness of feeling exhibited in general thanksgiving to God, loving fellowship with each other, and in fervent aspiration that now, more than ever, the devotedness of the Church and the conversion of sinners might be promoted through the pouring out of the Holy Spirit-a result to which all felt the previous expenditure of time, money, and labour, should be considered subordinate and contributory. And so God having signally sanctioned the whole movements connected with the building of this chapel, labour and prayer are offered for the end of its erection to be fully realized. We have had the good hand of our God upon us, therefore we faint not. Religious toil has ever its reward; godly hope, its fruition; so we "learn to labour and to wait." God will bless us, and that right early. May 17, 1859. E. J. BAXTER, THORNE CIRCUIT.-My dear Sir,Again we have concluded our missionary services in the Thorne Circuit. To me it generally appears that a number of details on such matters only occupy your valuable space without compensating by their recital. Suffice it to state, that we were favoured with the welcome services of the Rev. J. Simon at Epworth, Eastoft, Haxey, Westwoodside, and Grazelound; and on the other side of the circuit we had the valuable help of the Rev. William Reynolds at Thorne, Bolton, Levels, Fishlake, and Wormly Hill. Some of the collections during the Epworth week fell short, but upon the whole we are in advance of last year. The above ten places fully occupied us two weeks, and still left Scotter to be provided for alone. Here we had the Revs. J. Medicraft and J. Hudston. Again our noble-minded friends made one of their best efforts. The total sum raised at Scotter was about £26. The whole amount raised in the circuit is about £68. This is gratifying, amidst the heavy depression of our agricultural district. And now a few words about the state of the circuit. During my three years' sojourn here God has been very gracious to us. Some of the places have indeed continued low during the whole time; but in most of the churches we have had a gracious quickening and some increase. A neighbourhood like this, where there is no employment but agriculture and its appendages, the loss by removals is almost incredible. By the blessing of God, however, after filling up all losses by removals and deaths, we have made an encouraging progress each year. When the Rev. D. Round left, in 1856, the return was 252 accredited members, and 28 on trial. In 1857 the return was 278 accredited and 50 on trial. In 1858 the numbers stood thus: 305 accredited, and on trial 58. In the present year, 1859, our return is 320 accredited, and 20 on trial; thus giving on the three years an increase of 78 members, or about thirty per cent. on the number then formed in the circuit. I record these facts with most devout gratitude. I came to the circuit with some reluctance; there appeared to me a good deal of mystery about my appointment. I know, however, that God is always right, and I know, too, that they that abide with him must come out right. I am now an aged man, and feel that I must indeed work while it is day; for the night will soon be upon me, when I cannot work. May 3, 1859. JOHN NELSON. ON Sunday, April 17th, the sermons on behalf of our missions at Dawley and Madeley Wood were preached by the Rev. W. Willan and the Rev. G. Wood. On the two following evenings meetings were held at the same places. All the services were times of refreshing, and the collections greatly in advance of those of last year. Mr. Willan's visit was highly appreciated by our friends. Our greatest want is a few monthly collectors on behalf of the mission cause. Which of our female members will come forward and engage in this benevolent enterprise? G. W. ASHTON.-The annual sermons on behalf of our missions were preached in our chapel, on Sunday, April 24th, by the Rev. W. Mills. Most profound and solemn was the feeling which pervaded the assembly, as Mr. Mills, with irresistible pathos and power, adverted to the spiritual destitution of the vast majority of the world's population, and appealed for sympathy and support, for the prayers of the Church, as well as its pecuniary "help," that soon the prophetic declaration might be realised, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea,' that the Son might be glorified by the accomplishment of God's purpose in the earth, even the restoration of universal man to the Divine favour. And, whilst the preacher impressively dwelt upon the love wherewith God has loved us in giving his Son to die for us, he failed not to draw therefrom powerful arguments that we ought so to love one another. The public meeting was held on the following evening, presided over by our esteemed friend Mr. W. H. Waterhouse, when addresses were delivered by the Revs. W. Mills and J. Addyman (Dissenter), the Revs. C. J. Donald, T. Clifton, S. Jackson, Mr. S. Mills, and other friends. Although the weather was unfavourable, still the pecuniary results of the services were most gratifying, being an advance upon last year, and we doubt not that the remarks of our friends, as to the requirements of our missions - their special claims upon us, and the success which has been vouchsafed to labours in the past, will be so many incentives to renewed exertion, and consequent increased success. J. TALMB. our MISSIONARY SERVICES, GUERNSEY. -On the evening of Friday, April 22nd, a preparatory sermon was preached by the Rev. T. Mills, of Dudley; and on the following Sabbath sermons were preached by the Revs. G. Grundy, of London, and T. Mills. On the Monday evening we held our missionary meeting, on which occasion we had, in addition to the very efficient services of the above-mentioned brethren, the assistance of the Revs. T. Drew (Primitive Methodist), C. Cooke (Wesleyan), Mr. Thoady, (Independent), and Mr. Crole, of the Scotch Church. The meeting is said to have been the most interesting missionary meeting we have held in Guernsey. The following evening we held our annual missionary tea meeting, which was deeply interested for some hours by the addresses of the Revs. T. Mills and G. Grundy, and Mr. J. Le Huray, one of our local preachers. The speeches were characterized by a luminous and fervid eloquence, and powerfully urged the claims of God and the souls of men upon the zealous exertions of the Church. Some of the facts and appeals presented were very telling. The chair was occupied on both occasions by the superintendent of the circuit. On Wednesday evening, Mr. Grundy preached the concluding sermon of a series of services, which will be long remembered with pleasure. The amount of the contributions of the circuit this year will, we believe, be found to be quite in character with its accustomed liberality. T. S. A Bible Dictionary. By the Rev. J. A. Bastow. New Edition. London: Hamilton and Adams. THIS work proposes to give "a comprehensive digest of the history and antiquities of the Hebrews and neighbouring nations; the natural history, geography, and literature of the sacred writings, with reference to the latest researches ;" and, to a very considerable extent, it presents a fulfilment of the author's promise. It displays uncommon industry and perseverance, and supplies a mass of valuable information on very many topics which engage the attention of the Biblical student. The information supplied embraces the most recent facts which modern discoveries have brought to light, illustrative of the divine records, and confirmatory of their truth. Ethnology, archæology, natural history, astronomy, geology, and general science, are made to contribute to the elucidation of the sacred page; and, in addition to the usual topics brought under alphabetical arrangement, there is an elaborate and copious introduction, comprising valuable dissertations on the Bible, its languages, versions, the principles of interpretation, &c. The work is well got up, the paper being of good quality, the type clear, and numerous engravings are introduced to illustrate Scripture facts, and aid the reader's conception of Biblical antiquities. In introducing this work to our readers, it would afford us a higher degree of satisfaction if we could honestly present it with our unqualified commendation. But we regret to say that, with many undoubted excellencies, it contains some sentiments from which we feel it our duty to express our dissent, especially as they might mislead young and inquiring minds, and find their way from the volume to the pulpit and our congregations. The Holy Trinity is a doctrine of the highest importance, and lies at the very foundation of Christian theology. The doctrine held by Methodist churches, and, indeed, by all Evangelical churches, ancient and modern, is that there are "Three Persons in the Godhead-the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-coequal, coessential, and coeternal." But Mr. Bastow's views, as expressed in his article on the Trinity, are widely different from the received doctrine. He denies the eternity of the personal distinctions, and resolves them into mere developments or manifestations of God. Speaking of the Godhead, he says:-"Unity appears to be God concealed, and Trinity is God revealed. The Unity is God Himself, i. e. simply in and by Himself considered, immutable, self-existent, eternal, and possessed of all possible perfection and excellence. But as to the Trinity-the Father is God as revealed in the works of creation, providence, and legislation; the Son is God in human flesh-the Divine Logos incarnate; the Holy Ghost is God the Sanctifier, who renovates the hearts of sinners, and dwells in the hearts of believers. The personal distinctions of the Godhead consist in these developments, made in time, and made to intelligent and rational beings."-p. 685. Here Mr. Bastow resolves the personal distinctions of the Godhead into mere developments and manifestations. He makes the developments and personal distinctions identical with each other; for, he says, "the personal distinctions consist in these developments." These developments, too, are "made in time," and therefore are not essential to the Godhead; and if the developments are not essential, neither are the personal distinctions, for, according to his view, they are identical with each other; so that if no developments had been made, there would have been no distinctions in the Godhead. Consistently with this theory, Mr. Bastow tells us plainly, in the next sentence, that the personal distinctions are not eternal, and that, from the nature of the case, they cannot be eternal. He says:-"Strictly considered, distinctive personality, according to this view, is not eternal; and from the nature of the case it cannot be, because it consists in developments of the Godhead to intelligent beings; and those developments could not be made before those beings had existence."-p. 685. If this be so, the personal distinctions of the Godhead have had but a short existence, for there was a period when they had no being. Startled as we may be at this conclusion of Mr. Bastow, it necessarily flows from his own premises; for if it be true that the personal distinctions of the Godhead consist in developments made in time, they could not be eternal. This amounts to a denial of any proper plurality of persons in the Godhead. God is now what he ever was and ever will be; and if the personal distinctions of the Godhead are not eternal, there are now no personal distinctions in the Godhead. This is to deny the doctrine of the Trinity, as it is held by all orthodox denominations. For if the personal distinctions in the Godhead be not eternal, the only personality that is eternal is an absolute unity, to the exclusion of all personal plurality. What, then, we ask, is the Son of God when divested of eternity, and resolved into a mere development or manifestation? What, we ask, is the Holy Spirit, who, like the Son, is divested of eternity, and resolved into a mere development or manifestation? They are not eternal, Mr. Bastow tells us; and if not eternal, what are they? Is the Son |