every good man, to be informed that the Lord Lieutenants of the different counties have, agreeably to the provisions of the act of parliament, resolved to testify the same reverence for that sacred day, in training the people to the use of arms, for the defence of cur liberties and our most holy faith. vantages; even the effort, would be honourable to our general character, and prove that religion and virtue have yet many zealous ad vocates. Extract from the Address of the Methodists. THE (Wesleyan) Methodists, at their late Conférence held at Manchester, determined on an Address to the Members of their Societies throughout Great Britain, in which they point out their duty in respect to the public affairs of the nation. After acknowledging the goodness of God to this country on former occasions, they express their obli440gations to government as professors of religion. We insert the following paffage: THE Society for the Suppreffion of Vice, consisting of a great number of the most respectable Noblemen and Gentlemen, have lately published a Report of their Proceedings to April, 1803; from which we find, that the following Convictions have been made, at the instance of this body, viz. Profanation of the Sabbath Vending obscene books and prints Riotous and disorderly 7 ་་ 26 3 Total 487 "The foregoing statement includes an account only of actual offenders brought to punishment, and of of fences actually suppressed; but the committee reminds the members of the society, that to restrain vice by prevention rather than by punishment, was a primary and essential object of the society. Of this object, the committee has never lost sight; and they have the satisfaction of stating, that their endeavours, in this respect, have been attended with very considerable success; particularly in preventing violations of the Loid's Day, and irregularities in public-houses; and in checking the circulation of obscene books and prints, especially in seminaries of education, into which they had been most artfully introduced." The friends of religion cannot but rejoice in every attempt to lessen the dreadful sum of moral evil in our country; especially at a crisis, when the most awful providences so imperiously demand national repentance and reformation. Similar societies, under the auspi. ces of the clergy and magistrates of our principal cities and towns, might be productive of great national ad "We are also bound, by strong ties of gratitude, to our Sovereign and his Government. Our humble applications, in various distressing cases relating to the prosperity of the work of God among us, have been received by our rulers with kind attention; and have produced Even very the happiest effects. lately our government and legisla ture have given very striking proofs of the liberality of their sentiments. The exemptions and other clauses in the late act of parliament for raising the Army of Reserve, and for arming the nation at large, which respect the public ministers of the gospel, and the mode of training the people to arms, are peculiarly favourable to the spiritual interests of the people of God. As we are well acquainted, brethreu, with your conscientious attachment to the holy Sabbath of the Lord, it may give you satisfaction, if we insert here the paragraphs in the act of enrolment which refer to that point. "And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for his Majefty, by any order communicated by one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, to order and direct the Lieutenant or Deputy Lieutenants of any County, to cause the persons comprised in the first, second, and third classes of persons enrolled for military service under this Act, or any or either of them, in the respective parishes of such County, or any of them, to be trained and exercised in the use of arms, as to his Majesty shall seem expe. det; and the Lieutenant or Deputy Lieutenants, to whom any such order shall be directed, shall there. tton forthwith order and direct the Deputy Lieutenants of the respective subdivision of such County in which any such Parishes shall be situate, to regulate the times and places of exercise for such Parishes respectively, and such Deputy Lieu. tenants shall cause such men to be trained and exercised two hours at the least on each and every Sunday, either before or after divine service, or on some other convenient day in the week, in England; or any con venient day in the week to appointed, in Scotland, between the 25th of March and the 25th of De cember in every year, &c.-And it shall also be lawful for the Deputy Lieutenant in their respective subdivisions, in any cases in which they may deem it expedient for the more speedily and effectually carring into execution the provisions of this act, to order and direct that such men be shall be exercised on any other additional day or days in the week, having due regard, in the regulation of the times and places appointed for exercise and training on such other day or days, to the general occupa: tions of the persons to be exercised and trained, so as to interfere as little as may be with such occupa tions. "Provided always and be it fur. ther enacted, That where in England any person or persons in any parish shall have religious scruples in regard to being trained and exercised on Sundays, and shall make oath thereof Lefore any Deputy Licute. pant or Justice of the Peace (which oath such Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace respectively are hereby empowered to adininiser) all and every such person and persons shall be excused from being trained and exercised on Sandays, and from all fines by this act imposed, for non-attendance at such training and exercise; provided such persons shall duly at tend to be trained and exercised on such other day in the week as shall be appointed by the Deputy Lieutenants of the subdivision wherein such parish shall be situate, in lieu of Sunday for that purpose, under and subject to all such fines and penalties for non attendance and misbehaviour at such training and exercise, as are by this act imposed in like cases on any other days of training and exercise: provided also, that no such person or persons who shall be so excused from being trained and exercised on a Sunday as aforesaid, shall be entitled to receive any sum of money under this act for being trained and exercised on such other day in the week as shall be appointed in lieu thereof.” And now, Brethren, we most earnestly, and from a full convic tion of the necessity of the case, be. seech you to comply with the requisitions of Government with cheerfulness and alacrity; fully using your privilege in this respect to the Sabbath-day. But, at the same time, we charge you, in the name of God, to avoid all public entertainments. Fre. quent not the ale-houses or taverns, - - those nurseries of vice ard im morality. To strengthen our caution, and to cause it to be remem bered, we repeat it, as you love that adorable Saviour, who came to save his people from their sins, have nothing to do with those places and works of darkness. N. B. The Conference directs, That a prayer-meeting shall be held in all our chapels on every Friday evening, in behalf of our nation, during the present danger; and a fast shall be observed on the first Friday in every month. An Address, similar to the above, has been published by the Dissenting Ministers and others in the neighbourhood of Kingston-uponHull; who observed Wednesday. the 24th ult. as a day of public humiliation among theinselves. A prayer-meeting has been also instituted at Spa-field's and Zion Chapels alternately, on Tuesday evenings. MISSIONARY COLLECTIONS.' Christ. Fred. Rhesen, of Embeck, in the Electorate of £. Hanover Legacy by the late Mr. Robert Douglas, Kingsland Place Dividend of the Profits on the Edinburgh Missionary Magazine, for one year A Legacy by Henry Poole, Esq. late of Woodford 13 6 8 50 O July 18, 1803. At a Meeting of the Trustees of this Magazine, the following Cases being regularly recommended, were admitted and re. lieved: : Signatures. Denominations. Establishment. d. ≈ o O o O o oo oo o o o o o o o o o o Q 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mrs. N. Rev. M. Wilks. 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 o o o o o oo oo ooo ooo oo o o o o O o O G. Lambert. We are informed that the Rev. J. Fowler's Chapel, at Edmonton, which has been considerably enlarged, will be re-opened for divine worship on Wednesday morning, September the 7th, with a Sermos by Mr. Griffin, of Portsea. Hal-le-lo-jah, Hal- le- lu-jab, Hal le-lu-jah, Hal. le Tell the haughty foe that threatens, Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Oft has Britain bow'd before him, Mourn'd her crimes and sought her God: Oft the righteous' prayer has sav'd her, Oft has tay'd th' uplifted rod. Hallelujah. Now again we'll crowd his temple, Bow the knee before his throne: Plead the mercy he has promis'd, Plead the name by which he's known. Hallelujah. Britons' God!-ye shores resound it ;. Flects and armies catch the sound! Hallelujah. THE REV. MR. DENSHAM. [See p. 395 of this Mag.], A CHILD of dust, a creature of a day; Rais'd from the earth, and form'd of brittle clay, In ev'ry stage of life we trembling stand, In num'rous ways he thrusts his fatal hand, This conqu'ring pow'r, commission'd from the skies, Alike it hur.ies hence the rude or wise, These meeten us for pleasures well refin'd; Call'd on a sudden from a world of sin, Surrounding friends may well their loss deplore: His theme, his constant theme, where'er he came, His Spirit, now dislodg'd from cumb'rous clay, There, in the regions of eternal day, Oh, ye who witness'd their employ of love, Ye honour'd few, who from the city go, This solemn call with others loudly join; O Thou, whose steps mysterious and profound, May we, amidst the dire affliction round, But while thy various judgments are abroad, London Itinerant Society. NULLUM. |