THE BIBLE. "A single book has saved me; but that book is not of human origin. Long had I despised it; long had I deemed it a class-book for credulity and ignorance; until, having investigated the Gospel of Christ, with an ardent desire to ascertain its truth, its pages proffered to my inquiries the sublimest knowledge of man and nature, and the simplest and, at the same time, the most exalted system of Moral Ethics. Faith, hope, and charity were rekindled in my bosom and every advancing step strengthened me in the conviction, that its morals are as superior to human morals, as its dogmas are superior to human opinions."-M. L. BAUTAIN, M.D. Professor of Philosophy to the Faculty of Literature at Strasburg, 1827. : TO THE SYNDICATE OF THE CLARENDON PRESS, OXFORD. GENTLEMEN,-I have long had the intention of addressing a few words to you on the printing of folio Prayer-books for the desks of churches and chapels; and the necessity of giving a new edition, on occasion of our recent loss, seems to present a proper opportunity. Every circumstance tending to the propriety and decorum of the prayer and praises of the admirable service of the Church of England cannot but be worthy of notice: through the favour, therefore, of the Christian Remembrancer, I beg to observe, that I have been in Holy Orders upwards of thirty-four years, and have, during that time, performed the service generally three or four times a week, and for some years twice every day; consequently have had much experience in the several points conducing to the decorum of that service : to one of those points, connected with the printing of those prayers for the public use of the Clergy, it appears advisable to call your particular attention. I have repeatedly observed in the performance of others, and have myself felt the inconvenience of turning over a leaf during the utterance of a prayer, occasioned by the printer having arranged the letter-press so that a part of the composition is on one page, and another part on the following page. The person officiating is therefore compelled to prepare himself by previously taking the leaf in his hand; or should he omit this interruption to the congregation, he is in danger of inconveniently attracting their attention from their devotions, by a hesitation in turning the leaf over; or sometimes by two leaves adhering together: and all this interruption is occasioned without the least necessity, as perhaps half a page, or even more, is left blank at the end of the Morning, and the same at the Evening Service. This hindrance and inconvenience might easily be prevented by arranging the blank spaces on each page so that the whole of every prayer should appear on the same page. While I am on the subject of printing, it may be as well also to notice the alterations and omissions that are sometimes made by the compositor, without competent authority, and without correction by the superintendent of the press. It may be sufficient, for the present, to observe, that in the General Thanksgiving the word "that" is inserted instead of "such a between the words " us and "due": the word "may" has been in several editions omitted between the word "we" and "shew," to the maiming of the sentence: and the word "also" between the words "but" and "in," to the manifest and entire change and injury of the sense; making it appear that the writer expressed himself as if we were not to praise God with our lips, when we praise him in our lives. In the 90th Psalm, in the Burial Service, the letter "s" is omitted, turning the particle "so" into the interjection "O"; thus entirely altering the sense of the verse, and rendering useless the reference in our Bibles to the 4th verse of the 39th Psalm. CLERICUS SEXAGENARIUS. MONTHLY REGISTER. SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. The Second Annual Report of the Hackney District Committee. AFTER the full detail given of the views and operations of this District Committee, in the First Annual Report of their proceedings, little can remain to expatiate upon in any subsequent Report of an Institution, so uniform and steady in its general course and designs, except the gradual extension of its objects, and the success of its exertions. In these respects, the Managing Committee is able most satisfactorily to congratulate the Subscribers. The respective accounts of Bibles, books, and tracts, issued in the two years since its commencement, will, when placed in juxta position, fully warrant this assertion: From April, 1828, to April, 1829. This increased circulation is the more gratifying, from the fact being well known, that in the second year of an Institution of this kind, there are causes which generally operate to diminish the number of issues, and to enlarge the account of the first year beyond that of any succeeding ones, viz. the stronger impetus which the zeal of the originators usually gives to any fresh project, the novelty of it, and the greater demand necessarily to be expected in the earlier stages of its establishment. But here the reverse has been the case; a decided augmentation in numbers to a considerable extent has been the result, compared with that of the preceding year. united objects embraced by this Society with such effect and utility, namely, of joining to the distribution of the Bible, that of its best commentary, the Liturgy of the Church of England, aided by explanatory, practical, and well-authorized treatises on the Scriptures, and the offices of our National Church, must deservedly give it the preference with the members of that Church, and enlist the affections of men in its behalf. The In the workhouse, too, small sets of appropriate books and tracts have been given for the use of its healthy in mates, in addition to those of the sick wards, by whom they have been welcomed with much thankfulness. To one very gratifying feature, arising out of an eminently useful branch of this Society-the establishment of Lending Libraries-the Committee have peculiar pleasure in adverting the rapid increase of applicants in this Central Division of the parish, and in that of South Hackney, for the use of the books. During the first year very few demands made upon them, in great measure were owing to want of information on the subject. But in the course of this last year, nearly a thousand applications have been received; and so greatly has the number of readers been increased, that one set of books, intended to have been sent back, was retained, and even a third set would not be superfluous. To this Report is added a very sensible letter, recommending the beneficial effects of the two great Societies to the notice of the inhabitants of Hackney. NATIONAL SOCIETY. Report of the General Committee, 1830. THE Committee state that 2,609 places have schools directly or indirectly connected with the National Society, of which 2,595 are daily and Sunday, and 1,083 Sunday-schools for children of either sex. Of these, the places which have made returns within the last two years, amount to 2,571. By which it appears that there are 123,182 boys, and 93,389 girls, receiving daily instruction, and 67,101 boys, and 62,106 girls, taught on Sundays only; making a total of 345,778 children educated in National Schools. The same returns also show, that whilst in some places there has been an increase, amounting altogether to 5,968 scholars, in others there has been a decrease of 2,589, leaving on the whole an increase of 3,379 children during the last year, in the oldestablished schools. The value of this summary may be estimated by a comparison with the results presented to the public in former years. In 1813, (two years after the formation of the Society) there were 230 schools in union, containing 40,484 children. In 1817, (when the Society was incorporated,) the statement made was, schools, 725, scholars, 117,000; and in 1820, (the period at which the last account was published, previous to that from which this corrected estimate was formed,) there were 1,614 schools, and rather more than 200,000 scholars. These totals are now carried up to 2,609 places, containing about 3,670 schools, with about 346,000 scholars. Since the year 1811, the National Society has expended (in addition to the annual charges of the Central Schools, &c.) about 74,500l. for promoting the building, enlargement, &c. of school-rooms; and it appears, that in the same time, the occasional grants of the local Societies have amounted to above 18,400l., in addition to 4377. appropriated in annual grants for the current expenses of schools in their several districts. The Committee beg also to enumerate the other subjects which have engaged their attention during the past year. Of these, the first to be mentioned is the Central School, which continues under the same superintendence as in former years. The average number of boys on the books during the last year, has been 356, and of girls, 195; the average attendance of the boys has been 311, and of the girls, 166; it appears also, that since the last report, 232 boys, and 121 girls, have left the school. Fifteen masters, and sixteen mistresses, have been admitted for instruction from schools in the country; thirty-four schools have been provided with permanent masters or mistresses; and twenty-one with assistants and monitors for a limited period. The most important event of the past year, in regard to the Society's funds, has been the closing of the King's Letter account. It is already known to the public, that the money collected under authority of his Majesty's Letter, in 1823, was set apart as a separate fund, in aid of the erection, enlargement, and fitting-up of school-rooms to be permanently secured for the purposes of education; and the appropriation of the sum actually collected has also been announced. But the Committee have now to report, that the school-rooms in aid of which the whole produce of the Letter was applied, have been built, and the grants claimed and paid; the advantages expected from its expenditure are therefore obtained; and it remains only to state the precise amount of the sum appropriated in this manner, namely, 32,7097. 11s. which came into the hands of the Committee in the following manner, viz. This sum differs only from the amount announced in the Seventeenth Report, by a deduction of the trifling expenses of management, (viz. 1467. 1s. 10d.); and by the addition of the dividends, and of the profit on the sale of stock. The extension of the benefits of National Education then announced, is consequently carried a little higher; and at the closing of this account, therefore, it appears that 361 places, comprising a population (according to the last parliamentary census) of 1,403,132 persons, have obtained grants amounting to 32,7097.11s. by which, according to the first estimates, (in many instances much below the actual disbursements, in car rying them into effect,) an outlay of no less a sum than 127,4807. in the erection of 502 separate schoolrooms, has been called forth. By these means, and amidst such a popu lation, the inestimable blessings of Christian education have been provided for 26,884 boys, and 25,532 girls, on weekdays and Sundays, and for 2,721 boys, and 2,840 girls on Sundays only, making a total of 57,977 poor children rescued from ignorance and vice, and regularly trained up in the knowledge and the worship of God, according to the pure principles of the Established Church. In the next place it will be perceived, from a tabular list of grants annexed to the Report, that the Committee have contributed towards the establishment of schools upon the same scale as in former years, and that 5,7657. have been voted in sums of very different amount to seventy-two places, the largest grants being, four of 2001. each, and one of 3001. Before concluding their Report, the Committee observe, that the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge has given up all further inquiries into the number of children using the books on its catalogue, upon an understanding that the National Society will, from time to time, endeavour to obtain a complete account of the children of the poor, receiving instruction under the care of the church. Therefore, at the close of every fifth year, the general inquiry will be addressed to every parish and chapelry in England and Wales. The Appendices to the Report contain much information respecting the above Society. The Schools of ten places were received into union. BRIDGE TOWN, Tuesday, May 25, 1830. We beg to draw the attention of our readers to a description of St. Matthew's Chapel, inserted below, together with a statement of the expense incurred for its erection, with which we have been kindly favoured. It is gratifying to think that so neat, commodious, and substantial a chapel should have been erected in so short a time as four months, and at so small an expense as 8017. 6s. Old. seven ST. MATTHEW's CHAPEL.-The dimensions of St. Matthew's Chapel are, in the clear, 68 feet in length, 24 in breadth, and 14 in height, with a cornice of cut stone along the walls, under the eaves of the roof. The roof is shingled, and the ceiling boarded within. -There are windows along the sides-two windows at the eastern, and two on either side of the door at the western endpainted and glazed throughout. The walls are surrounded at the corners with pinnacles; and there is a stone cross over the eastern end of the chapel. The chapel is fitted up within with a communion-table of Bermuda cedar-and the rails of the chancel and pulpit stairs of Caroline cedar. The pulpit and desk of Bermuda cedar-octagonal, and the pannels set off with gothic arches in relief. The communion cloth, and cushions for the table, pulpit, and desk, of dark crimson-stamped calico. There are seven slips, and forty benches of deal, capable of holding about 400 persons. On the right, at the western entrance, is a small stone font, raised on an octagonal pedestal, and enclosed with a neat railing of white cedar; and, on the left, a small vestry room of deal, set off with gothic arches in relief on the outside, looking into the chapel. The pulpit is raised on a pedestal of stone let into a stone basement-the desk on a stone basement only. The whole building is plastered and whitewashed within; the floor of stone, gravel, and cement beaten hard together-without, it is plastered and washed of the colour of the stone of the country. About three quarters of an acre of land is enclosed with a hedge of wild pine around the chapel, and has been consecrated for a burial-ground; mahogany trees have been planted on each side of the walk leading up to the chapel; and it is intended to plant a line of flower fence within the edge of wild-pine, until a wall can be built. POLITICAL RETROSPECT. DOMESTIC.-We give at length William the Fourth's first speech to his people on proroguing Parliament; the two former portions are gratifying in the extreme. "My Lords and Gentlemen,-On this first occasion of meeting you, I VOL. XII. NO. VIII. am desirous of repeating to you in person my cordial thanks for those assurances of sincere sympathy and affectionate attachment which you conveyed to me on the demise of my lamented brother, and on my accession to the throne of my ancestors. 3 Y |