Gap fined Monsieur Roman, a Protestant, six franks, for refusing to obey the Mayor's edict. M. Roman appealed to the Court of Cassation. The question was, "Can a citizen be compelled to hang out tapestry on the front of his house, while the external ceremonies of the Catholic worship are performing?" On this question the counsellors for M. Roman delivered the most correct sentiments upon the subject; declaring, that "all the constituted authorities had proclaimed the principle of religious freedom; and had completely separated questions of religion from those connected with civil and political rights." "The court, after a long deliberation, pronounced a judgment, said to be most strongly worded, by which it annulled the judgment complained of, and decided that the municipal authorities have no right to make a rule for constraining citizens to cover the fronts of their houses on occasions of religious ceremo nies." Comparing the above decision with the spirit manifested towards the Protestants in France only three years since, we consider it a subject for congratulation to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, as the triumph of reason and religion over superstition and idolatry.

NEW MEETINGS OPENED.

GARWAY.

A NEAT place of worship, 30 feet by 20, was opened, September 9, 1818, at Garway, Herefordshire, for the use of the Baptist church which formerly assembled at Broad-Oak.

At ten A. M. Mr. Jones of Hereford, commenced with reading and prayer; Messrs. Trey of Coleford, and Hawkins of Eastcombs, preached from Psalm cxxxii. 7, 8, 9, and Rom. i. 16; and Mr. Williams of Ryeford concluded.

Met again at three.-Mr. Harris of Coleford prayed; Mr. Jones of Hereford preached from John xvii. 21; Mr. B. Davies, (student at Abergavenny,)

concluded.

Met again at six.--Mr. Preece of Hereford prayed; Messrs. B. Davies and Hawkins preached from Isa. xi. 10, and Heb. x. 14.

Each of the opportunities was numerously attended, and the friends of Emmanuel found the day a season of refreshment from the presence of the Lord.

The following are the circumstances which led to the erection of this place of

worship:-A meeting-house was for merly erected at Broad-Oak, by the Countess of Huntington, upon a leasehold tenure, which was supplied by the students in her college at Treveca; but upon the expiration of the lease, the ministers in that connexion gave up preaching in this neighbourhood; not, however, before they had been the means of turning some from darkness to light. These rented the house as tenants at will, and invited the neighbouring Baptist ministers to preach for them. Several persons were baptized, and on the 1st of August, 1802, were formed into a church, under the pastoral care of a Mr. Fleming, a sensible, pious man, who kept a shop at Monmouth, and laboured among these few and poor Christians almost gratuitously, until he was called to receive his reward, about the year 1806. Soon afterwards, Mr. Marmaduke Jones settled among them, who laboured hard in the ministry, but not with any considerable success, until 1816, when the number of his family, and the poverty of his people, obliged him to resign his charge. Since that period, they have been without a pastor; and they are now principally supplied from the Abergavenny Academy; and Messrs. Williams of Ryeford, and Jones of Hereford, administer the Lord's Supper.

Their old place of worship was very incommodious, and they were liable to be deprived of it every year. Under these circumstances, one of the members ground, being all he had, gratuitously. offered them a very suitable spot of It is sufficiently large to admit of a burying-ground. They were encouraged by the neighbouring ministers to build a house for God, which is now completed. They labour, however, under great difficulty, being about £150 in debt, and having no one to solicit the assistance of the Christian public on their behalf.

N. B. This would be an eligible situation for a young man willing to teach a school, and preach the gospel. Should any warm-hearted person of that description be disposed to cast himself on the providence of God, he may, by applying to the Rev. D. Jones, Baptist minister, Hereford, obtain every necessary information. No one need apply unless he can produce respectable reference as to his character, &c. Hereford.

NEW MILL.

D. JONES.

ON Wednesday, October 14, 1818, a new and commodious meeting-house was

opened for the use of the Baptist church meeting at New Mill, near Tring, Hertfordshire, under the pastoral care of Mr. D. Clarabut. Mr. Wake of Leighton began the services of the day with reading the scriptures and prayer; Dr. Rippon preached from Psalm ii. 6; and Mr. Harrison of Woburn, (Independent,) concluded with prayer. In the afternoon, Mr. Ashton of Berkhampstead, (Independent,) began; Mr. Ivimey preached from Gen. xxviii. 16, 17; and Mr. Daniels of Luton concluded. In the evening, Mr. Tomlin of Chesham began; Mr. Maslin of Hertford, (Independent,) preached from Haggai vi. 7, 8, 9, and concluded the pleasing services of the day. The gospel has been preached on this spot for many years, and the interest has been gradually increasing, the former house having been twice enlarged. The present building is 50 feet by 40, exclusive of the vestries, and is capable of seating 700 persons. £400 have (at present) been raised towards it by the church and congregation; £64 15s. 9d. was collected on the day of opening. A debt of about £700 still remains to be defrayed.

NOTICE.

THE Committee of the Baptist Missionary Society have conceived that some alteration may be made with advantage in the mode of communicating their Missionary Intelligence. The plan hitherto adopted, of publishing Periodical Accounts, in pamphlets of a considerable size, and at distant and uncertain intervals, seems more adapted to record the commencement and earlier efforts of a Mission, than to convey information of its progress in the more advanced stages of its history. So great an interest, also, is now happily excited on behalf of Christian Missions in general, that it seems desirable to present the friends and supporters of each distinct society, with brief notices, at least, of the principal transactions of the rest.

With this view, the Committee have determined that the Series of Periodical Accounts shall terminate with No. XXXIII. now in the press, and which, with an Appendix, to follow almost immediately, will complete the sixth volume. The following arrangement is proposed in lieu.:

A half-sheet (or eight pages) to be published on the 24th of every month, under the title of " The Missionary He rald;" containing intelligence, at large, of the proceedings and operations of the

Baptist Missionary Society, and recording the principal transactions of other similar institutions.

A copy to be furnished, gratis, to all annual subscribers of one guinea or upwards, persons collecting to the amount of a shilling a week, and ministers who make annual collections on behalf of the Society.

A sufficient number of "The Missionary Herald," will be struck off, for the purpose of stitching into the Baptist Magazine of the following month, for the accommodation of those friends who prefer receiving it through that medium. All other subscribers, desirous of having copies transmitted to them, are requested to address, (if by letter, post paid,) either of the Secretaries, Dr. Ryland of Bristol, or Mr. Dyer of Reading, or the Publisher, Mr. Button, Paternosterrow, and to mention the channel through which the Numbers may be regularly transmitted from London.

An Annual Report, condensing the intelligence of the preceding year, will also be published, subsequent to the annual meeting in October. This will comprise the Cash Account, Lists of Contributors, &c.; and be circulated gratis among the subscribers to the Society.

In conformity with this plan, the first will be published on the 24th of this Number of "The Missionary Herald" month, (December,) and will contain ceived from Calcutta; extract of a letter some pleasing intelligence lately refrom Dr. Carey, &c.; and an engraving of the Hindoo idol SHION.

All communications on this subject, addressed as above, will receive imme diate attention.

Reading, December 1, 1818.

ONE pound for the poor negroes in Jamaica is received from a gentleman of Portsea, who has lost more than 100%. by the stopping of the Portsmouth Bank; but who thus manifests his gratitude to God for what he possesses, in those very dispensations, from which the sordid professor obtains a momentary relief, during the accusations of his conscience, for with-holding what remains.

Ir is with considerable regret that we announce the sudden death of the Rev. Dr. Balfour of Glasgow, who was a zealous friend to the Baptist Mission. We are in expectation of being able to insert. a Memoir of him early in the ensuing. year.

THE

CHRISTIAN's THANKSGIVING On a Lord's-day Evening.

THANKS to thy name, thou God of grace,
Thou matchless Lover of our race,
For every boon thy love imparts,
To renovate and cheer our hearts.
Thanks to thy name for days of rest,
For Sabbath-days, of days the best;
And every mean thy love employs
To heighten and exalt our joys.
Thanks to thy name for thy bless'd word,
That transcript of my dearest Lord,
In which I see, as in a glass,'
The beamings of a Saviour's face.
Thanks for the Spirit, who indites,
And seals the lessons which he writes:
Great God! his influence impart,
To seal those lessons on my heart.
Thanks for thy well-beloved Son,
Who left his high and holy throne,
On earth to sojourn, bleed, and die,
To bring a wretched outcast nigh.
Thanks for thy Sabbaths, dearest Lord,
Which such delight and joy afford:
Oh, may they prove, while here I roam,
The pledge of brighter joys to come!
Then in that world of perfect bliss,
Where pleasure in perfection is,

I shall behold thee face to face,
And sing the triumphs of thy grace.
London.

E. D.

TO THE CHIEF SHEPHERD.

COME Jesus, and visit thy fold,
Where thy sheep are united in love:
Our Shepherd we long to behold;
Dear Jesus, descend from above.
Thy presence, thou Shepherd divine,
Will comfort the sorrowful breast;
On thy bosom we wish to recline;
'Tis there that the weary find rest.
Thy presence illumines the night,
And frightens the lion away;
Who prowls round thy fold with delight,
And is eager to make us his prey.
Come then, with thy fulness of grace,
And feed and defend us while here;
And make this the place of thy rest,
That thy flock may have nothing to fear.
We pant our dear Shepherd to see,
Whose mercy to us was so great;
How can we be happy from thee ?
Thy love we can never forget.

To thee do we lift up our voice,
Thou Shepherd of Israel divine,
Enable thy fold to rejoice,

And say to each soul," I am thine."
Wallingford.

I. T. D.

THE

HEATHEN COMMISERATED.

BEAR me, imagination's wing,
And land me on some distant shore,
Where tuneful warblers never sing,
But serpents hiss, and lions roar.
There let my weeping eyes survey
The human form by sin debas'd;
Where Superstition holds her sway,
And Ignorance is never chas'd.
Then waft me back to Britain's shore,
Where gospel-light salutes my eyes:
There I'll recount my mercies o'er,
And feel my sympathies arise.
Impress'd with such a gloomy scene,
My prayers shall wake the morning light;
Shall fill the hours that intervene,
And break the solitude of night.

My head, my heart, my hand shall join
To send the light of life abroad;

And aid their efforts who combine

To spread "the knowledge of the Lord." E. D.

London.