Chapel, £27 2s. 1d.; College, £2; Home Mission, £35 12s. 4d.; Foreign and Colonial, £187 9s. 7d. Total, £347 18s. 7d.

Increase 5 chapels, 4 societies, 2 circuit preachers, 23 local preachers, and 333 members. Moneys contributed, £197 4s. 8d. Chester had in 1832, one circuit, 14 chapels, 23 societies, 2 circuit preachers, 46 local preachers, and 630 members. It contributed, Yearly Collection, £15 16s. 3d.; Paternal, £17 1s. 8d.; Beneficent, £5 16s.; Chapel, £1 1s.; Missions, £39 3s. Total, £78 17s. 11d.

In 1867, it had branched into two circuits, Hawarden being the head of the second, and had 19 chapels, 19 societies, 3 circuit preachers, 39 local preachers, 487 members, and 31 probationers. Moneys contributed-Contingent, £11 13s. 6d.; Paternal, £19 10s.; Beneficent, £7 19s. 2d.; Chapel, £8 5s. 11d.; Home Mission, £19 15s. 9d.; Foreign and Colonial, £117 15s. 7d. Total, £184 19s. 11d.

Increase 5 chapels, 1 circuit preacher. Money's contributed, £106 2s.

Decrease-4 societies, 7 local preachers, 112 members.

Sheffield in 1832, had one circuit, 11 chapels, 16 societies, 3 circuit preachers, 43 local preachers, and 827 members. Moneys contributed, Yearly Collection, £30 7s. 1d.; Paternal, £52 5s. 6d. Beneficent, £11 9s. 6d.; Missions, £69 12s. 4d. Total, £163 14s. 6d.

In 1867, it had branched into three circuits, called respectively, Sheffield north, south, and west, and numbered 20 chapels, 18 societies, 7 circuit preachers, 50 local preachers, 973 members, with 84 probationers. Moneys contributed-Contingent, £20 17s.; Paternal, £58; Beneficent, £35 13 8d.; Chapel, £26 17s. 11d.; College, £186 2s.; Home Mission, £34 138. 1d.; Foreign and Colonial, £384 19s. 8d. Total,

£647 3s. 4d.

Increase-9 chapels, 2 societies, 4 circuit preachers, 7 local preachers, 190 members, Moneys contributed, £483 8s. 10d.

Having gone through those districts of the denomination in which the majority of its members are comprised, we proceed to look at what its history has been during the last 35 years, in some of our principal towns. For this purpose, we may advert again to Sheffield. In 1832, there were two chapels in that town, namely, Scotland-street, and South-street; we have now, in addition to these, five more, namely, Park, Broomhill, Andover street, Walkley, and Attercliffe. At the last place, a new one is in the course of erection, or will be begun very shortly. Most of these chapels are of considerable capacity; some of them are beautiful as well as capacious, and all unen

M

cumbered with debt, or nearly so. The fruit of this extension will, we have no doubt, be gathered before long in the form of large congregations and prosperous churches. Had the enterprizing spirit which the last six or eight years has distinguished the Sheffield friends in chapel building, been manifested ten years sooner, we believe their liberality and zeal would by this have had an ample and most gratifying compensation.

Let us also look again at Leeds, where, as has been stated, the denomination had its birth. In 1832, "Old Ebenezer" was the principal chapel in the town; at Hunslet there was a small chapel, and Zion School was used for preaching. In 1836-7, Bethesda was built to serve the double purpose of a preaching place and school. But it was not till 1846-7 that the friends did anything worthy of themselves in this department of Christian enterprise, by the erection of the beautiful chapel at Hunslet, and its commodious schools, and minister's house. After a lapse of nearly ten years, they again bestirred themselves, and at a cost of nearly £7,000, built the “beautiful, commodious, and well-arranged chapel" in Woodhouse Lane, and by their princely liberality defraying within a fraction this large outlay. Since then, the second circuit has erected Dewsbury Road chapel, with its attendant schools. The denomination may be justly proud of these displays of liberality; but the friends who have done so much we hope will repeat their generous acts, especially in the first circuit, and before long give their cathedral some worthier associates than it can boast of in the four small chapels at present existing. We wish we could speak as potently as we do earnestly, when we say to the friends in this circuit, "Arise, and build, for, though delay has lost something, there is yet in Leeds much land for the Methodist New Connexion to possess, and you may go up and possess it, for you are well able.

Manchester is a city in which the history of our denomination has not been so satisfactory as those who love it would like it to be. In 1832 there was only Oldham Street chapel, and a schoolroom in Mount Street also used for preaching. In 1835-6 Peter Street chapel was built, but the disasters which befell the Connexion through Mr. Barker's expulsion came with special severity on Manchester, obliging the giving up of Oldham Street Chapel. The members and hearers made an effort at concentration in Peter Street. The great distances at which they lived, however, rendered this impracticable, and it was soon further found that the extension of commerce in Manchester made the locality of the chapel altogether unfit for its purpose. In consequence of this, Strangeways chapel

was built. Ultimately Peter Street chapel was sold, and two others built out of the proceeds. They, however, are situated in such localities that we believe it to be the fact that in the city of Manchester proper the denomination has no place of worship. This, perhaps, would not be a circumstance to mourn over if they were more thickly planted in the suburbs.

Nottingham also is a town in which the progress of the Connexion has not been satisfactory, either in relation to chapels, Sunday Schools, or membership. Indeed, it may be questioned if there has been any progress at all. Though Parliament Street chapel has been internally improved, it has not been supplemented with another, and we should fear the membership is smaller than it was in 1832.

In the same category Liverpool and Hull must be placed. It so happens that these were the first circuits to which the writer of this review was appointed, so that he can speak of them from personal knowledge, In 1832 we had one central chapel in Liverpool, two cottages thrown into one room for a preaching place in the Park, and the Carpenters' Rooms, occupied for the same purpose, at the other end of the town. In a few years afterwards the central chapel, which was situated in a locality where Satan's seat was, had to be relinquished for town improvements. At this juncture, instead of building a respectable commodious chapel, in a suitable situation, a cast-of Independent chapel, in Hotham Street, was purchased, on which property a very large sum of money has been sunk. In the meantime a good chapel has been built in the Park in the place of the cottages, and also another at Bevington in place of the Carpenters' Rooms; but with regard to this a fatal mistake was made as to the site, and no satisfactory congregation has been got to it. A chapel was recently built at Oakleigh, West Derby Road; while this article, however, has passed through our hands, we have seen an announcement in the papers of its utter destruction by fire.

Hull would have no more Chapels in the town now than in 1832, save a small one at Stepney, but for the recent junction of an Independent Methodist Society in Osborne Street, while it is without several country preaching places which it had then. The congregation, membership, and probably the Sunday School, are smaller now than they were at the commencement of the period we are reviewing. This is the more painfully patent to the writer's mind by the comparison he is able to make from personal knowledge, and by the contrast our stagnation presents to the activity and progress of other bodies, the Primitive Methodists in particular. When the

writer was stationed in Hull in 1833, this denomination was little and almost unknown in the town. Now they have planted in nearly all parts of it first-class chapels, and get them well attended. True, on these chapels we believe there are large debts, but they manage to thrive despite these encumbrances. In 1834 the writer was stationed at London. We were then without a Chapel in the Metropolis that we could call our own. In that year Brunswick Chapel, Great Dover Street, was built. Our membership was about 100. The returns to the Confer

ence of 1867 are 13 Chapels, 13 societies, 6 circuit preachers, 31 local preachers, 785 members, and 61 probationers. To which must be added Forest Hill Home Mission Station, where we have a beautiful chapel and 43 members. What are these among so many? What, indeed! having to write nil to all the enumerated items.

Yet they are better than

We pass over the outlying places of the denomination, and close the review with a few remarks suggested to our mind while engaged in its composition.

The first is that the review gives cause for thankfulness, both on denominational and Christian grounds. Those who love the community of which we have been writing may see in the facts presented cheering proofs of its usefulness and permanency. We have not flowed through the land like a majestic river, from which streams may be carried in all directions to fertilize and beautify the landscape; but there is many a spot that has been glad for us as we have diffused abroad over it in smaller rivulets the water of life. And so the gratitude of the sectary passes into the thankfulness and joy of the Christian, that by the instrumentality of the denomination to which he belongs many sinners have been converted from the error of their way, and many souls saved from death.

ness.

Yet this satisfaction is not without its alloy, for the facts reviewed, while they teach us our usefulness, as certainly teach us that we have not attained to the full measure of our usefulThe progress of the Connexion has not been equal to our desires, because it has not been equal to our means. Under other conditions of intelligence and piety, liberality and zeal, it might have been far greater than it has been. And these conditions have been within easy reach of both ministers and people. Suppose ministers had discharged their duties with more faithfulness and affection; had watched over their flocks more diligently; had preached the word with more power and point; and themselves lived nearer to God, been instant in prayer, and prayed and worked more in a spirit of faith-might they not have been more successful in winning souls?

Or supposing they had been characterized by a greater spirit of enterprise, and instead of taking things as they found them in the circuits, had tried to rouse the people to action in both giving and working, setting before them in the pulpit and out of it the duty of consecrating their talents and property to God, might not the denomination have enlarged its borders and increased its membership to a greater extent than it has done? A gentleman who came from the Parent body, after he had been with us several years, once said to the writer, "You are not sufficiently explicit and faithful in speaking to the people on the subject of giving. When I was among the Wesleyans I sometimes thought they over-did it, but in the New Connexion it is not done at all. During the years I have been with you I have not heard one sermon on the duty of consecrating property to God." At the present time so much could not be said, still it is worth inquiry whether the whole counsel of God on this subject is proclaimed from our pulpits.

But supposing that in all things the people had been the fellow-helpers of the ministers, sympathizing with them in their responsible work, and holding up their hands by prayer, ready obedience, and cordial co-operation; supposing they had been more devout and less critical as hearers, had commended where they have carped and complained, acquiesced in ministerial counsel instead of treating it with neglect, or offering to it opposition; supposing they had had more Scriptural views of the relation subsisting between minister and people, and instead of literally construing and applying the truth that ministers are the servants of the church, had imbibed the spirit of the Apostle's admonition, "We beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake;" might not our review of the last thirty-five years of Connexional history, bright as in many respects it is, been more cheering still? Many years ago, nearly at the commencement of the period we are reviewing, we remember Conference setting apart a session for the consideration of the best means of promoting the prosperity of the denomination, when the Rev. A. Scott uttered one of his laconic and significant speeches which has ever since stuck in our memory, and which subsequent observation has shown us had more truth in it than at the time we supposed. "These deliberations, Mr. President, are altogether unnecessary, and lead to nothing. The question lies in a nutshell. The prosperty of the Connexion turns upon this point. Do our preachers go into the circuits to teach the people, or to be taught by them? As you decide