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of 219 places of worship, and 219,346 sittings, with an increase in population of 653,258, and in proportion per cent. of population accommodated of 2. "There has thus been an increase of accommodation in fourteen years of about 31 per cent. Had the increase been threefold, it would only have sufficed to meet the increase of population. Taking 52 per cent., Mr. Mann's estimate, as the maximum number to be provided for, the following result is obtained :

"Deficiency of Accommodation.---Number of persons unprovided for in London in 1851, 669,514; ditto in 1865, 831,387. Increased deficiency, 161,873.

"It would thus appear, that if all the persons in London who are not physically disqualified, or for any legitimate reasons, were to attend church or chapel at the same time, 52 per cent., or more than one-half of the population, would be shut out for want of room. But a worse feature of the case is, that 161,873 more persons would now be excluded, notwithstanding the considerable augmentation of places of worship, than in 1851. Therefore, although the percentage of sittings, as compared with population, has slightly improved, the actual deficiency has increased. It is estimated, as we have already said, that 45,000 souls are annually added to the population of London. To meet only this increase would require some fortyfive new and commodious churches every year; whilst the average accretion yearly since 1851 of places of worship of all sizes has been no more than sixteen."

Although it was not with a view so much of lessening the acknowledged deficiency of accommodation for religious worship that the committee originated this movement, but rather to overcome those social and other obstacles which generally existed in the minds of the working classes to the use of those buildings already provided, the above statistics yet show the absolute need of such special efforts as these services to supplement the ordinary

methods of meeting the spiritual wants of the rapidly increasing population of this great city.

Since the publication of their last report, one of the clergymen who has rendered repeated and valued aid in carrying on these services in the Eastend of the Metropolis has published a short account of his experiences and impressions in connexion with this work, from which the committee make the following extract :*—

"The theatre assigned me was in one of the most degraded portions of the Metropolis. The reader may imagine what the neighbourhood is, if he can imagine rooms, small and confined rooms, tenanted by sixteen grown-up persons of both sexes, and perhaps in some cases by more; if he can imagine large houses, once respectable, and still in their decay retaining a look of better days, turned into absolutely swarming nests of thieves and prostitutes; if he can imagine huge gin-palaces crowded with drinkers, and throwing out their flaming light into the street, almost every forty paces he takes. The theatre itself is said to contain five thousand persons, but in reality, I should think, is capable of seating some three thousand. I was alarmed, at first, at the idea of speaking in a building of such size; but I found that in this instance, as in so many others, the children of the world show far more shrewdness than the children of light, and that a theatre, as a place for speaking in, and for seeing and hearing in, is far more convenient and manageable than the average church.

"There is a large screen, and in front of it a table with a lamp, a Bible or two, and a quantity of single-sheet bills of hymns, to be sung at the service, which said single-sheet you will notice in the hands of all the congregation. Behind the table a row of some eight or ten chairs, at which are kneeling now in earnest prayer the Christian friends who have come to strengthen the minister's hands.

* Christian Advocate, for January, 1866.

"They rise, and the service begins. First a hymn is given out and sungwell sung, too, and heartily, if the tune Then the be easy and well known. preacher advances in front of the desk, pocket Bible in hand, and reads a portion of Scripture, and after it, offers up a brief extemporaneous prayer. Then another hymn is sung; and when the people are well settled down in their places, the text is announced, and the address begins. After the address, another hymn and a prayer conclude the service, the whole being brought within the compass of an hour and a quarter. Such at least was the plan which I adopted, and which I believe is pretty generally adopted by the preachers at these theatre services.

"Now, I had expected a few interruptions and annoyances. I thought it just possible, considering the character of my audience, that some jocose or uncomplimentary remarks might be made either upon my discourse, or my But I was most personal appearance. agreeably disappointed. I preached what I call a long sermon-i.e., a sermon of some forty or forty-five minutes' duration; but never, from any congregation I have ever preached to, did I receive a more profound and respectful attention. At times the hush was so and oppressive as to be almost painful; a gentleman who sat behind me on the stage, and who had more leisure to scan my hearers narrowly than I had, told me afterwards that they seemed to be 'straining to listen,' so earnest was their manner. It must not be supposed, however, that there was anything remarkable about the sermon; for it was simply a plain, intelligible discourse, made as pictorial as possible by anecdote and word-painting, and aimed right at the hearts and consciences of the hearers. It was nothing more than this, and would not have endured the handling of even a good-natured critic. But it was listened to attentively; partly because the old story of the cross, with which we have been familiar from childhood, is really news to these

neglected fellow-creatures of ours; partly, I think, because they are touched at the sight of a preacher, who will take his stand beside them on the platform of a common humanity, and speak of a sinfulness, and a difficulty, and a danger, and a temptation, in which he shares with all those whom he addresses; but more than all, because He who is the true Master of assemblies-aye, even of irregular and uncanonical assemblies like these gives the people a spirit of attention and hearing.

"Let me say here, that I noticed the attention to be as great, and the silence as profound, during the prayers, as during the preaching.

"Now what was the audience composed of? The pit was crowded with men; scarcely a woman was to be seen among them. In the boxes and gallery the sexes seemed to be pretty equally divided. There was the inevitable baby, of course; and the old man with the cough, of course; but both behaved remarkably well, considering, and were not much heard of throughout the

service.

"Were your hearers of the right sort? Assuredly-i.e., they were of the sort it would be almost hopeless to expect to get, at present, within the walls of a church, or a chapel, or even of a decent school-room. When the movement was young, sermon hunters, excitement hunters, would come-men and women who ought to have known better, and kept to their own places of worship; but that state of things has passed away, and the right sort of people remain, A clergyman, who has preached at several of these services, told me that on one occasion he slipped out by a back way after the service was over, and coming round to the front stood unrecognized in the street, watching his congregation emerge from the door. He was perfectly satisfied with the scrutiny. They were the very people he wanted to reach. Men and women, as they came up, bore the brand upon them. Undoubtedly they were publicans and sinners; and undoubtedly he felt then that he had

been doing his Master's work in preaching to them, and calling them to repent

ance.

"After the service is concluded, an invitation is addressed to the multitude to remain to a short twenty-minutes Prayer-meeting. I am not able to be present, for I am well-wearied with the service, and have five miles to go before 1 reach home. But I understand that the invitation is usually accepted by about a couple of hundred persons.

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"As I said at the beginning of this paper, I can see that the movement is open to objection; and I can quite understand the feelings of some excellent Christian people who withhold their countenance from it. But the best answer to the difficulty is, I think, found by those who go themselves down and see the population whom those services are intended to reach. The neighbourhood to which I went was degraded enough in all conscience; but our huge London has still worse degradation to show. There are localities in which, as I have been informed by those who know them well, English men and English women Christians so called-live in such state that they seem to have lost everything but the mere outside appearance of humanity. The whole moral being is laid utterly waste, and the degradation is something inconceivable. Ah! my brother, are we to leave these alone, to fester and die in their sins? Are we never to speak a word to them, if we can get them together? The church; the mission-room; the clergyman; the Scripture-reader; the districtvisitor; the Bible-woman-blessed as these agencies are, and owned of Godcannot reach and overtake the work. They do much, but they cannot accomplish all. They are lights shining in a dark place; but alas! there stretches out beyond them a vast dense surface of unpenetrated gloom-of worse than Egyptian darkness. Now I can get some of these 'lost' ones into a theatre. In the winter months, some 1,500 or 2,000, or more, will come to meet me-each with

an immortal soul within him, and will hear patiently, attentively, earnestly, what I have to say about the great theme which you and I love Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Knowing this, shall I refuse to go? Shall I relegate these poor fellow-creatures of mine to the haunts of sin from which they came, without speaking a word which may, perhaps. by God's blessing, win them, some of them, to a better life? Not so. I like irregular ways as little as most men; but a fearfully abnormal state calls for a departure from ordinary ways of proceeding. And, seeing how we stand in London, I cannot help thinking that, in carrying on this movement in faith and prayer, we are not acting in opposition to the character or will of Him who ate with publicans and sinners; and who came to 'seek and to save that which was lost.'"

The following buildings were opened by the committee during the past course of services: Surrey Theatre, Blackfriarsroad, with an attendance varying from 2,000 to 2,500; Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel, ditto, 1,500 to 2,000; Standard Theatre, Shoreditch, ditto, 1,500 to 1,800; Sadler's Wells Theatre, Clerkenwell, ditto, 1,300 to 1,500; Alhambra Palace, Leicester - square, ditto, 1,400 to 2,000; Regent Music Hall, Westminster, ditto, 400 to 800.

During the past series, the committee are able to report that 122 services have been held, attended by about 190,000 persons, making in all, from the commencement of this effort, 903 services, attended by 1,357,100 persons. Through the liberality of the committee of the Religious Tract Society, in making them six grants of tracts, of the value of 107. each, and also in allowing them to purchase at subscribers' prices, the committee have likewise been enabled to distribute, in all, 810,800 handbills, containing, with a notice of the services, a brief statement of some leading Christian truth.

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Spafields Chapel Sunday-Schools, held recently, was a most pleasant sight, the brightness and decoration of the spacious room, with the numerous attendants, and their cheerful appearance, will not soon be forgotten. W. T. M. Torrens, Esq., M.P., presided; supported by the Revs. Robert Maguire, A.M., Incumbent of Clerkenwell; T. E. Thoresby, T. Dodd, T. Davidson, E. C. Lewis; J. Trotter, Deputy Assistant-Judge Payne, Messrs. Churchwarden Willcocks, Best, Scargill, Paget, Partridge, Drayton, List, Parker, Dimsdale, Seal, &c. About 400 sat down to a sumptuous tea.

Mr. Willcocks said: "During his connexion with the schools, he had never known the teachers more hearty in their work than at present; in fact, they seemed more kind and devoted than ever. Since the opening of the schools they had had 16,552 pass through the books, and during the past year the admissions had been 168. On the previous Sunday there was a special sermon to the children in the chapel, and upwards of 800 children were present. On Easter Monday they had a very pleasing meeting by some of the young people in connexion with Mr. Thoresby's Bible Class, and the teachers had their usual excursion among themselves. The school excursion took place as usual, twenty-five vans being employed, and a large number of children and their friends attended, and, after enjoying themselves, returned without any accident. The expense of the excursion was 651., towards which they raised 631. On Sunday morning and Sunday evening they had separate services in the schools. In their library they had exchanged 700 books 3,006 times, and they had also circulated 6,062 magazines, in addition to Bibles and hymnbooks. The missionary offerings last year amounted to 337. 10s., while this year he was pleased to say they amounted to 35l. The work of God had been going on among the classes. Several admissions to the Church have taken place. In their infant classes there were between 300 and 400 children, with an

average attendance during the morning of about 130, and in the evening 140. That class had supplied to the upper school about eighty during the year, and contributed 21. to the missionary fund. Mr. Willcocks read the reports of some of the teachers, which were very satisfactory. He thought, before he sat down, it was his duty, and a very pleasing one too, to refer to the goodwill of the teachers towards himself, and also the officers of the school. He was at a loss to know what he should do unless he had the generous sympathy of the officers and teachers in his work; and he could safely say, although he had always had help, he had never so much real sympathy as during the last two years He had nothing to wish for, and never felt happier. It was very gratifying to him to see so many old faces, and he was glad to see his old friends assembling at their anniversary in such large numbers. The decoration of the room was almost all owing to the kindness and exertions of old friends, and he returned them his sincere thanks for it. He felt proud that their meetings were looked upon as an institution, and it was their friends who made it so. He had also to acknowledge the kindness of the leading men of the parish, to whom he had sold upwards of sixty tickets. He mentioned in his last report that several of their teachers had been getting married, and, speaking as superintendent, he was sorry to say that sort of thing had been going on during the present year, but the newly-married folks were all there that evening, looking so well and happy that he had almost a mind to get married himself."

All appeared to be thoroughly good at the meeting, except the subsequent speeches; these had not their usual excellence.

We may mention, in connexion with the School, the young persons in Miss Polley's class, have presented her with an ornamental and substantial inkstand, as a mark of their affection and high esteem.

Let us also notice that a few of the

friends, at the suggestion of Mr. Johnson (whose family attend Spafields Chapel), and through the kindness of Mr. Parker and Mr. Willcocks, a very munificent Christmas-box was presented to the Pastor, consisting of two handsome purses, worked by the Misses Dimsdale and Johnson, and forty spade guineas. The guineas were obtained expressly from the Bank of England, and were very beautiful—principally of George III.'s reign, but going back so far as the reign of Queen Anne. They were presented on a silver salver, at a social gathering at Mr. Willcocks' house. The gift was as perfect a surprise as we ever witnessed. We have the best reason to know that the Pastor felt very grateful for this elegant kindness on the part of his friends. These spades have a remarkable facility and power of dig. ging; and if a few other toiling husbandmen were to receive a few of them, we believe those labourers would do their work none the worse for the gift.

BEARFIELD, -Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel. On Wednesday, December 26, 1866, a tea-meeting was held at the above chapel to celebrate the appointment of the Rev. J. Dawson to the pastorate of this chapel, in the room of the late Mr. J. Rawling. There was a numerous attendance. After tea the members, teachers, and singers, presented Miss Rawling, daughter of their late minister, and superintendent of the Sundayschool, with a testimonial, consisting of a silver butter-knife, an electro-plated butter-cooler, and a flower vase, as a mark of their esteem and affection for the untiring assiduity with which she discharges the duties of her office. The presentation was accompanied by the following address: "Dear Miss Rawling, We, the undersigned members, teachers, and singers of the Countess of Hunting

BRADFORD-ON-AVON.

don's Chapel, Bearfield, being deeply sensible of the anxious care and unwearied toil through which you have passed, and so faithfully discharged that portion of duty which seemed incumbent upon yourself, and which must have laid heavy upon you since your dear father has been taken from us, wish, by presenting this small testimonial, to manifest our sincere affection for your work and labour of love. The gift is small, but we feel assured it will be received by you, not according to its value, but for the motive which prompted us to offer it to you; and you may be assured that not one who has contributed towards it but has done so with a cheerful heart and a willing mind. We only regret we could not present you with something more valuable, and more worthy of your acceptance. Praying that the blessing of God may ever rest upon you, we subscribe ourselves," &c. On behalf of Miss Rawling, the Rev. J. Dawson acknowledged the gift. On the Sunday evening previous, the members of the chapel were each presented with a copy of the biography of their late lamented minister for upwards of twenty years, Joseph Rawling.

MALVERN.-An interesting meeting of the congregation was held on Thursday, December 27, at the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel, Great Malvern, for the purpose of welcoming home the Rev. E. H. Allen, LL.B., and Mrs. Allen, after their marriage, and of presenting to each a testimonial-consisting of an elegant French clock to Mr. Allen by the congregation, and a handsome Bible to Mrs. Allen by the teachers and children of the school. The above was very suitably and feelingly acknowledged, amidst the earnest wishes of the people for their happiness and usefulness in the town and neighbourhood.

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