1833.] EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWSPAPERS. 287 those of his own house food sufficient and convenient. And shall not God provide for his children, for the household of faith? It is our wisdom and duty to alter our purposes and resolutions, where there is a good reason for so doing. Constancy is a virtue, but obstinacy is not. Honesty obliges us to make restitution, not only of that which comes to us by our own fault, but of that which comes to us by other's mistakes. Though we got it by oversight, if we keep it when the oversight is discovered, it is kept by deceit. Let us learn to be contented if God has placed us in humble stations of life, seeing that high places are often very slippery places. Those that make God's favour their happiness, and his service their business, will find him the best and most merciful of masters. Those that would prosper must make God their friend; and those that do prosper must give God the praise.M. Henry. Youth is the time when the foundation of knowledge, either secular or religious, is to be laid; and they who would begin any useful study, or pursuit, should begin early.-Dr. Jortin. EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWSPAPERS, &c. The consumption of tea in the whole civilized world, besides England, is 22,000,000lbs., while the consumption of Great Britain and Ireland is 31,931,626lbs.-Devonshire Chronicle. PRIZE FIGHTING.-Simon Byrne, who was killed in a fight by a man named Burke, on the 2d of June, had himself killed a man named M'Kay, in a fight on the very same day of the month three years before.-London Paper. FATAL EFFECTS OF DRUNKENNESS.-On Tuesday, the second day of Mells fair, a fight took place between William Holland, of Mells, and a man of Radstock, which lasted a considerable time, and caused the death of the former. It appears that Holland had been drinking to excess during two days.-Cheltenham Chronicle. SUDDEN DEATHS FROM INTOXICATION.-We have to record the deaths of two men from this cause in our present number-John Maloy, of this town, who was found dead in his bed, after having been in a state of intoxication for nearly a week, and Thomas Hodgkins, of Tipton, who died suddenly on the road while in a state of drunkenness.- Wolverhampton Chronicle. STEAM CARRIAGE.-Several steam carriages have been lately seen on the roads about London. A very handsome one was lately started by R. Ogle, Esq. At half-past eleven o'clock on the 28th of June, this elegant carriage was launched from the Bazaar, King-street, Portman-square; it stopped at the houses of different persons of distinction, and took up several ladies and gentlemen. The party proceeded to Lady Carr's at Ealing, and afterwards returned to town. The distance to Ealing, which is seven miles, was performed in seventeen minutes.—London Paper. The following fact, affords a remarkable proof of the strong natural affection of crows for their infant progeny. A boy robbed a crow's nest at Castlemilk, near Glasgow, of two young ones. These he carried the same day in a basket to Petershill, a place full six miles distant, where they were put the same evening into a deserted dovecot. At daybreak next morning, at least a dozen old crows were seen perched upon the dovecot, and, after remaining there a considerable time, making a great noise, and apparently holding a serious consultation on the subject, two of their number, very probably the parent birds, went into the dovecot to examine, and they soon came out, accompanied by the two young ones, the one after the other. The young birds could fly but imperfectly, so the two old birds first took charge of one of the young birds, which they flew away with in the direction of Castlemilk; meantime the other young crow remained in charge of a number of old ones, until in the course of about two hours the old birds returned, when it was also carried off by them, apparently in the same direction, and was, like its brother or sister, restored to the parent nest at Castlemilk.-Glasgow Chronicle. THE CHESHIRE MAN. (From the Globe newspaper.) A Cheshire man set sail for Spain No sooner he arrived there A Spaniard he espies; Who says you English dog-look here! Our land produces twice a year- Regent-street, June 6. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS. W. We have received the Communications of H.S.T.; C.S.R.; M.D.; A.Z.; Ch.; C.W.; F.: A.P.P.; two from J.C.W.; and some anonymous. We are much obliged to M.D. for his useful hints, which we hope shortly to act upon. The Editor will faithfully, but reluctantly, attend to J.C. W's. request. The Editor being at a distance from the Publisher, has but lately received E's. note. The request in it, is one to which the Editor has no authority to reply. He believes, however, that it would involve the Publishers in difficulties with other correspondents. 含 THOSE On whom God has bestowed family blessings,faithful wives,-kind parents,-dutiful children,-must seek, through Divine grace, to consult the happiness and the benefit of those with whom they are thus related. The word of God does not allow us to neglect any of the kindness, of the duty,-which those connexions bring with them; and we are to exercise the social affections, as among the best blessings which God has given to his creatures: but we must still bear in mind, that all these comforts may be soon taken away from us, and that it is the same all-wise, and all-merciful Lord, who giveth and who taketh away. It will be wise then for us to consider all the blessings of this life as of short duration, and to pray for that spirit of submission, which shall enable us to say, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." St. Paul says, "Let VOL. XIII. No. 9. S them that have wives, be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use the world, as not abusing it,—for the fashion of this world passeth away'. The possessions of this world are all uncertain; the time of possessing them is short. When they are taken away, the true Christian is not to sorrow as they that have no hope: in the deepest affliction he may feel assured, that "all things shall work together for his good." THE CHURCH. V. Ar a meeting held, not long ago, at Chatham, a gentleman gave it as his opinion, that, instead of the present manner of providing for the ministers and services of religion," the Establishment should be supported by voluntary contribution." We have frequently heard the same proposal made before, but we cannot help thinking, that the persons who make it are but little aware of what they are proposing. This was, in former days, the method of providing for the services of religion; but this was not a sufficient security for the provision of regular religious service in every part of the country; and it moreover acted as a very severe pressure upon the property of those who were anxious for the service of religion, whilst those who cared not about such things, and therefore, in truth, stood most in need of them, paid nothing. This was a wrong state of things. After a time, whether by persuasion, or some exertion of authority, it became the custom for all who had property to contribute a portion of it for the maintenance of religion; and this portion was something like a tenth. This was given to the church; that is, to some great monastery or cathedral in the neighbourhood, where it was collected. There were no regular churches and parishes at that time, and no provision made by rates for the support of the poor; so that by means of the sum collected, the bishop, or abbot, sent out preachers into different parts of his neighbourhood, and paid them for their labours; and he 11 Cor. vii. 29, &c. 1833.] THE CHURCH. 291 was also enabled to keep his cathedral church in repair, and relieve the wants of the poor, and aged, and helpless. But the rich and powerful barons, who possessed great castles, and had many servants and dependents, were not satisfied with having religious services only now and then; they therefore gave money out of their own estates for providing regular service, and having a minister fixed among them. The sum which they left was saddled upon their own estate; it was called tithe, and every body else was set at liberty from any payment, because it now fell entirely on those who might succeed to that estate. If the estate was afterwards sold out of the family, the purchaser gave so much the less for it, as it was charged with the payment of the tithes, so that he never could properly and honestly complain of paying the clergyman, because an allowance was made to him for that very purpose. And if the possessor of the estate should let it, or any part of it, to another person, still he must pay the appointed portion, or if he agrees that his tenant should pay it, he must make him an allowance for this purpose in the rent. Thus, in truth, it may be said that the landlord is the payer; and he ought to be, because he bought the land, or received it from his forefathers, upon that condition. Something like this, being the state of things now, a person who proposes a plan for supporting the services of the church by voluntary contribution, seems to be saying to the people, "My good friends, the church ministers are paid by sums long ago set apart by individuals out of their own estates: whether they did this from piety, or from ostentation, or from fear of the popish priests, I am not able to say; but I think it would be a very handsome thing for you, to say to those landlords, 'Gentlemen, we are much obliged to you, or rather to your ancestors, for all that you have done for the church, but we will not trouble you any longer; you may now put all this money into your own pockets, and we will make a voluntary contribution among ourselves for the maintenance of the established religion.'" We may judge |