ments of doctrine against the Union of Church and State in other countries, and in joining with the party who clamour for it they place themselves in unseemly juxta-position with atheists and infidels.

I ask Mr. Giles-did not a speaker at that Meeting publicly declare that it was a matter of indifference whether or not education was presided over by his Satanic Majesty himself? Mr. Giles cannot deny it he knows that the rash speaker was rather too blasphemous for the audience then assembled, and was saluted with cries and execrations of abhorrence and disgust, and not suffered to proceed, but what must be the cause which brings together such allies to a minister, as he calls himself, of the Gospel. He may depend on this, however, that the malice and fury of the dissenters with regard to the factory Education Bill, have opened the eyes of myriads who had been blinded by their hypocrisy-the public plainly see that their professions of desire for the education of the poorer classes have been a mockery and deceit, and dissent has sunk commeasurably as the natural and providential consequence.

I am, Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,
LAICUS.

Laicus puts the question in the true light. In every part of Church History, wheresoever there was a choice, or power, there a State, professing the religion of the true God, was held by that God to be not only justified, but bound to join the Church in the promotion of true religion and the discouragement of error. Common sense teaches the same responsibility, not less in Governments, than in individuals. It is incumbent on the dissenter to produce positive prohibitions of a system so invariably sanctioned by the government of God Himself, and so evidently suitable to the religious requirements of the people. It is no argument, it is a mean and disingenuous device, to appeal to those periods of Church History, wherein Heathen government left the Church no opportunity of choosing, whether they would accept the aid of the State in extending her outward means of usefulness or not.Editors of Common Sense.

PIOUS SPECULATIONS OF DISSENT.

"Many people have not the least suspicion as to the pockets, into which the proceeds of dissenting religious beggings and collections find their way; or what connexion they have with the worldly matters of bonds, and mortgages, and speculations; or how much goes to pay not only the zealous Minister, whose activity in begging is quickened by a prospect of a good share in the proceeds; but also sharp and cautious speculators, (sometimes thoughtless or halfhearted Churchmen) who consider the building a good security for their percentage, because part of its cost has been defrayed by contributions. Of these facts 'Common Sense' will be able, in due time, to produce rather tougher evidence than your frothy nonsense.-Letter to Mr. Giles.

We like, as our readers know, to lay a solid foundation of proof for what we offer for their consideration. And this we propose to do in respect to the caution we suggest in the above quotation from "Common Sense." There are two questions of considerable importance arising out of that quotation; First, what becomes of the money wheedled out of simple minded and really religious men? Secondly, what foundation is there for the boast of the number of conventicles (to say nothing of the tricks in magnifying their numbers) built under what is called the voluntary system. For a Church when built is not, as a conventicle may be, a private speculation, got up for various jobbing purposes, which may be hereafter shewn, and capable of changing doctrines, sects, and purposes. But at present we mean to deal only with one peculiarity of the meeting houses; viz.—that while it is pretended they are the offspring of piety and zeal only, they are in numberless cases shrines of Mammon — marts of pious share dealing and stock jobbing; an affair of pounds, shillings, and pence. This we assert, not upon our own authority, but upon dissenting authority-upon the authority of declarations used by dissenters themselves; nay so general is the practice as to be set up as a plea to arrest the enactments of the legislature, in a public measure, which may

affect these pious speculations, and therefore has produced a very lively sensation, and a shout of horror and alarm from the " dissenting interest." We refer to a pamphlet entitled "Health of Towns," which the dissenters have circulated with great activity, and to support the object of which a central committee and all sorts of machinery, have been set in motion. The object of that Pamphlet is to prevent the passing of a bill, which professes to guard the health of Towns, by removing cemeteries to a distance. However we might be disposed to be partial to the projector of the bill, and whatever share in it those, whose inventions are coolly stated as facts, may bave attributed to us, we may once for all declare, that we have no concern in it, and do not admire it either in theory or detail. Our only object in referring to it is, to deal with the facts it has been the means of putting prominently forward, and confirming by the aforesaid dissenting evidence.

In the enquiry of the Parliamentary Committee some very curious facts were elicited, serving to shew the eager spirit of avarice and speculation, which, under the sanctimonious cloak of conscience and zeal, raises a chapel; and proving that the religious creed, to be taught in the edifice above ground, is the last thing cared for in these erections.

The

Temple of Mammon beneath, is the real shrine; the revenue of the burial ground, not the doctrine of the pulpit, is the thing to be secured. For, as the zealous champion of dissent, whom we quote, naively tells us respecting these pious speculators-" the lenders must have their interest, and also their capital”; and the burial ground "generally sufficed to meet the interest of the sums borrowed, and in some cases to aid in gradually liquidating the debt.". while this is the case underground, there is nothing to disturb a "tender conscience" above ground, whatever changes of sect, or doctrine may take place

And,

there. So long as the speculation answers, what does it matter. whether the conventicle be Independent, Baptist, Kilhamite, Quaker, Socinian, Ranter, Muggletonian, or any thing else? The bonds and mortgages must be paid; the lender must have his interest, the projector his profit, the builder bis returns, the pious collector and beggar his pickings, if not by one doctrine, by another, if not by one set of dupes, then by another; by the joint contributions of faction and heresy above, and of vanity and corruption below. However this part of the subject we must at present pass over hastily. The dissenters, finding the treasury of their craft in danger, set up a most awful bowl against the Bill, as though their private and greedy speculations were to be regarded as public institutions; and with much the same reason as Quack Doctors, and venders of patent poisons, might clamour at any public measure to secure the general health. Committees were appointed to get up petitions, &c.; and the champion, before mentioned, writes a book, which is of some value, as it gives on dissenting authority proofs, shewing what a greedy and pounds, shillings, and pence affair of bonds and mortgages, is their boasted voluntary system; and to what purposes the pious contributions squeezed and wheedled out of rich and poor is in no small proportion applied.

Before we make farther remarks let us produce the facts of the case stated by the dissenting advocate. He divides the chapels into three classes:

"First, those on which there is no debt; secondly, those on which there is a debt, but not a mortgage; and thirdly, those whose debt is in the shape of mortgage.”—Health of Towns, p. 75

It is with the two last only that we are concerned.

"Of the second class of Chapels, namely, those on which there is a debt, but not a mortgage, the number is very great; the debt amounting, in most instances, to many hundreds, and, in a multitude of cases to thousands of pounds. In the majority of these cases, the money has been obtained on the personal secu

rity of the trustees and leading men of the respective Chapels ; responsibilities which they were induced to undertake in reliance on the revenues arising from their Burial-ground, which generally sufficed to meet the interests of the sums borrowed, and in some cases to aid in gradually liquidating the debt."—Ibid, p. 76.

"Of the third of these classes; namely, those Chapels which have raised money on mortgage, the number is far from small; while the sums may be said to range between one and eight or ten thousand pounds per Chapel. These, of course, comprise chiefly Chapels of the largest size. In many such instances, the sums are too great for mere personal security to be either given or taken; the property therefore, becomes it own security. But in some cases, the sum required is too much for the convenience or prudence of one party to advance it, even under mortgage, and the result is the introduction of a second, or even of a third mortgagee. We know examples of such triple investments. In all such cases, the property must evidently be of great value. We will specify a strong example, the facts of which are before It is the case of a Chapel, which, with its spacious vaults, of the best construction, and a burial-ground most eligible situated, costs upwards of 21,000l. On this estate, in round numbers, the sum of 10,000l. has been borrowed from three parties, upon three distinct deeds of mortgage; the second subject to the first, the third to both. The security, at the date of the deeds, was deemed excellent; and it really was so. Before the suburban Cementeries were opened, the Mortuary Fees not only met the interest, but yielded a surplus, which, had it continued, would at no very distant period, have liquidated the debt."Ibid, p. 77.

us.

Then comes the conclusion-the

"Double double, toil and trouble,
Fire burn and caldron bubble."

Which the bill is to make in the pious Stock exchange.

Had

"Thus, while the Trustees bore their burden (Quere--managed their patronage and perquisites?)' with all possible comfort, the congregation were rent-free, and the Mortgagees had no cause for the slightest anxiety respecting their capital. the property been sold, it would have brought at the least, a larger sum than that for which it was mortgaged. What would be the condition of this handsome property, should your ill-considered Bill receive the sanction of Parliament? Here, you will please to observe, are a new class of sufferers: not the leading men of a religious community, not such a community itself, but a body of men holding property by a legal tenure. Their deeds are their sole security. You close the vaults and the grounds;