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and, although their deeds are drawn in the same form, and under the same sanction, as those which Abednego the money-lender holds from Lord Lavish, you would treat them as so much waste paper. An annual sum of many hundreds of pounds ceases to be received by the Trustees, whose obligations to pay, as you are well aware, depends wholly on their receipts. But there is an end to the latter, and therefore, an end also to the former. The interest of the respective sums ceases to be paid. What is now to be done? The hopes of the Mortgagees are cut off for ever. Time cannot improve their position. Nothing remains for them but to act on their security. Well; they foreclose and sell their property. What does it bring? Its value now is simply its worth as a chapel; the grounds and vaults go for nothing, and as a Place of Worship merely, it might perhaps be considered dear at 2001, per annum. We may consider it sold then for 4,000l. but very probably it would not bring 3,000l.; for property such as this is not every man's bargain. It has few attractions for the mere capitalist, and none at all for the speculative builder. Who else is to bid for it? It is equally beyond the means and necessities of a small infant congregation of Dissenters any large and established congregation is, of course, already provided for, and does not want it. The Church-Building Commissioners, if at all they required such a'spot, would give for it merely what is worth as a foundation: for they would not condescend to use the existing edifice.”—Ibid, pp. 77, 78.

We can have no difficulty in understanding that such a state of suffering would be rather uncomfortable to the pious dabblers in the shares, bonds, and Mortgages of tender conscience; and that the loss of either their principal or interest would not quite be on the voluntary principle. But then before we measure out our commiseration, it may be as well to examine the pious and voluntary considerations which, as the Yankees say, got them into this "fix."

Now on these points we must go to our dissenting authorities. In a case we could name, not far from where we are writing, a set of poor people were gulled to take small shares for building a chapel, with a promise of seven per cent for their money. But the shareholders soon found that their shares were not worth a farthing. The property of the conventicle might be a snug thing for the trustees and speculators. The religious part of the speculation was a dead failure. The shareholders were

piously exhorted to give up both their principal and interest, and the chapel remained in debt. But though we append our names to our statements and have no doubt we shall be believed (however contradicted) by friends and foes; yet we will not ask trust in a case, where we do not give the place and the parties. We will give chapter and verse from dissenters themselves. We will shew, that the build ing of these chapels arises out of a system just as pious and voluntary, as that of the "bull and bear" dealings in the stock exchange, and the share market. Take as examples the following.—

DISSENTING ADVERTISMENTS.

(From Maitland on the Voluntary System.)

"Mortgage on a Chapel.-Wanted to borrow, at 5 per cent. Interest, the sum of One Hundred or One Hundred and Fifty Pounds on Mortgage of a Chapel, in the immediate vicinity of London, newly and substantially built. It is wholly free from incumbrance, and is held upon a long lease 49 years of the term whereof is yet unexpired. Ground Rent, 25 pounds per annum. Any one willing to make the investment would, by doing so, assist an important and interesting object, and would at the same time be perfectly secure from loss. For further particulars apply by letter (post paid) to X. Y., at Mr. Russell's, No. 80, Addersgate-street."-(July, 1829.)

"Money. Wanted to borrow, the sum of 1000l. or 1200l. by way of annuity. The security would consist of a handsome Chapel, in a very respectable neighbourhood near London, worth more than 20001. as well as personal responsibility, if required. To an elderly gentleman of limited income, it might be a very desirable investment, as from six to eight per cent would be given according to circumstances. No part of the money would be wanted till Midsummer, and part might remain till Michaelmas or Christmas. Or 1000l. lent for ten years, at five per cent, would meet the wishes of the Advertiser. Address, post-paid, to A. A. J., at the Publisher's."—(April, 1829.)

In the building of the Rev. Alexander Fletcher's Chapel, we find the thing done in as tempting a style as any project is puffed in the share market, which sets forth the popularity of the speculation, and hints that if people do not make haste all the shares will be gone. "The expence" it is stated, "will not

exceed 8000l. to be raised by shares of 101. each, cent. interest, of which 650 shares have

bearing 5 per
been already engaged.”

Here are snug investments at 5 per cent and in some cases more; and annuities at six or eight per Cent, besides a vast machinery of jobbings and pickings and speculations. And, by the way, as the dissenters are so fond of asking Churchmen to prove that in the Apostles' times the State assisted the Church in providing the people with means of Christian worship (the state being then heathen and therefore leaving the Church no choice of either accepting or rejecting its aid) let us ask them in turn, what authority they find in those times for the "voluntary" (no doubt getting good interest is always voluntary) system of bonds, and shares, and mortgages, and annuities, at 5, 6, 7, and 8, per cent. We hear of people laying possessions at the feet of the Apostles, as in our own Church we hear of Churchmen building Churches and endowing livings, and giving their hundreds and thousands without interest or looking for security of principal. But where in the New Testament, are the bonds, and mortgages, and shares with good interest, of which the dissenting champion pleads so earnestly, the general prevalence in the voluntary Chapels? To use their favorite argument (which we do, not approving it, but only that they may feel its unfairness and the force with which it may be turned against themselves) Where do they find St. Paul advertising a mortgage on a chapel at 5 per cent; or St. Peter hinting, that unless they took shares in his conventicle, at 5 per cent, they will loose their chance of this good investment? Or another Apostle luring in the small fry of speculators with one pound shares bearing 7 per cent interest, and then turning round upon them with the announcement, that the little sectarian spec does not answer, and that the pious "voluntary" shareholders are diddled out of both

interest and principal? What arguments are these? We would not rest upon them, and are almost ashamed even to retort them, for the purpose of exposing the contemptible and disingenuous character of those dissenting disputants, who take that line against the Church.

But to return to our point. As the dissenting champion observes, the pious speculators "must bave their interest." For this purpose the Dissenting pump is vigorously set to work in all its forms of begging.* There are itinerant mendicants, lecturers, tea parties, spouters and Preachers paid and unpaid; the miserable minister of a chapel is sent to scour the country begging, and goaded to his wretched task by the consciousness that the 5, 6, 7, or 8 per cent. speculators must be satisfied; and that unless they are so his share in the speculation must be cut off. In short all hands are at work on the pump handle drawing the pounds shillings and pence out of those deluded people, who fancy that zeal for the Lord and the Voluntary system is the founda

The delicate writer to whom the extract, which we used as a kind of text to this article, is addressed is mightily offended at the term "begging." With his usual candour he reminds us that "begging is far less disgraceful than stealing." By this he means to insinuate (will he dare to assert and prove?) that the Church depends upon stealing and the Voluntary system is only one of begging. This does not get rid of the miserable "begging” system of dissent." But suppose we prove, not insinuate, that there may be both stealing and begging under the voluntary system! Give us time and room, and we will erect a lasting monument for dissenters. They have provoked the warfare by the vilest falsehoods against the Church, and the most contemptible personalities against its Ministers, employing the basest instruments who, under the shelter of anonymous publication, shrink from the shame and responsibility of their dirty work. We retort by facts and arguments-by passages from dissenting writers and speakers-by reference to the foundations of our statements-by affixing our names, and challenging examination into both our proofs and reasonings. We appeal to common sense. Which (as we have repeatedly asked) of these causes indicates truth and honesty-which bears on the face of it the tokens of falsehood, hypocrisy and baseness?

tion of the chapel; and never dream that they are maintaining hungry speculators, making jobs for builders, establishing private patronage for trustees, and too often helping ravenous and factious wolves in sheep's clothing, to tempt the simple from the fold of the Holy Church of Christ, and to make a prey of them for their own selfish purposes. We have more to say (but must defer it) upon the jobs and pickings of the system which dignifies itself with exclusive pretensions to "Voluntary" piety and "tender conscience." However we can squeeze in a caution or two against the old trick of dissenters which "Laicus" well illustrates, of trying to evade conviction on a charge, of which they are accused, by pleading not guilty of that of which they are not accused.

1. We do not affirm, that all dissenters are actuated by interested motives. But we do affim that dissent chiefly depends upon the spirit of avarice and speculation, herein exposed.

2. Whether their chapels be or be not as many as they boast, that spirit accounts for their erection and maintenance, without any foundation for their vaunting claim to pious and voluntary motives.

3. The system of shares and bonds, &c. is a crafty and worldly scheme, like that of “Demetrius" and his "craftsmen," to lure and bind speculators and greedy partisans; the active violence, falsehoods, and wicked agitation of dissent correspond with what might be expected from the supporters of a system appealing to men's corrupt passions, instead of their faith and duty.

4. We charge them with preferring the gratification of envy and party spite to religion, in wishing to sacrifice to this rickety, and avaracious system, the pious and truly voluntary endowments, and the national means of the Church; though the system cannot fill the ground unoccupied, much less that which is occupied by the Church. They would rather leave the poor of our increasing population to perish without God, than let the government assist to save them, by any other scheme than their own miserable abortion of spiritual stock-jobbing.

(To be continued.)

London:-Messrs. Rivington.

Rochdale :-Printed and Sold by T. Holden; 8. Ashworth; and all Booksellers.

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