the matter into our own hands: and since we cannot hear the truth at the old church, why, we will hear it at the new one (applause). I do not think that we need at present anticipate any difficulties in the procuring of the Bishop's licence: and if these should occur, it will then be our duty to consider whether we do not prefer to be guilty of an uncanonical irregularity, than to sin against the first principles of Christianity, by supporting a clergyman who disseminates error. I will therefore give you the estimate of the expenses of the proposed building, and the manner in which we think of providing for them. There is an unoccupied piece of ground between Freeschool-lane and Adelaide-street measuring fortythree feet by thirty-eight. This, with galleries, would, in Mr. Stubbing's calculation, give ample room for six hundred. The expense, including the internal fittings, would amount, including the ground, to about £1500, more or less. We propose to make twenty shares of £75 each.

We may fairly count on every seat being let, if we only provide ourselves with a truly evangelical preacher. Taking them one with another, they will produce thirty shillings a year: or £900 on the whole. We should recommend that the salary of the preacher be £500: the expenses of repair, lighting, &c. may probably amount to the sum of £50 annually. This will leave to the trustees an annual revenue of £350; which will bring £17. 10s. to each. I need not point out the advantageous character of this investment: the annual

return will be somewhat over twenty-three per cent. We further propose to insure the security of this interest by a clause in our stipulation with our minister, to the effect, that in case the revenues arising from the chapel should fall below £900, the deficiency should be borne by him and not by us. I believe I have now laid the outline of our scheme before the meeting. I may perhaps add, that some addition to the income of the chapel will in all probability be made, by the occupation of its vaults as wine vaults."

Mr. Sharpe, an attorney, rose to propose the formation of a committee for the purpose of carrying the design recommended by Mr. Larkins into effect. As to the duty of the step, whatever unpleasant consequences it might entail personally on those who took it, nothing could to him be clearer. They must never forget those memorable words, the trumpetsound of which seemed ever to ring in his ears; words, spoken by an evangelical clergyman of the Church of England, to a large and respectable congregation, and referring to ministers of a similar stamp with their own, "Desert the churches, refuse to recognise the ministry of these Anglo-Catholicks! Speak strong expressions-they would do so: they would set no store by their own expenses or labours, so that the truth they loved might be transmitted by them to their children, whole and untainted as they received it."

Mr. Smith would not destroy the effect of his

eloquent friend's speech by any addition of his own. He contented himself with seconding the motion.

Several gentlemen were expressing their willingness to become shareholders, when our old friend, Mr. Wingfield, who had been an attentive listener, begged leave to say a few words.

"Gentlemen," he said, "I'm a plain spoken man, and don't want you to take my advice for more than it's worth. I should like to ask Mr. Larkins what he means by Puseyism; but I never yet found any one who knew its meaning-so I suppose he don't: therefore I won't trouble him for an answer. What I mean to say is this: Stubbing can build as cheap as any man: I don't deny it; more by token, four of his chapels have fallen down before they were well finished. But if you think to get the place you are talking of for £1500; why, I wish you may get it. And if, when you've built it, you get six hundred people to fill it, why there are more geese in Studham than I thought. That's all. Good morning, gentlemen."

Mr. Larkins threw himself on the meeting. Was he to be, he might say, insulted, by a gentleman who evidently was totally unacquainted with business, solely because he had laid himself out to meet, as far as he could, the wishes of his friends and neighbours?

This brought a vote of thanks to the energetick auctioneer, and a committee having been nominated, of which he was to act as perpetual chairman, and the

able conduct of Mr. Turnbull in the chair having been duly acknowledged, the meeting separated.

Thenceforth, operations were carried on with great energy and success. As church-room was really wanted in Studham, Mr. Morley did not consider himself justified in throwing any obstacles in the way of the licence. He contented himself with pointing out the mercenary spirit which actuated the proposers of this notable scheme, and warning his hearers against the results to which it would lead : the criticizing and captious spirit in which the discourses of the minister would be heard, and the unchristian power lodged nominally in the trustees, but eventually in the congregation. In the following summer, High-street chapel was ready to be opened. An advertisement in several of the principal papers for an active evangelical clergyman, brought a considerable number of applications: and from these the trustees chose three, whose testimonials they considered superior to the rest, and whom they determined to hear for themselves, before making their final decision. The gentlemen in question were accordingly informed that they were to preach in the morning, afternoon, and evening, respectively, of the following Sunday: for though in future, the chapel was to be open only morning and evening, on the present occasion it was to have three services performed in it. Mr. Larkins, on whom the task of announcing this determination had devolved, received violent remonstrances from the preacher who had

the evening allotted for his exhibition. He, however, pacified him by observing, "that really the morning service was so long, that one was never so well disposed to hear a sermon after it: that the afternoon was not a favourable time either; because, coming after dinner, the discourse often sent people to sleep; and that these two drawbacks gave the evening lecturer as fair a chance of success as his brethren."

The eventful morning came. The chapel was crowded. The trustees took their seats in the pews nearest the pulpit, in order that they might not lose a word of the discourse on which they were to form their judgement. Their inattention during the prayers was singularly contrasted by the fixed and solemn abstraction in which they listened to the preacher, a worthy clergyman of the older evangelical school, when good works were not discarded from the creed of its partizans, and a future reckoning was sometimes brought before them, ay, and that according to their works. As he delivered his text-that verse in which St. Paul announced his determination of knowing nothing among his converts, but Him Who is the sum and end of all preaching, not one of the trustees but felt that the luxury of their present position would have been cheaply purchased by the money they had already expended in procuring it; and which, by the way, amounted to considerably more than they had been led to expect. The style of the preacher was plain, and his discourse was