and the churches by which the publication is sustained.

"Your Editor has justly attached a high degree of importance to the connexion originally subsisting between the EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE and the London Missionary Society. Each of these has rendered substantial service to the other; and from the commencement, our Magazine has been the faithful recorder of the transactions, and the devoted advocate of the claims of that noble Institution. May the connexion between them [never be dissolved !

"On the present occasion, we should be culpably wanting in gratitude to the God of all grace, if we did not acknowledge, with devout thankfulness, the encouraging prosperity which has distinguished the history of our Magazine from its commencement to this day.

"That its circulation should not now be equal to the extent which it attained in very different times, when religious periodicals were almost novelties, can occasion neither surprise nor discouragement. That its present circulation, surrounded by so many competitors, should extend to more than 10,000 copies, may well call forth our thankfulness to God.

"It has always been regarded as a recommendation of our Magazine, that its pecuniary proceeds are devoted to the relief of the widows of evangelical ministers of irreproachable character.

"The amount of its profits, aided by the munificent bequest of the late Mr. Hill, enables us to grant annual gratuities to one hundred and fifty widows: and, without going into exact calculations, I may express it as my persuasion, that more than £30,000 have been applied to this benevolent purpose.

"And now, my dear Dr. Morison, I have the high gratification of presenting to you, in the name of the Trustees, a small testimonial of our fraternal regard, and of our appreciation of the

long and so efficiently rendered, as Editor of the EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE,—I request your acceptance of this Time Piece, together with a purse of a Hundred and Ten Guineas.

"May the blessing of our God and Saviour rest upon your time and your talents, your strength and your labours, upon your flock and your ministry, upon the endeared companion of your life, and upon the children of your love; may you long be sustained in your career of usefulness; and then, in a higher sphere, may you shine with the brightness of the firmament, and as the stars for ever and ever!"

To this address, which was listened to with deep interest and cordial approbation, the Editor replied in the following terms:

"Beloved Brethren, you must place yourselves in my position, in order fully to understand my feelings. I am subdued and almost silenced by this extraordinary mark of your respect and kindness. So generous a token of regard, from brethren with whom I have so long and so cordially acted, is truly soothing to the heart. And the fraternal tone in which my esteemed and honoured friend, the Treasurer, has indulged in his touching address, has rendered the costly gifts now before me doubly precious. Coupled with other acts of kindness and confidence which I have experienced, during the period of my official connexion with the EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE, I feel that this Testimonial calls alike for gratitude and humility:-gratitude, that my imperfect services have been so generously estimated, and humility, that I have not better deserved the great liberality evinced towards me in the performance of an anxious and arduous duty.

devoted to the pages of the EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE, for the space of more than twenty-seven years, by far the largest portion of a man's working existence; -nor shall I fail to regard it as a monitor, ever reminding me of the powerful claim which you have upon my best services.

"And although I did not desire this pecuniary gift, -so large beyond all that could have been anticipated,-I | value it for its own sake, for the sake of the respected donors, and, most of all, for the sake of that noble and Christian spirit with which it has been contributed and presented.

"Receive, dear brethren, my heartfelt acknowledgments, for so gratifying an expression of your personal and collective regard, in the relation in which I stand to you, as the Editor of your Magazine; and believe me when I say, that it will be the study of my every-day life, to make the work what it must be, in order to secure your enlightened and discriminating approbation.

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That this Testimonial should have been presented to me at a time when I have just recovered from threatening and protracted indisposition, is a circumstance which, though, perhaps, accidental, greatly enhances, to my mind, the delicacy of the offering;-but, with restored health, and with as much of mental vigour, if I mistake not, as I ever possessed, I feel strongly and conscientiously the duty of husbanding my powers, that I may the more efficiently discharge the duties which you have devolved upon me, at a time when the competition of the periodical press requires of every Editor the most sleepless exertions.

"Only, dear brethren, let me have your most fervent supplications at the throne of grace, your literary co-operation, and your continued friendly greeting, and I will yet hope to render you acceptable and successful service, in carrying out your best wishes for the

prosperity of the EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE, which, next to my own salvation, the happiness of my dear family, and the religious progress of my attached flock-lies nearest to my heart."

After Dr. Morison had resumed his seat, amid the warm greetings of his brethren, addresses, of a most friendly and instructive character, full of kind reference to the efficient manner in which the EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE is now conducted, were delivered by the Rev. William Legg, B.A., of Reading; the Rev. James Stratten, of Paddington Chapel; the Rev. John Angell James, of Birmingham; the Rev. Dr. Harris, President of New College; the Rev. Thomas Binney, of the Weigh House; the Rev. Dr. Henderson, of Islington; the Rev. Samuel Thodey, of Rodborough; the Rev. Dr. Burder, Treasurer; and the Rev. Dr. Tidman, Foreign Secretary of the London Missionary Society. The whole proceedings, which were characterised by a spirit of fraternal confidence and love, were closed in a solemn act of devotion, in which the Rev. E. Mannering commended the Magazine and the Editor to the special blessing of God. Few meetings have been more harmonious or edifying.

CONFERENCE ON VOLUNTARY EDUCATION.

THE friends of voluntary education, in their efforts to promote the instruction of the people, besides the ordinary labours and diffi the additional embarrassment of being comculties incident to such enterprises, have had pelled constantly to leave their work, in order to defend their principles. For years past, it might be said of every one devoted to this cause, as it was of those engaged in building the walls of Jerusalem, that "with one of his hands he wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon." We would fain hope that that time is nearly passed. The constant variety and succession of the schemes of compulsory education that have of late claimed the public suffrage, and the hopelessly irreconcilable principles which they severally espoused, must convince every reflective mind, that there is no rational prospect of any system emerging out of this class, that can be universally acceptable to the people of England.

number of either publication, without feeling that they are eminently adapted for general usefulness, and that, with all their extraordinary success, they yet deserve a far wider circulation.

We trust that 1852 will be a good year for ourselves and for Dr. Campbell. We are not rivals, but coadjutors. The EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE, we are persuaded, will not fare the worse, because we do not regard it as the only good thing in the world. Nevertheless, we do wish to see it in every Nonconforming Family throughout the United Kingdom.

PATRIOT NEWSPAPER.

AMONG the Religious Newspapers of the age, the "Patriot " deserves to occupy a distinguished place. Its now venerable and highly cultivated Editor, to say nothing of his able coadjutor, Mr. Hare, has performed, in many different ways, most acceptable service to the cause of Evangelical Nonconformity; and, as a newspaper Editor, has produced articles, upon all subjects of public interest, which have been among the most enlightened productions of the age. The "Patriot" is singularly well conducted; and the estimate formed of it is proved by its extensive sale twice a week. In the late Papal aggression, it maintained a firm tone, and exposed the folly of those who sought to confound the demands of Rome with the sacred cause of Religious Liberty. It is somewhat to the discredit of the Dissenters, that they do not more thoroughly patronize their own Literature. Large as is the circulation of the " Patriot," it ought to be doubled. With the New Year, we would fondly anticipate an improving taste in nonconforming circles, and that they will more generally and liberally recognize their true friends, and help them forward to public notice.

THE VISIT OF KOSSUTH.

As religious Journalists, longing for the downfall of all those cruel despotisms by which humanity is oppressed, and vital Christianity is retarded in its life-giving career, we have hailed, with inexpressible delight, the visit of Kossuth to our shores, as an omen for good to the world. The traductions of certain portions of the public press have only served more signally to vindicate the claims of this noble-hearted Foreigner, and of his down-trodden but heroic country. His orations and written addresses to various public bodies, have been marked by a degree of moral fitness and political sagacity, equalled only by their masculine vigour, and their subduing eloquence. There has been no such display, in the present day, of the highest order of political philosophy. All the cabinets of Europe and the world may well sit down at the feet of this illustrious Exile, and learn

to think and feel anew in reference to the awful reign of despotism. It is easy to say of this powerful, but temperate, advocate of the liberty and independence of nations, that his plans have proved abortive. So they have; through the tyrannies of Austria, and Russia, and France; but are not the principles for which he has sacrificed all but his honour and his manhood, those which must rule the destinies of the future, and before which the mightiest forms of absolute and irresponsible power must fal!, as Dagon before the ark?

We are thankful that Kossuth, in his prison hours, studied the English language. This has given to thousands an acquaintance with his real sentiments which they could not otherwise have acquired. It must have an effect upon the minds of Statesmen; and if they should fail to receive the lesson, it will not be lost upon the English people. Sympathy with despotism must cease; and, in future, the shield of British power must be thrown over the weak and the oppressed. America and England can bid defiance to the tyrannies of the world. With the fall of despotism will be the fall of Popery: never till then. We believe that, if Hungary had been protected from Russian interference, the Pope would, ere now, have lost for ever his status; we believe he will lose it still;-for he holds it not by the will of his subjects, but by the arms of nations trembling for their own destiny.

The affecting case of the Hungarian patriots is best stated in Kossuth's own address to the working classes.

We give it in his own words; and a better defence of any revolution was never furnished in the history of our world:

"In our past struggle we made no revolutions. We began to transform, in a peaceful, legislative manner, the monarchico-aristocratical constitution of Hungary into a monarchico-democratical constitution; we conserved our municipal institutions as our most valuable treasure, but gave them, as well as to the legislative power, for basis, the common liberty of the people. Instead of the class privileges of old, we established the personal responsibility of Ministers; instead of the Board of Council of old, which, being a nominal body, was of course a mockery, to that responsibility of the Executive, which was our chartered right on paper, but not in reality. However, we but conserved that which was due to us by constitution, by treaties, by the coronation oath of every king, to be governed as a self-consistent, independent country, by our own native institutions, according to our laws. We established the freedom of thought, of the word and pen, and secured the freedom of conscience. We introduced, with the abolition of exemptions, equality in duties and rights before the law.