become more numerous or considerable. They have generally a priest stationed among them. Their present chapel is a small room in Ferrystreet, and those who attend are, of course, but few in number. The present minister is a French emigrant, of fair character, and very well respected in this town, to whom many of our townsmen are indebted for the proficiency they have made in the knowledge of the French language. The Roman Catholic religion being no longer the religion of the state, it has ceased to be oppressive or formidable to our other religious communities; and it is supposed to have lost (at least in these kingdoms) much of that intolerant and sanguinary character which distinguished its professors in former times. By many, the Catholics in these realms, and especially in Ireland, are thought an oppressed people; and it is much to be wished that every just reason for such an opinion might entirely be done away.

"3. That respectable body of protestant Dissenters, who have assumed the name of FRiends, and are by others called Quakers, have long had a place of worship in this town, and formed a reputable part of its population. It seems that some of our townsmen have been of that denomination ever since the year 1655. George Fox himself visited this town in the course of that year, and preached here with considerable effect. A person was sent about the town to apprize the inhabitants of his arrival, and invite them to give him a hearing, especially the more sober and pious part of them,

together with the officers of the garrison. A large congregation appears to have assembled, many of whom were much affected by the sermon: consequently, as we learn from Fox's Journal, a fine meeting or congregation was formed here, who had come from the hireling teachers to sit under the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ?' From that time to this it is supposed that there has always existed here a society of Friends or Quakers. Fox, however, was not the first of that denomination who visited Lynn. It was visited, as Sewel informs us, by Thomas Briggs two years before, who warned the people to repent, but appears not to have been much listened to, and even to have met a very unchristian reception-' a great mastiff (says Sewel,) was set upon him; but the dog coming near, fawned upon him, and would do him no harm:' so that the poor brute behaved to him much better than those of his own species! But it has often so happened to those who endeavoured to reform the world, and turn mankind from the error of their ways. Fox visited Lynn again in 1662, when some of his Friends were confined here in prison. We find that he preached here then with acceptance; which was, probably, what excited the magistrates to have him apprehended and imprisoned; but before they could effect their cruel purpose, he escaped out of their jurisdiction. Where those of his persuasion held their meetings here in those troublesome times does not appear, but they afterwards met in the Cross-yard, near Lady

ancestors.

Bridge, which continued to be their place of worship till the erection of their present place in New Conduit-street. This is a neat, but small place; though quite large enough for their congregation, which is supposed to be now much smaller than it has been in former times, as is also the case in most parts of the kingdom-the modern Quakers having but a small portion of that zeal in disseminating their principles which was manifested by their early This is to be regretted, as some of those principles are certainly very excellent, and deserve every possible exertion to disseminate them throughout the world. Of the particular tenets of the Quakers a full account may be found in Barclay's Apology, and also in Clarkson's Portraiture of Quakerism. They have no preaching among them here, except when a stranger comes, as they have no public friend or minister among themselves. They have three burying-places in this town, which may indicate that they have had here three different meeting-houses.

"4. PRESBYTERIAN Chapel. Though the Presbyterians seem to be of somewhat longer standing in this town than the Quakers, yet it does not appear that they had here a separate place of worship as early as they. They appeared here as a distinct sect soon after the Restoration, in conse→ quence of the ejection of Mr. Horne from the vicarage of Lynn Allhallows, and from the established priesthood. His acknowledged piety, learning, and respectability of character, were likely to

gain him adherents as an ejected minister. The number of those who adhered to him on that trying occasion we have not been able to learn; but it is certain that they soon formed themselves into a separate society, and report has said, that they met for some time at a place fitted up for the purpose in a certain yard or alley in Black Goose-street. They afterwards removed to Spinner-lane, behind the house now inhabited by Mr. Dennis, where they fitted up and converted into a decent chapel, a round house, originally erected for a Glass-house. Here the congregation assembled during the whole ministration of the two Rastricks, and part of that of Mr. Mayhew. After he had been here sometime, the old chapel falling into decay was given up, and the congregation then removed to a new and neat chapel which they had erected in Broad-street, which was a more eligible situation. Mr. Mayhew, about the 70th year of his age, resigned the ministry, and was succeeded by Mr. Warner, who was the minister of this chapel from 1777 to 1801, when he resigned his charge and removed to Hapton. Before his removal the Congregation had been for sometime declining, not for want of abilities in him, but rather for want of a larger portion of sectarianism and proselytism! Several of the principal members were removed by death, some before his departure, and others soon after. Of the remainder, those of them who might be expected to retain some attachment to the cause, fearing the expense which might attend any exer

tion on their part to revive and support it, now dastardly quitted their post, and ingloriously sneaked back into the bosom of the established church, and have ever since, as might be expected, constituted some of its most useless members. In consequence of that defection and desertion, the Calvinian Methodists, under the name of Independents, thrust themselves in, and got possession of the chapel, to which they could apparently have no more right than the other Methodists, or even the Quakers. Indeed it would seem that they had less right to it than those, as the Lynn Presbyterians had always been Arminians from the beginning. It was always said by Mr. Warner, that the place, in the event of the extinction of the Presbyterian interest here, according to the chapel deeds, would become the property of the Presbyterian board in London. As to the Trustees, if they knew their business, they could not suppose that they had any right to transfer to another and hostile denomination the possession of the property with which they were entrusted. This we notice as what we conceive to be due to historical truth, and to the memory of the Presbyterian congregation, which existed so usefully and reputably in this town near one hundred and fifty years, and whose ministers were in general among the chief ornaments of the place for learning and respectability of deportment.-The Presbyterian chapel was about forty feet by twenty-five, with a gallery fronting the pulpit. It has been since lengthened to about fifty-eight feet, with the addi