THE MISSIONARY ANNIVERSARY, AND ITS

TRADUCERS.

WE are not accustomed to refer in our periodical to the misrepresentations and falsehoods of a newspaper which is known greatly to dishonour, by its weekly contents, the name assumed on its behalf. Its anti-Christian spirit is so manifest, that we hesitate not to affirm,-no spiritually-minded man can read it with satisfaction, if, indeed, he can continue, week after week, to read it at all, without bringing his soul under condemnation by doing So. A religiously pure mind instinctively shrinks from any association with such an instrument of wickedness. On this account some of the friends of Methodism, who profess themselves more liberal in their political sentiments than others of their brethren, and who, at the first, entered their names as subscribers for the newspaper we refer to, have, as we know, since given it up in disgust. We do not remember, in all the conversations we have heard on the subject of this paper, whether among satisfied or dissatisfied Methodists, a single individual who attempted to justify, on the ground of Christian principle, the parties concerned with, and conducting it. The most we have ever known attempted on its behalf was an unreasonable excuse, based on the ever-shifting ground of expediency; but, most frequently, the answer given has been some vague reference made, from report, of some exaggeration or falsehood in another paper. The old illustration, that two blacks will not make one white, most naturally presented itself; but we have usually inquired into the particulars of what the parties complained of, and have invariably found, that either their credulity had been grossly imposed upon, or that they were largely ignorant of the real facts of the case. By this time, however, its character for misrepresentation and falsehood is so notorious, that only the most strongly prejudiced persons (with whom it would be of no use to attempt to reason) can tolerate its contents; and, generally speaking, we shall leave it in the future, as we have hitherto left it, to work its own destruction; but, as we fear, it will also work the destruction of some of the unhappy persons most immediately connected with it.

At present, we only refer to the Number for May 7th, that we may point out to such of the true friends of Methodism as attended the late Missionary Anniversary services, the proofs, which they may examine for themselves, of the evil animus and false character of the paper we so unhesitatingly condemn. Usually, the proofs of the truth of assertions made concerning it, are such as require reliance upon the testimony of others; but in this case the proofs are in the possession of thousands, who may safely rely upon what they saw and heard themselves; and to their own personal knowledge we now make our appeal.

In the first place, at the commencement of the leading article in the Number for May 7th, it is stated, in reference to the public Meeting held in Exeter-Hall, "As a whole this demonstration has been much inferior to preceding years." We leave to the judgment of persons present at the public Meeting this year, and who were also present at similar Meetings in former years, the decision whether this statement is true or false. For ourselves, we do not hesitate to affirm, that it was one of the very best Methodist Missionary Meetings we ever attended, either at Exeter-Hall or anywhere else. It was one of the most united, earnest, enthusiastic Meetings ever held of the kind; and was to us, as we have no doubt it was to others, the sure sign that the violent attacks lately made upon our great and noble Missionary institution, had strengthened rather than weakened its support by its true friends. We are aware that the judgment formed of the character of the Meeting might be influenced by the difference in the spirit of the persons who attended it; and that, while to one who followed after peace, and desired the prosperity of Methodist Missions, it was a most satisfactory and joyful Meeting, yet to others, who would fain have had a repetition of the disgraceful proceedings witnessed at the Meeting of 1850, and who went hoping to see the great cause languishing, through its being forsaken by many, the Meeting of Monday the 5th might be unsatisfactory; and, according to their own desires for disturbance and injury, they might write the sentence, "This annual demonstration has been much inferior to preceding years;" but in the connexion in which that sentence is used, and as to the purpose for which it is employed, it is a practical falsehood, as rejoicing thousands can, and we doubt not will, as opportunity may serve, bear witness.

It is then stated in the sentence adjoining the one we have just quoted, and with equal effrontery, that Dr. Candlish's eloquent sermon on Friday morning was "delivered to a scanty congregation." We have attended the Friday-morning sermons in Queen-street chapel frequently; and, with one or two exceptions, when Dr. Harris preached, we do not remember to have seen a larger, if so large a congregation. We were rather late in entering the chapel this year, and we walked from the front entrance to the communion end, before we could find a vacant seat; and, from the observation we made at the time, we saw that we should have had no advantage in this respect, if we had entered the door on the other side, and gone down the opposite aisle. The gallery was very well filled, with the exception of the seats at the angles; and, on the whole, we do not hesitate to say, that there were nearly twice as many persons present as we have seen in Queen-street chapel on a Friday morning; and, with one or two rare exceptions, we never saw more there on such an occasion.

Referring again to the Exeter-Hall Meeting, the editor thus writes, whether falsely or not, our readers who were present will judge :

As the pulpit, so the platform: as the chapel, so the public Hall. The building was not crowded; it was not comfortably filled, by hundreds; though tickets were plentiful as blackberries, and were offered with profuse liberality to old and young, rich and poor, subscribers and non-subscribers, to all who were supposed to be "sound," that is, were not Reformers. The vast proportion of the company, both on and off the platform, were ladies; and to keep them quiet, there was a posse of some twenty or thirty Bow-street officers, and quite an army of ❝javelin men, stationed two and two along the avenues, who served the further purpose of thump. ing approval with their sticks at the bidding of a clerk from the Mission-House, who acted as fugleman. Viewed from the platform, and also from the western gallery, the company appeared much less respectable than we have previously witnessed; and there was an utter absence of that warm enthusiasm among the audience which used to distinguish the gatherings of years gone by.

Again he writes:

With the exception of these two gentlemen, especially Dr. Duff,-for Dr. Candlish cannot be said to have made a speech,-the speakers were ineffective, common-place, vapid, dull. Even the Members of Parliament did not enliven the repast, though one of them did his utmost to play the harlequin.

This noble-minded gentlemen is, in the same leading article, most fiercely and coarsely assailed. He is gravely informed by the writer, that he never entertained so low an opinion of him as at the present; and is threatened with exclusion from the House of Commons, after the next general election; as if such an opinion, and such a threat, from such a quarter, were worth a moment's notice. Why this abusive attack, and this vain threat? The reasons for them will be found in the speech of Mr. Heald in Exeter-Hall, which manifestly struck conviction on the understandings and consciences of the assembly; and which, if pondered, will, we think, show in its true character and effects the evil conduct of those who have confederated for the dis

turbance and injury of the Methodist Missionary Society. We give his weighty words, that they may speak for themselves :

I think the address of our Reverend friend may teach us something as a Wesleyan Missionary Society. (Hear.) For the last few years my heart has bled over the dissensions of our own Connexion, and especially those which have directed themselves in unjustifiable and ungodly assaults on this Society. (Loud cheers.) Yes, this Society has been the special object of assault and attack; (hear, hear;) and I feel it, as a member of this Society, and as having the honour to sustain the office of a member of the Parent Committee, as if the blow had been struck at me. (Hear, and cheers.) Sir, as Sir Edward Sugden said, in his celebrated speech in the County Meeting at Reigate, in reference to the aggressive act of the Pope, "I feel as if the blow had been struck at myself, because the honour, and independence, and sovereignty of this great country have been attacked;" (hear;) and I think it will become us all, to-day, to settle this point. Is this Society our own? (Yes, and cheers.) Have we seen, in the review of the principles which the Report has brought before us, and the able setting-forth of the common principles of all Christians which has been so well delivered by Dr. Duff, that we have been mistaken in the choice of the ground that we have made, and that we have not formed a right estimate of the great object set before us, and all kindred Societies? (No, and cheers.) Sir, I repudiate, from the settled conviction of my judgment, from my best conscientious feelings as a Christian, all such imputations. (Cheers.) I feel

the ground is not of man's making. I am delighted at the tribute which was borne by that distinguished man who has just sat down to the sage-like experience with which the affairs of the Society have been conducted, and which, whether it has been duly estimated, and has been properly acknowledged by the members of the Society or not, calls forth on behalf of this Society the confidence, as it has commanded the respect and enjoys the support, of all sections of the Christian church. (Loud and long-continued cheers.) In reviewing those operations, Sir, if I am not much mistaken, the judgment and the feelings of this Meeting are in unison with my own. (Hear, hear.) I came here, as I have carried the feeling during the last two years, and especially during the last twelve months, with an earnest desire to satisfy myself whether or not the Wesleyan Missionary Society, under the conduct of those to whom the Conference and yourselves have so often committed its direction and management, is to be a thing now brought to an end; or whether, having the opportunity once more to investigate its principles, and to submit our judgments to its sacred claims, and to look, as we are bound to do, as prudent men and as Christian men, to all those responsibilities which these considerations involve,-whether we are prepared to-day to renew our allegiance to Christ in this department of His service, and say, "Here, Lord, I am; send by whom Thou wilt send." (Loud cheers.) Then, Sir, we want something more than that. When I was a very young man, I recollect the late Mr. William Dawson calling at Parrs'-wood, one morning, when I had the honour to entertain as a guest of mine for a few days the late never-to-be-forgotten, and ever-to-be-lamented, as Christians are justified in lamenting,-Richard Watson. After breakfast, we had been canvassing for some time the prominent features of the Missionary Meeting which we had all attended the night before. "Now," said Mr. Dawson to Mr. Watson," what we Methodists want is a present salvation." How is this applicable to our case at the present time? Dr. Duff has solved a problem. Dr. Duff, if I mistake not, has touched a string which will vibrate through the whole Wesleyan Connexion. We want our attention withdrawn from ourselves, and to our work. (Hear.) And I never yet met with any member of the Wesleyan Connexion who could answer this question: "If it pleased God at this moment to bless us with a visitation of His Spirit such as we Wesleyans never yet witnessed, do you not think it would put everything right ?" (Hear, hear.) I believe it would; but then I ask the second question: "Is the indulgence of this kind of disposition and action the way to obtain this great blessing?" No. The Holy Spirit (and that is the serious state of the case) shuns such associations; and I say, that whoever, in my church, prevents my reception of such a measure of that grace which I should individually receive if the shower were universal and general, injures me. (Hear, hear.) The solemn consideration for us all, then, is, that we have no scriptural right to expect the church of Christ to be better than we ourselves contribute to make it. (Hear.) If, on the other hand, you have holy men and women to constitute your members, then, I grant you, we may expect that blessing. Here, then, is an object sufficiently grand, sufficiently important, sufficiently interesting and delightful, to engage the united attention of our universal Connexion at home and abroad. (Hear.) It requires the assistance of all, and every man and woman and child among us; and would to God it might begin to-day! (Hear.)

We think we have wasted sufficient paper and time on this subject, or we could easily give as many more quotations of the false statements made in this anti-Wesleyan publication, concerning the Missionary Anniversary. For instance, it is recorded that the preparatory services were thinly attended. Dr. Newton's congregation, on Wednesday evening, at City-road, with the President's and Mr. Barrett's, are said to have been less than usual. Mr. Farmer is represented as being a

very inefficient Chairman, unable to conduct the business of the Meeting, and made such only because no person of name and influence could be obtained. The Sabbath services are reported as inefficient, and significant in the contrast of attendance with former years. In fact, an attempt is made, throughout, to represent the yearly Income, and the Anniversary Services, as manifest failures! The Income is declared to be the £7,000 less, not mainly through the reduced amount of Legacies in the year, as is the fact, but through the stopping of supplies by the disaffected. The Chairman and the speakers of the Public Meeting were incapable of performing the duties assigned to them; the attendance was greatly reduced in number, and greatly depreciated in character and appearance, being chiefly composed of females. The officiating Ministers were without name and talent, the congregations small, and the collections greatly reduced; and these statements, let it be remembered, are not made by a mere correspondent or reporter, who might write in haste, and mislead the editor, but are made deliberately in the leading articles. For their truth or falsehood we appeal to our readers, and ask, if such statements are made concerning things so public and well-known, what reliance can be placed on what is said, from week to week, on things but partially known?

We most gratefully rejoice in the review of the Missionary Anniversary. We found much reason for thankfulness and joy in connexion with every service. The preparatory services were signally blessed of God to the large numbers who attended them; and the Public Meeting in Exeter-Hall was most triumphantly enthusiastic, as a demonstration of Missionary union, zeal, and liberality, in Wesleyan Methodism. It was, if we mistake not, the finishing-stroke in the conflict, on that department of the work of God, which unprincipled men have lately set themselves to oppose. We are aware that some persons have pecuniary motives for continued opposition to Wesleyan Methodism; but it must now be apparent, that, after all their base and calumnious attacks upon the Treasurers, Secretaries, Missionaries, and supporters of Wesleyan Missions, they are too firmly rooted in the affections of a large and devoted people, to be reduced or destroyed by anything which such opponents can do. With the full conviction that this is the case, we must, in the future, not merely be united for defence against the enemies of our great and holy cause, but we must seek its advancement; and, in doing this, let us thank God and take courage!