Lecture V. Tuesday, May 20th.Historical view of the Ancient Systems of Philosophy; the Oriental, Grecian, and Roman; inferences from this view. State of Gentile Philosophy subsequent to the Advent; Gnosticism; Eclecticism; Uses of this lecture. Lecture VI. Tuesday, May 27thCharacter of the early Fathers as defenders of Christianity; effect of their philosophy on their principles of Biblical Interpretation; and on their spirit as theological disputants. Lecture VII. Tuesday, June 3d.Effect of Philosophy on Ecclesiastical Authority; the Doctrines of the Gospel; the Christian Sacraments; and Christian Morality. Lecture VIII. Tuesday, June 10.Character of ancient Paganism; its effect on the views of professed Christians with regard to the Object of worship; and as to Ritual services. Lecture IX. Tuesday, June 17.Influence of ancient Paganism on the Polity and Discipline of the Christian Church; and on its Systems of Morals. Further information may be obtained of the Messenger at the Library, Blomfield Street, Finsbury Circus. BRIEF ACCOUNT OF WHARF ROAD CHAPEL, CIRENCESTER. (With an Engraving.) The ancient and repectable town of Cirencester, in Gloucestershire, containing a population of from 6000 to 7000 persons, has been till lately without any place of worship for the use of Congregational Independents. Some, however, remember when an orthodox dissenting ministry was supported by the liberal endowment which is now perverted to cast the shadow of Socinianism, when the present miscalled Presbyterian Meeting was occupied by worshippers whose opinions were directly opposed to those of the few who now assemble within its vegetating walls. This painful state of things had, for a long time, affected the minds of influential neighbouring ministers, who having ascertained about four years since, that but a small minority of the inhabitants attended any public worship, and still fewer the ministry of the gospel, determined immediately, to attempt the formation A room of an Independent interest. was therefore engaged, and fitted up for public worship, which was opened by the Rev. Messrs. Roaf, of Wolverhampton, and Burder, of Stroud, assisted by the Baptist minister of the town, and others. In May, 1830, Mr. Jerome Clapp, of Marlborough, was induced to render his gratuitous services to the infant cause. It has since been exposed to peculiar difficulties, from the apathy of ignorance, and the activity of prejudice; but still, through the Divine mercy, it has prospered, some particulars of which have been published in a circular, by those who have taken the responsibility of building. A respectable congregation, it appears, has been collected; a SabbathSchool established, the average attendance at which has been nearly 200 children; a Church has been formed, and a Christian Instruction Society is in active operation. A lending library has been likewise instituted; and for more than two years, a village itinerancy has preserved the ministry of the gospel to several important villages, in which the valuable Home Missionary Society had long maintained a station; and to which it has kindly promised to continue some pecuniary aid. Our more immediate object, however, is to refer to the commodious and rather handsome Chapel, an engraving of which accompanies this article; a Chapel considered, by many who have seen it, as presenting by its moderate cost and architectural arrangement, some valuable hints to those who have to build. It is erected on a convenient spot of sufficient extent to be used as a burialground, granted on the application of forty respectable householders, by Earl Bathurst and Lord Apsley, upon a satisfactory lease. It is built of stone found in the neighbourhood; but the front, which, including the pediment, is about thirty-eight feet from the level of the road, by about forty-four feet in width, is faced with free-stone, and ornamented with entablatures and cornices from approved designs. A portico twelve feet high, and of the length of the building, receding under the gallery about nine feet, is supported by two columns, with corresponding pilasters, the floor of which, supported by a flight of nine steps, conducts to the principal and gallery doors, and is raised to the level of the uppermost tier of pews in the interior, from which they gradually concentrate in the form of an amphitheatre, by steps of seven inches each, to the level on which the pulpit is placed, the floor of which is consequently but little higher than the upper range of seats. The side walls are twenty-six feet high from the base to the dome, without windows, that a minister's house or school-rooms may at any time be added as wings to the building. The Chapel is partly lighted by two windows at the back, and three in the gallery over the portico, but principally by a sky-light ten feet in diameter, in the centre of the dome. The roof is constructed of iron rafters, averaging three inches by half an inch, weighing about two tons, screwed together, and firmly fixed by an iron base ring into a strongly bolted octangular wall-plate of Memel fir, nine inches thick. It is of a cupola form, rising to the skylight in the centre fifteen feet from its base, and consequently forty feet from the floor of the Chapel; the rafters are covered with deal plank, fastened by strong copper wire, and the whole covered in with zinc. About two-thirds of the Chapel is pewed, the backs of the seats being made to recline about four inches, the remainder is provided with seats having panelled backs, but not enclosed. A vestry has been erected immediately behind the pulpit. The building has been put in trust; the deed has been duly enrolled and approved by the Congregational Board, by whom, in conjunction with the Rev. Messrs. Leifchild, Jay, and others, the case is very kindly recommended to the liberality of the public. The Rev. John Burder, of Stroud, has, we perceive, confirmed his recommendation by a personal subscription of £10. THE CIRCUMSTANCES RELATIVE то In the year 1829, the ministers of the South Devon Association deeply interested themselves to procure a place of worship at Torquay, and the Rev. W. Greenwood, coming down to the neighbourhood as the agent of the Home Missionary Society, was induced, by the promising appearances of the spot, and its suitableness to his health, to commence his ministerial labours there in March, 1830. A large room, formerly occupied as a theatre, was hired, and as a good congregation soon assembled, ground was engaged whereon a chapel should be built; for the erection of which, and for the purpose of taking the ground from the freeholder in order to convey the property over to trustees, for the use of Protestant Dissenters, a Committee was formed consisting of Mr. Greenwood, Mr. Hellings, and Mr. Gill. The two latter gentlemen advanced on loan, without interest, £150, and the lease was prepared in the three names. The foundation stone was laid by Admiral Pearson, a member of a Dissenting church, on the 3d of June, 1830, with a plate thereon, engraved by Mr. Beatram, of Torquay, according to Mr. Greenwood's order, stating the building to be an Independent place £320 0 0 of worship, erected by three gentlemen as a Committee. The intended cost was £600 or £700, but as the building proceeded Mr. Greenwood, 160 0 0 contrary to the repeated remonstrances of the other two members of the Com The estimates for the building are as follow: The builder, for masonry, &c. Boards for roof, and ironmonger's contract, including gates and palisading Windows, at £2 per mittee, determined on an expensive plan of finish, and incurred various charges, till the originally intended cost was more than doubled; in consequence, Mr. Greenwood found it needful to borrow £600 on the place; and as the other two gentlemen had not funds to meet this amount, they declined the increased responsibility, and their names were withdrawn from the lease, whereupon an agreement was entered into, of which the following is a copy: "Memorandum-September 13, 1831, Torquay. "We, the undersigned, having been named as parties with our respected brother, Rev. W. Greenwood, to the lease for ninety-nine years, from Sir L. Plank, of the ground for the Independent Chapel, Torquay, and having been informed by the Attorney consulted previous to signing the lease, that our doing so would involve our personal responsibility, both in respect to the covenants therein, and also in regard to any monies borrowed for payment of the building of the chapel, which personal responsibility was never contemplated by us; and our brother Greenwood, having given us herein his agreement and assurance to vest the said chapel in public trust for the purposes originally intended, as early as possible; we certify, that by our request the lease is to be made in his sole name, and that we concur in his obtaining a loan for payment of the builder. 66 'Agreed, R. GILL. N. HELLINGS. W. GREENWOOD." By this time Mr. Greenwood had formed a church, consisting of the pious individuals attending his ministry and professing the sentiments of Protestant Dissenters, and he was recognized as their pastor. In June, 1831, the chapel was opened in the most solemn manner, as a Dissenting place of worship. Dr. Payne, Theological Tutor of the Western Academy, Exeter; Rev. Mr. Nicholson, Baptist Minister, of Plymouth; and the Rev. H. J. Roper, of Teignmouth, preached on the occasion. The attendance now became very good; a large Sunday-school was gathered, and all seemed to be so exN. S. NO. 112. ceedingly prosperous, that the Home Missionary Society, which had allowed Mr. Greenwood salary for a year and a quarter, was informed that its aid was no longer needed. During the whole period collections for paying the cost of the chapel were made by Mr. Greenwood in South Devon, the total amount of which we cannot at present ascertain, by reason of the collecting book being improperly retained by him, and of the apparent discordance of his statements. No sooner was the chapel perceived to be thus prosperous, and the cause of Dissent to be rapidly advancing, than the Episcopal party proposed to build a new church very near it, and the plans were actually prepared; but another and less expensive mode of attaining their object seems afterwards to have been conceived. About January, 1833, Mr. Greenwood printed an address to his flock, congratulating them on the prosperity they enjoyed as Dissenters, and exhorting them to steadfastness in their principles. Alas! they little thought what would follow. In March, there was a rumour that Mr. Greenwood thought of entering the Established Church, but being questioned thereon by Mr. Gill and others, he admitted that an invitation to do so had been conveyed to him by two or three clergymen, and he denied any intention of compliance-declared that his sentiments had undergone no changebelieved that he should die a Dissenter -authorized an entire contradiction of the rumours, and announced that the trust deed, for conveying the chapel over as the property of Protestant Dissenters, was ready for signature; that he only wanted a few more Trustees to join those already procured, in a united responsibility for the loan of £600; that he was going to London for this purpose, and then all would be settled. On his return, he intimated to the members of the church separately an idea of conforming to Episcopacy, and used every means to induce his flock to follow him; but they joined generally, with Mr. Gill and Mr. Hellings, in earnest remonstrances and appeals against what they considered to be a violation of most sacred pledges. In April, Mr. Gib2 K |