COLONIAL CHURCHES-NEW INDEPENDENT CHAPEL, GREEN PONDS, VAN DIEMAN'S LAND.

A neat and substantial place of worship, erected at this township, (which is about 30 miles from Hobart Town,) was opened for public service on the 17th April, 1840.

A prayer meeting was held in the above place early in the morning, and then, for the first time, the voice of prayer and praise ascended from this hill of Zion. At eleven, the more public services commenced.-The Rev. A. Morrison read the Scriptures and engaged in prayer; the Rev. F. Miller preached to a numerous and attentive audience from Psalm lxxiv. 22, "Arise, O God, plead thine own cause."

In the afternoon, the Rev. J. Beazley commenced the services, and the Rev. A. Morrison preached from Isaiah Ixvi. 1, 2, "Thus saith the Lord," &c.

In the evening, the Rev. F. Miller commenced, and the Rev. J. Beazley preached from John v. 39, "Search the Scriptures."

At the conclusion of the sermon, Mr. Beazley stated that the total expense of the building, when completed, would be £500; that upwards of £400 had been raised by voluntary contributions; and that, for his own part, the collection of these funds had been a pleasing duty, from the willingness with which the contributions had been offered.

On the following Sabbath, two sermons were preached by the Rev. J. Nisbet; in the afternoon, from Acts xiv. 7, " And there they preached the Gospel." In the evening from John iii. 3, "Except a man be born again," &c. The collections on this and the day of opening amounted to £65 14s. 4d.

The prospects in this place are most encouraging. Mr. Beazley commenced his labours here about two years ago; he has since made it his central station. The room first occupied, soon became too small for the increasing congregation; more ample accommodation was provided by the erection of a new school-room; that also became insufficient to contain the people assembling; they then came forward liberally to provide a suitable place of worship. In this they were assisted by christian friends in various parts of the Colony, and the present commodious edifice is the result of their exertions.

The dimensions of the chapel are 40 feet by 30; it is built of stone, and will seat about 220 persons.

"Establish thou the work of our hands upon us, O God: yea, the work of our hands establish thou it."

LAYING THE FOUNDATION OF THE NEW CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

AT QUEBEC.

The members of the Congregational church in this city, having acquired a site of ground at the corner of Palace and St. Helen Streets, belonging to H. Atkinson, Esq. the buildings on which were some time ago consumed by fire, have commenced erecting a church thereon, the foundation-stone of which was laid on he evening of Wednesday, the 29th July.

The service commenced by singing part of the 179th IIymn in the Congrerational Hymn Book, "This stone to thee in faith we lay, &c." The founlation-stone was laid, in which was deposited British and American coins, a Copy of "the Declaration of Faith and Church Order of the Independent or Congregational Christians," together with a few other publications; and the ollowing statement written on vellum.

"The Congregational church in Quebec, in connection with the Colonial Missionary Society, was formed in February, 1838, and for a time worshipped na room in Palace Street, at the corner of St. Helen Street. The increase of The Congregation rendered a removal necessary, and a building at the upper nd of the Market Place, opposite the Cathedral, was procured and fitted up; and on the 29th of July the foundation-stone of this church was laid by the 4 Y

N. S. VOL. IV.

Rev. T. Atkinson, Pastor, in the presence of many of the church and congregation."

To which was added the names of the Trustees and the builders, and the hope was expressed that the few coins would prove emblematical of the united liberality of the British and American churches.

The church will be 56 feet by 57, and the basement story will be appropriated to school-rooms and a keeper's house. The whole is to be completed by the end of April next.

The Rev. T. Atkinson then delivered the following address :

"My christian Friends,-Through the goodness of Divine Providence we have reached an era in our history as a church and congregation which invites us gratefully to review the past, and cheerfully to anticipate the future. A few now present can look back to our early meetings in the building opposite, and tracing the steps that have since been taken, and surveying our present position and future prospects, we are led to exclaim, with mingled emotions of gratitude and hope, The Lord hath been mindful of us:-he will bless us.'

"It is usual to lay the foundation-stone of a public building, intended to advance the cause of benevolence, of knowledge, or of religion, with some ceremony calculated to attach importance to the undertaking, to diffuse infor mation, and to excite an interest respecting it. And when there is any peculiarity in the principles upon which such a movement proceeds, it is universally acknowledged that an explicit avowal of those principles is due alike to those who conduct it, and to the public, who are immediately or more remotely interested in it. And as we are assembled to lay the foundation of a building ' in which the pure word of God shall be preached, and the sacraments duly administered, according to Christ's ordinances,' it has been thought desirable and becoming to accompany this act, not only with prayer for the Divine blessing, but with a candid and christian avowal of our peculiar principles, and the objects we contemplate.

"First of all, let it be distinctly understood, that we do not by this act, set ourselves in unfriendly opposition to any of the existing religious communities. So far as they are seeking to promote, and are calculated to secure the glory of God and the well-being of man, we bid them God speed,' and would most cordially co-operate with them in every practicable way. But there are modes of worship, and means of personal improvement and relative usefulness, to which we are conscientiously attached, which we can secure and enjoy, only by a distinct and separate organization: - and while we thus provide for ourselves the ordinances and institutions in which some of us were reared in the land of our fathers, we hope to bring additional and powerful influences to bear upon that portion of the community, (and how large a portion ?) still living in the neglect of the instituted means of salvation.

“Our doctrinal sentiments are in general those of the English, Scotch, and Dutch reformed churches.-We believe that the Scriptures of the Old Testament as received by the Jews, and the books of the New Testament as received by the primitive Christians from the Evangelists and Apostles, are divinely inspired, and form the only standard of appeal in matters of faith and practice,- that there is ONE GOD, infinitely wise, holy, just, and good;-the Creator and supporter, the Governor and Judge of all; that He is revealed in the Scriptures as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that to each are attributed the same divine properties and perfections;—that man was created in the image of God; that be disobeyed the divine command; fell from his state of innocence and purity, and involved all his posterity in the consequences of his fall; that therefore all mankind are born in sin, with an inclination to moral evil utterly incurable by human means;-that the plan of man's salvation originated in the free and sovereign love of God the Father, was effected by the obedience, and death, and resurrec tion of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is applied by the Holy Spirit, whose influence is indispensably necessary to bring a sinner to true repentance; to produce saving faith; to regenerate the heart, and to effect our sanctification;—that we are jus

tified through faith in Christ as the Lord our righteousness,' and not by the works of the law;'— that a holy life will be the necessary effect of true faith, and that good works are the certain fruits of a vital union to Christ ;--that the Lord Jesus directed his followers to live together in christian fellowship, and to maintain the communion of saints, and that for this purpose they are unitedly to observe all divine ordinances, and to maintain that church order and discipline which is either expressly enjoined in the word of God, or fairly deducible from the practice of the Apostles and Apostolic churches.

"Upon this point, (our distinctive principles of church order and discipline) while I wish to be brief, I am anxious to be explicit,-because it is here that we differ from existing bodies of Christians in this city; and because our principles are not generally understood. That I may secure this brevity and explicitness, without fear of giving offence or pain to those who hold other sentiments, I shall extract what I have to say upon this subject from the Declaration of Faith and Church order,' published by the Congregational Union of England and Wales. Mr. Atkinson, having read the principles of Church order contained in the Declaration, proceeded as follows:

"These, be it observed, are not speculative and inoperative opinions, but moving and controlling principles,—they are not weapons of polemic strife, but the implements of heavenly warfare,-by the vigilant and prayerful use of which the kingdom of Satan is to be destroyed, and the reign of Christ perfected in ourselves and in the world. Our grand object as a church is to give a faithful and practical exhibition of the religion of heaven - to preserve the stream of truth clear and pure as it flows from the fountain of life, that its refreshing and lifegiving powers may be known and enjoyed by the thirsty and perishing: - to keep the sacred flame of knowledge and love, bright and flowing, that the dark may be enlightened, the wanderer reclaimed, and all blessed.

"The church and congregation to assemble here, will, therefore, be free from all secular and worldly control, that undivided allegiance may be rendered to Christ, we shall be independent of all, that we may be dependent in all, upon the word and blessing of our Lord. We choose to be free from human dictation; from the rules of any party founder, and from the definition of formularies, that we may be free to admit to our communion all who love the Lord Jesus, and to our pulpits, all who preach Christ and him crucified;' in short, that we may be built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.'

"In conclusion, let me observe, we are laying down no new system ;-we are not putting forth untried opinions ;- -our principles have been long and severely tested :-their worth and power have been manifested by the experience of ages, and never, since the beginning of the gospel dispensation, was there a time in which they spread more rapidly than at present. In England, and in America, they are exerting a most powerful influence, an influence that must tell upon the destinies of the world-and we doubt not that, with the growth of liberty, and the dissemination of knowledge, they will be more generally appreciated and embraced.

"But confident as we are of the success, the ultimate triumph, of our principles; we are free to confess, that if this church maintain its ground, and extend its influence, it can only be by the holiness and zeal, the liberality and prayerfulness of our people. It has no other resources :-and we rejoice that it has not-for if it have not these, the sooner it become extinct the better! Yes! better have no church, than a church recreant to her heavenly principles! Better have no beacon, than one which shall exhibit an uncertain and deceitful light! But if it have these, it possesses the essential elements of real strength. Do you want proofs of this? Behold these proofs in what has already been accomplished for us, and by us, few and feeble as we are. These very foundations are solid proofs! They are built, not by the public treasury;-not by supplies wrung from a reluctant people by compulsion,-but by the free-will offerings

of a people, whose heart the Lord hath prepared for the work. I say it not in boasting, but I do say with grateful triumph,-the life and power of our princi ples are evident in this undertaking. And, my brethren, this is not the only, or the most important, building which is going up amongst us:-God is rearing a spiritual temple;-of regenerated, living men! and the erection of this material building will, we trust, be the means of carrying on that work with greater speed and solidity. And if, while surveying what has been done, we must say, the Lord hath been mindful of us; we can with cheerful hope anticipate the future, rejoicing that "He will bless us," and bless us abundantly. Ere leng we hope to be permitted to assemble within these walls, to set apart the house for the purpose of proclaiming the word of God. Then may it be filled with his glory! Here may the young be instructed in the principles of the religion of Christ! Here may sinners listen with eager stillness to the sound of heavenly mercy! Here may many "living stones" be hewn out from nature's quarry, to compose part of that spiritual temple which shall remain the everlasting monument of divine wisdom, power, and love!

"Suffer me to urge upon you the important inquiry-Are you the subjects of that divine and necessary change to which we have referred ?-Have you been made alive unto God through Jesus Christ?'-Are you thus constituted the 'temples of the Holy Spirit?-Oh! that you may all be prepared by dinne grace to serve God on earth, and to dwell for ever in the temple of his glory!" We beg to solicit, on behalf of his bold effort, the liberal contributions of our friends.

RESOLUTION OF THE CONGREGATIONAL BOARD RESPECTING DISSENTING

REGISTERS.

In consequence of the passing of a recent Act of Parliament, by which nonparochial registers are (after examination by the Commissioners) made receivable as evidence in courts of justice, the registers of births and baptisms, which, for nearly a century, have been kept by the Dissenting deputies of London at Dr. Williams's Library, in Red Cross Street, have been removed from thence, and are now deposited with the Registration Commissioners, Relis Yard, Chancery Lane. As the Commissioners are empowered to receive (at any time previous to the 9th of November,) any non-parochial registers of births or baptisms, deaths, burials, or marriages, that may be in the hands of congregations or of private individuals, and are directed by that Act to deposit in the General Registry Office all such registers as they may find to be accurate and faithful, it is highly important to the interests of many, that every private person, and the trustees of every congregation that may still have a register book in their custody, should transmit the same to the Commissioners without delay, as the withholding any from their inspection will deprive them of the benefit of being received as legal evidence in the courts, and will greatly diminish their present value, by raising a suspicion as to their genuineness and authenticity.

Besides recording this judicious proceeding of the Deputies, we also publish the following resolution of the Congregational Board, at its last meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 15th, and hope that the united judgment of the Board and of the Deputies, will influence every church that has not yet availed itself of this most important arrangement, to act upon it without delay.

"Resolved-That as an Act was passed during the last session of Parliament, with the view of giving a legal character to the register of births, baptisms, deaths or burials, and marriages, not being parochial; this Board would strongly recom mend the Dissenters generally, and churches of the Congregational denomi nation in particular, who have not already sent their registers, to transmit them immediately to the Commissioners of the non-parochial Registration Com mission, in order to secure the important benefits conferred by this Act, as all registers not received on or before the ninth day of November next, will be entirely excluded from the advantages this Act is intended to afford."

We also beg to remind our readers, that as the franking of parcels for Government is now abolished, the registers cannot be sent through the Post Office gratuitously, but must be forwarded, free of all cost, to S. Burns, Esq., Secretary of the Non-parochial Registration Commission, Rolls Yard, Chancery Lane, London.

INCORPORATION OF HIGHBURY AND HOMERTON COLLEGES WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.

The charter, which was granted to the University of London at the commencement of the present reign, gave to the students educated at University College and King's College, and such other institutions as her Majesty, her heirs and successors should hereafter authorize, the privilege of being admitted as candidates for the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, and Doctor of Laws. In consequence of the opportunity hereby afforded, several long established academical institutions, and amongst others, Highbury and Homerton Colleges, have applied for this privilege, which has been liberally granted by the present Government. Students for the dissenting ministry, educated at these two-colleges, will therefore now have an opportunity of obtaining those honorary distinctions for learning, which have hitherto been confined in this country to members of the Established Church. We rejoice that the committees of these colleges have taken this important step; and we trust that their example will be followed by our other colleges, as the circumstances of the times are such as to demand among us men of real, deep, solid learning, who may be able to combat error and support those doctrines which we believe to be taught in the divine Word.

As it may be interesting to some of our readers, we subjoin a copy of the warrant, empowering Highbury College to issue certificates to Candidates for Degrees in the University of London. The one granted to Homerton College is of course to the same effect, and expressed in almost the same words:

"VICTORIA R.

"Victoria, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, to her trusty and well-beloved the Treasurer, Trustees, Tutors, and Committee of an Institution called Highbury College, situated at Highbury, in the Parish of Islington, in the County of Middlesex, greeting. Whereas we did, by our letters patent under the Great Seal of our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster the fifth and twenty-sixth days of December, in the first year of our reign, will, grant, declare, and constitute the persons therein named to be one Body Corporate and Politic by the name of the University of London; And whereas we did therein, amongst other things, will and ordain that all persons should be admitted as candidates for the respective degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, or Doctor of Laws, to be confirmed by the said University, on presenting to the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, and Fellows thereof, a certificate of their having completed the requisite course of instruction from the college called University College, or from the college called King's College, or from such other Institution corporated or unincorporated as now are or hereafter shall be established for the purposes of education, whether in the metropolis or elsewhere, within our said United Kingdom, as we, our heirs and successors, under our or their Sign Manual, shall hereafter authorize to issue such certificates; Now know ye, that we, reposing great confidence in your learning, ability, and discretion, do hereby authorize you to issue to such persons as may be desirous of becoming candidates for their respective degrees or Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, or Doctor of Laws, to be conferred by the said University of London, certificates to the effect that such candidates have completed the course of instruction, which