worthy energy: they have purchased a most eligible site for a new chapel, and have determined to arise and build. Every lover of our Zion will fervently pray that God may abundantly bless these generous enterprises, displaying as they do love to Christ and the souls of our fellow

men.

We rejoice to state that God is greatly blessing our Chinese Mission. Our dear brethren, Messrs. Innocent and Hall, aided by their staff of native evangelists, and the efforts of the members generally, are making a vigorous onslaught upon Satan's kingdom. Our friends will find from the "Missionary Chronicle" that public services are being held in several parts of the town on the same day, which are well attended; that, contrary to Chinese usage, women have begun to attend the services, and the power of God has come down amongst them. Mrs. Innocent herself is rendering very valuable service among the Chinese women. These facts should excite us to gratitude and earnest prayer. Let us regard these as the drops that promise a teeming shower, and presages of an abundant harvest.

We would respectfully remind our esteemed ministers and local missionary committees to Resolutions 58, 59 of the last Conference, which state that annual subscriptions to the Mission become due at Christmas, and that these, when due, shall be sent along with quarterly remittances to the General Treasurer. This is an important matter, an indispensable arrangement, and should not be neglected by any of our circuits. The Treasurer is already in advance, heavy claims are now falling due, and both to save the payment of interest on borrowed money, and to prevent the duties of the Treasurer from being unnecessarily burdensome, the prescribed arrangement should receive the faithful attention of all who wish well to the Missions.

Death has again invaded the ranks of our ministry, and removed the Rev. John Nicholas from our midst. His genial and cordial disposition won for him many friends, and commanded general respect. His afflic

tion had prepared us to expect his departure at no distant period. Our loss will be his eternal gain. May God be the refuge of his bereaved family.

STOCKPORT.

CEREMONIAL OF LAYING THE FOUNDATION-STONE OF THE NEW CHAPEL.

A NEW chapel at Stockport has long been an object of sincere and intense desire. For a long time difficulties stood in the way of its accomplishment, but those difficulties have been overcome, and now, to the great joy of all our friends, there is every prospect of that important object being fully and speedily attained.

The classic style of architecture has been adopted in the design for the chapel. The building will be of brick, with stone dressings: the whole of the front elevation, however, will be faced with wrought stone. A well-proportioned Corinthian portico, of four columns, approached by a noble flight of steps, extending the whole width of the building, forms the chief feature of the design. Within the portico are the three principal entrances to the chapel. On each side of the portico are two tiers of windows, giving light to the staircases, and enriched with carved and moulded imposts.

The side elevations are divided into seven bays, the piers between each window being made to assume the form of broad pilasters, having moulded stone plinths and imposts; they are connected by semi-circular moulded stone archivolts, springing from the imposts, and forming the heads to the various windows.

The length of the building, internally, is 73 feet, and the breadth 50 feet. A spacious vestibule, entered from the portico, extends the whole width of the front, on ground-floor, having at the ends stone staircases to the gallery. The vestibule communicates with two inner lobbies, and from thence to the aisles on the ground-floor. At the rear of the building, on the ground-floor, two large vestries, minister's vestry, and a staircase for the children, communicating with basement, are arranged. The gallery is the whole length of the chapel, extending over the vestibule in front, and the vestries at the back.

The entire height of the chapel, from ground-floor to the ceiling, is 34 feet.

The building will be well lighted and ventilated. The gallery windows will be enriched internally by moulded archivolts, and connected by moulded imposts. Above these windows is an enriched cornice, from which springs the cove to the ceiling. In the centre of the ceiling there will be a large and handsome centre-piece, having in the middle an elaborate fan-flower, from which will be suspended the star-lights which light the chapel.

The accommodation is for about 900 persons. Beneath the chapel, on the basement, there will be a school-room, 50 feet by 44 feet, and 14 feet high, well lighted and ventilated. A kitchen, store-rooms, room for warming apparatus, &c., are also provided on the basement.

The total cost of the building, exclusive of the cost of land, will be about £6,000. Messrs. Thackrah and Pierce, of Stockport, are the contractors for the whole of the works, and Mr. William Hill, of Leeds, is the architect.

All needful preparation being made for commencing this great undertaking, Wednesday, October 25, was fixed upon for laying the foundation-stone. A fine day and plenty of visitors were all we cared about, knowing that everything else had been arranged so as to ensure a great success. As the time advanced, prospects for the former were not all that could have been desired. The weather was cold, wet, boisterous, and the day opened with both wind and rain. Still there were those whose faith never wavered. They had prayed for suitable weather, and they ventured to believe, in spite of appearances, that we should have a clear sky, if not a bright and sunny afternoon. And so it was.

in a most elegant manner, and the viands were so rich, varied, and abundant, that they would have done no dishonour to any Lord Mayor's-day in the kingdom.

Soon after half-past two o'clock the tables were dismissed, and the gentlemen went off to the Odd Fellows Hall, in Wellington Street. There, the trustees, members of the congregation, the teachers and scholars of our various Sunday-schools, and a large gathering of friends from various parts of the district, were found assembled, and ready to proceed to the site of the new chapel.

The procession was soon formed, and led up by the Rev. William Baggaly, President, the Rev. R. Henshaw, exPresident, the Rev. Dr. Cooke, Rev. S. Hulme, &c. &c., walked in order to the place on which the attention of all parties centred. An immense number followed, and on entering the ground the ladies and Sunday scholars were accommodated on an extensive platform prepared for the occasion. The ministers and gentlemen took their places on the outworks, flanked on every side by a large gathering of the inhabitants of the borough, who came in vast numbers to witness the ceremony.

The Rev. S. Hulme commenced the service by announcing that beautifully appropriate hymn:

"Great Architect of earth and heaven, To thee be grateful anthems given,

For mercy, truth, and grace!
To swell the incense of thy praise
This stone we lay, these walls we raise,
Our humble efforts bless," &c.

The Rev. L. Stoney then read Ps. - 22. After which the Rev. R. Henshaw, the ex-President, offered up an appropriate and impressive prayer. The Rev. T. W. Ridley announced the next hymn :

"This stone to Thee in faith we lay,
We build the temple, Lord, to thee;
Thine eye be open night and day
To guard this house and sanctuary," &c.

Mr. E. W. Makinson, M.A., then addressed the assemblage, preparatory to handing over the bottle containing the documents, &c., to be deposited in a cavity under the chief corner stone. He said: The late Lord Macaulay, in one of his illustrations, imagined a New Zealander of some remote future period, sitting on a broken arch of

London Bridge, sketching the ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral. Now, if this imaginary New Zealander were to take Stockport in his route, and, after contemplating the broken arches of the railway viaduct, should see the crumbling remains of the building they now contemplated erecting, he might be told it was once a chapel of the Methodist New Connexion; and, in order that future antiquaries might not be left in ignorance of some interesting particulars of its origin, it was designed to place the bottle he held in his hand under the chief stone, so that its early history would be at once revealed. The contents of the bottle were as follows: a document containing the following inscription :

"Methodist New Connexion, Wellington Road, South Stockport. The foundation-stone of this chapel, which supersedes the one erected in 1798, was laid by Ephraim Hallam, Esq., J.P., on Wednesday, October 25, 1865. Trustees: Mr. Ephraim Hallam, Mr. George Chapman, Mr. George Wild, Mr. Edward W. Makinson, Mr. Benjamin Johnson, Mr. John Waites, Mr. Charles Hulme, Mr. James Watts, Mr. Adam Gothard, Mr. James Fleming, Mr. George Thomas Barrow, Mr. George Bain, Mr. Robert Johnson, Mr. Thomas Brindley, Mr. David Fogg.-Building Committee: Rev. W. Baggaly, Mr. Ephraim Hallam, Mr. George Chapman, Mr. George Wild, Mr. John Whitaker, Mr. Edward W. Makinson, Mr. Benjamin Johnson.Architect, W. Hill, Esq., Leeds; contractors, Messrs. Thackrah and Pierce; Ministers of the Circuit, Rev. W. Baggaly (President of the Conference), W. D. Thompson, W. Mellor."

It also contained the General Rules of the Connexion; the Minutes of the last Conference; a Preacher's Plan of Stockport Circuit; the Rev. William Baggaly's "Digest of the Minutes, Institutions, Polity, and Literature of the Methodist New Connexion;" a Programme of the Ceremony, and a List of Subscriptions. The last issues of the Stockport Advertiser, Stockport and Cheshire County News, the Manchester Daily Examiner and Times, and current coins of the realm.

The bottle having been handed over to Mr. B. Johnson, was by him duly placed in the cavity under the stone, which was then hermetically fastened by cement.

Alderman Chapman then came for

man.

ward to present a beautiful silver trowel to Alderman Hallam, with which he was requested to perform the chief ceremony of the day. In so doing, Mr. Chapman said, he felt great pleasure in carrying out the desire of the building committee by making this present to Alderman Hallam in their name, not alone because he was convinced that his heart was in the work they were now witnessing, but also because he felt a personal gratification in paying a tribute to that gentleman's character, both as a public and private Himself and Mr. Hallam had been intimately associated for the last thirty-five years; first, when as boys they were serving their apprenticeship near to each other. Their friendship ripened in manhood, and continued till now they had reached the period of middle life. He could thus bear an honest and heartfelt testimony to Mr. Hallam's unswerving worth and integrity; and it was with unfeigned gratification that he now handed to him that beautiful article with which to perform one of the most important and pleasing duties of his life. He, therefore, begged his acceptance of the trowel, in the name of the building committee; at the same time he assured him that all present heartily wished that he might long be spared in a life of usefulness to his fellow-townsmen and the church. The trowel, which is of highly-ornamented workmanship, was inscribed as follows:-" Methodist New Connexion. Presented to Mr. Alderman Hallam, J.P., on laying the Foundation-stone of Mount Tabor Chapel, Wellington Road, Stockport, October 25th, 1865."

Mr. Hallam then took the trowel, and having spread the mortar in the accustomed manner, the huge stone was duly lowered to its appointed place. An elegant mallet and square, of polished mahogany, were then handed to him by Alderman Wild. Having tried the level of the stone on all sides, he struck the stone with the mallet, and pronounced it "laid." The announcement was received with great applause.

Alderman Hallam desired to express his sense of the kind manner in which his friend, Mr. Chapman, had spoken of him while making him these valuable presents. Highly valuable as they were intrinsically, it was not for that, however, which he prized them, but for their moral value, as memorials of a most interesting occasion, and he thanked

the donors from the bottom of his heart. He rejoiced in the privilege of having to lay the stone, and thus to be instrumental in the erection of a house for the worship of Almighty God, in whose name the work was undertaken; and to that ever-present, precious, and eternal God, whom they had that day met to honour.

He

trusted that, in future, the building would be found conducive to the spiritual benefit of the people of that district. It would not only be a place of worship, but good schools would also be provided in connection with it, where the elements of education would be imparted to the rising generation, and where they would be taught to honour God, and to do those things which were honest and right in the sight of all men. In this undertaking they had no idea of accomplishing a work equal to the cathedrals and massive buildings of olden times. In the present day, though much was accomplished of a creditable character in the way of architecture, they could not pretend to compare with some of the ancient erections. Still, in our own time, there were structures erected which were no disgrace to architects; and he congratulated the friends present that in the building now commenced they should have one which would be an important addition to those already erected in Wellington Road South. The cost of the building, exclusive of land, would be about £6,000; yet he felt confident that, with the help of God, they should be able to put on the topstone with rejoicing, and enter on its completion with very little of debt. But though God might help them, they were bound to help themselves to the utmost of their power, and when they had done that they might look to Heaven for help. He trusted there would be no debt left for their successors to struggle with when they were gone. It used at one time to be thought that without a debt upon a chapel or a school all interest in it would cease; but that was a mistake. The people were now apt to keep aloof from places encumbered with debt. Old Mount Tabor Chapel had been their place of worship long enough, and now that it had become nearly enclosed by other buildings, it was better that they should found a new place to worship in, on a better and more accessible site. He saw no reason why they should not have a church in a con

spicuous position, where they could be easily found by any one coming into the town. There were many institutions in this borough for the purposes of moral and religious training; and perhaps no town in England was more highly privileged in the matter of Sunday-schools. The result was, that Stockport had less crime than many other places containing the same amount of population. And where was there a town which turned out the same proportion of bright and talented young men? Three Stockport students gained meritorious distinction at the last Oxford examination. For all this, there were many places in the borough of evil tendencies; for instance, there were 226 public-houses to only 25 churches and chapels. He was glad to say, however, that for the last three years the magistrates had declined to grant any new licences. The effect of this was shown in the statistics of crime at two different periods. In 1857 there were brought before the borough magistrate 456 drunken cases, 306 were summarily dealt with, and 49 committed for trial; total, 811. In 1864 there were 425 drunken cases, 271 summary convictions, and 48 committed for trial; total, 741, being a decrease of 67. In other words, there was a decrease of 12 per cent., though the population had increased 12 per cent. between the two periods. There was reason for congratulation in these figures; and they might draw encouragement therefrom to persevere in the efforts they were making (applause).

:

The Rev. W. Baggaly, President of Conference, standing a little above the stone which had just been laid, said :— Considering the state of the weather, and their anticipated treat in the evening, he should abridge the observations he had intended to offer there, and make his remarks as brief as possible. He then proceeded to say that it was quite possible to worship God without a temple made with hands. There were numerous instances of holy and devoted men having assembled for sacred worship in the open air, and where no Christian temple could be found. The Scriptures furnished many examples of this kind, and so, also, did the records of the Church nearer our own day. It is a well-known fact that much of Wesley's and Whitfield's labours were performed in the open air. But in a country like this, where the

climate is so variable, and where interruption would be so frequent, Christian sanctuaries are desirable, and should be always provided when practicable. In selecting a site for a chapel, it was usual to consult the wishes and convenience of the people, and the requirements of the neighbourhood to be supplied.

About six years ago a site was selected not far from this, but as circumstances prevented them building forthwith, they were, somewhat singularly, superseded. That disappointment led them, however, to secure the present piece of ground, and as it possesses such superior advantages, they have, perhaps, no great cause to complain, either of the delay or of the disappointment they had experienced.

In 1798, just as the Methodist New Connexion sprang into existence, its friends in Stockport erected the present old chapel in London Square. It might then be in a pleasant and favourable situation, but it is not so now. The friends of the old chapel, much as they are attached to it, admit that they now want a new one, and in a far more inviting situation, and they are fully resolved to have one; and that determination of theirs has brought us here to-day.

And who are the people who are at this time coming forward to build a house for the Lord on this conspicuous and eligible site of land? They were METHODISTS-not Wesleyans in the common acceptation of that term. In doctrines they are one with the old body, and have ever been so. They have never departed from the broad catholic doctrines of salvation by grace and salvation for every man, as taught by the venerable Wesley, but they differ from the Wesleyans in discipline, and on several points of church government.

The Methodist New Connexion dates its origin in 1797, and was commenced by a secession from the mother church of Methodism. After the death of Wesley, it was found that the entire government of the Connexion was devolved upon the preachers. That was not satisfactory. Various attempts were made to change or to modify the system, but in vain. The acts of the preachers in Conference assembled were not such as met with entire approbation, and, after many fruitless attempts at reconciliation, about 5,000 members and three circuit preachers withdrew, and

formed the New Connexion. One matter of complaint was that the people had no part in the formation of Connexional laws, and in the disbursement of funds raised by themselves. To regulate that, they asked to have laymen associated with the ministers in Conference. Another thing was that their own ministers were not allowed to dispense the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper. But few of the Wesleyan ministers were allowed to do such things in those days. Friends of the New Connexion believed that their own ministersmen who had begotten them through the Gospel, were just as much ordained by God to administer his ordinances, and thus to feed the flock of God, over which the Holy Ghost had made them overseers, as they were to preach his Gospel. And they believed, also, that such men were quite as well able to do that work as the Archbishop of Canterbury, or any other dignitary of the Church could be. The Wesleyans had wisely followed the example of the New Connexion by allowing their ministers to dispense all sacred ordinances, and he, Mr. Baggaly, would be glad to hear of them taking one step more in the same direction, and opening their District Meetings and Conferences to laymen.

And it should be known that the Methodist New Connexion are DisSENTERS. We have no unfriendly feeling to the Church of England, but we do not believe in any Church being established by law, or of religion being under the direction and control of the State. We honour princes and rulers, and most cheerfully recognize them as temporal powers for good, but we eannot admit their authority in the Church of Christ. Queen Victoria has not a more loyal class of subjects, in any part of her wide dominions, than the Methodist New Connexionists are, but we cannot recognize her as the head of the Church. Fealty to her in that respect would be disloyalty to Christ, who alone is Supreme, and whom we would ever adore as HEAD over all things to the Church, which is his body.

As a community, we have our properly-constituted rules and Church courts, for both local and general government. The leaders' meetings, composed of preachers, leaders, stewards, &c., exercise a paternal oversight of the respective societies; the quarterly meet

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