these clergymen desisted from engagements of Spa Fields Chapel; and public worship was suspended for some weeks, when the countess opened it as her chapel, on Sunday, March 28, 1779. The Common Prayer was continued, and Mr. afterwards Dr. Haweis, one of her ladyship's chaplains, officiated: but, in a short time, Mr. Haweis was cited before the Spiritual court, and obliged to discontinue his services, which he did not resume until after the decease of that persecuting parish minister. The Rev. C. Glascott, another of her chaplains, was also prosecuted, and silenced, by the same unchristian means. The Rev. T. Wills also officiated: but expecting a similar prosecution, he and Mr. Taylor determined on seceding from the Church of England, rather than the gospel should be excluded from this place, in which were crowded and attentive congregations.

These clergymen drew up and subscribed a confession of faith, consisting of fifteen articles, similar in expression to the doctrinal articles of the Church of England, and which were afterwards signed by all the ministers in her ladyship's connection, and by candidates for ordination. The first six of these were ordained in Spa Fields chapel, March 9, 1783, by the Rev. Messrs. Wills and Taylor.

Lady Huntingdon, a few years after the establishment of Spa Fields Chapel, purchased another theatre in London. This place, which is in the form of a low yet wide-spread tabernacle, and will hold about five thousand persons, situated in Whitechapel, was soon opened for divine worship, and called "Sion Chapel." The pulpit was erected on the front of the stage, the pit and the galleries being filled with attentive hearers of the gospel.

Lady Huntingdon terminated her mortal pilgrimage, in a manner corresponding with her Christian profession, and her invaluable labours, in the assured hope of glory, June 17, 1791, aged 84 years. Forty-five of these she had been a widow; and during that period especially, having a jointure of 1,2001. per annum, and about 1,000l. per annum more, for the last few years after the death of her son, she had devoted her time, talents, and property to spread the gospel; and thousands will have reason to bless her name for the means

which she provided of bringing them to enjoy the salvation of Jesus Christ.

Miss Scott, and Lady Ann Agnes Erskine, sister to the two famous counsellors of that name and to the Earl of Buchan, had lived on terms of the most cordial friendship with Lady Huntingdon. At her ladyship's decease, Lady Ann Erskine, Dr. and Mrs. Haweis, Mr. Best, Mr. Lloyd, and Dr. Ford, were appointed trustees and executors of her will: Mrs. Haweis being constituted residuary legatee, she having, with Lady Ann, lived much with Lady Huntingdon, and spent a liberal fortune in aiding her manifold exertions to spread the gospel of Christ.

Lady Ann Erskine, having been intimately acquainted with the mode of management adopted by her departed friend, and offering to devote herself to any active service in the cause of Christ, was requested by her co-trustees to occupy part of Lady Huntingdon's house in Spa Fields, where they counselled and assisted her in directing the affairs of the connection until her death in 1805.

The countess's seminary in Wales ceased at her death, the lease having just terminated: but a new college was soon after opened at Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, near London. In this institution, many students have been educated, chiefly as ministers for the connection: but some of them have joined the Independents, and several have conformed to the Church of England.

Scriptural Christianity has been eminently promoted by the zealous and orthodox ministers of this denomination and as, in their principal chapels, the Common Prayer is used, prejudices against evangelical doctrine have, in many instances, been by this means conciliated; and by the faithful preaching of the gospel many souls have been converted to God. Dr. Haweis, at the close of the century, remarked, that "not less than one hundred thousand persons continue to have the gospel preached to them by their means. The same steps are pursued in England, Wales, and Ireland; and though the property left by her ladyship for carrying on the work of God, was basely seized at her death by the Americans of Georgia and Carolina, where it lay; and her assets in England,

her chapels excepted, were found not sufficient for her engagements; yet, however unable to recover her estates, all claims have been discharged; and the chapels, according to her will, maintained with less incumbrances than at her decease *."

Dr. Haweis further remarks, in reviewing the connection at this period, "As the Countess of Huntingdon left all her numerous chapels in the hands of devisees, they pursue exactly the same methods of procedure as she did. A number of ministers of the established church, and especially from Wales, where she long resided, continue to supply in rotation the larger chapels of her erection; and those who were her students in her college in Wales, or have since been educated at Cheshunt, with others approved and chosen for the work, are dispersed through Great Britain and Ireland. All these ministers serve in succession; not depending upon the congregations in which they minister for their support, but on the trustees, under whose direction they move. Every congregation furnishes a stipulated maintenance to the minister during his residence among them, and his travelling expenses: but in no congregation do they remain as stated pastors, but expect a successor as soon as the time affixed for their stay is completed. Nor can any of the congregations dismiss the person resident, or procure a change, but by application to the trustees, such being the conditions on which they engage to supply them with a succession of ministers. If any minister is peculiarly useful, and request is made that his stay may be prolonged, it is usually complied with; nay sometimes, at the deșire of the people he is allowed to settle among them, liable, however, to a call of two or three months annually, to be employed in the work at large. And if any minister is not acceptable, or his ministry beneficial, his stay is shortened, and he is removed to another station. Two rules are established and known: 1. That if any person leaves the connection, to which he has no tie but choice, he is admitted into it no more: though the trustees as cordially rejoice in his usefulness in another de

* Ibid. p. 255.

nomination of Christians as their own. 2. It is also constantly enforced, that if any man departs from the Calvinistic articles of the Church of England, or incurs reproach by any accusation of immorality, he is summoned to exculpate himself before the trustees, and heard with all candour; but if the fact be established, he is dismissed, without any possibility of ever being again admitted to minister in any of their congregations. The bent of these congregations is strongly to the established church. Her liturgy is used in public worship in all their principal chapels. Ministers of the establishment, such is the lenity of the times, serve without interruption. Indeed, all persecution for religious. differences is become so opposite to the spirit of the nation, that these things usually pass without censure! Probably the bishops themselves wish not to alienate large bodies of the most active and exemplary Christians farther from the church by useless irritation *."

CHAPTER XVIII.

WALES.

Depressed state of religion in Wales - General ignorance of the people - Revival of religion Rev. Griffith Jones, the Welsh Apostle Rev. How Davies - His labours Testimony of Mr. Williams- Number of societies and exhortersRev. Lewis Rees Rev. Thomas Charles He is excluded from the church Joins the Calvinistic Methodists -His labours and success in preaching - His establishment of schools- His circulation of the Scriptures and religious booksHis system of schools.

RELIGION in Wales continued most deplorably depressed throughout the greater part of the eighteenth century. Most of the parochial clergy in the principality were still more sunk into formalism than those in England at this period. Patronage had originated non-residence and pluralities, and but few of the resident clergy understood the native Welsh language; so that their reading of the Common Prayer, and their occasional short sermons, generally inculcating little more than the ordinary topics of morality, contributed in a

very inconsiderable degree to the promotion of vital god. liness. Besides, education was scarcely at all regarded, and the people were almost altogether uninstructed, the mass of the community being unable to read.

God, in mercy to Wales, however, stirred up the hearts of a few of his honoured and faithful servants: who in succession laboured with extraordinary zeal, and with success corresponding to their endeavours. Among these honoured ministers of Christ, the chief, at the early part of the century, was the Rev. Griffith Jones, rector of Llandowrer, in Carmarthenshire. He was called THE WELSH APOSTLE, on account of his zealous and successful preaching, not only in his parish church, but in the fields and churchyards through the country.

The Rev. Howell Davies, of Haverfordwest, was also an extraordinary preacher: he was a pupil of Mr. Jones, whose example he followed in his itinerant ministry. Having obtained ordination in the Church of England, he officiated as a curate at Llys y frân, in Pembrokeshire: but on account of his faithfulness and zeal to bring souls to Christ, he was dismissed. For some time the largest churches throughout Wales were open to him, and many thousands flocked to hear him but this gave offence to the irreligious clergy, who soon shut their pulpits against him. Remembering the practice of our blessed Lord and his apostles, and encouraged by the example of his venerable tutor, Mr. Jones, he preached to vast crowds, in churchyards and the fields, the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Mr. Davies became curate to his friend and father in the gospel, Mr. Jones; and laboured, through a large circuit, with indefatigable devotedness. At the same period God raised up the Rev. Daniel Rowlands, in Cardiganshire; and Mr. Howell Harris, in Breconshire, whose souls were knit to Mr. Whitefield, when he visited Wales. Mr. Davies was the chief leader of the Calvinistic Methodists in Wales: his audiences were always large wherever he itinerated. He preached in four different places, statedly, besides his daily labours in houses, barns, fields, commons, mountains, &c. The stated number of communicants at the monthly sacra