and the page where such note is found should be inserted under the head of remarks. The records should also specify how the salary of the clergyman is raised, whether by tax on the parishioners, according to valuation of property, or by tax on the pews, by subscription, by income of funds or any other way; and also what collection of Psalms and Hymns is used, and the date of its introduction.

One very important object to be accomplished by having such records accurately kept, is to afford the means of ascertaining the annual statistics of the churches in regard to the number and condition of its members, and its pecuniary concerns. This subject begins to be regarded as important, but it is still receiving less than its proper share of attention. The manner in which our statistics have been usually presented to the public, is very imperfect, and does not exhibit the facts so as to show the general and comparative progress of religion, its increase or decrease, nor its influence on the different ages, sexes and conditions of life. This defect should not exist, but records should, in the first place, be correctly kept, and abstracts should be made, annually, which would exhibit the state of the church, the proportion of professors of religion to the whole population, the proportion of male and female professors, the specific ages of the professors, when they make profession and when they die, and the influence of religious character on the different ages and sexes, and on longevity, or in respect to different diseases.

There are various forms in which abstracts might be made from such records, exhibiting the facts in interesting and important points of view. Periodical statements might be occasionally made and recorded, (say once in five years or oftener,) in which the living members of the church might be classed according to their ages-those under 20, from 20 to 25, from 25 to 30, and so on, into divisions of five years each through life, distinguishing the males from the females, or they might be given for every age. The ages of the members of the church who have died, during the same time, might be classed in the same manner, and the aggregate and average age ascertained, both males and females, of the dead and living. In this way the law of mortality for the church may be determined, and the average liability to death at any age easily ascertained.

There is an intimate connection between our physical, and moral and religious nature; and though the subject has often been alluded to, it has never been investigated in a proper manner by an exhibition of authentic facts to ascertain how far one influences the other. The statistics of the progress of the church, the condition and age of its members, &c., would be a good subject for an occasional sermon in which to present the philosophical, moral and religious inferences they would suggest.

Proceedings of the Church.—The page immediately following the printed forms should have the following entry only-" Votes, proceedings and miscellaneous records of the church." These should be fully and correctly recorded, and should contain all the votes and proceedings of the church at length, the votes and other proceedings at ordinations, installations or dismissions of ministers, and of the election of officers, and cases of church discipline. The first entry of records should be a brief account of the origin and formation of the church and society, specifying whether it embraces the whole or a part of the town in which it is situated, and the reasons for its formation, and the names of the original and most active and important founders. Plans and descriptions of churches and houses of worship should be given, and the history of their erection and repairs, specifying the architect, contractor and expense, and how defrayed, the date and proceedings at length at dedication. The records should also contain an account of the various collections and donations for religious or charitable purposes, in the church or society, specifying the date, occasion, the object and the amount of each. Brief accounts and biographical notices concerning ministers, officers, donors and other important individuals, with numbers in the margin referring to the same individuals, recorded in the printed forms in the first part of the register. The confession of faith or covenant should be recorded in full.

Indexes.-Every volume of records should be provided with two indexes, one for the names and the other for the proceedings of the church, so that every name, whether male or female, and every matter, may be immediately referred to without unnecessary trouble or loss of time. This can easily be done by the proposed plan (see Schedule 1) Where the name of the same individual occurs more than once, the different pages should be inserted.

The facts for such a system of registration might be easily obtained by any clergyman by a little care and attention, without any interference with his other duties. And indeed the very act of obtaining and recording them would be a great advantage to him. It would lead him to a more intimate acquaintance with his people, their condition and character, and enable him to adapt his instruction more particularly to their wants. Every clergyman should supply himself with blanks for returns printed on detached pieces of paper, (see Schedules 9, 10, 11, 12,) and whenever any baptism, admission to the communion, marriage, or funeral is to take place, one of these blanks should be handed to those interested, to be filled up by them, and to be returned to the clergyman; or it might be done by the clergyman himself, on inquiry of the parties. After the

ceremonies have taken place, the facts should be immediately entered in the register. The pecuniary statistics may be easily obtained from the treasurer or other officers of the church or parish.

When records are made, every clergyman should consider it his sacred duty to preserve and transmit them uninjured to his successor. It is painful to see how some records of this kind have been treated. Some have been injured or lost through the carelessness of those who have had them in custody. Others have been destroyed owing to divisions and contentions in churches, to shield some persons interested, from censure, or to throw embarrassment in the way of others. Not long since the author found an important volume of records of this kind which had been in the possession of the paper makers. Whoever neglects to make records, or by his carelessness or criminal intention mutilates or destroys them, commits a gross and irreparable fraud on the church immediately concerned, and on posterity.

For a clergyman to make and leave behind him a correct system of records would be a strong inducement to fidelity; and whenever they are fully and accurately kept, it will add greatly to the respect with which he will be regarded, and to the influence of his own example, and will induce his successor to prize and emulate his character. In nothing can a clergyman more clearly leave the impress of his own character to his church, than in the recorded acts of his life.

This is an inquiring age. There is an increasing desire for accurate investigation. Though bold assertion, vague statements, and unfounded assumption of facts, are made by many on which to build their uncertain theories, yet the spirit of the age seems to require more minuteness and accuracy of detail of actual fact, than has hitherto prevailed. This is the only true foundation for any correct theory in domestic economy, politics, morals, or religion. All men are interested in these great subjects, but especially the last, and none more particularly so than clergymen. No persons in society are so well situated as they are to commence and carry forward an improved system of collecting and preserving the elements of all investigation by making minute and accurate original records.

No one who has observed the progress of society within the last few years can fail to perceive the important character and tendencies of the age. All classes of society feel the force of some great influence. New modes of thought and action have taken place. The influence of fact upon fact which has already been brought to light, and which by the scrutiny and universal education of this age is constantly becoming known, is vast and powerful beyond ordinary conceptions. The mighty effect of the immense amount of individual mind, and collective physical energy and intellectual power, now in operation in the world, in analyzing and combining known facts, and producing new ones and new developments therefrom, is revolutionising our whole social system. These influences are destined to do for mankind in the coming ages what will place them in every thing above, far above any age that has preceded. In all these great events the church in this country largely partakes, and whoever lives and records its history and progress, during the next fifty years, will exhibit it in a most interesting light. Let every minister then record the acts of his own church, and transmit them unimpaired to posterity.

TABLE 1.-Exhibiting the annual statements of the number of Communicants on the first day of January; the number of Admissions to the Communion; the number of Removals; and the number of Baptisms during the year ending with the date: also the number of Scholars belonging to the Bible Classes and Sunday Schools connected with the Society.

TABLE 1.-Exhibiting the annual statements of the estimated population of the Parish or Society on the first day of January; the number of Marriages and Deaths; the Income and Expenditures, Collections and Donations for charitable and religious purposes.

The intentions of inarriage between the parties above described were duly entered by me

Remarks.

the

of

day of

A. D. 18 in the Register of Marriages for the town and have been published according to law.

Attest,

Clerk.

SCHEDULE XI.

DEAR SIR, I desire admission to the church under your care.

Date of death,

Name,

Age,

DEAR SIR, I desire your attendance at the funeral of the following described person :

Date of birth,

Place of birth,

Name of parents,

Sex and condition,

Cause of death,

THE exact date of the origin of this celebrated University is not known. Mr. Hallam states that the earliest authentic mention of Cambridge as a place of learning is in Matthew Paris, who informs us that in 1209, John, King of England, having caused three clerks of Oxford to be hanged on suspicion of murder, the whole body of scholars left that city, and emigrated, some to Cambridge, some to Reading, in order to carry on their studies. But it may be conjectured with some probability, that they were led to a town so distant as Cambridge by the previous establishment of academical instruction in that place.* An ancient author, P. Blaesensis, or Peter of Blois, in his additions to the History of Ingulfus, has the following, which, says Mr. Malden,t is not destitute of probability. "Joffred, abbot of Croyland, sent over, in about 1109, to his manor of Cottenham, near Cambria, Gislebert, his fellow monk, and professor of divinity, with three other monks, who, following him into England, being thoroughly furnished with philosophical theorems, and other primitive sciences, repaired daily to Cambridge, and having hired a certain public barn, made open profession of their sciences, and in a short space of time, drew together a great number of scholars. But in the second year after their coming, the number of their scholars became so great, as well from out of the whole country, as the town, that the biggest barn or house that was, or any church whatsoever, sufficed not to contain them. Whereupon, sorting themselves apart in several places, and taking the University of Orleans for their pattern, early in the morning, monk Odo, a singular grammarian and satirical poet, read grammar unto boys, and those of the younger sort assigned unto him, according to the doctrine of Priscian and Remigius upon him. At one of the clock, Terricus, a most subtle and witty sophister, taught the elder sort of young men, Aristotle's Logic, after the Introductions of Porphyry and the comments of Averroës. At three of the clock, monk William read a Lecture in Tully's Rhetoric and Quinctilian's Flores. But the great master, Gislibert, upon every Sunday and holyday, preached God's word unto the people, and thus out of this little fountain, which grew up to be a great river, we see how the city of God is now become enriched, and all England made fruitful by means of very many masters and doctors proceeding out of Cambridge, in manner of the holy Paradise.‡

*Harper's edition of Hallam's Middle Ages, p. 525.

† Origin of Universities, London, 1836, p. 92.

Thomas Fuller's History of the University of Cambridge, since the Conquest, ed. 1655, p. 4.