EDITORIAL REMARKS.

WE hinted, in No. II of this Magazine, the desirableness of sending already been tried and perfected by actual experiment with the class. be practicable: and, perhaps, it was not so in this instance; which may account for the air of invention which appears to hang about some of the answers inserted.

Passing this minor defect, we think our candidate has fairly and successfully employed the three illustrations of a domestic, parochial, and school record, to bring out the idea of conscience.

We are not so well satisfied, however, with this idea, when brought out towards the end of the Lesson. We more particularly refer to the explanation given of Rom. ii. 14, 15; and what follows. In this part of the Lesson conscience is confounded with the law that produces it.

In a former part, a rule is recognised as distinct from conscience; and the sense of sin, or a guilty conscience, is very properly accounted for in the answer, "They went against rule”—and the rule is again definitely described-i. e., "The law of God." So far, well; but the next step in the Lesson makes the law or rule to be conscience itself. "They,"-that is, the heathen"had the law of conscience; they learned God's will by means of their conscience, apart from his revealed word." Conscience was their "ONLY LAW." Here, we think our fellow-teacher, not so discriminating and correct. It is certainly possible "not to see the sun for its light," as the saying is with respect to the Antediluvians. It is revealed that " Enoch, the seventh from

Adam," was a prophet among them; and in the person of Noah, they had a "preacher of righteousness.' 39 Here then, we find "the revealed word," in its complement of precepts and promises, warnings and predictions, a rule of life which doubtless produced a conscience; but no "law of conscience apart from the revealed word." So, after the flood, this same servant of God, Noah, preached; and was succeeded by others, through whom direct Divine communication was enjoyed by the Gentile nations; putting them into possession of the revealed will of God, to help their conscience to guide them; without which, conscience would be no safe guide, and would become extinct in the end; as it appears to have become among the central tribes of Africa. Some of the successors of Noah, as prophets and inspired men, among the chief nations, are mentioned in the Scriptures-among whom we may instance Job, Elihu, and Jonah. It is true, indeed, that when men "did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them up," so far at least as to withdraw from them his positive ordinances; yet, even then He "left not himself without witness " of his general character of goodness among them. But this was at a later date.

Our fellow-labourer has, we think, overlooked an important word in Rom. ii. 14, 15-the word "also." First, the law is stated to be written on the hearts of the Gentiles-a transcript of God's revealed will: and next, Conscience-" the uneasy (or approving), feeling of the heart," as Ductor Dubitantium rightly defines it to be before, is said " also to bear them witness." We think the point of high importance.

A review of the whole Lesson, however, leads us to add, in justice to the writer, that we consider it a successful treatment of a difficult subject, displaying much thought and painstaking, and considerable power of adapting truth to the minds of children. We have, therefore, most gladly awarded to the writer the prize offered.

Two or three of the other Lessons sent us in competition, possess distinct features of merit, so that very probably we may again recur to the subject of "Conscience."

The Committee of our Society would gladly have published a selection from the Lessons written on the four Prize subjects, with criticisms and notes designed to improve teachers in the power of drawing up similar Lessons, but the pecuniary resources of the Institute are much too limited to allow of it.

Plans and Progress.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.

I CRAVE permission to address through these pages, the Clergy and Laity, who may be anxious for the advance of the Gospel in our land. I have neither the ability nor the time to deal with my subject as its very great importance deserves, and therefore prefer to put forth the following interrogations, in the hope that they will receive deep consideration and that some plan may be immediately matured to effect the object in view. 1-Will not the religious tone of society,

humanly speaking, depend upon the religion of the middle classes? 2-Does not the profanation of the

Sabbath and all other great na

tional sins, arise chiefly from the middle ranks of the people?

3-And, per consequence, is it not of
the utmost importance that the
middle classes should be TRULY
evangelised?

4.-Is not the period of childhood and
youth the best time for effecting
such a work?
5.-Yet, is it not true that perhaps

one-half of the children of persons,
in the respectable condition of
society, are much, sometimes en-
tirely, neglected in respect to their
religious instruction, arising from
inability, want of time, indiffer-

A PRACTICAL SUGGESTION-ON THE COLLECT LESSON. I BEG to lay before the readers of this MAGAZINE, a plan which I think likely to be useful as an auxiliary to the usual explanation of the Collects of the Church. It was suggested to my mind by a paper in the Sixth Number, (page 238) entitled, "Hints on Prayer for Children," and can be adopted in all but the youngest classes of our Sunday schools.

These boys were of the ages of eight to ten, forming the third class in the school.

After finishing the explanation of the Collect on the twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity, I thought it would both serve as a proof that the explanation had been effectual, and also tend to impress it more on the memory, if I succeeded in getting the Collect properly paraphrased by the boys.

I accordingly said, "This Collect is a prayer, as I have been trying to explain, and now I want you to put it into your own words, so as to give the meaning of the Collect in other words."

I found the difficulty to be in starting, so I paraphrased the first few words, and the boys then entered into the plan, but the interest excited was very partial until it occurred to me to write down the result as we went on. This immediately changed indifference into extreme attention, (another proof by the bye, that children often do not listen attentively, simply because they cannot understand,) and the Collect was soon completed.

The following is their paraphrase, not offered us by any means the best that even they would (with more practice) be able to supply, but given as the genuine result of this their first attempt.

COLLECT FOR THE TWENTY-FOURTH
SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

O Lord, we beseech Thee, absolve thy people from their offences: that through thy bountiful goodness we may all be delivered from the bands of those sins, which by our frailty we have committed; Grant this, O Heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

PARAPHRASE.

O God, we earnestly pray Thee to pardon our sins, that through Thy great tenderness (or love, or mercy) we may be forgiven our wickedness, which by our weakness we have done. Give us this, O gracious God, for the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.

I think the occasional use of this would tend, by Divine blessing, to give our scholars much more of the idea and language of prayer than they usually possess.

F.

CROMPTON ROAD SCHOOL.

Abridged from the Macclesfield This substantial, handsome, and commodious building, which has just been completed, was opened for Sunday scholars, on Sunday last. The attendance was very satisfactory, the number being 160, of whom more than 120 had, for the last two years, been in the temporary school in the Club Buildings. This number, which the register will shew to be almost entirely out of the district, will soon, it is hoped, be doubled, without drawing from any other locality than that immediately connected with the school. Indeed the committee-regarding the school accommodation, in the various parochial divisions of the town as in a measure complete, having determined to set their face against the love of migration, which is exhibited by the youth of the town in reference to Sunday schools, and to confine themselves to the place and people for whose benefit the pro

Courier of October 29, 1849.
vision has been made. On Tuesday
evening, instead of the weekly lecture
which has been given in the Club Build-
ing since October, 1847, a regular
Church Service was commenced. It was
no less gratifying than surprising to see
a congregation of more than 200 ga-
thered, with few exceptions, out of
Crompton Road. Prayers were read
by the Rev. W. H. R. Brickman. The
Rev. C. O'N Pratt preached on the
occasion. The Bishop of the diocese
having licensed Crompton Road School
for Divine Worship, there will be com-
menced, in a Sunday or two, a regular
Sunday Evening Service, at six o'olock.
Accommodation for 400 people, free of
all charge, will thus be afforded to the
district. In the mean time it must be
mentioned to the public that notwith-
standing all the efforts that have been
made for the Crompton Road School,
its funds fall short by at least £200.

PARK CHAPEL CHELSEA SUNDAY SCHOOLS. On the 4th October last, our Committee was requested by the Managing Committee of these Schools, to send a deputation to an evening meeting at the Clock-house, Chelsea, at which the esteemed Minister, the Rev. W. Cadman, had been invited to attend.

A deputation accordingly attended the meeting, which was truly a gratifying one. Nearly one hundred ladies and gentlemen connected with the Sunday Schools, and other parochial Institutions, were assembled to welcome their Minister, and unite in offering him an expression of their affection and esteem. Our deputation had been apprised that the question, "What are the advantages of association with the Church of England Sunday School Institute," would be brought forward during the evening, and they were thus

afforded an opportunity of detailing the "rise and progress" of the Institute, and its value in raising, by its operations, the qualifications of the Sunday School Teacher. Its Circulating Library, its Lectures, its Conversational Meetings, its Magazine, and its other publications, were referred to in detail, as illustrative of the advantages offered to individual Schools, and it was shewn that distressed Sunday Schools might, through the combination of Schools with the Institute, receive much support, and thus association with it would end in the advantage of all.

What more pleasing sight can there be, than that of Minister and people uniting, and in their different stations helping forward the work of the Lord? Would that such meetings as that we now refer to, were more frequent.

ST. PETER'S, SAFFRON HILL.

MILITARY SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

Church of England Missions.

ABBEOKUTA.