one another. The Open-air Mission catches some of them, and in the lowest neighbourhoods—where the most depraved live—its agents generally receive a favourable hearing; one exception is recorded, which occurred at the Royal Exchange. Preaching last year commenced there in April, and went on with many striking instances of success till May 9, when a band of secularists, humanitarians, and infidels came to oppose,—one man reading the Koran, while the agent of the City Mission was as usual about to commence his service. On the next Sunday the opposition was still greater, being reinforced by Roman Catholics and their priests. Under these circumstances preaching was suspended, only to be reopened when the excitement and the danger of a breach of the peace shall have passed away. The Society aims at open-air preaching, special visitation, domestic visitation, and conferences for mutual intercourse. The visit to Epsom belongs to the second class of these subjects. Twenty-one agents had been there during the race week, 60,000 tracts had been given away, many addresses had been given, and a Bible-stand erected. At this latter place, on the last wet Friday when the Oaks was being run, they sheltered a couple of hundred of poor starving
wretches, and for five hours kept up preaching and praying on their account. Their service on the Sunday before the races was very interesting. On the Monday they held a service for the benefit of the gipsies, one of the speakers at which was the Dean of Ripon, better known perhaps as the Rev. Hugh M‘Neile.
Of the 60,000 Arabs of London there are 20,000 in the Ragged Schools.
The Female and Domestic Bible Missions now number 230 paid agents, each with her district and lady superintendent, and expend some 11,000l. a year, exclusive of between 6000l. and 7000l. which is paid to it in instalments by the poor themselves for Bibles, clothes, and bedding.
The Young Men’s Scripture Association has been very successful. Nearly 200 of a Sunday afternoon attend the Bible class in Aldersgate Street. It has twelve branches in different parts of the town.
Connected with no denomination are six or seven chapels or rooms, where as they meet they break bread in the morning and preach the Gospel in the evening. In addition, the Plymouth Brethren have some thirty places of worship, and their dulness and
isolation from the world, which cause them even to avoid discharging their duties as citizens as inconsistent with the spiritual life, indicate the little they need be taken into account as a religious body aiming in any way to influence the religious life of London. According to the late Mr. Buckle, good people really do very little good. I fancy this is the case as far as the Plymouth Brethren are concerned.
the end.
BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
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