THE Bishop of Barbados has just transmitted some further Ecclesiastical Papers, in continuation of those, of which an analysis was given in our last Number. They consist of fourteen folio pages, containing an abstract of a sermon lately preached by the Bishop, and six appendices; and the accounts which they give of the progress of religious education are highly satisfactory. It appears that by the introduction of the National System, and the provision of one or more daily meals, the day schools in the several parishes have lately been much improved. In proof of this we subjoin the following extract of a letter from the Rev. Mr. Gittens, Rector of St. John's, which forms the substance of Appendix B. It is a reply to certain queries proposed by his Lordship, and affords a detail of the mode in which the school of that parish is conducted, together with the particulars and amount of expenditure:

"Rectory House, St. John's, "December 26, 1827. "MY LORD.-I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's letter of the 22d instant; and, in obedience to your wishes, reply to it with as little delay as possible.

"Quære 1.—What number of children attend the parochial day-school?

"Answer.-The numbers fluctuate from 45 to 57-I take the average number at 50.

"Quære 2.—At what hour are they expected to come to school in the morning, and to leave in the evening?

"Answer.—The school is opened at nine in the morning, and continued until twelve-is re-opened at two, and closes at four dinner at one.-N. B. Since the addition of a breakfast, the list is called at half-past eight, so that breakfast may be over by nine; and all who do not answer the list, lose the breakfast.

"Quære 3.-What is the greatest distance at which they attend?

"Answer.-At least three miles; and many who come from that distance, have to struggle against great inequality of surface; but these are commonly most punc

tual in their attendance, so that I set no value on the excuse of distance.

"Quære 4.-How many meals are provided, and at what expense?

"Answer. Two meals, breakfast and dinner. The breakfast consists of four biscuits, and half a pint of tea. The dinner, of 2 lbs. of roots, if there be no soup; and, if soup, 1 lb. of roots; and, in all cases, a portion of fish or pork. Occasionally, Indian corn is used; and, then, I allow half a pint of sifted flour to each scholar, and one pound of butter, which they prefer to pork or rice. daily expense for breakfast and dinner, every thing included, has never exceeded two dollars, frequently not one and a-half. I calculate our average expenditure of roots at 100 lbs. per diem-50 scholars, at 2 ibs. each.

Our

"Quære 5.-What useful work are both boys and girls required to do?

"Answer.-The girls are employed in needle-work every afternoon, and, when necessary, wash and iron the clothes, &c. of the whole school. The boys have hitherto had no occupation, but it is intended to have them instructed in hatmaking, basket-making, and needle-work, the only occupations our limited resources enable us to engage in at present. "Quære 6. - What clothing from the

parish?

"Answer.-Hitherto only a Sunday suit, but it is hoped we shall be enabled to give at least two suits per annum hereafter.

"Quære 7.-In what instructed? "Answer. On the National System. "Quære 8.-At what expense for books, slates, paper, &c.?

"Answer.-To this question I answer generally by a reference to the accounts of the school. The items are not accurately separated; but the expense of forty slates, two dozen ink bottles, and slate pencils, are included in 'Robert Toppin's account of sundries' for the first quarter. The expense of books will be found in the second quarter. Our means being small, we have been niggardly, in confining the writing, &c. to the slate; but as our funds promise to be adequate to our wants at least, we hope to pursue a more liberal system the ensuing year, one more conformable to that of the Central School.

"I send your Lordship the total amount

"P. S.-The last quarter will be settled on Monday next; and, as far as I am enabled to judge, from the accounts already sent in, the total amount will not exceed 621. and in this quarter the breakfast has been added."

Another interesting document, contained in Appendix F., is a letter from the Rev. J. H. Pinder, detailing at the Bishop's request, the plan which he has pursued in the formation of a Sunday school at St. Mary's Chapel, in the parish of St. Michael, and the progress, under the Divine blessing, which has been already made:

VOL. X. NO. VIII.

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January 19th, 1828. "MY LORD,-In reply to your Lordship's letter requiring information relative to the Sunday school attending Saint Mary's chapel, I beg to transmit the following particulars. Soon after my appointment to the curacy, it occurred to me that, in addition to the children receiving education at the Central Coloured Schools, there must be many young domestics, apprentices to tradespeople, and others, who, not having the opportunity of daily instruction, might derive great benefit from a Sunday school; and that adults, who had not yet been baptized, might become qualified hereby for admission. Some notice having been given of my intention, the school opened on Sunday morning (28th October, 1827), with permission from the Rector, under the superintendence of Mr. Joseph Thorne, one of the Catechists of the parish. In the afternoon of the same day, a sermon was preached, declaring the nature and objects of the Sunday school, and earnestly inviting the co-operation of all possessed of any influence and authority. The smallest number of scholars present (and that on the first day), has been 30; and the fullest attendance that I have remarked, 158; but there is reason to expect a further increase. The proprietor of a neighbouring plantation has promised to send the young negroes from his estate; and their absence is prevented merely by their uniform Sunday suit not been quite finished. The school is held at the National Coloured School-house, and opens at nine o'clock in the morning-the master reading the second and third collects for the morning service, the Lord's Prayer, and Grace. The classes are then formed into eleven or twelve, regard being paid to age and sex in the arrangement-men, women, girls, and boys, are thus formed into their respective classes. Four teachers from the day-school have been employed under the master, and several persons of respectability have come forward and offered their services as superintendents of the classes. The master occasionally takes a class himself; but I have directed him principally to employ himself in going from class to class, and striving to preserve as strict an adherence as possible to the National System. Learning to read occupies the time in the morning, until the hour of divine service that is, from 9 to half-past 10when they proceed in an orderly manner, old as well as young, to their seats in the north gallery of Saint Mary's chapel. The number of names given in, is 226-but 120 to 150 is the actual average attendance, in the afternoon no less regularly than the morning. The school is re-opened

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at 3, and the interval of time till half-past 4 is devoted to instruction in the Church Catechism, under the same teachers and system as in the morning; after which, they attend the afternoon service at Saint Mary's. In the hands of the Sunday school-master, as well as the Treasurer of the Central Coloured School, I have placed a certain number of religious books from the Depository, for sale-if necessary, at reduced prices; and it gives me great satisfaction to state, that the amount so disposed of has already amounted to £15 currency. Having been, with one or two exceptions, always present myself, I am able thankfully to bear testimony to the success of the attempt thus far; and, from the zeal and perseverance hitherto manifested, to indulge lively expectations of the most beneficial results.

"I am, my Lord,

"Your faithful Chaplain,

"J. H. PINDER."

We have now to subjoin the extract from the Bishop's sermon, as prescribing a lucid detail of his Lordship's views and proceedings, and the beneficial results which he anticipates from the means which are taken for promoting the religious instruction of the slaves.

Extract from a Sermon preached by the Bishop in behalf of the Saint George's Parochial Boys' School, 9th December, 1827, from St. Mathew vi. 33-" But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

"THERE is scarcely any thing in which believers are more guilty of practical infidelity than in the matter of education. By every Christian, when seriously questioned, religion must be acknowledged to be the one thing needful;' and yet how often is religion, I had almost said, the only thing neglected! In the higher ranks, we find our youth instructed in languages and accomplishments; in the lower, in reading, writing, and the use of numbers. Do I object to these acquirements? Far otherwise. I would only remind you, that these are not all that should be taught: they may be highly useful as adjuncts, but can never form the ground-work of a Christian education. A Gentile might thus have educated his child. To such an education we may apply our Lord's words, After all these things do the Gentiles seek.' The children, whom we are called on to educate, are Christians; for them Christ died; they have been baptized into the name of Christ; and at the solemn moment of their bapti a promise was given before God,

that they should be virtuously brought up to lead a godly and a Christian life;' they have souls which are to be accountable for the things done in the body, whether they be good, or whether they be evil; they are heirs of heaven, and not of earth onlyborn indeed in time, but to live in happiness or misery to all eternity. Give them whatever useful knowledge you can, and their station of life may require; teach them to read,―to write,-to keep accounts; accustom them to habits of industry, cleanliness, and order; bring them up, if I may be allowed so familiar an expression, to turn their hands to any thing, by which they may serve themselves honestly, and their fellow-creatures usefully. But, forget not, that they are members of Christchildren of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven: forget not, that death can never be far distant from them, nor from ourselves; that after death cometh the judgment, and that the greatest worldly success will be but a poor recompense to them for an eternity of misery. I speak as to Christians; judge ye what I say: and I speak the more gladly, because I am not ignorant of the weekly care paid by the master, at the express injunction of the vestry of this parish, to the religious instruction of the young; but I speak freely and strongly, for it is a point of the utmost importance.

"To the neglect of religion, as the ground-work and pervading principle in the education of our youth, has been justly attributed the failure of those many institutions which appear from time to time in the records of the several parishes. 'I believe,' remarks a native writer, when speaking of the melancholy state of the lower orders of the white population, 'that few persons will be disposed to contradict me when I assert, that their religious education, if it may be called such, generally ends where it begins at their baptism. Some few charity schools have been instituted; but they have been productive of so little benefit to society, as to discourage any additional attempts of this kind, and even to justify the subversion of some schools already established. The causes of their failure is a subject well worthy of enquiry. As far,' he proceeds, as I have had an opportunity of forming an opinion, they appear to be such as these-That the persons appointed to the superintendency of the schools, have been in general incompetent to the task; that in all of them, too little time and attention are given to religious instruction; that the Bible is the only book made use of for this purpose; that children are sometimes admitted at an age

when they have contracted vicious habits and principles, and thus corrupt the rest; and what is a greater obstacle than all to the success of these institutions, is, that they are, with a solitary exception, dayschools so that the children spend as great portion of their time at home as at school, and the teacher's lesson is lost in the parent's example. There are others, no doubt, which a little curiosity and attention to the subject would enable us to discover. It is much to be desired,' he continues, that we could establish a charity school on an improved plan in every parish so situated with regard to the church, as to afford the children the benefit of a regular attendance on public worship, and under the tuition of the clerk, that by combining the two appointments of parish clerk and schoolmaster, the pecuniary advantages arising from them may be suffi cient to engage persons better qualified for the duties of both. Thus, too, it would be more immediately under the eye of the rector, who would feel pleasure in observing the progress of an institution, so essentially subservient to the success of his own sacred labours.' I should not have done justice to the writer, if I had not given the whole of the passage as it stands in his work; and though during the interval of eleven years, which has passed since its publication, we may reasonably hope that some favourable change has been wrought in the feelings and habits of the class of whom he speaks, which must lessen the danger then apprehended from the evil habits of the parents, and dispose the parents at the same time to avail themselves eagerly for their children of that better system of discipline and instruction which in this Island, as in the mother country, has been gradually finding its way into our schools; yet is there much remaining which is still worthy of the serious attention of every person, who, either by the duty of office or affection, is bound to provide for the education of our youth.

"In every child of fallen Adam there is a tendency to evil. The seeds of what is wrong are already sown in our corrupt flesh; they are brought with us into the world: bad example only quickens and draws forth what is already planted. The child has no natural disposition to be sober, honest, and industrious. Sobriety,

honesty, and industry, must be inculcated on him. His reason approves what is good, but his will naturally inclines to the contrary. That will must be brought under a moral subjection; or you can have no hold on his conduct-no security that he will either use, or not abuse, the very acquirements with which, at so much expense,

and time, and labour, you have been filling his head and his hands. His heart will be still untouched: his passions undisciplined: his affections sensual; he will have no motive beyond this world;-and can you wonder, that, under such circumstances, the most promising talents should so often be lost to society; and he, whose head could devise, and whose hand could execute so much and so well, should be found in the lowest haunts of vice-a burthen to others, and a curse to himself. My brethren, it is religion that is wanting: he was educated for the world without a thought of heaven. whereas, had religion been pressed on his heart, as it should have been, in its doctrines and in its precepts: had it been made to enter from his earliest years, into all his habits, and to influence his ways of thinking and acting, his mind would have been no less stored with useful knowledge-his hand no less able to execute every useful work; but over and above his worldly acquirements, he would have had within himself a motive to action, which the world knows not-which the natural man wills not-and which, in the hour of indolence, would have excited him to exertion, and, in that of temptation, have proved, under God, a safeguard to his soul.

"That which I would plead for so strongly, is the precedence, if I may so speak, of religion in the education of youth. Other acquirements may be useful; but they must not hold the first place. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteous ness.' Remember neither nations nor individuals can long prosper without religion. 'It is righteousness,' saith the wise man, that exalteth a nation.' Let not the child gather from the attention which we pay to the different branches of learning, that it is of more consequence for him to read, and write, and calculate well, than to live well. Let moral merit always have the chief place in our esteem and commendation, and other merit will not be far behind. A good child will endeavour to improve himself in every thing else. There is something to act upon in such a child; you can influence him by higher motives: by love, rather than by fear: by reproof, rather than by chastisement: by persuasion, rather than by coercion: by shame, rather than by pain by the hope of reward, rather than by the dread of punishment. Moderate acquirements, with piety and holiness, are more serviceable to society than the utmost skilfulness without integrity. What, after all, is the great question putor which ought to be put-by every prudent employer previously to the reception of a person into his service?-has it not

respect to the moral qualifications of the applicant? The knowledge of this is often of itself sufficient to keep men, to a certain point, sober, honest, and industrious: they are sensible that their only prospect of establishing themselves in the world, is by keeping up a character for these good qualities that nothing can compensate to themselves for its loss, or be accepted in its stead by others; and that this once forfeited, all is over with them, unless they have the wisdom and resolution, under God, to reform themselves, and thus gradually recover their lost name. Shall we,

then, in educating our youth, take little account of that, which, in after-life, is found of so great account? Whilst reli

gion, by motives far more powerful and enduring than what the world can offer, calls upon all its followers to provide things honest in the sight of all men; to study to be quiet, and to mind their own business; to walk honestly as in the day-not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife or envying,— shall the communication of these wholesome precepts of religion to the child form the least part of our care? Either we are believers, or we are not : if we are, as God in his mercy grant, let us not act as if we were not let not our practice contradict our profession. 'Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father, which is in heaven.'

"Consider the situations of trust and responsibility, in which, if it please God to prolong their lives, these very children, whose cause I am now advocating, will hereafter be placed; think on the temptations to which, from the peculiar state of our society, they will be exposed: on the facility, and even impunity, as far as human laws are concerned, with which they may sin; on the comparative weakness, in every small community, of public opinion to brand and restrain the infamous; and then judge how important it is for the preservation of all which you yourselves hold dear on earth, that they should be taught, in the language of the Apostle, to set their affections on things above, not on things on earth;' and be fully and practically convinced, that God is about their path and about their bed; that there is nothing secret which shall not be made known; that the hour is coming in the which all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of Man, and come forth: they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation : that a throne shall be set in heaven, and they that feared neither God nor man on earth, shall, in the presence of men and

angels, tremble at the awful sentence, 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.'

"You cannot, my brethren, desire more earnestly than I do, that the children of the poorer Whites should be brought up to useful employments: the good would not be confined to themselves; their habits of industry and order would have a widelymoral effect on all classes of the community. I will not dwell on the painful sights that now so often present themselves. It is humiliating to behold our common nature so sunk in vice and imbecility; it is distressing beyond the power of words to think on the disgrace which is thus brought on the Christian name, and of the hundreds that are perishing from off the face of the earth, without any reasonable hope, if with a thought, of the kingdom of heaven. But, thanks be to God, whose eye is yet over this land, for good, we would humbly trust, and not for evil, a brighter prospect is opening. Education, grounded on religion, and embracing every other needful acquirement, is engaging more and more the public care. Of the exertions made in this parish to impart to all classes the benefits of a religious and suitable instruction, I cannot speak too strongly. Every estate is open to the catechist. On most, his labours are more than seconded-I had almost said, superseded by the frequency of domestic instruction. Recently, a school-house has been erected at the parochial expense, for the board, clothing, and education of twelve white boys; whilst on Saturday, every child receiving parochial relief is required to attend at the school for the purpose of being catechised in the rudiments of his religion, and thus prepared for the more edifying observance of the sabbath-daythat type and foretaste of the everlasting sabbath of heaven, when high and low, rich and poor, bond and free, are summoned to meet together to worship, with one heart and one voice, the common Maker, Redeemer, and Sanctifier of us all. It is consolatory to dwell on scenes such as these! Yet, let us not be forgetful of the past; let us not be ungrateful to the memories of those former benefactors, whose names, imprinted within these walls, live still more in the institutions to which their beneficence has given birth. To the bequest of a Bulkeley, the parish owes its girls' school : to that of a Butcher, the foundation of its boys': to the contributions of other charitable individuals, these institutions have been from time to time indebted. Let not the good works of former benefactors fail for want of present support. Much has been done by them;