If we

servants pretty nigh as large. The 'Squire, said Mr. V., must have a pew fit and convenient for his family and another for his servants, so long as you have pews at all, and my pew you know must come in for a portion of the blame which this system deserves. Mr. Bellamy has inherited it with his house and lands, and we cannot expect that he should see any objection to it, with the Vicar's pew close by, though I certainly have neither table nor fire place. It is the system that is bad, though very good men uphold it without thinking; it is a way "received by tradition from their fathers." minded what St. James says, all would be equal inside the sacred walls; we should then have no contrast between 'Squires' pews and Vicars', and the open seats for the poor. Wealth would never shew itself by grand seats in the church, but would be content with the noble mansion. What, Sir! said William, do you mean that all the seats should be alike in the church, and that the like of me should have a pew as good as the 'Squire's? Truly, that's exactly what I mean, said the Vicar. I would have a church so seated that a person coming into it when empty, should not know a rich man's seat from a poor man's, and I say this because nothing short of it, meets (I think) the injunction of the apostle St. James. The blacksmith thought his Vicar must be a real radical reformer; and he looked up rather incredulously. Then you're for universal suffrage I suppose Sir? said he, glancing a little at politics, and curious to know the minister's opinions; don't you think we ought all to vote for parliament members? When I find any thing of the sort in St. James, I shall study it carefully, replied the Vicar; but you forgot, William, I was speaking only of men in church, not in the parish, I did not say Mr. Bellamy's house and yours should be alike; there would be nothing in advocating equality inside God's house, if this were not a change from what

is outside. And what becomes of your own pew, said William, with a smile? It would share the same fate with the rest, said Mr. V. I would gladly sing over its fall the song of Edom, "Down with it even to the ground." The thought of any new pewing struck John Blake as a very good idea; that worthy man had followed his grandfather and father in the trade of a carpenter, and new and bright visions came over his mind. Already his eye moved over a large space of seats destroyed to rise again in greater uniformity; he hastily ran over his stock of timber, and the divers lots and pieces of old church oak, which in the way of business had come into his hand, recurred to his fancy as again visiting their ancient abode. He did not care to abolish the grandeur of Mr. Bellamy's pew; the people at large were much attached to the 'Squire, but under all circumstances the Vicar seemed to put a good interpretation on St. James's doctrine. Mr. V. had not given chapter and verse; but Blake resolved to read through the Epistle (for he did not remember the passage) in order to see how far he might hope that the parish would yield to the apostle. Do you think of restoring the seats, and making them all alike, said he to the Vicar? I have no power to do so, said Mr. V., if I wished it, and I should dread such a power to rest in myself alone. Our good 'Squire and the farmers have held their seats for the last century, the law of the land has not prevented their erection, and all I can do is to persuade them these things are wrong; and when they believe me, they will consent to their removal. Shall you try the 'Squire first, said Strike, laughing? I shall certainly not enter on such a topic at my first acquaintance with him, replied the Vicar; but in time, if conversation is led that way, I shall not scruple to state my doctrine; I don't suppose I can readily convince him, but if convinced I believe he would act accordingly. You'll have tough

work I fear, said William; it's only two years ago, come next winter, that I fitted in the stove for him, and it cost him £3. I believe I shall have tough work, said Mr. V., but not the more so on account of the newly purchased stove. Mr. Bellamy's father had that pew before him, and his grandfather too; the seat is mixed with all his church habits; he sat there as a child, and there will be many clingings to it, very distinct from the expense it may have caused him. Besides, he will not be more tenacious I expect than farmer Johnson, and farmer Brown; they will all cleave to their seats from old possession, and some will love the consequence it seems to give them in the parish. 'Twould be a rare sight John (said Strike to his friend,) to see you and me sitting by the 'Squire, I don't think I should altogether relish it! Very likely, said Mr. V., and its no part of of my scheme that you should do so; such a plan would be very unseemly and ill-judged, even if it could be executed, which I never dreamt of. You forgot, I never proposed unappropriated seats, I only said make them all alike in appearance. Then you would have us still to have our appointed place said William? Yes, replied the Vicar, my scheme did not interfere with that custom. But suppose the 'Squire did not come to church any Sunday, might strangers go into it? Yes, if it was quite empty they might do so now; if there lacked room, the churchwardens have power to fill up any vacant space. Free seats altogether would never do, said Blake, who had been musing. I don't recommend them replied the Vicar, but why would it never do? Because poor people badly clothed, and perhaps not over clean, might go and sit by fine gentle-folks in silk and satin, and this would drive the gentles from church altogether, they would never stand that. Do you feel so sure that these people would thus sit together, asked Mr. V.? What should hinder them Sir, said Blake?

You and Strike went lately to the great meeting at the large room in the county town, did you not, asked the Vicar? Yes, Sir! Were you there early? Yes, there were not a dozen people there, when we got into the room. Did you sit with the fine ladies then? Bless Sir! no never thought of it! you, did you go by tickets? No,

you

But what hindered Sir, 'twas all free and open. Was any place appointed for you? No, we sat where we pleased. Then why did you not go and sit among the fine folks? Dear Sir! what a question! we had much rather sit among our own friends, than with them, we liked our places a great deal better where we were. Then I'll tell you, Master Blake, what did hinder your sitting among the fine folks, and what would work the same, if the Church was thrown open by free seats. It was no law, but your own common sense and natural feelings. There's poor Tom Simson, he's regular at Church, but his dress is shabby, and he is not very clean. Give Tom free liberty all the church over, and he will use it, by not sitting next the 'Squire, because he'd rather sit away.

(To be continued.)

NOTES ON THE COLLECTS.

THE COLLECT FOR TRINITY SUNDAY.

ONE clause of this collect may require explanation. The words, "in the power of the divine majesty," are to be joined with the word "unity," not the word "worship." It does not mean that we, in the power of the divine majesty, do worship the unity, but that we worship the unity of the divine majesty's power.

THE COLLECT FOR THE EPIPHANY.

"Fruition" means "enjoyment." The prayer is that we who know the Almighty at present only by faith,

may hereafter be made happy through his presence with us in heaven. This collect is retained from the ancient service for the day; indeed no modern prayer would have used the phrase, "the fruition of thy glorious godhead," either in the Latin tongue or the English.

THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.

The collect here expounds one verse of the Epistle. In 1 John iii. 3, we read, "every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure;" "him" may (so far as the English goes) refer either to Christ or to the man, as St. Peter says, "be ready to give to every one a reason of the hope that is in you." But the collect guides us into the true meaning. Every one that hath this hope in Christ, purifieth himself even as Christ is pure. This remark is made only in the English translation.

COLLECT FOR CHRISTMAS DAY.

In this collect we do not pray that we may be regenerate, but that we who are regenerate may daily be renewed. It is not praying that we may be born; but that being born we may live and grow. Suppose in a prayer for married people you met these words, "Grant that we being married and made one flesh, may live in holy love to our life's end," you would see that such prayer did not supplicate for the union, but recognized it as already existing. So it is with the collect, and I write this observation, because the prayer has been singularly twisted in recent days, to elude its witness to a notorious doctrine of the church, singularly, I say, not because it requires great violence so to interpret the English, but because it is easily settled, that such was not originally the meaning intended.