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MINION.

20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:

21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

MINION BIBLE, 8vo. col. calf, 5s. 3d.-Ditto, plain calf, 4s. 3d.
Ditto, sheep, 3s. 9d.

Ditto, 24mo. col. calf, 4s. 9d.-Ditto, plain calf, 3s. 10d.
Ditto, sheep, 3s. 2d.

Also same type, MINION TESTAMENT, 24mo. col. calf, Is. 8d.
Ditto, sheep, Ild.

Ditto, with PSALMS, 24mo. sheep, 1s. 2d. MINION PSALMS, 24mo. embossed cloth......8d. MINION TESTAMENT, foolscap 8vo. with marginal references, coloured calf, 2s. 8d.-Ditto, sheep, 2s.

NONPAREIL.

11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were

NONPAREIL BIBLE, 12mo. with marginal references, col. clf. 7s. 2d.
Ditto, plain calf, 5s.-Ditto, sheep, 4s. 5d.
Ditto, 12mo. col. calf, 3s. 9d.-Ditto, plain calf, 2s. 9d.
Ditto, sheep, 2s. 3d.

RUBY BIBLE, 24mo. coloured calf, 4s.-Ditto, plain calf, 3s. Id.
Ditto, sheep, 2s. 6d.

PEARL.

4 And all the host ofheaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a fall

PEARL BIBLE, foolscap 8vo. with marginal references, col. clf, 6s. 6d.
Ditto, 24mo. coloured calf, 4s.-Ditto, plain calf, 3s. 7d.
Ditto, sheep. 38.

Also same type, PEARL TESTAMENT, 24mo. coloured calf, Is. 8d.
Ditto, with PSALMS, 24mo. coloured calf, 1s. 10d.

PEARL PSALMS, 24mo. embossed cloth, 8d. *

PRAYER BOOKS may be obtained either from the "Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge," or from the "Prayer Book and Homily Society," of any size, and at almost any price, from 6d. upwards. À very cheap and useful SELECTION OF HYMNS may be obtained from the Religious Tract Society." The large edition will be found to contain a sufficient number even for public worship, price 8d.

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The BIBLES and TESTAMENTS of the Christian Knowledge Society are a little cheaper than the above.

Bibles, Testaments, Prayer books, and hymn books, form very suitable reward books for the children in the various schools.

The “district visitors" might receive small weekly contributions from those who are anxious to furnish themselves with a copy of any of the above works, but are unable to lay down the whole sum at one time. It would be well to have a depository for bibles, prayer books, &c. of easy access to the parishioners.

TRACTS.

The distribution of well selected religious TRACTS has been attended with infinite benefit. There are many sources from whence tracts, on almost every subject connected with the exercise of the ministry, may be obtained. We need not mention the "Religious Tract Society," "Bristol Church of England Tracts," "Irish Tract and Book Society," "Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge," "Edinburgh Tract Society," "Cheap Repository Tracts," "Watkin's Sunday School Tracts," "Evangelical Rambler," &c. &c. It will be found that no one society will furnish all that a minister will want. The bishop of Peterborough's (Davys') tracts on the various services of the church are invaluable. It would be well to distribute tracts at baptisms, churchings, marriages, burials, and visitation of the sick. The following list may be found useful.

Davy's, or bishop of Peterborough's, as above mentioned.

Religious Tract Society. Nos. 2, 4, 25, 38, 45, 48, 49, 51, 62, 63, 65, 69, 72, 76, 97, 99, 100, 102, 104, 105, 111, 117, 128, 129, 130, 136, 137, 139, 140, 172, 177, 178, 179, 181, 195, 199, 201, 203, 204, 229, 233, 240, 264, 268, 272, 275, 280, 281, 235, 289, 290, 293, 304, 330, 331, 334, 337, 346, 351, 355, 365, 370, 374, 378, 382, 383, 387, 391, 392, 393, 394, 412, 413, 414, 417, 426, 431, 442, 446, 449, 452, 455, 459, 461. The Homilies, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32.

A GENERAL DISTRIBUTION of tracts throughout the parish, on the loan system, changing the tracts once a week, or once a fortnight, has been productive of great good. Where this plan is adopted, it will be found advisable to divide the parish into districts, and to furnish each distributor with as many tracts as he has families in his district, and one over: these will serve for as many weeks or fortnights as he has families. After distributing one tract to each family, he proceeds, at the end of the week or fortnight, to exchange them, taking with him the one he had left, he gives that to the first family he visits, receives their tract and gives it to the second, the second to the third, &c., until all are supplied. The distributor should keep a list of the tracts, as he distributes them. The poor are very thankful for tracts. Some have been known even to write out the tract, being ignorant how to obtain a copy, yet anxious to have one.

Tracts against POPERY.

Religious Tract Society. Nos. 23, 29, 98, 101, 110, 115, 124, 125, 126, 132, 133, 211, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 224, 225, 292, 426, 437, 455, 458.

Reformation Society's Tracts. Protestant Society's Tracts.

Against INFIDELITY and SOCIALISM.

Religious Tract Society. Nos. 28, 41, 44, 53, 58, 71, 75, 82, 120, 122, 123, 130, 138, 152, 154, 155, 156, 157, 180, 207, 209, 213, 215, 232, 280, 282, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 323, 354, 375, 394, 396, 418, 438, 439, 443, 446, 450, 455, 457, 461.

PAROCHIAL RELIGIOUS LIBRARIES.

"AMONG the different measures which have been devised for promoting the moral and religious improvement of a parish, the establishment of a parochial library, for the purpose of furnishing the inhabitants with the temporary loan of proper and useful books, has been found to be productive of great advantages. The beneficial tendency indeed of such an establishment under judicious management and control, must be obvious. By providing the population with a recreation, not only innocent but improving, not only rational but instructive, it insensibly operates to counteract their propensity, and to weaken their attachment to other recreations of a very opposite character and tendency. There is scarcely any person, however constant and laborious his general occupations may be, but who, in the course of the week, has some little time unoccupied and surely, to furnish him, during such an interval from more serious avocations, with an employment, which at once may amuse, refresh, and edify him, and which, by attaching him to his own fire-side, and interesting the little circle collected around it, may prevent him from wandering abroad for company and amusement, is rendering to him, to his family, and to the community, no inconsiderable service. A man, who finds a pleasure in reading and cultivating his mind, will neither frequent the alehouse, nor molest the neighbourhood by poaching and thieving. Such are some of the moral benefits arising from these parochial institutions.

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"Nor are the religious advantages resulting from them less clear. The Bible indeed is THE BOOK, which of itself constitutes the poor man's library: and thanks be to God! there is no man, however poor, who, in these times, may not be in possession of a Bible. But while the Scriptures are the only foundation for religious knowledge and practice, 'and are able to make men wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus;' there are yet many other books, which through the divine blessing may be made profitable to them; which may assist them in understanding and applying the Scriptures, may aid their devotion, and promote in them spirituality of mind. The facility therefore which the parochial library affords of procuring such books, is a privilege, of which those persons, who have not other means of obtaining them, may beneficially avail themselves. The Sunday is, or may be, for the most part a season of leisure; nor can those hours of the sacred day, which are not immediately devoted to the worship of God, be in general more profitably or consistently employed than in religious reading and study.

And it is owing perhaps in part to the want of some little variety of books, which by diversifying the mode of information, might the more readily engage and interest the mind, that so many persons who are capable of reading, yet find the Sunday hang heavy on their hands, and waste so much of its precious time in listless and unprofitable idleness. "But it is in seasons of sickness and affliction, that the value of the

parochial library is principally to be seen. At these seasons, persons are not unfrequently confined for days, perhaps for weeks, or even months, to the sick chamber, or the fire-side, under circumstances the most favourable for the admission and improvement of religious impressions. At such times, then, the opportunity of procuring a supply of useful and interesting books, may be of incalculable benefit to the invalid: since such a supply will not only tend to divert the mind and to relieve the weariness occasioned by a lingering confinement and a necessary cessation from ordinary occupations; but it may also lead, under the divine blessing, to a most seasonable and profitable improvement of the dispensation itself. Such a dispensation is often blessed by God to spiritual good. It is an instrument which he employs for preparing the heart to receive the good seed: and frequently a religious book, which at other times has failed of its object, has then found its way to the heart, and has awakened serious reflections, which have led to the most important results.

"Such are some of the general arguments in recommendation of parochial libraries. But these arguments press with particular force at the present period; when the benefits of education are so much more widely diffused than formerly, and consequently the means of extending the advantages, arising from these institutions, are so greatly facilitated. The population, being now taught to read, will exercise their privilege; and possessing this new source of information and amusement, will naturally make use of it. The providing them therefore with a supply of proper and useful books becomes, if not a point of Christian duty, yet at least an act of seasonable and well-directed benevolence: while the mode of instruction pursued in the numerous schools now conducted on the national system of education-a mode which in its legitimate tendency inculcates a taste and thirst for religious knowledge, a love for the Bible, a veneration for Sunday and the Church, as well as general habits of order and moral obedience-encourages strongly the hope, that a large proportion of the children so instructed and educated, will be favourably disposed, as they grow up, to the reading of serious and religious books, and thus will thankfully and profitably avail themselves of the assistance afforded by these institutions, wherever they may exist. "On these grounds, general and particular, a small library is now provided for the gratuitous use of the inhabitants of Yoxall parish. In selecting the books for this purpose, it has been endeavoured, so far as is consistent with the main object in view, to blend amusement with instruction and consequently among several works of a cast professedly and decidedly religious, others have been introduced of rather a different complexion; which under the form of biography and narrative, illustrate the nature and effects of true religion; and while they inculcate and confirm sound principles, amuse and interest by the attractive mode, in which the instruction is conveyed.

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"It remains only to be stated, that all the books, which at present compose this library, or which may hereafter be added to it are equally free and open to all persons, now, or at any future time, residing in the parish of Yoxall; who, on application, will be allowed the use and perusal of any one volume at a time, and are only requested to attend to the following rules.

"1. Not to suffer the book, while in their possession, to be soiled or otherwise injured.

"2. Not to let it go out of their own possession.

"3. To return it safely when read, and not in any instance to keep it longer than a month.

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Attendance will be given at the school for the purpose of lending and receiving the books, on every evening from-o'clock till (Bickersteth's Christian Student, p. 434—436.) *

"The following are the rules of another parish religious library :—

"1. Every subscriber shall pay at least one penny per week. "2. No person to be admitted as a subscriber without the approbation of the treasurer, the Rev.- by whom the books shall be chosen.

"3. The time which each book is to be kept out is to be marked on the cover.

"4. If any book be kept out beyond the prescribed time, one halfpenny per day to be forfeited, and applied to the funds of the library. "5. The subscriptions to be collected quarterly.

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"6. A subscriber, at the end of five years, shall be free for life.

"7. If any subscriber shall not have paid his subscription by the last day in every year, he shall forfeit his subscription.

"8. In case of two persons applying for the same book, priority of application to be attended to; and, if two applications are made at the same time, then, priority of subscription.

"9. If any books are returned in a soiled or torn state, the subscriber to pay such a fine as the librarian and treasurer shall direct; and no book shall be issued out to such subscriber until the fine be paid. "10. Application to be made to the librarian Mr. on Mondays and Thursdays, from 12 to 2, and from 6 to 8 o'clock.”—(Bickersteth, p. 436, 437, note 1.)

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Books, for the promotion of parochial, Sunday school, and other libraries, may be obtained at a very cheap rate from the "Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge," and the various religious. "tract societies" mentioned above. †

When the parish is very large, the plan of "circulating lending libraries" may be very beneficially adopted; that is, forming a certain number of small libraries, distributed up and down the parish, and once every year exchanging the books. Suppose, for example, a parish divided into six districts. Instead of having one large library, let six small ones be formed, the librarians being widows, or small shopkeepers, who will take charge of the books, receive and give them out. At the

* Remarks prefixed to the "Yoxall parochial library."
+ See p. 212. See also p. 124.

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