the number of in great britain as near as may be the number of their churches or is three hundred of this number twenty belong to london proper and eight more within a circle of twelve miles this makes the entire number in what they call the district twenty eight i have been in six of their places of worship one of those best attended where mr usually the services when in london is the at the farthest end of where probably the average attendance is in round numbers but the number that belong to william street place of meeting leading out of the north end x f the road is larger than that at the i should think it could not be less than mr miller who is the minister � no one else taking a prominent part in the conduct of the public worship � can only be looked on as a modified he acts almost entirely on the independent principle � that is ho is in a sense in the administration of church affairs a law unto himself still if he is to be placed in either of the of the brethren he would decidedly prefer to be with the of this a proof was furnished a few years ago by tho fact of mr of preaching in his chapel for no � and mr may be regarded as a sort of lieutenant of mr s � dare venture to minister in any place of worship not in fellowship with the section of the brethren indeed were he to do so the penalty he would have to pay would be his immediate from the body a third of the principal of the section takes place in north row near the marble arch park mr when he is in london � lately i am told he was visiting the brethren in is the chief party in that gathering the average attendance there judging from what i have seen i should set down at from to then there is the road chapel i should suppose that the usual attendance in it is about dr a venerable looking and gentlemanly man almost exclusively ministers in that assembly or did until lately the others taking the average of the remaining twenty eight meeting places in and around london do not i feel assured exceed fifty for each this would give an of in round numbers brethren of the section in the district as out by them taking the entire number of the class of brethren in great britain i should say it to about i ground my calculation on the fact already stated the accuracy of which is not i believe disputed that their amount as near as may be to now judging from what i have seen in the provinces and from what i have been told by others who are of the state of things regarding their numbers i feel satisfied that to allow fifty on an average to each of their provincial churches is to give them more than they are entitled to for instance i have been at their meeting in while their late minister mr w � one of the very and best in every respect of their body � was alive the and of and the number the gathering on that not to count it was under thirty an average therefore of fifty in places in the country would give an provincial of if to the numbers then of the section of the brethren in die provinces we add those in the district we shall have an number of somewhat exceeding if leaving our own country we proceed to other lands we shall find that in foreign parts there is a goodly number of them scattered about there are many of them in the south of france in in italy and in other continental countries in canada too they are somewhat numerous � more so from all i can learn than perhaps in any other country abroad mr seems to take a special interest in the brethren in canada for he pays them frequent visits and remains with them a longer time than he does when he visits his brethren in other lands in the united states mr has also a number of but fewer i believe in proportion to the extent of the religious there than in any other country where the english language is spoken the are spreading in while indeed this is passing through the press two leading men of the faith have returned from new where they have been on a visit to the brethren at the in the west indies the of mr are rather numerous considering all the circumstances and i am assured are increasing but probably they are more numerous in the channel islands than in any other part of our possessions beyond the of britain compared with those of the population entertaining sentiments they are very numerous in both and especially in the latter which may be accounted for from the fact that the william an author of eminence and a man of great teaching otherwise preaching talents though very and austere when dealing with those who differ from him � has been long settled in that island but curiously enough there is no part of the queen s in which the brethren in fellowship with mr are so numerous in proportion to the population as in the small the island of though the number of its inhabitants be under i have the fact on the testimony of one who lately left after a residence of several years in the island � and my belongs to the established church � that their number somewhat from the information i have thus furnished respecting the condition of the section of the brethren the reader will have a clear understanding of that aspect of the brethren question the question will naturally be asked what as a body is their social 