sely--and no wonder, as on all such occasions they form not a
majority merely, but almost the entire assembly. It is not often they
find their match. Men who can meet them on a common platform are rare.
A sincere Christian is shocked and pained, and loses his temper. Every
cock can crow on his own dunghill; and at Cleveland Hall the Secularists
have it all their own way, and are merry at the expense of their
opponents. Nor is this all; they often indulge in a style of abuse which
sounds even to tolerant ears uncommonly like blasphemy. In fact, they
are often needlessly antagonistic, and vulgar, and coarse.

I have said Cleveland Hall is the headquarters of the society, for there
is a society of which Mr. Charles Watts is secretary. There is another
hall in the City Road; lectures are also, I believe, delivered elsewhere
in London on a Sunday evening, and there are at least four or five
secular societies. In the summer time they have open-air lectures on a
Sunday morning in different parts of London. When the writer has been at
Cleveland Hall, the room has generally been half full of respectable and
sharp working men, all very positive and enthusiastic. There are not
many women present, but, of course, there is the irrepressible baby. The
lecturers are generally the persons whose names I have already given, who
occasionally vary the scene of their labours by provincial engagements.
Their work, whatever it may be, has now been going on for some years.
This argues, on their part, some special fitness, and an adaptation of
what they say and think to the class to whom they appeal. In this
respect they set many of the clergy a good example. The people at
Cleveland Hall do not call out for quarter of an hour lectures. Nor do
they require anything in the way of music, or choral performances, or
floral decorations, or altar lights, to make the service interesting.
For children, whether they go to church or chapel, you must provide
shows. For men nothing more is needed than logic and the human voice.

CHAPTER XIX.
THE IRREGULARS.

"What do you think of the Ranters, Mr. Hall?" I quote from the life of
the celebrated Baptist orator; "don't you think they ought to be put
down?"

"I don't know enough of their conduct to say that. What do they do? Do
they inculcate Antinomianism, or do they exhibit immorality in their
lives?"

"Not that I know of, but they fall into very irregular practices."

"Indeed,