Luz Benigna : the History of Orange Street Chapel. By
Richard W. Tree. (W. B. Whittingham.)—Orange Street Chapel (the Temple of Leicester Fields) was opened for worship for exiled Huguenots on April 15th, 1693. The congregation continued to worship there for nearly a century. But from various causes, chiefly from the absorption of the French Protestants in the native population, it continued to dwindle away, and in 1787, unable to support any longer a separate existence, it was absorbed in the Conformist congregation of Le Quarre, Little Dean Street. For nineteen years longer, however, it had a service of its own, con- ducted by its last minister. Then came a succession of English Episcopal ministers, among whom may be mentioned Toplady, who preached there his last sermon on June 14th, 1778 (he died not quite three months afterwards), Richard Cecil, and Thomas Scott. Cecil migrated from Orange Street to the chapel, now destroyed, which stood at the end of Great James Street, Bedford Row. It was much frequented under him, and still more so in the days of Baptist Noel. Afterwards the chapel passed into the hands of the Independents, with whom it still remains. The most interesting part of Mr. Tree's volume is that which deals with the Huguenot congregation ; and of this part, not the least curious items are the extracts from the registers. If these, as one must suppose, were made by the Minister, these gentlemen wrote strange French. Here is an entry, itself in- teresting, which records the confession of one who had "lapsed' under the pressure of persecution in France, but on escaping to England, sought to reconcile himself to his brethren:—" Le dimanche Matin 5 desambre 1703, set prezante dauid Mirasseau, pour fore sa Reconnessaace de la tante quil a faitte en france en allant partissiper aux errurs deliglize romenne et ayant temoign6 ea dolleur a notre assemblee il auroit ete Rescu alapaix dele- glise par monst. dargenteuil ministre de cette Eglise." Mr. Tree has written a good book in an excellent spirit of liberality.
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