While Mr. Mattock was minister of Daventry, having several persons belonging to his congregation who came from villages in the vicinity, and being desirous of extending the knowledge of the Gospel as far as his time and strength would admit, he proposed to some of his country friends to get their houses registered for places of religious worship. This being done, Mr. Mattock went on a Lord's-day evening, for the first time, to one of the villages, and preached a lecture. The clergyman of the parish, hearing of this "rude intrusion," as he termed it, felt much exasperated, and determined to go and remonstrate against it. As he was going to the house where the service was held, he met, much to his annoyance, several of his parishioners coming from the lecture. In the height of his resentment he addressed first one, and then another, "What, have you been to the conventicle?" "What! have you been to hear the fanatic?" "Are you not ashamed of your conduct?" &c. Soon, however, he arrived at the house; and Mr. Mattock, being apprized of his coming, very politely accosted him, and offered him his chair, begging him to be seated--which genteel request he, with apparent reluctance, condescended to comply with. Being seated, the Rector begins by saying, "So, I find that you have been preaching here." "Yes, sir." "And pray, sir, what right have you to come into my parish, to invade my province? This parish is _mine_, and I am their _lawful_ pastor. I wish therefore to know, by what authority you take this liberty." "Sir," replied Mr. Mattock, "I beg leave to inform you, if you do not already know, that I am qualified according to law as a Dissenting minister, and am therefore authorized to do as I have done." "Aye! who authorized you, sir, to invade my province?" "The legislature, sir, by the Act of Toleration. I do nothing by preaching here, but what is strictly legal." "Well, it is strange to me that the legislature should allow you this liberty." "I hope, sir," said Mr. Mattock, "that you do not find fault with the legislature of your country." "No, no, God forbid that I should; but I still wonder that it should grant you such an indulgence. But, sir, I have another question to ask you; pray what is your object in coming here? what do you propose to yourself in doing it?" "Sir, my only motive is the hope of doing good to my fellow creatures." "Good!" replied the Rector, with a contemptuous sneer: "I don't know what good _you_ can expect to do, for _I_ can do no good upon them. They are a parcel of fools. I can make _a fool_ of the wisest of them, in a quarter of an hour." "Sir," says Mr. Mattock, "you give your neighbours a very bad character; but however, if they are bad as you represent them, they have the more need of instruction, that they may be convinced of their folly, and be made wise unto salvation; and if it pleases God to bless the instructions of his word, it will be so, and my desire will be