contemplate the necessity of any abatement of their very inadequate endeavours for this purpose, without sincere regret. But while with strict economy the annual expense of the Boys' School is 2007., and that of the Infant School 707., the present annual receipts amount only to 1507. Unless, therefore, this deficiency is supplied by additional subscriptions, not only must the Infant School be given up, which is so interesting and beneficial a part of the Establishment, that the Committee would only abandon it in case of necessity and with the greatest reluctance, but other sacrifices may also be⚫ come necessary. They rely, however, that when the strong claims of this Charity to Christian benevolence are more generally known, its objects will not be defeated for want of the funds required to carry it forward.

STATE OF THE POORS RATES.

FROM a table drawn up by the Committee on the Poor Laws in 1818, and ordered to be reprinted in the present session of Parliament, it appears, that the money raised for the poor during 1776, was to that raised for the same purpose in 1815, as 17 to 81; from 1785 to 1803, the rate was in the proportion of 21 to 53; and from 1803 to 1815, in the proportion of 53 to 81. The total number of persons relieved in 1803 and 1815, was as 7 to 9. Thus it appears that the expenditure for the poor had increased four times in 40 years, or had doubled itself in 20 years. The law expenses, of removals, of officers and other parochial charges, had increased in such a rate, as to double itself in a period of every 12 years. The increase of paupers between 1803 and 1815, was nearly one-third, and that of the population of England and Wales between 1776 and 1815, was gradual from 7 and a half millions, to 10,000,000, or about a third. From the abstract of returns made to the Tax-office in 1801, it appears, that the rental of England and Wales was £98,000,000, and the amount of the real property assessed to the property-tax in 1815 was £52,000,000, being an increase of nearly one-half in that period. The rate levied in 1814 for the poor, &c., was 28. 10d. in the pound, and in 1815, 3s. 1d. The population of Great Britain and Wales in 1801, was 10,942,646; in 1811, 12,506,803; and in 1821, 14,391,631.

DISCOVERY OF CALVIN'S MANUSCRIPTS.

EIGHT volumes of Manuscript Sermons of Calvin, the celebrated reformer, had, in some way or other, come into the possession of a woman who deals in second-hand articles at Geaf. They were by chance discovered in her hands in 1825, and purchased for the town library, at so much the pound.

THE REV. JOSEPH FREEMAN

Having resigned his pastoral charge at the Old Meeting House, Kidderminster, has accepted an engagement under the London Missionary Society, on the principle of service for a limited period.

SHOCKING CRUELTY OF SLAVERY.

Ir is said to have been ascertained, from authentic documents, that the captains of slave ships throw into the sea, every year, not fewer than three thousand negroes, men, women, and children; of whom more than one-half are thus sacrificed, while yet alive, either to escape from the visits of cruisers, or because, worn down by their sufferings, they would not be sold to advantage.

A letter has been received at Plymouth, from an officer of His Majesty's ship Aurora, Captain Austen, giving an account of the capture of a Spanish slave schooner, under Dutch colours, attended with most horrible circumstances. It appears that two board the vessel to examine her papers. officers, with a boat's crew, were sent on The captain represented her as a Dutch schooner, laden with sugar, and after searching a considerable time, nothing to the contrary was discovered. Something, however, having occurred to raise their suspicion, one of the officers descended into the hold, and after some search, accidentally perceived the leg of a black man under a curtain, and, on pulling the curtain aside, more than two hundred and forty slaves were found in a state of dreadful starvation! They had been at sea, from the coast of Guinea, forty-seven days; and sixty out of three hundred and odd had died on the passage, together with three others the day after the capture. Only one day's provision was left in the schooner; and, on throwing a yam amongst them, they fought for it like hungry dogs!

THE INFIDEL ABASHED.'

SOME months ago the Rev. James Armstrong preached at Harmony, near the Wabash; when a doctor of that place, a professed deist or infidel, called on his associates to accompany him while he "attacked the Methodists," as he said. At first he asked Mr. Armstrong "If he followed preaching to save souls ?" He answered in the affirmative. He then asked Armstrong "If he ever saw a soul?" "No." "If he ever heard a soul?" "No." "If he ever tasted a soul?" "No." If he ever smelt a soul?" "No." "If he ever felt a soul?" "Yes, thank God," said Armstrong. "Well," said the doctor, "there are four of the five senses against one that there is a soul." Mr. Armstrong then asked the gentleman if he was a doctor of medicine,

and he was also answered in the affirmative. He then asked the doctor "If he ever saw a pain?" "No." "If he ever heard a pain?” "No." "If he ever tasted a pain?" "No." "If he ever smelt a pain ?" "No." "If he ever felt a pain?" "Yes." Mr. Armstrong then said," there are also four senses against one to evidence that there is a pain, and yet, sir, you know that there is pain, and I know there is a soul." The doctor appeared confounded and walked off.-Indiana Gaz.

shaw-street). Introduction, Rev. D. T. Carnson, of Cannon-street; nature of a gospel church, Rev. J. Ely, of Rochdale; designation prayer, Rev. G. Payne, of Blackburn; address to the minister, Rey, W. Roby; exhortation to the people, Rev. Thomas Raffles; devotions, Rev. Messrs. Hodson, Holmes, Edwards, Deakin, and Speak

man.

Oct. 24. Rev. W. AYRE, at Ullesthorpe, Leicestershire. Opening prayer, Rev. E. Webb; introductory discourse and the usual questions, Rev. J. Sibree, of Coventry; ordination prayer, Rev. T. Williams, of. Lutterworth; charge, Rev. J. Jerard, of Coventry; address to the people, Rev. W. Scott, of Rowell. The Gospel was introduced to this village twenty years ago, by the venerable Mr. Grundy, now of Leicester. Nov. 7. Rev. C. H. EVANS, at Hales Owen. First prayer, Rev. E. Davies; nature of a gospel church, and address to the people, Rev. J. A. James; general prayer, Rev. J. Hudson; charge, Rev. T. East; concluding prayer, Rev. J. Mathews.

9. Rev. JOHN GREIG, from the University of Glasgow, and the theological Seminary under the care of Drs. Wardlaw and Ewing, at Mount Zion Chapel, Birmingham. Opening prayer, Rev. J. Sibree; introductory discourse, Rev. J. Hudson; ordination prayer, Rev. J. Cooper; charge, Rev. George Grieg, of Crown Court, London, father of the ordained minister; sermon to the people, Rev. J. Jerard, of Coventry; devotions, Rev. Messrs. Roaf and Pool.

ORDINATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS.

Oct. 17. REV. T. WALLACE, at Grantham, Lincolnshire. Introductory prayer, the Rev. C. Williams; nature of a gospel church, Rev. Mr. Alliot; ordination prayer, Rev. Walter Scott; charge, Rev. T. East; address to the people, Rev. J. Mack; concluding prayer, Rev. Mr. Coles; evening discourse, Rev. T. East.

18. Rev. E. GATELY, at Brigg, Lincolnshire. Commencement of the services, Rev. J. Winterbottom, of Barton; nature of a gospel church, Rev. J. Thonger (Baptist), of Hull; questions and ordination prayer, Rev. T. Rome, of Sutton Ashfield; charge, Rev. J. Bennett, D.D. (Acts vi. 4); sermon to the people, Rev. J. Boden, of Sheffield, (2 Chron. xxxi. 4); concluding prayer, Rev. J. Anderson, of Market-Raison. 19. Rev. R. SLATE, (late of Stand, near Manchester) at Preston, (Grim

CHAPEL OPENED.

October 26, the Independent chapel at Ayton, near Stokesley, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, after having undergone considerable repairs, was re-opened for divine worship, when three sermons were preached ; viz. in the morning and evening, by the Rev. W. Blackburn, of Whitby; and in the afternoon, by the Rev. H. Pemble, of Stockton. It is now more than two hundred years since this place was erected for the worship of God. Who were the first ministers that occupied the pulpit cannot be ascertained. The Rev. W. Hinmers is the present minister; he has been the pastor nearly fourteen years, and preaches Christ unto the people, "as the true God and eternal life.” His immediate predecessor was a Mr. Logan, who was upwards of fifty years minister of the place. There is reason to fear he was far from orthodox. On the death of Mr. L., Mr. H., who had previously supplied the pulpit occasionally, for about five years, was unanimously chosen by the church and

the Gospel, the earth trembled under my feet. I was invited by them to sleep in their houses of stone, but I preferred sleeping in the open air; in the morning, the shocks under the earth were terrific, and the howlings under ground appeared to me like the wailings of lost spirits in hell. The shock lasted about two minutes, and in that short period all the houses, in one of which I had been invited to sleep, and about 60,000 souls, were buried in the bowels of the earth.. The blood gushed from the open spaces, and deluged the ground upon which I stood. This was an awful moment, and I exhorted the few Jews by whom I was surrounded, to bow their knees with me in prayer. Then I went to Ur of the Chaldeans-these were the literal children of Abraham. In the birthplace of Abraham; I was visited by a Rabbi, who saluted me-" Blessed be thou which comest in the name of the Lord." He told me, they had an axiom, that when a wise man came to argue with them, he pushed with his horns; he added, you are a wise man, and I am a wise man, now let us push with our horns." I told him to begin, and to prepare his horns and push; upon which he began a long rhapsody of unmeaning nonsense, and appeared mightily pleased with his performance. When he

had finished, he asked me how I thought he had pushed; I told him what I really thought, "that he had pushed like an ox;" he was pleased with what he considered a compliment, and spoke of me as a man of candour and truth. He then told me to push; in reply to him, I said I had no horns, and taking a New Testament from my pocket, I read to him the passage, "Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world?-hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" &c., and from this passage I preached to him the Gospel of Christ. I preached in the Syrian church with the permission of the Syrian Bishop. The Syrian Christians believe they are descendants of the Jewish converts who were converted by the preaching of the Apostle, St. James, and upon Mount Tor, in Mesopotamia, two hundred thousand of them live independently of the Mahometan authority. They have a custom to go upon a mountain five times every day, to curse Mahomet, his grandfather, grandmother, and his grandchildren, and the Pope, his grandfather, grandmother, and his grandchildren; they speak the old Syriac language; their Bishops are their guides in battle; they have four Patriarchs upon Mount Tor; their Patriarch, Barthom by name, is 130 years of age. I saw there the mountains of Zanjar-whose poor inhabitants are all Yesidi, or worshippers of the devil; they told me they never prayed to God but once a year; they pray in the night to the spirit of darkness. The most awful

of all considerations is, that 150 years ago, the Yesidi, on the mountains of Zanjar, were all Christians, who prayed to Christ as the best of friends; but their Bishops deprived them of the word of God, and taught them human traditions; and when times of tribulation and persecution arose, their Bishops and Priests, and all the inhabitants of Zanjar turned Yesidis, and worshipped the devil, having forgotten the name of the only true God. An old hermit came among them, and warned them, saying, "Ye mountaineers of Zanjar, your Saviour lives, watch!" but the hermit warned them in vain, and now they are most cruel robbers and murderers. In Persia, the Gospel was proclaimed to Jews and Mahomedans, and schools established at Basorah and Bushire; and the Roman Catholic priest permitted me to preach in his church from the text"Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." I showed them distinctly that this text had nothing to do with the Pope of Rome. The name of Henry Mar. tyn is still known in Persia. They told me that I was the successor of Henry Martyn, and as he had never been beaten in Persia, I must take care, for if I was beaten in argu ment, they should consider Henry Martyn as having been beat. They told me that Martyn was a learned man, that he had a good temper, that he lived nigh to God, and that he was a man of God. Martyn! O my glorified brother Martyn! thou hast kindled a light in Persia that shall never go out!" Mr. Wolf then stated, that in the spring, in April, he should return to Jerusalem, and that he hoped to be accompanied by some of the undergraduates of the University in this visit of mercy to his Jewish brethren.

EXTRACTS AND HINTS, ILLUSTRATING THE STATE OF RELIGION ON THE CONTINENT.

NO. VI.

Among the many commendable esta blishments and associations with which our town is distinguished, and by means of which neither spiritual nor bodily necessity, neither agriculture nor trade, neither patriotic nor civic interests, are overlooked, those cer tainly hold the highest rank whose object is the building up of the kingdom of God. The active means for this purpose are especially our Missionary Associations* and Bible Societies and Associations. The former care for that which is personal-the labourers and fellow-helpers; the latter for the material, assisting the oral delivery of the Gospel by

* These Associations are in connexion with the Danish Society, whose operations are principally in Greenland and in the East and West Indies.

the written word of God; for abundant experience has taught, that the progress of the kingdom of God, especially among the heathen and others not Christian, only succeeds in the desired manner when it is not merely urged by the teacher's voice, but the fugitive word is made fast by the bestowment of the Bible itself. May the book of God be universally diffused, universally succeed, and teach all the heathen!-May the Bible, the faithful bearer and preserver of the messages of God, also in our own narrow circle, never fail!-Even where Christianity has been longest established, the soil is un.. congenial, and numberless sorts of bad seeds are thrown into it; so that it can prosper and bear fruit only as it is judiciously followed up, and all and every one have Bibles for themselves, see the light with their own eyes, and, like the Bereans, search the Scriptures daily. It goeth not forth with ostentatious noise. In the calm house of God it is that the Christian, edified by the Divine word, sits in silence, and descends into him.. self; for his heart burned within him while the Lord was speaking. In the still chamber it is that the tears of repentance are shed; when from the councils of infinite grace the eye of the Lord pierces to the secret recess, and by his love and power the violated covenant is renewed. Thus our Bible-Union, comparatively so secret and obscure, is joined to the great whole; a single member, but glorious as belonging to a chain which clasps all humanity, and raises it to God and heaven. The Bible Societies make an epoch in the history of the church: like the heart of the great Shepherd, they set themselves no bounds, they make for their object the wandering sheep of each fold, and to those afar off they reach out the hand as well as to them that are 'nigh, that of all may be one shepherd and one flock."--Seventh Annual Report of the Bible Association at Altstadt.

Zeal with Prudence, Simplicity with Acti

vity, humble and ardent Piety. "With grateful joy to God, who, when it is his good pleasure, gives success to the feeble doings of men, I present to the respected Committee [of the Sleswick Holstein Society] an account of the formation of a Bible Association in the parish of Schwesing. When the Lord called me to this place, a year ago, I proposed to myself the dissemination of the Scriptures as a principal object of my exertions. Yet it appeared to me adviseable to wait a little, that the bond of union between my parishioners and myself might be more closely knit. It also might have seemed unreasonable to call them to further sacrifices in this time of distress. When, however, from the collections on account of the damages by the storm and deluge of Feb. 5tb, I perceived

with joy how ready my beloved parishioners were to contribute to any good object, I had no more fear for the success of my plan. At the close of the last harvest-sermon, I stated, as a probable thing, that the bread of the soul-the word of God, was not so abundant among us as the provision for the body; and recommended an inquiry into our necessities in this respect. I also circulated a number of the Annual Reports of our State Bible Society. The schoolmasters of the parish readily pledged themselves to promote the good cause. On the festival of the Reformation (Nov. 1825), the impressive text, Is. lv. 8-11, gave me a fine opportunity of urging contributions for the noble work of spreading abroad the Holy Bible. In the afternoon I sent, by the schoolmasters, a short Address to every house, requesting them also to take down the names of such as were willing to subscribe. My expectations were not disappointed. The touched string returned a sweet tone. The number of subscribers was above 300, which is not little in a parish of 1000 souls. A considerable part of the contributions (coming from house and farmservants, and day-labourers, and even many who receive the public alms,) was made up of very small gifts, one to four schillings.† But these were as welcome to us as larger sums, for they were at least equal demonstrations of a willing mind in proportion to the ability. A poor widow was asked if she would give any thing towards the spreading abroad of the Bible. With regret evidently sincere, she intimated that her whole stock of money was one schilling and one dreyling [about 9d.] On the reply, that she might with reason be excused, she rejoined that she was only grieved that she had no more to offer, but she hoped that this, which she gave with joy, would be accepted. Such gifts as this will bring a blessing upon our Association! The whole amounted to nearly 40 rix-dollars, of which about one-third was in annual subscriptions."- Rev. J. A. Thom