as religious teachers and preachers, UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. It belongs to the Presbytery, and it is the first part of their duty that will attract their attention, to lay down the qualifications, literary and theological, which they will require from the Native youth, aspiring to this situation. In doing this, the assistance of the gentlemen of the Mission will be invaluable; while in the general composition of the Presbyterial body, the public will have the strongest guarantee, that can be desired, that the greatest care will be taken, that neither the character nor the cause of Christianity be endangered by a rash and indiscriminate admission into its ministry, even in the subordinate departments as yet contemplated of Catechists and Preachers. The Assembly's Institution will furnish the means of reaching the Literary and Theological attainments required; and a previous attendance on the Lectures in that Seminary, for such a term as may be laid down, will be an indispensable requisite to appearance before the Presbytery. Of the amount of qualifications received at the Institution, the Presbytery will, of course, be the sole and ultimate judges: and where a Native teacher or preacher shall appear, either in life or doctrine, to act in a manner unbecoming his character and office, the Presbytery are authorized by the Assembly to deprive him of his license, and station in the Church, without reference or appeal to the superior judicatories.

It is also, however, within the scope of the Assembly's Mission, to admit into the higher or Central Institution Native youth from the Seminaries under the superintendence of all other Christians, labouring along with the Church of Scotland, in diffusing the blessings of Education over India. Such youth, when once instructed, may also of course, be sent forth in the capacity of teachers and religious instructors of their country

men UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE AND AUTHORITY OF THE RELIGIOUS DENO

MINATIONS TO WHICH THEY ADHERE. As they will not belong to the Church of Scotland, they can in no way be subject to her authority, or come under that of the Presbytery of Calcutta. All that will be required of them, will be a strict conformity with such rules as may, from time to time, be laid down for admission into the Higher or Central Institution of the Scotch College, by the Committee of the Assembly's Mission at home, or the agents acting under their authority in this country ;-and in return for the instruction afforded at the Assembly's Institution, it will, of course, be expected, that the bodies desirous of obtaining its benefits for their own educated youth, will contribute as far as possible to the funds of the Mission.

The funds, appropriated to the support of the General Assembly's Mission, had their origin in a public subscription made at Calcutta, under superintendence of the Kirk Session of St. Andrew's Church, simultaneously with collections made over the different parishes in Scotland, at the recom mendation of the General Assembly. Many individuals, both at home and in this country, who take an interest in the diffusion of Christian Knowledge, contributed, and still continue to contribute annually to these funds; and from these sources alone has the Institution hitherto been maintained. They have heretofore been able to sustain it on a highly respectable and efficient footing; but as the sphere of its utility is every day extending, it is obvious, that a corresponding extension of public benevolence will be demanded, and we doubt not, will be cheerfully afforded.

In conclusion, our readers will perceive from the statement now given, that so far as the great body of scholars now under tuition at the General Assembly's School are concerned, the Presbyterial body, at length erected here, is invested with no right or power of interference. The system of General Native Education remains precisely on the same footing on which

it now stands, and which has given so much satisfaction to that part of the Native population, who have patronized it. The powers and duties of the Presbytery commence, when any Native Youth are found, convinced of, and converted to the faith of Christianity, and desirous of being themselves instruments in diffusing its knowledge among their countrymen, UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. These are invited to apply to the Presbytery of Calcutta ; and they must come to it, as we have seen, accompanied by such knowledge of the evidences and doctrines of Christianity-such proofs of the sincerity of their faith-such testimonials of their general good conduct, and such evidence of their attainments in the prescribed branches of study, as may, in the opinion of the Presbytery, qualify them for the office to which they aspire. No tests or qualifications now unknown are required from Native youth, on entering the Assembly's Institution, and proceeding to the highest class of advantages which it holds out. And it is also most important to observe, that no obstacles are thrown in the way of educated Native youth becoming instructors of their countrymen, in the same knowledge they have themselves acquired, without reference to any profession or belief in the doctrines of Christianity. The distinction between this class of Native educated youth, and that with which the Presbytery are concerned, must therefore be kept in view. The latter class will alone go forth as religious teachers and instructors, UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND: but where teachers unac... companied by this guarantee for their character and qualifications are demanded, the Assembly's Mission will furnish them, as is now its aim, trusting, that by the blessing of God, the obstacles that still stand in the way of an open and avowed reception of Christianity, as the basis of all Native Education, will be more and more removed.

III.-Theology and Natural Science, or a Review of Bretschneider's "Letter to a Statesman."

To the Editors of the Calcutta Christian Observer.

DEAR GENTLEMEN,

Every well informed person, I conceive, must by this time have come to the conclusion, that, as it regards the whole of Europe, the sun of Atheism has set never to rise again. The evident marks of design and adaptation to future circumstances which the increasing light of science has shewn to be discoverable in every object around us, furnish daily with additional and most powerful weapons the enemies of Atheism as a matter of belief; while not merely its inability to ameliorate the condition of man, but its direct tendency to debase and brutalize him, as evidenced by the awful scenes of the first French revolution, have fully condemned it as matter of experiment.

Men, however, by nature dislikes intimacy with God, and, if constrained to admit that He governs the world, foolishly and wickedly desires, that this government should be as lax as possible. Many, therefore, who have been driven from Atheism, have taken refuge in Deism-a system, it must be allowed, far more plausible, but lamentably inadequate to afford true peace to the

conscience, or elevated direction to the conduct. To such sentiments the dicoveries of modern science have been by many supposed to give considerable countenance; and it has not unfrequently been asserted, that if Nature is interrogated, she must pronounce against the Scriptures as a revelation from her Great Author. A paper, intended to satisfy your readers that it is just the contrary, that the believer of the Bible has nothing to fear from Science; that she only illuminates the Scriptures by her interesting discoveries, and strengthens them by her well-established facts, has long appeared to my mind very desirable; and I had lately proposed to myself to attempt something of the kind, when I received from North America a recent number of the "Theological and Literary Review," and discovered in it the following article, which I conceive is admirably adapted to the purpose, and renders any further remarks on the subject from my pen quite unnecessary.

In order that I might not intrude too much on the space which is so well occupied by your original communications, I have omitted considerable portions of the review, as well as of the introductory remarks of the journal referred to; and, through the kind aid of a friend acquainted with German, have, in a few sentences, been enabled to make the version of what remains more conformable to a recent edition of the original work. As it is, I earnestly recommend it to the candid and prayerful perusal of every intelligent reader of your valuable publication.

Calcutta, Nov. 19th, 1834.

I remain,

Dear Gentlemen,
Your's faithfully,

ВЕТА.

"The following article is taken from the "Evangelical Church Journal," published at Berlin, under the direction of Dr. Hengstenberg. It was written principally in reference to Bretschneider's first "Letter to a Statesman," which has excited much attention in Germany, and has been regarded at the most able of the innumerable statements and vindications of modern German Rationalism, which have been called forth by the attack lately made upon it in the Journal from which this article is extracted. In this letter Bretschneider takes the ground, that there must be some compromise between the antiquated doctrines of theology, and the results of modern scientific pursuits. To effect this compromise he regards as the office of Rationalism. "Rationalism," according to him, " designs to restore the interrupted harmony between theology and human sciences, and is the necessary product of the scientific cultivation of modern times." He goes on to specify instances of disagreement between the established articles of the Christian faith, and the latest results in the various departments of natural philosophy. Selecting uniformly those results which militate against the Bible, rather than those which agree with it, and presuming these results to be infallibly true, (though they are notoriously hypothetical,) he arrives at his conclusion, that the doctrines of theology must be so modified as to agree with the progress of science or fall into contempt.

"In a full refutation of Rationalism, as thus explained, it would be necessary to show that Revelation is an independent source of knowledge, and not merely co-ordinate with nature, but superior to it; so that its truths, instead of being liable to modification from any alleged discoveries in nature, are rather the standard by which the truth of the latter should be tested. It is indeed to be presumed, that Revelation and Nature, when rightly understood, never really clash, having God for

their common Author. But in case of an apparent discrepancy, it is certainly wrong to make Nature, which is lower, the measure and criterion of Revelation, which is higher, and more immediately and directly from God. But the writer of the following article descends from this vantage ground, on which the theologian is entitled to stand, and meets and conquers infidelity on its own level. Saying nothing of the right, which might so easily be vindicated to the theologian, of at once condemning as false any doctrines of natural science, however confirmed, which should conflict with the positive doctrines of Revelation, he shows that there are no well established results of scientific investigation, which do thus conflict with the Bible, and that the highest oracles of the sciences themselves have pronounced in favour of the doctrines of Revelation, and in opposition to the hypotheses of an infidel philosophy. This article is not one of great pretensions. Its chief merit consists in a sprightly and popular style, and in the ample testimonies it adduces from the highest scientific authorities, in favour of the doctrines of Revelation.

"Dr. Bretschneider has of late entered into alliance with natural science, in opposition to theology, which is entrusted to him. In his "Letter to a Statesman," he mentions distinctly the particular points upon which he builds his argument. His attacks being direct, admit of a definite rejoinder. He says, "The experimental sciences of every kind, have had a more sensible and disturbing action upon the old theological system than even speculative philosophy." Among these sciences he enumerates," The whole knowledge of nature,-geology, geography, ethnology, astronomy.' He then proceeds to mention several of the most important doctrines and facts of scripture, against which these sciences have come out, either in direct or indirect opposition. We shall now proceed to examine more closely the attacks made upon the Bible by geology, astronomy, and anthropology, as founded upon our acquaintance with different nations."

I. GEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE.

"Geology," according to Dr. Bretschneider, " can no longer succeed in reconciling the Mosaic account of the Creation, with the revolutions which our globe has experienced. It teaches, without inquiring how the theolo gian can extricate himself in this matter, that the earth has passed through many great epochs of formation, of indefinite, but long, duration, and that the first creations upon it afterwards perished." If the Bible speaks of a flood, which was universal, and covered all the mountains of the earth, "this is now known to be mathematically impossible, since we have become acquainted with the entire globe, and understand the laws by which the swelling of the sea is governed."

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To begin with the last point, we wish to know who has shown, or is able to show, this mathematical impossibility? A late distinguished geologist* says, "We have attempted to penetrate as far as possible beneath face into the interior of the earth. But if we compare the dept we have actually penetrated, with the real diameter of the ea seen, that we have scarcely broken the surface, and that the sci.... needle on the varnish of one of our common terrestrial globes, is proportionally much deeper, than the deepest perforations with which we have ever penetrated into the interior of the earth." If now at the time of the flood, there was not only a rain of forty days upon the earth, but all the "fountains of the great deep were broken up," is it a mathematical impossibility, that a gush of water, from the interior of this monstrous ball, should cover the mountains, which, in comparison with the diameter of the earth, are exceedingly diminutive? The production of water in the dropsy, and other diseases, would seem to be far more mathematically impossible; and yet the fact is plaint; equally certain must the fact of a former flood, overflowing

* Brogniart.

The great physician, Peter Frank, mentions a girl, who had taken during 24 hours, only 7 lbs. weight of fluids, and yet in the same time produced 36 lbs. of water. The fluids produced were, therefore, 29 lbs. more than those received. We may therefore consider these 29 lbs. of water in one day as equal to the fourth part of the whole weight of the girl, assuming her weight to have been 116 lbs. as such persons are usually lean. The cubic contents of the waters of the deluge, s height

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the mountains, appear to the naturalist, (even independently of the Bible, and of the traditions of many ancient nations agreeing with it,) when he finds millions of sea-shells upon the highest mountain tops,-when he knows that the avalanches in the Himalaya mountains in Central Asia have brought down skeletons of horses from an elevation of 16,000 feet, from summits which no man, not to say beast, is now able to reach. And how many facts are there of a similar nature to these!

In many cases, it would be better if men would not put on so much the appearance of knowing to a very hair what is possible, and what is impossible in the universe. Some forty years ago, when a learned man read in Livy, that it had rained stones; or heard that in the church at Eusisheim, a stone was shown, which, judging from its inscription, had fallen from heaven; he would shrug his shoulders at the honest credulity of our worthy ancestors in believing something mathematically impossible. But, after it had repeatedly rained stones in our own day, the Academicians were obliged to allow, that what they had so long regarded as mathematically impossible, had actually taken place, and the raining of stones was then put down as a fact in natural history. Many of them now assume the air of understanding the process of the thing from the very bottom, and shrug their shoulders at the honest peasant who cannot understand the thing as they do, and who expresses modest doubts at their explanations. Thus it goes in the world.

Geology now, according to Bretschneider, can no longer assent to the Mosaic account of the creation, and professes this, unconcerned how theologians may proceed in the matter. The theologian too, might take his stand upon the book of Genesis, unconcerned how the geologist could reconcile himself with this. Such, however, is not the opinion of Dr. Bretschneider. He says, (p. 77,)" That the theologian can refute the sciences which depend upon experience, and are independent of theological principles, appears of itself to be impossible, and the attempt, should it be actually made, must be wholly fruitless." Should there be a collision, therefore, between the Bible and-mark well-not nature, but natural philosophers, Dr. Bretschneider would not hesitate a moment to declare himself against the Bible, and in favour of the infallible philosophers,— proving himself decidedly unbelieving as to the Bible, and superstitiously confident in natural philosophy, as if it had never erred. But how often has philosophy erred, and how often does it still err every day!

Let us consider now more particularly, the alleged collision between Genesis and geology. The geologist has to do especially with the present, with the mountains and what concerns them, as they are spread out before his eyes. From the observation of that which now is, he refers back to the manner in which it has become thus; and here his fancy, which naturally plays a principal part in this calling up of the past, often seduces him to an unbridled deduction of consequences. A small, a very small part of the solid land has been explored with any tolerable accuracy. The bottom of the sea, which covers two-thirds of the surface of the earth, is wholly unknown. How trifling are the depths below the earth's crust into which we have penetrated, we have already seen by the comparison of the scratch in the varnish of the globe. Since then, the amount of our knowledge of the present surface of the earth is so small, the merest tyro might hence conclude,

being taken, according to Moses, at about 5 miles, would not have amounted to more than the 160th part of the cubic contents of our globe. And this mass of water was produced in no less than 40 days. I mention this merely to compare the quantitive relation of the organic production of water with that during the deluge, without wishing to draw a further analogy between the two cases. However, there are innumerable things in heaven above and on earth beneath, confessedly too high for the comprehension of our scholastic wisdom.