LIST OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. THEOLOGY. A Farewell Sermon. By the Rev. C. Cator. The History of the South-Sea Mission, applied to the Encouragement and Instruction of the Church. By the Rev. W. Orme. On Union with Christ. By Sosthenes. 1s. 6d. New Metrical Version of the Psalms. By the Rev. W. Wrangham. 4s. 6d. The Duty of the Christian Minister; a Visitation Sermon. By the Rev. C. Jerram. 1s. 6d. The True Nature of the Church of Rome, and the Duty of the Clergy towards her; a Visitation Sermon. By the Rev. H. F. Lyte. Christian Counsel. By an Old Divine. 1s. 6d. RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. A GENTLEMAN, who not long since visited Tanjore, the interesting scene of the labours of Swartz, the revered missionary of the venerable Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, collected the following gleanings relative to that venerable man. "We came directly to the hospitable dwelling of the Rev. Mr. Kohloff, of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, and were most kindly received. Mr. K., now sixty-six years old, has a colleague, the Rev. Mr. Haubroe, formerly of Vepery; but both are out of health at present. It was with no common emotion that I met the venerable Kohloff, the younger friend and colleague of Swartz, of whom Dr. Buchanan said, Mr. Kohloff is first in piety, in ardour, in meekness, and in knowledge of the Tamul.' I thought myself on classic ground, and especially when afterwards I stood on the granite slab which covers the grave of Swartz. The small chapel in which he was interred is now demolished to erect a larger building; but the rubbish which covered the grave was removed by the kind attentions of Mr. Haubroe, and we were allowed to see where lie the mortal remains of one of the most apostolic of modern missionaries. The inscription, not written, as stated by Buchanan, by the rajah, but by a friend of Mr. Swartz, and submitted to the rajab, is as follows: Sacred to the memory of CHRISTIAN FREDERICK SWARTZ, Missionary to the Honourable Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, London; who died at Tanjore, 13 February, 1798, aged 71 years and four months.' "The monument erected to Swartz, at the expense of the rajah, in the fort church, is of beautiful white marble, handsomely sculptured. The design represents the missionary on his dying bed, a little raised, with Gerické in his clerical robes at the head of the bed, the Bible open in his hand; while the rajah, with two principal attendants near him, stands on the other side, affectionately pressing the hand of the dying saint. Three small European lads also, hanging on each other's necks, stand weeping near the foot of the bed. The whole group is very impressive and affecting. Below is the following inscription: To the memory of the REV. CHRISTIAN FREDERICK SWARTZ. Born in Newmark, in the kingdom of Prussia, the 28th of October, 1726, and died at Tanjore, the 13th February, 1798, in the 72d year of his age. Devoted from his early manhood to the office of Missionary in the East, the similarity of his situation to that of the first preachers of the Gospel, produced in him a peculiar resemblance to the simple sanctity of the Apostolic character. His natural vivacity won the affection, as his unspotted probity and purity of life,alike commanded the reverence of the Christian, Mohammedan, and Hindoo: for sovereign princes, Hindoo and Mohammedan, selected this humble pastor, as the medium of political negotiation with the British government; and the very marble that here records his virtues, was raised by the liberal affection and esteem of the Rajah of Tanjore, Maha Rajah Sie-fo-jee." or "At evening, Mr. Kohloff gave me many particulars of the life and labours of the excellent Swartz. He took Mr. Kohloff from his father, while a boy, and except a few years when he was with Mr. Pohle, at Trichinopoly, Mr. Kohloff was with him until his death; which was eleven years after Mr. Kohloff was dained as his colleague. Mr. Kohloff says he was altogether an uncommon man: his talents and acquirements being all of a high order. His habits were very frugal, and he was remarkably industrious. In the morning, when at home, (for he was often visiting country congregations, and performing other similar labours,) after private devotions, in which he read a chapter or more in the Hebrew Bible or Greek Testament, he walked out till it was time for morning prayers in the chapel. He then gave out a hymn, sung, expounded, and prayed in the Tamul language. Breakfast was then brought in, and he took a little bread and tea. He then heard the reports from the catechists and priests, of the labours of the preceding day, and gave them directions for the one then begun. He afterwards catechised the children of the schools; and then spent an hour or two in answering letters, or attending to any other business on hand. A little after the middle of the day he took a light dinner, often little more than rice and currey, and lay down, to repose himself for half an hour or an hour; frequently reading for a time some interesting book. After rising, he despatched any further necessary business; and then, taking his staff, walked out to visit the native Christians and others, from house to house, taking them in order, and conversing with all according to their circumstances. About sunset he would return to the chapel, and, having a chair placed on the steps, would sit and converse with Christians or heathens, as they happened to gather round, until seven o'clock, when he attended prayers in the chapel, as in the morning. After prayers in the chapel, he collected his boarding children, sons of gentlemen, learning English, heard them read a chapter in the Bible, prayed with them and dismissed them to their supper and their rest. He himself took only a little milk, or buttermilk and rice, (except that before going out he often took a cup of tea,) and with reading, meditation, and prayer, he finished the day. His manner of living was so frugal, and the donations and stipends which he received from the native princes and the gentlemen in the English service so large, that, though he supported from his private purse many branches of the mission, and some connected stations, he died possessed of a handsome property, which he willed to the mission." BISHOP CHASE'S ADDRESS TO THE CONVENTION OF OHIO. With much pleasure we extract the following passages from Bishop Chase's interesting Address to the Ohio Convention. "More than a year has passed since we last convened in this place, as representatives of our scattered churches in Ohio, to consult on the means of building up the kingdom of the Redeemer in this Western world. The same duty now renewedly devolves upon us; namely, to review the past, to contemplate the present, and, in the strength of the Lord, to make provision for the future. "As to the first of these, that of calling ourselves to an account, how we have passed the time since our last Convention, I sincerely hope you can do it more satisfactorily than myself. Instead of cause for boasting, I have need of much forgiveness; yet amidst the consciousness of all my deficiencies and errors, I feel a glow of pardoning mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord, and of gratitude to God for his sustaining hand, which to express would be difficult. The year that is past has been to me like a tempestuous day to a feeble mariner. The clouds have been dark, yet illuminated often by a bright ray of hope from the Sun of Righteousness.Thunders oft have rolled; yet in the voice of anger oft have been mingled the accents of pardon and peace. The waves of a troubled sea have often lifted me up in hope, and again sunk me low in despair, yet God hath as often sustained me, and kept from perishing that fond object of affections, our Diocesan Theological Seminary and Kenyon College. "As to my own labours in this arduous struggle, I need not tell you that they have been to the utmost of my feeble abilities. The day has been consumed in toil; and in the night season sleep has departed from my eyes. Scarcely an hour of leisure either to myself or loved family has been allowed. "Soon after the Convention of last year, the floods of water, such as had not been since the settlement of our country, came on in such quick succession as almost to preclude the possibility of proceeding in the erection of our mills, so absolutely necessary to the success of our designs. Yet by the Divine aid manifesting itself in some signal instances, amounting almost to miracles in our favour, our fine races were dug and our ways cleared, not only for the erection of our saw-mill, the first object of our necessities, but for the completion of our grist mill. So that now not only timbers and boards in abundance are supplied for our extensive buildings, but bread for our college is both earned and prepared. I should do injustice to my feelings, and be very sinful, were I to omit here, in the name of all who are interested in our great institution, both its friends and benefactors, and the millions who will be benefited by it, the expression of gratitude and praise to God who in the hour of extremity never has failed to help us. Our hopes in regard to the advantages of this part of our plan in coming hither with our college, and placing it on our own domain, endowed by the Creator with such great advantages, are more than realized. Such is the perennial nature of our stream, Vernon River, such the height of our water power, and such the central location of our mills in regard to the surrounding settlements, that the whole is judged to be worth annually to our institution more than the interest of twenty thousand dollars.' "It may be easily conceived that there are many debts incurred in erecting our college edifice and other extensive buildings, of great amount; too great, I fear, to be justifiable, but by the immense importance of putting our rooms under cover before the inclemency of another winter. To accomplish this most desirable of all other objects, we have concentrated all our forces, and put forth every effort. The day has seldom dawned, but it has found our numerous labourers and mechanics at their posts; our mills have run both night and day, and our long train of teams of more than fifty cattle and horses, have never ceased their strenuous exertions, in bringing to our lofty hill both stone and timber. The result of these our best endeavours you now behold. Three stories of this our beautiful college (far more beautiful than its semblance in print,) are up, and the fourth is nearly half completed. What remains to be done of this small part of our original design is not so great in itself as it is great in relation to our exhausted strength and treasure. It is like the last pound to him who is already sinking under the weight of his accumulated load. Yet in this, as in all our past extremities, we find relief in looking to Him who controlleth all things. Before the inclement season sets in, I trust the college will be up and covered; and in it we do not despair of eating our Christmas dinner; with what fervency of gratitude to that Being without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy, I shall not attempt to express. "All the buildings, as well on the farms, as in the village, are our own, never to be alienated even by a lease. This is the covenant implied in every subscription we have obtained, insomuch as that, should a future board of trustees ever so far forget their duty and surpass their rights, as to sell, lease, or any otherwise alienate, a foot of the south, or college section of 4000 acres, the heirs of the subscribers will be justified in re-entering on the possessions of their ancestors, and recovering their respective donations with interest. "While on the subject of our college, I cannot forbear to express my unfeigned gratitude that our Heavenly Father hath been pleased to grant and continue to the students of this institution an almost uninterrupted state of health; and, through the power of his grace to preserve their morals. What gives the Christian heart peculiar pleasure in contemplating their characters (as I have done during the past summer) is their philanthropy, in commiserating the destitute and uninformed state of our surrounding country. Schools for the instruction of the ignorant have been instituted all around us, in which, though distant, many of the students find it their duty and their pleasure to appear every Sunday morning, influenced, we trust, by no hope of reward in this world but the joys of a peaceful Christian mind. In this way, without hyperbole, the wilderness is made indeed to bud and blossom like the rose. Already is prejudice, founded on ignorance of the true intent of our institution, beginning to give place to a mild, gentle, and approving spirit." RELIGIOUS NECESSITIES OF THE SPANISH REFUGEES. The following passages are extracted from a recent communication of a Spanish ex-priest, now in London, Don Juan Calderon, to the Continental Society: "I was born at Villafranca-de-los-Caballeros in Spain: my parents were Ro man Catholics, and I was brought up in that religion. I remained under the paternal roof till the age of fifteen, when I embraced, of my own accord, the monastic life, in a convent of Franciscan monks. From that age till I was nineteen, I remained in the convent, and never felt a doubt concerning the religion in which I was brought up, except that I could not bring my mind easily to believe that auricular confession was of Divine institution; nevertheless, so far as external practice went, I conformed to it, seeing it was generally done. I had not long completed my nineteenth year, when I was compelled to leave the convent I was in to enter the army; for, during the war which Napoleon carried on, men in my profession were not exempt. During my abode in the convent I gave up all belief in the utility of monastic practices the study of philosophy had taught me to reason, and I considered them as vain and childish, and in some respects pernicious. The persuasion which I had acquired, that other monks indulged in the same opinion, did not a little contribute to strengthen mine. Far be it from me to impeach their sincerity in regard to this; I merely express my idea upon the subject. During the time that I spent in the army, that is, till I was twenty-four years of age, I gave up all belief in the most essential doctrines of religion; I became contented to be, what is called in the world, an honest man, without caring for any thing else. In this disposition of mind, the war having terminated, I was obliged to resume the monastic life-the law compelling me to do so. I therefore conformed myself anew to that life in every thing that human regulations, which have a regard only to external observances, required. In the mean time, feeling an insatiable desire to know the truth, and considering it no longer on the side of religion, I applied myself to the study of philosophical works; Voltaire, Rousseau, D'Holbach, Dupin, Espinosa, Volney, &c., became my tutors. The result was such as might be expected,when, ignorant of the Gospel of Jesus, one gives oneself up to the di rection of such masters. "At the time that things were thus with me, the Spanish Constitution was published: this event gave rise to more pleasing prospects for the liberty and happiness of the people. The then Government obtained from the Pope a Bull, allowing those of the monks who might wish it, to enter into the secular clergy. I was one of those who availed themselves of this act of grace. I had taken no part in the Revolution; nevertheless I was noticed as a Constitutionalist, be cause, being a professor of philosophy, I was ordered to explain the Constitution to my pupils, which I did with zeal and success. "With regard to my views of religion, they had not altered. The principles of several of the philosophers whom I had studied pleased me: however, I was not easy in my mind. I could not, at last, hide from my own conviction, that as an honest man it was impossible that I should continue to make part of the clergy. But how to get out of it! I was not able to muster courage enough to abandon my country, and every thing else, which must have been done; for the Roman-Catholic religion was exclusively maintained as the religion of the country by the Constitution. I was then compelled to continue in the priesthood, or run the risk of being transported. "The counter-revolution now taking place, and the previously disordered state of things being once more the order of the day, I abstained from appearing in any church, and being then at Madrid, I remained for ten months unknown to all the world, continuing to feel an unconquerable aversion to the taking any further part in ecclesiastical functions. But being no longer able to continue in the place of my concealment, from want of means of subsistence, I took the resolution of going to France, which 1 effected by following a detachment of French troops, which at that time happened to go back to Bayonne, and whose commanding officer became my friend. I arrived at Bayonne without money; and, consequently, without the means of subsistence. f procured, however, from home enough to maintain me a couple of months. But I found soon after in that town a treasure of another kind, which, in a short time, made up for allit was the Gospel. I had the happiness to meet there a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ (Mr. Pyt, whom you employ), and several other pious persons, friends of his. What the world calls chance led my curiosity to repair to the Protestant temple. I received there a favourable impression, but was still far from the Gospel. A few conversations which I held with that minister, led me to a thorough conviction of all the errors of Popery, the most part of which I already acknowledged beforehand. I had thus abandoned those errors, but I had not yet embraced the truth. God, however, in his mercy had purposed to bring me to this important point. "At the frontier, before leaving Spain, I experienced a deep affliction, having been arrested by the Spanish authorities, and exposed to be sent to prison as a malefactor, because I could not prove who I was, nor the place to which I was going. God sanctified this affliction to me; it led me to reflect upon the emp tiness of all philosophical systems to afford the least consolation to a man in trouble, and how wretched it is to live without God in the world. After this I got to Bayonne, void of the Gospel, it is true, but doubtless feeling its need. I wished I could believe it to be true. I applied myself to read it attentively, and to attend to the worship paid to God according to his Word; and by degrees God was pleased in his mercy to bring me to the knowledge of myself as an undone sinner, entirely void of any selfmeans of being restored but through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, who blotted out the debt of all those who attach themselves sincerely to him. I received this cheering news in my heart with all the consequences resulting from it; and since that time, notwithstanding many infidelities, I have given myself up without reserve into the hands of this adorable Saviour, and five years and a half have now rolled on, during which period I have not ceased to thank him, with all sincerity of heart, for the unspeakable benefit conferred upon me. I remained at Bayonne all that time, working, at first, with my own hands to procure a livelihood, and when I had learnt to speak a little French, I began to teach Spanish; and God blessed both these means as fully as I could wish. From Bayonne, God led me here upon private business; and my wish is, if it were possible, to attempt something in a religious point of view for the good of my countrymen who happen to be in this country." "The Peninsula must needs attract the attention of all those who serve in since rity of heart Him who came to seek and to save that which was lost. But how can any easy access be found into that country which seems so well guarded by Satan? To carry the Gospel into Spain openly, is a thing impossible. Constantinople is not more securely shut against light. Notwithstanding, if one has at heart the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom upon earth among the Spaniards, the following means might be attempted. Political events in Spain brought to London a great number of refugees. Jersey affords an asylum to a still greater number. This being the case, we ought to make an attempt at preaching the Gospel in Spanish in one or the other of these places. In order to form an opinion as to the best method to be pursued to accomplish this, it is necessary to know the circumstances in which these Spaniards are placed, and what are their ideas concerning religion, and the things that relate to it. They are a set of men who, one and all, have been ill treated and oppressed, and have suffered persecution, either personal or relative, on account of the counter-revolution; and all this, if we may believe what they say, because of the influence which the clergy possess over the minds of the people. Hence the very name of religion is become terrific to them. Many cannot bear to hear even the name mentioned. They are become, almost to a man, infidels and atheists. No logic is required to convince them of the errors of Popery-they are so already. This conviction, it is true, is not the result of inquiry; but of a deeprooted aversion towards the clergy. Some have gone so far as even to reject the principles of natural religion. They likewise do not believe that a man who has attained to any degree of abstract science, can be sincerely religious. It is not without astonishment that some men of this stamp have heard me declare my sincere attachment to the Gospel, whilst at the same time I gave them proofs that natural sciences were not altogether foreign to me their astonishment, I say, was such as to make them question my sincerity, although they beheld in me a man who had abandoned the Church of Rome, and was compelled to make shoes to earn my daily bread; so that in this respect, a religious man who possesses some knowledge of abstract sciences, who has read and weighed in his mind the writings of Voltaire, of Rousseau, and other infidels of that age, is in their esteem a real prodigy, capable of commanding their attention, and of acquiring an ascendancy over them. "Another deep-rooted prejudice amongst them is, that religion is an enemy to the State and Commonwealth. They ought to be forgiven this; for they know no other religion but that which rules in Spain. If one can succeed in convincing them that the Gospel is the friend of knowledge, and consequently of the commonwealth of nations, an important point with regard to bringing them to listen, has been gained; opportunities afterwards will not be wanting, to shew them that the benefits which accrue from the Gospel among men, are still of greater importance than what relates to the temporal blessings it confers upon nations. In this way God might vouchsafe to me the means of being an instrument in his hand to bring some of them, if not to the full knowledge of the counsel of God in Jesus Christ, at least to entertain more correct ideas of religion and of the Gospel. I would meet with them wherever I could, at home or abroad, introducing myself to them, and endeavouring to gain the friendship of some. Many opportunities would present themselves of bringing the conversation round to religion and the Gospel. Such private meetings would not partake of the character of a church; but might tend to the formation of one, should God be pleased to bless my exertions in the way of conversation. "I can say, that, like those Spaniards of whom I speak, I am a refugee; I was a minister of religion in Spain; I am acquainted with the opinions, prejudices, and manner of thinking, of my country |