of God, by labours "in season and are undertaking to meliorate the con out of season." And God is crown-dition of their brethren. Holland, even ing with success, the labours of their pious hands. From a letter written by Professor Tholuch, dated Berlin, November last, it appears that an unusual attention to the Christian religion had been excited among the Jews of Prussia. The labours of the Missionaries to them had been greatly blessed. Many professed to believe in Jesus the Messiah. At Posen, fifteen young men have given notice of their design to embrace Christianity. In Strezelno, all the Jews signed a paper, expressing their desires that the Christian Missionaries should preach to them in their own Synagogue.The Missionaries accordingly did preach the Gospel to them in the Synagogue. perhaps in preference to England, seems to be the favourite residence of the Jews. Their privileges are both numerous and great in that country. M. Van Hemert's pamphlet is designed to exhibit the result of the proceedings of the leading Hebrews, in their praiseworthy efforts to raise the character of their brethren in society; and to meliorate their general condition. This book is spoken of in very high terms by the London Monthly Review. Death of Missionaries.-The lamented Missionary to Palestine, the Rev. Pliny Fisk, died at Bayroot, in Syria, on October 23d, 1825. He had made great progress in acquiring the Arabic, modern Greek, İtalian, and other languages. And when to all human appearance, he was about to be eminently useful, his Master called him away from the harvest of souls-to his reward in Heaven. Last autumn also, the Rev. Edward Frost, Missionary of the American Board to Bombay, East Indies, was taken away by consumption. Some time ago a distinguished person in the South of France, abjured Catholic principles, and united himself to the Protestant Church. In a paper written with great force and eloquence, he assigned his reasons. The publication of this paper was forbidden by the French governThe effect of this prohibition was unquestionably a great demand Great fears are entertained for the for it, and an invincible curiosity to safety of the Baptist Missionaries to see and read it. Since that event, the Burmese. Mr. Judson had been it is announced on good authority, in close confinement, and was treatthat "upwards of five hundred Cath-ed as an English prisoner. Mrs. Judolics at Lyons, in France, have re- son was allowed to visit him, and cently abjured Popery, and have minister to his severe afflictions.embraced the Protestant faith." ment. M. Paul Van Hemert of Amsterdam, Holland, has lately published a Pamphlet of 40 pp. octavo, on the state of the Jews in the 19th century. The Hebrew tribes have among them men of talents, and men of prodigious wealth. These command respect in all countries where they to reside-except in the Russian dominions, and the Papal territories; in which, especially the last, they are held in abject debase ment. These leaders of the Hebrew tribes During the armistice, the prisoners were allowed some enlargement. They were placed in a garden. But since hostilities were renewed, they were ordered into the closest confinement by the inhuman king; and were in a state of great suffering for want of food and clothes. A society was lately formed in Boston, entitled "The American Society, for the promotion of temperance." The two following resolutions will convey some idea of its intentions: 1. That it is expedient that more systematic and more vigorous efforts be made by the Christian public to restrain and prevent the intemperate use of intoxicating liquors. 2. That an individual of acknowledged talents, piety, industry and sound judgment, should be selected and employed as a permanent agent, to spend his time and use his best exertions, for the suppression and prevention of the intemperate use of intoxicating liquors. suffices: such is the fertility of Europe, its industry, and the perfection of machinery.-Eng. paper. - The Pope and the Jews.-The Pope has lately issued an edict, of which the following is an extract:"In order the better to spread the light of the Gospel amongst the Israelites, the measures taken during the time of Pope Clement VII. to compel Jews to attend Catholic Mendicity in the Netherlands.-Ac- sermons, and which only were incording to a report presented to the terrupted by the recent political government in 1814, there were then events to which Italy has been a nearly 700,000 paupers living scat-prey, are re-established from the tered about, which, in a population of 5,500,000, is more than 12,100ths, or 1 in 3. At the end of 1823, there were, moreover, 34,000 paupers, between 700 and 800 poorhouses, at the charge of the government, and 42 workhouses, in which more than 7,000 are employed; but the system of colonization has succeeded so well that very soon there will be no more occasion for these workhouses. There are already ten colonies, (we believe they have been planted on the waste lands which are found in the Netherlands,) of which eight are in the Northern Provinces, and two in the Southern. They contain 600 houses, and between 4,000 and 5,000 persons, who have already brought a great deal of land under cultivation. In general these colonies have succeeded beyond expectation; they have both schools and churches, and present an appearance of contentment. The number of poor in the Netherlands leads to a remarkable conclusion. If among 100 individuals there are 12 paupers, the latter must be nourished by the remaining 88. But of these, not above 45 will be males: but supposing some of the females work, we must still deduct the children and the aged. But we must also deduct the members of the administration, with all the subalterns of government, the military, the clergy, &c. whence we may conjecture, that in 100 persons there are not 22 who work, and whose labour date of 1st of March last." The edict afterwards orders "three hundred Jews to attend sermon every Saturday evening. Each time when the Jew misses a sermon when it is his turn to attend, he shall pay a fine of five paoli; no excuse will be admitted; if the oldest Jews do not denounce the defaulters, they shall be fined thirty scudi. The Christians who insult the Jews when they are at Church, shall incur a penalty according as the circumstances are more or less aggravated.”—Amer. Jour. BRUSSELS, Feb. 20.-In the Reformed Church at Zalle Bommel, on the 5th of this month, eleven converted Jews, after having declared their belief in the Christian religion, received the communion for the first time; and the children belonging to them were baptized at the same time. Urgent call for Ministers at home.The following is an extract from "Wants of the South".-New-York Obserser. But if Ministers cannot be obtained from the North, how is the South to be supplied? Our territory is broader and our demand greater than many imagine. It embraces North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louissiana, Florida, and Arkansas Territory. Here is a fertile and extensive country, and many parts of it, particularly to the south and west of Georgia, are almost entirely destitute of the Gospel ministry. Florida, The Edinburgh Scotsman, has devoted a column and a half to a concise statistical view of the City of New-York. We quote the following paragraph, which follows an enumeration of our Churches: "Thus New-York, with its Alabama, and the states farther west, | dia,) in January, 1825, was fifty-four, are rapidly filling up with a popula- viz. ten native Hindoos, of whom tion whose prospects are gloomy in-eight are Brahmuns,-one Mussuldeed. There is hardly the most dis-man, three Garrow youths, and forty tant prospect, with all the diligence native Christians. and energy that can be hoped from Christian benevolence, that these states will be supplied with religious instruction till they become old in ignorance and wickedness. Wealth they will obtain, and with it a love of forbidden pleasures, and a disrelish of the Bible with all its sacred princi- 150,000 inhabitants has 100 Churchples, institutions, and practices.-es, which have been built, and proviThat this will be their character ded with Preachers, without taking a without a Gospel ministry, may be foreseen with as much certainty as we foresee the increase of our country's wealth and population. O, there is a prospect before the opulent sons of our most southern borders, which makes the good man weep and pray in secret places! But something can and must be done. Ministers can be obtained. There are pious young men in the South to be educated, if we had a suitable Institution. single shilling by compulsion from The Paris Bible Society, we are happy to learn, experiences every year an increase in the number of its Auxiliaries, and consequently in its pecuniary resources. By the acces-tions. sion of 23 new Auxiliary and Branch Societies, during the past year, the total number has been augmented to 96, and the formation of several more is in contemplation. These are happy indications of an increasing interest for religion.-Rel. Chron. By the Missionary Chronicle for March, just received, we learn that another Madagascar youth, in England, was publicly baptized, at his own request, on the 8th of February, and has since been admitted as a member of the Church. He was expected to embark for his native land, in the month of March, in company with a Missionary and several artizans, with their wives. The number of Students in the Baptist College at Serampore, (In Let the beneficed Parsons in this country, who affect to mourn over the state of Religion in America, take these facts home for rumination. Let them explain if they can, how the spontaneous zeal of the people in New-York has provided a much more ample supply of religious instruction, than exists in our own large towns with all the aids of an establishment, and parliamentary grant to boot. It is pure sophistry to talk of the small number of Churches in the country parts of America.Where ten millions of people are scattered over a space six times as large as the British Isles, Churches cannot stand so thick as they do in England." China.-Extract of a letter from the frontiers of China, printed in the Asiatic Courier at St. Petersburgh. The Russian Mission enjoys perfect tranquillity, and the countenance of the Chinese Government. It is proposed by them to build a Chapel in which Divine service may be performed in the Chinese language; and a translation of the Christian faith for that purpose. The Students who accompany the Mission, have made great progress in the acquisition of the Chinese and Manjora tongues. Literary and Philosophical Notices. A Discovery--Mons. Mai has re- twenty: in the University of Marycently discovered ample extracts land, seventy-five: in the Kentucky from Polybius, Diodorus, Diocas- University, fifty-five: in the South sius, Daseppus, Ennasius, Menan- Carolina College, twenty-six. We der the historian, and Persius, pre- congratulate the sick on this liberal served in those hitherto lost volumes addition to the number of the enlightof Constantinus Porphyrogenitus, ed ministers of health! of which he found large remnants in the Vatican Library. "The extracts from Polybius, contain the details of the destruction of the Acheans and Corinth; those from Diodorus appear to give a circumstantial narration of the beginning, at least of the social war. The contents of the latter historians are quite new." These works will be published at Rome.-Boston Rec. and Tel. A patent was taken out in England, last June, for the discovery of new materials from which paper is manufactured, viz. from pine shavings alone. A late Boston Palladium contains a statement from a correspondent, in which he declares that he saw the different specimens now in his possession, actually made out of pine shavings. He has specimens of brown wrapping paper, and also unbleached and bleached writing paper of these materials. The texture, he asserts, is firmer than that fabricated from rags.. A new kind of spectacles for persons who are very short sighted; and for those who have been couched for the cataract, has been invented by M. Chevalier. By this kind of spectacles, those to whom Providence had nearly denied the power of vision, seem to recover almost perfect sight. : The Sponge.-Dr. Grant of Edinburgh has lately communicated to the Wernerican Society, the result of his researches into the vital functions of the sponge. He has shown that when living on its rock, it performs the functions of vitality that there is a constant flow of water from the interior of the body, through the round apertures on its surface: that the water never enters by these apertures: that these streams carry off the excrementitious matter, which is deposited on the bottom of a confined vessel: that ova, of an opaque yellow colour are ejected by it; and that, in short, the sponge is actually Medical Graduates.-At the public a marine animal, and not a vegetable Commencement in the University of as it has hitherto been generally bePennsylvania, one hundred and four-lieved to be. teen young gentlemen were admitted Dr. Carey the distinguished and to the degree of Doctor in Medicine in New-York Medical College, thirty-four were admitted: in the new Jefferson College of Philadelphia, : learned Baptist Missionary, in the East Indies, has completed his Dictionary of the Bengalee language. It forms one large quarto of 2160 pa ges. This indefatigable Missiona- May God preserve the life of this ry was employed on it ten years.- eminently useful man! Sketch of Public Affairs. GREAT BRITAIN.-By the British | hands of wealthy and numerous pro ship Marmion, London dates to the 20th of March, and Liverpool to the 22d, have been received. The Parliament was opened on February 2d, by commission. The King probably having been indisposed, (since that he has been dangerously ill.) The chief topic of the royal speech is the pecuniary embarrassments of Britain. These are stated "not to have arisen from any political events at home or abroad; or from any unexpected demands upon the public resources; or from the apprehension of interany ruption to the general tranquillity." "Some of the causes of this evil lie without the reach of direct parliamentary interposition." "To a certain portion of this evil, corrective at least, if not effectual remedies may be applied; and his Majesty relies on the wisdom of Parliament, to devise such measures as may tend to protect both private and public interests against the like sudden and violent fluctuations, by placing on a more firm foundation, the currency and circulating credit of the country." To effect this, the government has recommended the suppression of all bank notes under 5l.; and instead of small notes, they recommend a metallic currency throughout the Kingdoms. And instead of fixing the number of partners in country banks, at the rate of Mr. Peel is making an attempt in five in each, (as the charter of the Parliament, to get the statute laws Bank of England did hitherto re- relative to theft, consolidated and quire,) measures are taken to secure amended-that is, rendered less santhe credit of the country banking in-guinary. From all quarters of the stitutions, by placing them in the kingdom petitions were pouring in, prietors. The extent of sufferings from the failure of these banks alone, may be conceived in some measure, from the fact, that within the last ten years no less than 158 country banks in England alone have become bankrupt. The pressure of distress is yet considerable-but it is gradually decreasing. In an able discourse of Mr. Irvine of London, (extracts of which are copied in the Religious Chronicle of New-York,) we find that popular preacher telling the people, 66 we have for the last century been a mammon-worshipping people; idolaters of political wisdom, national wealth, and commercial prosperity. For a thousand other misdeeds of this people, the Lord is certainly very wroth with us....." In the Parliament it has been determined by very great majorities, to persist in the principles of free trade which the present ministry have firmly adopted. On February 18, the Chancellor of the Exchequer "proved by evidence which cannot be disputed, that within the last three years, taxes amounting to eight millions sterling annually had been remitted; and that during the last ten years, taxes had been repealed amounting to twentyseven millions per annum, forming nearly one half of the whole burden which now presses on the nation. |