Bible of Cardinal Ximenes was sold to Mr. Payne for 5251. In addition to its adventitious value as having belonged to the cardinal, it is remarkably beautiful for its vellum and printing.

A recent report of the commissioners of revenue states, that the daily business of the General Post-office in London, comprises 35,000 letters received, and 40,000 sent, making 23,000,000 letters annually. The numbers of newspapers daily, is from 25,000 to 500,000. The revenue is 300,000l. per annum, of which there have been only 2007. lost in a quarter of a century.

The inhabitants of Swaffham have cleared their town of vagrant beggars, by withholding pecuniary relief in such cases from the parish funds, and urging the inhabitants to give them, instead of money, a ticket to the overseers, to inquire into their case. A book is stated to have been taken from a vagrant in that neighbourhood, in which were found entries of donations amounting to 1881., collected by him in less than half a year. The Christian must not be led by such statements to shut his heart or close his hand rather let him open both more widely, after the pattern of his Divine Exemplar; but he should also remember that his substance is a talent to be laid out to the best advantage, and to be strictly accounted for, and not to be squandered in indolent in. discriminate doles, to clamorous impostors, instead of being carefully bestowed after due investigation on those who really need the aid of Christian charity.

The projected Clerical Provident Society to which we lately alluded, has been formed under the auspices of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and a most respectable body of prelates, noblemen, and other well-known friends of the Established Church. The objects of the society are to assist the poorer clergy in illness and old age, and their families at their death. It grants life insurances not exceeding 500.; the terms for which are much the same as at the insurance offices. It also offers a small annuity for the remainder of his life, to a clergyman upon his attaining the age of sixty-five or seventy years; the terms for which are

calculated upon the average scale of mortality. It also insures a sum of money to the child of a clergyman on his attaining the age of fourteen or twenty-one years. But the peculiar feature of the institution is, that it offers assistance to a clergyman in sickness, to the extent of the usual emoluments of a curacy, on his paying a specific sum, or an annual premium according to his age, regulated by Mr. Beecher's calculation of the average of health and sickness. The utility of such an institution has been often urged upon the members of the clerical body, and we shall rejoice to learn that it has been found as efficient as its conductors anticipate. It is as yet, as regards some of its features, an untried experiment; the average law of sickness not having hitherto been determined in the case of the clergy as in the case of the labouring classes, whose numbers are much larger, and whose habits are more alike.

FRANCE.

A late Number of the Archives du Christianisme gives, with much eulogy, a translation of the substance of the papers in our last volume on the Causes of Want of Success in the Ministry of the Church of England, many of which the conductors of the Archives consider apply with even more force to the Protestant church in France. We fear they apply too much to all Christian churches. conductors of the Archives, however, elsewhere state, that so frequent are the instances of true conversion to God in France in the present day, that they should find it difficult to reckon up those which have occured even in the circle of their own connexion."

The

The Society for Elementary Instruction was formed in the year 1814; it has been patronized or discountenanced by the successive administrations which have succeeded each other, according to their respective political and ecclesiastical views. The ultra-royalists had nearly at one time extinguished it; but so greatly has it of late revived, that it had this year tripled its number of members: it corresponds with nearly three hundred schools and twenty-two local societies.

THEOLOGY.

Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience. By the Rev. T. Brock.

Discourses on the Farables. By the Rev. J. Knight. 12s.

The Christian Peace-Offering. By the Hon. and Rev. A. P. Percival. The Meditations of Isaac. By the Rev. E. Scobell.

The German Pulpit. 10s. 6d.

Sermons. By the Rev. R. Burrowes, Dean of Cork. 12s.

The Apocrypha of the Book of Daniel, translated from the Latin Vulgate. By L. Howard.

Scripture Evidence for Christ's speedy return in Glory on Earth. By J. A. Begg. 2s.

The "Morning Repast," or Texts of Scripture for daily Use, with Meditations and Hymns. By a Lady. 1s. 6d.

A Manual of Prayers and Family Devotions for the Religious Cottager.

The Christian Minister. 2s. 6d. The Infant Christian's First Catechism. By a Lady. 3d.

The Nature and Duration of the Papal Apostasy. By the Rev. R. Vaughan. 2s. 6d.

The Alpenstock, or Sketches of Swiss Scenery. By C. J. Latrobe. 12s.

Family Library. Vol. V. History of the Jews. Part I. 5s.

Polynesian Researches during a Residence of nearly Six Years in the SouthSea Islands. By W. Ellis.

Memoir of Mrs. B. Ewing. 3s. 6d. The Complete Emancipation of the Vaudois.

Repentance, and other Poems. By M. A. Browne.

Gideon, and other Poems. 3s. 6d. Mythra in the Central World. By a Layman.

The Female Servant's Adviser. 3s. A Brief Memoir of a Clergyman's Daughter. 4d.

An Introduction to Botany. By T. Castle. 10s.

ADDRESS OF THE SOCIETY OF

FRIENDS.

We noticed in our last Number the Yearly Epistle of the Society of Friends; and we now feel much pleasure in bringing before the attention of our readers another important document issued by the society's last yearly meeting, held in London, in reference to a secession from the society in America, by persons who have embrac ed sentiments in many respects similar to those of the Unitarians. By this document, the society in England disclaim any union or connexion with such seceders, or their doctrines. The following is a reprint of the document, which is couched almost wholly in Scripture language.

"In order to prevent any misapprehension as to our views, we feel ourselves called upon, at this time, to avow our belief in the inspiration and divine authority of the Old and New Testament.

"We further believe, that the promise made after the transgression of our first parents, in the consequences of whose fall all the posterity of Adam are involved, that the Seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent; and the declaration unto Abraham, In thy Seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,' had a direct reference to the coming in the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ. To Him, also, did the Prophet Isaiah bear testimony,

when he declared, Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace: of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.' And again, the same prophet spoke of him when he said,

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted; but he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.' The same blessed Redeemer is emphatically denominated by the Prophet Jeremiah, 'The LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

"At that period, and in that miraculous manner, which God in his perfect wisdom saw fit, the promised Messiah appeared personally upon the earth, when He took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.' He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.' Having finished the work which was given him to do, he gave himself fór us an offering and a sacrifice to God. He tasted death for every man. He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world.' 'We have

redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.' He passed into the heavens; and being the brightness of the glory of God, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;' and ever liveth to make intercession for us.

"It is by the Lord Jesus Christ that the world will be judged in righteousness. He is the Mediator of the new covenant; 'the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.' It him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily:' and to hiin did the Evangelist bear testimony when he said, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.' He was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.'

"Our blessed Lord himself spoke of His perpetual dominion and power in his church, when He said, 'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life' and, when describing the spiritual food which he bestoweth on the true believers, He declared, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.' He spoke also of his saving grace, bestowed on those who come in faith unto Him, when he said, 'Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.'

"Our religious society, from its earliest establishment to the present day, has received these most important doctrines of Holy Scripture in their plain and obvious acceptation; and we do not acknowledge as in fellowship with us, as a Christian community, any body of religious professors which does not thus accept them, or which openly receives and accredits as ministers, those who attempt to invalidate any of these doctrines which we es

teem as essential parts of the Christian religion.

"It is the earnest desire of this meeting, that all who profess our name, may so live, and so walk before God, as that they may know these sacred truths to be blessed to them individually. We desire that, as the mere profession of sound Christian doctrine will not avail to the salvation of the soul, all may attain to a living efficacious faith, which, through the power of the Holy Ghost, bringeth forth fruit unto holiness; the end whereof is everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 'Blessing, and honour, and glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.'"

EDINBURGH BIBLE SOCIETY. We did not think the formation of this society necessary, nor admire all the proceedings of some of its friends; but we shall heartily rejoice if it prove the means of increasing the circulation of the word of God. Its issues for the year have been as follows:-Scotland, England, Ireland, South America, North America, West Indies, and Germany-Bibles, 13,618; New Testaments, 7,833: total, 21,451. The Society has printed Gaelic Bibles 10,000, Gaelic Testaments 3,000; French Bibles 3,000, French Testaments 2,000: in all, 18,000. In the press, German Bibles, 10,000; Gaelic ditto, 5,000: in all 15,000. In addition to these, a revision of the French Scriptures is going on in Switzerland; and the society had voted 100l. to the Naval and Military Bible Society.

SCHOOLS FOR THE WALDENSES. We have received from the Rev. T. Sims, whose zealous exertions in behalf of the Waldenses are well known, the following statements, and shall be very glad if we can assist his benevolent object by laying them before our readers.

"On my way to Rome last winter, I established, with the consent of the pastor of each parish, a school for girls in each of the following parishes: Latour, Angrogné, and Prarustin. In these schools the girls are taught reading, writing, cyphering, needle-work, knitting, psalmody. They learn spinning at home. The Scriptures are read daily in these schools. Every morning and afternoon, prayers are read from a tract which I published at Paris, and which consists of extracts from our Common-Prayer book, adapted to the several mornings and evenings of the week. Each of these daily schools has a Sunday-school

annexed to it, under the care of the mistresses. The expense of each school for the year is 121. The master of the Latin school, with the consent of M. Best, pastor of Latour, and president of the Commission for the Hospital, agreed to conduct the family-worship at the hospital, and to read my tract of Church-of-England prayers every morning and evening, as well as other prayers on the Sundays. He also reads the Scriptures to the patients. For this service, and for giving instruction in the winter evenings to inferior school. masters, and those who wish to be such, I engaged to send him about 51.

"I am of course desirous that plans which succeeded so well, and at so moderate an expense, should not fall to the ground. If I should have opportunities given me by clergymen who have churches and chapels, to preach on behalf of the schools, and to collect, not such considerable sums as would injure large institutions, but moderate donations, I shall be most happy to avail myself of their kind permission. If I could obtain the means, I would wish to support ten schools instead of three; that every parish might have the advantage of a girls' school. The committee for the Waldenses have four schools under their care in four

different parishes. A generous individual, Lieut.-Col. Beckwith, has also established one, as well as contributed in various ways to the amelioration of the condition of the Waldenses. The necessity for these plans I need not again state, as it has been frequently dwelt upon in your pages."

AMERICAN PROPOSED ALTERA

TIONS IN THE LITURGY. The nature and extent of the proposed alterations in the Liturgy by our American Episcopal brethren, to which we have more than once adverted, with the reasons on which they are founded, may be learned from the following statement from the pen of Bishop Hobart.

respect merely the Psalms, and the Lessons, and the proportions of them which are to be read. At present, the Psalms for the day, or one of the selections, must be used. It is proposed that the minister may be allowed, not compelled, to take, instead of the Psalms for the day, or one of the selections, any one of the Psalms, which shall be said or sung. At present, he is compelled to read for Sundays, for holy-days, and for all other days, the Lessons from Holy Scripture, as prescribed in the Calender. It is proposed, that, still confined on Sundays and holy-days to the prescribed Lessons, he may, at his discretion,read a part, not less than fifteen verses, instead of the whole; and on other days, when there is not daily service, he may, at his discretion, select other Lessons from Scripture than those prescribed. At present, according to the construction which some clergymen (in my judgment most erroneously) put upon a rubric at the end of the Communion Service, they conceive themselves at liberty to omit using the Ten Commandments, Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, which are usually denominated the Ante-Communion Service. It is proposed that the rubric be so altered as to preclude all cavil, and to render the use of the Ante-Communion Service imperative. These are all the alterations proposed in the usual Morning and Evening Service. And hence you

will perceive how erroneous are the notions which, to a certain extent, have prevailed, that the Lessons for Sundays and holy days are left entirely to the discretion of the minister, and that the Liturgy is to be mutilated as to its parts, or altered in its admirable Prayers and Collects. These remain as at present. On Sundays and holy-days the Lessons, as now prescribed, are to be used; the discretion applies only to the proportion of each Lesson.

"In the Confirmation Office, it is proposed not to substitute another preface and another prayer, instead of those now used, but to allow the bishop, at his discretion, to use another preface and another prayer, retaining all the substantial parts of the former.

Epistle, and Gospel-and the rendering the preface to the Confirmation Service more full and more adapted to the state of things in this country; and the preventing of misunderstanding as to certain expressions in one of the prayers in this office. .........The present preface seems imperfect in not stating the authority on which the ordinance rests; and is felt to be inappropriate, when, as is the case generally in our country congregations, those confirmed are principally adult persons. The expressions in one of the prayers, applied to those who are to be confirmed, that God has "regenerated them," &c., are, when correctly understood, justified by Scripture and the authority of the primitive church; but they are misunderstood, and the cause of considerable cavil and difficulty. It is not proposed to omit the expressions, or to alter the prayer containing them, but merely to allow the use of another prayer in which these expressions are retained, but in connexion with explanatory words."

BASLE MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

One hundred and twenty-seven young men have been under a course of preparation since the establishment of this institution, twelve years since: twentyfour of them have returned to their former occupations, on account of ill health, or want of talents for the acquisition of the necessary languages. Sixty-four are gone abroad into the vineyard of their Lord, twelve of whom have already been removed from the field of their labour to their eternal rest; thirty-eight are preparing in the Missionary-House for their office. Of the fifty Missionaries at present on their different stations, eighteen are in the service of the Church Missionary Society; ten are ministers in the Christian congregations in Bessarabia, the Crimea, and Grusinia; several were sent out by the Dutch Missionary Society; and the rest, consisting of nineteen, are engaged by the German Evangelical Missionary Society of Bâsle.

The contributions and exertions of the friends of the institution are a proof of a reviving Christian spirit in Germany and Switzerland.

The Bâsle Society has commenced a mission on the Gold Coast of Africa, and another in the newly established Ameriean Colony of Liberia.

HIGHLAND CHURCHES. The Fourth Report of the Commissioners for Building Churches in the Highlands

and Islands of Scotland, states the following particulars.

The Commissioners, in their Report of. June 1828, expressed an opinion that thirty churches with manses, and ten manses, might be built at an expense of 50,000. granted by the Highland Church Act. The number of new churches and manses which have been certified to his Majesty's Secretary of State, and to which ministers have been appointed, is 13; of new manses attached to repaired churches 2; the number of churches and manses completed and now ready for inspection is 13; and eleven more are in various stages of progress. The nomination of ministers to the churches which have been certified as complete has uniformly in practice been conceded to the heritor who applied for the church, and granted the site of the manse and its garden, undertaking to uphold the church to the extent required by the Act.

MEMORANDA OF AN AMERICAN MISSIONARY.

An American Missionary, the Rev. Mr. Flint, relates the following characteristic particulars respecting the scene of his labours.

"The settlements, extending to the Maramec and the Missouri, for nearly thirty miles' distance, were among the first regions, which I explored as a missionary. In these pursuits I was associated with another gentleman; a missionary from Connecticut. We found the country, as it respected our profession, destitute of a single church or preacher. There had never been, as far as I could learn, the celebration of a Protestant communion in St. Louis. I administered this ordinance there.-Many affecting circumstances accompanied this communion, the narration of which would, I suppose, more properly belong to a work exclusively devoted to religious intelligence. One circumstance took from its pleasantness and comfort, and rendered the duty perplexing. The members that communed were from different states and countries. Each professor seemed pertinaciously to exact, that the peculiar usages of his church should be adopted on this occasion, and seemed not a little shocked, that in order to meet the feelings of others, equally attached to their peculiar modes, something of medium and compromise must be observed. The narrowness of that spirit which stands as strongly for the 'mint and cummin,' as the weightier matters,' and the compound of temper,