engender in their minds a feeling of real attachment towards the Institution as their home; we shall give to the married couples their own hut, their own plot of ground, their regular, though light and easy, daily employment; we shall contrive variety and change in their occupations, and add a due admixture of relaxation and amusement; and, above all, we shall strive to make them feel the value of a settled. mode of life as affording them the means of religious instruction, and of enabling them to attend to those things which concern their everlasting welfare.

With respect to the willingness of the young natives to go from Adelaide to Port Lincoln, this point has already been ascertained. Five young couples have actually gone to that settlement, where for the present they are cared for and employed by certain settlers in that district. There are several more still about Adelaide who are quite willing to follow the example thus set them.

In the first instance these young married couples only will be admitted to the Institution. Schools for the children of either sex will next be added, so soon as our means and other opportunities enable us to adopt this measure.

The support of the Institution is to be supplied by funds conjointly furnished by the Colonial Government and by voluntary contributions, administered through the Church of England. The latter for her part will find, pay, and support, the living agency, i.e. the Missionary Superintendent, and all other Europeans employed in conducting the affairs of the Institution. I make bold to undertake for her that she will never do less than this. I shall hope and trust that she will do more. I more especially trust that she will do more at our first commencement, that we may be enabled to make a good beginning, and have no unnecessary difficulties to contend with.

The Government aid at present granted amounts to the sum of 2001. for the erection of the necessary huts, and the promise to maintain a limited number of married couples for a period of twelve months. But while increased assistance is as yet only in prospect, we trust that the measure will be cordially and liberally supported by the inhabitants of this colony. I will not believe that the colonists of South Australia will permit that the first expenditure in such a cause should be limited to this sum of 2001.

Our first care, however, must be, to see our living agency provided for by means of voluntary contributions. The unworthy individual whose name is attached to this paper, has the honour of being appointed to the superintendence of this enterprise; he asks nothing of the colonists for himself-but he does ask a provision for those truehearted men who have pressed forward to join him in the work, who are ready to go to it without fee or reward, and are determined, having food and raiment, to be therewith content." But "the labourer is worthy of his hire;" and however well it may become them to set forward thus in this labour of love, it would ill become us to permit them to remain unrequited as to worldly goods, and without that compensation to which they will be so justly entitled.

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These men are Mr. Henry Minchin, assistant religious instructor, and schoolmaster, and Mr. John Martin, assistant schoolmaster and superintendent of out-door works. One other person it will be highly advisable to add to the establishment, viz. some Christian-minded female, rather advanced in life, who would teach and superintend the female natives, and instruct them in the performance of their domestic duties. If we fail in finding either the person suited to this position, or the means of securing her services, it will be necessary to authorize one of the native women to perform these duties, so far as she may be able to do so. I trust we may have it in our power to make an arrangement less unsatisfactory than this would be.

I have now only to entreat, to implore, that the prayers and intercessions of those who address themselves to the Throne of Grace may be earnestly offered up in behalf of myself and those who will be associated with me in this arduous undertaking. We desire to go forth to our work with a single eye to the glory of our common Saviour, striving, after His example, "to seek and to save that which was lost." To all our Christian-minded friends who love such works of piety, we reiterate again and again-pray for us that this one work may prosper in our hands."

LIBERIA.

THE Commonwealth of Liberia, on the west coast of Africa, was founded, in the year 1821, by the American Colonization Society. The object of its founders was to establish a free coloured community, from whence the blessings of civilization and Christianity might be spread along the savage coasts, and also into the inner parts of Africa. And what fitter agents could be found for this design than Africans who, originally torn from their native soil by the white man's selfish cruelty, had acquired in the land of their masters the knowledge of pure religion and of the arts which refine mankind? The vast black population of the United States supplies from time to time, by the disinterested generosity of humane planters, or from among the free people of colour, materials for a fresh increase to the numbers of the colonists. None are slaves within the territories of this independent state, which now extend for 500 miles along the coast, from the Sherbro to the San Pedro. The form of government resembles that of the United States. The principal cities are Monrovia, Caldwell, Millsburg. They who have visited the country speak in high terms of the fertility of the soil and of the healthy appearance of the inhabitants. The immigrant population now amounts to about 7,000: the natives number about 250,000 souls. The bulk of the former, being liberated slaves, are still necessarily indebted to their former masters and to philanthropists generally, for the means of erecting churches, chapels, and schools, and of procuring the requisite machinery for preparing their varied staples for export.

A gentleman connected with Liberia, Elliott Cresson, Esq., is at

present in England, accredited by Bishop SMITH, of Kentucky, and by Bishop POTTER, of Pennsylvania. At a Missionary Meeting recently held in Lambeth, Mr. Cresson entered into various particulars about the colony, some of which will be interesting to our readers.

"The white man has gone to Africa, if I may venture to say so, in the pride of the Anglo-Saxon race; but he has been swept away from the scene of his labours, before his crop was gathered in, and often before the good seed had even germinated; but it pleased God, when His own time had arrived, to make use of the swarthy sons of Africa. to fulfil His gracious purposes.

"Bishop Smith, of Kentucky, has established a Theological Seminary, that blacks may be trained up as Missionaries, that so, by God's blessing, we may have a renewal of the old times, and that her 300 Bishops may be again restored to Africa. We hope that on her western coast, now blessed with a Bishop (Payne) who has long toiled in Liberia for the salvation of the natives, we may see missionary schools, and eventually theological colleges established, in order that the sons of the soil may be able to assist in bringing about the time when Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God.' I should rejoice if on this occasion I might be permitted to leave in the heart of any of you a seed which might spring up towards the furtherance of this object-an object wherein our two Churches might be united as brethren, more than they have ever before been: for throughout all the southern states, where slavery exists, not only the Clergy, but many pious and benevolent proprietors, are zealous in this good work.

"A young man, of another religious denomination, who went out to Liberia in company with the Rev. Messrs. Hoffman and Ramb, the Missionaries of the Episcopal Church of the United States, was so struck with their holy lives, that he begged to be permitted to place himself under their care, to be prepared for ordination.

"The President of Liberia is a man of colour. The natives recognise as white men all who have acquired our habits and civilization. If we could make them all members of the Christian Church, what a glorious realization it would be! Then Ethiopia will have cause to bless God that there is one platform so broad that Christians in Africa, America, and England may meet as brethren, and unite to do our heavenly Master's will."

The efforts of our brethren of the American Church have been greatly blessed at Cape Palmas, where multitudes of the natives and their children regularly attend Divine service, and the various schools established by the Missionaries. But a long line of coast-about 700 miles between them and Sierra Leone, the field of promise, yet remains unoccupied by Episcopal Missions. A noble harbour, and a large tribe of natives anxious for instruction, is presented at Bassa Cove, about midway between those points; and a plan has long been maturing for erecting there a Missionary church, schools, and, eventually, a theological seminary, for the colonists and native tribes. The numerous objects now pressing on the American Church have already postponed too long the claims of this truly desirable object, but it may be cordially recommended to the consideration of British Christians.

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CHINESE EDICT AGAINST CHRISTIANITY.

THE China Overland Mail, Oct. 29th, 1850, contains a translation of an edict against Christianity, recently issued by Wan, Prefect of the inferior department of Ka-ying-Chau, bordering on Fuh-kien. An imperial commissioner has since discountenanced the document, but some parts of its contents are so curious, that we lay them before our readers:

"Be it known that there is in the western world a doctrine of the lord of heaven which originated with Jesus. So long as the barbarians propagate or practise this amongst themselves, expounding its books, and worshipping according to its ritual, there is no occasion to take notice of it; but it is not permitted them to enter the Inner Land to propagate this doctrine, and natives of the Inner Land who invite men from far places to flock hither, who, in league with them, inflame and unsettle the minds of the people, who inveigle females [to join their sect], or commit any other offences contrary to the law, are punishable under the statute still in force. The provisions of the code are explicit; who shall venture to act otherwise than in observance of it?"

"You should all be aware that Jesus, born in the time of Ngai Ti, of the Hán dynasty, ranks no higher than Hwa Tóh, Chuh-yu, and others of the same class, being merely skilled to relieve mankind by curing them of disease. His power of breaking seven cakes into food for three thousand men, is not either any more than the witchcraft of the rationalists, by which things are shifted from one place to another: in other ways he had no peculiar ability. As to his extravagant title of the lord who made heaven, bethink you, the Three Sovereigns (B.C. 3369-2622), the Five Emperors (2169), Yáu, Shun, Yu, T'áng (1743), Wan, Wu (1105), the Duke of Chau, and Kung the Philosopher (Confucius-500), spread abroad civilization, as the agents of heaven, during thousands and tens of thousands of years. The different countries beyond the sea had from an early date rulers, and peoples, forms of government, and laws to punish crime: did none of these exist until Jesus appeared to create them in the time of the Han?"

"Then, this doctrine pretends to the encouragement of virtue and the repression of vice; but this is the language constantly held by the literati (Confucianists). Its dogma that those who believe in the lord of heaven will be made happy, and that after death their spirits will ascend to heaven; and that those who do not so believe will be visited with misery, and that, after death, their spirits will enter the prison of hell, is of the same import as the saying of Wu San-sz- Those who are good to me are good, those who are evil to me are evil.' Suppose the believers in the lord of heaven all robbers and vicious persons, happiness is to be hereafter bestowed upon them all, while those who are not believers, although just men with a store of merit, are all to be hereafter subjected to misery. Never was the fair order of reward for virtue and punishment for vice so inverted and con

fused. Is it not fatal to what heaven (sc. nature) teaches us to be right?

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Again, the terms palace of heaven' and 'prison of hell' are simply a piracy from the lowest class of Budhistic works; [Christians] notwithstanding, vilify the Budhists as people for evermore fallen into the prison of hell. If so, who has seen them there? The crucifixion of Jesus alive is like the tree of swords and the mountain of weapons in the hell (of the Budhists) perfectly (in)capable of proof."

"It will next be found that of all nations beyond the sea, none so much believes in the lord of heaven as Germany, and yet (its inhabitants are) scattered, (its power) is in ruins, and more than one partition of its territory has been made: why, as believing in the lord of heaven, has happiness not been bestowed upon it? Of those that do not believe in the lord of heaven none can compare with Japan: on a quay in their port is engraven a crucifix, and every merchant who repairs thither, and does not, as he lands, tread on the crucifix, is immediately beheaded as a warning to others; there is, besides this, outside the city-gate, an image of Jesus sunk in the ground, so that it may be daily exposed to the insult of being trampled on and yet this kingdom has endured 2000 years. Why has not the lord of heaven visited it with calamity? It follows, accordingly, that the statement regarding the power to confer happiness or misery is utterly without foundation; it will merely make the simple people, in this life, leave their ancestors without the power of enjoying the oblations (due to them) of sweet-smelling incense, and of the offerings which should be set before them in sacrificial vessels, while after death, they are to become blind ghosts, undergoing, in addition [to the above privations], the torments of burning till their bones are scattered in ashes. What happiness results from such a doctrine?

"Again, as to the adoration of the crucifix, the stone tablet of the 'luminous doctrine,' says [Alóa] signed with a cross, to determine the four quarters (sc. of the heavens), the professors of this creed, it is not known at what period, thence devised the tale of [their teacher's] crucifixion; but were their tale fact, it would still be quite inexplicable why the worshippers of Jesus should adore the instrument of his punishment, and consider it so to represent him as not to venture to tread upon it. Would it be common sense, if the father or ancestor of a house had been killed by a shot from a fowling-piece, or by a wound from a sword, that his sons or grandsons should adore a fowling-piece, or a sword, as their father or ancestor?"