by which the word of God may be correctly interpreted, and deeply deploring that false, puerile, and dangerous mode of treating Holy Writ which is so fearfully extended, we have great pleasure in recommending this valuable discourse; and the following paragraph, especially, strikes us as peculiarly seasonable, when so many popular preachers lose them selves in the wildness of allegorical fancies.

If these principles of interpretation be correct, what estimate are we to form of the expository labours of those, who, without the least authority from the inspired writers, represent the historic narratives of the Old Testament as allegorical, and abandoning the instruction to be derived from them, when taken in their literal sense, proceed to spiritualize them with the ungoverned license of a wild and capricious fancy? It is evident that on this principle, the fancy of one interpreter may take an excursion in a direction precisely opposite to the flight of another, and both may indulge their wanderings without ever arriving at the fixed points of truth, to which they might have been conducted by the guidance of the just laws of interpretation. To disregard that guidance, to endanger the interests of revealed religion, to open the door for the entrance of every species of error, to incur the charge of fanaticism, to expose the sacred scriptures to the ridicule of the profane, and to handle the word of God deceitfully. Is not the method of allegorizing the plainest parts of Scripture sometimes resorted to, as the refuge of ignorance, which is not qualified, or of indolence which is not disposed, to enter those diligent investigations which truth requires, and which a sound judgment will approve?

on

LITERARY NOTICES. PROPOSALS are issued for publishing by Subscription, in one vol. 8vo, 12s. a History of the Mission of the United Brethren in the Danish Islands in the West Indies. Trans. from the German.

A Translation (from the Latin) of Dr. W. Outram's Dissertations on the Sacrifices of the Jews and of Christ. By Mr. J. Allen. One vol. 8vo, 10s. 6d.

Principia Hebraica: a small Pocket vol. (63.) of Hebrew Elements, containing 564 Verses of the Hebrew Psalter. The Serviles in open Letters.-See p. 574 of Evan. Mag. for 1815.

A new literal Translation of the New Testament, with a Harmony of the Gospels. By W. Thompson, M. A. Two vols. 8vo,

History of the Origin and First Ten Years of the British and Foreign Bible Society. By J. Owen, A. M. 2 vols. 8vo, 1. 4s.; royal, £ 1. 15s.

The Origin of Pagan Idolatry, ascertained from Historical Testimony and Circumstantial Evidence. By the Rev. G. S. Faber. 3 vols. 4to, £ 6. 15s.

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Scripture Characters of the Rev. T. Robinson, abridged. 12mo, 7s.

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RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

[From the Correspondence of the British and Foreign Bible Society.J

ASIA.

see white man book good; pass Mandingo man book. Me want to learn dis

From the Rev. Mr. Supper, Secretary to book. Suppose me go my country dis

the Bible Society at Java.

Batavia, Feb. 4, 1815.

You cannot think with what eagerness some Arabian merchants and scheiks read the Bibles they received of me; for whole nights they sit in company together reading this book of books.

An Arabian merchant, who has returned to Arabia, received, a few days before his departure, a Bible of me; and he has actually delayed his departure for several days, in order to read it with tranquillity and reflection. He promised to recommend this book to his countrymen, and implored a thousand blessings upon the Bible.

time, I tell my fader I go learn white
man book: den me come back again,
you and me play about dis book, pa-
laver' (that is, pass our time in plea-
sant conversation, about the subjects
of the Bible). I gave him the last
Several
Arabic Bible I possessed.
other Mohammedans have applied for
Bibles; and I shall be very glad to get
them from brother Butscher.

From the Rev. T. Robertson, Pro-Secretary to the Corresponding Committee in Bengal.

Old Church, Calcutta, March 27, 1815. I HAVE already informed you of I must also tell you that many Chinese Mr. Martyn's Persian translation of in this place eagerly read the New the New Testament having arrived; Testaments, put into their hands last and have now the pleasure of adding year, by the Rev. William Milne, who to it the Gospel of St. John in the Benis really a faithful and very able as galee language, translated by Mr. sistant to Mr. Morrison, in China. I Ellerton, of Malda, a gentleman who sometimes go round on purpose, and is critically acquainted with this often find Chinese parents reading to tongue. We trust that this will be their families in the morning, out of an important engine, when printed, the New Testament; and they also for communicating knowledge in out request instruction about some passages. Schools. The remainder of the Tes I gave a portion of the Old Testament tament will, we hope, soon follow. in Chinese to several, who received it We look up to your Society, as the with the warmest gratitude; and one great instrument, under God, for the merchant pressed it to his bosom, and raising of this house of the Lord; kissed it. Oh, that you could be an where the nations of Hindoostanee eye-witness of the eageruess with may flow together under the banners of which these people read the word of Jesus Christ. God!

AFRICA.

From the Rev. G. R. Nylander. Yongroo, West Africa, Feb. 18, 1815.

Extracts of a Letter from the Rev. R.
Pinkerton.

St. Petersburg, Dec. 11, o. s. 1815.

THE Emperor is now returned to his Capital, to shed blessings, I trust, IN January last, a learned Foolah spiritual, as well as temporal, on the man visited me, and said, he had heard heads of his numerous subjects. Our of my name in the place where he came noble President informed me yes. from; and that I had given Moham- terday, that His Majesty had already madu a large book, containing the spoken with him about the Bible Tawraaty (the books of Moses) and Society,-had expressed great joy at\ Injeelu (the New Testament.) Mo- its prosperity,-begged the Prince to hammadu,' said he, reads it every promote its interest to the utmost of day, and explains it to his scholars.' his power, and promised every assis In the course of conversation, I found tance on his part. His Majesty even the Foolah man pretty well acquainted added, that he spake from personal with the New Testament. He asked knowledge of the value and utility of me several questions about Christ, his the holy Scriptures. Are you not doctrine, and apostles. We read a few ready to exclaim, Oh, Russia! thy chapters of Genesis, conversed about deserts shall yet rejoice, and blossom the creation, compared the Koran with as the rose! On thy Siberian wilds the Bible; and thus passed about three the Sun of Righteousness shall yet hours very pleasantly. He said, 'Me arise, and dispel the moral gloom which

XXIV.

B b

has so long hung over the minds of their numerous tribes; the glory of the gospel day shall cause more exultations in their tents than the transitory blaze of the Aurora Borealis !

so long with an apostle's labours, and those of his zealous assistants, are Christians who have not so much as heard of that apostle, or seem only to recognisc the name of Paul as one in the Calendar Yes, under the benign influence of of their Saints. One of them I found Heaven, and the fostering sun of able to read a little, and left with him Imperial aid and example, the Russian the New Testament, in ancient and Bible Society shall surely prosper. modern Greek, which he expressed a The subject has received that consideration from the Emperor's mind which its importance deserved, and has produced that conviction which stimulates to action. Its claims are founded on principles which Russians unanimously recognize; and hence it is, that the more attention it excites, the greater are its conquests in every quarter of the empire. At present, the Bible Society is the frequent subject of conversation in almost every circle in this great metropolis.

From Mr. Miller, Director of the Schools

in the City of Irkutsk.

A PRIEST in Moscow, having lost his all in 1812, through the French invasion, went to market, and purchased an old feather-bed for his family. On taking off the cover to have it cleansed, he found a packet of banknotes among the feathers, amounting to 705 rubles. Notwithstanding his poverty, the honest man went and made known this circumstance to Government, which appointed to him the third part of this sum as his lawful property; but this the good priest could not think of applying to the relief of his wants, but transmitted the whole sum, which was 235 rubles, to promote the object of the Russian Bible Society.

even

Extracts of a Letter from the Rev. H.
Lindsay, Chaplain to the Embassy at
Constantinople, relative to the present
State of the Apocalyptic Churches.

Constantinople, Jan. 10, 1816. FROM the conversations I had with the Greek Bishop and his Clergy, as well as various well-informed individuals, I am led to suppose, that, if the population of Smyrna be estimated at 140,000 inhabitants, there are from 15to 20,000 Greeks, 6,000 Armenians, 5,000 Catholics, 140 Protestants, and 11,000 Jews.

I

After Smyrna, the first place I visited was Ephesus, or rather (as the site is not quite the same) Aiasalick, which consists of about fifteen poor cottages. found there but three Christians, two brothers, who keep a small shop, and a gardener. They are all three Greeks, and their ignorance is lamentable in deed. In that place, which was blessed

strong desire to read; and promised me he would not only study it himself, but lend it to his friends in the neighbouring villages. My next object was to see Laodicea; in the road to this, is Guzelhisar, a large town, with one church, and about 700 Christians.

In conversing with the Priests here, I found them so little acquainted with the Bible, or even the New Testament, in an entire form, that they had no distinct knowledge of the books it contained, beyond the four Gospels; but meutioned them indiscriminately, with various idle legends and lives of saints.

I have sent thither three copies of the modern Greek Testament since my return.

About three miles from Laodicea is Denizli, which has been styled, but I am inclined to think erroneously, the ancient Colosse. It is a considerable town, with about 400 Christians, Greeks, and Armenians, each of whom has a church. I regret, however, to say that here also the most extravagant tales of miracles, and fabulous accounts of Angels, Saints, and Relics, had so usurped the place of the Scriptures, as to render it very difficult to separate, in their minds, divine truths from human inventions. I felt, that here that unhappy time was come, when turn away their ears men should from the truth, and be turned unto fables.'

I had with me some copies of the Gospels in ancient Greek, which I distributed here, as in some other places through which I had passed. Eski-hisar, close to which are the remains of ancient Laodicea, contains about fifty poor inhabitants, in which number are but two Christians, who live together in a small mill: unhappily, neither could read at all. The copy, therefore, of the New Testament which I intended for this church, I left with that of Denizli, the offspring and poor remains of Laodicea and Colosse. The prayers of the Mosque are the only prayers which are heard near the ruins of Laodicea,

on which the threat seems to have been fully executed, in its utter rejection as a church.

I left it for Philadelphia, now Alahshehr. It was gratifying to find at last some surviving fruits of early zeal; and here, at least, whatever may be lost of

Believe me, Sir, yours truly,
HENRY LINDSAY.

AMERICA.

In the years 1814 and 1815 Messrs. Mills and Smith, were deputed by some of the Missionary Societies in the United States to visit certain districts, particularly that which is west of the Allegany Mountains; to preach the Gospel to the destitute; to explore the country and learn its religious state; and to promote the establishment of Bible Societies and other charitable Institutions. From a Report printed at Andover, we make the following brief extracts :

the spirit of Christianity, there is still in Bergamo. The town is less than Akthe form of a Christian church, this hisar, but the number of Christians is has been kept from the hour of tempta- about as great, the proportion of tion, which came upon all the Christian Armenians to Greeks nearly the same, world. There are here about 1000 Chris- and each nation also has one Church. tiaus, chiefly Greeks, who, for the most The Bishop of the district, who occapart, speak only Turkish; there are sionally resides there, was at that time 1wenty-five places of public worship, absent, and I experienced, with deep five of which are large, regular regret, that the resident clergy were Churches; to these there is a resident totally incapable of estimating the gift Bishop, with twenty inferior Clergy. I intended them; I therefore delivered A copy of the modern Greek Festament the Testament to the Lay Vicar of the was received by the Bishop, with great Bishop, at his urget request, he having thankfuluess I quitted Alah-shehr, assured me, that the Bishop would high deeply disappointed at the statement I ly prize so valuable an acquisition to the received there of the church of Sardis. Church: he seemed much pleased that I trusted that, in its utmost trials, it the benighted state of his nation had would not have been suffered to perish excited the attention of strangers.. utterly, and I heard with surprise, that not a vestige of it remained.-With what satisfaction then, did I find, on the plains of Sardis, a small Church Establishment. The few Christians who dwell around modern Sart, were anxious to settle there and erect a Church, as they were in the habit of meeting at each other's houses, for the exercise of religion; from this design they were prohibited by Kar 'Osman Oglu, the Turkish Governor of the district; and, in consequence, about five years ago, they built a church upon the plain, within view of ancient Sardis, and there they maintain a Priest. The place has gradually risen into a little village, now called Tatar-keny: thither the few Christians of Sart, who amount to seven, and those in its immediate vicinity, resort for public worship, and form fogether a congregation of about forty. There appears then still a remnant, a few names, even in Sardis,' which have been preserved. I cannot repeat the expressions of gratitude with which they received a copy of the New Testament, in a language with which they were familiar. Several crowded about the Priest, to hear it on the spot; and I left them thus engaged. Ak-hisar, the ancient Thyatira, is said to contain about 30,000 inhabitants, of whom 3000 are Christians, all Greeks, except about 200 Armenians. There is, however, but one Greek Church, and one Armenian. The superior of the Greek Church, to whom I presented the Romaic Testament, esteemed it so great a treasure, that he earnestly pressed me, if possible, to spare another, that one might be secured to the Church, and free from accidents, while the other went round among the people, for their private reading. I have therefore, since my return hither, sent him four copies.

The church of Pergamos, in respect to numbers, may be said to flourish still

St. Louis, Missouri Territory. Ar Lancaster, we called on the Rev. Mr. Wright, a Presbyterian clergyman. According to his estimate, more than thirteen thousand Bibles are necessary, in order that there may be one to each family. He relates some signal instances of the blessed effects of giving away the Bible. He has seen a man, notorious for indifference to religion, and for profaneness, suddenly arrested in his career of stupidity and folly, by He has seen him this simple means. turned about, and in the judgment of charity thoroughly converted from the error of his ways, and made a humble worshipper of the Lord Jesus. And all this was effected by the gift of a Bible!

volume

In the Illinois Territory. At Prairie du Rocher we had an interesting conversation with Bishop Flaget, of the Roman Catholic church, respecting the distribution of the sacred among his people. He said he heartily approved, and would exert himself to promote the circulation of the French Scriptures among the Catholics of his diocese ;--with only this reserve, that he must first examine the translation, and see that it is one approved by the church.

Living, as most of the people do, 1000 been approved, so far as we can learn, or 1500 miles from any place where the by all denominations. Bible is printed, very many of them must for a long time remain destitute, unless their necessities can be reliev. ed, by the Managers of Bible Societies in the different States.

The whole of this territory is ex ceedingly destitute of the sacred Scriptures. Very few Bibles have ever been distributed in it, There is indeed Are not the fields white to the harvest? at Natchez a pious gentleman, who is a Would that all Christians at the East bookseller, and keeps Bibles on hand would lift up their eyes and behold, for sale. But many of the people live Could they but see what we have seen at a considerable distance from Natthousands ready to perish, could_chez;—and very many of them are too they but see the sons and daughters of poor, or too indifferent to religion to Jerusalem weeping for themselves and purchase. for their children,-surely Missionaries would no longer be wanting, nor funds for their support.