The Celestial Railroad. By NATHANIEL HAW

ever witnessed in tumultuous uproar; when Mr. George Thompson proposed a resolution on the very critical question of the admission of slave-grown sugar, and eventually carried it, in opposition to the gentlemen who have generally been regarded as the anti-slavery leaders, restricting the committee "from acting in their associate capacity on that part of the constitution which pledges the society to the adoption of fiscal regulations in favour of free labour, until a special meeting has been held to re-consider the articles of the Society as they bear upon that question." Now respecting the measures themselves we are not offering an opinion. As to denominational catechisms, we have always used what little influence we possessed to promote their passage to oblivion. It would be for the interests of truth, we believe, if they were all deposited in the crater of Mount Vesuvius. As to the admission of slave-grown sugar, after listening to the discussion, which was conducted with considerable talent, it appeared to us to be a question so intricate and delicate, and yet so important, that we could not take upon ourselves the responsibility of holding up a hand on either side. But the point we desire to submit to the judicious friends of religious societies is this: What will be the consequence if these precedents are followed, and it becomes customary to submit questions requiring the most calm and deliberate consideration to the decisionthe final decision of these promiscuous assemblies? The precedents now set will assuredly be followed. The questions raised will be precisely such as these meetings are

THORNE, Reprinted from the Baptist Magazine. least suitable to determine; questions of great

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EDITORIAL POSTSCRIPT.

nicety, on which the friends of a society are divided, and respecting which strong feeling exists. There is no certainty that the decision of the meeting will correspond with the judgment of the society, or of its friends. The annual public meetings of some large To say nothing of the effect of clever declasocieties this month have been rendered re-mation, and of adventitious circumstances, on markable by the introduction of a practice, the bearings of which on the future prosperity of all such institutions demands attention. Amendments to the resolutions prepared by the respective committees have been proposed and carried, having reference to points on which the subscribers and friends of the societies were divided. At the meeting of the Sunday School Union, Mr. Carlile brought forward an instruction to the committee "to discontinue, at the earliest possible period, the publication and sale at the Union Depository of all denominational formularies;" and this, after an exciting discussion, which led away the meeting from all other topics, was carried by a show of hands. This meeting, however, was peaceful and harmonious in comparison of that of the British and Foreign Anti-slavery Society, which equalled any county meeting or contested election that we

all meetings consisting of thousands; to say nothing of the immense quantity of noise that can be made sometimes by a few persons in whom the thinking faculty has never been developed, there can be no certainty that one half of the assembly consists of real friends to the institution. There have been times when pro-slavery men would have attended at anti-slavery meetings, ready to vote in any way in which they thought they could do most mischief. At the late meeting, the question was one in which, had they expected that it would be discussed, and that a decision which must be binding would be made, mere politicians, and persons interested in the admission or exclusion of Brazilian sugar, might have been disposed to intermeddle. Dissenting meetings are exposed to the intrusion of unscrupulous partisans of the state church, such as constituted high-church mobs in

former days, and such as now write scurrilons letters to the Morning Post, or volumes of fiction by professed "Ex-Dissenters." At a crowded meeting in Exeter Hall it is difficult to make the whole assembly hear so clearly as to preclude misapprehension in voting, and impossible for any human chairman to determine with certainty on which side the! majority lies, when the division is nearly equal. It is important for these, and many other reasons, that the executive and the influential members of all similar societies should consider what measures can be adopted to prevent the recurrence of these scenes. Else this effect will assuredly follow, that many of the best, firmest, and most liberal friends of our societies, who cannot bear excitement and contention, will withdraw their attendance; and unless we mistake greatly, the abolition of all such religious public meetings, if not the destruction of the societies themselves, will speedily ensue.

his goods seized or be thrown into prison. I hope, however, that when this comes to the knowledge of the government it will open their eyes to the evil, and lead them to do away with such unnatural force. We can only pray for them-Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.'"

The Secretary of "The Aged and Infirm Ministers' Society" is anxious to urge its claims again upon ministers and churches. He says, "The treasurer has informed me that he is in want of nearly £20 to make up the income this year to £300, and he feels deeply concerned, that the sum granted to our brethren should be increased, instead of being diminished. Can you, brethren, be indifferent?.... Let each member raise £7 per annum, by a collection or subscriptions, &c., &c., and the committee will be able to make an annual grant of £50 to each claimant, and more in proportion to the amount raised. And, brethren, will you not accomMr. Mönster, the pastor of the baptist plish it? Make the effort, and you will church in Copenhagen, is again in prison. succeed. There is a heart glowing with affecOn the 13th of May he was incarcerated for tion, and a soul tenderly alive to their ministhe fourth time, his adversaries, however, ters' comforts in many of our members, and having on this occasion taken care to avoid they will aid you. I would most earnestly the inconvenience which they have previously entreat our brethren to make a collection experienced when they made charges which before the annual meeting, and send it to our it was difficult to sustain, by prudently con- treasurer, J. L. Phillips, Esq., Melksham. | cealing the reason for their procedure. He I beg to add, that I shall submit to the next has not been apprised himself of the nature meeting a resolution rendering it obligatory of his offence, and the police say they know on all the beneficiary members of the society, not of what crime he is accused! Still, it is while retaining the pastorate, to make an annot difficult to conjecture the inducements of nual collection towards the funds of the the clergy to stir up the government to per- institution." Any additional information that secute our friend. Though he does not him- may be desired, may be obtained by applicaself baptize, his sermons are blessed to the tion to the Rev. W. Yates, Stroud, Glouces conversion of many; others administer the tershire." ordinance, and the church is rapidly increasing. A clergyman, of some eminence as a theologian, has lately written and published a work in defence of the baptists, in which the state church is unmasked very unceremoniously. The firmness with which sufferings are endured by the baptist confessors must be also extremely trying to the patience of their foes. In a letter written by Mr. Mönster a few days before his imprisonment, requesting Mr. Rothery to return his hearty thanks on behalf of his suffering brethren to those baptists in this country by whose contributions they have been aided, he says, "What at present most troubles and annoys us, is the cruelty practised by the police in taking the children by force to the state church to be sprinkled. This practice has lately caused the death of a child, about twelve months old. It was so alarmed, that through much crying it became ill, and in a few days after died. And yet the police demand to be paid for this forced baptism, and murder of the child; and, as the father refused, he, with two or three others, will have

Further intelligence has just been received from Copenhagen. Mr. Mönster has been informed that his crime is "his having received appointment in this country" [Denmark] "as a missionary for a foreign baptist community, and having exerted himself for the propagation of baptism in this country contrary to law." The former part of this accusation refers probably to the fact that a small salary has been allowed to him by the American Baptist Board of Foreign Missions; the latter part needs no explanation. Mr. Mönster is now kept in much closer confinement than on previous occasions; his cell is constantly locked, excepting that two hours every day he is allowed to walk in the pas sage; and he is not permitted to write a letter to any one. The police have also seized a large bathing tub, which had been used for immersion in the winter: this, however, serves rather to illustrate their zeal than the efficiency of their measures; for, as Mr. Mönster observed when he heard of it, "there is water enough in the Sound!"

and would involve a fruitless expenditure of time and money, laid his opinion before the world through the medium of the "Patriot" newspaper. His views were ably controverted at the time, by the secretary of the Baptist mission, and have been subsequently refuted in a document put forth by the missionaries of his own society, now residing in Calcutta. The result of the controversy has been to place the importance of a Sanskrit version of the Bible beyond question, and thus to justify the missionaries who proposed it in their appeal for the pecuniary means necessary to its accomplishment. The committee have thought it right to preserve the papers which appeared on the subject; and they will be found in the appendix of the present report.

New Testament, and of parts of it, both in the Arabic and Persian characters, are in the press.

Lastly, of the Armenian Testament, two editions are being carried through the press simultaneously, by the Rev. C. C. Aratoon, one of them (1260 copies) in the ancient, the other (1000 copies) in the modern, Armenian language. Both of them contain marginal references to parallel passages. The ancient Armenian Testament has advanced as far as the middle, and the modern as far as the end of Acts.

The whole number of volumes, the printing of which has been completed during the year, amounts to 45,000.

The following compendium will best show the present state of these operations: I.-Works printed during the year.

Through the continued exercise of divine mercy, the labours of our brethren engaged in translating and printing the sacred scriptures have been interrupted neither by death In Sanskrit :nor by sickness; and the statement which the committee have to lay before the meeting will show the unremitting diligence with which they have pursued their toils.

The following summary received from them by the last mail, will exhibit what has been been accomplished during the past year.

Scriptures printed.

In the Sanskrit no new part of the Bible has been printed, but a new edition of each of the gospels and the Acts, 2500 copies, and of the gospels and Acts together, 1500 copies, has been completed, and the version of the Old Testament prepared in manuscript to the end of the Pentateuch. A new edition of the psalms will be immediately put to press, to be followed by an edition of Isaiah and Daniel ; after which it is proposed to commence an edition of the whole Bible in this language, an undertaking the importance of which can hardly be overrated.

The Hindi Testament has just been finished. The edition printed consists of 1000 copies.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

2,500

2,500

2,500

2,500

2,500

1,500

Acts

Gospel and Acts together...

In Hindi:

New Test., Rom. to Revelation....

1,000

In

2,500

2,500

In the Bengali language, the third part of the Old Testament, containing Job, the Psalms, and the writings of Solomon, has been published. The printing of the prophetical books has advanced to the end of Jeremiah, and the hope is entertained that the entire Old Testament will appear in May or June. Of the new editions of the Psalms and Proverbs mentioned in the last report, that of the Psalms, 5000 copies, has been completed, the Proverbs are in hand, and will be ready in a few weeks. Of the Gospel of Luke, an edition of 12,000 copies; of the Acts, one of 5000 copies; and of Luke and In Armenian :Acts together, one of 3000 copies, have been printed; and one of John, to consist of 15,000 copies, has been commenced.

In Hindustani, 4000 copies of the Gospel by Matthew, in the Arabic character, have been printed; and large editions of the whole

2,500