their return to the pure and sacred religion of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Accordingly, on New-Year's day, a Cingalese congregation assembled in the Mission House, when one of us expounded and preached from the story of Philip and the Eunuch; the two Priests, in the mean while, sitting in their robes before the pulpit after which the other of us proposed the following questions to them, which they answered in a very modest and satisfactory

manner :--

1. Do you here publicly profess the falsehood of the Budhist religion, in denying one Supreme Creator and God, and attributing all things to chance?

2. Do you hereby declare your conviction that the Budhist religion is insufficient for salvation?

3. So far as you are acquainted with the truths and doctrines of the Christian religion, do you profess your firm belief of it as a true religion, and as a religion from God?

4. In particular, do you believe that after death there will be a resurrection of the body, a general judgment, and eternal rewards and punishments?

[A difficulty was here suggested to them, relative to the resurrection of the same identical body, which they resolved with the utmost readiness and address.]

5. Do you, then, before God and this congregation, confess yourselves to be sinners, and the Lord Jesus Christ to be your only Saviour?

6. Do you fully rely on the merits of his atonement for salvation?

7. And, finally, do you hereby engage to receive his laws, as contained in the Holy Scriptures, as the constant rule of your life?

After their answers to these questions, they were conducted into a room to change their dress, which they appeared to do with much cheerful satisfaction: and returned, each dressed in white cloth, and with his yellow silk robe in his hand; which was laid on the table, as a trophy won from heathenism. They then washed their hands, in the name of the Lord, and were pub licly received within the pale of the Christian church, and sealed their renunciation of idolatry by solemn prayer to the sacred Trinity.

Letter from Mr. W. M. Harvard, Columbo Station, dated July, 1818.

The two converted priests, Don Adrian de Silva, and Don Andries de Silva, maintain the consistency of their conduct, and afford us much satisfaction. The former, from his talent and knowledge of the native practice of medicine, has become quite a

noted and respected person in the village where he resides, and has been made very useful to many families during the late sickly season among the natives. He always carries his Saviour and Master with him wherever he goes; and, by reading the Scriptures and exhortation, he administers to the souls of his patients, as well as to their bodies. This is a pleasing reflection. We have in the last quarter appointed Don Andries to be a schoolmaster. They both meet regularly in class, in the Pettah, and likewise at Colpetty.

I think, we may say, with safety, that that part of the great vineyard which has been allotted to us, blossoms most pleasingly, and promises real fruit. We have already begun to taste some of the first fruits; some of which have been taken (as it were a specimen) to the court of heaven! Happy and honoured will those be who shall be here when the vintage arrives!

On Whit-Monday last, according to our usual custom at the festivals, we had service in English and Cingalese, for children and young people. Many of the children, and some of their parents, from the country schools, expressed a desire to attend, and were permitted; several of them undertaking considerable journeys for that purpose, and appeared much interested.-The Mission House was crowded at an early hour. To hear them repeat the responses in our morning service was indeed gratify. ing. Brother Callaway preached them a very interesting ser mon; and they afterwards crowded our dwelling-house to pay their grateful respects to us. I only wished you had all been with us at the time, to have shared our enjoyment. After the service, a heathen man brought his nephew forward for baptism: The whole family live near the Kandian limits. I placed the boy under instruction, and gave suitable advice to the Pagan uncle, to which he paid much attention; and expressed a wil lingness to learn. I promised to send our friend Cornelius to visit his village; and the uncle intimated that if we were to erect a school there, many would gladly embrace Christianity.

On Cornelius visiting the place, he found most of the people were gone out to work in their paddy-fields. He, however, went to several houses, and spoke with the women who had remained behind. These seemed to hear his word gladly; and a kind of native constable, who was in the village, promised to collect the opinion of the inhabitants, and to bring a report to us, concerning the proposed school. The man has not yet paid us his promised visit.

By his journey Cornelius became acquainted with a very popu lous part of the country, totally without the means of Christian knowledge; and a young man from the Columbo Seminary, a native of that district, having applied to us to appoint him to the office of a school-master, we directed him to bring us a list of scholars for a school at Pepiliyans, about half way to the hea

then village. The list has been brought, and the school-house is erecting, in the centre of three villages. I have not yet seen the place; but trust to give some satisfactory account of it in our next communication.

Cornelius goes on as usual, on week days visiting and exhorting in the schools under our direction, and preaching on the Sundays.

I am in hopes of getting a footing in the famed idolatrous village of Calaany, which is about nine miles on the other side of Columbo. We are about to erect a school nearly half way, on the same side of the river on which the celebrated temple stands, and, in fact, within the same district. The name of the village is Peliyagodde. The whole neighbourhood is noted for idolatry and vice. These two schools, and perhaps a third, seven miles in another direction, will, we hope, enable us to give you some interesting accounts in the next letter from his station. •

I thank my God, that our schools continue to warrant our expectations of good therefrom; and that they all appear, without exception, to be in a very good state. They have received a very great portion of my attention in the last quarter: and my dear wife has bestowed much labour on the female department of our different schools, which increases in interest and importance. She frequently visits them, as well by herself as in company with me; and is often greatly encouraged and animated in mind, by the attention and affection of her little pupils. When speaking to them as they stand around her, on the things of God, and the concerns of their souls, she has been many times pleased to observe their thoughtfulness, not unfrequently accompanied with tears. She has no doubt there are real impressions of a religious nature on the minds of many; and their desire to learn whatever is taught them, continues unabated.

It is, however, calculated to damp our ardent expectations respecting our scholars, when we reflect upon the numerous sicknesses to which they are exposed in this country, and reckon on the probability that many who receive our constant care will never reach the age of manhood. Such a reflection is calculated to cast a gloom upon our feelings, and to discourage our attempts, did we look no further than this world. But, though they may be removed from us by early deaths, and their immediate influence over their countrymen may thus appear to be prevented, yet they themselves are candidates for an eternity of blessedness. Those of them who are saved through our instrumentality, will be our ultimate crown of rejoicing: and it may please God to make their happy and peaceful removals out of this world, a more extensive good to their surviving acquaintance, than perhaps they could themselves have accomplished, had they been spared to manhood and old age.

ANNIVERSARIES.*

[We have just received the English periodical publications for June, from which we shall give some extracts, commencing with an account of the Anniversaries of the many important Religious and Charitable Societies, which were held in May last.

We are persuaded that our readers will be gratified to learn, that on the other side the Atlantic, a steady increase of Christian zeal is manifested by the large and respectable meetings of Christians, to renew their annual pledge of approbation and support to those Institutions which have sent the word of light and life to millions of our fellow-men.]

The Anniversary Meetings of this month, have, in general, been crowded-some of them to an excess that has been distressing; both on account of the inconveniences which those who ultimately gained admittance had to struggle against, and on account of the numbers, who, equally entitled to admission with those who obtained it, were compelled to give up the attempt.

Of the Societies which met in Freemasons' Hall, the Church Missionary Society experienced the greatest inconvenience. The tickets required by the members, and issued to them, amounted to about 2500-double the number of those persons whom the Hall will suitably accommodate.

WESLEYAN MISSIONS.

Second Annual Meeting.-This Meeting was held in the CityRoad Chapel, on Monday, May 3d. Joseph Butterworth, Esq.

in the chair.

The adoption of the Report, which was read by the Rev. Richard Watson and the Rev. Jabez Bunting, was moved by the Rev. Walter Griffith, and seconded by Dr. Zukenbeker.

Dr. Zukenbeker is a young Russian physician, who is come over to this country to perfect his medical education. While studying at Edinburgh, he was led, by particular circumstances, into intercourse with a sensible and pious lady, who, finding him ignorant of the nature and blessings of True Religion, recommended and urged his serious perusal of the Scriptures-and not in vain he found a happiness of which before he had no notion: he came hither without a Bible in his possession; but he trusted that he should return to his native country, not only with the Bible in his possession, but with its inestimable treasure in his heart.

Mr. Brown, late a Missionary to the Republican part of the Island of Hayti, but who had been obliged to withdraw, with his colleague, Mr. Catts, through the violent opposition raised against them, stated, that in the midst of the grossest superstition and ignorance, they had thirty approved Members, and eighteen

* For a notice of the Anniversary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, see last number, page 217.

on trial, when they left the Island. The great body of the people, who profess the Roman Catholic faith, are in a state of gross ignorance and superstition. When a woman, who gave some hopes of her being awakened to serious reflection, came to converse with him, he asked, "Do you pray?" She answered, "I do not know what you mean." Another, however, answered for her, "She knows how to make the sign of the Cross!" This might be considered as a fair specimen of the degree of religious knowledge which prevails. The people, like their heathen ancestors and brethren, carry about with them little charms-the Gregrees and Fetiches of the African heathen-which they belive will not only preserve them from evil in this word, but will secure to them life everlasting. A man who came to him to learn to read, asked, very seriously, if he were to light so many candles to the Virgin Mary, whether she would help him to learn his lessons! Another told him that he had lost some wood, and wished him to tell him where he might find it. Applications of this nature were by no means uncommon; and we fear, that, in this and other respects, superstition has an equally baneful influence much nearer home.

In reference to the subject to which we have just alluded, the Rev. Samuel Wood, from Ireland, noticed certain institutions in that Island, called "Purgatorian Societies." Each member pays one penny a week. Every member who shall have belonged to the Society six months is entitled, if he die a natural death and be not in arrears, to three Masses-one, in the week of his decease; a second, a month after; and the third, twelve months from his death; by these Masses, they are taught that their souls are redeemed out of Purgatory. What an enormous sum may this superstition produce! Take but one million of the people as under its baneful influence-one million, paying cach one penny per week, would produce fifty-two millions of pence, or £.216,666 13s. 4d.

About sixty Sermons, in behalf of the Institution, had been preached on the preceding day, in the various Chapels of the Society in and round the metropolis.

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Nineteenth Anniversary.-The Annual Sermon, on this occasion, was preached on Monday evening, May 3d, at St. Bride's Church, Flect-street, to a very large congregation, by the Hon. and Rev. Gerard Thomas Noel, M. A. Vicar of Rainham, Kent, from Isaiah liii. 10--12.

The Annual Meeting was held on Tuesday, the 4th, at Freemason's Hall. The Hall was crowded to excess; a great number of the Members of the Society could not gain admission. At twelve o'clock, Lord Gambier, the President, took the chair,