But, it will be asked, can we expect to find youths, of the proper age to be educated, who have made great proficiency in Christian virtue, and who have exhibited great evidence of a fitness for the ministry? That we are not to expect the maturity of an advanced Christian, in a youth of fifteen, is readily admitted. But does it follow, that no satisfactory evidence of good qualifications can be obtained, because the highest evidence is unattainable? The youth in question professes to love God, and to aim at the promotion of bis glory. Is it unreasonable to seek for evidence that he loves his fellow-men? that he is kind, obliging, ready to forgive, and willing to take pains, and endure labor, for the sake of doing good? The fact is, the character of boys is seen and known, in the neighborhoods where they live. A forward, pompous, sour, morose, sullen, selfish youth is easily distinguished from his companion, who is humble, modest, patient, kind, obliging and benevolent. And these various qualities, though differently mingled, are still discernible. Some people seem to suppose, that the mere design of being a minister will of itself sanctify the soul, and insure a fitness for the service of God in his church. But this is a vain hope. A proud and selfsh boy will be likely to become a proud and selfish man; at any rate, he will certainly become so, unless he reforms while a boy. It is the part of true wisdom, therefore, to look at characters just as they are; to see faults where they really exist; and, by timely friendship and genuine kindness, to aid in removing them.

While we would urge caution in selecting beneficiaries, we would more earnestly urge the duty of educating every youth in our country, who has eminent qualifications of nature and of grace. The services of one such young man, if his life and health should be spared, will be worth more to the community, than the education of a hundred would cost. Though eminent qualifications cannot be expected in every case, they should be secured whenever and wherever they are discovered.

The third difficulty stated by the Directors results from the inadequate views entertained by many pious people, as to the necessity of learning in a minister. But as the wild notions, which have been embraced on this subject, are fast vanishing away; and as they are disowned by respectable men of all denominations, we need not take up the time of our readers with them.

The fourth difficulty is, that many persons, who admit the necessity of ministers being learned men, are in no proper degree aware of the deficiency of such ministers in our country. This is doubtless a great difficulty; and it is here discussed with particularity, and forms the most prominent and elaborate part of the Report. Though we agree with the writer in nearly all his conclusious, and especially in his grand conclusion, that at least 6,500 competent religious teachers, in addition to all such teachers now laboring in our country, are needed to supply the people adequately with the preaching of the Gospel, yet we think some of his representations, even if not erroneous in themselves, are certainly erroneous as they would be understood. The most important statements under this bead are, in substance, as follows:

In calculations recently made on this subject, it has been common to allow, that the country would be properly supplied, if there were one educated minister to 1,000 souls. In England and Wales, with a VOL. XV.

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population of 10,000,000, there are 10,000 clergymen of the established church; and the dissenting preachers are supposed to be more numerous. If half of these are supposed to be properly qualified, there would be more than one to 1,000 inhabitants.

In 1755, there was in New England one liberally educated minister to every 628 souls. The U. S. now contain 9,000,000 people; and to furnish one minister to 1,000, would require 9,000 ministers.

From the catalogues of fourteen colleges, embracing all the old and most of the new literary institutions of this kind in our country, it appears that 1,465 ministers, alumni of these colleges, are now alive. This calculation stops at 1810; [so that the number is now probably somewhat greater.] The number from the other colleges in the U. S. is very small.

Of these 1,465 ministers, probably as many are superannuated and infirm, as ought to be reckoned for clergymen, who came from abroad and are now resident among us. To be liberal, however, let 135 more be added, making 1,600 educated ministers.

"As to the number of ministers, who have not received the advantages of collegial instruction, but who may yet be considered as competently qualified, it is supposed, that the pious and intelligent of every denomination will be satisfied with the estimate, if they be considered one half as numerous as those, who have been publicly educated; that is, to reckon them at 800. But say 900; and then the whole number will be 2,500 in the U. S., leaving a deficiency of 6,500.

The general view here given is confirmed by the following statements, respecting particular districts of the country.

In the Carolinas and Georgia, containing 1,200,000 souls, there are but about 110 competent ministers.

Michigan, Ind. Ill. Missouri, Lou. Mississippi and Alabama, containing 350,000, have not, so far as the writer could ascertain, more than 17 competent and stated preachers of the Gospel; less than one to 20,000 souls.

Other similar statements follow, to which we shall allude presently. It appears from college catalogues, that, for a hundred years from the settlement of the country, more than half the alumni became ministers; for the next 50 years, one out of three; for the forty closing with 1810, one out of five.

"Let the population of the U. S. increase for 70 years to come, as in the 70 years past, and let the number of educated ministers increase as they have done within the same period: the result will be 72,000,000 people, and 3,000 ministers; that is, one minister to 24,000.

'Let the same process be continued till 1925, only a little more than a century, when the population of our whole territory may equal in density the present population of Massachusetts Proper. It will then amount to 224,000,000, of whom 209,000,000 will be destitute of competent religious instruction.

"The Directors then add, that one minister to 1,000 souls would not be an adequate provision for the more thinly settled parts of the country; and that at least one third of our population will, for many gener ations, need one minister to 500 souls. Thus the present deficiency would stand at 8,666, instead of 6,500.

The Directors then make the following conclusions; viz.

"1. That to furnish an adequate supply for the United States, would require more than 11,000 well qualified ministers.

"2. That we actually have less than one fourth part of this supply.

3. That the ratio of supply has, for a long time, been regularly and rapidly on the decline.

4. That the number of pious young men, who are able to defray the expense of their own education for the ministry, is not sufficient to provide a remedy for this alarming state of things. Whether this fact can be explained or not, it is in vain to doubt it.

"5. The alternative before the church then, is clearly this; either our number of ministers must continue to decline, or pious and indigent youth must be assisted in their studies preparatory to the sacred office.

"That hundreds of such youth might be found every year, if proper encour agement were given, cannot admit of a doubt. The only question is, will good men make the necessary effort to meet the expense? It can be borne, without subjecting any family or individual to serious inconvenience. Only let the magnitude of the object be felt; let it be distinctly understood, that the grand point at issue respecting the unborn generations that are to inherit this goodly land, is, whether they shall enjoy Christian institutions, or sink into paganism; and it will be easy to show how the expense of the proposed remedy may be sustained.

"Nor must it be forgotten, that according to a fair division of the unevangelized nations to whom the Gospel is to be sent by Christians, one hundred millions would fall to the share of our country. For these, we ought with as little delay as possible, to furnish, at least two thousand missionaries.

"That it is entirely practicable and easy for the people of our country to bear the expense, which these measures contemplate, is capable of the clearest demonstration." pp. 21, 22.

With these conclusions we entirely agree, and would commend them to the consciences of our readers. If such statements, made in the most dispassionate manner, and supported by fact and argument, do not prompt to active and immediate exertions, we are at a loss to say what will.

But we must call the attention of readers to some of the foregoing representations, which we could wish had been a little modified.

We would here premise, that some persons among us, not satisfied with making out a clear and striking case of the destitute condition of many extensive districts in the U. S.; not satisfied with appealing to every motive, which could interest the heart of a Christian in behalf of his perishing countrymen, and especially in behalf of unnumbered millions of posterity, have made comparisons with other parts of Christendom, exceedingly disadvantageous to our own country. With this fault the Report before us is not greatly chargeable; but we seize the occasion to say a few words upon the subject.

It has even been intimated in print, that the people in this country are in a worse condition, with respect to the means of religious instruction, than the people of any part of Christendom, because, forsooth, the clergy in Spain, Italy, Russia, &c. are more numerous, according to the population, than the clergy of this country. In regard to such an outrageous comparison, it is difficult to speak in terms of moderation. Are the persons, who make this comparison, aware of the awful ingratitude, which it would seem to indicate toward the Author of the very great and peculiar spiritual privileges, which we

enjoy? Where is the country upon earth, which has been so distinguished as our own, within the last quarter of a century, for the faithful preaching of the Gospel, and for numerous conversions to God, the effect of that preaching? And because we have not a quarter so many able ministers, as might be usefully employed, in bringing the unadulterated doctrines of the cross to every man's door, in catechising every man's children, and preaching Christ faithfully on the Sabbath and from house to house, so that it should come into contact with every man's conscience, are we thence to compare ourselves with the people of Spain, for the simple reason that 6,000 clergy, so called, may be cooped up in Toledo, and as many more in Salamanca? with the peo~ · ple of Spain, where scarcely a ray of evangelical light is darted through the thick, palpable darkness of superstition and idolatry? of Spain, where the inquisition has been re-established in the nineteenth century; where the Bible is forbidden to the laity; and where there are no means of genuine religious instruction? We question whether a single man can be found, straggling on the head waters of the Missouri, who has so little prospect of hearing the Gospel, as the mass of the population in Madrid, Venice, Rome, or Paris; in short, as a vast majority of the people of Europe. We might include in this statement a large part of the people of London, and many populous districts in Ireland. Were we to say all that might justly be said in regard to the destitution of the Gospel in Russia, Poland, France, and Germany, we fear that many of our readers, who are not acquainted with undeniable facts, would deem us uncharitable, or under the influence of national prejudices. Let the intelligent Christian, who knows the real state of things in these countries, compare for himself.

The Report before us does not indeed compare this country with continental Europe; but there is an implied comparison between the number of preachers in the United States and those of England and Wales, which is calculated to make a false impression. We have abridged the paragraph; but we will now quote it entire.

"In all calculations which have been recently made on this subject, it has been common to allow that the country would be properly supplied, if there were one cducated minister to every thousand souls. That there should be at least this number, will appear reasonable, when we reflect that in England and Wales, with a population of 10,150,615, there are 10.434 clergymen of the established church; while the dissenting ministers are supposed to be even more numerous than those of the establishment. If only one half of these were estimated to possess competent qualifications, there would be more than one to 1,000 souls." pp. 10, 11.

From this statement the reader would be led to conclude, that there was one competent minister of the Gospel, actually laboring among the people of England and Wales, for every 1,000 souls; and from the subsequent statements it would appear, that, in this country, there are but 2,500 competent ministers for 9,000,000 souls: Whence it would be concluded, that the English are better supplied with ministers than our countrymen, in the proportion of 90 to 25, or about 11 to 3; in short, that we are little more than one quarter as well supplied with preachang as they are. Now we do not believe in this conclusion at all.

In regard to the 10,000 ministers of the established church, it appears from the most authentic documents, that more than half of these are non-residents; and ought not in any sense to be reckoned as pastors. How many of the residents are notoriously incompetent men; some scandalously immoral, and destitute of every semblance of piety; others mere students, or mere fox-hunters, preaching one short, dry, uninteresting sermon in a week to the walls of an empty house? We say nothing, which cannot easily be substantiated from writers of acknowledged eminence, who belong to the established church. How few are there among her clergy, comparatively speaking, who preach the Gospel plainly, faithfully, and ably? How few, who could be heard with profit by the people of this country? Let any man read Scott's Bible, in reference to this subject; let him ponder what is said of the avarice, greediness, dissoluteness, stupidity, cold morality, and vain philosophy of clergymen; and of the small number, who are faithful, laborious, self-denying, and successful preachers; and he cannot hesitate to believe, that the eyes of that good man have been pained through a long life by spectacles, which would not be tolerated a day in this country.

In regard to the dissenting clergy of England, we know that any person may be a clergyman, who chooses to take out a license. The late Rev. Charles Buck, who became a man of some eminence, took out a license when he was an attorney's clerk, at the age of 15. Had he been a shoemaker's or tinker's apprentice he might have done the same. Does any body believe, that this little twig of the law, who might know about as much as an ordinary freshman in one of our colleges, could be properly called a preacher of God's word, within a few months after he began even to think of religion? But all, who take out a license, are reckoned with dissenting clergymen; and this round number embraces all the sects and heresies, which are to be found in England. This license by the way, is a mere civil business, just like the license of an auctioneer, or a tavern-keeper, and has nothing in it of an ecclesiastical nature. No examination is necessary; and, in many instances, no preparation is made, and no qualifications are possessed.

Notwithstanding what has been said, there are undoubtedly more learned men among the clergy of the established church in England, in proportion to their numbers, than among the clergy of this country. There are more, also, who can write in a correct, polished, manly style; but we do not believe there are half so many able theologians, nor a quarter so many pungent, searching, powerful preachers. The dissenters include among their living members some of the greatest men of the present age; particularly Robert Hall, who would do honor to any age, or any country. But the dissenting clergy embrace a hundred sorts of characters. The greater part of them have had a very slender education, either academical, or theological. Vast numbers of them never had any education at all. If these are reckoned, it is undoubtedly correct to reckon similar sorts of preachers in our own country. We strongly suspect, that, beside the 2,500 competent clergymen allowed in the Report, there are more than twice that number in the United States, who preach occasionally, if not statedly, and who