quainted with Christianity, yet in reality are grossly ignorant of its plainest doctrines. Still it would not be proper to class these persons with heathens. So the vast multitudes, in our old and new settlements, who disregard the Sabbath, and pay no serious attention to the concerns of eternity, are not to be called heathens. Unless they repent, the heathen will rise up against them, at the last day, to their condemnation. They possess knowledge enough greatly to enhance their guilt and punishment.

The manner of conducting emigrations into the wilderness, in every district of our frontier, has been deplorably bad. A large part of the emigrants have usually been destitute of property, and not strongly at- . tached to religious privileges. Though from early habit and other causes, they have held forth the expectation that, at some future time, they should have a settled ministry, yet they have carelessly left this time indefinite, and year after year has passed away without preaching, and without any public observance of the Sabbath. The emigrants have often met in the same place from very distant regions, and without any bond of union. Engrossed with the labors of subduing a wilderness, and filled with flattering hopes of improving their temporal condition, they have too often lost that little feeling of dependence on God, which they formerly had; and thus the way has been prepared for still deeper declension. We have not time to state the various process, till, in many instances, God has interposed, ministers have been settled, churches formed and enlarged, and a moral desert has been adorned with verdure and beauty.

If emigrations had been conducted till the present time on the plan of our ancestors, the great evils, which have resulted from the present system, would have been prevented. A hundred years ago, and previously to that period, every new settlement was made by a little colony, sufficiently numerous to support a minister. Thus the means of moral and religious improvement were co-extensive with the advancing population. This system was simple, easy of execution, and wonderfully efficacious That it was not longer continued must be imputed to the influence of the French wars with the British colonies, and the revolutionary war.

As emigrations from the older to the new settlements will be perpetually occurring, till all North America shall have become thickly settled, it is now a matter of great importance to fix upon the best manner of conducting them. Would our limits permit, we should be glad to discuss the subject at some length. As the case is, we can only state briefly the following rules, or suggestions.

1. The mere improvement of one's temporal condition is not of itself sufficient to justify emigration.

2. No man ought to remove his family, or himself, to a place, where their spiritual privileges will be less; in a word, whence they will be less likely to reach heaven.

5. In forming a judgment on this point, every man should think soberly, and not build his hopes on any uncommon interposition in his behalf.

4. Those, who oppose emigrations, should oppose them only on the ground above stated; and, when this ground is removed, all parties

should cordially aid them. It is perfectly absurd to hope, or to wish, that such a people as ours, placed in such a continent, should preserve a population of a given density, and migrate only when that density is exceeded. The most that can fairly be demanded is, that all emigrants should carry with them every good institution of the older settlements. This may be demanded, and is in itself practicable.

5. Men of considerable property should embark in well organized little colonies. There are no circumstances, in which wealth does so much good, as in the settlement of new countries. There is no place, in which a Christian in common life can do so much good, as in bending all his energies to give a right direction to a new settlement.

6. When Christians emigrate, they should go with a firm determination to enjoy the preaching of the Gospel speedily, and to establish schools and libraries. They should reject with disdain the common excuse, that new settlements are not able to support the Gospel. This excuse is rarely true; and when it is true the settlement should be immediately andoned. Christians have no right to go where the Gospel is not, and cannot be, preached. But if new settlers valued the Gospel as they ought, they would find themselves able to support preachers and schoolmasters from the very origin of the settlement. They would want self-denying, enterprising young men for ministers; men of a missionary character, who could encounter hardships with cheerfulness, and submit to privations without murmuring. After all, the privations of a new settlement, in a healthful climate, and with a prospect of daily improvement, are very small things.

A strong plea in favor of Education Societies is found in the urgent need of young men to accompany new settlers, as ministers, at their first removal. As the importance of this subject is more and more felt, the demand will be greater and greater. To a young man of a truly devoted heart few places can offer stronger inducements, than a call to accompany a little band of Christians in their first inroad upon the wilderness. Such a call unites the employment of a missionary with that of a settled minister. It elevates a man to the dignified station of a patriarch over a rising community, and establishes an influence, which will descend to future ages.

In the former part of this review, we stated from the Report, that there are about 10,000 clergymen in the English established church, and as many dissenting teachers in England. By repeating this statement we did not mean to be responsible for its accuracy, though we had no doubt it was made on what was considered as good authority. We have seen in what manner the number of dissenting teachers is swelled; viz, by reckoning in the list all persons, who have taken out a license from the government to hold a dissenting place of worship. But scarcely one third of these persons, are, in any proper sense of the word, cler, gymen. The majority are not pastors of churches; they pursue other Vocations, either of manual labor, or of trade, through the week; and occasionally, or perhaps statedly, preach to a small number of hearers, in a licensed private room, on the Sabbath. The number of clergy. men in the established church is placed far too low. The mistake arose from taking the number of livings, as stated in some printed documents, for the number of clergymen; whereas, from the constitution

of the English church, the clergy are always much more numerous than the livings. The non-resident clergy, that is, those who receive tithes from a parish in which they do not reside, and a compensation for services which they do not perform, amount to more than five. thousand. Most of these hold but one living. But they do not leave the parish without some spiritual teacher. The incumbent, if absent himself, must employ a curate. Thus a rector, or a vicar, with an income of 300 pounds, for instance, will be absent on account of his health, or for some reason not so satisfactory, and will employ a curate for 100 pounds. In this way it happens, that there are often two clergymen to one living. A great many of the clergy are employed as lecturers, chaplains to archbishops, bishops, the royal family, the army and navy, some of the nobility, hospitals, &c. &c. and many are engaged partly or wholly in the instruction of youth.*

Since the former part of this review was published, we have conversed with a clergymen, who has resided much in England, and possessed many opportunities of becoming acquainted with the religious state of things there. He kindly furnished the following statements.

There are in the established church 11,755 parishes, or livings; viz.

Rectories,
Vicarages,

Perpetual curacies, and chapels of ease,

5,098

3,687

2,970

These numbers are taken from Simpson's Plea for Religion, a book of undoubted authority. What follows is derived from estimates generally allowed in England to be correct, and from personal observation compared with these estimates. The clergy of the established church are estimated at 18,000 in round numbers. Those, who are not inducted into livings, are employed as curates, lecturers, chaplains, &c. Some few remain unemployed.

Thirty years ago the number of dissenting churches was about 1,400, since which time our informant thinks them doubled. Most of these have stated ministers, the g eater part of whom are educated men. This number includes the Baptists; but not the Wesleyan Methodists. The preachers of this last denomination are numerous, as may be seen by their annual reports. We regret that we have not their last report at hand, that we might give the numbers exactly. The number of ministers called evangelical in England; that is, men who would agree substantially with Mr. Newton, Mr. Cecil, Mr. Scott, Mr. Simeon, Mr. Vaughan, Mr. Venn, and Mr. Wilson of the church, and with Andrew Fuller, Robert Hall, Dr. Willians, Mr. Jay, and Mr. Burder, among dissenters, is supposed to be as follows:

In the church of England,

Dissenters, including Calvinistic Methodists,

800

2,800

The dissenters of all classes were thirty years ago supposed to constitute one sixth part of the people, who actually and regularly attend public worship. They are now supposed to constitute one third part. Of course, the remaining two thirds worship in churches of the establishment.

The principal schools for the education of dissenting ministers are the Old College, Homerton, and the Old College, Hoxton; both on the borders of London. There is also a school at Hackney, for the education of missionaries to labor in England. This institution is caled the Village Itinerancy. Many churches have been planted through its instrumentality.

There is a newly established and endowed school for the Baptists at Stepney, near London; and another for the same denomination at Bristol.

Besides the above, there are several of less note in different parts of the country; and, of late, young men are placed under the care of learned ministers, in order to fit them for Hoxton and Homerton. Hoxton sends out about 40 your g men every 4 years, and Homerton about 20 every 6 years. Both these schools have some funds, or patronage, by which they send some of the students to take degrees in the Scotch universities.

To return to our own country; we exceedingly need more accurate ecclesiastical statistics, than are now to be found. The Christian public ought to know, not only how many clergymen now living have enjoyed the benefit of a liberal education; but how many of these are active, efficient, faithful laborers. It ought also to be known, how many there are, who have not been educated at college, but who are yet able and competent ministers; and how many, who are very usefully employed in the service of their Lord, who are not so well qualified as could be desired; how many of each description are settled, and how many itinerate. But above all it should be known, how many places there are, in every part of our country, where good ministers could be immediately settled, if they could be obtained. Such information would show in a manner more and more irresistible, the urgent necessity for Education Societies. Let this information be collected from every quarter, and poured into the public ear, and obtruded upon the public eye, till every man, who is not deaf and blind, shall see or hear it; and till such an excitement shall be produced, as will secure the education of every promising young man, who will devote himself to the ministry. It will not be time to stop, till there shall be no call for missionaries or ministers.

We conclude by expressing our joy at the success and encouraging prospects of the Society, whose Report has given occasion to these remarks, and by imploring the divine benediction upon all its future operations.

NEW PUBLICATIONS.

THE Second Annual Report of the American Society for colonizing the Free People of Color of the United States. With an appendix. Washington: Davis and Force. 1819. pp. 131.

Proceedings of the Bible Society of Nassau Hall, at their semi-annual meeting, March 20, 1818, and annual meeting, Aug. 8, 1818. Philadelphia: Thomas and William Brauf rd; 1818. pp. 28.

Eighth Report of the Board of Managers of the New Jersey Bible Society, read before the Society at their annual meeting held at Burlington, on the 26th of August, 1818. Trenton: George Sherman. 1818. pp. 28.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

L. if admitted at all, must receive great alterations.

Y. X. came to hand several weeks ago. No objection is made to the articles, on account of the execution; but the writer is informed that reviews are not admitted, unless their authors are known.

QUIDAM will observe, that the same objection will exclude his communication.

The Unitarians have some few small schools, in different parts of the country; but those, which were in or near London, have been superseded by the orthodox. Unitarianism is undeniably and very rapidly declining in Great Britain.

The colleges above-mentioned are mostly supported by voluntary contribution. The students are admitted by an examining committee, and are taken as probationers for some few months. All must be in full communion.

Legal licenses, or certificates to preach, are instruments granted in a civil court, where the applicants take an oath of obedience as good subjects.

What may be called regular licenses from among the dissenters themselves, are either from the tutors in the schools, or from churches, who have had evidence of the person's qualifications: though, in a free country, there are many who take upon themselves to preach; and some find hearers, and even establish congregations. This latter class is but small.

[OUR readers are aware, that Mrs. Nichols was one of the missionary company, who embarked for Bombay, Oct. 5, 1817. During the first twelve days of the passage she was not able to hold a pen, from excessive sea sickness and consequent debility. On commencing the journal, and after mentioning the many comforts she had enjoyed, and the kind attentions she had received, she proceeds thus:]

In recounting some of the mercies of God, I would not fail to mention his great condescension, in granting me, as I humbly believe, the comforting influences of his Holy Spirit. In the midst of pain and distress, I was enabled to lean on his almighty arm, and trust my life and soul in his hands. I would adore his name forever, that I was made willing to be entirely at his disposal; willing to live, to die, or to suffer as much pain and sickness as the wisdom of God might inflict. Who would not rejoice in such a heavenly frame of mind? Who would not adore the infinite grace of God, for such expressions of his love,-for such manifestations of himself, and for such an acquiescence in his will? "Bless the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits."

[Mr. Graves was just beginning to recover of a fever when the ship sailed. He and Mr. Nichols were entirely exempted from sea sickness.]

Last week one of our crew fell overboard, and after having been tossed about by the waves for one hour and a half, was very providentially saved. I have since talked with the man, and found him to be somewhat thoughtful. He told me, that be abandoned all hope of regaining the ship. I asked him how he felt at that awful moment, with regard to his soul. He replied that he was considerably alarmed. This solemn providence is a warning to us all, to have our lamps trimmed and burning. We are every moment exposed to death. This is true on land, but not in the same sense as it is at sea.

On Tuesday night following our embarkation, we had a tremendous squall of wind. All hands were called, and the ship was exceedingly tossed.

Friday, Oct. 24. I am now able to sit on the deck most of my time. Nothing will contribute more to my recovery, I presume, than air and exercise. Here I sit with two pillows, and when I am unable to go below, I have my dinner or supper brought up. We have good cyder, and this I find a luxury.

"It is with joy I anticipate the coming of this evening, for I know the sisters will pray for me. The belief, that we are borne on the mighty waters in "a gale of prayer," affords us great satisfaction.

Delightful weather. We sail very slow. Not more than three or four miles an hour. Sometimes we have gone at the rate of ten, or ten and a half, in an hour. Last evening Mr. N. and myself spent in walking on deck, talking about home. You may well conclude, that it was a tender subject of conversation. The evening was delightful, the moon clear, and the air very salubrious. O how we wished to tell you that we were happy. We expect to think and talk much about home. We shall cherish a recollection of its dear objects; of the interesting, solemn, and happy scenes we have witnessed there.

I did not mention that on the evening of the 17th we had a meeting for deliberation. Adopted the following articles of agreement; viz.

1. That we attend social worship twice every Sabbath; one exercise to be held on deck, before the ship's company, when the weather will permit; the other exercise to be attended in the cabin.

2. That we observe the monthly concert of prayer.

3. That on every Tuesday, we devote two hours, immediately after dinner, to exercises in English Grammar.

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