connected with the object of the work, and written in Dr. Parish's best manner. Compression is not an attribute of this book-several things are repeated-and order is sometimes set at defiance, and the style is not always obedient to the laws of taste, yet very figurative and animated. Besides relating the facts, of which we have made an imperfect abstract, the book proceeds to finish the history of the college, giving an account of the studies, &c. and concluding with a eulogy of the two deceased professors Smith and Hubbard. There is in various parts of the work an ample commemoration of the principal benefactors of the school and the college.

The pious zeal and the invincible constancy of Dr. Wheelock; the liberality of his patrons, especially of some in the mother country; the patient and active labours of his coadju tors, are very evident. Whether it was judicious to expend such an amount of the disposable funds in clearing wild land admits a question. The primary design of the establishment has been but partially effected; indeed has failed. The large sums collected in this country, and the larger contributions raised in Great Britain, with the fond expectation of converting the Indians, have been expended upon that object, yet what fruit remains? But though the natives have not obtained the gospel, the state of New Hampshire has obtained a flourishing university. In spite of the reluctant and stinted patronage of the state, and its neglect to make good to the institution the loss of the township which was conveyed by a bad title, as the condition of fixing it with all its considerable funds in that state, Dartmouth university has lived and grown, and will no doubt acquire continually more strength.

The book, in consequence probably of having two authors, differs from itself in estimating the effects of Dr. Wheelock's labours.

"The school and the college have happily answered the hopes of their founder and benefactors; the state of society among the six nations has been essentially improved," &c. p. 139. "The labour of Dr. W. was immense; his scheme in theory was most flattering, but in a great degree it disappointed his hopes." p. 141.

The success of the attempts to evangelize the natives has not been equal among the sects of Christians. The savages of this country have no great objections to changing the object of

their worship and their rites. It is not very difficult for a missionary of talents to persuade them to take his word for the facts in the sacred history, to believe in the account of the creation, the fall, the deluge, the miracles in the Old Testament, and the history of the New Testament, to believe in the trinity in unity, in the influence of an evil spirit, and in the doctrine of heaven and hell. They can easily be made to come to church, to pray and sing, and especially to have their children baptized. An able, exemplary, and pious missionary, with an interesting manner, will have some influence in restraining their passions, in checking drunkenness, quarrelling and murder; and he will find a number of women, and here and there a man, as pious and sober as common good Christians among the whites. So much may ordinarily be done among them by a competent missionary of either the protestant or popish communions, living statedly among them. But arts and industry, and civilized manners, and a taste for the comforts of an improved style of living, and a capacity of the moral influence of laws, are not to be produced by the sermons or prayers, nor by the good example of one or two individuals ever so much respected in their sacerdotal character, nor by two or three years schooling among the English. More powerful causes must be brought into operation, and then it will be with partial effect. The Roman Catholicks make the most converts. In South America it is well known the Jesuits not only made the Indians papists, but did much to change their habits of living. The Moravians keeping several missionaries together, and some of them with families, have had no contemptible success. Considering their zeal and exertion, perhaps those of the puritan cast, we mean the congregational and presbyterian sects, and of the Calvinistick or Hopkinsian orthodoxy, have reaped the most slender harvest. Men of abilities can serve their generation and promote religion in situations more inviting; so that the chance is against finding an able man to take the office. When such an one is found, he is probably an enthusiast for some particular modification of Christianity; perhaps a bigot to the tenets and phraseology of a sect. His first object is to indoctrinate his pagan pupil in what he calls the peculiar doctrines of Christianity; and he thinks he does nothing unless he makes him orthodox. He

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aims the five points naked at the heart. The effect is generally disgust, perplexity, or terrour-sometimes conversionof which, however, the savage has often the most vague and imperfect, perhaps pernicious sentiments. He worships the God of Christians as only more powerful and tremendous than any other; and very probably separates religion in some degree at least from morality, and experiences from goodness. In the mean time the service of the presbyterian offers few rites to strike the senses and to exercise obedience; those it does contain are, excepting the common worship, confined to the serious and exemplary few. We give a specimen of some talks which we have seen of the six nations to one of the mildest and most considerate of the missionaries of this school.They show how the faith of these sons of nature is endangered by the different sorts of doctrine and discipline which they had learned.

"Father attend. Hear how the minds of your children are disposed. We have considered our present circumstances, with a review of our past conduct; and have many days sat in council upon the work of reformation. In order to which, we have recollected our first engagements to you, when we began in earnest about the things of religion. We then re

solved by the help of God to cast away and banish from the town all wickedness and witchcraft, the works of the devil; in a word, ali such things as God our Maker disapproves and abhors.

"We are now resolved to abide by and hold fast to our first engage. ments, and whenever we are attacked and overcome by the deceitfulness of sin and power of the devil, we shall renew the work of repentance, and make all new, that we may get forwards towards a new life.

"This is what each one has said speaking for himself. The considera. tion of our warriours leaving us soon to hunt a while in the woods; and the uncertainty of life, has quickened us to this resolution. And, if through the mercy and protection of our heavenly Father, these warriours shall be preserved in their spring hunt, and we who continue at home experience the same mercy, when we shall meet again in safety, we purpose to renew this covenant, and press forward after a greater reformation.———

– We cannot consent to part with, much less to reject the word of God-Jesus' good news-no, no; although we be daily attacked and sometimes even worsted by the devil, as soon as we come to ourselves, we shall seek for repentance and reformation.

"Father, possess your mind in peace, and don't let us grieve you; as you have become our spiritual teacher. Your children labour under great subjects; being ignorant of the

difficulty in discoursing upon spiritual

word of God, we cannot speak wisely. You white people know God's

word, nature, and perfections; but we Indians do not understand it; it is darkness to us.

"Our minds are filled with anxiety and concern; the reason is this, you white people publish to us two different commands of God, as though God had two minds. Jesus' good news has become two. The one we formerly heard by our first teachers---their voices all agreed as one; although some of them came from another quarter, viz. Canada, who were of a different language, yet taught the same thing---At least they were so near alike that in our opinion they were one." "Romish priests and ministers of the church of England had been missionaries among us. But you New England ministers (or Presbyterians) have come to us with a new command of God-altogether new; or another gospel. This is the reason why the minds of some of our children are, and have been for a long time filled with anxiety and perplexity, not knowing which way to turn; each path bearing marks of uncertainty. And you have become more rigid and severe with us than at your first settling amongst us ; whether you know more of the word of God, or find us worse, or both, we don't determine." "Father, hear how things were with us once. Our former instructers, our first ministers, were very fond of baptizing our children. Instantly upon being desired-they taught us that children should be baptized as soon as they made their appearance in our world; and that delays were dangerous. No matter what character the parents sustained—if they were fools, and under the power of Satan and dominion of sin, let them look out for a good and wise man to stand in their stead, and the child be given to him, and then the water was sprinkled without any further ado—likewise adults-if any adult person was desirous to become a Christian and be made holy, he must look out for a man from among the people to give him a name, learn the Lord's prayer, creed, and ten commandments, and confess his sins; and then he was baptized without any objections or any further questioning. What they taught was not very hard or difficult. They required nothing in the case of baptisms, but what might be easily complied with. of baptizing either children or adults. among us yet unbaptized, and some have ed. This we view by the light of our former instructions as confining the word of God, and shutting up the way to heaven, or making it very nar

row.

But you, Father, are not so fond We have now many children gone out of the world unbaptiz

"Some among us have been resolved on baptism; but reflecting on the long and severe examinations you oblige them to pass through, and that they were more likely to be denied than accepted, have been frightened back, and turned to their old practices; and many fear that they shall die unbaptized, and so consequently perish and be miserable forever.

Father, we apprehend God is not well pleased with this; however,we do not determine one way or the other, being ignorant of the word of God -we pray you to tell us just what God has commanded and revealed in his very mind. As for our part, we rather choose the old way, agreeable

to our first instructers-persons or doctrines don't appear to change in that, nor any thing very hard-things continue with them, just as they were, when they first set out.” “We dare not require our father to embrace the old way, lest we should break some divine injunction, not knowing the holy book; we rather say, Father, consider the matter, and what we have said. We don't think your presbyterian way is wrong, nor do we say the old way is wrong, but both right; however, we choose the old way, being most easy. We salute you, and close our speech."

It is apparent how naturally a rude people convert religion to superstition, and substitute the form for the substance of piety. The following extract proposes another method.

"Perhaps we shall yet discover that the best method to make savages christians, is for christians first to make them comfortable and happy. Instead of employing their young men in our seminaries in reading the Latin and Greek poets, which has a tendency to make pagans of christians, let them be taught the useful arts, and the first rudiments of religion. Let them return to their tribes, and erect more commodious dwellings than their neighbours and brethren: let them better cultivate their gardens, and provoke emulation around them. Let our missionaries be men of business; let them be farmers, mechanicks, and physicians. The people of Otaheite say to their missionaries, "you tell us of our salvation, and behold we are dying." They point to their sick, and ask their preachers whether they can heal them. Were they physicians they would rise superiour to the conjurers, who are always hostile to the gospel, and who alone pretend to the healing art. Let the missionaries show them how to build and plant. Thus, by relieving the distresses of the sick, and increasing the comforts of all, they may win their hearts and command their confidence. Let them begin their instructions with the evident first principles of natural religion; "tell them what they themselves do know," before they exhibit orthodox creeds or abstruse catechisms. In these ways perhaps a new era may mark the history of missionary societies, and new success encourage and reward their benevolent sacrifices."

INTELLIGENCE.

Fourth Report of the Directors of the African Institution, read at the Annual General Meeting, on the 29th of March, 1810.

THE

(Continued from page 279.)

HE directors having applied to Dr. Roxburgh, of Calcutta, for his assistance in obtaining seeds and plants from India, have the satisfaction to state, that they have received the most libe