Wilson's Scripture Manual, a Stereotype Edition. An Annual Work is announced under the Title of JANUS. We are promised the first Volume before the Termination of this Year. The Prospectus states, that the most distinguished Literary Men in the Kingdom are engaged in the Undertaking. It will appear in one Volume, Post Svo, and will consist of Tales, original and translated, occasional Essays, popular Illustrations of History and Antiquities, serious and comic Sketches of Life and Manners, &c. &c. A Work, entitled, "The CONTEST of the TWELVE NATIONS; or a Comparison of the different Bases of Human Character and Talent," in one Volume, Svo. This Work consists of Twelve Chapters; in each of which a different Kind of Genius, or Turn of Mind, is brought into View, described, and copi. ously illustrated by an Enumeration of its distinctive Qualities, and their Modifications.-The Object of the Work is, to show that the Peculiarities of Character observable in every Individual may be traced to some one or another of twelve Departments, and that he may have his Place assigned him in a classified View of the Diversities of human Nature. Essays and Sketches, designed to illustrate the Mode of Education pursued in Sunday Schools, and to remedy some of their most important Defects. By A. H. Davis, Author of the Teacher's Farewell, &c. 1 Vol. 18mo. A Book of Martyrs for the Young. By the Rev. Isaac Taylor; illustrated with upwards of 50 Engravings, from Designs by Harvey, and engraved by Sears. Intelligence, &c. Religious Liberty in Buenos Ayres. the consideration of the honourable re THE government of Buenos Ayres has formally recommended to the House of Representatives of that province, the establishment of the liberty of divine worship in the broadest and most unrestricted manner, by the adoption of the following simple but comprehensive law: "The right which every man has to worship the Divinity agreeably to his own conscience, is inviolable in the territory of the province." In the note accompanying their proposition, the government adopt a language which must be highly gratifying to every friend of religious liberty. They say that the term toleration is too tame, and ought not to be introduced into any law which shall be framed on the subject. "The province," say they, "would appear to descend from the point of civilization which it has attained, if it were to establish a law of toleration, or to pretend to grant a liberty, which the public authority was always obliged to protect; but since the laws that formerly governed, render necessary an act to abolish them and give a solemn guarantee to persons who may wish to live in our society, the government has found no other way to do it with dignity than by the proposed law, which it has the honour to transmit for VOL. XVII. presentatives. This act, which will complete the liberty of the citizens, will not be less glorious than that which solemnly declared the independence of the republic." Papal Supremacy in Mexico. WE have received three recent numbers of the Gazetta Diaria of Mexico, (of July 23, 24, and 25,) through which there runs a long and interesting article by a Dr. Mier, on the encyclic letter published by His Holiness Pope Leo XII. on his attaining the triple crown. The American Doctor, though a good Catholic, and therefore disposed to pay all due obedience to the proper exercise of spiritual authority, professes himself an inveterate enemy of the temporal Court of Rome, and a strenuous antagonist of those haughty pretensions by which it formerly disposed of kingdoms and deposed kings. This encyclic epistle had been introduced into Mexico by a species of ecclesiastical fraud, and published without the permission of the sovereign power. The Doctor shows, by a reference to the example of the Catholic states of Europe, that no Pope's writ can lawfully be promulgated in Mexico unless subscribed by the Pre 2 x sident of the Union; and he offers better Extract of a letter, dated Mexico, July 2: "It has been supposed that this country was more under the influence of Roman Catholic superstition than the other States of Spanish America, but the letter of Padre Mier on the subject of the circular written by his Holiness, and addressed to the Mexican people, will tend, wherever it is circulated, to produce a contrary impression. Dr. Mier's letter has been read and approved of by `afl Proposed School for the Children of In the Paper on the above subject in London. J. I. ASSOCIATIONS. SOUTH DEVON AND CORNWALL. THE South Devon and Cornwall Association of Baptist Churches held their first Anniversary Meeting at Truro, on Wednesday and Thursday, the 11th and 12th of May, 1825. The sermons delivered on this occasion were preached by the brethren Burchell, of Falmouth, from John xiii. 35; Nicholson, of Kingsbridge, Matt. xxiv. 14; and Horton, of Devonport, 1 Peter i. 23. The devotional exercises were conduct. ed by brethren Nicholson, of Plymouth; Lane, of Helston; Spasshatt, of Falmouth; Dore, of Redruth; Horton, of Devonport; Clarke, of Truro; Smith, of Truro, (Wesleyan); Hodge, of Chace water; Rogers, of Helston; and Moore, of Truro, (Independent.) On the afternoon of Wednesday, a Meeting for friendly conference on some religious topic was convened. The subject selected was, "The Nature of Heavenly Felicity." Each of the brethren who spoke, directed his observations to some particular feature of the happiness of heaven. The ideas illustrated wereFreedom from sin-Uninterrupted enjoyment of the Divine presence-Perfect love -Enlarged knowledge, and communion with Christ. The public services of the Association terminated on Thursday evening, when a Meeting was held for the purpose of stating the objects, and advocating the cause, of the Baptist Home Missionary Society, to which this Union of the Churches is designed to be auxiliary. A Report was read, and a Collection made. The subject of the Circular Letter for this year is," The Nature of the Prosperity of a Christian Church, and the best Means of promoting it." It was agreed to hold the next Meeting at Bovey-Tracey, Devon, and that one of the sermons preached on that occasion should relate to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The next Circular Letter to define "The Privileges and Duties of Church Members.” It was resolved, "That it be recommended to the Churches composing this Union, to take into consideration the expediency of forming some plan for the better regulation of the admission of building cases into this district." WESTERN DISTRICT. THE Association for part of the Western District, comprising twenty-six churches, was held at Yeovil, on Wednesday and Thursday, June 8 and 9. Sermons were preached by the brethren Baynes, of Wellington, (Isa. lvii. 1); Crewkerne, (Rom. viii. 26, 27); and Sho. Viney, (1 Cor. xvi. 13, 14); Crook, of veller, (Col. i. 27.)-The devotional ser. vices were conducted by the brethren Toms, Crook, Horsey, Jukes (Independent,) W. Humphry, Whitby, Cox, Price, Clarke, Viney, and Chapman. Subject of the Circular Letter:-" The Nature and Effects of true and genuine Religion in the Soul, and the Means of promoting it." State of the Churches :-Added, 82;— Removed, 31:-Clear increase, 51. The next Association to be held at Lyme, Dorset, on the second Wednesday and Thursday in June, 1826. ORDINATIONS, &c. Ordination of Mr. Walter Gough, at Wem, Shropshire. JULY 1, 1825, Mr. Walter Gough was set apart to the pastoral office over the Baptist Church at Wem, Shropshire. Mr. Kent, of Shrewsbury, began the service by reading and prayer; Mr. Cook, of Oswestry, delivered the introductory discourse, asked the usual questions, and received the confession of faith; Mr. Price, of Banton, offered up the ordination prayer; Mr. Jones, of Newton, delivered the charge from Acts xx. 28; Mr. Jenkin (Independent) concluded in prayer. In the evening, Mr. Kent, of Shrewsbury, addressed the church from 1 Thess. v. 12, 18; Mr. Phillips, of Whychurch, preached on the preceding evening, from Isa. ix. 9. Many ministers, and large and attentive congregations were present. New Church formed at Milton, near Northampton. ON Monday afternoon, June 13, 1825, a new Baptist Church was formed at Milton, near Northampton, consisting of seventeen members, sixteen of whom were dismissed from the church at Road, and one from Northampton. Mr. Knowles, of Hackelton, began the service, by reading and prayer. Mr. Wheeler, of Braybrook, explained the nature and design of church-fellowship, and gave to each member the right hand of fellowship, as they all did to each other. Mr. Gray, of Chipping Norton, addressed the members, and the deacons now elected, and commended them to the Divine blessing by prayer-the ordinance of the Supper was commemorated, under the superintendence of Mr. Heighton, of Road. Mr. Grey preached in the evening. DOCKHEAD, BERMONDSEY. THE Baptist Church under the pastoral care of the Rev. B. Lewis, having removed to Dean-street, Southwark, with the exception of a few members, who preferred remaining at Dockhead, another church was formed at the last-mentioned place, on Lord's-day evening, October 2, 1825. The services were conducted in the following manner :-Mr. John Pewtress commenced by reading and prayer; Mr. Young, of Alfred-place, Kent-road, preached from 2 Cor. xiii. 11;"Be of one mind, live in peace," &c.; and Mr. Donglas concluded the general service of the evening. The church was then formed. After which the Lord's Supper was administered by Mr. William Dovey, late of Maiden-lane, Covent Garden: the service concluded by prayer. On Monday evening, October 3rd, the members held their first Church Meeting, when, after seeking for Divine direction, they proceeded to elect two of their number to the office of deacons, who, on the following Lord's-day evening, were set apart by the laying on of hands, and prayer, several ministers assisting on the occasion. The prospect of usefulness is encouraging. SONNET. "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.' 'Tis this that fam'd Olympus far outvies, B. C. The phenomenon here referred to " is produced by a diminution of the density of the lower stratum of the atmosphere, which is caused by the increase of heat, arising from that communicated by the rays of the sun to the sand with which the stratum is in immediate contact;"-in consequence of which the traveller imagines that he sees, at no great distance," something like a lake or river of fresh water. If, perchance, he is not undeceived, he hastens his pace to reach it sooner; the more he advances towards it, the more it dies from him, till at length it vanishes entirely, and the deluded passenger often asks, where is the water he saw at no great distance. He can scarcely believe he was so deceived; he protests that he saw the waves running before the wind, and the reflection of the high rocks in the water." This phenomenon existed in the great desert of Judæa, and is expressly alluded to by the sublime and elegant Isaiah (xxxv. 7. Bishop Lowth's translation,) who, when predicting the blessings of the Messiah's spiritual kingdom, says: The glowing sand shall become a pool, By the Arabs, as well as the Hebrews, it is termed (serab); and to this day the Persians and Arabs make use of it, by an elegant metaphor, to express disappointed hope. The appellation by which this phenomenon is now generally known is Mirage. -See Belzoni's Narrative of his Operations and Researches in Egypt, and Horne's Introduction to the Critical Study of the Scriptures, Vol. iii. p. 56, 57. Irish Chronicle. To the Secretaries. Limerick, Sept. 15, 1825. With this I send you a statement of the schools, under my superintendance, for the present quarter, ending October 1, which are, as usual, persecuted. The visit of the Commissioners of Education has done no good whatever; but, on the contrary, it appears to have confirmed opposition; and the separating system recommended by them will, I have no doubt, promote the most unhappy differences, and confirm bigotry and superstition, if adopted. Conciliation is out of the question; the difference made in the education of the children will excite increase, and confirm prejudice. I have seen children of the same persuasion, of different hedge schools, when they met, began to fight, for no other reason, only that they belonged to different schools, wherein the children of the same school are generally fond and united. What must it be when the difference is introduced into the schools? But still worse in some parishes, where there is scarcely a Protestant, the Bible is entirely excluded, and the poor Roman Catholic children are for ever destined to perish in sin and ignorance. Whether or no, the Roman Catholics are not to have the scriptures, "which are able to make them wise unto salvation," and teach to fear God and honour the king, and to be in subjection to the powers that be, as ordained of God. Another objection to the system is, that the poor and extremely distressed people must principally pay for the education of their children, when the kindhearted and the benevolent would have cheerfully freed them from that burthen.* Nothing could be more admirably adapt ed to the circumstances of the country, than the system of education recommended and practised by the Baptist Irish Society, and also the Hibernian Society. I would add the Education Society, but that has withdrawn its friendly assistance from the other Societies, in consequence of the recommendation of the commissioners. If those Societies could have proceeded as they have done, the mental wilderness • See Irish Chronicle for July, 1825. would soon become a fruitful field, they would unite and enlighten the people, and constitution. I beg leave to mention and would attach themselves to the king two instances, which will show the great importance of scriptural instruction. I have just returned from the most remote, barbarous, and neglected part of Ireland, situate between sixty and seventy Irish miles west of Limerick, the western point of Ireland, in the county of Clare; the population is incredible; and for twentythree miles, from Kilrush to Loophead lighthouse, there is but one Roman Catholic chapel, and no other. The people have no regard for the Lord's-day, they work in their fields, and fish, and pursue brutal exercises; very few of them ever go to chapel, it is so distant. baha, where there are some excise preI preached two Lord's-days at Thisventive guards lately placed, some of whom are Protestants, who heard with church within twenty miles of them. I gladness, it also being a rare thing, no slept for thirteen nights on a green straw bed, in a dirty cabin, on a wet floor; and during that time I did not cease to speak to the people night and day, principally in the Irish language, as there is scarcely learned to read the Irish, that I might a word of anything else spoken. I have read to the people in their own language the blessed word of life. In the midst of this benighted and far distant region, the Baptist Irish Society Thrustleave, where there are thirty in has an Irish school, at a place called attendance, half of whom are reading the Irish scriptures. J- N-, the master, is a most devoted man, and goes a great distance round to read the Irish scriptures to the people, who hear him with the greatest attention. Now I mention the great importance of scriptural instruction: In giving me an account of his labours, he said he was reading the 22nd chapter of Luke in Irish, relative to the sufferings of our blessed Lord, when one of the number who were present, said to the rest, in Irish," If I were going to murder, or rob, or injure my neighbour, think of these words?” do you think I could do it, when I should He was reading the Irish scriptures at another time, to several people, when a man acknowledged and said, "I intend |