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"The doctrines of the Syrian Christians are few in number, but pure, and agree in essential points with those of the Church of of England: so that although the body of the church appears to be ignorant, and formal, and dead, there are individuals who are alive to righteousness, who are distinguished from the rest by their purity of life, and are sometimes censured for too rigid a piety, In every church, and in many of the private houses, there are manuscripts in the Syriac language: and I have been successful in procuring some old and valuable copies of the Scriptures and other books, written in different ages and in different characters." pp. 214-216.

Our limits will not permit us materially to extend the review of this work in our present Number; but before we close the book, we wish to present our readers with one more extract from Dr. Buchanan's Journal. It is dated at

"Cande-nad, a Church of the Syrian Chrissians, November 23, 1806.-" This is the residence of Mar Dionysius, the metropolitan of the Syrian Church. A great number of the priests from the other churches had assembled by desire of the bishop, before my arrival. The bishop resides in a building attached to the church. I was much struck with his first appearance. He was dressed in a vestment of dark red silk; a large golden cross hung from his neck, and his

venerable beard reached below his

girdle. Such, thought I, was the appear ance of Chrysostom in the fourth century. On public occasions he wears the episcopal mitre, and a muslin robe is thrown over his under garment; and in his hand he bears the crosier, or pastoral staff. He is a man of highly respectable character in his church, eminent for his piety, and for the attention he devotes to his sacred functions. I found him to be far superior in general

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learning to any of his clergy whom I had yet He told me that all my conversations with his priests, since my arrival in the country, had been communicated to him. You have come,' said he, to visit a declining church, and I am now an old man :'but the hopes of its seeing better days cheer my old age, though I may not live to see them.' I submitted to the bishop my wishes in re gard to the translation and printing of the Holy Scriptures, I have already fully con sidered the subject,' said he, and have de termined to superintend the work myself, and to call the most learned of my clergy to my aid. It is a work which will illuminate these dark regions, and God will give it his blessing. 1 was much pleased when I heard this pious resolution of the venerable man; for I had now ascertained that there are upwards of 200,000 Christians in the south of India, besides the Syrians who speak the Malabar language.-The next subject of importance in my mind, was the collection of useful manuscripts in the Chal, daic and Syriac languages; and the bishop was pleased to say that he would assist my inquiries, and add to my collection. descanted with great satisfaction on the hope of seeing printed Syriac Bibles from England; and said they would be a treasure to his church.'" pp. 217, 218.

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It is impossible for one, who is a member of the Church of England, not to feel a peculiar degree of gratification in perusing this account of larity of our faith and mode of worthe Syrian Christians. The simiship, of our ecclesiastical constitution, and even of our minuter rites and ceremonies, to those which pre-> vail in the Syrian church, is certainly very remarkable, and affords an additional presumption of the apostolical origin which we have been disposed to attribute to them. We have in both churches the same gradations of rank, bishop, priest, and deacon. Both churches use a liturgy, in which the people as well as the minister take a part. In both in descend to circumstances of inferior fant baptism is practised. And if we moment-circumstances, however, which have had their share, if not in producing separation from the Church of England, yet in furnishing arguments to justify that separation-we find in the Syrian church

a parallel to the mitre and lawn of our bishops, and to the surplices of our clergy. No one will do us the injustice to suppose, that we lay any very great stress on these minor points. We nevertheless think it our duty to advert to them, because they may not be without an effect in quieting the scruples of some tender consciences; or at least in rescuing existing usages from a portion of the ridicule and contempt with which they are frequently loaded. That our ecclesiastical institutions, whether they respect the government of the church, or the conduct of its worship, may be abused to purposes of ambition, or degenerate into a mere lifeless form, we admit with deep concern. But of what institution may not similar things be predicated? At the same

time, it is undoubtedly a lawful ground of satisfaction to us, as members of the Church of England, to observe, that when another church, with which we have had no intercourse whatever, but which has existed in unimpaired succession from the apostolic age; after dwelling for thirteen or fourteen centuries in a state of almost entire separation from the rest of the Christian world, is at length discovered among the rocks and fastnesses of Malayala, she professes the same fundamental doctrines, recognizes the same orders in the Christian ministry, practises the same general mode of congregational worship, and uses many of the same ceremonies, with ourselves.

(To be continued.)

LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL INTELLIGENCE,

&c. &c.

GREAT BRITAIN. PREPARING for the press: A work, in two vols. by Dr. Edwards, to ascertain the real and relative Foundations of the different civil, political, commercial, and individual Interests of Society and Nations ;-A Dictionary of Architecture, in 2 vols. 4to. by Mr. P. Nicholson 3-ATranslation of Doomsday Book, by Mr. Bawdwen ;— and Charlemagne, or Rome Delivered, an Epic Poem, in 24 Cantos, by Lucien Bonaparte.

In the press: The State Papers and Letters of Sir W. Aston, afterwards Lord Aston, Ambassador in Spain from James I. and Charles I.;-An edition of " Chrysostom de Sacerdotio," Lib. iii., in Greek and Latin, with an Introduction," On the Importance and Dignity of the Pastoral Office, and the Danger of rashly undertaking it," by the Bishop of St. David's; and Travels in Iceland, in 1810, by Sir G. Mackenzie, Bart. Mr. Holland, and Mr. Bright.

His Majesty's Commissioners of Public Records, have appointed Mr. Payne, of Pall Mall, to sell such copies of the following works, printed under their direction, as are not appropriated to public uses :-Calendatram Rotulorum Patentium, 17. 16s.; Tax

atio Ecclesiastica P. Nicholai, 21. 2s. ; Catalogue of Cottonian MSS. 2. 10s.; Calendarium Rotulorum Chartarum, 21.; Rotulorum Originalium Abbreviatio, 2 vols. 3/.10s. Calendarium Inquisitionum Post Mortem, 2 vols. 8l. 10s.; Testa de Nevill, 14 1655 Nonarum Inquisitiones, 24. 2s.; Valor Ecclesiasticus, vol. I. 27. 10s.

JOSEPH LANCASTER.

A numerous and most respectable meeting of the subscribers and friends of the Royal British System of Education (Mr. Lancas ter's), was held on the 11th inst. at the Free mason's Tavern, the Duke of Bedford in the chair. It was attended by the Dukes of Kent and Sussex, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord Keith, Mr. Adam, Mr. W. Smith, Mr. Horner, Mr. Brougham, Mr. Abercromby, Mr. E.W. Bootle, &c. &c. The report made by the Committee who superintend the progress of the undertaking, was very interesting. It appeared from it, that children of the poor, even in the metropolis, can be taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, before they are old enough to work, at an expense of little more than 5s. a year for each; and that therefore those useful attainments may be easily extended to the whole of the rising generation, and the pious wish of our good

old King fully accomplished, "that every poor child in the kingdom should be able to read the Bible." With respect to religious instruction, it is au inviolable law of this institution, to teach nothing but the Scriptures themselves. The children are trained in the habit of reading the Bible; but it is left to their parents and friends to explain and comment, upon it. In the Borough school alone 6000 children have been educated, whose parents were of the poorest description; and hitherto no instance has occurred of any of these youths being charged with a criminal offence in any court of justice. The patro nage of their Majesties and the whole of the Royal Family, has greatly contributed to Mr. Lancaster's success; and schools on his plan are now established in every county of England. Some also have been erected in Scotland, and some in Ireland. In all these cases, persons trained in the practical details of the system are required to organize and conduct the schools, and the education of youths for these purposes forms the main source of expense to the institution. Many instances have occurred, where youths of fifteen years of age conduct, with the regularity of a machine, schools containing several hundred children, imparting to them the elements of education with astonishing rapidity. A new system of teaching needlework has also been invented for the girls' schools; by which one mistress may teach with perfect ease any number of scholars. Fifty new schools have been erected on Mr. Lancaster's plan, in the year 1810, for about 15,000 children. The Duke of Kent has introduced this system into the army, by attaching a school to his own regiment. The school consists of the children of the privates, and amounts to 220. A young man, a serjeant, was trained for schoolmaster by Mr. Lancaster. The regiment is now quartered at Stirling; and so impressed were the magis trates with the advantages of the school belonging to it, that they have allowed the Guildhall to be used as a school-room, where a great number of the children of the town are admitted to participate in its benefits, Many other military commanders are following this excellent example. This system of tuition is already in operation in the island of Antigua, and in different parts of the United States; and is likely to be introduced into South America by General Miranda. Two missionaries of the Society for Missions to Africa and the East, have received instruction at the school in the Borough Road, with a view to extend the system to Africa; and the Committee have proposed to the Directors CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 113.

of the African Institution, to board add edu cate two intelligent African youths with the same view. The secretary of this institution is Joseph Fox, Esq. Lombard Street. PALESTINE.

We understand that the Rev. Dr. Bucha nan has it in contemplation to visit Jeru salem and the interior of Palestine, with the view of investigating subjects connected with the translation of the Scriptures and the extension of Christianity. It was stated in the India papers, before Dr. Buchanan left Ben. gal, that it was his intention to return to Europe by a route over-land, for the purpose of visiting the Christian churches in Mesopotamia, some account of which he had received from the Syrian Christians; and also of inquiring into the present circumstances of the Jews in these regious, and in the Holy Land; and with this design he came to the western side of India: but he was dissuaded by the Bombay government from proceeding further, on account of the then unsettled state of the countries through which he was to pass. He had received from the Syrian Christians the names of upwards of an hundred churches in Mesopotamia and Syria, constituting the remains of the ancient and primitive church of ANTIOCK, with which they maintained correspondence in former times; and some of which, it is said, have remained in a tranquil state, subject to the Mahomedan dominion, since the commencement of that power.

Another object of Dr. Buchanan's inquiry will be the state of the Syriac printing-press of Mount Lebanon, from which various works have issued; and to ascertain whether it may be practicable to establish presses in Jerusalem or Aleppo, for the Hebrew, Arabic, and Syriac languages; and to open a correspondence with England for their encou ragement and support; the relations of amnity now subsisting between Great Britain and the Porte and Persia, rendering the present time more auspicious to researches of this nature, than any former period. He will also learn what language (with a view to a translation of the Scriptures) is most generally used at this time in the Holy Land.

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It is Dr. Buchanan's intention to touch at Alexandria in his yoyage to Palestine, and to return from his tour by Lesser Asia, through the region of the seven primitive churches, some of which endure to this day. He proposes to pass over from thence to Athens and Corinth, to visit the principal Christian churches in Greece, and afterwards those of the larger islands in the Archipelago. 2 U

A chief object here will be to ascertain whether a translation of the Scriptures in one dialect alone of Modern Greek, will suffice for the continent of Achaia and the Archipelago (which he does not think to be likely), or whether some principal dialects have not been already cultivated,

Queries of the learned concerning the present state of these countries, in connection with the promotion of Christianity, or the elucidation of scriptural history, it sent to the Editor of this work, will be communicated to Dr. Buchanan.

We understand that Dr. Buchanan will take charge of Bibles for distribution in his way in Portugal, Spain, and Malta; and will endeavour to establish a channel of corre spondence in these countries with England, for the supply of the authorised version of each country respectively, as far as the existing governments may be pleased to countenance the design.

FRANCE.

Messrs. Cuvier and Brogneart have discovered, in the environs of Paris, very exten

sive beds of stone, that contain only fresh❤ water shells, which appear to have been deposited in pands or fakes. Some of these beds of stone are separated by intermediate strata of marine formation. This seems to prove that the sea has made an irruption on the continent, which it had formerly aban doned, and confirms the traditions of a deloge, so universally spread amongst different nations. Upon beds of gypsum in the same neighbourhood, which contain the bones of reptiles, and of fish, with fresh-water shells and petrified trunks of palm-trees, repose beds of stone, containing innumerable quan tities of marine shells only; and again upon these, other beds of fresh-water shells, but of a kind entirely different from the former. It is impossible to have more clear and ma nitest indications of the revolutions which have taken place on the surface of the globe.

M. Sage has lately stated, in a memoir read to the National Institute, the efficacy of Fluor Volatile Alkali, in cases of severe apo plexy.

LIST OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

THEOLOGY.

A Sermon preached before the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in the Abbey Church of Westminster, March 20, 1811. By James, Lord Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry. 4to. 2s.

A Sermon preached at Berkeley Chapel, on the Fast Day, March 20, 1811. By J. A. Busfield, A. M. 1s. 6d.

The Psalms Evangelized, in a continued Explanation; wherein are seen, the Unity of Divine Truth, the Harmony of the Old and New Testament, and the peculiar Doctrines of Christianity, in Agreement with the Experience of Believers in all Ages. By

Richard Baker. 12s.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Ecclesiastical Topography, a Collection of one hundred Views of Churches in the Neighbourhood of London, with Descrip tions. Royal 4to. 41. 4s. imp. 4to. 61. 6s.

An Account of the Kingdom of Nepaul being the Substance of Observations made during a Mission in that Country in 1793. By Colonel W. Kirkpatrick. Royal 4to. 21. 12s. 6d.

The Chorographical Description, or Survey. of the County of Devon. By Tristram Risdon. 8vo. 16s,

A View of the present State of Sicily, its

Rural Economy, Population, Produce, &c. from a Survey of the Professor of Agricul ture in the Royal Academy, Palermo. By T. W. Vaughan, Esq. 4to. 14. 11s. 6d.

The Thames, or graphic Illustrations of Seats, Villas, Public Buildings, and Picturesque Scenery, on the Banks of that River. Engraved by W. B. Cooke, from Drawings by Sanuel Owen, Esq. 2 vols. imp. 8vo. 31. 3s.

Conchology, or a Natural History of Shells, containing a new Arrangement of the Genera and Species, illustrated by coloured Engra vings executed from ma'ural Specimens. By George Perry. Folio 16. 16s.

The Natural History of British Insects. illustrated with coloured Figures. By E, Donevan, F. S. S. Part II, vol. i. 14. 11s. or No. I. 2s. 6d.

Sketches of the Physiology of Vegetable Life. 8vo. 10s. 6d.

Farther Inquiries into the Changes induced in Atmospheric Air, by the Germination of Seeds, the Vegetation of Plants, and the Respiration of Animals. By Daniel Ellis, 8vo. 9s.

Babylon and other Poems. By the Hon. Annabella Hawke. Foolscap 8vo. 6s,

Sketch of the Political History of India, from the Introduction of Mr. Pics Bill in

1784, to the present Day. By John Malcolm, Lieutenant-colonel in the East-India Company's Madras Army, Resident at Mysore, and late Envoy to the Court of Persia. Royal 8vo. 18s.

History of the Reformation in Scotland. By George Cook, D. D. 3 vols. 8vo.

14. 11s. 6d.

The History of Cambria. By Humfrey Lhoyd, Gent. corrected, augmented, and continued, by David Powell. Royal 4to. The Annual Register, vol. II. for 1809. 8vo. 16s.

A Practical Treatise on the Powers and Duties of Juries, and on the Criminal Laws of England. By Sir Richard Phillips. 8s. An Analysis of Blackstone's Commentaries. By Baron Fields, Student of the Inner Temple. 8vo. 8s.

The Code Napoleon, verbally translated from the French. By Bryan Barrett, of Gray's Inn. 2 vols. 8vo. 1l. 12s.

The complete Works of Samuel Richardson, with a Sketch of his Life and Writings. By the Rev. E. Mangin, M. A. 19 vols. Grown 8vo. 7l. 12s.

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The Return to Nature,, or a Defence of the Vegetable Regimen, with some Account of an Experiment made during the last three or four Years, in the Author's Family.. By John Frank Newton, Esq. 6s.

Public Disputation of the Students of the College of Fort William, in Bengal, on the 15th of September, 1810, before Lord Minto, Governor-General, with his Lordship's Dis course. 1s. 6d.

Asiatic Researches, vol. X. 8vo. 15s. 4to.. 14. 11s. 6d.

Microcosmography. By John Earl, D D.. with Notes and an Appendix, by Philip Bliss. 8vo. 10s 6d.

Popular Essays on Right and Wrong..

8vo. 6s.

An Essay on Morality, and the Establish ment of the Moral Principle. 3s. 6d.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

Os Wednesday, the 1st inst. the British and Foreign Bible Society held their Seventh anniversary at the Feemasons' Tavern, Queen Street, Lincoln's-Inn Fields. The Report was read, as usual, by Lord Teignmouth, the president; and the thanks to his Lordship were moved in a very impressive address by the Bishop of Durham. The facts detailed in the Report, and in the Extracts of Correspondence with which it was followed, were peculiarly interesting and satisfactory; and evinced the successful operation of the society in the pursuit of its object over a large portion of the world. It appeared, that besides the three great societies to which this institution has given birth, on the European continent, and the Corresponding Committee ir British India, it has been instrumental in producing, by its example or encouragement, sixteen similar societies in the United States of America. It appeared, also, that the society had made considerable progress in the course of the last year, in augmenting both its influence and its funds; not less than

seventeen new auxiliary societies in Great Britain, among which is compreheded one in the important town of Liverpool, having. been added to its list within that period. Further particulars will be given when the Report itself appears.

The attendance at this anniversary was very numerous, and highly respectable. Among the principal persons present, many of whom took a share in the business of the day, were, besides the President, the Bishops of Durham, Salisbury, Norwich, Cloyne, and Clonfert; Lords Gambier, Headley, and Harrowby; Messrs. Wilberforce, Grant, H. Thornton, Babington, Vansittart, Porcher, &c.; and it was truly gratifying to witness an assembly, consisting of at least eighteen hundred persons of different ranks, and of almost every Christian denomination, evincing the greatest harmony, and the most lively interest in the truly benevolent purpose of sending forth the Holy Scriptures without note or comment" to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people."

The Committee of this society have esta blished the following general principles fotel

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