own funeral pile, and in firing it with his own hand. The semi-barbarous customs and laws of India cannot, and will not, be maintained in an enlightened state of society. They ought not, therefore, to discourage from exertion in the cause of abolishing them, unless indeed we have ground to believe, that the Hindoos are not to be better instructed in history, in civil policy, and in general knowledge, than they now are. Let a few men, who shall be worthy to be the friends and coadjutors of Rammohun Roy, be sent to India. Let them be willing to be instructers of children in the elements of European learning; and able to teach Brahmuns the principles of true philosophy in all its departments; let them labour, with Brahmuns of intelligent and liberal minds, to extend as widely as possible the principles and the sentiments, which are held in common between them; and, let it be their aim to prepare the way of the Lord, before they proclaim that he has come; and, though a considerable time may pass, in which no narratives of conversions may be sent to us, the work of the Lord, we believe, will be steadily, and surely accomplishing.

In the few remarks which we have offered upon this Correspondence, and upon the subject of a mission to India, we have wished, as dispassionately as possible, to consider the facts which have come under our notice; and as calmly to decide upon the question, what, in regard to them, is our duty? We should be truly glad, if we could persuade every orthodox friend of foreign missions, to read this Correspondence. But we think it to be peculiarly obligatory upon Unitarians, not alone hastily to read, but deliberately to examine it. An effort has been made to obtain facts, on which we may place full reliance. They are here spread before us. We have the assurance of a Hindoo, and a Brahmun, that there are numerous, intelligent natives, who thirst after European knowledge and literature, but not many who wish to be made acquainted with the christian religion, and to examine its truth; being chiefly deterred by the difficulty (if not utter impossibility) attached to the acquirement of a correct notion of the tremendous mystical doctrines, which the missionaries ascribe to their religion."* These mystical doctrines, as we think, form no part of Christianity. We assert

* See Correspondence, p. 135.

that our faith is rational, and that it will approve itself to thinking, sober and upright minds. We see that an essential article of our faith is actually, every day, making its way against the idolatry and polytheism of ages; that there are continually, actual conversions from idolatry in India. And there is now living in Calcutta, the Hindoo, who has been the principal agent of God, in effecting this revolution in the religious sentiments of his countrymen. In 1820, this Hindoo published a little volume, called, The precepts of Jesus the guide to peace and happiness; extracted from the books of the New Testament, with translations into Sungscrit, and Bengallee.' He worships in a christian church, and is almost the exclusive patron of a Unitarian missionary. He has written upon christian doctrines with an ability, which would be honourable to well educated Christians among ourselves. And now, in the full vigour of his age, he offers all the aid that he can give, to secure success to the labours of the missionaries, whom we may send to labour with him. We need not say, that this Hindoo is Rammohun Roy. But, in the name of this great and good man, and of the solitary missionary to whom he is giving his support and succour; in the name of all those intelligent Hindoos, who are believers in one God, and who are 'thirsting for European knowledge;' in the name of that God, who has imparted to us his will, as well that we may impart it to others, as that we may ourselves obey it; in the name of Christ, and by all that is precious in christian hope, we call upon Unitarians, deliberately, and seriously to consider, what, in these circumstances, does the Lord our God require of us? May we longer innocently be passive against all the inducements with which we are here furnished, to immediate, and to vigorous exertion? We have ground for confidence, that many intelligent Brahmuns will listen to the instructions of intelligent Unitarian teachers. They may be slow to receive christian truth, and few splendid trophies may soon be won in the field of this warfare. But the cause is the cause of God; and, we believe, the voice which calls us to engage in it, is the voice of God. If the time be not now arrived, when the work of foreign missions is to be begun by us, we know of no principles, by which we may determine when it will have begun. If the encouragements which we now have to the duty, fail of ex

citing us to it, we shall deserve the reproach that has been cast upon us; nay, more, shall we not have good reason to fear a far more terrible retribution?

Entelligence.

Letters on the Gospels.-Proposals have been issued for the publication of a work with this title by Miss Hannah Adams. Its character and its claims to a liberal patronage, are thus set forth in the Prospectus.

'The design of these Letters is to afford an easy and popular explanation of many passages in the Gospels, without entering into the discussion of any controverted topicks. These explanations have been collected from a variety of authors, treating of the antiquities and history of the Jews, the manners and customs of the East, the natural history of the Bible, &c. The highly respectable authoress of this little book devoted herself to literary pursuits at a time, when literature was far less cultivated and regarded in our country than at present. All her works have been received with general approbation. Her History of Religions has passed through three editions in our own country, and been re-edited in England, besides being made the basis of other similar works. It is the standard book on the subject. Her History of the Jews supplied another deficiency in literature. It has been published in England by the society for promoting their conversion; and has been translated into the German. Her History of New England is likewise well known and highly esteemed; and many of the present generation are indebted to the abridgment of it for their first knowledge of their forefathers. But these works, however profitable to the publick, have been of little profit to herself. Her services to the community have not been repaid; and it cannot, therefore, but be grateful to many to have an opportunity presented, by the publication of the present work, to afford her, in her old age, an expression of the public respect and obligation.'

We cannot suppose any urgency of ours to be necessary to call the attention of our readers to the claims of a work of Miss Adams. She has long devoted herself to literature, and her publications have been uniformly well received; but hitherto almost her only remuneration has been their popularity and usefulness. It cannot be doubted that a work of the kind proposed, executed with her characteristick good judgment, will be a valuable accession to the means of understanding the New Testament; and we should be as

much surprised as disappointed, if the opportunity were lost to express the high sense, which is undoubtedly entertained of its author's merit.

6

Mr. Yates of Birmingham.-Messrs. Wells and Lilly have recently received several copies of two new publications of this distinguished divine. The first is on the scriptural meaning of the term Saviour as applied to our Lord. Mr. Yates argues with Hammond, Le Clerc, John Taylor and others, that that title applied to Jesus Christ represents him as delivering men from spiritual darkness and corruption in this life, and thereby delivering them from shame and wretchedness in the life to come. He maintains that the text, 1 Cor. xv. 2. by which also ye are saved,' is correctly rendered, 'by means of which ye are also saving yourselves,' like Acts ii. 38, 39. where the same verb in the same voice is translated " save yourselves,' and not be ye saved from this untoward generation; and a similar rendering he conceives to be proper in various similar texts. The alleged inconsistency in the accounts given by St. Paul and St. James of the method of salvation, he thus reconciles. 'While St. Paul commonly applies it [the word save] to denote deliverance from depravity, ignorance and superstition, in the present life, St. James, on the contrary, uses it to denote deliverance from the doom of the wicked in the next world; hence the supposed contradiction between these two Apostles. Paul often asserts the immediate dependence of salvation upon faith. Why?-Because those who believed Jesus to be the Messiah, and to have risen from the dead, were thereby necessarily delivered from the blindness and error of their heathenish or unconverted state; and this deliverance is what he calls salvation. It is in reference to the further and ultimate salvation that St. James asks, "What doth it profit, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works ?-CAN FAITH SAVE HIM?" Faith inevitably delivers a man from his previous ignorance; but if, in opposition to the light of the Gospel, he continues to work the works of darkness, it will not deliver him from the just judgments of God in another world. The bliss and glory of the heavenly state are to be obtained by leading a good life; and a good life is the natural and usual consequence of sincere faith in the pure doctrines of the Gospel. But if a good life be wanting, faith may, indeed, free us from ignorance and errour, but not from the condemnation of a future state of retribution. It may, therefore, produce salvation in the one sense, though not in the other.'

The second tract consists of four sermons on the effects of drinking spirituous and other intoxicating liquors. The first is introductory, containing some forcible remarks on the difficulty of producing an effect by argument on this subject, and some statements concerning the chemical composition of ardent spirits. The

second details the consequences which ensue from a single act of intemperance.' The third and fourth describe those which arise from the practice of drinking, when formed into a habit, and shew them to be '1. the loss of property; 2. the loss of character; 3. the loss of temper; 4. the loss of principle; 5. the loss of reason; 6. the loss of health; 7. the loss of life; and 8. the loss of Heaven.' Some of these particulars are substantiated by striking facts, and statements from medical writers. If any moral means can hinder the progress of this disastrous vice, it will be such publications as this and the late Address of Rev. Mr. Ware, which was reviewed in the last number of the Christian Disciple. The Sermons of Mr. Yates are strongly recommended to persons who are in the habit of distributing such works.

Theological School at Cambridge.-The annual examination of the Students at this school, took place Tuesday, August 10; and assembled a more numerous audience than we have witnessed at any previous anniversary. The following is a list of the subjects and authors of the dissertations.

JUNIOR CLASS.

1. The state of the Jews at the time of our Saviour's ministry.

George Wells.

2. The phraseology of the New Testament, on the doctrine of repentance.

George Ripley.

3. The demoniacks mentioned in the Gospels.

Isaac Parsons.

4. The internal evidence of Christianity.

George Leonard.

5. The peculiar characteristicks of the style of our Saviour's dis

courses.

James A. Kendall.

6. The design of John the Baptist's ministry.

7. The conversion of St. Paul.

Alonzo Hill. Warren Burton.

8. The integrity of the text of the New Testament.

MIDDLE CLASS.

Frederick H. Allen.

9. Is there sufficient evidence that miracles have been performed

since the time of the Apostles?

10. The Hebraisms of the New Testament.

SENIOR CLASS.

11. The religious spirit of the present age.

Samuel Presbury."

Nathaniel Gage.

Alexander Young.

* Not read, on account of ill health.