J B. Née was born at Vraignes, a village situated near Amiens, in the year 1756. His father, who was born and erlucated within the pale of the Church of Rome, at the age of seventeen years, foundation from that which St. Paul declares to be the only one which can be laid, namely, Jesus Christ; who, while they extol the wisdom, piety, and virtues of our Reformers and our ancestors, consider as fanaticism, mysticism, absurdity, and Antinomianism, the vital doctrines which those holy men professed at the peril of their lives, and to which the Holy Spirit of God still bears his silent but eloquent and immutable testimony, in the sacred Scriptures. We call those Neologists, who, enlightened by a light really new, declare that there is not in the Epistles of St. Paul, any expression hard to be understood; who say, that to affirm that the heart of man is corrupt, is a proposition subversive not only of Protestantism, but of all faith, of all belief; those who teach that conversion referred only to the Jews and heathens, and that the words conversion, regeneration, and new birth, have no meaning at all applicable in our days to the members of a church outwardly Christian. We call those Neologists, who teach that the operation of God on the heart of man, is a chimera, and who, setting on one side, or treating as mysticism, the assistance of the Holy Spirit declare that human reason is absolute in matters of faith, who assert that man is justified before God, and saved by his works; who maintain that to be weak in mind, or a sinner, to be raised up by the promulgation of the doctrine of Christ, or to be redeemed by the blood of Christ, are things identically the same, and that a unity of faith the most perfect, the most profound, the most magnificent, exists among Socinians, who believe that Jesus Christ was simply a man, Arians, who make him an angel, and Evangelical Christians, who adore him as the true God and eternal life,-and that to say that Christ had a divine essence, divine perfections, or a divine mission, is to put together three ideas, which are precisely the same, since a divine personal mission of the Saviour is, as a mystery, exactly the same thing as a divine personal essence of the Saviour. In short, we call those Neologists, (and it would be easy to carry this enumeration much farther,) who, setting aside the Holy Scriptures, or selecting from them the parts which suit them, to support a system already deranged and tottering, wish to substitute the idle dreams of proud reason, and presumptuous ignorance of the things of God, and of the Gospel in which they are revealed, for that eternal word which will endure when heaven and earth shall have passed away."

discovered and abjured the errors of Popery, and embraced the Reformed faith. In order to avoid the effects of the severe edicts then in force, he emigrated for a time to Holland, where his faith was enlightened and confirmed. Returning to France, he married, and his house became the common centre for the Protestants of Vraignes and its neighbourhood, who assembled there secretly to supply their privation of public worship by domestic and social service. The more this worthy bead of the family conciliated general esteem, the more those whose church he had deserted, exerted themselves to bring him again within its pale. Private conversation having been found inadequate to remove his convictions, a missionary who visited that part of the country, invited him to a public conference. M. Née attended it without hesitation; and, with the sacred Scriptures in his hand, so well defended the Evangelical doctrine which he had embraced, that if those who heard him did not actually adopt his opinions, they at least did justice to his talents and zeal, and no longer disturbed him in the private exercise of his religion.

Carefully educated under the eye of such a father, the heart of young M. Née became early impressed by the salutary influence of true piety. Pastors were at that time scarce in France, and were exposed to the severity of the laws. Notwithstanding the danger attached to this vocation, young M. Née early devoted himself to it. He pursued, so far as circumstances allowed, the usual preparatory studies; and in the year 1777, went, according to the custom then established, to the French seminary at Lausanne, where he studied diligently; and his irreproachable conduct having gained the confidence of the professors, he underwent his examination, and received ordination at their hands.

M. Née, after his ordination, returned to his own country, and officiated in the environs of St. Quintin, whence the minister who officiated there before him, had just been expelled in consequence of a disturbance which the neighbouring priests had excited against him, M. Nee could not, without endangering his safety, remain more than six weeks with each congregation, or baptize the children. In 1782, he returned to Lausanne to marry Mademoiselle Porta, the daughter of the celebrated civilian of that name. M. Porta, who was well acquainted with the state of affairs in France, and who knew to what dangers the Reformed pastors were exposed, could not make up his mind to give his daughter to one of those proscribed men whom arbitrary authority might at any moment oppress. He used every effort in his power to retain M. Née in Switzerland, where he could easily have introduced him to the practice of civil law.

But nothing could alter the determination of this faithful servant of Christ, or induce him to renounce the duties of his sacred profession. Having returned to France after his marriage, he went successively to several churches, ministering in them as occasion allowed.

At the melancholy period of the Revolution, M. Née, now become the father of many children, was exposed to much poverty, and numerous vicissitudes. About the year three, of the revolutionary calendar, he was obliged to suspend the exercise of his pastoral functions, and to sell the remainder of his patrimonial property. Soon after, having no resources for the support of his family, he went first to Paris, and afterwards to Orleans, in both which places he was obliged to enter into business for his support. He next removed to Berry, where he managed an estate belonging to his brother-in-law. But as soon as circumstances allowed, he hastened to resume the functions of his ministry; and he made occasional excursions to the neighbouring towns and villages to baptize children, solemnize marriages, and instruct the Protestant families. After several other vicissitudes and removals, he went to Dieppe, in 1802, and being well received, finally settled there. From that period till his death; that is, during nearly twenty-four years; he peaceably exercised his ministry at Dieppe, at first in a private house, and afterwards in a church which had belonged to the Carmelites. The long series of troubles which had agitated his life was sometimes renewed. Many domestic sor

rows successively grieved his paternal heart; and he had the grief of losing his beloved wife, who by affectionate participation knew so well how to soothe them. But he was always resigned, submissive to the will of the Supreme Dispenser of trials and blessings. Kindness, disinterestedness, and unalterable sweetness, distinguished his character. It appeared as if the remembrance of his severe trials supplied his benevolent piety with a strong motive to assist others. Never did a person in distress implore in vain his aid, or even his urgent recommendations, which he gave perhaps a little inconsiderately; his own mind being so full of uprightness and candour that he could not suspect the sincerity of any who applied to him. While thus daily multiplying his works of charity, the blessed fruits of his faith, the infirmities of age began prematurely to weigh upon him, till his eventful career was terminated by an inward inflammation in June 1827.

The minister who visited him on his death-bed was deeply affected with his calmness and patience, his hope and joy. The last word he uttered was the adorable name of his Saviour, in whom he had placed all his confidence. It shews the general estimation in which he was held, that the large congregation which attended the funeral sermon for him, was composed of Roman Catholics as well as Protestants, and that in the procession which followed his remains to the tomb, an equal number of the members of both communions walked side by side.

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UNITED STATES.-The President's message describes the Union as in a state of great prosperity. "We are admonished," says Mr. Adams, " to offer up the tribute of fervent and grateful hearts for the neverfailing mercies of Him who ruleth over all. He has again favoured us with healthful seasons and abundant harvests. has sustained us in peace with foreign countries, and in tranquillity within our borders. He has preserved us in the quiet and undisturbed possession of civil and religious liberty. He has crowned the year with his goodness, imposing on us no other conditions than of improving for our own happiness, the blessings bestowed by his hands; and in the fruition of all his favours, of devoting the faculties with which we have been endowed by Him to his glory, and to our own temporal and eternal welfare."

Among the topics embraced in the speech, one of the most prominent is the duty of abolishing all monopolies and restrictions which impede the channels of kindly and beneficial communication and commerce between nation and nation.

DOMESTIC.

The occurrences of the month have furnished a fearful comment on the inspired declaration, that "godliness with contentment is great gain," but that "the love of money is the root of all evil" In two most region of opulence and worldly honour, opposite departments of human life,-in a of large intelligence and luxurious refinement, on the one hand, and, on the other, within the precincts of the most brutal vice, poverty, and ignorance,-we have witnessed two characteristic exhibitions of crime, differing in every other respect, yet

both proving the baneful effects which may flow from the cupidity of our fallen nature, when unrestrained by the grace of God, either more directly by its influence upon the heart, or through the medium of those safeguards with which his ordinary providence has controlled it. We do not mean to compare the conduct, hard-hearted, unprincipled, and flagitious as it has been, of an individual who in a high commercial and honourable station of life betrays his trust, and with cold-blooded villany robs his neighbour upon a gigantic scale; calls himself a man of honour, and is ready at the sword's point to vindicate his claim, while he is deliberately plundering the property of his confiding friend, nay the pittance of the poor and afflicted, the widow and orphan, to gratify his covetousness or vanity, his taste for elegance and splendour, his love of pleasure, or his insatiable ambition ;--we will not, we say, shock every feeling of the mind by comparing those crimes, great as they are, with those which have struck the nation with horror, in the barbarous sacrifice of human life for the paltry gain of the sale of a loathsome carcase;-there are distinctions even in crimes, which must not be confounded; and there is certainly no danger of our blending together even the most direful of what we may call commercial vices, vices which affect the property of our neighbour, with the more savage atrocities which are directed immediately against his life. Yet if we see a man in the honourable and affluent station we have described, committing the one, and sacrificing to the force of temptation all that in such a station is even more dear than existence itself--his reputation, his honour, his liberty, and forced to become a detested outcast upon the earth, can we be surprised that where all the restraints of education and self-respect are wanting, where, not the cravings of elegant luxury, but of beastly licentiousness, it may be of absolute bodily want, are pressing, men will rob, and murder, and commit "the oldest sins, the newest kinds of ways."

Our inference from these remarks is, that to repress crime in all its forms, from the minutest commercial fraudulency, to the most horrid atrocities of the Edinburgh massacres, more is needed than human laws, or self-respect, or worldly honour. The inspired Apostle, with whose words we commenced our remarks, has taught us what is wanting, when he adds: "But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness; fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life."

Still, human laws and public opinion, are not matters of little importance; and much is required to render these what they ought to be for the repression of evil. But

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this is a large topic, on which we have not space to enter. We may possibly resume it; in the mean time our readers may reflect upon it for themselves. There is one point, however, which human laws ought especially to compass, the prevention of temptation. Look at our game laws-look at our poor laws-look at our slave laws--look at--but we must again, for want of space, check our pen. We might even say, look at the report of the parliamentary committee last session upon this very subject, of the manner in which bodies are procured for the use of the anatomist. The principal physicians and surgeons of the kingdom were mined: they stated that they were constrained to hold the most disgusting commerce with the most brutal miscreants; that their agents were men who were versed in every species of crime; men who divided their hours between robbing the living, and invading the repositories of the dead; men who would commit any crime for a suitable bribe; that with these wretches they were clandestinely bargaining for dead bodies,-adults at so much per head, and children "at so much per inch;" and some even of these exhumators, who bear a better character than the bulk of their fraternity, were examined, and their evidence printed in blank by parliament; and they tell us that the temptation, as matters stand, is so strong, that there is no crime which their colleagues would not commit, to attain their object; and, with all this, plans are sug. gested (we do not say they were wholly unexceptionable) for providing a remedy for the evil, yet nothing is done; no attempt is made to meet the difficulty: parliament is afraid to legislate on so delicate a subject, and the matter drops. The evils of the poor laws, in like manner are demonstrated; but parliament is afraid to legislate, and the matter drops. The horrors of slavery have been again and again unveiled, but parliament is afraid or unwilling to legislate; afraid or unwilling again, in the matter of the game laws and sundry other points, When shall this unmanly and unchristian pusillanimity be banished from the hearts of our legislature and government, our bishops, our nobles, our clergy, our public men; and when shall the motto, "Be just, and fear not," become the first principle of all our public proceedings?

We had intended to advert to the disordered state of Ireland; but our exhausted space forbids our saying more than that the Marquis of Anglesey is recalled, that the Duke of Northumberland goes out in his place, and that the Duke of Wellington has declared his wish that the consideration of the Catholic question should be indefinitely postponed.

ESSAY ON SUPERSTITION.

TOWAR

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer. (Continued from page 11.) OWARDS the conclusion of my last paper, I pointed out various forms of superstition which I observed might be referred to certain causes, which I shall now endeavour to specify.

I. The most fruitful source of superstition, and indeed that which characterizes every other cause, is the belief of that which is false, or contrary to reason and revelation, as regards the agency of a Divine power. The God of the Christian is a being of infinite mercy and love his compassion is unbounded; he pities the wanderings of his creatures; he is slow to anger; his knowledge, his wisdom, and his power, are equalled only by his benevolence and tenderness. And although his children have broken his laws, forgotten his precepts, and in curred the penalties due to their disobedience, he is anxious to receive them back to his favour; he waits to be gracious; he will be found of those who seek him; he will blot out their iniquities, and will no more remember their transgressions, but will be reconciled to them through the sacrifice of Christ; and they shall become his people, and walk in his ways, and love and serve and fear him.

Not so the divinity of superstiCHRIST. Observ. No. 326.

tion, or false religion. The prominent attribute of every such form of worship, is that of an irrevocable fatalism: the decree has passed, and cannot be altered; infinite knowledge is exchanged for predetermination of the will, which nought can change; the justice of a pure and holy Being is supplanted by the capricious declaration of a changing mortal; the smile of pity is superseded by the frown of vengeance; the anger of Him, who "willeth not the death of a sinner," but rather that "he turn unto Him and live;" who deferreth his anger," who "suffereth long, and is kind," is exchanged for the vindictive exultation of one who rejoices to punish sin, who glorifies himself in the weakness and frailties of mankind, and who is honoured by the deepening crimes of those who shall ultimately receive his proffered grace. From these false views will result fear and dread, not reverence and love. The desire of averting the wrath of God will usurp the place of a wish to serve, obey, and please him; his moral attributes will be misrepresented; it will be supposed, that He who is above all human frailty, may be influenced by passion; and this error will be augmented and perpetuated by the influence of our own natural passions, and by a conviction of our feebleness, contrasted with the power of Him with whom, under such circumstances, we must have

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