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erable patriots to witness the jubilee of our nation, and upo that jubilee didst call them hence. Look in mercy, we beseech thee, gracious God, upon their bereaved families; place beneath them the everlasting arms of thy love; may they find a shelter in every American heart; never leave them nor forsake them for a noinent; and at last, oh take them, blessed Jesus, to a better world. We ask these blessings, thou God of love, fo Jesus Christ's sake. Amen."

After another strain of solemn music, Mr. Tyler, the Gover nor of the Commonwealth, arose and delivered an eloquent address.

As soon as the orator had concluded, the band struck up a fine dirge, after which the Rev. Mr. Kerr, of the Baptist Church, closed the exercises of the day with prayer.

The whole scene was of too impressive a character ever to be forgotten. It was worthy of the great and good man whose loss it was intended to commemorate.

Minute guns were fired for one hour in the morning, and one hour in the evening; and the State-house and Penitentiary bells were tolled through the whole day.

Portugal and Spain.

THE death of the King of PORTUGAL has opened the way for great improvements in that country. The Emperor of the Brazils has generously, and we think wisely, relinquished the sovereignty, which came to him by inheritance, together with that of its Asiatic and African Dependencies. Through his influence a free constitution is established in Portugal, the Cortes being re-established with powers similar to our Parlia ment. One article of the constitution shews however the slow progress of Toleration: the Roman Catholic Religion is to be the Established one, but all others are allowed to Foreigners, provided always that there is to be no exterior form of temple! SPAIN presents a melancholy contrast to Portugal; and is in fact endeavouring to stir up priests and priest-ridden nobles and soldiers against the new order of things in that country. The restoration of the Bourbons brought back to Spain many of her favourite practices: one of the latest of these that has been revived is an auto da fé, or the burning of a human being for heresy. At Valencia this foul crime has been lately committed at the instance of the Priesthood. The victim is said to have been eminent for his morals, and especially his charities. So much the worse, according to the " orthodox" of all ages and places, if he had not the true faith. How much longer will Spain be the reproach of Europe and of Christendom!

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To liberal and enlightened theologians, every thing connected with the religion of America is interesting. In England, the mind is fettered by an overpowering establishment; in America, its operations are unshackled, and are in consequence quick and true. I have been lately perusing a series of American Unitarian newspapers, from which I have culled a few articles of intelligence which may perhaps be deemed worthy of a place in the pages of the Christian Reformer. The newspaper in question is entitled the "Christian Register." It is published weekly in Boston, by the American Unitarian Association. Its circulation amounts to about 1000. Its pages are devoted in part to the passing occurrences of the day, more particularly to religious intelligence,-to biography of eminent Unitarians, to extracts from and reviews of liberal theological publications, and general correspondence. The first six numbers comprise memoirs of Wakefield, Lindsey, Priestley, Emlyn, and Rammohun Roy; copious notices of Milton's new work, various articles of review, interesting sketches of English Unitarianism, furnished by a gentleman travelling in this country, &c. &c.

The following notices of a newly-formed sect are pleasing proofs of the certain progress of rational Christianity, wherever the human mind is left to its own honest operations;

"New Church in Summer Street.-The dedication of a new chapel or church at the bottom of Summer Street, in this city, by the society denominated Christians, has excited inquiry as to the origin, principles and members of this new sect. They are sometimes confounded with the Free-will Baptists, because of their free communion and baptizing by immersion only, and they are vulgarly called Christians. They claim to be called Christians in the common pronunciation of the word. This people, or connexion as they term it, originated in the year 1794, and societies existed in different places in the United States, unknown to each other, for several years. Each church is

VOL. XII.

21

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independent; the connexion has a yearly conference; they have no creed except the Scriptures; their preachers ge nerally deliver extemporaneous sermons; the majority of the societies abjure the doctrines of the Trinity and of Calvin."-January 7, 1826.

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From the paper of the following week it appears, that < their preaching is conducted by an elder chosen by themselves. Elder Morgridge was invited to preach for one year. The dedication sermon was preached by Elder Clough, of New York, and it is characterized as an able defence of Christian liberty." The sermon is subsequently noticed in the review department. "We have read this discourse with great pleasure, and can speak of it with unqualified approbation. Mr. Clough shews himself to be an ardent friend and bold asserter of religious liberty. It is delightful to hear the notes of freedom and right poured forth with energy. They need to be sounded at the present time, and in our land, for spiritual tyranny was never more busy in its attempts to inthral the people. We are glad this voice has come from the midst of the people; we rejoice that the poor have taken to themselves the name of Christians, and disclaimed the authority of the church and its ministers in determining what they shall believe or what name they shall bear.' The extracts which follow are interesting, and fully justify the encomiums of the

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"We have been liberal of our extracts because we have found nothing that affords so full and favourable a view of the principles of the Christians' as this discourse. The sect is gaining adherents, and it is desirable that we should understand its character. As far as we can judge, its members are simple and avowed Unitarians, the progress of whose opinions amongst the lower classes of the community will do very much towards dispelling ignorance, fanaticism and false religion. Our readers will be able to judge for themselves from the statement which Mr. Clough gives of what he and his friends consider the first principles of the Gospel.' 1. The doctrine of one God. 2. That this one God is the benevolent Father and righteous Governor of the whole human family. 3. That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 4. That Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah, the Mediator between God and men, and the Saviour of sinners. 5. That God, by his holy spirit, exercises a moral influence

upon the hearts of men in reclaiming them from vice. 6. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 7. The free forgiveness of sins, on the ground of the rich mercy of God. 8. The necessity of repentance towards God. 9. Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. 10. The necessity of holiness of heart and purity of life. 11. The doctrine of a future state of immortality. 12. That God is no respecter of persons, and that he will render to every man according to his works.”—Christian Register, February 11, 1826.

This, with the exception perhaps of the 5th article, [though this admits of an explanation which would make it unobjectionable,] is a fair representation of the prevalent opinions amongst English as well as American Unita

rians.

The leading article of the number for January 21, is devoted to the American Unitarian Association, for which it pleads with considerable earnestness. Amongst other plans for increasing the revenues of the society, it is suggested that "ladies may give their assistance by making their pastors life members. Such aid will be acknowledged in the Christian Register whenever it is desired." The hint seems to have been taken, for in the Register of February 18, "the Treasurer of the American Unitarian Association acknowledges the receipt of thirty dollars from the ladies of the New South Society to constitute their pastor, the Rev. Alexander Young, a life member."

Surely the fair ones of Great Britain will not be exceeded in zeal and generosity by their Transatlantic sisters! Ten guineas will be a very slight tax on the ladies of our more respectable congregations, and will be as handsome a compliment to a minister as either a gown or a piece of plate, and it will confer a privilege that will cease only with life. The Christian Reformer will, I trust, be often called on to register the generosity of the Unitarian ladies in this respect.

The advertisements frequently remind one of a very different state of manners and feelings from that to which we are accustomed in England. Thus a theological circulating library and reading-room, as advertised in Boston, would receive but little support in our cities and towns. This scheme is one of the many good effects of the American Unitarian Association. I observe, that amongst other theological attractions, the Monthly Repository and Chris

tian Reformer are specially mentioned. In a subsequent number the librarian inserts an advertisement of inquiry after two numbers of the Repository and three of the Reformer, which were lost sight of. In England, an advertiser would have the privilege of paying more for a single line than the cost price of four numbers of the Repository. B.

[To be continued occasionally.]

Mr. Gilman's Sermon, at Charleston, on John i. 1 & 14. [We have received from the author, and lay before our readers, the following admirable discourse on a difficult passage of scripture. It was published by the Charleston Unitarian Tract Society, last year. We shall give the explanatory or doctrinal part in this number and the practical in the next. ED.]

John, chap. i. ver. 1, and part of ver. 14:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, ani the Word was God.-And the Word was made flesh, and dwels among us.

The leading object of St. John was to trace the Gospel, or the religion of Jesus Christ, to the true cause, viz. the power and wisdom of God. He appears anxious to guard his readers against all suspicion of its earthly or human origin. And well he might. Because any system of religion, devised by the contrivance and founded on the authority of man alone, could possess no intrinsic claims on the attention, the obedience, and the reverence of the world.

Such, it is allowed on all hands, was the principal object of the words selected for our text, and indeed of the whole introduction to the Gospel of St. John. To the mind of every reader, whatever be his peculiar views and interpretations of it, the passage must certainly appear. strikingly sublime and impressive. Unhappily, however, considerable differences exist with respect to its true and precise meaning. If all cannot understand it in the same point of view, mutual charity should be exercised towards the interpretations of different parties, and the reasonings on which they are founded.

One interpretation which has prevailed, and still widely prevails in the Christian world, is, that The Word, of

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