for foreign distributions; and that the Society's pledges, mentioned in the former report, have all been redeemed.. The amount of money received from all sources, during the year ending May, 1834, is $88,600 82; of which sum, $31,052 34, were from the sale of books; $21,891 80 "ordinary donations!!" A queer species of giving this! Query? Were these "ordinary donations" intended for the use and support of the Sunday School Union; or were they intended for the use and support of Foreign Missions and Calvinistic preachers? Or, if you please, were they intended for the American Bible Society? In vain may this Institution boast of sending the scriptures abroad, without note or comment," while it sends with them, Calvinistic commentators!

er.

I submit the foregoing statements and letters, to the readLet him examine them, and decide for himself. If he be an upright, candid, honorable man-if he have a spark of independence in his composition-if he have no sectarian collar about his neck-he will say that all is not right in Denmark! There is a mystery hanging about this affair, which time alone can develope. That the Presbyterians should, so manage, in the organization of all the National Societies, as to get a majority of Managers in each Board, even where their Church is not the most numerous, is so contrary to what might be expected, as to be almost inexplicable. Some may feel a backwardness in hazarding an opinion or conjecture on the subject, especially when the Bible Society is concerned; but for my own part, I confess, I feel no such backwardness. Tame acquiescence on the part of other denominations, will not do. Let the Presbyterians once enslave us, as they are aiming to do, and we may whine, and scold, and murmur, and wince, and threaten, and beseech them to condescend, graciously to have mercy on us, but it will all be to no purpose. They will laugh at our calamity, and wag their heads and mock, seeing our fear has come, &c. It is matter of rejoicing, however, that so far, the operations of all the national societies have been impeded, and to a greater or less extent, embarrassed by the action of other Churches.

In conclusion, I again say, I am not opposed to Bible societies. My daily prayer to God, is, that the blessed period may speedily revolve, when the empire of Christianity shall have monopolized the universe; and when the BIBLE, the greatest and best of books, shall be more highly appreciated, its harmony perceived, its superiority acknowledged, and its energy felt by every human soul in this wide world. When,

therefore, we see an opening for Bibles in any heathen country, let us show our zeal to supply the lack. And while, by our exertions to circulate the Bible, we declare our faith in it as the word of God, let us see to it, that our hearts and lives are conformed to its precepts. Then may we as Christians, fight the battles of the Lord successfully. Then may

we,

"Meet the sons of night,

And mock their vain design."

CHAPTER XI.

THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SOCIETY-ITS RISE AND PROGRESS-ITS PRINCIPLES, &C.

EDUCATION itself, in its most broad and general signification, comprehending all the physical, intellectual, and moral training, by which a man is prepared in life, for the duties thereof, I need not here speak of. Its great importance, and its immediate relations to the improvement and happiness of mankind, will not be doubted by any, but the ignorant and dissolute. And that the future prosperity, and even stability of our religious and political system, to a considerable extent at least, depends upon the progress of education among us, will not be denied. Before the introduction of Grecian books and scholars among the Romans, which followed the conquest of Macedonia, as the wisest of their writers acknowledge, their country and language were essentially barbarous their citizens were warlike and illiterate. Grecian literature and arts, in less than one century, repaired the ravages of Alexander's wars. During the dark ages, a remnant of literature, so to speak, preserved the little knowledge and refinement which survived the ruins of the Roman empire. And throughout the whole progress of modern literature, from its dawn to its present comparative state of perfection, it has been the liberal benefactor of mankind. It is true, the revival of learning, which followed the reformation, infidels vainly hoped would be the destruction of christianity; but it has proved to be one of her warmest and most efficient friends. Science, indeed, is purifying christianity from the absurdities connected with her in the dark ages; and refined, ike gold from the crucible, she is coming forth to glorious triumph. I have long believed that the general prevalence of

education, or the improvement of the mind in natural and moral sciences, is of the utmost importance to our race, both as it regards their civil and religious welfare, or even domestic happiness. Ignorance never produced one item of felicity to any man; the opinions of the Roman Catholics and Baptists to the contrary notwithstanding. And as man is not born. with innate ideas, all the knowledge he possesses must be acquired if you please borrowed. However, observation, conversation, reflection, experience, or reading, must cach or all be used as the means of acquiring knowledge. But knowledge must be had. Without knowledge men cannot be of much use to the world. To attain unto it they must give themselves to study. Let, therefore, education societies be formed; let colleges and seminaries be erected; and let every possible lawful means be used to instruct the ignorant, and to promote the cause of education, in every clime and country. But always let the leading objects, and principal designs, together with the distinctive peculiarities and sectarian principles of every society, institution, or enterprise, be set forth without any sort of disguise.

The American Education Society, was organized in the year 1816, in the city of New-York, and has just issued its eighteenth annual report. This is an extensive and efficient society, intended solely for the extension of the work of nationalizing the affairs of the United States, under the care and control of the Presbyterian and Congregational churches. Its avowed object, however, is to convert young men, and prepare them for the work of the ministry, in the destitute parts of America.

During the past year, 113 young men have been supported by this society, in theological seminaries; 433 in colleges; and 366 in academies and public schools; making in all 912. As many as 60 beneficiaries have been licensed to preach during the past year, by this society. Some of them have settled in the ministry, with large salaries; others of them have visited the "far west," in the service of the Home Missionary Society; others are engaged as secretaries and agents for the different national societies. From the treasurer's report, it appears that the receipts of the society for the past year, have been $57,122 20; nearly eleven thousand dollars greater than in any preceding year. The expenditures of the society during the year, have been $55,861 26. And still, the society is reported as being $5,225 71 in debt!

REMARKS.-The two principal objections raised against this society are, first, its not recognizing fully a Divine call

to the ministry; and secondly, its intimate connexion with the American Home Missionary Society, making thereby an important link in the great chain of operations in the Presbyterian and Congregational churches.

It is proper, then, that the reader should understand distinctly, that the Methodist Episcopal church recognizes more clearly than the report of this society, the Divine call to the ministry. She believes that every true minister is "moved by the Holy Ghost to preach the Gospel," and that this call of the Holy Spirit ought to be prior to a special preparation for the ministry. In a word, she believes that the church should educate all her youth, and that God should then be allowed the liberty of calling from among them, such as he may think best calculated for the work.

But this society is saying too much, when it asserts that a Divine call to the ministry, is not of greater importance than an accomplished education, or that no man can be a successful minister of the cross, without the ability to read the Scriptures in their own dialect. The names of many a burning light of the church, through every age of her eventful history, beam forth in glorious refutation of so base a falsehood. The truth is, that there is an immense range of theological knowledge in our language, generally neglected by the Presbyterian clergy, and sometimes by even the Biblical critic. Were these clergymen to pass through this field oftener than they do, they might occupy a position in the varied departments of the church, fully as important and as useful as that they have derived from the study of the ancient languages. The minister of the Gospel may, and should, indeed, make the whole intellectual world tributary to his purpose. Indeed, the wider the sweep of his studies, the more large will be his resources, the more liberal his views, and as a universally probable consequence, the more effective his efforts. But in this, in all this, the Presbyterian clergy too generally, are shamefully deficient, notwithstanding their boasted pretensions, and insulting consciousness of superiority, as daily manifested by their conduct..

But this society, like most of the national societies, is inconsistent with the rights of human nature, and especially with the rights of freemen; it is unreasonable, and contrary to the spirit and precepts of the Christian religion, and iniquitous and unjust in all its operations. Fellow-citizens, is it so, that we must be gulled out of our money and influence, and thus forced to aid in propagating the doctrines of JohnCalvin, and his crazy adherents! Must we bow to those, who

would bring all opinions down to the sordid level of their own, and force the manhood of the human mind to continue in the swathing bands of a perpetual infancy?

No say you:

"Strip black oppression of her deep disguise,

And bid her form in native horror rise."

But it is for you, it is for the friends of the Bible, and of American freedom, to answer the above questions. Blessed, thrice blessed is he, who is faithful to the liberties of his country, and to the religion of his God.

CHAPTER XII.

THE AMERICAN BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THIS SOCIETY-ITS TRUE CHARACTER, &c.

THE age in which we live, is no less distinguished by the splendor of its gracious illuminations, its soul-animating charities, and expansive benevolence, than by the unprecedented improvement in the sciences, and in the arts of civilized life. And when we calmly and dispassionately consider, both the capacity and constitution of the human mind, contrasting at the same time, the present with the early ages of the world, we must cease, in a great measure at least, to be any longer astonished at the wonderful developments of mechanical and intellectual attainments; and by this means, we shall be prepared for the contemplation of a progressive, and a still more magnificent display of human power and human genius, in generations to come. But, perhaps, nothing distinguishes this age more than the rapid advance of the missionary spirit and enterprise among all evangelical denominations.

These glorious efforts are greatly facilitated by the commercial enterprise, general intercourse, and the wide extension of liberal feelings and sentiments, which are so prominent in / this age. This whole picture is one of the brightest beneath the sun, and while it enlarges and settles the confidence of the Christian churches in at least the practicability of evangelizing the world, it must cause infidels, and all who are opposed to the spread of christianity, to "exceedingly fear and quake." For if the advance of this glorious work, shall be after the same ratio for the next twenty years, as the last twenty, the infidel will sit down in despair, and will conclude