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period, the thermometer (Fahrenheit's) having, in the course of a few days, ranged from 74° to 29°. The vicissitudes of the previous month were hardly less remarkable, the extremes being 76.5° and 42.5°. But these distempers having generally proved spasmodic, unmixed with any inflammatory or congestive tendencies, speedily yielded to anodyne medicines. It is a remarkable circumstance, that in December the excess of the maximum above the mi

nimum temperature was nearly as great as in some of the preceding months, a difference of 38° having been experienced in the course of a few days. In our climate, where such violent alternations of heat and cold are comparatively rare, these remarkable vicissitudes could hardly fail of generating an unusual number of diseases, and of proving very injurious to delicate health and feeble constitutions.

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RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

As a proof of the prodigious impulse given to human opinion, on matters of religion, by the British and Foreign Bible Society alone, it is only necessary to mention, that since its establishment in 1804, it has issued, or caused to be issued, 9,437,088 Bibles and Testaments, in one hundred and twenty-six different languages and dialects; and as a farther proof, that the means of this powerful institution are neither impaired, nor its zeal and industry relaxed, we find, upon turning to the accounts and documents, published in the Appendix to the Report for the year, that the nett receipts amounted to L. 94,306: 17: 10, which, added to former balances, placed at the disposal of the society, the enormous of L. 125,335, 13s. 4d.; and that, in the course of 1819, the issues of Bibles and Testaments exceeded those of the preceding year by 65,930: the gross number having been 260,031 copies. These are facts of gigantic dimensions, and require no comment.

The proceedings of this society, throughout the vast extent of its

range and influence, have this year been characterised by great vigour and activity, and, in many instances, been attended with very considerable success.

New societies have been established; former institutions, whose means were limited, have been liberally subsidised, and stimulated to renewed and increasing exertions; the distribution of the Scriptures has been greatly extended, both at home and abroad; men of talents, learning and industry have been sought for, and liberally remunerated, for superintending or undertaking the translation of the Scriptures into remote, barbarous, and comparatively unknown dialects: the translations of the Scriptures into the languages, and dialects of India, China, and the Indian Archipelago, are, by the exertions of the Missionaries at Serampore, and other persons, either directly retained by the society, or occasionally supported by it, in a state of great forwardness; and, in a word, no pains seem to have been spared to promote the great object for which the society was instituted, the indiscriminate

dissemination of the Holy Scriptures among all classes, orders, and nations of men on the earth!

The most remarkable feature in the religious intelligence of this year is the organization of a Bible Society at Paris, under the immediate patronage of the French Government ! The Marquis de Jaucourt, a peer of France, and Minister of State, is president. The British Society, together with a donation of L. 500, have placed at the disposal of this infant institution 500 German Bibles, and 300 Testaments; and 1000 French Bibles, and as many Testaments, of Ostervald's version from Basle; together with 1000 Testaments of the same version, from the stereotype plates at Paris, to enable it to commence immediate operations. The example of Paris has been followed by Bourdeaux, Montauban, and Nismes. In its second year the Bible Society of Strasburgh distributed 689 Bibles, and 1119 Testaments. Various editions of the Protestant Scriptures are printing at Paris, Montauban, and Toulouse; and of the Catholic New Testament of De Sacy, stereotyped at Paris, many thousand copies have been distributed among the Catholics in different parts of France. The United Netherlands Bible Society has announced a distribution of the Scriptures nearly double of that of the preceding year. In Switzerland the Bible Societies are also in full operation; that of Basle, in particular, has seven presses constantly at work, in printing three separate editions of the Bible. At Neufchatel and Lausanne, they are occupied in printing the quarto edition of Ostervald's French Bible; and it is calculated that from Constance alone 30,000 Catholic Testaments have been issued. The Bible Societies of Germany and Prussia

have also increased both in number and efficiency; and in Hanover, under the patronage of the Duke of Cambridge, no less than 12,000 copies of the Scriptures have been distributed among the people. Within a period of nine months the Bible Society of Frankfort on the Maine distributed 4916 Bibles, and 2161 Protestant, and 1260 Catholic Testaments. An edition of the Bible, amounting to 10,000 copies, is nearly ready for distribution in the kingdom of Wirtemberg; and in Saxony the same number have been recently completed. At the suggestion of Dr Pinkerton a new edition of the Lithuanian and Polish Bible is about to be undertaken by the Königsberg Bible Society. In Denmark the same zeal is displayed, and great progress has been made; 5266 Danish Bibles and Testaments having been issued. His Danish Majesty has given 4000 rixdollars in aid of the society's funds. The Sleswick Holstein Bible Society already enumerates 108 Auxiliary Societies and Associations, and has distributed 12,000 copies of the Scriptures. The Committee of the British Society presented this thriving institution with the stereotype plates for Luther's German Bible, in consequence of which an edition of 10,000 copies has been commenced. In Sweden the number of copies of the Scriptures, distributed in the course of the year, has equalled that of the two preceding years united; and the National Society has found a zealous patron in Bernadotte. An edition. of 10,000 copies of a quarto Bible is about to be commenced. But it is in Russia that the operations of these societies have been most brisk and animated. Translations are undertaken with promptitude, and supported with liberality. In Petersburgh alone editions are preparing in eleven

languages; and during last year 72,000 copies were printed in eight different languages. The total, either printed, or printing by the Russian Bible Society amounts to fifty-nine editions, comprising 270,600 copies, in twenty-one languages!

Such is a rapid outline of the progress of Bible Associations in Europe. In the East, the co-operation and benevolent intentions of the Parent Institution have also been pretty warmly seconded and acknowledged. The Calcutta Auxiliary Society has completed two editions of the entire Bible, two editions of the New Testament, and a small edition of St Matthew's Gospel, in four Asiatic languages, the Armenian, the Malay, the Hindostanee, and the Bengalee. A revised edition of the Malay Bible, in the Arabic character, had been commenced, and measures taken for printing a version of the New Testament by the Rev. Mr Pritchett in the Telinga or Teloogoo language. A new society, designated, "The Sumatran Bible Society," of which Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Governor of Sumatra, is president, has been formed in that island; and liberal subscriptions have been already obtained for its support. China presents little more than "the pleasures of hope." The Scriptures, translated into Chinese, both at Serampore and Canton, have been as extensively disseminated, as the nature of circumstances, and the most watchful and jealous, because the most feeble despotism upon earth, would permit. Still, even from Mr Milne's account, the benefits to be derived from the zeal of the Missionaries, and the exertions of the society, are merely prospective and contingent.

From New South Wales, from Africa and from America accounts of

affiliated and kindred institutions have been received, but they present little that is either interesting or useful. In America, there is certainly great scope for the exertions of the society's benevolence. The American Bible Society appear to be sensible of the force of this truth; for they seem at last to have begun to bestir themselves. No less than ten presses were at work for the purposes of the society when the last report was drawn up. This affords us much pleasure; for we had believed that America was the country of the whole world where religion was least regarded; nor are we yet satisfied that our opinion was altogether unfounded.

The Bible Societies in the West Indies appear to be in a very quiescent state. This was to be expected. It is impossible that the planters can ever cordially co-operate in introducing Christianity among the black population. Negro slavery would be in peril; and who would be so insane as to compare the com. forts and consolations of Christianity, dispensed to a poor African, with the indispensable luxuries of sugar and rum? A priori, we should have said, that Christianity and slavery were incompatible; but the example of America has cast a doubt on the truth of this, as of many other judg ments and opinions which men had formerly held. A cynic, however, might allege in defence of our axiom, that the Christianity, like a good deal of the pretended liberty of America, is only nominal. No man can be a Christian who buys and sells human flesh!

The following works have been wholly or nearly completed during the past year, viz.

1. The Irish New Testament in the vernacular character, 5000 copies, upon stereotype.

2. The Manks Bible, containing the Old and New Testament in one volume, 5000 copies.

3. The German Pocket Testament, 10,000 copies.

4. The Portuguese Testament, for the use of Catholics, from the version of Antonio Pereira, (printed at Lisbon,) 5000 copies.

5. The Portuguese Testament, = from the version of Joam Fereira de Almeida, (printed at Batavia,) 5000 copies.

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6. The Arabic Psalter, from the version printed at Mount Lebanon, 3000 copies.

7. The Hindostanee New Testament, by Martyn, 5000 copies.

8. The Malay New Testament in the Roman character, 10,000 copies. 9. The ancient and modern Greek Testament, in parallel columns, 8000 copies.

10. The completion of the Syriac Gospels and Acts of the Apostles printed under the inspection of Dr Buchanan.

11. The Turkish New Testament at Paris, 5000 copies: Besides various editions of the English Scriptures, from the authorised presses. In addition to English Bibles and Testaments, the principal works now in course of preparation are,

1. The Portuguese Bible, from the version of Joam Fereira de Almeida, 5000 copies.

2. The Malay Bible, in Roman character, 5000 copies.

3. The Malay Bible in the Arabic character, 5000 copies; and 5000 extra Testaments for the Netherlands Bible Society.

4. A new Translation of the Testament into Modern Greek, by an Archimandrite of Constantinople.

5. The Syriac Old Testament, 4000 copies quarto, to accompany the New Testament, already printed.

VOL. XII. PART II.

On Thursday the 20th of May the General Assembly of the Scottish Church was opened by the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Morton, his Majesty's High Commissioner; and on that and the following day the Assembly were occupied with the usual routine business. In truth, if we except Mr Anderson's case, which was that of a minister acting as factor or commissioner for the Duke of Gordon, the proceedings of this reverend body were, upon the present occasion, nearly destitute of any general interest. Mr Anderson's case was argued chiefly on points of form; the Presbytery having taken up his case in his absence, without citation, and the Synod having made a new case of it altogether. The Assembly were obviously much perplexed between what they felt to be due to the clerical character, and to those secular interests to which the clergy are as alive as the laity. All agreed in disapproving of a clergyman's engaging in such occupations as interfere with the proper discharge of his pastoral functions; but the difficulty of drawing the line between those occupations which are harmless and those which assume a different character seemed equally impressed on the venerable Court.

On Tuesday the 25th, a petition was read from Dr A. Small, minister of Stirling, appellant, against a sentence of the Synod of Perth and Stirling, of date the 20th of March preceding, allowing Dr Knox to tender a dissent and complaint against that part of the conduct of the Presbytery at their last meeting, when Dr Knox was present, in which they received and sustained a presentation and other papers, in favour of Mr Andrew Bullock to be minister of Alva, in respect there was no man

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date from the presentee produced, authorising any persons to lay these papers before the Presbytery. After hearing parties, and a short debate, it was finally agreed, without a vote, to sustain the appeal and reverse the sentence of the Synod.

On Wednesday the Assembly took into consideration a petition from Dr A. Small and Mr J. Dempster, members of the Presbytery of Stirling, dissenters and complainers against a sentence of the Presbytery, of date the 27th of April last, respecting the election of elders in the town and parish of Stirling. Another petition was also given in by three inhabitants of Stirling against the same sentence. Parties and their counsel being fully heard, and removed, a long debate took place, in the course of which Dr Inglis moved, "To dismiss the complaint and appeal, and approve of the conduct of the Presbytery, but at the same time supersede the interlocutory judgment of the Presbytery appealed from, in order to the Assembly pronouncing a final judgment on the whole case: And the Assembly do accordingly express their high disapprobation of a selection of additional elders entirely out of the congregation of the East Church of Stirling, to the exclusion of that of the West Church; and appoint the kirk-session of Stirling forthwith to make such an election and ordination of elders as shall equalize the number of elders connected with each of the respective congregations. At the same time the General Assembly earnestly recommend to the Magistrates and Town-Council of Stirling, and all concerned, to consider whether measures ought not to be adopted for procuring a di. vision of the town and parish of Stir

ling into two separate parishes, each of which may be provided with a separate kirk-session." In the sequel this motion was carried by a great majority.

The report of the Committee on the means of education in great cities, and of religious instruction in jails, which was read on Friday, proved that the recent investigations in the South had not been lost upon the clergy of our national church. The report, however, discloses no new views. The Rev. Mr Douglas made some energetic and pointed remarks on the experiments sometimes made on the minds of criminals previous to execution. These were received with great impatience, and the speaker literally overwhelmed by clamour. An argument is not very conclusively answered by noise. Without meaning or intending that a criminal should be denied the consolations of religion at a moment when their support is peculiarly necessary, and, above all, when it imports his future welfare that he should be led to entertain correct notions of his past conduct, we hold that it is no less abhorrent to the genuine principles of religion, than dangerous to the well-being of society, that a felon should be encouraged in the idea that a late repentance may atone for a life of crime, and that eternal felicity follows such repentance as a matter of course. But we abstain from any further comment.

On Saturday the Assembly were occupied with mere business of routine during a considerable portion of the sitting; and on Monday (the 31st), after receiving the reports of various committees, and disposing of some other business, his Grace the Commissioner dissolved the Assembly in the usual manner.

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