considerable discussion some years | his description of the opening day, since. THE STATE OF ROME.-Excitement prevails in Rome. Reports of the withdrawal of the French troops fill the dependents of the Vatican with alarm. The conviction is deepening, in certain influential circles, that the solution of the Papal Problem is very near. The moral state of city is deplorable. A correspondent says that 'It has become the Eldorado of all the vagabonds of the country. The thieves carry on their operations in open day with arms in their hands.' Still the sacred influence increases. Bishops and their suites are arriving daily. America has contributed another batch of the Episcopal order. NEW WORK BY DR. MERLE D'AUBIGNE. Our readers will be interested to learn, that the eminent historian of the Reformation has in preparation a new work, the subject being the Reformation under Calvin. It will be published in England by Messrs. Longman, it is hoped towards the close of the year. FRENCH ENGLISH. Theophile Gautier, one of the foremost literary men of France, is in London 'doing' the Exhibition for the Moniteur. In he offers to his readers the following amazing sentence as a copy of the pious English inscription:- Power and might and ine thine hand it to make great o Lord booth riches and honour come of thee thou reignest over all and ine thine hand is.' GENERAL BAPTIST COLLEGE. The Treasurer has pleasure in acknowledging the following sums, and begs to remind the friends that the accounts must be closed on the 16th of June, so that an audited balance sheet may be presented to the Association, and respectfully requests the churches and subscribers will favour him with their collections, &c., before that time, otherwise they will be late to appear in the annual report. £ s. d. Nottingham, Broad-street 27 0 0 Ditto, Mansfield-road 10 14 0 ... ... ... ... ... ... Marriages and Deaths. 1 5 0 290 2 20 suddenly, John Ryle, Esq., formerly M.P. for Macclesfield, and father of Rev. J. C. Ryle, of Stradbroke, aged 77. April 24, Mr. William Hanson, in the 30th year of his age. His end was peace. May 5, Captain T. Hughes, aged 97. He was one of the two that commenced the Welsh Calvinistic services in Liverpool, and who held their prayer-meetings in an old stone quarry. May 19, Mr. R. Slaney, M.P. for Shrewsbury, a great friend of the working classes. Recently, at Neroi, near Genoa, Guglielmina, the second and beloved daughter of M. Kossuth. Missionary Observer. THE Annual Meeting of the General Baptist Missionary Society will be held in the North Parade chapel, Halifax, on the evening of Wednesday, June 25. John Crossley, Esq., Mayor of Halifax, has kindly engaged to take the chair. The following gentlemen are expected to address the meeting: Rev. W. Roberts, Independent minister of Halifax, late of Southampton; Rev. I. Stubbins and Mr. W. Brooks, from India; Rev. J. F. Stevenson, B.A., of Nottingham; Rev. Giles Hester, of Loughborough; and Rev. Charles Clarke, of Halifax. SPECIAL NOTICE AS TO FUNDS.-All monies to be acknowledged in the forthcoming Report should be in the hands of the Treasurer or Secretary not later than Saturday, June 7, after which date the books will be closed for the Annual Audit. THE MISSION LIBRARY AT useful missionaries could not fail of CUTTACK. APPEAL FOR BOOKS. OUR Mission Library is very scantily supplied with useful standard works, and donations of valuable books would be much appreciated. I will indicate the kind of books that seem to me to be required. Works on India, its history, its government, and especially its missionary operations are much needed. Ward's 3 vols. on the Hindoos, would be very acceptable, and if several copies could be obtained, so much the better, as after placing one in the Library, the others might be given to brethren who have come more recently into the field, and have not been able to procure it. Formerly the Society made a present of this work to its missionaries, and it was well to do so. It is a work of immense research, and is exceedingly useful to missionaries, but cannot be very interesting to others. Such a work as "Carey, Marshman, and Ward,' (albeit there is sadly too much in the 2nd vol. about the Serampore disputes,) and the life of General Havelock would be acceptable. Works on missionary operations in other parts of the world would be prized, and the Memoirs of devoted and being quickening and profitable. Should any friend have a spare copy of the Missionary Observer as published separately, and before it was incorporated with the Repository, it would be useful for reference. Presents of books required in biblical translation would be welcome. A copy of the Septuagint, Vulgate, Arias Montanus's version, Castalio's, and Beza's, including of course Junius and Tremellius's translation of the Old Testament, which is usually bound with it, ought surely to have a place in our Library. Doddridge remarks of the last named translation that he regarded it as "the best he had ever met with ;" and after a frequent use of it for now more than twenty years, I must say that it is a version of uncommon excellence. Copies of our old English translations would be much prized. Let me add, that our Mission Library contains no Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or even English Lexicon. Gesenius's Hebrew and English Lexicon, and Robinson's Greek Lexicon would be highly acceptable. Approved critical and theological works should have a place in a Mission Library; but in this heathen land we do not want the "dry bones of criticism: we want something In for the soul to feed upon, something | these dear friends that I have by which the understanding may be been much gratified by the distri enlightened, and the heart warmed.bution of the books thus intrusted We would not, in our private studies, to my care, though it would not be be indifferent to the varied phases proper to enter into details. in which the seductive errors of the some cases they have been placed in present day are presented to the the hands of those who reside at minds of the unwary, but works isolated stations far away from the presented to a Library should be of means of grace, and in other inacknowledged excellence and useful stances I know they have been much for reference. They should contain prized. I cannot doubt that in this "the sincere milk of the word." way fruit will be gathered unto life eternal. Two or three pounds expended in this way would now be very useful, and the books might be sent with the baggage of my dear missionary brethren, on their return. Any one whose heart the Lord may stir up to help in this good work will please communicate with our beloved Secretary, Rev. J. C. Pike, who will kindly purchase and forward the books. J. BUCKLEY. Any friend presenting any book to the Library will confer an additional favour if it be well bound, as books indifferently bound are soon destroyed in India. I may add that since commencing this appeal a gentleman at Cuttack has sent to the Library five folio volumes; and I trust this will encourage our own dear friends favourably to regard what I have written. The works sent are Stackhouse's History of the Bible in 2 vols., an Exposition of Colossians, Usher's System of AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSION Divinity, and the choice old works of " I have another appeal to make on my own account. The gratuitous distribution of English books, such as Persuasives, Anxious Inquirer, Rise and Progress, Guide to Young Disciples, Immanuel, Christian Professor, Pilgrim's Progress, &c., has long appeared to me highly desirable in this country when judiciously done. My heart aches over many in this land who speak our language but are destitute of our most common religious books. Not long ago I heard of a gentleman at Cuttack who knew nothing of the "Pilgrim," except through the medium of that vile Puseyite perversion of it which was so notorious a few years ago. We must do what we can to remedy this state of things. How helpful is a good book to a pilgrim to eternity! I have twice before asked help for this important object, and the Lord stirred up the hearts of friends to give even more than was asked for. Blessed be His holy name. I may add for the encouragement of AT NINGPO. LETTER FROM MR. KNOWLTON. Ningpo, Dec. 4, 1861. In my last, I communicated the information that the rebels were approaching Ningpo, and that the people were fleeing. Their progress has not been interrupted; and now they have approached to within about six miles of the city on the south, and about three miles on the north. The people are in great trepidation; trade is sus pended; labourers are thrown out of employment, and the poor in crowds flock to the houses of the rich and demand rice. Most of our native christians have taken refuge in our houses, so that our work of instruction goes on daily. The heathen, many of them, have more time and more inclination to listen to our message, than when they were absorbed in business, and feared no danger. We may, I think, pray and expect that the judgments that are upon this people, will be sanctified to the spiritual good of many. We may hope, too, that The Work on the Island of Chusan. 235 The fact that the idols of more than one hundred millions of idolaters in this land, have already been destroyed, will give some idea of the magnitude and importance of the question to which I have called attention. when the "Taipings" get possession | the latter is faithfully employed, of Ningpo and the surrounding we have the promise of God that country, as they undoubtedly soon the former shall not be wanting. will, our missionary work, instead of being curtailed, will be enlarged; that doors of usefulness will be opened, instead of being closed. Indeed, it is a very important practical question, how the destruction of idols and idol-temples, and the recognition of but one true and living God, may be best improved by the missionaries of the gospel. HOW SHALL THE OPENING BE IMPROVED? How may this germ of Christianity be so nourished as to flourish, and idolatry be supplanted by the worship of the true God, throughout vast sections of country? My inquiry does not relate to what are the means to be employed in the work of evangélization; but how these means may be most effectively employed for the evangelization of extensive fields, by a small number of labourers, and in the shortest possible time. Is it by extensive itineration by the missionary; or, by collecting around him, at his own house and chapel, classes of the most intelligent and religiously inclined Taipings, and instructing them daily for a few months, and sending forth those that give evidence of conversion and repentance, to impart to others, as they may be able, a knowledge of the worship of God and the plan of redemption through Christ? Would it be advisable to receive monied aid from the Taipings, for building chapels and supporting teachers ? The power, of course, that is to render any mode of labour effectual to the regeneration and salvation of men, must come from above. It is the special work of the Holy Spirit to make the gospel effectual to the conversion and salvation of men, by whatever mode proclaimed; still, very much depends upon the efforts of human agents, -the "colabourers with Christ," God's "chosen vessels" to bear the 46 treasure." Divine and human agency must be united; and, where THE WORK ON THE ISLAND OF CHUSAN. In my last, some mention was made of the native prayer meeting at Reed Bridge, on the island of Chusan. I will now give some further particulars respecting the work of God at that place. About five years ago, a man about sixty years of age, with a pale, sad face, came into our little chapel, and listened for the first time to the gospel. He was impressed by the glad tidings of salvation, and remained longer than others to listen and ask questions. I soon learned that he was in deep affliction for the loss of his only son, his only staff and hope in his old age, as his wife and his other children were already dead. His greatest trouble seemed to be, as is usual with Chinese in similar circumstances, that his posterity was cut off, and he would have no one to present the quarterly offerings to his manes. The hopes presented in the gospel were cordial to his soul. He came again and again, and drank in the truth like water. The result was that he became a sincere christian, and was baptized. Salvation by Christ became the theme on which he was constantly discoursing. Whether at home among his neighbours, or abroad among travellers and shopkeepers, the fundamental doctrines of the gospel, such as the existence and unity of God, his requirements, the sins of men, their lost state, and the way of salvation, as far as he understood them, constituted the topics upon which he was ever conversing. His instructions and exhortations were not lost upon his neighbours at Reed Bridge. Some five or six were converted through а his instrumentality, and their sub- | outside the west gate, and com sequent lives have attested the reality of the work. They have been regular in their attendance on the Sabbath and other meetings of the church, have been faithful in exhorting their relatives and friends; and, with one exception, have been, so far as I have been able to learn, without reproach in their conduct. menced plundering, though none were killed. The people were thrown into great terror, and ran wildly about, not knowing whither to go, as the rebels were scattered all over the plain. Multitudes, however, in the vicinity of the hills, fled to them. Most of them still remain there in the open air among the bushes, where for the last three days they have been exposed to a cold rain storm. Many infants have been smothered to death, to prevent their cries leading to a discovery of their place of retreat. On Sunday, the 8th, they attacked the city, but nothing was effected, as they had but few of any kind, guns Dec. 9, early in and no cannon. the morning, they swam the moat near the south gate, and scaled the wall. The imperial soldiers fled in confusion, threw off their uniforms, and sought concealment in their houses, or escaped over the wall on the opposite side of the city. The city was now in possession of the rebels, who proceeded with the utmost haste to sack every house and room in it. Some of the imperial officers fled, and the rest were put to death instantly. Some four or five months since, of their own accord, without any suggestion on my part, they commenced a prayer meeting. It is held on every fifth evening, at the houses of the different members in rotation, and is conducted entirely by themselves, with the aid of a brother from the city, who is able to read better than any of their own number. The exercises consist in prayers, reading of some portion of Scripture or of a tract, and exhortations. Several of the unconverted neighbours attend regularly, and eight or ten profess to believe. Three or four are requesting baptism. Their well filled meetings show that interest has considerable been awakened, which I trust is produced by the Spirit of God. The fact that this movement is entirely voluntary, is a very encouraging feature. The little personal interest manifested by the native converts hitherto, in religious meetings and efforts of all kinds, unless led on by the missionary and directed in everything, has been very discouraging. They have seemed to regard Christianity as an exotic, to be cultivated only by a foreigner. When the native christians come to feel that Christianity But few of the people were killed. is not a foreign religion, but their own, and belonging to their own-This was owing to the mediation country, and that upon them devolves the chief responsibility of maintaining and propagating it, great progress may soon be expected in the mission work. NINGPO IN THE HANDS OF THE Dec. 18.-The "rebels" have ar- The people had suffered greatly, both in the city and in the adjoining country, before the rebels arrived. But aside from the burning of their houses, which mostly occurred before, they have suffered much more since. HOW THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE WERE of foreign powers here. A few days |