of which is here told in a way not the less entertaining that it occasionally verges on the garrulity of old age, and betrays a dash of the vanity of authorship. In adverting to the controversy between Archibald M'Lean and Andrew Fuller, on the subject of regeneration, Mr Jones, in his zeal for the credit of the great ornament of his sect, is guilty we think of the very injustice to Fuller with which the latter charges M'Lean himself, when, in his preface to "Strictures on Sandemanianism," he complains of Mr M'Lean having misrepresented and caricatured his sentiments. Mr Jones dwells with touching minuteness at the close of his autobiography, on the proffer made to him by her Majesty of a poor brothership in the charterhouse-the advantages connected with which are a separate apartment, with attendance, fire, meals, clothes, and about £26 per annum. It is impossible not to admire the firmness of principle which led the intrepid old man, though bent with age and infirmity, and struggling with difficulties, to decline, in a manner the most deferential and becoming, an appointment the terms of which precluded him from consistently accepting it. As a consistent dissenter he could not hold a situation which is available only to members of the Church of England-though it is believed that such a qualification was not prescribed by the original benefactor. The considerate beneficence which prompted her Majesty otherwise to befriend the aged and afflicted author of the "Biblical Cyclopædia," must win for her the respect of every honest mind: while the gratitude which he evinced for the kindness of his Sovereign is not less creditable to his heart, than his declinature of the charter-house appointment was to his integrity and conscientiousness.

of her devotional habits-her attention to the responsibilities of a wife and motherher solicitude for the spiritual well-being of her family and household-or her active and unwearied benevolence towards the young, the afflicted, the poor, the abandoned, the widowed, and the fatherless, the character of Mrs Johnstone was marked by no common-place excellence. Amid her manifold labours of love, she seems never to have forgotten the primary claims of home to her attention; nor to have allowed the wife and mother to be merged in the philanthropist. We love her character all the more too, that it seems to have been entirely free from the bitterness of sectarianism : an evil spirit which throws its withering blight, we fear, upon not a little of the bustling female philanthropy of the present day. The volume which, we understand, is from the pen of a lady, a member of the Secession Church, and is written in a very pleasant style, cannot be better characterized than in the "goodly words" of one whose pen, alas! is now for ever laid aside, we mean the late Dr Heugh, who, in commendation of the work, while as yet it had only been circulated privately, and with a view to urging its publication, said,—" It is not only adapted to please, but to profit all classes-christian females, by showing what they may attain and accomplish by the grace of God:-Christians of all classes, by presenting captivating views of the pleasantness of holiness, of close walking with God, and high attainments in religious experience:-christian ministers in the same way-and even those who are Christians only in name, by showing them how remote from vital piety they are, and leading them to Christ for life and all things."

MEMOIR of the Late Mrs ANN JOHNSTONE, Willow Park, Greenock.

Edinburgh Oliphant & Sons.

THE portraiture of an "Elect Lady," whom every wife and mother would do well to make her study, as a model of christian devotion, consistency, and zeal in doing good. Viewing it as a specimen, more particularly, of the effects of high-toned piety, when accompanied by the advantages of opulence and leisure, such as fall to the lot of females in the middle class of society, this memoir is most instructive and valuable. In these pages the christian female, who has her time at her own disposal, will be instructed how she may tread in the footsteps of the Lydias, the Marys, and the Joannas of scripture. Whether in respect

THE HARMONY OF SCRIPTURE, PRECEPTS, PROMISES, AND PRAYERS; Exhibited in a Series of Sermons for Sabbath Schools, designed especially for more advanced classes.

Edinburgh: A. Paton.

THE harmony here proposed is sustained with great skill throughout the whole series of lessons. Beginning with the "Condemnation of Sin," the learner is carried along through a system of divinity, including fiftytwo separate topics, naturally and philosophically arranged; while the passages quoted under the threefold division indicated in the title, take him, in every case, directly to the inspired fountain of truth. The plan, running thus through each lesson separately, and through the whole in series, cannot fail, wherever it is adopted, to lend a new and highly pleasing interest to the proceedings of Bible classes.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS for the USE of SABBATH SCHOOLS, with Notes by a Committee of the Glasgow Sabbath School Union, 1847. SCHEME of SCRIPTURE LESSONS for SABBATH SCHOOLS, 1847.

Glasgow: J. McCallum.

WE can attest, from personal experience of Sabbath school teaching, the value of the system on which the Glasgow committee's lessons proceed, and the excellent manner in which the plan has hitherto been carried out. Several improvements are introduced in this year's publication. The division into quarterly courses, instead of one continued course occupying the whole year, will be felt a decided advantage.

THE PARAGRAPH BIBLE

London Tract Society.

THIS is something of a wonder in its way; an edition of the Bible, of pocket size, printed on good paper, with clear type, numerous marginal references, notes, and maps, and compendious prefaces to the several books, to be completed in three parts, price 1s. 4d. each. The text is divided into paragraphs; but, for facility of reference, the verses are marked on the margin. Altogether, this is the most remarkable specimen of the kind that has yet come to our hands.

STATES.

THE leading transactions at the General Meetings, held during the past season, of the Ecclesiastical Assemblies and Associations, and great Missionary Societies of the United States, afford us a few notices not devoid of interest, and will indeed give a tolerably complete view of the great religious movements at present in progress among the churches of the western world. Of the two great sections of the Presbyterian Church, the New School Assembly held its triennial meeting, and the Old School Assembly its annual meeting, both in Philadelphia, in the end of May, and beginning of June. The Old School section is the most numerous, having, as reported at this last meeting of assembly, 1647 ministers, 2297 churches, and 174,714 communicants; while the other Assembly reported 1430 ministers, 1581 churches, and 145,416 communicants. As the disruption between these two parties in 1837 was carried by the Old School in opposition generally to the feeling of their brethren from whom they broke off, it is not surprising that the former should continue to see as valid reasons for keeping aloof from all ecclesiastical fellowship, as they did to separate themselves from the fellowship of their brethren at first. Accordingly, at the recent meetings of these Assemblies, the New School Assembly forwarded to their brethren of the Old School a proposition, that the two Assemblies unite in a joint celebration of the Lord's Supper; which, after a discussion, renewed at different sederunts, five or six times, was declined by the Old School Assembly, although in terms sufficiently respectful and courteous, bearing, that "while they recognize the other Assembly as a branch of the Church of our common Lord, and for this reason, would, as individuals, under appropriate circumstances, unite with our breth

ren in the celebration of divine ordinances, yet, as this Assembly has never, in its corporate and official capacity, united with any other ecclesiastical body in celebrating the Lord's Supper, it judges it inexpedient to institute a new usage at this time." If in this point the Old School Assembly are to be viewed as behind their brethren, we fear that it is not on this alone they are so. On the subject of slavery, respecting which petitions and memorials were laid before them, they succeeded in avoiding all general discussion, having at their meeting of last year adopted resolutions on the subject, which appeared to them to embrace their whole duty and obligations as a church in the matter. In the New School Assembly, again, at its recent meeting, slavery was the all-absorbing question. To afford the fullest and freest discussion of the subject, it was agreed that the members should be heard on it, in the order of the roll, which gave to each commissioner the fullest opportunity of expressing the views of his Presbytery, as well as his own. This prov

ed a long and somewhat tedious process, lengthening out the discussion for ten successive days; but there was great gain in the end.

The happiest temper prevailed throughout the addresses; in which there was blended the most unreserved expression of opinion on all sides, with the utmost candour and freedom from asperity. The men from the free states of the north and east, who had come up with many anxious forebodings, and even with apprehensions, many of them, that a division of their church must take place, gradually perceived a much greater approximation of spirit and of view on the question in their brethren from the south and the west, than they had anticipated, and became all of them decided and resolute against any disunion of the church. Of the delegates from the slave states, only three ventured to advocate,

slavery as a Bible institution: while all of them declared, that as churches, they hold themselves bound to watch over the conduct of masters in relation to their servants; that acts of cruelty and wrong do not pass uncensured; and particularly, that the buying or selling servants as merchandise, or without their consent, is held by their churches to be inconsistent with christian character. One aged elder, a slaveholder, said, as for such an enormity as separating husband and wife, he never thought of such a thing, and could not bear for a moment to be thought capable of such cruelty."

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In some of their presbyteries in the free states, no slaveholder would be invited to their communion, or to preach in their pulpits. Yet, members from these presbyteries, having heard their brethren from the south, stated, that they could give all of them whom they had heard, a cordial welcome to their communion and pulpit, because they were not slaveholders in the sense of holding their fellow-men as property for gain.

The feeling which pervaded the Assembly throughout, was harmonious and keen, almost to enthusiasm, in denouncing the atrocities of slavery, and confuting every attempt to justify it from the Old Testament or the New; while equally unanimous in deprecating separation, and condemning those who would on this question call for any schism in their church. The resolutions adopted were shaped accordingly; declaring slavery to be intrinsically unrighteous and oppressive, opposed to the law of God, the gospel, and humanity; regretting deeply its continuance among any members of their churches, and earnestly exhorting them to use all means to put it away; refusing to pronounce promiscuous condemnation on all slavemasters to their exclusion from christian fellowship, condemning all divisive measures, and the indiscriminate denunciation of those connected with slavery; and as possessing no judiciary authority themselves, leaving the question of discipline with the subordinate courts. The resolutions were carried by 97 to 27; and 20 were absent.

The General Associations of the Congregational Churches of the different New England States, and of others of the states to the westward, appear to differ essentially in nothing from the assemblies of the Presbyterian Churches. Their business is precisely similar, and conducted in a similar way. They, indeed, exchange delegates with these assemblies, as well as with each other. One of these Congregational Conventions, pretty far west, has got so frightened at this apparent approximation to presbytery, as to resolve, at their late meeting in Michigan city, to discontinue the holding of annual conventions, as somewhat uncon

gregational, besides being greatly liable, instead of giving wise and salutary advice, to exercise unauthorised and dangerous control; they resolve also to discontinue sending delegates to the Presbyterian Assemblies, because they greatly doubt if these assemblies will continue to be so useful as they may have been in the past; and because the preponderance of the Presbyterian influence in their Assemblies is too great to allow of their being of equal interest or advantage to Congregationalists. In the conventions of the New England Churches, the business is methodical, varied, and rich in interest. They choose their Moderator and Scribes; appoint general committees of bills and overtures, of arrangements, of accounts, of nominations, &c., and, about the commencement of the meeting, hear a sermon from one of the delegates. The state of religion within the boundaries of the association, Clerical and General Education, Missions, Home and Foreign, and similar matters then come severally under review; a sermon is occasionally preached on such a subject as the Home Missions our Lord's Supper is regularly dispensed; and more general matters are usually introduced by memorial or overture, such as slavery, war, Sabbath observance, &c., and one or two of these Associations have of late been endeavouring to prepare general collections of psalms and hymns, which they might send forth with their recommendation to their churches, but have had very little success in the attempt.

The American Board of Foreign Missions held its Annual Meeting at Newhaven, commencing on the 8th of September. From their Missions among the Armenians, the Nestorians, in India and in the Sandwich Islands, the intelligence presented to the meeting afforded concurring and striking evidence, that the hand of the Lord is with their labourers in these fields, giving powerful testimony to the word of his grace. A painful sensation was awakened by some letters from their missionary in Greece, Dr King, who was not only undergoing civil prosecution on account of legitimate missionary exertion, but had come to the knowledge of an extensive combination against him, among the fanatical people, instigated by the priests, to take away his life. The British Minister had offered him his protection, in case of need. A question somewhat novel was introduced by several memorials, which called for inquiry respecting the existence of polygamy within their Mission Churches, and whether or not any of their Missionaries were known to consider it no scriptural bar to christian fellowship. It turned out that in only four instances had the question of admitting to church fellowship a heathen convert having more than one wife, come practically before

their missionaries, so far as known to the Board. In one of these instances the applicant was refused; in the other two of them the result was not known; but the missionaries of the churches in which they occurred were known to be opposed to the admission of such parties to church fellowship; and only in the fourth case, which occurred in an Indian tribe about twenty years ago, was the applicant admitted-an aged man having two wives. The Board on this question finally adopted a resolution condemning the practice of polygamy, recognising it as the common sentiment of all Christians, that in no circumstance is a church member to be permitted to marry a second wife, during the life of the first; and that in respect of converts from heathenism in a state of polygamy, the Board expect its missionaries, in considering the question of admission to the church, to carry out the principles of the gospel to their full extent; while they confide in their piety, learning, and sound judgment, and their general competency to decide upon scriptural grounds all such questions, should any cases arise which involve them.

THE WAR IN CAFFRELAND.

THE Christian Mission at Caffreland is still in a most disastrous state. The "Caffrarian Messenger," recently issued by the "Glasgow African Missionary Society," contains the mournful intelligence of stations broken up, burned, and otherwise destroyed, and missionaries fleeing before the face of the savage hordes who have set themselves in opposition to the British government. For an account of the origin of this war, and for many affecting details of the sufferings and perils of our christian brethren who have been driven from the scenes of their labours, we refer to the Circular and "Messenger" issued by the society above named; and we recommend these documents to the prayerful and benevolent consideration of our readers. It is plain that a season of severe trial awaits the friends of the Caffrarian mission; but we doubt not the Master is looking on, and will, when he sees best, come forth to save and deliver his struggling disciples. The promise that "at evening time it shall be light," has often been realised in the history of christian missions, and we have no fear that it will fail in the present instance. "Be of good cheer; only believe."

The last advices we have seen from Capetown, reach to Oct. 7. The most recent intelligence obtained from the frontier states that the British force had not yet accomplished any particular advantage, although the number of men, including farmers, under arms, was full 10,000. It is asserted, on the other hand, that the Caffres, almost from the commencement of the war, had been eminently successful. They had captured

our baggage at the outset; and, but for a subsequent gallant little "affair," in which the dragoons had the only opportunity yet afforded of showing their superiority at close-quarter fighting, the whole of the eastern province, it is said, would have been at the mercy of the Caffres. The Caffres had made several offers of capitulation, but the governor wanted his own terms complied with, which were, that the insurgents should give up all their arms, and restore the cattle they had stolen. The English boundaries were also to be extended.

MASSACRE OF THE NESTORIAN CHRISTIANS.

LETTERS from Constantinople, of the 9th Dec., contain shocking accounts of a massacre of Nestorian Christians, in Kurdistan, by Bedr Khan Bey. Anticipating no resistance, Bedr Khan marched into the country of the Nestorians, divided his army into small bands, and sacked thirty-six villages. These bands, dispersing, fell upon the Nestorian villages in the districts of Tiary, Tehoma, Diss, and Albagh, and murdered in cold blood men, women, and children, and even infants at the breast; the Christians who offered the least resistance being (according to the injunctions of their barbarous chief) put to the most cruel and refined modes of torture and death. None were suffered to escape; and, even if they did, it was to be subsequently hunted down like wild beasts. When no living creature remained for the demons to glut their vengeance upon, they burnt and destroyed the very habitations of these unfortunate Christians. It is calculated that several thousands have already perished.

We give the following details as communicated by the correspondent of the Morning Chronicle:-" Two of the bishops of the Nestorians, if not more, were impaled, and several of the priests. What impaling is, I suppose your readers to understand; but that was not the worst torture that was inflicted. Children were torn from their mothers, some from their mothers' breasts, and, in presence of their mothers, who were obliged, screeching, to look on, put in the most shocking manner to death. The mothers afterwards were sacrificed. The youth of both sexes underwent outrages which cannot be mentioned, before their throats, in disgust and satiety, were cut. The pen refuses to record more of these atrocities, though I might go on, and allude to abominations of cruelty, and worse than cruelty, which call for a retribution as nearly equal to their bestial ruthlessness in severity as can be inflicted. Three thousand of the Nestorians have perished in this massacre, on the lowest calculation. The most extensive slaughter took place at a large village, or township, called Bias, where Bedr Khan Bey was himself present. Here the two

bishops were impaled, and from this place was sent the 300 heads (pickled) to the Pacha of Moussoul, with the insulting message, that if the Porte presumed to molest the sender, he would send to Constantinople, instead of Nestorian, Turks' heads, enough to make a pyramid.

"The whole mountain district of Kurdistan, on the Turkish side, is at this moment filled with houseless famished wanderers, hiding themselves in dens and caves, under all the worst circumstances and guises of misery, from their pursuers. Bedr Khan Bey, swore, before he started on his expedition, with all the solemnities of the Mahomedan creed, before two imaums, that he would exterminate the whole Nestorian people; and all of them who have not strength to reach Persia will certainly experience the full realization of this oath.

"Whilst these things were happening, a council, over which the Nestorian patriarch, who has escaped from Moussoul, presided, was held at a town called, if I recollect right, Artchy, one of the principal Nestorian settlements. Here it was determined that, as resistance was vain, the whole people of the Nestorians should emigrate without an hour's delay into Persia, where a numerous body of their countrymen are settled on the banks of the lake of Ouroumiah. The execution of this design was, however, difficult, perilous and disastrous. The fugitives were obliged to leave behind them all their property; most of them crossed the mountains in straggling, frightened, wretched bands. But one corp of emigrants, stronger than the others, commanded, I am told, by the patriarch, was attacked on their passage by the soldiers of Bedr Khan Bey. After an obstinate conflict, in which many fell on both sides, the Nestorians gained the victory.

"The Porte promises the French and English ambassadors to punish Bedr Khan, but is powerless; and it is not improbable that this outrage is provoked by the intrigues of the Porte with the Nestorian patriarch, to undermine the contumacious chief, who is too strong to be crushed. Bedr Khan Bey can at any time collect a force of 40,000 men. He is virtual sovereign, indeed, of the whole mountain district. In the winter season it is impossible to attack him among the mountain fastnesses, and even in the summer he would always have a great superiority over regular troops."

In a postscript the writer adds-"Letters from Bagdad, I have just learnt, mention the report of a battle between Bedr Khan Bey and Tayer, pasha of Moussoul, and that the latter has sustained a complete defeat. I believe it is at present the full purpose of the Turkish cabinet to subjugate

this great Kurd chief, for matters have been driven so far against him, that there is no hope of attaching him cordially to the interests of the Porte; he is therefore regarded here somewhat in the same light as was Mehemet Ali, pasha of Egypt, before he became so thoroughly independent."

ANTI-SLAVERY PROGRESS IN AMERICA.

THE feeling hostile to slavery seems to be gaining strength in the United States, notwithstanding the accusations brought against the abolition party, as having, by their outcry, rivetted the fetters of the slave. It is announced that an anti-slavery newspaper, under the auspices of the liberal party, is to be established at Washington city, under the joint editorship of John Quincy Adams and Hon. Joshua R. Gidding, M.C., from Ohio. The first number is to make its appearance on the 1st of January. Able contributors are engaged, and provision has been made for its continuance for three years; to ensure which, the proprietors anticipate to be able to raise fifteen thousand dollars per year. The Anti-slavery Reporter of New York will be discontinued in con

sequence. Cassius M. Clay's paper, the True American, has been suspended for a short time, to be recommenced under more favourable circumstances, and with new proprietors. There is talk of a pro-slavery paper being established to oppose it, but that, says an anti-slavery writer, is too good to be true. Another circumstance, indicating the progress of the same sentiments, has occurred recently in the New School Presbyterian Church. The New School Synod of Cincinnati had suspended from the exercise of his ministerial functions the Rev. Mr Graham, for maintaining antiabolition views. On appeal to the General Assembly, that court declared the suspension unconstitutional. The injunction of the Assembly to restore Mr Graham the Synod declines to obey, on the plea that the powers of the Assembly are only advisory, and not imperative. What renders the matter still more perplexing is, that the next meeting of Assembly cannot authoritatively take further action in respect to their injunction, their right to meet at the time appointed being utterly denied by several of the Presbyteries, on the ground that the interval between this and the previous meeting is shorter than that fixed in the original constitution of the Assembly. If slavery prove thus an Achan in the camp, we may hope that the American church will soon rouse herself to cast forth the unclean thing. point having a most important bearing on American slavery has been decided in New York court. It is that a slave escaping into that state becomes free, and cannot legally be arrested there, and be sent back to slavery.

A