FRANCE.

An Extract from the Belgian
Traveller.

FROM what I have heard and seen during my present journey, I am more than ever convinced that the Ecrasons l'Infame of Voltaire, has never ceased to be the order of the day among his sectaries; and that Christianity in France approaches every day nearer to its extinction. Bonaparte and Talleyrand are too politic to knock on the bead, at once, a religion of 18 centuries; but the degradation of Christianity in the person of its ostensible chief, has produced the same revolution in religious sentiments as the humiliation and murder of the head of the kingdom of France had already done in political ones; and most Frenchmen are therefore Religious, as well as political, Freethinkers: but, if I am not misinformed, Talleyrand said, even when the Pope still fraternized with Bonaparte in the Thuilleries, Christianity in France will descend into the tomb, without giving either alarm or making any noise, because the present generation of the French clergy will leave no posterity behind them; their faith is buried with them; and no resurrection of either is to be apprebended by the friends of philoso

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phy. Indeed, when one remembers that all the present French priests must be now either old, or above the middle age, as since 1790 hardly any young Frenchmen have entered into orders, it is not improbable that, within 20 or 30 years, the present altars of Christ here will be deserted for want of servants to offciate.'

Extract of a Letter from a Chaplain in the Navy, who is abroad, to his Friend in England.

I AM still decidedly of opinion, that the work of God continues in the ship. We have had between 30 and 40 under convictions; but, alas several have drawn back. Some of the lapsed have returned to us; and our evening-meetings are pretty well attended. Several pray very well; and in case of my ab sence, which, however, rarely occurs, they conduct the worship at night, i. e. they read a hymn and a sermon, and pray.

In a gale of wind some time ago, I heard a man talking in a strange way about religion; which arrested my attention. Ile seemed to have dete mined against it, and to have collected a good many plausible a guments; but I could see he was unhappy. He was about 44 years old, and an uncommonly clever man

I was very ill; but I took him, against his will, to my cabin; and I talked to him about the love of Christ to the chief of sinners, till he told me his story. It was black and sad indeed! He wept like a child, though he was reckoned ore of the most determined blackguards in the ship, and one of the most resolute in wickedness. We often talked together: but, to cut the

story short, he has ever since walked closely with God, and is very labo-` rious in doing good. I am often surprized at his knowledge of the Scriptures, and his judicious views of doctrines, &c. But who can teach like the Spirit of God?

I do not think my health will allow me to continue at sea; and the people can do very well without me: but I hope to be directed.

ASSOCIATIONS..

THE Welsh Calvinistic Methodists held their Quarterly Association in Carmarthen, on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 11 and 12. On the former evening, Mr. J. Thomas, of Cardigan, preached from Gen.xxxix. 9; and Mr. E. Morris, from 1 Pet. ii. 4. At seven o'clock on Wednesday morning, Mr. David Parry preached from Col. iii. 16; and Mr. T. Richards, from Rom. vi. 21, 23. At eleven o'clock, Mr. Jones, of Llangan, from Luke ii. 32 ; and Mr. Charles, of Bala, from Rom. i. 16. At two o'clock, Mr. E. Richards, from Matt. xxii. 11; and Mr. L. Morris, from Rom. viii. 8; and at six in the evening, Mr. M. Roberts, from 1 Pet. ii. 2. Mr. Charles catechized the children publicly, in the most important truths of Christianity; and was answered to the surprize and satisfaction of the whole assembly: he then preached from Matt. ix. 28, 30. The weather was unfavourable on the first day; but on the second, it is thought there were above 10,000 persons present.

On the same days the Quarterly Meeting of the Independent Ministers of the county of Monmouth, and the Eastera Districts of Giamorgan and Breconshire, was held at Hanover, near Abergavenny. The

service was introduced on Wednesday, at three o'clock, by Mr. J. Williams, of the Tabernacle, by prayer and singing praises unto God; Mr. James, of Cardiff, preached from Mark xvi. 16; and Mr. Lewis, of Menthin, from John vi. 35, and concluded by prayer, Mr. Davies, of Langattock, preached on Thursday morning, from 2 Cor. v. 19; Mr. Davies, of Brecon, from Phil. iii. 10; and Mr. Hughes, of White Cross, from Rom. vi. 12. Mess. J. Williams and Eb. Jones engaged in prayer.

The Quarterly Meeting of the Associate Congregations will be held at Stockwell, New Chapel, on Tuesday, January 5, 1808: Rev. J. Sabine to preach, on Sin imputed to Christ. Service to begin at Eleven o'clock.

ORDINATIONS.

May 6, 1807, at Chinley, near Chapel en le Frith, Derbyshire. Mr. Ebenezer Glossop, late student at Rotherham. Introductory Dis course, Mr. Phillips; charge, Dr. Williams, from Job xxx. 3; sermon, Mr. Evans, of stockport. Mr. Hudson, of Tintwist e, Mr. Blackburn, of Delph, and Mr. Meldrum, of Hatherlow, engaged in the other parts of the service

Oct. 15. Mr. W. Kemp, late of Colchester, was ordained to the pass

toral care of the church at Terling. Introduction, &c. Mr. Foster, of Maldon; ordination - prayer, Mr. Steven, of Castle Hedingham; charge, Mr. Fielding, of Coggeshall (1 Tim. ii. 2); sermon, Mr. Newton, of Witham (Phil. i. 27). Mr. Craig, of Bocking, Mr. Chaplin, of Bishop's Stortford, and Mr. Merchant, of Layer Bretton, also engaged in the service.

Oct. 21, Mr. James Gordon, formerly student at Aberdeen, and afterwards under Mr. Eving, at Glasgow, to the pastoral care of the Congregational Churco at Falkland, in Scotland. Introductory discourse, Mr. Campbell, of Dundee, who also gave the charge, fron 2 Tim. i, 15; sermon to the people, Mr. Elder, of Leven, from Heb. xii. 22; and Mr. Brown, of Kirkcaldy, preached the preceding evening, from Isa. xxv. 6.

At Burnham Westgate, in Norfolk, a neat and commodious place of worship was opened, on Wed. Nov. 18, 1807. A Sermon was preached in the morning, from Jona iv. 24, by Mr. Carter, of Mattishall; and another in the evening from Prov. xxix. 18, by Mr. Allen, of Lynn; Mr. Johnson, Baptist Minister of Fakenham, closed the service with prayer. There has been preaching at Burnham, and in the neighbour hood, for some montas, by students from Hoxton, which is continued,. with much acceptance, among the people; and it is hoped that the word of the Lord will have free course, and be glorified.'

Unitarians.

IT is said, that the Committee for Auditing the Accounts of the Clergy's Fund, at Baddow, in Essex,

e laudably refused to receive a du ation from Mr. Stone; who, it may be remembere, preached a very offensive Visitation Sermon at Danbury, in that county, in July 1806, which was rey ewed in this Magazine for November. The Resolution was to the following effect :

Resolved, That the offer of 57. by Francis Stone, Rector of Cold Norton, towards the support of the

Fuad for the benefit of the Widows and Orphans of the Essex Clergy, as being the profits of two edition of his blasphemous and heretical Visitation Sermon, be rejected with disdain.'

We are glad to`sce such a public tesamony from the clergy of Essex, against the abommable tenets divulged in that sermon.

Mr. Stone has, however, met with some kindred soals out of the church; for the Southern Unitarian

Society, assembled at Horshamn, in Sussex, in July last, voted their thanks to their dear brother Stone in the following words: 'Resol ved, That the thanks of this Society be given to the Rev Francis Stone, for the exertion he made in the cause of truth, by preaching and pablishing te sermon which he delivered on the 8th of July, 1806.'

Mr. Stone his returned as thanks to the latter body for the honour they have done him; and pra ses the Unitaria Fund Society for devoling a portion of their income to the support of preachers on the Socin an plan. He also recommends, if their Funds should ad nit of it, furnis ng the watering-places with chapels and min sters during the season, in order to counteract the influence of Method st preachers; with which (he says) those places abound.

Affecting Event.

On the 25th of July, a man and three wo u. a were gong, in a light. cart, to the Meeting-house at Ey thorn, it being the day on which the

East Kent Association met there for public worship. The horse ran away: two of the females being thrown out, were considerably bruised and lacerated; the third received a more serious injury, for, in about twentyfour hours after the accident, she was delivered of a dead child, and the next day she was a corpse.

Thus an affectionate wife, mother, and member of a church, was taken away at the age of 37! How uncertain is life and all our enjoyments! The husband expected to meet his dear partner in the house of God, and promised himself a happy day; but the holy and Sovereign Ruler of the world saw fit to disappoint him: When he taketh away, none can hinder.' How consoling the consideration when he taketh our friends to himself!

itted to be

Mercy was, in this case, mingled with judgment. The sufferer was not killed on the spot, nor deprived of her reason but perm 3 attended by her dear relatives to the last moment. Apprehending that her departure was at hand, she said,

O that my death may make a lasting impression on my two dear brothers! On her own behalf, she cried, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!' Finding herself dying, she requested her husband and mother to leave the room she then turned her face to the pillow, and calmly waited for her dismission.

The solema providence was improved by her pastor from a text of Scripture which, in her frequent affictions, was the support of her minds Job xxiii. 10.

Nov. 16, an affecting event took place in the parish of Lanover, near Abergavenny. Four children were left alone in the house, their parents having occasion to be from home, at their work, till a late hour; the eldest, aged twelve, and second seven years, undressed the two youngest, and put them to bed, spread their clothes before the fire, and laid themselves down upon the same, to wait the return of their parents. They slept,the clothes took fire, and burnt every article of clothing near them, and their bodies in a shocking manner. A man and his wife going home from a meeting at

THERE was a mistake in our statement of the dinner given at the City of London Tavern on the Lord's Day, in our Number for December. The Gentlemen had not been previously to Church, as we were informed; but to Guildhall, to be sworn in, as is customary on the 8th of Nov. But their dining at a tavern on the Lord's Day, on such an occasion, was an innovation, which we think desérves the notice we took of it.

DEAF AND DUMB ASYLUM.

The New Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb is roofed in; but a large addition to the Building-Fund is necessary for its completion, and is anxiously solicited by the Commit

tee.

We learn, that on the 11th of January there will be a Meeting of Tavern, to elect eight children only Subscribers at the City of London out of sixty-six candidates, for the privilege of admission into this excelient charity.

The Annual Meeting of the London Itinerant Society will be held at the Guildhall Coffee-house, on the 15th inst. at Six in the Evening,

On Wednesday, Nov. 25, the Annual Sermon, before The Society for promoting Religious Knowledge among the Poor,' was preached at Clerkenwell Church, by the Rev. Mr. Goode, Rector of Blackfriars. The text, Prov. xix. 2, That the soul be without knowledge, it is not good.' The collection amounted to 221. 13s. The company at dinner was very numerous; and 50 new Members were added to the Society. This Society was instituted in 1750; since which, they have distributed 707,150 Bibles, Testaments, and other religious books and tracts.

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The London Female Penitentiary is now occupied by the unhappy women for whom it was intended; and is nearly full. Additions must be made to the building in the spring, if the liberality of the public shall enable the Committee to effect them. The word of life has been administered to them, and with apparent good effect.

Vaccine Inoculation.

The ravages of the small pox in London have lately been considerable,109 having died in the last fortnight (December 16, 1807). It has been very prevalent in the parishes of St. Ann, Soho, and St. Martin's, Westminster. In a single family, three children died in one

*ness.

A fine boy, two years and week. a half old, died after two days It is greatly to be regretted that the poor are not more willing to accept of that easy defence against this dreadful disease, which is furnished by the Cow-pox Inoculation, gratuitously administered.

The Directors of the Jennerian Society have, however, the satisfaction of knowing that the practice of Vaccination is every day gaining ground, not only in England, but in various other parts of the globe; so as to have completed, in several extensive districts, the extermination of that mortal distemper.

At the different stations in London, 2,387 persons have been vacci nated since the last Report, making in the whole 22,711.

On application to the Society's house, No. 14, Salisbury Square, Fleet Street, the utmost assistance will be given, to extend the benefits of the Institution, by the Distribution of Vaccine Matter, with proper Instructions.

RECENT DEATH.

THE long expected release of that venerable man of God, the Rev. J. NEWTON, Rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, London, was granted in the evening of Monday, Dec. 21, in his 83d year. A Memoir of his Life is intended for our next Number.

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Preachers. Mr. Lowell Mr.Roberts Mr. Page Mr. Thorp

Dr. Ryland

Tab. Minis. Mr. Thorp

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Mr. Page