in 1541. It was purchased for the Museum for 2551. at the sale of Mr. Hibbert's Library, a few years since. It contains the autograph of Luther himself, and also those of Bugenhagin, Melancthon, and Major, the fellow-labourers of Luther in the great work of the Reformation.

Bishop Warburton says in one of his letters to Bishop Hurd: "Take a plain man with an honest heart, give him his Bible, and make him conversant in it, and I will engage for him that he will never be at a loss to know how to act agreeably to his duty in every circumstance of life. Yet give this man a good English translation of Aristotle's Ethicks, one of the most complete works for method in its kind, and by the time he has got to the end of it I dare say he will not understand one word he has been reading." Mr. Irving has been deposed from the ministry by the presbytery of Annan. The chief of the allegations in the charges against him, was his perilous statements respecting the person of our Lord. He urged in substance in reply, that he did not consider our Lord's nature as peccant but only as peccable; but there cannot be a shadow of doubt that his whole theological system is at utter variance with the doctrines of the Church of Scotland, under whose authority he exercised his ministry, as, we lament to say, it is with a higher and infallible standard.

A new brotherhood of Knights Templars are trying to revive in Paris the absurd mummeries of the dark ages. They lately came to mass clothed in white tunicks ornamented with red crosses, with plumes on their heads, and large swords in their hands, as if they were on their march to vanquish the Saracens. To what purpose this phantasmagoria in the nineteenth century? Do they hope that either Popery or chivalry will gain converts by these absurd exhibitions?

English Protestants in the present day, who view the doctrine of purgatory in an abstracted form, apart from the jugglery and practical absurdities with which it has ever been inseparably connected, can scarcely estimate the magnitude of its evils. We discern these more graphically when we read such statements as the following, which was stuck up three or four years ago in the churches of Madrid. "The sacred and royal bank of piety has relieved from purgatory, from its establishment in 1721, to November 1826, 1,030,395 souls, at an expense

of.

£1,720,437

14,276

£1,734,703 "The number of masses calculated to

accomplish this pious work, was 558,921; consequently, each soul cost one mass and nine-tenths, or thirty-four shillings and fourpence."

It would be impossible to imagine any thing more exquisitely absurd if it were not most basely fraudulent, than such a pretended balance-sheet drawn up with all the accuracy of a hospital cash-account, or a Bible Society's Annual Report. It is no wonder that Roman Catholicks found ample funds to support missions, if their reports could detail facts like these. Protestants can only enumerate the number of their missionaries, schools, catechumens, and communicants, with such hopeful facts as may have occurred within their earthly knowledge of penitent inquirers, consistent converts, and dying believers; but what a peg for a Bible or Missionary Society speech would be a resolution to the following effect: "Moved by and seconded by, and resolved unanimously, that during the last year, by means of the Society's labours, 14,276 souls had gone to heaven at an expense of 34s. 4d. each." The newspapers, last year, mentioned a late Spanish law-suit, in which the heirs of a rich man sued the church for the recovery of moneys paid under the will of the deceased, to purchase at the fair market price, twelve thousand masses for his soul; whereas the priests, though they took the money, objected to the labour, and the Pope, at their request, abridged it, pronouncing that twelve masses should be as beneficial as twelve thousand. The Council for the Church, in answer to this allegation of non-performance of contract, produced the Pope's certificate, that the soul had been delivered by the efficacy of those masses, and that value being thus received, there was no breach of contract. This argument, we presume, gained the cause; but it does not seem to have occurred to either party to follow out the inference, which is, that if one mass will do, there is no use in paying for so many, and that Popery is in this, as in other respects, the grossest impostor which the world has ever produced. Would that the publication of such facts as the above, would put Protestants upon their guard against the seductions of a superstition which is said to be making many converts in our highly favoured land.

It is common in Germany, and causes no ridicule, notwithstanding the prevalence of Neology and Infidelity, to impose baptismal names; such as were, not with perfect justice, or even accuracy as to the fact, made a ground of reproach to the English Puritans and Parliamentarians. For example: Trangot, trust in God; Gotlib, love God, Theophilus; Gottlob, praise God; Leberecht, live uprightly; Fridrich, Frederic, peaceful, Irenæus;

Gottfried, Peace of God, Godfrey; Gotthilf, help from God.

A friend has kindly favoured us with the following interesting paragraph. People who are not in the habit of looking into statisticks are not aware of the vast disproportion in the density of the population between the different sections of the United States. New England is far more densely settled than any other section of the country. In fact, the population of Massachusetts which, in this respect, far exceeds that of the other New England States, presents a greater num ber to the square mile than many of the countries in Europe, even including some of those which have for centuries been considered populous kingdoms. Spain, for instance, has an average of but sixty three individuals to the square mile; Scotland but seventy-one; Denmark but seventy-six; while Massachusetts has seventy. eight. We subjoin a list of the several states of the Union, with the number of inhabitants to the square mile in each respectively, viz:

Massachusetts has 78 to the square mile; Connecticut, 63; Rhode Island, 62; New York, 44; New Jersey, 38; Delaware, 38; Maryland, 32; Pennsylvania, 29; New Hampshire, 28; Vermont, 28; Ohio, 25; South Carolina, 18; Virginia, 17; Tennessee, 17; Kentucky, 16; North Carolina, 15; Maine, 12; Indiana, 10; Georgia, 9; Alabama, 6; Louisiana, 5; Illinois, 3; Mississippi, 2; Missouri, 2.-Boston Atlas.

The AILANTUS glandulosa is an ornamental, or timber tree, a native of China, of recent introduction into our country. It is frequently known by the name of the Tree of Heaven, probably from its rapid and tall growth. For planting in streets and parks it has already become popular. We have seen at Providence, (where we believe it was first introduced,) and at Philadelphia, trees that have been planted out eight or ten years, which are generally and greatly admired. They have also been more recently, but extensively, planted about New York. The Ailantus was introduced into the Albany Nursery about six years ago, where it withstood the severe winter of 1831-2, and where it has since been extensively multiplied. The growth is very rapid, often ten feet or more in a season, in young trees. The leaves are large, resembling much the sumac, unequally pinnate, with foot stocks from one to three feet in length; and it has numerous green flowers in a terminate pedicle. The flowers are monoecious, and it is not known that the female plant is yet among us. The tree grows well upon a poor soil, particularly if it is calcareous. The wood is hard, heavy, glos

sy like satin, and susceptible of a very fine polish.-Genesee Farmer.

standing in Duxbury, county of Plymouth, Large Apple Tree.-There is at present an apple tree remarkable for its age, size, and fruitfulness. This tree is over forty feet in height, branches very wide, spreading and large; the circumference of the trunk, eight inches from the ground, is sixteen feet; and four feet from the ground it spreads into two branches, one of which is nine feet in circumference. These again spread, the larger into three, the smaller into two branches, each of which equals an ordinary apple tree in size. It covers with its branches a space of ground thirty-one paces in diameter. In its most fertile days, it bore seventy-six bushels of apples for winter use, and not many years since, the fruit made ten barrels of cider, besides thirty bushels for the cellar. Its ascertained age is near one hundred years. It still is quite productive and sound, the The fruit is of a pleasant sour, rather tenupper and lower branches bear alternately. der, but keeps well all winter.-New England Farmer.

Egyptian Newspaper.-A journal is now published at Alexandria, under the title of Miszer Wekaiesi (Egyptian News). The vignette of this paper, in opposition to the Ottoman Crescent, presents half a sun, shining forth from behind a pyramid, on the side of which stands a flourishing On the left of the vigyoung palm tree. nette are these words:-"Printed at the office of the Divan of Events in the Royal Castle." This paper, which is in the Arabic and Turkish languages, gives no political news, but is confined to civil and military subjects, which have merely a local interest.

Expedition in Travelling.-A gentleman who left Germantown on Thursday morning, taking the rail road line from Philadelphia to New York, reached that city in time for dinner, staid two hours there, and reached Newport, (R. I.) the next morning. After a stay of six hours he returned to New York, and spending two hours again in that city, reached Philadelphia in season to take an early afternoon trip on the Germantown road to meet his family, Friday being the only day on which he had been separated from

them. The distance travelled is about 525 miles.

A Curious Fact.-A letter from Wheeling says " Another circumstance which I consider a singular one, never having seen it mentioned as having taken place any where else, is that the martins, and even the domestick pigeons left us during the prevalence of the disease-[Cholera] they are now [14th ult.] returning, which I take to be a good omen. Was this in

stinct, or what other cause induced them to abandon their friends?"

City of London.-London measures seven and a half miles in length, from east to west, by a breadth of five miles from north to south. Its circumference, allowing for various inequalities, is estimated at thirty miles, while the area of ground it covers is considered to measure no less than eighteen miles square.

A trader in bees, during the last month, carried safely several boxes of hives from Kennebeck, in Maine, to Quebeck. He travelled during the night, and set his bees out during the day to feed and continue their work, which they did with their usual activity and regularity.

Interesting Fact.-Comparative length of life of drunkards and sober men. During the last six months thirty-eight adults have died in the Boston Almshouse. Of

these twenty-nine were intemperate drunkards, and their average ages, thirtyeight years. It is believed that the other nine had lived sober lives, and their average ages were seventy-one years.

Wyoming Monument.-On Wednesday last the corner stone of the Wyoming Monument was laid, and it is said that eighty skeletons have been found, and were placed within the monumental sepulchre. There is scarcely one that has been examined but presents the marks of the tomahawk on the head.

Moravians.-The latest statement of the Moravian brethren makes the whole number of their sect, dispersed over the globe, to consist of not more than 16,000 members. Notwithstanding this, they maintain 127 missions for the conversion of the heathen, at an annual expense of $60,000, £9000.

RETURN OF REV. MR. PINNEY FROM AFRICA.

While a number of ministerial brethren were coming together at a weekly prayer meeting, in the study of the editor, on Monday morning the 8th inst. Mr. Pinney entered among them. Our surprise at seeing him was great; and our pleasure in conversing with him since, has not been small. He arrived on the evening of the 6th, (Saturday) and although he had preached in the Northern Liberties of the city on the previous day, we had supposed him to be still in Africa, till he approached to take us by the hand.

Mr. Pinney states that he left Liberia just after the commencement of the rainy season-He found, upon calculation, that his expenses, if he should remain idle there, (as all are compelled to do while the rainy season lasts) would more than equal the expense of a voyage to Philadelphia. He therefore believed that he could in no way so well serve the mission in which he is engaged, and to which he feels an unabated at

tachment, as by coming to this country, and here spending his time during the rainy season on the African coast, in the service of the Board under which he acts -intending to return as soon as the periodical rains at Liberia shall cease. For ourselves, we consider this movement of Mr. Pinney as a new instance of his zeal and devotedness, and of his discernment and prudence also. It was our opinion, which we expressed to him in a letter after the death of Mr. Barr, that he ought not to go to Africa without a fellow missionary. But he had made all his arrangements for the voyage, and thought it his duty to proceed. He has gone; he has seen the country; he has made an excursion into the interior, as far as a native prince, through whose country he had to pass, would permit him to proceed; he has acquired much useful information; and he has been acclimated, so far as this can be effected by passing happily through two turns of the country fever, which he represents as by no means so terrifick, since the right method of treating it has

been ascertained, as it was supposed to be, and in fact was, when the first emigrants arrived at Monrovia.

Mr. Pinney left Philadelphia this morning (July 9) for Princeton. He hopes there to obtain a fellow labourer, perhaps more than one. Subject to the direction of "The Western Foreign Missionary Society," he hopes to travel and preach pretty extensively in the Presbyterian church, and to be instrumental in awakening the attention, stimulating the zeal, and prompting the liberality of the members of this church, in the sacred and most interesting duty of sending the gospel to the heathen. He can now speak of what he has seen, and testify of what he has known, in a short experience of the missionary life. We earnestly hope that he will not only be successful in obtaining missionary coadjutors for the evangelizing of some of the dark parts of the great continent of Africa, but in stirring up extensively a missionary spirit in our beloved church. May the Lord whom he serves, and whose command to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" he is desirous to see fulfulfilled by himself and by others, prosper his labours and crown his efforts, both at home and abroad, with an abundant and glorious

success.

We have not received the "Western Missionary Chronicle" for June, and therefore cannot lay before our readers the details of the Mission to Hindostan, sent out by the Western Foreign Missionary Society, which we intimated last month that we expected to take from that publication, for our present number.

FOREIGN.

It is calculated that at least one third of the population of the world Ch. Adv. VOL. XI.

speak the Chinese language. Hence the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in that language is incalculably important, in the great enterprise of converting the world to God. As connected with this object, the following letters, which we take from the "Monthly extracts" for May, of the "British and Foreign Bible Society," must prove highly interesting to the friends of the Bible cause.

From the Rev. Dr. Morrison.

Canton, China, Oct. 29, 1832. did not reach me till July, 1832. I have Your interesting letter of June, 1831, seen the proceedings of your Anniversary last May, and rejoice exceedingly in the peace of the Society. I am sure the excellent nobleman who presided must have contrasted with the Anniversary of 1831. felt delighted on that day, especially when

We have had more of the Holy Scriptures sent up to China this last season than at any former period; and Mr. Gutzlaff, who has, I believe, written to you, carried a considerable number to the north of China, on the coast, to Corea, and the Loo-Choo Islands. He sent, by the hands of some official persons, one copy to the King of Corea, who, however, declined to accept it.

Mr. Gutzlaff has gone another voyage to the north-which is his third-carrying Bibles, Prayer Books, and Tracts. Thus, I trust, the word of the Lord will spread, and his wondrous works be made known throughout China and surrounding nations. I have the pleasure to state, that the American Churches have taken up the cause of China. Messrs. Bridgman and Abeel were their first missionaries. Mr. Stevens has, a day or two ago, arrived on the coast, in the ship Morrison -named after me, I believe, by its pious owner, Mr. Oliphant, a devoted servant of Christ, and a friend of China: he is of the Presbyterian Church; yet opens his factory in China for the reception of Missionaries from Congregational Churches. Mr. Stevens is sent to preach to seamen in China, and also to study the language ther Chinese Student in Mr. Winterly, for missionary purposes. We have anowho is here for his health, and is acting as Chaplain to the Factory during the absence of Mr. Vachell, who has gone to England on a visit.

The American Christians wish their missionaries to distribute Bibles at Ame

rican expense; to which, of course, we can

2 T