like this one. I beseech you, who have got a greater effusion of the Spirit, to pray for her. She will have a place in heaven, if she abides faithful to Christ, with which she will be satisfied, and you will adore the kindness and grace of God, not only as her Saviour, but your Saviour. I beseech you to pray that this ordinance may not end in her destruction, and that she may persevere unto the end. You see the power of Christ in making this one woman to forsake all for him: it matters not whether a sinner is rich or poor, nothing but divine grace can make a sinner forsake the world. The Lord taketh the base things of the world to confound the mighty, and things that are not to bring to nought things that are, that no flesh may glory in his presence.'

999

CAIRO.

Church Missionary Society.-This society has had for some time in operation among the descendants of the ancient Egyptians, the Copts, an interesting mission, and one altogether of a different kind to the missions existing among the pagan nations of the earth, most of the Copts professing a superstitious and corrupt form of Christianity. We present the few following characteristic sketches of the labours of the society's missionary, Mr. Krusé.

On the 1st July Mr. Krusé left Caïro for Alexandria, and thence proceeded to Rosetta. On the way he records the following encouraging instance of a Mohammedan inquirer:

*

"July 11, 1847. Lord's-day.-Early this morning we reached Metoubis, where we remained. Khaleel, my assistant, who, on this occasion, accompanied me, joined me in the services of the day. We were quite alone till nearly sunset, when I sent to the divan to acquaint the Copts with my arrival. Khaleel told me that they all rejoiced, and none more so than the Mohammedan mentioned in my former journal. They soon came on board, and we had a very profitable conversation. When the Mohammedan came, one of the Copts turned to me, and said 'Do you know what this man is now? He is a Jew;' 'No,' cried the man, in the hearing of the sailors, 'I am a Christian!' He then, in a very affectionate manner, expressed his joy at seeing me again. I asked him what use he had made of the Scriptures I had given him on my former visit? He answered, 'I have read them again and again.' And do you believe what you read in the Gospel of Jesus Christ?' Yes, I believe it altogether.' I said, 'May your faith be not merely an historical belief, but may it tend to the saving of your soul!' I then handed to him a copy of the New Testament printed for Mohammedans. The man was overjoyed, and said he would read it as regularly as he took his daily food, and make it his principal study. On taking leave, he begged so earnestly that I would call again on my return from Rosetta, that I was compelled to promise I would endeavour to spend at least a few hours with them."

On the 12th Mr. Krusé arrived at Rosetta, whence he writes"We soon went to call on the kumus (archdeacon), whom we found sitting with the bishop, Amba Sarabamoon. The bishop is a very aged man, about ninety, and scarcely able to speak five words together: yet he can travel about from place to place, gathering money from his people, who revere him, and give him without his asking, for they believe that his blessing maketh rich: a

*Mr. Krusé visited Lower Egypt in May and June, 1845.

mere look at him is sufficient. They consider him a saint, and affirm that he has often driven out evil spirits: Scarcely had we sat down, when a number of respectable Copts came to pay him homage: they prostrated themselves on the ground, and then arose and kissed his hand. I tried in vain to keep up a profitable conversation. Had it not been for my own voice, a dead silence would have generally prevailed. Occasionally the bishop would put his hand to his breast and say, Are you well?' The people touching the forehead with the hand, answered, 'We thank God.' Then the bishop would add, 'The Lord bless you!' This is a universal custom among the Copts, and especially among the priesthood, who endeavour to cover their want of knowledge by these friendly salutations.

At Mit-Ghamr Mr. Krusé found the priest much more inclined for controversy than plain Scripture truth. After a long conversation on minor points, Mr. Krusé writes

"I arose to leave: this, however, I was not permitted to do, but was forced to partake of their dinner. During the meal, a man, who had just got a book and a tract from Khaleel, entered and remarked, 'How well your young man reads!' Upon hearing this the Priest said, 'We must send for him.' When

:

he came he was desired to read a chapter; but the Priest was too eager to examine him he put several questions to him; among them, what he thought of the holy unction, which they use in baptism. Khaleel replied, This is an invention of man.' The Priest was exasperated at this bold assertion from a son of his Church; but Khaleel undauntedly proceeded, 'I know from experience that the unction did me no good: I remained in darkness until I studied the Scriptures for myself, and thus was led by the Spirit to a knowledge of the Truth. If the unction be the Holy Spirit, as you affirm, then all baptized Christians must have the Spirit, and be holy men. But is it not evident, from their lives and works, that many have never received the Spirit?' The Priest became vehement, and committed himself by saying, 'I believe the unction to be the Second Person of the Trinity.' Khaleel quietly replied, 'You are mistaken in your zeal. I have hitherto always heard from the Clergy that the unction is the Holy Spirit.' The priest replied, "I will die on what I believe.' I here joined in the conversation, and related what a bishop himself had told me of the making of the unction. When the Meiroon (Holy Unction) is nearly all used, the bishops assemble, take the rest, and put to it such ingredients as are required. This mixture is then set on the fire, and, in order that the fire also may be holy, they burn old pictures that have received the unction: so a part of the unction is burnt while a fresh supply is made. Now is not this absurd? And when you are accused of worshipping pictures, you say you only worship the Meiroon. Thus you worship the work of men's hands, like the heathen.' The priest of course would not allow this; but being confounded he turned the subject. After some further conversation I arose to go. Several of the christians arose also, and said, with apparent fervour, There is but one Saviour and one faith: we are all one in Him.' A few of them accompanied me to the boat. I was perfectly exhausted, and therefore begged Khaleel to read a sermon of Macarius on regeneration, which pleased them very much. First one and then another begged for the book; but as we had only this copy we could not part with it. We here distributed a large number of books, and sold some."

6

,XIII.-HANSERD KNOLLYS SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the above Institution was held at Salters' Hall Chapel, on the 28th ult., C. Jones, Esq., in the chair.

Mr. Rothery commenced the proceedings with prayer.

year,

The Chairman then said-The course of the proceedings would be to present to the meeting a Report of the operations of the Society for the past with the cash accounts, and financial statements, which would put them in possession of the exact state of the affairs. The Society had had, like other institutions, to contend with financial difficulties; their sanguine expectations, therefore, that the means and object of the Society might have been extended, were disappointed. He thought, however, they might congratulate themselves that they were not in a worse state than they were the preceding year. A wide field of usefulness was still open, and he trusted that the valuable works which were published would, in course of time, enable them to present the members of the Society with three volumes annually, instead of two. At all events, he hoped that the volumes then put into their hands would receive their approbation.

The Secretary having read the minutes of the last meeting, then read the Report. At the last annual meeting, the number of subscribers was 1,047; that had been increased to 1,259; but the number at the present moment, for the year 1847-8, was 1,007. There remained a number of subscriptions unpaid.

Mr. Offor having presented the cash account, and financial statement,

Rev. F. A. Cox rose to move-"That the_gratifying Report now read be approved, printed, and circulated among the Subscribers, under the direction of the Council." He had recently seen objections taken to the term "denominational literature." It had been stated in an article upon that subject, in a periodical, with great force of expression, that the custom pursued by that Society ought not to be followed; that by their isolated proceedings, they were deducting from the general literature of the country; as if men of particular literature could not contribute to it generally. So far from denominational literature isolating them from the literature of the country, his impression was it was a great addition to it, for it was reviving that literature which would otherwise perish, and which, indeed, had disappeared from the church for years. He was thankful to state there were gentlemen who would take the trouble of reproducing it. The stream of time had been flowing over it, and deep as it was beneath the surface, still deeper had the works sunk than the names of the individuals who produced them. They heard the names of eminent characters often repeated with whose works neither they nor their friends were acquainted. The object was to make them conversant with them: they ought not to perish. He approved of those who had gone forth as antiquarian fishermen to bring up those works which had well-nigh perished, and he rejoiced to think that they had brought up what was so exceedingly valuable. The Society 'had been instituted at a very important period, not merely of their denominational history, but in the history of their country. Since its institution, the discussion of ecclesiastical events of great public and political importance, had become rife, and he regretted to say that, in some cases, principles were despised by those who ought to have advocated them. When that Society was formed, the principles advocated by it were scarcely thought of by some, and by others they were looked at with considerable indifference. They were, however, now becoming topics of universal conversation, and he hailed the appearance of those publications, not so much because they brought the names of their authors to view, as on account of the valuable principles laid down in them,

and which had been but imperfectly understood. They ought to be circulated everywhere. He would not be ashamed to avow what he held as truth. If they held any, truth which they deemed important, and found in the New Testament, they ought to advocate, diffuse, and publish it as much as possible, that it might come into collision with other minds, and thus impress the truth upon them. It might be that some parties differed from them, but he was not afraid of controversy. The truth was, they lived in somewhat of a controversial age on some of the principles which they maintained. If men understood the principles, and felt them to be Scriptural, let them advocate them, and fear no opposition. He knew that principles long buried in the earth, would present to their view much that they wished to see maintained. He hailed that Society as important when first formed, he regarded it as still more so now; and he hoped that that meeting would infuse fresh activity into it, that all who were impressed with the value of the publications would exert their influence to obtain new contributions, and thus confer a benefit on themselves as well as others, by enabling them to publish three volumes instead of two. So far from any statement in the Report being calculated to produce discouragement, he thought it was a ground of great encouragement that so many subscribers had been obtained. His impression was, that the Society required to be more extensively known, and then he felt sure that a larger number of subscribers would be obtained.

Rev. William Jones, (of Stepney,) had much pleasure in seconding the resolution. He could bear testimony to the indubitable success of their efforts in enlisting sympathy on behalf of the Institution. He spoke from an extensive knowledge of the feelings of pastors, and was persuaded that their efforts had been hailed with no common joy, and regarded with no common satisfaction. However limited the means which pastors in the country, placed over poor congregations, possessed, they were willing to place on their shelves the history of their forefathers. The Institution had been favoured by the providence of God raising up just the order of Instrumentality in the editors and Secretary which it required. He must say, though in his presence, that his esteemed friend, whom they did not know till of late years, but with whom everybody now wished to become acquainted, had been raised up apparently for the very work. (Hear, hear.) His friend seemed to have nothing to do, and yet had a capacity for doing everything. He had now a field thrown open to him, for which his own studies appeared to have prepared him; and he hoped that he, and other gentlemen in the Society, might be long spared to sustain the efforts of the Institution. (Hear, hear.) To what length the series of publications would extend, what was the amount of literature to be fetched up from the deep waters, it was impossible to say; but he trusted the Institution might go on for ever; that, as its present business was to rescue the past, to recover the fruits of the labours of men who had long laid buried, and place them before the present age, so the efforts of the Society would, in future ages, place on their shelves the works of such men as Dr. Cox, or Dr. Steane, and others now living and to follow them. (Cheers.) It was right for descendants to love their ancestors; it was right that the works of those so long forgotten in their graves, should be again restored to a place in the public view. To that Society attached a kind of hereditary character, and he thought it was necessary, in order to do an act of justice to the labours of the departed. Those who most turned their attention to the works of their forefathers, must infer that a species of contempt and neglect had rested on that kind of literature, and that the justice which was not done to them in their own times, it became them now to redress. It could not be doubted that enough had not been done in their own times to set forth the excellencies of those who had laboured in their denomination. That Institution rescued

their works from that injustice. No sect which had arisen had had the honour of being so much spoken against as the Baptists. He did not charge it on any person in particular; but he thought they might claim pre-eminence in the honour of continuing to be spoken against on account of their little peculiarities. The first age of Scripture history was the age of Baptists. After that tradition introduced obscurity, till they found very little said of tenets like their own. Still it might be possible for an individual, by exploring the pathway of evangelical history with some little care, to find that their sentiments had never been subdued. It struck him that the sentiments they held might have been sometimes styled heresy. He was far from being satisfied that the Paulicians deserved the censure cast upon them, and that they held those sentiments which were attributed to them. They were driven from Bulgaria into Bohemia; they then became settled in Southern Switzerland, and afterwards mingled with the Waldenses. At the period of the insurrection in Germany, it was doubtful, too, whether the insurgents deserved the censure which was cast upon them. The question to be settled was, whether that class were generally Baptists. Some held those views, but not all; and that institution would accomplish something by making that part of the page of history a little plainer, and a little truer. (Hear, hear.) The accounts which had been given of the authors were of worth, as well as their publications. The names of Wm. Kiffin, Roger Williams, Smith, Collins, and others, claimed more esteem from the whole religious public than had hitherto been given to them. The Broadmead Record Volume was one of great value, as containing the principles of their own churches, and as a model for the present age. The rev. gentleman, after speaking of this volume in terms of warm commendation, concluded by expressing his great regard for the society, and his earnest desire that it might succeed and prosper.

Mr. Offor moved the second resolution, which appointed the officers and council for the year ensuing. He wished, in two or three observations, to call attention to the society. It took its name from an illustrious man, of considerable family, and superior education. The object of it was to lay before them the sufferings of their forefathers, and to show how they were supported under those sufferings. There could be no doubt that their sentiments and practices were in accordance with the written Word of God. Within the last fifty years many had been so careful of giving offence in order that they might win over a party, that they had not gone to the extent to which their forefathers did, and for proceeding to which they were greatly honoured. He would never cease to call things by their right names, and while he had no desire to give needless offence, yet they ought so to speak that they could not be misunderstood. The work now in hand was the Dutch Martyrology,' and when they perused it, he was sure they would admire the goodness of God in supporting, under their sufferings, the men whose history was there given, and who had sacrificed their lives by broadly stating their sentiments with regard to state religion, and the abominations that had arisen from it. Mr. Offor then adverted to other publications which the society was about to issue, but begged that the subscribers would not be in too much haste for them, the great object being to bring them out as perfect as possible.

Rev. R. Morris, in seconding the resolution, expressed his gratification at having heard that their excellent secretary, Mr. Underhill, proposed delivering, in various parts of the country, a series of lectures on the literature of the Baptists, and doubted not but that very beneficial results would arise from it. Prayer having been offered by the Rev. James Smith, the Meeting separated.

Waterlow & Sons, 66 and 67, London Wall, London.