Belves much honoured by the subscription of their friends in Eugland.

"This plan having taken so well, has encouraged the formation of another, for providing books of moral and amusing and scientific instruction for native youths of all descriptions; in which plan the Hindoos and Mussulmans unite with English gentlemen."

"Calcutta, Sept. 11, 1818. "I wrote to you in April last, giving you some account how matters are going on here; since which time they have been progressively improving, both morally and politically. Peace is reestablished under the best auspices of future prosperity to the country; the general desire of the people (with the exception of a few ambitious chiefs) is to come under the British rule throughout all Hindostan, and the school-system is spreading every day, and requires only prudence and patience to perfect good instruction.-England has a high destiny to fulfil!"

SOCIETY FOR BUILDING AND

ENLARGING CHURCHES. The Third Annual Report of the Society for promoting the Enlargement and Building of Churches and Chapels, states, that during the last year the assistance of this Society has been applied for in 74 additional cases; to 43 of these, grants have been made; and 13,281 members of the community have been supplied with church-room; and of this increased accommodation, a part sufficient for 10,296 persons consists of free and unappropriated sittings. The total of donations to the Society, is 59,4171.; annual subscriptions, 614.; there remains at the disposal of the Society at the then value of the Stocks 21,1571. The progress of the Society confirms the anticipations of its utility formed at its commencement. The former Report stated the payment of 35 of the grants, the work having been duly certified as completed in a satisfactory and workmanlike manner; and the committee now report that warrants for 70 payments have been issued; the work of 35 other grants having been complet

ed during the last year. The letters of acknowledgment transmitted upon these occasions confirm in the strongest manner the importance of the Society, and the successful result of its exertions. These letters continue to describe the ready and cheerful attendance upon Divine worship in the additional places thus provided, and the peculiar gratitude which is awakened in many dis. tricts of the kingdom, towards those zealous friends of the Establishment, whose benevolence has diffused over the country such substantial blessings. During the last three years, the Society, by the expenditure of 40,0821. has promoted the provision of additional accommodation for 49,838 members of the Church of England, who were before excluded, by want of church - room, from attending the public instruction of their parochial clergy, and other benefits of the public worship of the Established Church. Of the increased accommodation thus obtained by the Society, 36,632 sittings are free and unappropriated. In many instances this additional accommodation has induced the parishioners to provide for a third service every Sunday.

FOREIGN.

THE foreign intelligence received during the month has been extremely scanty, and consists of little more than rumours respecting the occurrences in European Turkey, and conjectures respecting the intentions of the different powers who are interested in the result, and particularly of Russia. No decisive battle appears as yet to have been fought, though generally the Turks seem to have been gaining ground upon the insurgents. They are reported, however, to have been worsted at sea. The most recent advices from Constantinople and Smyrna, we are happy to state, give reason to hope that the extent of the late massacres had been in the first instance exaggerated. All parties are waiting with anxious suspense the final determination of the allied courts, and especially that of the Emperor Alexander; but not a single official hint has been suffered to transpire to indicate their intended line of policy. The senate and people of Russia are said to be eagerly bent on war.

The fate of the existing ministry in France is still uncertain. In the mean time, the ultra party has withdrawn itself entirely from the cabinet. Before the meeting of the chambers the ministry must determine on one of three courses;-either to coalesce with one of the two great parties, the ultras or the liberaur; or to dissolve the chambers, and try the result of a fresh election; or to resign their situations. They cannot with their own strength, unaided by one or other of those parties, as the chamber of deputies is now constituted, carry a single question there.

failure of all hope of success from the line of conduct upon which she had unhappily allowed herself to embark ; and it is remarkable, that some of the principal persons by whose advice she is supposed to have acted, in some of the most unhappy steps of her conduct during her residence in England, are not once named in her will. It is also remarkable, that notwithstanding the care with which her last sayings appear to have been treasured up, we have not heard a single distinct disavowal of the charges that were brought against her. Her executors are Dr. Lushington and Mr. Wilde; and her property, with the exception of a few trifling legacies, is bequeathed to William Austin, the youth whom she reared from infancy, and whom she in a manner adopted. A codicil to her will directed that her body should not be opened, and that three days after her death it should be removed to Brunswick for interment.

We lament to state, that the removal of the body, far from being conducted with that solemnity which became the occasion, was converted into a scene of tumult and bloodshed. The executors were anxious to delay the removal beyond the time which government had fixed, though that was considerably beyond the time fixed by the Queen herself; and they employed strong remonstrances and protests with the view of obtaining farther delay. But the great cause of disorder was the route by which the body was ordered to be conveyed. It was wished by the executors, and by those who styled themselves her Majesty's friends, that it should pass through the city of Lon don, in its way to Harwich, and be attended by a self-appointed procession. Government, on the other hand, had determined upon a less public route. A third cause of discontent was the attendance of a guard of honour, which the executors considered quite unnecessary; though, had it been denied, we have no doubt that the circumstance would have been represented as an intentional insult to the Royal Corpse. The opinions of the executors on these points were publicly announced in terms which appeared to us to be well calculated to

No. 237.]

For the Christian Observer. ON THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY.

TH

HE institution of the ministe rial office is not peculiar to the Christian dispensation, though it is in many respects different under this economy from any other. Most, if not all, of the false religions in ancient and modern times have had an order of men set apart for the purpose of supporting their interest and celebrating their rites. So universally has this been the case, even among nations far distant from each other, and possessing very y few things in common, that the practice must be referred to one of two causes; either to tradition, or to the general sense of mankind as to the necessity of such an institution; both which causes are creditable to the sacred function. For if tradition be its parent, it must have been derived from a custom prevalent when mankind were one family; and we know that then religion and its rites were divine. But if the latter cause is to be admitted, the evidence which the circumstance affords in favour of the ministry is very strong; for the universal consent of mankind is an authority which nothing can overthrow but the word of Him who is infallible. But in this instance it is confirmed and ratified by that word; God himself having, under both the Jewish and the Christian dispensation, appointed a set of men for the purpose of celebrating the offices of religion and forwarding its cause.

The prevalency of this practice is mentioned merely to shew the general sense of mankind as to its principle. The particulars of the CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 237.

institution, and its various offices, were, and are still, among the heathen, of the most absurd, unprofitable, and often disgusting kind; having no other effect than to chain down the public mind to vain fancies and frequently profligate rites, very different in their character from those belonging to the Christian institution,-which, in all its injunctions, is eminently holy, wise, and beneficial. That the priesthood should become corrupt among the heathen is no wonder, when it is considered how greatly it had at various times deteriorated even among that nation who were called peculiarly the people of God; and among that portion of mankind too, who, after the cutting off of that nation, were favoured with still greater and more enlarged privileges. The Christian as well as the Jewish priesthood has at times become exceedingly corrupt: but its corruption is no argument against either its Divine authority, or its usefulness; unless we are prepared to maintain, that a blessing perverted by the sinfulness of mankind into a curse, cannot proceed from God, and is not again capable of being rendered useful to the world.

There are numerous points in which the ministerial office now differs greatly from what it was under the Jewish dispensation. Without entering into particulars, it may be remarked generally, that the character of the ancient institution was, that it was ordained for the purpose of offering gifts and sacrifices by man to God: but the character of the New is to make known the will, and to communicate the gifts, of God to man-to offer to him 4 B

.

a free reconciliation, and all the blessings of redemption. In this respect, the Jewish priesthood and the Christian ministry are each characteristic of the dispensation under which it was ordained. The Jewish was, partly at least, a legal covenant; and therefore its ministers were chiefly employed in presenting the offerings of the people with a view typically to propitiate the Divine favour. But the Christian covenant is one peculiarly of grace, and therefore its ministers are messengers or ambassadors appointed by God, with an especial reference to the promulgation of his message of peace to a sinful and rebellious world. Hence, it is, that ministers are said to be fellow-workers, or labourers, together with God. How awful, then, and how dignified their office, and what an encouragement and prospect of success does it hold forth! These are the subjects which shall be now briefly noticed.

1. There is something peculiarly awful in the ministerial office.Those engaged in it are brought, as it were, into close connexion with God. He makes them partners with himself in a work which, in its consequences to mankind, is most momentous. Far too little do most ministers think of the sacred character of the office which they have undertaken, and the near alliance with God into which it introduces them. Their vocation possesses a solemnity peculiarly its own; and demands infinitely more seriousness, faithfulness, and attention, than are required in the performance of the duties of any other station whatever. He with whom they co-operate is the Most High: they are, as it were, his deputies; and he is present with them, the work in which they are engaged being his own, planned by his wisdom, and executed by his immediate power and grace.

With what fear and trembling, then, should such an office be undertaken; and how carefully and anxiously should its duties be dis

charged! Worldly and inconsiderate persons, who assume this honour to themselves, are guilty of the highest presumption; they un. dertake a work which does not belong to them, and for which they are not qualified. There is an utter incompatibility between the state of their minds and the character of their office. The difference between darkness and light is not greater. The Christian ministry has nothing connected with it but what is of a sacred and serious nature; and what can be more inconsistent than to engage in it, and to continue in it, either with a thoughtless mind or from worldly motives? To take in hand the work of God, with little or no consideration of its importance, to profess to become the messengers of the Most High, with no welldigested resolution to be faithful to our trust, but merely to serve our own interest, how criminal, how presumptuous such conduct!

Let the parallel for a moment be transferred to human affairs; let us suppose that an earthly monarch were about to employ an ambassador on a highly important mission. Among many of his subjects who offer their services on the occasion, one comes forward who knows little of, and considers still less, the dignity of the message with which he seeks to be entrusted; having no concern for his sovereign's interest, not even intending to be very assiduous or punctual in the discharge of the duties of his office, and aspiring, it may be, merely to the honour connected with the undertaking, or to its pleasures or emoluments. Were an earthly sovereign able to know the real motives of such a man, what would be his opinion of him? Would he not consider him utterly unworthy of his confidence, and view his conduct as base, insulting, and even traitorous? And in no other light can the conduct of those be viewed, who enter and continue in the Christian ministry with no senti