lessons. His replies, particularly, to the Addresses from the Corporations of Portsmouth, London, and Dover, deserve notice, not merely because of the valuable sentiments which they expressed, but from the good feeling, the heart, with which they were spoken. May we not hope that the period is almost in view, though we know not through what scenes of gloomy trial we may have to pass, before it be fully realized, when "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more?" Since we last wrote, Parliament, which had been adjourned till the Judges could deliver their opinion on the Writ of Error in Mr. O'Connell's case, laid before them by order of the House of Lords, has been finally prorogued. We confess that we look on its proceedings with little satisfaction as to the past, and with little hope as to the future. It is not enough to say, that by one party all forms of religion are regarded with equal favour, or even with equal indifference. A large class of those who hold what are termed "liberal opinions" in politics, on which we deliver no judgment whatever,-hold, likewise, those opinions on religious subjects which by themselves are termed "liberal," but which are in truth inspired by a real infidelity. The union between more liberal, and often more just and enlightened, views on questions connected with civil government, and opinions decidedly anti-evangelical, which was adopted and formally stated by Locke, has issued in what might have been anticipated by all who were acquainted with human nature as described by holy Scripture. Not only have his political views been carried beyond the limits which he prescribed to them, and separated from the guards with which he connected them,-itself no trifling evil, but his religious views, evidently held with many doubts, and stated with much hesitation, have. been converted first into certainties, and then carried out into an infidelity, from which, however legitimate a sequence it might be from his suggestions, he would have started back with horror. The result is, that in proportion to the evangelical character of any form of religion, is the aversion with which it is regarded; while Popery, the predicted departure from catholic verity and catholic union,-Popery, the destructive corruption of Christianity, and the determined foe of all true liberty, civil and religious,-Popery, which, by claiming despotic dominion over conscience, seeks to rule the entire man, individually and collectively,-Popery, from which, and its unfailing concomitant, "arbitrary power," the Revolution of 1688 was regarded as an unspeakably great national deliverance by not only the soundest politicians, but by the most pious and enlightened Divines of the day, whether Churchmen or Dissenters, Popery, because with its accustomed subtlety, it sets itself in opposition to whatever is established, hoping by dividing to conquer, and by subverting all else, to establish itself,-is regarded with supreme favour; and with an eagerness only to be explained by the awful doctrine of providential infatuation, even they from whom better things were to have been expected, hasten to place all their powers at its disposal. So-called Conservatives, in many instances, vie with those to whom on almost every other subject they are opposed, in paying homage to the Man of Sin, by heaping favours on his adherents, and aiding his officers in carrying into effect those plans of tyranny, the slightest indication of which, in religious Ministers of any other name, would fill the whole land with the outcry of opposition. The Enochs of the day-they who walk with God, and we trust there are many suchwill not be slow in learning the lessons now inculcated by the providence of "the only wise God, our Saviour." "Cease ye from man," is the brightened text which, as by Urim and Thummim, marks the duty of the believer. As it is by the Gospel that individuals are to be saved; so by the same Gospel is society to be elevated and purified. From those political contentions which dim the brightness and break up the serenity of the spiritual mind, let them withdraw themselves, and direct their mightiest energies to their own proper work, their providential call to which cannot be mistaken. "The isles wait for his law :" let them, therefore, in the spirit of faith, and prayer, and Christian benevolence, prosecute those Missionary enterprises which are the glory of our age, and the declension of which would be the closing of the dense but, as yet, not unbroken clouds which hang over us, and the exclusion of those heavenly beams which now shine down on the shadowed and heaving billows on which we are voyaging. Nor let their charity and zeal only regard the unbaptized Heathens in distant lands. In many instances, how fearfully true are the lines, "Wild as the untaught Indian's brood, A great work has to be effected at MISSIONARY NOTICES, Relating principally to the FOREIGN MISSIONS carried on under the Direction of the METHODIST CONFERENCE. MISSIONS IN CEYLON AND CONTINENTAL INDIA. CEYLON. THE recent changes in the state of the population in Ceylon are well described in the following letter from Mr. Hardy : CEYLON.-Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Robert S. Hardy, THE state of things in Ceylon is at present of peculiar interest. We are situated in a similar manner to the Missionaries of New-Zealand, as to the influx of European settlers; and the consequences are, in many respects, the same here as there; but as the change is less sudden, and not to the same extent, we are enabled to grapple more effectually with the difficulties to which we are exposed. In this neighbourhood, the whole of the cinnamon gardens that were formerly in the possession of Government, containing many thousands of acres, have recently been sold, principally to English merchants, who employ a great number of the natives in clearing, cutting, draining, and similar operations. Within a short distance of Negombo, several sugar estates also have been commenced; and districts that at the formation of the Mission were not passable without danger from the number of wild elephants, are now under cultivation. The consequences to our work are such as might be expected. The men are attracted to these localities for the sake of the wages they receive, which are nearly twice the amount of what they could previously earn. They usually return home on the Saturday evening; but as the Sabbath is the only day on which they can attend to their own grounds, (nearly every native having a garden or a plot of rice-ground of more or less extent,) this holy day is too frequently spent in even more severe employment than they engage in on the other days of the week. They are thus prevented from attending divine service. Some of the labourers are at too great a distance from home to allow of visiting their families in this way; but they add to the general desecration of the Sabbath by coming to the bazaars to purchase the necessaries for the week. The women are thus led to partake in the VOL. XXIII. Third Series. evil, as they are thereby induced to bring their articles for sale as on other days. In cases where these remarks are not applicable, and the people have leisure, the Sabbath is too frequently occupied in drinking, cock-fighting, and gambling. The unfavourable influence that these things have on our schools is also greatly to be deplored. The children can earn a sum that to their parents is of importance, and they are sent at an early age to work. They are thus prevented from attending the school, and grow up rude and ignorant. In this manner, men, women, and children are all equally affected by the present circumstances of the country. I do not regard these events as an unmixed evil, however much in themselves to be lamented. There were many things about the social system of the Singhalese which operated unfavourably towards the spread of the truth; but by this disruption of their old habits an inroad has been made upon these barriers, which in the end may be attended with consequences the most beneficial. The present generation will suffer severely; but future myriads may, through their loss, be placed in a more favourable situation for receiving the Gospel. Another event deserves to be noticed, which is also of great importance. From the time that the educational system pursued by the Dutch was abandoned, a class of persons called "Proponents" was employed by Government, under the direction of the Archdeacon. They visited, at intervals, nearly the whole of the districts on the coast, on which occasions they baptized and married great numbers, without giving them any religious instruction whatever. The people were thus nominally Christians, but in reality ignorant Heathens. They consequently refused, in many instances, to receive our NOVEMBER, 1844. 3 X visits, as they professed to belong to another church, and could receive all the privileges of Christianity that they considered to be of any value, upon much easier terms than we could conscientiously impart them. Of late these visitations have not been made; and as the Proponents die away, their places are not filled up, so that the people have none but ourselves to whom they can look for a continuance of even the forms of Christianity among them. We have thus an influence which we did not formerly possess, as it is to be hoped there are a few, at least, who have been sincere amidst so many outward impediments, and who will be anxious to receive from us the assistance they formerly rejected. We now contemplate the employment of persons, at a very small salary, in villages where we have no other agents, who will be the medium of communication between ourselves and the people. Until the love of God is received into their hearts, they require a special invitation to each service; nor are they accustomed to regard dates or hours; so that when we visit a village, nearly the whole day would be spent in collecting the people, unless they were reminded of our coming immediately previous to the time, as we have no bells, and the houses are invariably at a distance from each other; not in regular streets, as in the towns, unless there be a bazaar attached to the village. I trust that our general work is making progress, but it is not with the rapidity we could wish to see. When we look at the work itself, it is pleasing: when we look without, at the mighty exertions yet required to turn the land to the sway of Christ, it appears as nothing. We had a love-feast on Good-Friday, at Negombo, conducted entirely in Singhalese, and the speaking was kept up with as much spirit as at home. The women were the principal speakers; and with much that was said I was greatly encouraged. The first man who spoke threw himself prostrate on the ground: I, of course, requested him to rise, when he related his experience with great hu mility, but expressed strong confidence that he had received the pardon of his sins, and the witness of the Spirit to his adoption as a child of God. I cannot doubt that several of our members are living in the enjoyment of divine communion. The other day, a man, nearly eighty years of age, requested permission to speak to me. I asked him to sit down in my study, when he spoke about half an hour without interruption, his tremu lous voice gaining force as he proceeded, until there was something in his manner almost sublime. He began from his childhood, and related the particulars of his life. I listened with great delight, as his words convinced me we are doing a vast amount of good, that will probably never be known to us on this side the grave. At the same time I saw more clearly the extreme misery of those who reject the truth in secret, and league themselves with devils, whilst they profess to be believers in Christ, and with the lip call upon God. He revealed a sad history of his family, several of his brothers having died under circumstances the most repulsive, whilst he had been brought in the continued enjoyment of health to extreme old age : with adoring gratitude he acknowledged the divine goodness to himself, and declared the firmness of his trust in the Redeemer of the world. As regards this Circuit, its statistics for last year (leaving out what appears in the Minutes) are as follows:-We have three chapels, and fourteen other preaching-places. These are supplied every Sabbath; but we have many other places, such as private houses, and the open bazaars, where we have occasional services. We have three paid Catechists, and twenty-two day-school Teachers. Instruction is given in all our schools on the Sabbath. We have three Local Preachers, and an average attendance each Sabbath,-adults, four hundred and twenty-seven; children, two hundred and ninety-three: total, seven hundred and twenty. The whole number we address in the year is nearly fifty thousand; the separate individuals about five thou sand. In this account I have not reckoned the Rillegalle part of the Circuit, as we are only enabled to visit it occasionally. I always preach three times, and not unfrequently four times, on the Sabbath, and sometimes walk seven or eight miles, besides the distance I have to ride. On Monday, there is the English class-meeting; on Tuesdays and Thurs days, I go to the villages, preach, visit the sick, and examine the schools; on Wednesday, I meet the masters in the morning, and we have Portuguese preach ing at night: Friday I spend with the students, and Saturday is a day of leisure. The native Ministers have also full employment, of a similar kind. Part of every day, except Friday, when at home, I spend with the children in the Government-school. I continue to be the Editor of the little publication, in English, called "The Friend," and of "The Treasure of Ceylon," in Singhalese, each published monthly, and containing twenty pages. The native work has six hundred subscribers; and I trust it is doing some service in the good cause. None are distributed gratuitously; and as nearly all the subscribers are natives, we may be certain that they regard it with some interest. I took charge of two students at the beginning of the year, who are intended for Catechists. I devote the whole of Friday to their instruction, which is all the time I can spare from my other engagements: on the other days they are usefully employed as Catechists. I give them some subject upon which to write : they bring what they have written to the next meeting; and after reading the papers aloud, I make such remarks as I think necessary upon each. I then give them a kind of catechetical lecture, the heads of which they write down; and we conclude by reading a portion of Scripture, upon which I examine them, and give a short comment. I have learnt much of the native character from this exercise, and, with all my former experience, had previously no idea whatever how much training they require to be enabled rightly to understand the essentials of Christianity, and to see in what it differs from the usual opinions of the natives upon religious subjects. Don Isaac, the Catechist from Seedua, also attends; and another young man, a member of our society, has requested leave to pass through the same course for his own edification. I draw my illustrations as much as possible from native sources, as they know no language but Singhalese; and I have reason to think they are interested in the plan I pursue. They have to come a distance of four and seven miles; but though the natives are proverbially regardless of appointments, they have none of them omitted a single lecture since the commencement. MADRAS. THE Mission-chapel in the town of Madras has had a narrow escape from destruction by fire, while under process of restoration and repair. The partial loss which has been sustained is trifling, when compared with the probable extent of the calamity, had the fire occurred when the repairs had been further advanced. MADRAS.-Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Samuel Hardey, In the absence of Mr. Roberts from this station, it devolves upon me to send you some particulars concerning passing events; some of which are of a painfully-interesting nature. You will learn, from the newspaper which I now forward to you, that our chapel in Black-Town, which is now being rebuilt, has most narrowly escaped being burnt to the ground. Indeed it appears to be very remarkable that this fire should have occurred when our chapel was in a state capable of receiving so little injury. Had it occurred earlier, the whole chapel must have been destroyed; had it been later, the new one must have shared the same fate: but just at a time when the walls were finished, and ready for the roof, and while the new walls were still wet, this tremendous fire burst forth within ten yards of the building. Had the new walls been dry instead of wet, they must have suffered immense injury from the great degree of heat to which they were subjected for several hours; for such was its intensity, that several large blocks of granite, which had been prepared for the building, and were lying round about it, were broken into the smallest imaginable pieces. The new roof was ready for raising, but fortunately was not on the spot, or it must have perished. Had the roof been upon the chapel, no effort which we could have made would have saved it, as the building at one time was covered with flames which reached across the street, from the immense piles of timber which lay directly opposite. And, that the book-depository was removed, in consequence of the repairs of the chapel, was truly a fortunate circumstance, as two of the doors of the depository-room were literally burnt to ashes before the progress of the flames could be arrested; and the heat was so great in the room, that none could approach it. Had the books been there, there must have been a very considerable loss, if not a destruction of the whole. I have not yet been able to learn the precise amount of loss which we have |