the spirit of inquiry which has been raised by affording authentic information of the transactions of the various Peace Societies;"" and to form a medium of correspondence between the friends of peace in various parts of this and other countries." Agreeably to this plan, a large part of the work is occupied with articles of Intelligence, relating to the progress of pacific principles; and among these, the exertions and publications of the Massachusetts Peace Society hold the most conspicuous place. The Constitution and annual reports of this society are introduced, together with copious extracts from the pamphlets of the Rev N. Worcester. Some of these have been republished in England for distribution, as also the Letters addressed to Gov. Strong on the subject of war, written and published in New-York, by the Rev. Dr. Whelpley.

The information contained in the Herald, of the exertions which are making, and the progress which has been effected in this excellent cause, is highly encouraging. The societies in England are well supported, and very active. Tracts to the number of 207,000 have been printed and circulated by the London Society since its foundation in 1816, besides many thousands circulated by other societies in Great Britain.

The Herald contains the addresses presented by the London Society to the Prince Regent, to the Emperor Alexander, who has returned an answer signed by his own hand, and to the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle. From this last paper the the following is an extract.

"Your Majesties have felt the evils of war, and have deplored its calamities. You have seen its temporary successes to be without profit and without honour. You have therefore wisely determined to oppose a barrier to its future encroachments and devastations.-And how is this barrier to be formed?

"Will your Majesties condescend to take an example from the administration of justice in small communities? As the maxims of jurisprudence decide between man and man, so may not the laws of a sound and Christian policy determine between contending kingdoms before the high general Tribunal of Arbiters, whom your Majesties may select for that dignified and especial office?

"And as the estates of a kingdom are assembled from time to time, to hear complaints, and to redress wrongs, so your Majesties, by assembling in person, or by distinguished representatives, will stand as Umpires, to whom will be referred all disputes in the great Christian commonwealth; and thus a perpetual Congress will be established to arbitrate between

contending States, and to promote the happiness of the world. For, indeed, your Majesties have been pleased to consider your own and other Christian States as only forming one great Christian Nation; to acknowledge yourselves as delegated by Providence to govern the several great branches as fathers of this one family; and to confess that in reality, there is no other Sovereign than HIM, to whom alone belongs all power, because in Him alone, are found all the treasures of love, science, and infinite wisdom.'

The address of this Society to the Emperor Alexander, was presented to him by Mr. Clarkson, at Aix-la-Chapelle. Upon this gentleman's return to England, in a speech before the Woodbridge Bible Association, be gave an account of his interview with the Emperor; the latter part of which is too interesting to be omitted.

The Emperor said, "it had given him peculiar satisfaction, when he had heard of a Society, established in the United States of America, for the Prevention of War. This bad coincided so much with his (the Emperor's) own views, and was for so great a moral purpose, that he had thought it right to signify his opinion of it to its president with his own hand. Equally happy was he now to learn, that a Society had been established in London for a similar purpose, or for the Promotion of Permanent and Universal Peace. These societies were so many proofs to him of the moral improvement of the times, and of the spread of Gospel principles upon earth. He was of opinion, that the peaceable times prophesied of in the Holy Scriptures were hastening on, and that they would most assuredly come to pass. At this mo ment, the great struggle upon the earth between the Empire of Virtue and the Empire of Vice had been visibly begun. It was carrying on with vigour. The struggle would be great, and perhaps long. Vice had hitherto had a powerful dominion among men; but when he considered the progress which Christianity had made, of late years, by the institution of many estimable Societies, and the reinforcement she would receive from others, which would necessarily rise up in time, he had no doubt in his own mind, that she would triumph. Teach,' said his Majesty, the rising generation to read, and give them the Holy Scriptures, the only foundation of true morals, and you lay the axe at the root of every vicious custom. War itself, among others, must give way, wherever Christianity maintains a solid seat in the heart of man.' 999

The Indo-Chinese Gleaner.-This is a quarterly publica tion, issued at Malacca, devoted to intelligence from China

and the neighbouring countries, and to accounts of the progress of Christian missions in India. We have just seen the fourth number, for May 1818. It is far less interesting than might have been expected; but the following extracts may not be unacceptable.

"The death warrants to be signed by his Majesty (the Emperor of China) at the autumnal execution, amount this year to nine hundred and thirty five. The share which Canton has in these is 133: but to the whole number executed in Canton during the year the word THOUSANDS, it is said, must be applied; some say three thousand. If the truth be equal to one thousand, it is a shockingly awful number of human beings for one province to sacrifice to the laws in the space of one year. I omit the word justice, I omit the word justice, for human laws and justice are not always the same."

We meet with the following remarkable Decree of the Emperor, dated June 20, 1817. "At the capital, the season of rain having passed, without any genial showers having fallen, the board of punishment is hereby ordered, to examine into the cases of all the criminals sentenced to the several species of transportation and lesser punishments, and report to me distinctly what cases may be mitigated, in the hope that nature will thereby be moved to confer the blessing of rain and preserve the harmony of the seasons. Respect this."

In the Emperor's decree, (it is remarked) "an over-ruling Providence is acknowledged, and that mercy is an attribute of Providence. Of the Being in whom that supreme control resides, their ideas are extremely obscure. When any Chinese is asked, who is to be moved by this act of clemency?he replies, Teen Te, Heaven and Earth."

We make a few extracts also from a letter of Rev. W. Reeve, dated Bellary, Jan. 23, 1818.

"A wide and extensive field of successful labour has been opened from time to time, among the soldiers of the different European corps, that have been staying here.

"There has been for several years an English free school established in the Fort, which has already proved a great blessing, in not only providing food and raiment for some poor helpless orphans, but also in imparting to many children, English and country-born, a tolerable education; who, if they had not been brought under the fostering auspices of this friendly institution, might have been left to wretchedness and ruin. We are not without hopes, also, that the boarding school in the Mission house, may furnish useful members for society, and bright ornaments for the church of Christ.

"But what shall we say as to the poor Heathen, the more immediate objects of our labour? This may be said, much precious seed has been sown, followed with many prayers, and watered with many tears; but the harvest is not yet ripe;-fruits of A GOOD KIND do not yet appear. We are, however, not without encouragements, and great ones too. The prejudices of the heathen against the gospel become every day, more and more insignificant and contemptible. The people manifest an inquiring disposition, ask many ques tions, come from far to receive our books, and listen apparently with a gratified attention, to all that they hear about THIS NEW WAY. We want MORE FAITH, MORE ZEAL, MORE SYM

PATHY.

"We have now eight native schools, in which there are about three hundred and forty children. These children have committed catechisms, and large portions of scripture to memory, which they have from time to time repeated to us with great correctness."

The Psalter has been printed in Chinese, in the same size with the morning and evening prayers of the English church. The third number of the Chinese Dictionary is completed and printed.

ORDINATIONS.

On Wednesday, April 14, Mr. JOHN PIERPONT was ordained pastor of the Church and Society in Hollis Street, Boston, as successor to the Rev. Mr. Holley. The introductory prayer was offered by the Rev. Mr. Tuckerman of Chelsea. The Sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. Ware of the University, from I. Corinthians v. 18. And all things are of God; who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. The ordaining prayer was offered by Rev. President Kirkland; the Charge was given by Rev. Dr. Porter of Roxbury; the Right hand of Fellowship by Rev. Mr. Palfrey; and the concluding prayer by Rev. Mr. Greenwood.

April 28. Mr. CHARLES BRIGGS was ordained minister of the church ia Lexington. The services were introduced with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Briggs of Mansfield. The Sermon by Rev. Dr. Richmond of Dorchester, from Ephesians vi. 15. Having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. The Ordaining prayer by Rev. President Kirkland. The Charge by Rev. Dr. Stearns of Lincoln. The Right hand of Fellowship by Rev. Mr. Field of Weston. The concluding prayer by Rev. Mr. Fiske of West Cambridge.

OBITUARY.

Died at Savannah, March 7th, 1819, Mr. FRANCIS WILLIAM WINTHROP, aged 19, son of Thomas L. Winthrop, Esq. of Boston.

There are few of the dispensations of God's Providence, which are so well adapted forcibly to impress some of the most important religious truths, as the death of the young; and few which are calculated so effectually to ronse us to exertion, and to call forth all our powers in the cause of virtue, as the loss of those in whom were united high intellectual endowments, and distinguished moral excellence. When we are called to mourn the death of those, who are taken from us early in life if their life be measured by their years, but who have advanced with rapid step in the path of improvement, we feel with double force the admonition to exert every faculty, and to improve every moment allowed us; for the number of labourers is lessened, and more is dependent upon our efforts,-a more weighty responsibility rests upon our employment of that time, which, we are reminded, may be short to the youngest.

Such an admonition has been given to his friends by the death of Mr. Francis W. Winthrop, a young man of whom the highest hopes had been raised, and of whose eminence and usefulness the highest expectations were not extravagant. In his death society has experienced a loss, which, though it can hardly be fully appreciated, is not the less real and severe. Blessed with great natural powers, he had cultivated them with success, and gave evidence as well of the extent of his acquirements, as of the original force of his understanding, in the rank be sustained as a scholar at the University, in the few but excellent productions of his pen, and in familiar conversations with his friends. Though his talents were remarkable, they were not more conspicuous, than the unaffected modesty which enFranced their value, while it in some degree veiled their brilliancy. Less ambitious of praise, than of being praiseworthy, he was satisfied with the approbation of the few, and uncorrupted by the vain desire of dazzling the many. He maintained his opinions with a manly firmness, but was equally removed from presumptuous boldness, and yielding timidity. Possessing feelings of great delicacy, though without approaching a morbid sensibility. his regard to those of others was as uniform, as it was kind and attractive. Though his life was short, he lived long enough to sustain and resist some of the strongest temptations to which human virtue is exposed. Amidst the powerful seductions of vice, and the numerous facilities to error by which a young man's strength of principle is tryed in a collegiate life, his integrity was not merely uncorrupted but confirmed; his purity was not only unsullied, but became constantly brighter. When he was suffering under the pains of disease and the rapid failure of his bodily strength, his patience and unrepiaing resignation were such as could have arisen from no other principle than an ardent piety, and firm reliance on the goodness of God. By such qualities it was that he acquired and preserved the esteem and respect of all who knew him, and the most devoted attachment of his particular associates. By the strong powers of his understanding, and the delicacy and purity of his mind, by his deference to others mingled with a just confidence in himself, by his high standard of moral excellence, and the warmth of his piety, he was in a peculiar manner fitted for the profession of Divinity, which he had adopted with deliberation, and would have pursued with ardour, had his life been prolonged. But while the hopes of his friends and the expectations of society are thus mournfully disappointed, our grief for his loss is mingled with gratitude for his life and example, and softened by our confident assurance, that he is raised to a higher sphere of action and of usefulness; that he will still enjoy the merciful protection, and the approving smile of his God and Father.