'An unlooked-for delay now occurred, there not being a sufficiency of wood; and during this interval, attempts were again made to divert her from her cruel purpose; but she continued firm, smiling and singing, the old women and Brahmins clapping their hands, and shouting in chorus. The pile was quickly replenished with fuel, and surrounded with large bundles of brushwood, that her sufferings might be as short as possible. The awful moment of destruction had now arrived, and with a tranquil countenance,and a mind not at all shaken from its purpose, she rose from the ground, walked several times round the pile, distributing flowers to the mob, who eagerly pressed to receive some token from her, and then mounted the pile, singing all the time, accompanied with the shouts of the multitude, and the discordant sounds of the Indian drum and pipe. On reaching the summit, she seated herself in the centre, and the body of her deceased busband was laid carefully across her lap. The crisis was now at hand, and a piece of lighted cow-dung, surrounded with a wisp of straw, was handed to her fatherin-law, who walked round the pile, shouting, and brandishing the lighted straw, the victim clapping her hands, and apparently exulting in the doom that awaited her, The brushwood was soon set fire to in several places, and rose into an awful and majestic blaze, aided by a strong hot westerly wind. I shall never forget this appalling moment? As the flames reached her, I observed her move, as if about to lay down, that the conflict might be sooner over; but what was my astonishment and delight to see ber make a jump from the pile, throwing the body of her husband from her, with a strong convulsive start. She had scarcely reached the ground, when an attending Brahmin rushed upon her, she sank on the ground in a state of exhaustion, and, but for our interference, would have been hurried again into the fire! A scene of confusion ensued, but no attempt at violence was made. An avenue through the crowd was soon forined; and we had the proud satisfac

tion of conducting this infatuated devo tee to Brahminical influence from the ground to her village, where she now is, and, I believe, thankful for her rescue.

Her back and arms were dreadfully burnt, and, what with the exhaustion of hunger, and the fatigue and anxiety she undervent for three days previous to the day of the Suttee, it is a miracle that nature did not sink under the severity of the penance. No intoxicating drugs were administered to stupify ber, so far as I could ascertain; and the determined and heroic fortitude she displayed through the whole of the ceremony, till the moment of pain and trial, was worthy of a better cause, and would have done honour to a Christian martyr.'

While we rejoice that in this instance life was preserved, we feel distressed and ashamed to perceive, by an account taken from Returns to Parliament-and we shudder while we read-that these Suttees these murderous human sacrifices, in the British dominions--amount YEARLY to upwards of 600 females!!!

And yet the British voice is not raised against the appalling iniquity!!

FRANCE.

A new theological work is announced for publication in Paris. It is to be entitled "The Gazette des Cultes," and will be published twice a week. Its motto is "Civil and Religious Liberty throughout the World." One professed object of the work is to expose the machinations of the Jesuits; to detail the superstitious rites at the planting of crosses, and other Popish ceremonies; and to reveal the intrigues of Rome. The civil disabilities of British and Irish Catholics were intended to have formed a prominent feature of discussion, but this topic is of course superseded.

Reformed Church.-M. Soulier has recently published an interesting statistical account of the Reformed Church in France. The subjoined tabular view of the result of his researches is annexed to his work. The number of Churches and Pastors is still far from being adequate to the wants of the Protestant population, portions of which are often obliged to meet for public worship in out-houses, barns, or in the open air; and in many places one Minister has the charge of several distant Churches, so that service can only be performed at lengthened intervals. The Table only applies to the "Reformed Church," not to the Lutheran, which has a separate establishment.

Burning of Heretics.-LE STEPHANAIS (a French paper published at St. Etienne) of the 8th ult. contains a long account of a sermon then recently preached by a young ecclesiastic, in defence of the Inquisition, the establishment of which in France he strongly recommended, advocating the justice and legality of burning heretics, on grounds somewhat differing from the majority of its old defenders, who for the most part represented it as a dispensation of mercy to the soul of the individual, at the expense of the body. The line of argument followed on the present occasion was, that "as the civil law punishes with death the assassin who merely kills the body, a still greater punishment, if possible, ought to be awarded to him who murders the soul."

This is indeed a refinement upon the spirit and principles of Jesuitism; and one which, though removed from common observation, lurks within the pale of the Romish Church,

A French lady having lately presented an infant at the baptismal font, the officiating priest refused to christen it, under the plea that the sponsor did not bear an irreproachable character. In consequence of this refusal, an appeal was made to the Council of State. A Royal Ordinance has consequently been issued, which decrees as follows:

"CHARLES, &c.

"We consider that the refusal to administer baptismal rites to an infant, because the person to whom the parents have entrusted its welfare, as well as the duty of presenting it at the altar, may not happen to be approved of by the curate, or officiating priest of a parish, is abusive in practice, since, on the one side, this person does not participate in the religious ceremony of the baptism; and, on the other, no canon law of the kingdom authorises curates, or officiating priests, to admit, in such cases, only persons who may be approved of by themselves.

"We, and our Council of State, have ordered and declared, and do order and declare as follows:

"There has been abuse on the part of the Sieur Gilbout, priest of the Commune Daumartin, (Vosges,) in refusing to administer baptism to the infant brought to the church by the Lady

B

-; in consequence he is enjoined to abstain for the future from similar refusals,"

We learn with much pleasure that Mr. Horne's invaluable "Introduction to the Holy Scriptures," is about to be translated into French. A French edition has just been published of Newton's "Letters to a Young Person." Miss Edgeworth's five series of publications for children are also being published in French.

در

Symptoms of Reformation in Corsica.

We have received through a channel which deserves entire confidence, the following details of the origin and progress of a religious movement in the Island of Corsica.

"A clerk in the Custom-house at Bonifacio, being provided with a New Testament and Catechism, had frequently occupied himself in religious conversation with the inhabitants, who, in general, are very inquisitive in all matters relating to the views and opinions of other nations. Νο sooner were they convinced of the erroneous doctrines of the church in which they were educated, than they neglected to hear mass, and ceased to attend auricular confession, and the worship of images; and with the Gospel in their hands, laid open to the priests the motives of their refusal. In a little time after, they presented a petition, in which they demanded from the Government Protestant ministers. M. M. **** and **** were to present this petition; but for some reason or other, they retained it in their hands, and thus disregarded the express wish and desires of the major part of the inhabitants of Bonifacio. In expectation that a more favourable moment would present itself to repeat this demand, the affair was permitted to rest, and remains in this condition at present. If the existing difficulties were once removed, and evangelical ministers placed there by the government, there every reason to believe that the preaching of the Gospel would be crowned with the fairest fruits in Corsica, not only at Bonifacio, but also in other places of the island.

"As to the Holy Scriptures and Catechisms, there is a complete destitution.

This clerk or officer of the Custom

house, of whom I have spoken, on his return to the Continent, engaged a Bible about Society, I do not know which one, a year ago, to send to Bastia a case of Bibles and Testaments in the Italian language, printed in London; though, unfortunately, the person to whom they were addressed, made not in the distri

Appeal of the Committee of the Lower Saxony Tract Society, founded in Hamburg in 1820.-The Christian public may perhaps be generally aware, that the chief part of Protestant Germany, though still subscribing to the articles of the Augsburg Confession, are become too enlighted in their own opinion, any longer to remain under the guidance of the venerable principles of Luther. Since Semler taught that the Scriptures were not of Divine authority, his notions have found abettors in every part of Germany;-men of vast and various erudition and ingenuity, who, filling the chairs of Professors in this land of Universities, and other influential stations, have diffused the pernicious sentiments of Hume, viz.-that the miracles wrought in support of Christianity, were only apparent miracles; that the best books of Scripture were written only in accommodation with the ignorant prejudices of those who lived in the ages of their respective Authors; that our reason is to sit umpire on the dictates of the Bible; that we are to judge of the correctness of any sentiments in Holy Scripture by their seeming tendency to usefulness, or the contrary; that the profession of the religion of the Bible is, therefore, only incumbent upon us, because it is the religion of the State, and the best System of morals ever promulgated among men.

With the loose morality, and christless Christianity, consequent on such a System of doctrine, are replenished the pulpits of most of the towns and villages, and with such emptiness are the minds of perishing millions fed. To give one striking instance-In the form of prayer and confession appointed for the fast day in one of the largest cities of Protestant Germany in 1828, not only is no mention made of our Saviour, but not one distinguishing feature of His religion can be discerned. The same nearly may be observed of many of the Pulpit addresses, whether preached or printed.

VOL. IX.

It is a fact, as the British public have frequently been informed, that there has been for many years a strong reaction and revulsion of feeling against this worse than Socinian heresy. There have been found preachers and professors, who venture to lift up their voice boldly for the old oxthodoxy, and to know nothing but Jesus and Him crucified. In this we rejoice and will rejoice. These are our supporters. These are they, who call on our Society, to strengthen them in their work with supplies of Tracts.

It is however, also a fact, (which, as they conceal it not themselves, there is no reason why we should), that the majority of those regarded as evangelical, preach Christ only to a certain extent; which is evident from their having embraced the doctrine of the eternal salvation of every individual of the human race; and some, even that of the fallen angels also; conceiving it (a priori) to be inconsistent with the benevolence of God, to suffer sin and misery to exist and to continue for ever. Can any one for a moment doubt, what influence this sentiment must have on the preaching and exertions of its supporters ?

Our friends are aware, that the Lord's day is here, in town and country, a day of worldly employment, amusement, or idleness; and that while the Theology of the Continent places the Lord's day and Saint's days upon a level, Custom exalts the latter far above the for

mer.

It is painful, and it may seem invidious, to mention these facts, but it would be neither faithful nor wise, to leave them unnoticed; nor, while time is flying and souls are perishing, are the dictates of false delicacy to be heeded. These circumstances must be pressed upon the Public in addition to the ordinary arguments for Tract Societies; in the best state of mankind such publications are ever desirable, but they are peculiarly necessary in such a state as this.

The Lower Saxony Tract Society has been founded and conducted, on principles in perfect unison with the Tract Societies in London, Edinburgh, Dublin, &c. From a small beginning in 1820, its funds have been gradually increasing, and the field of its labours and usefulness enlarging. The undersigned would warmly urge the friends of the Saviour to assist them in carrying its designs into effect, as the impossibility

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