must go to feed the silk-worms: now is not time."

-down to them: and the priest says I must worship before them. I saw indeed the priest told me contrary to the Word of God, and that it was sin and lie, and I did not worship nor did give him any money.

Again I went to the Mountain: I saw that same priest there: I went to the Church; the priest began to talk with me about the religion. The priest asked me if I worshipped the saints. I told him, "No: because that is lie and sin." He said, "Now you are foolish." I asked him, "Why?" He said, "Because you said there is sin in the worship." I told him, "Yes, great sin." He said, "The Councils said that, and we must do it." I told him, "No: I cannot do like the commandment of men, but I must do what the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ said." The priest said, "Well, the Councils said like the Gospel and Jesus Christ." I told him, "No." He said, "What thing, contrary to the commandment of God, said the Councils?" I said, "You told me for to worship to the images of the saints, and that the Councils said so.' He said, "Yes." I told him, "God said, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, nor any likeness of any thing, that is in heaven above or that is in earth beneath, nor that is in water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; and you say, we must worship them, and the Councils said for to worship them: THAT is lie and sin, and contrary to the Word of God." I told him, "Jesus Christ said, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve; and you say, we must worship the saints." I told him, "I know indeed you say contrary to the Word of God. You say, I eat meat on Wednesday, it is sin, and I go to hell." I told him, "Jesus Christ said, Whatsoever entereth into the mouth do not defile the man. The priests said, Well, but the Councils judge so, and we must do it." I told him, "St. Paul said, No man judge you in meat, or in drink, or in new moon, nor things like this." I asked him for to give me the Gospel of the Church. He said, "Why?" I told him, "I wish to read a chapter in John." He said, "No! because the Gospel is not for every one, but for the priests only." I told him, "The Gospel says, Search the Scriptures, and you say NOT." I asked him another time, Give me the Gospel." He said, "Are you foolish? Do you not understand me? The Gospel is given to the priests only." I asked him, "Who said so?" He said, "The Councils." I told him, "If the Councils say, every one must go unto the sea, and put himself in it, for to go to heavenput you YOURSELF?" He said, "No." I asked him, "Why?" He said, "The Councils do not say it." I told him, "If I and other ten men with me make a Council, and say, every one must cut his hand, for to go in heaven-cut you your hand?" He said, "No." I asked him, Why?" He said, "The Holy Spirit was with the Councils.", asked him," Believe you this without proof?" He said, "Yes: I believe this without proof." I told him, "Why do you not believe ME without proof?" Then the priest said, "I

Many come and read with us every evening: I thank you for to pray for those who come and read with us. Many come and read with us the Sabbath-day: some of those are Greek, and some Greek-Catholic, some Maronites, some Armenians, some Jews, some Mussulmans, some Franks: I ask you for to pray for them, and remember us in your meeting. Oh! I thank you for to send for us your Missionaries, because the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. In Jerusalem, and in Ramla, and Joppa, and Tyre, and Sidon, and Damascus, and Aleppo, and Tripoli, and all this country, are no Missionaries-only in Beyrout. Oh! I thank you to send to us your Missionaries for this poor country; and I tell you I am with Mr. Goodell in his house. Mr. Goodell told me yesterday, about you give money for Missionaries and Books. I thank you for this poor country, and thank you for to send to me your Letters. I tell you, I have learned the Italian and the English, with Mr. Goodell and Mr. Bird. I know now in Greek, and Italian, and English, and Arabic, and I write to you my name in four languages. I tell you if you were here, you would cry for this country, because all do not know the Gospel; but in Beyrout are some who know, because Mr. Goodell and Mr. Bird preach the Gospel always in Beyrout.

Your unknown Arab Friend, ASAAD JACOB. Account of Asaad Shediak, another Arab Youth.

The following notices of this younger brother of Asaad Jacob are extracted from Mr. Goodell's Journal :—

-Of Shediak, we know but little at present, except that he refuses to go to confession, desires us to remember him in our prayers, and is called by the Patriarch a HERETIC and ACCURSED.

-Many do not hesitate to condemn the Patriarch's treatment of Asaad Shediak; and seem hardly to have expected that their spiritual guides would go so far in the work of destroying men's lives.

-It is now a week since we have dared to pray for Asaad Shediak with any degree of confidence that he was living: though, if he be still alive, we have much hope of his being restored to us immediately; as the Patriarch confesses himself wearied out in attempting to reclaim him, saying he becomes more a heretic every day.

The Patriarch wrote to the brothers of Asaad, to come and take him; for he was almost dead from his bonds and stripes, and HE COULD NOT BRING HIM

BACK TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH.

The School which the Philanthropic Society has established is going on extremely well. I can refer to Mr. Masson, and to several English Gentlemen, who visited the School: they were struck with astonishment, to see one hundred and sixty children in a small school-room, making so much progress in reading, writing, and arithmetic. The boys have also made great progress in the Scrip tures; for besides what the monitors read every day before me, I relate to the whole of the boys one chapter of the Old Testament, every afternoon, before they are dismissed. Every Saturday I examine them on these lessons, and find that they remember very well. Every Sunday I invite all those boys who wish to come, when the monitors read the Testament, and the little boys hear: afterward I explain to them the chapter which they have read, make a short address to them, and end with a prayer. I thank the Almighty God, who enables me to be useful to my countrymen: it is surely His hand, for I never expected to be able to speak so freely about the Scriptures, and meet with no opposition.

Mr. Masson commenced, about the middle of May last, to teach the people by Lectures on Political Economy and Moral Philosophy: a great number of People came to hear him, both Clergy and Laity. In this way he continued to instruct the people, and cultivate their minds, with that perseverance which becomes a Christian, when a dangerous fever put a stop to his intentions: this fever lasted more than a month: how ever at last the merciful God heard the prayers of the Greeks, who looked upon him as sent by Providence to enlighten them, and granted him his health. He intends to commence again with his

Caspian Sea.

Mogay Tartars.

BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Letter from a Tartar to Mr. D. Schlatter. THE views and proceedings of Mr. Schlatter among these Tartars were April, 1827.

stated at pp. 395, 396 of our Volume for 1825. On a late visit to England, he put into our hands the following Letter, addressed to him by Ali Ametow, the Tartar with whom he

had resided: it was written for him in German, and has been translated by a friend, who was one of Mr. Schlatter's fellow-students when at Bâsle, and who has interwoven some explanations.

Dear Daniel

I have received thy Letter, written in our dialect. Oh, what pleasure I enjoyed as our Topal Mulla (lame priest) read it to me! I thank God that He has led thee over the Kara Dingis (Black Sea) into our capital Istambol (Constanthee back to us in safety. We were all tinople). I pray Him that He may bring filled with joy at thy Letter: I, my wife, and children had nothing in our mouths but Daniel-the children partiakam (Daniel our friend)! will he come cularly cried out continually "Daniel again ?" And especially my little Kutlakan, who now calls on every stranger that happens to come to us, and who is dressed in an unusual manner, "Daniel kelde "(Daniel is come)! We are all in good health, blessed be the Lord! And we now think more of thee, than at the time when thou wert with us.

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(burying-place), where thou tookest leave Our last interview at the Mesarlick of my late child Daulatkan (Felicity), will never be forgotten. I cannot think of that scene without shedding tears. I see thou art a man who can sympathize with the dead as well as with the living. sent this man to us as it were from All our Nogayans told me, God has heaven:" they also speak much of thee, and remember this or the other of thy discourses. Thou art not forgotten, and I shall think of thee in eternity. Oh Daniel, my brother, my son! why do I thus cleave to thee? What is this? I do not understand it. God knows all things: he too knows what my heart now feels: as a Mussulman, I have been taught from my very youth to esteem the Christian as little as possible, as if there could be no good thing whatever in or about him; yet, notwithstanding Christian. I see there is no such distinc this, I feel myself connected with thee-a tion with God as there is among men.

I have been favoured with a little

2 F

child, my Wife having brought forth a girl ten days before Kurban Bairam (feast of 'offerings among the Mohammedans). The Kart Mulla (or one of the chief Readers of the Korân) gave her out of the book (the Korân) the name Nasepgan (Happiness). Mother and child are both of them strong and in good health. My domestic affairs have undergone a very great change. At the annual market of Tackmak (a Russian Village), I have sold the greatest part of my cattle, keeping back merely two cows and two oxen I exchanged my horse for a poney, and got 40 rubles (rather more than 40s.) to boot. Thy care in procuring for us a plough and some seed from the German Colonies (which are in the neighbourhood) has proved a great blessing to us in every respect. I have reaped 240 mirke (a measure containing about a bushel) of wheat, 170 mirke of barley, 500 mirke of millet, of which I have given 165 mirke to the labourers instead of the wages. I have gotten 400 copecs (these are heaps, four of which fill a waggon) of hay, of which I have sold 280 copecs. Now, the Lord be praised! we have much bread: we want only one thing, our Daniel-who faithfully took care of every thing in the house, so that nothing was lost or spoiled. Yes, yes! we have a strong desire after

thee.

Mention my thousand salutations to your Mother. Though I do not know her, still I reckon her my Mother: entreat her, therefore, to pray for us in this world, AS MOTHERS ARE ACCUS

TOMED TO PRAY FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

I would not hesitate to go 500 or 1000 wersts (a werst is somewhat less than an English mile) for the expectation of seeing her, or of becoming acquainted with her; because I feel persuaded that she must be a good mother. To-day, when I told my wife that I would make a short journey to a German Innkeeper in order to get him to write a Letter to Daniel, she gave me her hand, saying, “Here is my hand, let it be as if I myself had written the Letter." Abdulla and Kutlakan-his children-their hands are also with me. Think, therefore, that these German words are indeed my own words, and the words of my family. I sit at the side of the inn-keeper, and he writes every word according to my sense, and interprets every thing as I wish it and now, my brother and son, may God, the only God, send his Maleck

(angel) as the Toildashim (companion on the journey)! and then thou wilt come again without danger, except thou shouldest die on the way. Certainly we will make no impediment to thy joining us again in this world; and we believe also that there is no misunderstanding between thee and us; so that if any of us should die, nothing of that nature would disturb our eternal joy in the union with God in paradise. Now I salute thee a thousand times in thy country, and in the house of thy mother. We never shall forget thee; and we hear from thy Letter that thou wilt never forget us. Let this be Imen (Amen). My hand goes with this Letter: my own name, with which I underline it, is the sign of my salutation. The Lord be with thee, and His peace rest upon thee!

Endia within the Ganges.

CHRISTIAN-KNOWLEDGe society. Conversation between a Missionary and a Brahmin.

THE Rev. L. P. Haubroe, one of the Society's Missionaries in the South of India, had the following conversation with a Brahmin near Tiroovendapooram.

The Pagoda at Tiroovendapooram is remarkable for its romantic situation. On the one side of this Hindoo Shrine towers a lofty hill, which is ascended by a flight of steps cut in the strong rock: on the other side, its foot is washed by a broad river. It was evening when I reached the spot; the air was cool and pleasant, the last beams of the setting sun gilded the crowns of the palms, and soft breezes drew forth the fragrant odours from the flowers of the grove. In some distance was heard the tinkling of bells of herds, returning from the fields to their nightly retreats. I seated myself on the top of a strong staircase, on the brink of the river; for some time delighting in the contemplation of nature's calm, serene, and goodly picture before me-leading the mind to think of the Almighty Creator, who first reared the heavenly arch and filled the earth with goodness: meanwhile, a troop of Brahmins, passing the way, approached and accosted me; apparently from curiosity, to see an European. I asked them whence they came: a young Brahmin replied, pointing toward the Pagoda,

"We are the servants of Devanaykka Swami"-one of the names of Siva. Missionary-So you worship Siva. How many Brahmins serve in your Pagoda ? Young Brahmin-One hundred. Missionary-I understand, that, besides Siva, you worship a great number of other deities, to the amount of 33,000,000.

Young Brahmin-So we do.

Missionary-Therein I think you deviate from the path of reason, and have corrupted the truth for some of your ancient wise men have plainly shewed, that there is but One True God; who is the great Creator of heaven and earth, and alone worthy of honour, praise, and thanksgiving.

Young Brahmin-This is very true, Sir: but we are obliged to do as we do, in order to live.

Missionary-So you serve, properly speaking, yourself, and not God.

Here an old Brahmin, startled at the awkward though very candid acknow. ledgment of his younger companion, stept forward with an air of gravity, and addressed me in the following manner

Old Brahmin-Sir, I think you will allow, that, although there be only One God, yet that there are different ways of worshipping Him, or various religions in the world.

Missionary-There are.

Old Brahmin-These religions are all given by the same God, and consequently must all tend to make their professors eternally happy. I will explain my thesis, by way of simile. There is a great variety of coins and ornaments of gold existing in the world; but these coins and ornaments, however much they may differ in their outward appearance, all consist of the same metal. Just so the different religions, however much they appear to differ in their outward forms, have all the same divine origin, and are apt to confer the same blessings on man.

Missionary-I object to your position, my friend. As much as God is the God of Truth, he cannot contradict himself. What ever God has been pleased to reveal to mankind concerning Himself, His attributes, and His holy will, must all be consistent with itself. God cannot, in one age and among one people, have declared Himself to be the

One, the Almighty, the Just, the Holy, and Merciful God, and commanded men not to make any images of Himself, nor to bow down and worship them; and, in another age, to other people, have declared that there are more gods, that He is not almighty, not just, not holy, and ordered men to make idols, and worship them. Your simile, in explanation of your position, is so far from favouring your argument, that it rather is against you. Surely, Truth merits to be compared with fine gold. But, Sir, are all coins pure gold? are all ornaments fine gold? are people not often deceived by bad men, who counterfeit coins, jewels, &c.? in the like manner, not all religions contain pure truth. Again, coins differ very much in their value: suppose I had it in my power to allot your

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monthly wages in gold, and fixed them to a munderikes, or part of a pon per mensem, would you not make the remark, that by such wages you could hardly sustain your life for a day, much less for a whole month: just so it is with a false religion: there may be a little gold contained in the same, as a remnant of the Original Divine Revelation; but the truth is so much buried under a mass of counterfeited doctrines and divers errors, that the soul cannot live by such a system, or be instructed of the way to righteousness. religions on earth, they cannot all be right, You see, then, that, although there be many alone must be the True Vedam, which, exanor all have a divine origin. That Vedam mined by the test of reason, proves to be the Word of God, teaching us that God is a spirit, and that we ought to worship him by a spiritual worship.

Here the lateness of the evening bade us to part. The Brahmins appeared much pleased with the subject of conversation, and with my poor manner of speaking to them in their native language; and their old Antister (leader) promised that he would pay me a visit shortly.

Ceylon.

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Letter from the late Bishop Heber. THE following Letter was addressed by Bishop Heber to the late Rev. John Mayor, Vicar of Shawbury in Shropshire. It was written from Galle, at the end of September 1825, when that lamented Prelate was about to embark on his return to Calcutta. It will interest our readers, both on account of the writer and the subject: and that interest will not be diminished, by hearing that, when it reached its destination, the Writer was no more; and that the venerable Servant of God to whom it was addressed only lived just long enough to have his last moments gilded by a report so gratifying to a Christian Parent, and then followed his lamented friend to the world of life and glory.

My dear Sir

I seize a few moments of the first leisure which I have had for a long time, while waiting a change of wind to enable our ship to leave this harbour for Calcutta, to give you some account of those most dear to you in this Island. I arrived at this port five weeks ago, in visiting the different parts of my great

Diocese; and had the pleasure to be greeted, among those who first came off to our vessel, by your son Robert, looking stout and well, and very little altered from what he was when I last saw him in England. He remained on board the greater part of the day; but the fatigue which we had all to undergo before we got on shore, the sea being stormy and our vessel in a bad situation, unfortunately brought on an attack of fever, which prevented his accompanying us, as was his first intention, to Colombo. His disorder since has completely left

him.

Mrs. Heber and I had the pleasure, in our return from the north, of passing the best part of three days with him and Mrs. Mayor, in their romantic abode at Baddagame; where we also found his colleague Mr. Ward, with his wife and family, in perfect health and contented cheerfulness. I consecrated their Church, which is really an extraordinary building. considering the place in which and the circumstances under which it has been erected; and I had also the happiness of administering Confirmation and the Lord's Supper to a small but promising band of their Converts and usual hearers: and I can truly say, both for my Wife and myself, that we have never paid a visit which has interested and impressed us more agreeably, from the good sense, good taste, and right feeling, the concord, zeal, and orderly and industrious piety which appeared to pervade both fa milies and every part of their establishment. Both of them are, in fact, all which you or I could wish them-active, zealous, well-informed, and orderly Clergymen-devoted to the instruction and help of their Heathen Neighboursboth enjoying a favourable report, I think I may say without exception, from the Governor, Public Functionaries, and in general from all the English in the Colony whom I have heard speak of them. The cause of Christianity is, I hope, going on well here. There is, among the Cingalese and Tamul Population, a very large proportion of Nominal Christians; who, although unhappily they are only nominal, because their fathers were so before them, or because the profession is creditable, and though too many of them still pay their superstitious homage to Buddhu and to the Evil Principle, have, notwithstanding, fewer EXTERNAL difficulties to contend with, in embracing the 'True Faith, than fall to

the share of the poor Hindoos. Among ́ these, and in part among the professed Pagans, I am rejoiced to find that conversions are going on, if not very rapidly yet steadily; and that the rising generation afford excellent hopes of repaying richly, and even in our own time, the labours of the good men who have given up parents and friends and country in their service. I have had myself the pleasure of confirming, in this place, Kandy, and Colombo, Three Hundred Natives of the Island-Portuguese (that is, descendants of Portuguese), Cingalese, and Malabarians: besides which, had I been able to go to Jaffna, for which the season has too far advanced, I am assured that I should have had at least One Hundred Candidates more. In the great Church at Colombo, I had to pronounce the blessing in four different languages. Surely this should encourage our best hopes and best exertions; and should fill us with gratitude to God, who has already made the fields white unto the harvest.

It gave me much pleasure to hear from your son of your prolonged good health, and that of your family. The signal for sailing is given; and I have only time to add my best wishes to them; and to beg you to tell our common friends in Shropshire, that I often, very often, think of them. I and mine, thank God, are perfectly well.

Dear Sir, ever truly yours,

REGINALD CALCUTTA.

WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Conversion & Baptism of a Priest of Buddhu. MR. CLOUGH gives the following account of the Conversion and Baptism of the Budduhist Priest, mentioned at p. 112 of the Survey :

About six years ago, our Assistant Missionary, Mr. Salmon, met this Priest in the prison at Matura, visiting a native man condemned to die: the one had gone to impart the consolations of Heathenism to the poor man; the other, to recommend Christ the Saviour of the World. A little controversy took place between them, in the cell, on the great question of a Saviour: the Missionary at length challenged the Priest to produce a single proof, from any of their sacred books, that such a character was to be found in them for man: the Priest, although young at that time, was a man of rising eminence, a most notorious opposer of the Truth, and laboured in