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"The Theodosian Branch Bible Society will strive to distribute the word of God among unbelievers, having before it a vast field, first in the Peninsula of the Crimea, and secondly in the neighboring countries of Caucasus and Anatolia, for making known the gospel to nations who still remain in heathen or Mohammedan darkness. But without exactly fixing the extent of the sphere of its operations, it is easy to observe, that it will comprehend particularly the countries ly ing on the shores of the Black Sea. Abhazia, Mingrellia, and Anatolia, being in the closest commercial connex ion with Theodosia, present a wide field for the Bible Society proposed to be in that city.

"It is well known that in former times the Abhazi were enlightened by the faith of Christ, and belonged to the Greek communion, possessed their own Bishops, and were reckoned to the Eparché of Alanie, the seat of which see was Theodosia and afterwards Phanagoria. After the fall of the Greek Empire, however, the nation of the Abhazi, like the Circassians, being deprived of preachers, and not possessing a written language, returned to their heathenish customs, and at length many of them embraced the Mohammedan religion. Monuments of Christianity exist to the present time among them, in the remains of churches, for which the people have still respect Another proof of this, is the veneration which they have for the form of the cross.

"The inhabitants of Mingrellia have been more fortunate than their neighbors the Abhazi. They have preserv ed the faith of their fathers in the midst of the heavy yoke of bondage, which

has lain, upon their country for several centuries; and, notwithstanding the persecutions of cruel Mohammedans, they still continue to hold the Christian faith according to the Greek confession, and perform their religious services in the Georgian language.

At length the coast of Anatolia presents itself to view, extensive, and well peopled, mostly, by Greeks and Armenians, who compose the laboring, or what is there styled, the black part of the community. The lot of these Christians, yet our brethren, sunk in ignorance and poverty, under the iron rod of Turkish dominion, surely merits our compassion. Poverty, pro fuced by oppression, has deeply rooted ignorance among them, and this has at length begotten indifference to the knowledge of the word of God. These poor people are reduced so far, that they have forgotten their native tongues, and now pray to God in the Turkish language.

"The Theodosian Branch Society will take upon itself the sacred obliga tions of promoting these views, having numerous facilities by the central commercial intercourse which the Port of Theodosia has with Abhazi, Mingrellia, and Anatolia. From these short remarks, it is easy to observe, how important and extensive the field is, which presents itself to the zeal and activity of the members of the Theodosian Auxiliary Bible Society. Success and further extended views depend upon God. He, by his omnipo. tent goodness, will direct all for the best, and will make even impossibili ties possible to contrite spirits, that hunger after his righteousness. Theodosia, April 3, 1815."

Revival of religion in Salisbury, N. H.

A MOST pleasing revival of religion has lately taken place in the Congregational Society in Salisbury, N. H. The work has been remarkably free from noise, enthusiastic zeal and dis. order of every kind. The spirit of truth, attending the word, preached with a constant regard to the simplici

ty of divine testimony, and operating as "a still small voice," has, in a judgment of charity, brought many souls to the feet of Jesus, where they remain filled with love, clothed with humility, and adorned with a meek and quiet spirit. By an acquaintance with such disciples of our Lord, any one,

who had never seen the Bible, would hardly fail of seeing, that "the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance;" and that "the wisdom which is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." Within a little more than a year, seventy persons have been add. ed to the church. And more than ever before, we "behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." It is thought worthy of remark, that belonging to four houses in the society, there are no less than twenty-six professors of godliness, all of whom were in infancy, or in childhood, favored with parental and baptismal dedication to the Lord; and that there are now in the church about fifty young and unmarried persons. A nun ber very lately give evidence of repentance unto salvation, who have not yet made a public profession; others are under very serious impressions, and we trust the good work is still progressing. Not unto us, but unto thy name, O Lord, be all the glory. It has been indeed "a revival of love." T. W. Salisbury, Jan. 1816.

Missionary Box.

An American privateer during the late war having captured in the Irish channel a sloop from Cardigan laden with coal, the captain went on board to survey his prize. Ob. serving a small box with an apperture in the lid, and an inscription on it, missionary box, he enquired what

it was.

The Welshman, apprehending the destruction of his vessel and property (according to the recent practice of the Americans to burn their prizes) replied with a sigh, "Ah! it's all over now! You must know, that I and my poor fellows have been accustomed to drop a penny piece into that box every Sunday morning, to help in sending out missionaries to preach the gospel." "Indeed," said the American, "that's a good thing, a good thing, indeed " After a short pause, he held out his hand to the master of the sloop, and said, "I will not touch a

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Mortality in Virginia.

Norfolk, Feb. 5, 1816. We are assured, that the mortality among the inhabitants of the adjoining counties has, for the two last months, even exceeded the ravages of the fatal epidemic in the winter of 1814 and 1815.

That portion of Nansemond county,

which lies eastward of the river. and the lower precinct of Princess Anne county, are computed to have lost more last summer; and the deaths in the than half the population they contained parish of St. Brides in Norfolk county have been awfully great. In other parts of those counties much sickness has been experienced, and many deaths portion to the former. have taken place, but bearing no proHerald.

Massachusetts Peace Society.

In the last Number encouragement was given that this Number should contain a list of the officers of the Massachusetts Peace Society. The Executive Committee has not yet been elected. The following is a list of all the present officers of the Society:His Honor Wm. Phillips, President. Hon. Thomas Dawes, Vice President. Dea. Elisha Ticknor, Treasurer. Mr. Thomas Wallcut, Rec. Sec. Rev. Noah Worcester, Corres. Sec. Rev John Foster D. D. Rev. Abiel Holmes D. D. Professor L. Hedge, Rev. Daniel Sharp, John Kenrick Esq. William Wells Esq. Rev. John Foster D. D. Rev. Jonathan Homer, Rev. Henry Ware D. D. Rev. Joseph M'Kean LL. D. Rev. William E. Channing,

Installations.

Trustees.

Counsellors

of the

Gor. Secy.

On Wednesday, Feb. 21, the Rev. David Satcheller was installed over the Congregational Church and Soci

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ety in Oxford-The Introductory Prayer by the Rev. Mr. Lane of Sturbridge; Sermon by Rev. Mr. Whip. ple of Charlton, from Matt. v. 16; Installing Prayer by Rev. Mr. Mills of Sutton; the Charge by Rev. Mr. Goffe of Milbury; the Right Hand of Fellowship by Rev. Mr. Pond of Ward; and Concluding Prayer by Rev. Mr. Williams of Dudley.

IN Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Rev. William Gregg.

Nov. 27, 1815, by the Presbytery of Geneva, the Rev. Ebenezer Fitch D. D. late president of Williamstown College, pastor of the Congregation of W. Bloomfield, N. Y. On the 17th of Jan. 1816, the same presbytery installed Rev Comfort Williams, pastor of the Congregation of Gates, in the village of Rochester, N. Y. On the 31st a committee of the presbytery of Geneva installed Rev. William Clark, pastor of the congregation at Wolcott.

Obituary.

Died in Plainfield, Conn. 13th of Feb. Rev. Joel Benedict, D D. aged 72, Pastor of the congregational church in

that town.

In Huntington, Conn. 16th of Feb. Rev. David Ely D. D. aged 66, and in the 43d of his ministry.

In Barrington, Rev. Samuel Watson, aged 43, for 18 years pastor of the Congregational Church in that town.-In Philadelphia, Arthur Howell, aged 63, a minister of the Society

of Friends-In Monteville, Conn. Hon. William Hillhouse, aged 88. He was in the Conn. Legislature more than 50 years in succession.-In Seabrook, N. H. Comfort Collins, aged one hundred and five years and three months, She was for many years a minister in the Society of Friends.-In Rehoboth, Charlestown, Mr. Giles Alexander, Hon. Stephen Bullock, aged 80.-In aged 65.

Confidence in God.

DELIGHTFULL thought! my God is nigh, I bow, my God, before thy throne,"

My Father and my Friend;

He knows the sorrows I endure And will deliverance send.

Though he afflicts to try his saints,
Corrects when they have need;
Yet he displays a father's heart,
He pities while they bleed.

I own thy rod is just,

Make me to know thy promised grace,

In thee is all my trust.

Then will I speak before the world,
Thy wonderous love proclaim,
I'll urge transgressors to reform,
And saints to praise thy name.

On cruelty to Beasts.

A MAN of kindness, to his beast is kind,
But brutal actions show a brutal mind;

Remember, he who made thee, made the brute,

Who gave thee speech and reason, formed him mute.“
He can't complain-but God's all seeing eye

Beholds thy cruelty, and hears his cry;

He was design'd thy servant and thy drudge;

But know that his Creator is thy JUDGE. Amer. Mag.

Candidates for the ministry in Cambridge and its vicinity.

Mr. Ed. W. Andrews, Newburyport.

Mr. Francis Jackson, Cambridge.

R.

Mr. Thomas Prentiss, Cambridge.
Mr. Hiram Weston, Duxbury.
Mr. Samuel Clarke, Cambridge. /
Mr. Henry Ware, jun.

Mr. David Reed,

do.

Mr. Joseph Allen,

do.

Mr. Jonatban P. Dabney, do,

Mr. Rufus Hurlbut,

Mr. Samuel Gilman,

do

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do.

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No. 1V.

ancestors was

In the preceding Number, the history of our brought down to the time of William the Conqueror. His reign was little adapted to the improvement of society, either in knowledge or virtue. He was indeed professedly a Christian, but if his character and conduct have not been misrepresented by historians, he might with more propriety have been called a savage tyrant, than a Christian prince.

His rapacity, injustice, and cruelty provoked revolts, tumults and insurrections; and these were quelled by violence, murder and desolation. The former landholders were stripped of their property, to gratify the Norman invaders, and the country was filled with crimes and "Contumely seems to have been added to oppression, and the natives were universally reduced to such a state of meanness, that the English name became a term of reproach." Bigland.

woes.

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During his reign, the project of the Crusades for the recovery of Jerusalem became popular in Europe. An enthusiasm for what was termed the holy war, was so general and so violent, that from the history of those times, it might be suspected, that the people of Europe had been cursed with a general insanity. Never perhaps in any other instance since the flood, was a raving enthusiasm so general, so lasting, or so fatal. All orders of men deeming the Crusades the only road to heaven, enlisted themselves under these sacred banners, and were impatient to open the way with their sword to the holy city."

1 It is indeed stated, that in the reign of William Rufus the people of England were less infected with the general frenzy than the neighboring nations. The reasons assigned are these, that the Normans were afraid to leave their conquests in England, and the king was too selfish to encourage the holy war.

Henry L. succeeded Rufus, A.D. 1100. In his reign, "to kill a stag, was as criminal as to kill a man.-Stealing was first made

capital in his reign.-False coining was severely punished by Henry. Nearly fifty criminals of this kind were at one time hanged or mutilated.—The deadly feuds, and the liberty of private revenge were still continued, and were not yet wholly illegal." Hist. Eng. vol. i. p. 362. King Stephen began to reign 1135. "This event," says Bigland, "involved the kingdom in a civil war, which continued almost the whole of his reign. It would require a volume to enter into a detail of those commotions, which during the calamitous period of thirteen years rendered England a scene of carnage and devastation. Sieges and battles, intrigues and cabals, treachery and violence, the violation of oaths, and the tergiversations of bishops and barons, constitute the history of this anarchical reign." Vol. i. p. 149.

Henry II. was successor to Stephen, and began to reign 1154. In his reign "it was a custom in London for great numbers to the amount of one hundred or more, the sons and relations of considerable citizens, to form themselves into a licentious confederacy, to break into rich houses and plunder them-to rob and murder the passengers, and to commit with impunity all sorts of disorder. By these crimes it had become so dangerous to walk the streets by night, that the citizens durst no more venture abroad after sun-set, than if they had been exposed to the excur› sions of a public enemy." p. 487.

In 1189, Richard I. commenced his reign, and a horrible massacre of the Jews immediately

ensued. This scene of murder began in London, and the example was followed in other parts of the kingdom. In York five hundred Jews fled to a castle for safety; but finding themselves unable to defend the place, they first killed their wives and chil dren, then set fire to the buildings and perished in the flames, rather than to fall into the hands of their merciless persecutors.The gentry, who were indebted to the Jews, ran to the cathedral where the bonds were kept, and made a solemn bonfire of the papers before the altar.

Richard valued himself as a Christian warrior-he had the Crusade delirium, and conducted an expedition to the holy land. But the state of morals in England during his reign, was deplorable indeed. In 1196, the disorders in London were dreadful. "There seemed to be formed so regular a conspiracy among the numerous malefactors, as threatened the city with destruction." "Murders were daily committed in the streets, hous es were broken open and pillaged in day light;" and so numerous were the disturbers of the peace, and so powerful the combination, that the magistrates were afraid or unable to execute the laws.

King John began to reign 1199. "The charater of this prince is nothing but a complication of vices equally mean and odiousruinous to himself and destruc tive to his people." His folly and wickedness involved the nation in a civil war, and spread desolation and misery through the country.

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