lived for some years with various fortunes. He at length went to England, and while in London, he says, "with the assistance of one by the name of Butler, (an African,) I got myself baptized in St. James's church, which is between Pall-Mall and Piccadilly, on the 3d of August, 1789, and named William Roberts, being then about eighteen years old. The first thing after my baptism I bought a Common Prayer Book of the Church of England and a New Testament." He afterwards returned to Madras, as servant to George Hoar, Esq.

"Now, from the first, my chief motive for endeavouring to learn to read English was to read the Bible to my own satisfaction. I had no other books but the Bible and the Common Prayer Book of the Church of England; these were my friends, and the writers of them my instructors. no friends or acquaintance, being quite a stranger at Madras, I was at all times in my master's house. Whenever I had leisure

As at this time I had

the Bible was in my hands. The first thing that struck me and I stumbled at, was the Creed of St. Athanasius, in the Common Prayer Book. Three persons of the same power and attributes, each separately God and Lord, yet altogether no more than one God, was a thing too hard for me to make any thing of. The next thing was that of offering glory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in the answer to which it is said, "As it was in the beginning." Nothing of this kind is to be seen in the prayers of the greatest saints of the Scriptures which are recorded in the Bible. These thoughts very often came across my mind, and cooled the ardour of my study. Sometimes I thought within myself that these difficulties arose from my not understanding the English language rightly; and that if I once understood the English language rightly, most probably these differences will be no more; for I had not yet then seen the Bible in my own language, translated and printed at Tranquebar by the Danish missionaries long before. I was also secretly ashamed to appear [shew] deficiency of faith in these things. The more I considered, the harder it appeared to my reasoning power; for I had not the wisdom to consider the contents of the Bible without the Common Prayer Book, and no notions of corruptions of Christianity in the reformed churches. In this state of mind I went to England again with Mr. G. H. in 1793. At this time I stayed in London about seven months and bought some books-my doubts and difficulties much the same. When I was ready to return, Mrs. Hoar's new maid-servant, a young woman by the name of Miss Raw, one evening having a small Tract in her hand, made me sit down by her work-table in the servants' room, and read several pages to me, and then left the book on the table and took to her needle.

I took that book in my hand, and was turning page after page: in the end I came to a catalogue of Dr. Priestley's and the Rev. T. Lindsey's publications. In this catalogue I found a list, called "A List of False Readings and Mistranslations of the Scripture." The moment I saw this, one after another several thoughts came across my mind, and I think I had no sleep almost all night. The next morning after my breakfast I went and bought this List from Johnson's, and read it several times. When I came to consider the contents, I was astonished to see that my doubts were not without foundation; and that the doctrine of the Trinity, at which I stumbled, was not the doctrine of the Bible. The ardour of my Bible-study returned with redoubled vigour. "This Ist of the Rev. T. Lindsey's soon set me in the right road, so s to consider the Bible and the Bible only to be the rule of fath and practice. I also bought at that time the Rev. T. Lindsey's Reformed Prayer Book, and a few other Tracts of his and Dr. Priestley's. Mr. John Raw, brother to Miss Raw, also made me a present of a Tract (Dr. Priestley's Appeal to the serious and candid Professors of Christianity.) With this acquisition, and full of joy on my new discovery, I returned to Madras in 1794.

"Soon after my return I was hired as a butler in Mr. W. Har rington's family, at eight pagodas per month, in which family I am continuing still (December 1816.) After I came into the service of Mr. Harrington and got [a] little settled, I sent to Tranquebar and purchased the Bible in my own language. This Tamul Bible, with the English one, became a great help, and explained many difficulties.-To some of my countrymen who were of the Protestant and Roman Catholic persuasion, the doctrine of One God, &c. appeared as heathenism refined. Others saw and still do see it in [a] different light; but to me they became the greatest comfort and continual rejoicing: the more I read the Scripture, [the] stronger the proof appeared. I have also procured some books of the Trinitarians, and found their way of stating the Scripture doctrine to me altogether unsatisfactory."

"Though my poverty and mean situation in life: and also my disqualification and incapability to teach, be two great impediments; yet as far as lay in my power I always made a point of answering, and instructing, and giving all the information I was master of to all those of my countrymen who would.

"Among those who have been my hearers, about ten families and some individuals have embraced the Unitarian faith; seven out of the ten families are original converts from Heathenism. All of them are poor, their situation in life is much meaner than

my own. Among them, the first of my converts and the oldest man, Meguel Annathy, is about seventy-five years of age, at present very sickly; he was originally a convert to the Roman Catholic persuasion from Heathenism, and twenty years since he has embraced the doctrine of the Unitarians. He is alike a father and elder to our little society, and maintains himself and his family by keeping a Tamul school for our children.

"For our use I have drawn a set [of] forms of prayers and other offices in our own language (Tamul or Malabar), as well as I could, like that of the Rev. T. Lindsey's Reformed Prayer Book.

"We have a burying-ground of our own, and a small place of worship opened on the 19th December 1813. Those of us that can conveniently go, meet there for divine worship; and if I am there present, which happens about once in two or three Sundays, I read the Prayers and some portions of Scripture, and sometimes after prayer explain some parts of Scripture. In my absence my old friend Meguel Annathy does the same. Here we baptize, administer the Lord's supper, give marriage, and bury our dead."

"Some Europeans as well as natives have interrogated us concerning our faith; and others did and still do upbraid us for being singular and conceited, as they imagine, in our way of thinking; and also for not joining any other societies of Christians; yet no body has disturbed us on account of our religion.

"Our Prayer Books and other religious tracts written by me in Tamul (for I have no head or hand in English, as it will appear plain from these lines,) in which language only I can do any thing of the kind, are in hand-writing; we have no means of printing them. We can buy the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments from the missionary societies; and of late we are blessed with sufficient number of New Testaments from the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society. One of the agents of the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society in Madras is the Rev. Marmaduke Thomson, to whom we are very well known by the name of the Congregation of Native Christians of Pursewaukum. Pursewaukum is the place where we have our small chapel."

The second Letter, (June 17, 1818,) is in reply to one addressed to him in answer to the first, and inclosed in a small parcel of books which were sent, soon after his letter was received, and before it had been officially noticed by the Society; who afterwards directed their Secretary to write to him, and to send him a much larger parcel of books.

"I have received the parcel of your benefaction, with your very kind and very affectionate letter dated 14th July, 1817, on

the 9th of April this year." "On opening your letter, reading, and seeing the books, and finding myself and my brethren are become known to you and to your respectable society, and further encouragement is promised, I became inspired with a new life, and joy inexpressible. May God our heavenly Father, Je hovah the Holy One of Israel, increase this my joy, and give me and my brethren grace before you and your respectable society!" "I am sorry to add that my old friend Meguel Annathy did not live to see your letter and the books; he died four months after I wrote to your respectable society, being near 76 years of age.

"Since his death our school is not yet properly settled. At present a Trinitarian Christian of Trinquabar [Tranquebar] keeps the school for our children, agreeable to our rules and regulations." "He is now, at his leisure, reading and copying my books, for which copying I pay him separately. He plainly sees and confesses that the doctrine of the Trinity and the other articles that support it,-such as Original Sin, Election, Atonement for Sin by Jesus Christ, &c.-are not the doctrines of the Bible: indeed, these will be seen more at large, if some of my writings were published and set in circulation.

"Since the death of my old friend Annathy we have no regular person to do the chapel duty on Sundays in my absence: oneof the oldest members present reads the prayers, and another reads the portions of Scripture appointed for the day. If there be any christening or any other duty, they generally wait for me. "I have made an inquiry about having our prayer-book and some other tracts printed. Mr. William Urquhart, agent of the Madras Courier and proprietor of the commercial presses, says that the prayer-book, which will contain about 300 pages in octavo, the printing charges only (without the paper and binding) will cost 168 pagodas for one hundred copies; 335 pagodas for five hundred copies; but before it can be printed leave of the government must be obtained. If our prayer-book, and a few other tracts written by me, were printed, and means added to give a suitable maintenance for a few regular teachers, we shall soon be able to find young persons to accept the business, and that will increase our numbers. Helps of books, and little small pecuniary assistance towards those who are grown old and unable to work for their livelihood, is very necessary. If we set out with such means, I have no doubt but that the doctrine of One God and his unbought pardon, with eternal bliss and everlasting life to [the] returning sinner, preached by his holy servant and universal teacher (Matthew xxii. 8, 10; Acts xvii. 31,) Jesus of Nazareth, will be readily accepted by my countrymen.

But should God Almighty, the proprietor of heaven and earth; the supreme ruler of all things, who sees what is proper for man, move the hearts of the English Unitarians in our favour, and send out missionaries to this country, a regular foundation will be laid for instructing my countrymen. At present things are very feeble as matters stand now, should the most high God think it proper to put an end to my existence, I do not see who will take the trouble, and be at little expense, and forego some pleasures, so as to be a leader of my poor brethren. I often say in my prayer in the words of Esau, Hast thou but one blessing, my Father?" The Trinitarians (both white and black) teachers and disciples persuade themselves that when William Roberts dies, the name of Unitarians will cease here: This perhaps is also their secret prayer. There is not one European or European descendant among us, not one rich man,-not one learned man,—even not one that can read English well: this disadvantage does not discourage me at all; I am convinced that the God of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures is the true and living God, and am also fully persuaded that Moses and the prophets, Christ and his apostles, and the Jewish and first Christian churches, were Unitarians. To this truth I wish to bear my testimony among my countrymen as far as it lay in my power. If this be done, I leave the issue to Him whose truth I espouse."

Congregational Church in the City of New York.-A Congregational Society has been formed and incorporated in the city of New York, on the broad and liberal principles of the congregations in this vicinity. Many of the ministers of this town and neighbourhood, who have been for years excluded from all the pulpits of New York, have accepted the invitations of this young society, and for a year past have performed the services of their religious worship in a commodious chapel, which has been fitted up for their temporary accommodation. They are now erecting a handsome church in the centre of the city, which will probably be completed by the month of November. The corner-stone was laid with appropriate religious solemnities on the 29th of April last. The following is the Address, made upon the occa

sion :

"CHRISTIAN FRIENDS,

"We have assembled upon an occasion of no small interest. The erection of a new Temple to the honour of Almighty God demands of us the religious acknowledgment of his providence, and earnest supplications for his blessing. Except the Lord build the House, they labour in vain that build it.' Confident.