liberty and prescience of the Deity, as are sufficient to deter us from a subject, simple and obvious in itself, but puzzled by a vain philosophy, and no less vain theology, in which men, in proportion to their ignorance, affect to be acquainted with the inscrutable mysteries of the divine nature, and the way in which infinite wisdom is present with the human will. →

All that I propose upon the subject is to state in a few plain propositions, and in as clear and comprehensive a manner as I am able, as far as human duty is concerned, what I conceive to be the truth upon this question, which has been rendered obscure only in consequence of too much subtlety.

And, in the first place, it is of importance to correct an error in language, which has probably contributed, in some measure, to involve the question of liberty and necessity, in that obscurity with which it has been so remarkably surrounded.-The freedom of the will, is a phrase which has been familiarly employed by all parties, and the propriety of which seems not to have been questioned by any. But volition being only an act of the mind, liberty cannot be so properly predicated of it, as of the mind which exercises that act.-When we speak of liberty, or necessity, as predicable of the will, there are only two forms of discourse which the advocates of the respective sides of this question employ ;-the one, that the will determines itself;-the other, that it is solely determined by motives,-both equally unphilosophical and false.

If we ask how the will forms any determination? If the question is not an absurdity, because the will is itself the determination of the mind, we would be obliged to answer by an identical proposition, that it is by an act of volition. If then we admit that the will determines itself, it can only be, if the phrase have any meaning, by a previous act of volition. And if we enquire by what is this act determined? we must in the same manner answer, by one still prior-which would lead us through an infinite series of volitions to determine one free act.

(To be continued.)

RELIGIOUS AND MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.

EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MISSIONS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE METHODIST CONFERENCES.

British Colonies in the West Indies.-The state of the West India mission, so interesting to religion and humanity, has been a subject of no inconsiderable anxiety to the Committee during the last year. Its successes, through the divine blessing, still continue, and every year presents opportunities for the enlargment of its ministrations to the moral wants of the pagan slaves of our colonies. But in some of the islands it has had to contend with more than ordinary opposition; and the missionaries, almost in every place, have been placed in circumstances of suspicion and hazard, through the active measures of the enemies of missions, and the effect of those publications, which, either in utter ignorance of the case, or in despite of all contrary evidence, have held up their labours as fraught with danger and mischief to the interests of the colonies. If the probable result of this is, that the character of that mission will be better known and appreciated, and even this opposition shall "turn out to the futherance of the Gospel," in those dark places of the British empire, it will call for new acknowledgements to him who "maketh the wrath of man to praise him," and against whom there is no knowledge or counsel.

The activity of several publications to misrepresent the operations of missions to the colonies in general, and to the Wesleyan missions in particular, claimed the earliest attention of the Committee, after they entered upon the duties assigned them by the Conference. Means were taken to collect evidence, both from those persons in England who had formerly been employed as missionaries in the West Indies; from the missionaries at that time employed there; and from other persons unconnected with the mission as to the neglected condition of the negroes, the conduct and labours of the missionaries, and the effects produced on the moral state and habits of the slaves to whom they had devoted their ministry. On these subjects the Committee themselves

had no doubts to remove, but it was thought necessary, that attacks so formal and frequent should be met by explicit and direct evidence. The result of these inquiries was given to the public, and the principal points which the Committee conceive to have been thus established, are the gross ignorance and vicious manners of the pagan negro population of the British Islands; their utterly neglected state, as to religious instruction, in most cases by all, except Methodist missionaries; and the salutary effects produced by religious instruction upon their dispositions, morals, general comfort, industry, and contentedness. Numerous facts in proof of these particulars are stated, whilst not a single proveable fact is adduced in support of the injurious allegations, boldly and wantonly made by those whose object appears to be to shut up the slave in his pagan darkness, and to deny to him, in both worlds, the consolations and hopes of a religion, which they themselves, nevertheless, strangely profess. This investigation has also shown, that there are in the West Indies a great number of respectable white inhabitants, owners of slaves, proprietors of estates, or connected with them, who have given great countenance and support to the mission, from their own experience of its beneficial effects upon the negro population; and many of them have furnished the Committee with their written testimonies on this subject; documents which have not as yet been made public, but may be published at a future time, as additional corroborations of the evidence in favour of the mission, should circumstances render it necessary. In some of the islands, the only effects produced by the inflammatory and illiberal writings of the anti-mission party at home, has been to excite inquiries, not before made, into the doctrines and the characters of the missionaries, which, in not a few cases, have issued in obtaining for them additional encouragement. In others, this party "have had their reward." Without shaking the attachment of the former friends of the mission in any of the islands, without producing any effect upon the minds of dispassionate and observing men, they have, however given occasion to those who, without any inquiry, suffer their suspicions to be awakened by every passing shadow: and to those who appear to act only from motives of hostility to religion itself, to call for laws, in some instances greatly restrictive of the freedom of religious worship and the exertions of missionaries, and in others wholly obstructive of them. To these causes jointly may be attributed

the message from the Council of St. Vincent's to the House of Assembly, in May, 1816, recommending embarrassing enactments as to Methodist and other missionaries; but which, it appears, was happily passed over in the last session, leaving the mission there still unfettered. But the Committee deeply regret to state, that notwithstanding the facts which have from time to time been exhibited in proof of the excellent effects resulting from the instruction of the negroes; and the increased number of friends which the mission has been acquiring among the respectable white inhabitants of the colonies, laws have been passed by the Jamaica Legislature, and the Legislature of the Bahama Islands, against certain clauses of which it has been thought ne cessary to petition the British Government, whose tolerant spirit, and regard to the religious interests of the colonies, supports the confidence, that from every law restrictive of religious liberty, and opposed to the pious design of communicating Christianity to the pagan population of the West Indies, the Royal assent will be withheld.

The power of suppressing all religious assemblies, under the undefined name of unlawful meetings, which the clauses objected to by the Committee in the Jamaica Act vest in the hands of magistrates, the Committee are happy to state, have not been hitherto actually employed against the mission there; but the state of the societies in the Bahama islands demands equally the commiseration and the prayers of all who know, in this favoured country, the value of religious freedom and worship. By one act, which, however, is suspended till the Royal pleasure be known, missionaries are only to be permitted to exercise their functions under conditions, with which none of them can safely comply; whilst a Police Act is in immediate and strict operation, by which all meetings after sun-set and before sun-rise, that is, before six in the morning, and after six in the evening, are prohibited under şevere penalties; a measure which not only utterly deprives many of the slaves of the instruction afforded them on week days, bet in many places of all instruction whatever, the missionaries being unable to visit many of them except the week evenings only. Many strong testimonials in favour of the conduct of the missionaries there, now in possession of the Committee, show how utterly unprovoked these arbitrary and persecuting measures have been on the part either of the mis

sionaries, or of the religious slaves in our societies in the Bahama Islands.

In Demerara and Trinidad, the missionaries are placed in circumstances, sometimes vexatious and troublesome, and at others difficult and obstructive of their pious exertions. In the latter especially, the regulations of the local government prohibit the missionary there, in open contravention of the laws of toleration, from administering the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or performing baptism or burial, and limit his performance of divine service, to three times a week, including Sunday, a case which is now under the attention of the Committee; but in the midst of these instances of intolerant or mistaken opposition, it will be the highest satisfaction to the friends of the West India mission, as it is to the Committee, that in so many of the islands, and those also where the mission has been the longest established, and where it is best known, the work proceeds without opposition; that in every island it has warm and active friends: and that it has through the past year, been crowned with great and encouraging success.

The following extracts from the minutes of the West India District Meetings will shew the present state of the mission in the islands respectively.

JAMAICA DISTRICT.-"In Kingston our prospects are truly pleasing. We have enlarged our chapel, but it is still far too small. Could we raise another as large, in a convenient part of this populous city, we are persuaded it would be filled with attentive hearers. The word of the Lord has free course, and is evidently glorified in the conversion of immortal souls. Great peace and harmony exist in our Zion. We meet with no opposition from the civil power. 29

"In Spanish Town our cause is in a flourishing condition, and many are thirsting for the blessings of redemption. Mr. Ratcliffe has laboured here with great acceptance since the 20th of January. The society, which had decreased since the last general statement, has received an addition of sixteen members, respectable free people of colour. The congregation is large and deeply serious. We have lately purchased a valuable house with suitable premises, and are fitting up a neat chapel and dwelling house. The zeal and christian benevolence which our friends have manifested in helping us on this occasion, have made a deep impression on our minds, and greatly strengthened the sen