noon of the third Sabbath, she begged her Teacher would just step over, (to use her own expression,) and visit her; when she told her, she had reason to bless the Lord that she ever came to the Sabbath School. It appears, she was struck with strong convictions while hearing the Bible read and the Catechism repeated. In the evening of the second Lord's day in August, Patience's Teacher visited her, and found her very ill with a burning fever, and in much distress for her soul. She exclaimed, "Oh Lord, have mercy upon my poor soul! My dear Teacher, I have sent for you to read for me. Oh, that the Lord would spare my life, and teach me his holy word! I once thought I was to live in this world for ever; but now I know that I must die, and that my soul must be happy or miserable for ever. Lord have mercy on my soul. O my dear Teacher, I am such a sinner, will the Lord have mercy on me?" Her teacher answered by pointing her to the blood of Christ, which can cleanse from all sin, of however deep a dye. The coloured people really exceed our most sanguine expectations in the rapid progress they have made in learning to read. Many of them have committed a number of chapters of the Bible to memory; these encouraging circumstances excite us to persevere in the strength of the Lord. We feel constrained to notice, with humble gratitude, the kind providence of our Lord, in raising up a young gentleman of independent circumstances, who has taken upon himself the sole charge of the school during the winter, when the other Teachers had removed into the city. SCHOOL NO. 21. The present number now attending is 130; 60 of whom have been received since the last anniversary. It is our satisfaction to state,. that not one of our pupils has been dismissed for disorderly conduct, but that all are deserving of praise. Thirty of our charge have progressed from the alphabet, to reading in the Bible; a few have committed a great part of the New Testament, various catechisms, Scripture lessons, and Divine Songs. SCHOOL NO. 22. This school has admitted 36 scholars, chiefly coloured adults, and is instructed by one Superintendent and 4 Teachers. Five have learned the Catechism, Watts' Divine Songs, and 6 chapters of the gospel of St. Matthew; eight are professors of religion in the African Church. The improvement of the school generally has far exceeded the expectations of the Teachers. SCHOOL NO. 23. In presenting our Report, we are sorry to state, that it is not in our power to give as correct and animating an account as the school merits. The number of scholars received, and discharged, during the past year, with the progress made, and the lessons committed to memory, cannot be ascertained; chiefly owing to the school having been without a Superintendent for some time past. It now contains sixty-four white and two coloured children; they are under the direction of a Superintendent, Secretary, and 8 Teach ers, who are encouraged by the improvement made, to continue their services. SCHOOL NO. 24 Situated at Manhattanville, when last reported consisted of 44 scholars, and was instructed by 4 Teachers. The School has been dismissed for the winter season, but will be resumed when the Teachers return to the country. SCHOOL NO. 25 Was organized August 3d, 1817, since which time 50 coloured adults have been admitted; 30 of these attend regularly, and are instructed by a Superintendent and 4 Teachers. Although there have been few instances of very rapid improvement, yet the progress of the scholars is very apparent. Several who when they commenced did not know one letter, now read in the Spelling-Book, and others who began with the first lessons, now read with facility, and have committed to memory catechisms, and portions of Scripture. They have generally paid the most serious attention to religious instruction, and often the tear of penitence or remorse has bedewed their cheeks, while the weighty concerns of their souls have been pressed upon their consciences. "Hitherto the Lord hath helped," and in his strength we are determined to persevere, believing, that in due time we shall reap, if we faint not. Last sabbath one of our Teachers bade us an affectionate farewell; she has accompanied her sister, whose husband is engaged as a missionary to the Tuscarora Indians. SCHOOL NO. 26 Was organized on the 7th of September, 1817; since which time 114 scholars have been admitted, 105 of whom attend regularly, and are diligent in their studies. Two teachers have lately joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, the other ten are all members of the same church. SCHOOL NO. 27 Commenced April 13, 1817: 216 scholars have been admitted; only 43 of these now regularly attend. They are under the care of a Superintendent and 6 Teachers. 25 have advanced from the first lessons to reading the Bible. Three teachers and 2 scholars have experienced a change since they belonged to the school, and have joined the church. SCHOOL NO. 28 Was opened in June, 1817, with 30 scholars; 26 of these have been retained during the winter, and still continue to attend; 6 can now read the Bible; 8 have advanced from the alphabet to Scripture lessons. The duties of this school have devolved principally upon one individual; assistance has been obtained occasionally, but only one regular teacher has as yet been procured. SCHOOL NO. 29 Contains 20 female scholars; 6 read the Bible, others are in a progressive state of improvement. SCHOOL NO. 30 Was opened on the 9th of November for coloured adults; 20 have been admitted, and have received books; only nine attend regularly. One woman who has attended since the commencement of the school, and who scarcely knew all her letters, in eight Sabbaths read a chapter in the Bible of 32 verses, without being told. Two others, from spelling one syllable, are good readers. Three of the women were pious before they entered the school, the rest are seriously inclined, and all are anxious to learn. SCHOOL NO. 31. This school is conducted by two Superintendents and 20 Teachers: 200 scholars have been admitted; upwards of one hundred attend regularly, 6 are coloured adults, and 3 coloured children: 13 have advanced from letters to reading. From these extracts it would appear, that the average number who regularly attend the Schools, is 2877, under the care of 384 teachers; 336 have been advanced from learning the alphabet to reading the Bible; 3306 chapters have been committed to memory, besides catechisms, hymns, and portions of Scripture innumerable: 45 Teachers and 24 Scholars have been enabled to profess their faith in Christ, and have become members of the visible church. The Society have this year, as on the former, reason to rejoice in the harmony that has attended this Union. Let our thanksgivings abound towards God, whose blessing alone giveth success, and let our prayers be persevering and fervent, that He would crown every year with gladness, and cause the dews of his grace to descend on the souls of both Teachers and Scholars, in schools and in the sanctuary, on his own day. BRITISH & FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. Having been recently favoured by our attentive correspondent at Liverpool with the seventh number of the Monthly Extracts, from the correspondence of the British and Foreign Bible Society, for February 1818, we present our readers with a part of it for this number of the Christian Herald. The explanation of the meaning of the terms in their constitution "without note or comment," coming from such high authority, is deemed very important. The cheering intelligence respecting the means afforded of circulating the Scriptures among the Chinese, as detailed in Mr. Milne's letter, will rejoice the hearts of all who are friendly to the true religion. Queries recently proposed by the Rev. William Milne, now employed in conjunction with the Rev. Robert Morrison, D. D. in translating the Scriptures into Chinese, at Malacca; and the determination of the Committee respecting them. What is the real import and utmost extent of the Society's Motto, "Without note or comment ?" 1. Does it preclude various marginal readings? 2. Does it preclude a marginal explanation of terms which cannot be rendered in the text without circumlocution? 94 Correspondence of the British and Foreign Bible Society. 3. Does it preclude notes marking the scriptural chronology, as in our large English Bibles? 4. Does it preclude the explanation of proper names, e. g., which, in the margin of our Bibles, is rendered "forgetting?" (see Gen. xli.51;) or any other such names? 5. Does it preclude the explanation of such words as Aßaddwr, Aroaauwv, or of Jewish or Roman coins? 6. Does it preclude the Contents of chapters? The Committee having taken the above inquiries into consideration; Resolved, that, it being the object of the British and Foreign Bible Society to restrict itself to the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, the terms in which the restriction is expressed, (viz. "Without Note or Comment,") must be construed to exclude from the copies circulated by the Society, every species of matter but what may be deemed necessary to render the version of the sacred original intelligible and perspicuous. The latter appearing to be the sole and exclusive design of the queries proposed by the Rev. Mr. Milne, nothing contained in them can be considered as precluded by the prohibition of Note and Comment. While the Committee give this opinion, and express their high approbation of the conduct of Mr. Milne, they recommend to his attention, and that of translators in general, the English Version, with marginal renderings and references; as affording a correct example of that sort and degree of explanation, which it may be permitted to introduce into those copies of the Bible which answer to the Society's definition and requirement, of their being without Note or Comment. Extracted from the Minutes, Malacca, Dec. 31, 1816. The situation of Malacca affords frequent opportunities of communicating with all the other settlements in the Archipelago, where the Chinese reside. To each of these I have sent copies of the Sacred Scriptures. In the course of every year, there are opportunities of communicating with three provinces of China; viz. Canton, Fo-Kien, and Quang-see; and also with the various ports of CochinChina, and Siam, where multitudes of Chinese are settled. Thus, though we are not at present allowed to settle in China itself, a variety of channels are opened to us in the good providence of God, through which the Sacred Scriptures may be introduced. Several China-men and Merchants have very readily sent parcels to their friends and correspondents in other places; and have brought their acquaintances, when passing from port to port, to converse, and get books. In June 1815, the registered number of Chinese in the Island of Penang, (Prince of Wales's Island,) was 7241. From the numbers that have gone thither since, I suppose there are now at least 8000. In point of education and morals, I think them considerably behind their brethren in Java and Malacca. The settlement of Penang is comparatively new. In Java and Malacca, Chinese have been settled for hundreds of years, and there are many families of long standing. A very large proportion of the Chinese in Penang are merchants, mechanics, and day labourers, who have gone thither with no other view, than that of making a little money in a few years; after which they intend to return to China, and then set up in life. There is a much smaller proportion of schools for youth, among the Chinese in Penang, than among their countrymen settled in the other parts of the Archipelago. In distributing the New Testaments among them, when I visited that Island, I observed the same rules to which I adhered in Java, in 1814. All the largest Chinese families in George's Town have a New Testament, and in the course of distribution, I did not meet with a single Chinese, who did not thankfully receive it; and in conversing with them, I found them all disposed to listen. The words of eternal life are now in their hands. I feel grateful to God, and to the Bible Society, for the oportunities afforded me of putting the Sacred Scriptures into the hands of a people who never before had heard of them. I have opened two schools in Malacca, for Chinese children, in which the average number of boys who have attended is about 55, some of whom have learned to repeat portions of the word of God. At seven o'clock every morning, they all, together with the schoolmasters and other Chinese, attend prayer, and reading the Holy Scrip tures. ORDINATION OF REV. MR. FREY. (Communicated for the Christian Herald.) It will no doubt be highly gratifying to the friends of the Redeemer's Kingdom, to be informed that on Wednesday the 15th of April, the Rev. Joseph Samuel C. F. Frey, of the seed of Abraham, was ordained and installed by the Morris County and West Chester Associate Presbytery, to the pastoral charge of the Independent Church, New-York. The Rev. Silas Constant, of York town, presided and opened the service with prayer. The Rev. Stephen Grover, of Caldwell, N. Y. preached from 2 Cor. v. 20; the Rev. Samuel L. Phelps, of Ridgefield, made the ordination prayer; the Rev. Abel Jackson, of Middletown, gave the charge to the Minister; the Rev. Allan Blair, of Carmel, N. Y. gave the right hand of fellowship, and the Rev. Abner Brundage, of Peekskill, gave the charge to the people. The Rev. Abraham Purdy, of North Salem, preached on Tuesday Evening preparatory to the ordination. The services of the day were most solemn and interesting. It is worthy of remark, that the Rev. Mr. Frey is the first converted Israelite that has been called to the pastoral charge of a Christian |
