met at Greenock, 18th January-Rev. W. Steven, Largs, moderator. Mr R. Knox, under trials for license, delivered two discourses, which were sustained. A discourse by Mr William Gillies, student, was also approved of. Mr Robert Brown, who had not attended the Theological Hall for several years in consequence of bodily indisposition, delivered a discourse which was sustained, and he was encouraged to proceed with his studies. The Rev. Sutherland Sinclair was appointed to preside in the moderation of a call at Gourock, on the 23 of February, at seven o'clock P.M. The next meeting of presbytery was appointed to be held at Paisley, on the first Tuesday of March. The remit of Synod, as to the more liberal support of the Gospel ministry, and the injunction in reference to congregational statistics, to be then considered.

Perth. This presbytery met on 21st December. Read an overture, addressed to the Synod, respecting a formula of admission to the membership of the church, from the session of North Church, Perth,agreed to transmit it. In accordance with the wishes of the congregation of Kinkell, agreed to apply for service to them till March, for every alternate Sabbath; and appointed Mr Ramsay to preside in the session there, when requested. Appointed Dr Young to preach to the Second Congregation of Auchtergaven, on Sabbath first, and afterwards to have a conference with them. The committee appointed to report upon the communication from the Mission Board, respecting the missionary contributions of this presbytery,-gave in their report, which, after deliberation, was approved, adopted, and appointed to be transmitted to the board. Transmitted also, representations from the Second Congregation of Newburgh, and the Second Congregation

of Crieff, respectively, to the building fund board. Mr Imrie, student in divinity, delivered part of his trials for license, which were unanimously sustained. This presbytery again met on the 18th January-Dr Young, moderator, pro tem. Dr Young reported, that he had had a conference with the Second Congregation of Auchtergaven, after preaching there as appointed by the presbytery; and that the congregation had agreed to apply for sermon for some time longer. The students in divinity, within the bounds of presbytery, were appointed to receive from the district committees subjects for discourses, whose manuscripts are to be submitted for the examination of the presbytery. Mr Jas. Imrie having given in all his trials for license, with the approbation of the presbytery, was licensed to preach the Gospel. The next meeting was appointed to be on Tuesday after the second Sabbath of March.

NOTANDUM FOR FEBRUARY.

THE Synod, at its meeting in May last, having heard a report from the secretaries of the Liquidating Debt Board, after reasoning, "expressed their strong sense of the importance of the Liquidating Debt Scheme-re-appointed the Board, and, in addition to the powers given. them last, appointed a general collection to be made in aid of the fund, on the second Sabbath of February next-enjoined presbyteries to take due care to ascertain that said collection is made by the congregations and stations within their bounds, in terms of rule 17, sec. iii., chap. i., of the Forms of Procedure; and authorised the Board to send deputations to such congregations as shall not have reported before the 1st of April next."

FEMALE JESUITRY ABROAD.

WHATEVER may be thought of Jesuit morality, nobody who knows anything of the "order" and its history can fail to admire Jesuit diligence. A recent traveller, Edmund Spencer, Esq., who publishes his "Tour of Inquiry through France and Italy," gives an example of the zeal with which the followers of Loyola prosecute their plans for the maintenance and extension of church power. Apart from the deceit and villany which the case illustrates, it will show that the friends of Gospel truth male and female have

much to learn in the way of devotedness and zealous assiduity, before they can hope to match the votaries of the man of sin. The incident occurs when Mr Spencer, with two American fellow-travellers, is on his way to Rome:

"The next morning, at Capua, while breakfasting with our gallant friends, the waiter announced a French lady, the Countess de L-e, an elegant, ladylike woman, who, although somewhat past the age of love and romance, might still be termed pretty. She stated that the object of her visit was to petition for a place in our carriage as far as Rome,

and another on the outside for her servant, offering to pay her share of the expenses. She apologised in the politest manner for the intrusion, by saying, that being unprotected, she trusted the unsettled state of the country might be pleaded as an excuse for the liberty she had taken; adding, that she knew by placing herself under the protection of Englishmen, a name synonymous with all that was brave and honourable, her safety was insured. Who could resist such a flattering speech? My friend, whom we termed the philosopher of Boston, looked at his companion, the poet of New York, and both cast a searching glance on their English brother; and presuming their feelings agreed with mine, and that denial was impossible, we made our wishes and convenience submit, though with shame I confess it, very reluctantly, to our gallantry.

"The circumstance would have been too trifling to record, were it not illustrative of the social character of the country, and the protecting care with which a traveller is watched on every side by the secret agents of this most suspicious government. Before we quitted the hotel, a kind friend placed in my hand a slip of paper, in which he cautioned me to beware of the lady, as he knew her to be one of the most dangerous women in Italy, -a perfect Jesuit in petticoats,-a spy of the police, and that her servant was, in all probability, a priest! In addition to her personal charms, and great amiability of manners, our fair Jesuit as a linguist was admirably qualified to carry on any political intrigue with success. She spoke the Italian language almost with the fluency of a native; she also knew the English, German, and Spanish, sufficiently well to converse. As may be supposed, it required a great deal of acting on my part to mystify so clever a woman; I succeeded, however, in drawing from her an admission that she was engaged with other pious French ladies of high rank in endeavouring to convert the English aristocracy, while travelling on the continent, to the Roman Catholic faith. If her representations might be relied on, and I have no reason to doubt them, she was on terms of intimacy, and corresponded with several of our great Roman Catholic families in England and Ireland. She spoke most affectionately of her dear Lord and Lady Fleming, of those shining lights who had seen the error of their ways, and embraced the true faith-Messrs Newman, Wilberforce, and Manning, and stated how instrumental she had been in their conversion. This, with her allusions to many other persons of distinguished rank in England, suspected to be wavering in their belief in the doctrines of the Reformed Church, afforded additional confirmation to the opinion I had long entertained, that a widely-spread organised conspiracy exists, the object of which is to undermine the Protestant faith of England."

THE LATE DR SAMUEL LEE, OF CAMBRIDGE. DR LEE, the famous Oriental scholar,

and Regius Professor of Hebrew in the University of Cambridge, died at Barley Rectory, Hertfordshire, on 16th December last. Not less for his position as the foresingular and gratifying course, by which, most Orientalist of his age, than for the in Divine Providence, he was brought to that honourable eminence, such a man deserves that his departure should not pass without notice at our hands. We learn from "Kitto's Journal of Sacred Literature," that Dr Lee received the first rudiments of learning at a charity school at Longnor, and at twelve he was put apprentice to a carpenter. Though he had only six shillings per week, he contrived to spare something to gratify his desire for learning, and acquired the knowledge of Latin and Greek, reading Cicero, Cæsar, Horace, Plato, Homer, and Lucan. After this a copy of the "Targum" of Onkelos came in his way, which he learned to read; and this introduction to oriental study was soon followed by the acquisition of the Syriac and Samaritan languages. By this time he had attained his twenty-fifth year, still continuing to labour at his handicraft. Being sent by his master to superintend the repairing of a large house in Worcestershire, he determined to relinquish the study of languages, and give himself more thoroughly to his trade as a means of support. But a fire breaking out in the house, consumed his tools, worth about L.25, and left him without a shilling. He then thought of some new course of life in which his former studies might prove advantageous, and became master of a school at Shrews

bury. Being thus devoted to learning as a profession, he soon acquired such distinction as to be consulted by government about the translation of an Eastern document which the officials at the foreign office had found to be beyond their scholarship; and from this step the gradation was easy to preferment in the University and the Church of England.

We long to see a full biography of this eminent man, and no doubt this will soon be forthcoming. It will serve an excellent purpose in stimulating and encouraging youth of the humbler ranks to avail themselves diligently of the means of learning within their reach.

STATISTICS OF AMERICAN DENOMINATIONS.

THE following statement is furnished by the Rev. Dr Belcher, Philadelphia, from information collected by him at the close of 1852:

The Congregationalists report as to the six New England States (and there are but few Congregationalists in the other States) 1367 orthodox churches; 153,518 members

(of whom 49,387 only are males); ministers, 1396; of these 284 are without any charge; and only 857 are settled as pastors. The nett increase of members during the past year was 1621, only a fraction over one member to each church. About one-fifth of these churches have neither pastors nor stated supplies.

The Baptists have regular churches, 9952; ministers, 7393; members, 770,839. In 1792, there were 1000 churches; 1264 ministers; and 70,017 members.

The Methodist Episcopal Church, in their "Almanack for 1853," report 4005 travelling preachers, 391 supernumeraries, and 5716 local preachers; they have 628,376 members, and 95,288 probationers for membership, making a total of 723,664; increase during the last year about 20,000. The number of coloured members is about 28,000. They have also 8696 Sundayschools, 472,326 scholars, 93,488 teachers. In infant-classes they have 38,542 scholars, and in their Sunday-school libraries there are 1,260,166 volumes.

The Presbyterians (O. S.), report 2039 ministers, and 2773 churches, with 210,414 members, upwards of 17,000 of whom were added last year.

The "Church!" (Episcopal) Almanack" for 1852, reports 29 dioceses, 1597 priests and deacons, 5113 Sunday-school teachers, and 42,932 scholars. They cautiously refrain from giving the number of their communicants, but Dr Belcher estimates them, probably correctly, at 73,000.

The Episcopalians have one minister to every 63 communicants; the Methodists, 1 to 30; the Congregationalist, 1 to 111; the Presbyterians, 1 to 113; and the Baptists, 1 to 132.

DECREASE OF METHODISM IN 1852. AN abstract, compiled by the Watchman newspaper, from schedules presented to the last meeting of the Wesleyan Conference, gives a view of the decrease of the connec tion in 31 of the 32 districts, into which, for connectional purposes, Britain is divided. The only district in which there is not à decrease, is that of Shetland Isles, where there is an increase of 18 members. The greatest decrease is in the London district, 2099. In that of Cornwall, it is 2059; Birmingham, 1747; Lincoln, 1705; Hull, 1369; Leeds, 1166. In each of the other districts, it is less than 1000. The following is general recapitulation of the re

turns:

Members in Great Britain,

This year,....... 281,268 281,263
Last year,....... 302,209

Decrease on the year, 20,946

THE AMERICAN LADIES' rejoinder.

We quoted, last month, an address, originating with Lord Shaftesbury and the Duchess of Sutherland, to the ladies of America, on the subject of slavery. In answer to it a document has been published, bearing to be "the affectionate and Christian address of the women of the United States of America to their sisters, the women of England." It is impossible for us as yet to determine what weight is to be attached to this rejoinder. That it has been, or will be, subscribed by the "many thousands" referred to, is not quite clear; and that it may soon be openly repudiated by as many thousands as have adopted it is by no means improbable. The women of America, as far as this document represents them, do not condescend to deny, or explain, or mitigate the matters referred to in the expostulation of their English sisters. They treat the whole affair as if it were a quarrel in Billingsgate, and, in effect, reply, "You're another"-adding a few such expletives as usually accompany that elegant and summary mode of expression. As it takes two parties to make a proper quarrel, we have no doubt this wrathful contention will soon die out. body on this side the channel will kindle at the flame which blazes in the American reply. We can bear to have our faults told us, and are thankful if the exposure lead us to see them and forsake them. Should the representation accord with truth, the benefit of exposure is ours; and should there be an over-colouring of the picture, we can at least find comfort in thinking that we are not so desperately wicked as we are called. "Let the righte

No

ous smite me, it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities." The gist of the reply is, that the British have been guilty of cruelty and injustice in extending their colonial possessions; that we forced the opium traffic upon the Chinese; that British misrule in Ireland has, within the last year, driven away twenty per cent. of the population of that country; and finally, that our land is filled with slaves-slaves to ignorance, slaves to penury, and slaves to vice." Now, so far as these evils have been inflicted by British legislation, or the British Executive, they are deplored and denounced by none more earnestly than by those who are foremost in seeking emancipation for the slave. Our transactions in India, like those of the United States among the native tribes by whom they are surrounded, have not all been conducted on principles of christian equity; and the voice of the christian people in this country has been as loud in condemning them as ever was that of the Americans in condemning similar faults on the part of their government towards aboriginal neighbours. The influence of our christian churches is increasingly brought to bear on these matters; and even when we do not succeed to the extent we could desire, we are not tarred and feathered for speaking out, and not compelled, as the Fugitive Law compels American citizens, to take an active part in the wickedness. The opium trade in China is a black spot in our history; but surely it would have been blacker still if we had not only insisted on offering our opium for sale to those who might choose to buy it, but had forced the poison down the throats of the Chinese people. It is this forcing we deplore in the American slave system. If they would merely offer to flog, and sell, and keep the Bible from those who wish to be so treated, it would take away much of the sin. That British misrule is answerable for much of the misery of Ireland is too true; but that misery does not prevail throughout all Ireland, showing that there must be some other cause than misgovernment at work; and similar wretchedness prevails in many other countries where Popish priestcraft is in the ascendant, and British misgovernment is unknown,-showing_plainly where the root of the evil lies. But surely the reference to Irish emigration was a slip in framing the American reply! Why remind us that the victims of our tyranny are flying off in hundreds of thousands? Is this a parallel to America, keeping her slaves chained in gangs, and hunting them with bloodhounds, lest they escape to a land of liberty? Would they only permit free

emigration to Canada, we should have little to say against them. Our "slaves to ignorance, slaves to penury, slaves to vice," are either like the Chinese to opium-eating, and the Irish to Popery-voluntary slaves, or, at least, slaves in spite of all that legislation can do. Our slaves to ignorance are free to learn; our slaves to penury free to acquire wealth by honest industry, and, once acquired, none but themselves can call it master; our slaves to vice free to reform and become virtuous. Let American slaves be as free to alter their condition, and then our sisters over the water may compare their slavery with ours; but so long as an ignorant slave is forbidden by law to learn to read; a poor one to hold property, even in himself; and a wicked one to become virtuous without exposing himself thereby to the lash of his owner, the comparison is ridiculous, and we have not the least doubt that it is felt to be so by them who make it. We long to hear what the churches of America say of our countrywomen's address; for the reply we here notice cannot fairly be taken as conveying the sentiment of the women of the great republic.

GAOL PRISONERS CONFIRMED.

SOME time about last Christmas, at the gaol of Preston, in Lancashire, as we learn from the "Chronicle" of that town, the Lord Bishop of Manchester held a confirmation, which rite was administered to 88 of the prisoners, varying in age from 14 to 55. The ceremony was performed at the request of the Rev. J. Clay, who represented that this large number of prisoners had never received the solemn rite of confirmation. "This," adds the "Chronicle," "is an event unparalleled, we believe, within the precincts of a prison." And we add further, it is such an event that "nought but itself should be its parallel." That individual convicts, even while suffering for their crimes against the laws of society, might, under proper instruction, be brought to a sense of sin, we do not reckon improbable: but surely even in the case of such converts there is no such haste required for their "ratifying and confirming in their own persons, openly before the church, the solemn vow and promise made in their name at baptism," that they could not wait till their term of imprisonment was completed. And that all the 88 unconfirmed prisoners, collected en masse, were in such a state as to justify the bishop to say of them in the solemn presence of the Hearer of prayer, as the order of confirmation requires him to do "Almighty and everlasting God, who has vouchsafed to regenerate these thy servants by water and the Holy Ghost, and