ciphering. This is the rule with few exceptions. Those in a village who are instructed even in these elements, are the priest, the bailiff, and the head farmer. The shopkeepers can also just manage to scrawl their accounts, but cannot read books. Notwithstanding all the efforts of Government, and those of the various Missionary Societies, the people are lamentably ignorant. Even those who can read and write, acquire no sound knowledge from books; and those who attend our colleges, with rare exceptions, neglect their books entirely on leaving them. Their only object is to make something as writers, &c. in Government employment, and scarce one in ten thousand values learning for its own sake. The rest, the vast overwhelming mass, are perfectly unable to read, and are utterly destitute of as much of the elements of sound knowledge as is possessed by one of the children of our infant schools after two years' training. When we go to their fairs, only a few hundred books are given away to the thousands of applicants, because few can read. You may also carry a hundred books to nearly a hundred villages before you can distribute them all.

"FACT VII.-The inhabitants of India are very miserable. This, of course, is the consequence of their ignorance and sin. You see, in thousands of instances around you, melancholy proofs of this. Their misery is seen in their poverty, their filth, their diseases, their oppressions, their quarrels, &c. Their poverty is the effect of extravagance at the weddings of their daughters, when they always make a great display, and involve themselves in debt for years,-of giving away at festivals, and many other occasions, as births, deaths, &c. to Brahmans, and of always borrowing money at an exhorbitant interest, say 30 or 50 per cent. The very least they can get money for from the usurers is at 24 per cent. The consequence of this poverty is rags, or thin clothing over the middle of their bodies only, dirty, ruinous cottages, with only the barest necessaries of life in them, and none of its conveniences and comforts. But their misery is a long theme. You would pity the sick in this land, lying by the road side often, and, if without relatives, with none to care for them. I will give you one circumstance, as a proof of all I have stated. A poor Brahman, of Goverdlum, near Muttra, had been ill at home for some months. At last his wife began to abuse him as a lazy man who did nothing for the support of his family, and yet stayed at home to eat their bread. She then drove him out, telling him to go on pilgrimage in order to become cured at some shrine. He dragged himself to Muttra, about twelve miles distant; and one bitter cold night we found him near one of the outhouses, and suspecting him a thief, drove him away. In the morning, however, we found him not very far off, very ill indeed. We took him up, made a fire for him, fed him, and watched over him for three days, during which he ate voraciously, and then died. During his illness, though.

he was a Brahman, yet, because of his filthy condition, not one of the many Hindu workmen I then had employed in my house would touch him, and my most degraded servant, the sweeper, therefore attended to him. When dead, however, and for a reward, they consented to throw him into the Jumna, the common mode of burial with the Hindus."

BAPTISTS IN PRUSSIA.

Since our last we have received, through the kindness of brother Lehmann of Berlin, the " Quarterly Report of the Associated Baptist Churches in Prussia." It contains letters from eight of the churches, with several of which Stations are connected, although most of the churches are themselves small. It is pleasing to see amongst them much earnestness in the work of the Lord, and much lively enjoyment of his presence in their assemblies. The additions to the churches are considerable in proportion to their size; and it is delightful to see, amidst all the political disturbances of the country, and the wide-spreading infidelity, that a new band of faithful disciples is arising, and bearing witness to the power of faith in Christ, and to the purity of his ordinances too.

Brother Metzkow, at Frankfort-on-theOder, mentions, that having seen little result from their preaching, he and brother Platz agreed to unite in prayer at half-past four o'clock, a.m., to implore a blessing on their work. They had scarcely begun to wrestle with God in faith on the promise, and seek the "kingdom of heaven by violence," when one, who had been long undecided, begged earnestly for baptism; three more announced their wish to unite with them, and were shortly after received. Revivals begun and carried on in such a spirit, point us to the true power of the church. Unostentatious faith and prayer will avail with God.

"A

We transcribe another account from the letter of the church in Allenstein. young woman, of about twenty, began to visit our meetings with earnestness; she shewed much attention. Soon she was unable to conceal the feelings of her heart; she rejoiced in her Redeemer. The wife of a turner heard these expressions of joy; when the former had stated her feelings, the latter also informed us that she was conscious of the workings of a higher Life within her, yet had been unable hitherto to speak to us of it. I knew that this woman was surrounded by great difficulties-poverty, three little children, and an unbelieving husband, who often spent his last sixpence in drink and gambling; yet, through all, the word of the cross had forced its way. The young woman just mentioned, who supported a widowed mother by her labour, I had soon the pleasure of baptizing into the death of Christ. During my journey to the Conference at Elbing, the hostility of her mother, who had hitherto regularly attended our meetings, broke out decidedly. She maltreated her daughter, and forced her, by means of

His

the police, to go to the National Church. There the preacher warned the people from the pulpit against my seductions. words, however, testified only against himself, and the little flock clung only the more closely to Him whose power they knew to be supreme. On the fourth day after my return, I had the pleasure of baptizing the wife of the turner, after she had been received by the church. When her husband

learned that she had joined our church, the enmity of his heart burst out. One day he drank nothing but brandy, and was in a perfect rage against his wife. Our dear sister had to save the babe at her breast from her furious husband. She succeeded almost unobserved in reaching our dwelling, where she spent the night. The furious fellow made a noise in the street, went to the door of another sister to seek his wife, and threatened to murder both the children who were sleeping at home.

The poor

mother, with our servant, who is herself a dear sister, prayed to the Lord during the whole night for the life of the children. He in his grace heard the sighing of his children. No attempt was made upon life. The fury lost his power, and was compelled to restrain himself. Our dear sister left her house at morning to attend again to her domestic duties, and her persecutor was silent; he came to himself; in the afternoon he burst into tears of bitter grief, and behaved to his wife in the kindest and most obliging manner. On the following Sab1 bath he came, both in the morning and afternoon, to our meetings; his heart appeared broken, and very much touched. On Monday he confessed to me, with tears, that his wife's love had overpowered him. He has ever since attended our meetings regularly, and shews much desire for true conversion."

THE POPE-HIS RECONQUEST OF ENGLAND.

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The Pope has proclaimed England to be again part of the diocese of St. Peter. He has set up Cardinal Wiseman as archbishop of Westminster, and divided the land into bishoprics under him. England is no longer a missionary district, or, in papal phraseology, one of "the infidel parts," but vince of the See of Rome. The press, in the dearth of other news, finds it a most convenient topic to dilate on; divers classes and individuals of Protestants and semiProtestants, or rather semi- Papists, are making a prodigious stir about it; and even politicians and statesmen, according to their cue, smile or denounce. Possibly, before this notice reaches the eyes of our readers, a kind of national hubbub may be raised about it. For ourselves, we are, on the whole, much pleased with the affair. We will briefly state why.

No one, of course, could suppose us pleased with what either indicated great papal power in England, or with what would be likely to increase that power. To us it seems only an almost ludicrous exhibition of papal infatuation and folly. Nothing but second childhood could have ventured upon such pomp and parade, with

such despicably small reality behind it. We think it admirably well-timed to disgust all the sensible part of the nation with Popery itself. Maynooth votes will be regretted now by many who once approved them. Those who deemed Dissenters crotchety for objecting to be taxed to educate popish priests (or any priests), will think now that money might have been better spent. We are quite delighted with the position in which their "Lord God the Pope" has placed the Puseyites and High Churchmen. Gently and gracefully they were wending their way to Rome, leading by the hand "silly women," and sillier men. But the Pope has stopped them rudely short.

He

has come from Rome to them. He has placed himself in their sentimental and sacerdotal midst. Great is their consternation ! The successor of St. Peter, so beautiful an object in the great classic city, some thousands of miles off, looks most awkwardly grotesque and ridiculous in the business-like capital of John Bull. And yet the poor Puseyite must do homage to the Pope's image, in Cardinal Wiseman, or pass in the Roman Church for an infidel and a heretic. Even James the Lord Bishop of London, Henry of Exeter, Samuel (Wilberforce!) of Oxford, and all that genus, including Dr. Pusey himself, are one and all pronounced, "out of the pale of the Church," and numbered with unbelievers. This must do them good. It has done so. And even the aged single ladies and the sentimental misses, hitherto the prey of Puseyite knavery or fatuity, wil bethink themselves ere they listen to the impostors or simpletons who can represent themselves as the successors of the apostles.

We fully admit the right of the Pope to do what he has done. It is unfair to speak of him as a foreign potentate, parcelling out the British dominions. Potentate! Foreign Im-potentate, had we such a word, would be his proper designation. A potentate whom, at five words of encouragement from England, his own subjects would throw into the Tiber, and bid him go to Paris, and figure side by side with the French President! Baptists, Independents, Methodists, all divide the country, for religious purposes, into certain districts. Papists can do this consistently and fully only under the headship of Him whom they regard as the bishop of christians everywhere. The republic of America is partitioned by him in like manner. But there is no STATE-CHURCH in America. There is no secular power to be grasped by "His Holiness" there.-no Queen of the Church to feel her ecclesiastical supremacy affronted,-no Premier conferring ecclesias, tical dignities, whose splendour, if not their vast emoluments, may suffer in comparison with an ecclesiastical aristocracy of such incomparably superior ecclesiastical pedigree. Oh, cruel mortification, after all that our bishops have done to distil the essence of Popery as the balm of Gilead for their flocks-now to be shewn up, by contrast

with the successors of the apostles, as wealthy indeed, but apostate bishops of an apostate church.

As to our Prime Minister, we are glad to see the Government and some of the Chief Priests at variance. Would that the contest might become so hot between them, that they might part asunder the one from the other. Their union we regard as infinitely more dangerous to the interests of true religion itself, and far more destructive of civil and religious liberty, than all the "Foreign" Pope can do. Pope John Russell, in his simplicity, appears to forget that one half of his countrymen consider him to be as impious an intruder on the rights of Christ's church, in assuming its vice-headship under Queen Victoria, as the Pope can possibly be in his judgment. the two sets of Popes our chief fear is from the Premier-Popes.

DANGEROUS ASSAULT ON MR. E. MIALL.

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At a Public Meeting of "the Protestants of Islington" on the Pope's affairs, Mr. Miall, who lives in that part of London, attended, and having handed an amendment, couched in the calmest language, on the Churchified resolution, to the Rev. Chairman, was waiting a minute to address the meeting. Before he could do so, two clergymen (the Rev. Mr. Cole and another) suddenly seized his person, lifted him over the boarding in front of the platform, and literally precipitated him to the floor below; but for two ladies, on whom he partly fell (and who were happily not hurt), breaking the fall, he must have received severe injury. Two clergymen-cvangelical clergymen met to protest against the Pope's intrusion on the rights and liberties of Englishmen-against Popery as a system of suppressing truthliterally did, in this year of our Lord 1850, prevent, by brute physical force, a quiet, peaceful protestant brother from speaking at a public meeting of his fellow-townsmen. Oh, the horrors of truth to the ears of evangelical clergymen ! Should Cardinal Wiseman and the Popish Bishops get all the power they wish, it will be long before they will do worse than imperil the lives and limbs of dissenting opponents by throwing them headlong from public platforms! We regret to say that an Independent minister present seconded the clerical resolution, and made but an Eli's protest against this violence, unparalleled by anything we remember in the much-abused Chartist meetings. We perceive that some of Mr. Miall's friends have very properly resolved that these evangelical clergymen shall either apologise in print for their conduct, or encounter a prosecution.

STEPNEY COLLEGE.

We have already reported of Bradford and Bristol, and have now pleasure in reporting the progress of their London sister. The session commenced in September, when a clear and forcible address on inspiration was delivered by the Rev. J. H. Hinton,

M.A. The annual meeting was held in the afternoon; G. T. Kemp, Esq., treasurer, in the chair and between services about 200 friends took tea together in the College Buildings. The session opens with 20 students, and, in addition to the President and Theological Tutor, the various departments of tuition are filled for the session by the Rev. Dr. Gray, Rev. B. P. Pratten, Professor Nenner, and Mr. Robt. Wallace, M.A. The institution is free from debt,-a position which it is hoped it will maintain in common with other institutions. It has received legacies during the year from the late Mr. John and Miss Tomkins of Abingdon, and from Mr. W. Adams of Cambridge. Looking at our stations abroad, and at the condition of our churches, many of which are now destitute of pastors, as well as at the dependence of the ministry on the Divine Spirit, and at the openings for new causes, we heartily commend our academical institutions to the sympathy and prayers of our friends.

COVENTRY.

On Tuesday, October 29, 1850, recognition services were held in Cow-Lane Chapel, Coventry, in connection with the settlement of Mr. Wm. Rosevear (a student of the Bristol College), as pastor of the Baptist church worshipping in that place. The Revs. C. Wilson of Helstone, Cornwall (Mr. Rosevear's early friend and instructor), W. F. Gotch, M.A., Classical Tutor of the Bristol College, F. Franklin, the aged former pastor of the church, J. Jerard, the now aged successor of the revered Geo. Burder, and T. S. Crisp, President of the Bristol College, took part in the services, which were very interesting. In the evening, the Rev. Isaac New of Birmingham preached a sermon of great excellence, to a large congregation, from the words, "See that he may be with you without fear," &c.

SPARROW-HILL CHAPEL, LOUGHBOROUgh. On the 7th of April, this beautiful and commodious place of worship, after being closed for twelve months, and the church and congregation dispersed, was re-opened, with a view to the resuscitation of the Particular Baptist cause in this town, Mr. James Smith, jun., having engaged to supply the pulpit for six months. Towards the close of that period, success having been so far realised, Mr. S. received, and has accepted, the unanimous, affectionate, and cordial invitation, both of the church and congregation attending upon his ministry, to become their pastor, and entered upon that office at the commencement of October, with a good prospect of ultimate success.

KINGSBRIDGE.

The Rev. E. H. Tuckett, late of Truro, has accepted a unanimous invitation to the pastorate of the Baptist church, Kingsbridge, and has entered on his new charge with prospects of usefulness highly encouraging.