תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

published. The compiler is a good English scholar, and understands several other languages, Asiatic and European.

The following works, mentioned in the discourse of the visitor of the preceding year, have since been completed and printed: 1. The second volume of a Grammar of the Persian Language, by M. Lumsden, Esq. LL.D. Professor of Arabic and Persian; 2. The first volume of the Mukámat-iHureeri, by Moulavee Allah Dad and Jan Allee, attached to the Arabic and Persian departments; 3. Persian Selections, in six volumes, for the use of Persian students, by Moulavies Allah Dad and Kurrum Hoosein; 4. The Persian Hidayah, being a Persian version of that celebrated commentary on Mohammedan law, formerly published in English by Captain Hamilton; also a Per-, sian Translation of the Moosulman Law of Inheritance, formerly translated into English by Sir W. Jones; both edited, and the latter translated, by Moolavee Mokummud Rashed; 5. A Translation from the Sauscrit of two Treatises on the Hindoo Law of Inheritance, the Daya Bhága and Mitârshara, with Notes, by Mr. H. Colebrook ; 6. Rules of the Oordoo Language in Hindoostanee Verse, by Moulavec Umanut Oollah, lately attached to the college; 7. The Lutaif-iHindee, a Collection of humorous Stories, in the Hindoostanee and Hindee Languages, by Shree Lalloo Lal Kub, Bhakka moonshee; 8. A translation from Arabic into

Hindoostanee of the Ikhwan oos Súfa, a colebrated moral and philosophical Tale, by Moulavee Turah Alee and others; 9. The Râmá Yuna of Tulsi Das, in the dialect spoken eastward of Delhi, from the Sanscrit press of Babooram Pundit; 10. Principles of the Dialect of Brij, with an English Translation, by Shree Lalloo Lal Kub.

It is added, that a third volume of the Ramá Yuua, in the original Sanscrit, with a prose translation and notes, by Mr. Carey and Mr. Marshman, has been published, and that a Dictionary of theVernacular Dialect of Bengal, by Mr. Carey, is now in the Serampore press; but from the labour employed in it, a considerable time will elapse before it can be completed. The conductors of the mission press at Serampore, who, it is observed, have distinguished themselves by printing numerous works in various Asiatic languages, have recently cast founts of types in the Gooroomookee Naguree character used by the Sikhs in the Punjab, as well as for the Telinga character; and they have also succeeded in casting metallic types for the Chinese language.

The library of the college has been enriched by several valuable manuscripts, Persian and Arabic; and measures have been taken, with the sanction of government, for rendering it the public repository of scarce and useful books in all the languages of Asia.

LIST OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

THEOLOGY.

Twelve Sermons on various Subjects. By the late Rev. Gabriel Stokes, D. D. 10s. 6d. A Letter to G. Ensor, Esq.; to which are added, Reasons for being a Christian. By the Rev. E. Ryan. 2s. 6d.

A Sermon before the Governors of the Scottish Hospital in London, Nov. 24, 1811. By R. Young, D. D.

2s.

Forms of Prayer and other Services, seJetted for the Use of Families, &c. By J. Rudd. 8vo. 5s.

Village Sermons. By George Burder. Vol. VI. 12mo. 2s; 8vo. tine paper, 3s.

Practical Sermons. By J. Atkinson. With a Life, &c. of the Author. 2 vols. 8vo. 1. 19.

Serious Inquiries relative to this World and that which is to come. By I. Buck. 12mó. 3s.

A Sermon preached at Calcutta, on Behalf of 900,000 Christians in India who want the Bible. By the Rev. G. Martyn. 2s

The Scripture Atlas, or a Series of Maps. to illustrate the Old and New Testament, drawn from the best Authorities, aucient

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Society; in a Series of Letters to the Rev. Dr. E. D. Clarke, Professor of Mineralogy in the University of Cambridge. By the Rev. William Dealtry, A. M. F. R. S. Fellow of Trinity College, and Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Bristol. Memoirs of the late Rev. G. Whitfield, A. M. By the Rev. I. Gillies. The Third Volume of a Series of Plays; in which it is attempted to delineate the stronger Passions of the Mind; each Passion being the Subject of a Tragedy and a Comedy. By Joanna Baillie. 8vo. 9s.

8vo. 9s.

Instinct displayed, in a Collection of wellauthenticated Facts, exemplifying the extraordinary Sagacity of various Species of the Animal Creation. By Priscilla Wakefield. 12mo. 5s. 6d.

A Narrative of the Persecution of H.I. De Costa Pereira Fortudo de Mendonça, imprisoned and tried by the Inquisition; with the By-Laws of the Inquisition, ancient and modern. 2 vols. 8vo. 21s.

Neale's History of the Puritans, abridged by W. Parsons; with a Life of the Author, by J. Toulmin. Vol. II. 8vo. 10s. 6d.

A History of the Long Parliament, with Plates. By J. May, Esq. 4to. 31s. 6d.

A Treatise on the Diseases of the Eye. By I. Saunders. Royal 8vo. 25s. 6d.; or with the plates coloured, 31s. 6d.

A Report on the Medicinal Effects of a Spring lately discovered at Sandrocks, in the Isle of Wight. By Wm. Lampriere, M. D. &c. 78.

The second volume of Transactions, published by the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London. 8vo. 16s.

A Hebrew and English Lexicon. By the Rev. W. H. Parker. 8vo. 10s. 6d.

Roncesvalles, a Poem, in twelve Books. By R. Wharton, Esq. 4to. 1 10s. Essays on Christian Education. By Mrs. Trimmer. 8vo. 7s. 6d.

The Chronicle of John Hardyng, containing an Account of Public Transactions, from the earliest Period of English History, to the beginning of the Reign of King Edward the Fourth; together with the Continuation by Richard Grafton, to the thirty-fourth Year of King Henry the Eighth. By Henry Ellis, Royal 4to. Sl. 3s.

Reports of the leading Decisions in the High Court of Admiralty, in Cases of Vessels sailing under British Licences. By J. Edward, LL. D. 2s.

A View of the Agriculture of Dumbartonshire, by Messrs. White and Macfarlane, 8vo. 9s.

Biographical Memoirs of Dr. Adam Smith, Dr. W. Robertson, and Dr. T. Ried; collected into one Volume, with additional Notes, by Dugald Stewart, Esq. F. R. S. 4to. 21. 2s.

An Economical History of the Hebrides and Highlands of Scotland, by T. Walker. 2 vols. 8vo. 21s.

An Essay on the good Effects which may be derived from the British West Indies. By S. Gaisford, Esq. 8vo. 7s.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN

KNOWLEDGE.

We are exceedingly happy to perceive, that this society is daily making increased exertions to augment its means of usefulness. A summary account of it has lately been circulated,with a view to make its designs more generally known, aud in the hope that many may be induced to lend their aid in furtherance of its important objects.-This society was first formed in the year 1698. In 1701, a charter was obtained, by which all the then subscribers, with many others, were incorporated by the name of " the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." Most of the original mernbers, however, continued as a voluntary society to prosecute their benevolent designs at home, which designs were afterwards extended to other quarters of the world, under the name of "the Society for promoting

Christian Knowledge." Their objects were, 1. The promoting and assisting of charity schools, not only in England and Wales, but in Ireland, Scotland, and other parts of the British dominions, and in Russia, Germany, Prussia, and many other countries; 2. The dispersion of the Bible, the Liturgy, and other pious books and tracts, both at home and abroad, not only in English, but in the Welsh, Manks, Gaelic, Portuguese, French, Danish, and German languages. 3. The support of religious missions, both at the Scilly islands and in the East Indies, promoting the establishment of schools and erecting churches in India, and printing the Scriptures, Liturgy, and other religious books in some of the native languages of India, together with an edition of the New Testament and other books in Arabic. 4. Gratuitously supplying, from time to time, the religious wants of the navy and army

and of the poor in hospitals, prisons, workhouses, almshouses, &c.-These designs have been carried on by means of the annual subscriptions of its members, of legacies, and of occasional donations; and having lately enlarged their gratuitous undertakings, they humbly trust "that the same gracious Providence which, for so many years, has enabled them to carry on their designs for promoting Christian knowledge, and edifying the body of Christ, will still furnish the means whereby those objects may be pursued with increased activity and vigour." Among the instrumental means of success, "the Society looks with peculiar hope and satisfaction to the sealous aid and co-operation of the diocesan and district committees; which have recently, under the direction of our prelates, in many places, been established; and which continue to spread rapidly into almost all parts of the kingdom."

We have confined ourselves to a short abstract of this circular letter, because every succeeding volume which we have published will be found to contain full details of the proceedings of the Society.

Persons wishing to be admitted into this society, must be recommended by one member of it; but if within the bills of mortality, by two, in the following form: "We, the underwritten, do recommend A. B. to be a subscribing member of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, and do verily believe that he (or she) is well affected to his Majesty King George, and his Governrent, and to the united Church of England and Ireland, as by law established; of a sober and religious life and conversation, and of an humble, peaceable, and charitable disposition." The names of the persons, thus recommended, must be hung up in the committee-room about the space of a month. The election is then determined by ballot; but if one-fifth of the members present are dissentient, the election is not deemed valid: in other words, the person is refused admis. sion into the society. A benefaction of at least two pounds wust be paid on admission, and afterwards an annual subscription of at least a guinea. These payments way be commuted for a single payment of twenty or more pounds. Benefactions are received from persons not members of the society,

We understand that about two or three months ago, a donation of fifty guineas was made to this society under the following circupstances, The Rev. John Scott, of Lull,

The secretary of the society is the Rev. Dr. Gaskin, Bartlett's Buildings, Holborn, to whom communications are to be addressed.

It is impossible to contemplate the designs of this Society without admiration:-anḍ when we consider the means it possesses of accomplishing those designs; when we view it as comprising, within its pale, all the English, and many of the Irish bishops, two or three thousand of the clergy, besides a multitude of noblemen and gentlemen of great weight and influence in the state, it might have been expected that, for this Society to propose a heneficial object, and to accomplish it, would have been almost the same thing. We naturally look for great effects when an engine of mighty power is in operation; and when it fails of such effects, the failure may be supposed to arise from some misdirection of its force. We are anxious to examine this subject fully, because we feel that we cannot mere effectually discharge our duty to the Society or to the world than by such an examination: the review of the causes of past failures may serve to prevent their recurrence. We will consider the subject in relation to the various designs of the Society, as they are alluded to in the circular letter which lies before us.

1. In respect to the promotion of education among the poor, this Society has unquestionably done much. But yet has it done a twentieth part of what it might have done, and of what it might now do by a judicious

and nineteen other members of the Hull Anxiliary Bible Society, struck with the various benefits which had resulted from the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, as stated in the resolutions adopted at a late meeting of its members at Cambridge, and anxious to convey to it some token of their esteem and good will, as well as to testify the satisfaction they felt in witnessing the recent revival of its zeal, collected among themselves the above sum, which was remitted to Dr. Gaskin. None of these gentlemen were members of the Society.-Nothing can more strongly prove, than this fact does, how groundless is the jealousy which some friends of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge have been disposed to entertain of the Bible Society; and we are well persuaded, that if a more frank and conciliatory course had been pursued by the former, immense advantages would, in va rious ways, have resulted to it from the increased zeal and energy which the institution and progress of the Bible Society has prodused among Christians generally.

application of its means? Supposing that ten, twenty, thirty, or forty years ago, the bishops and the clerical and lay members of this society had united in recommending, both publicly and privately, to Government, and in proposing and supporting in Parliament, a judicious plan for the general education of the poor, similar to that which exists in Scotland; would they not have done far more extensive good than can have been effected by the gift of a few books or a little money to any number of charity schools? Would they not also have shut out much evil? There would then have been no room for such extensive schemes of education as we witness in the present day, of a character which many consider as hostile to the Establishment. The whole ground would have been occupied. Education would have beconse a common good, like the air we breathe; and we should have had ere now an universally instructed peasantry, taught to fear God and honour the King; to read their Bibles, and to learn thence their duties both to God and man. But let it not be supposed that we deem the Lancasterian schools an evil; far from it Under all the circumstances of the case, we deem them a great good. They have done much in the great work of education, which would otherwise have been left undone; and they have unquestionably had the effect of producing the National Education Society, which, we trust, will complete what still remains to be accomplished. But will any one now deny, that it would have been infinitely better had the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, at an earlier period, employed its immense power and influence in organizing a general system of education for the poor? And even if their plans had met with some resistance in Parliament in the first instance, yet, under the auspices of the whole episcopal bench, they could not fail to have been ultimately realized.

But why refer to a neglect which is now irremediable? We do it for no invidious purpose. We do it for the purpose of deducing, from past experience, an important suggestion with respect to the future. The Society must see how much ground has been lost by its having failed to exert its influence for the establishment of an universal system of education for the poor. It is not too late, however, to repair a considerable part of the evil. There is still a large portion of our English population, and a still larger proportion of the population in Ireland and in the colonial possessions of the Crown, who are destitute of the means of CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 124.

1

Christian education. Let the whole weight of this institution (and to what labour of love would not its power be equal?) be ap plied to remedy this defect, by means of some well-digested legislative provisions, which shall put it within the reach of every poor man in the British dominions to learn to read his Bible. Is this impossible? Let the attempt be at least made with zeal and unanimity. If the Society should fail, it will fail gloriously. But we cannot believe that it would fail in such a cause. If every thing should not be gained which might be desired, enough, we are persuaded, would be gained to reward so blessed an effort. We highly esteem the exertions of voluntary societies in the work of education, but only as a substitute for more efficient means—as supplying the state's lack of service. But is it not at once obvious, how much a single act of Parliament, which should enact that every parish in the land should be bound to provide Christian education as well as bodily sustenance for its poor, would exceed in efficiency, and in extent of benefit, all the efforts of all the voluntary societies which have been formed, or may yet be formed, for the purpose of educating the poor?

2. Much praise is also due to this society for the large number of Bibles, Prayer-books, and other pious books which it has been the means of dispersing. But how much it had left to be done in respect at least to the supply of Bibles it is needless to point out. Another society has arisen, which in seven years has dispersed more Bibles than the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge had done in seventy. We mention this, not with a view to undervalue its past labours, which have been most important, but to urge it to increased exertion; to urge it by means of the bishops to ascertain, as nearly as pos sible, the wants of the poor in every hamlet in the United Kingdom; to avail itself of its own resources and of those of other societies, particularly the Bible Society, for supplying these wants; to lay aside its unfounded jealousy of that Society, and to cooperate cordially with it in effecting their common end of saturating the world with Bibles; to use its influence with government to provide the navy and army, (and here we anticipate the fourth head), as well as our garrisons, national hospitals, depots, &c. with Bibles and Prayer-books; and to avail itself of the influence it could command with governors and commanders in our colonies and dependencies, with ambassadors and consuls abroad, for diffusing the light of Christian truth in every quarter of the globe. 2 K

and of the poor in hospitals, prisons, workhouses, almshouses, &c.These designs have been carried on by means of the annual subscriptions of its members, of legacies, and of occasional donations; and having lately enlarged their gratuitous undertakings, they humbly trust "that the same gracious Providence which, for so many years, has enabled them to carry on their designs for promoting Christian knowledge, and edifying the body of Christ, will still furnish the means whereby those objects may be pursued with increased activity and vigour." Among the instrumental means of success, "the Society looks with peculiar hope and satisfaction to the sealous aid and co-operation of the diocesan and district committees; which have recently, under the direction of our prelates, in many places, been esta blished; and which continue to spread rapidly into almost all parts of the king dom."

We have confined ourselves to a short abstract of this circular letter, because every succeeding volume which we have published will be found to contain full details of the proceedings of the Society.

Persons wishing to be admitted into this society, must be recommended by one member of it; but if within the bills of mortality, by two, in the following form: "We, the underwritten, do recomiend A. B. to be a subscribing member of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, and do verily believe that he (or she) is well affected to his Majesty King George, and his Governrent, and to the united Church of England and Ireland, as by law established; of a sober and religious life and conversation, and of an humble, peaceable, and charitable disposition." The names of the persons, thus recommended, must be hung up in the committee-room about the space of a month. The election is then determined by ballot; but if one-fifth of the members present are dissentient, the election is not deemed valid: in other words, the person is refused admis. sion into the society. A benefaction of at least two pounds wust be paid on admission, and afterwards an annual subscription of at least a guinea. These payments may be commuted for a single payment of twenty or more pounds. Benefactions are received from persons not members of the society.

* We understand that about two or three months ago, a donation of fifty guineas was made to this society under the following cirCupstances. The Rev. John Spott, of Lall,

The secretary of the society is the Rev. Dr. Gaskin, Bartlett's Buildings, Holborn, to whom communications are to be addressed.

It is impossible to contemplate the designs of this Society without admiration-and when we consider the means it possesses of accomplishing those designs; when we view it as comprising, within its pale, all the English, and marry of the Irish bishops, two or three thousand of the clergy, besides a multitude of noblemen and gentlemen of great weight and influence in the state, it might have been expected that, for this Society to propose a heneficial object, and to accomplish it, would have been almost the same thing. We naturally look for great effects when an engine of mighty power is in operation; and when it fails of such effects, the failure may be supposed to arise from some misdirection of its force. We are anxious to examine this subject fully, because we feel that we cannot more effectually discharge our duty to the Society or to the world than by such an examination: the teview of the causes of past failures may serve to prevent their recurrence.-We will consider the subject in relation to the various designs of the Society, as they are alluded to in the circular letter which lies before us.

1. In respect to the promotion of educa tion among the poor, this Society has unquestionably done much. But yet has it done a twentieth part of what it might have done, and of what it might now do by a judicious

and nineteen other members of the Hull Anxiliary Bible Society, struck with the various benefits which had resulted from the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, as stated in the resolutions adopted at a late meeting of its members at Cambridge, and anxious to convey to it some token of their esteem and good will, as well as to testify the satisfaction they felt in witnessing recent revival of its zeal, collected among themselves the above sum, which was mitted to Dr. Gaskin. None of these gen tlemen were members of the Society.-N thing can more strongly prove, than this does, how groundless is the jealousy whic some friends of the Society for promotin Christian Knowledge have been disposed entertain of the Bible Society; and we well persuaded, that if a more frank conciliatory course had been pursned by former, immense advantages would, in rious ways, have resulted to it from the creased zeal and energy which the instituti and progress of the Bible Society has dused among Christians generally.

« הקודםהמשך »