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The Calvinistic Baptists have upwards of 200 churches in the State, 160 preachers, and between 13 and 14,000 members. The Wesleyan Methodists have 80 preachers, and 10,000 members."

British and Foreign Bible Society.-The Annual Meeting of this first of Bible Societies, in May last, was much confused by a motion to establish a test, advocated by some who seemed to have more zeal than wisdom. The motion, as we think it should have been, was negatived by a large majority. We would say, with Rev. Rowland Hill on the occasion; "I care not who gives me a Bible; I only ask what kind of a Bible it is."

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Preparations for War!--I have numerous documents in my possession which confirm the fact that the Jesuits, driven froin Europe, turned their attention to the West, and have conspired to gain the American republic to their interests. This plan is to secure the valley of the Mississippi, originally leavened by a Catholic population. Immense funds have been placed, for this purpose, at their disposal. The Catholic powers of Europe contribute bounteously to this object. In the Catholic and political circles at Rome, a year ago the subject of general conversation among the satellites of the Pope, was the best and most efficient means to gain speedily the ascendency in the United States. It was taken for granted that they would gain it. And I have evidence that lately, in a meeting in Pittsburg, the Catholic bishop uttered these words to the Protestant ministers "Gentlemen, you are too late in your measures to secure the valley of the Mississippi to the Protestant cause; you should have begun 20 years ago; we have gained our object, and we now bid you defiance." And it is well known that the Catholics are finishing a cathedral in Pittsburg, which is one of the most splendid edifices in the United States. And the Pope has contributed $50,000 to that building alone. This is well known in Pittsburg. I would also state that in the western States they are building chapels in each prominent situation, even where there is scarcely a single Catholic family, and they are at no loss for funds.-Protestant.

Infidelity of Catholic Priests.-A Roman Priest of New-York recently endeavored to pervert a Protestant woman from the truth, she at once repelled him by the Scriptures. "The Bible," he replied" is a bad book; it is all stuff; burn it, and come and join

our church."

This confirms all the other testimony, which assures us that Italian, French and Irish Jesuits and Priests, who are flocking to America by hundreds are disguised atheists.-Ibid.

MORAL.

Mr.

An Anecdote.-Mr. Editor-An anecdote was the other day related to me, illustrative of the progress of temperance. an enterprising farmer, of the town of W, in Massachusetts, had nearly brought his harvest to a close last fall, when he said to

his hands, we have labored hard, had excellent weather, and gathered in our crops in good order. Now let us have a little something to cheer us up. So saying, he took his jug, and started for a neighboring store. But at almost every step he saw somebody looking at him. He never noticed so many people in the street before, at that time of day, and every one looked as if he could guess what was to be put in the jug. He felt "a little flat," but hurried to the place of destination; when lo, the store, too, was full of people. He set the jug down slily at the door, and entered into conversation with the folks, as if nothing had happened. After waiting a long, weary while, with anxious expectation, he found an opportunity of whispering a word in private to the storekeeper, when he received for answer" Spirits! spirits! we have had none in the store for a long while!"-Western Recorder.

SECULAR.

Bene Plant-We have been informed that the Bene Plant, which is to be found in some of our private gardens, is an infallible cure for the summer complaint--the lives of many thousand children have been saved by this valuable remedy. A single leaf of this plant put into a half pint tumbler of pure water and stirred round, the water immediately becomes ropy, but not discolored; it is perfectly innocent-the taste not disagreeable--it has been administered with perfect safety to children, and in some instances to infants only a few days old.-Middletown Sentinel.

Population. It is estimated that the increase of population in the United States, by means of emigrants, is about one thousand a week; while the natural increase is more than one thousand a day.

FOREIGN.

The Niger-Already application, we believe, has been made to Government, by some of our adventurous merchants, for license and protection, or for some facilities as Government can afford them, for navigating the Niger. We hear it is projected immediately to dispatch steam-boats, and to try, if possible, to open a trading communication with central Africa. It is a curious and indeed a delightful speculation, to consider what the moral effect of this may be; Europe owes to Africa, a large debt for wrongs done, and sufferings caused; let us hope that she is now about to make reparation, and then commerce will introduce civilization and knowledge. English paper.

France is much agitated. The monarch and his ninisters are alarmed. The Duchess of Berry is suspected of fostering disconThere seems to be a party in favor of Henry V.

tents.

P POSTAGE OF THIS PAPER.

The decision of the Post Master General, respecting the postage of this periodical, is at length received. The following is an extract from his letter, dated "Post Office Department, June 8th, 1831."

"To be considered a newspaper, it is necessary the publication should contain advertisements, &c. summary of news or notice of current events. If, hereafter, any portion of it should be devoted to the information of the day, it will become proper to consider it a newspaper, and to rate the postage on it as such.

W. T. BARRY."

In this decision we cheerfully acquiesce; and shall, accordingly, devote a portion of each number of our work, to intelligence, news, or "the information of the day," agreeably to the original plan of the publication, as thus expressed in the introduction to the first volume-"For the gratification of such readers, as may not have access to other sources of information, an abstract of Religious Intelligence is proposed, and the usual notices of Ordinations, Anniversaries of charitable societies and new Publications. In those instances, in which we may have departed from the above plan, it has been owing rather to inadvertance, and the narrow limits of our work, than to any change of purpose.

It may now be considered as settled, that the postage of this paper, to any place within the State in which it is printed, is one cent; to any place without that State, not distant more than one hundred miles, one cent-over a hundred miles, one and half cent.

THEOLOGICAL WORKS.

PALEY'S NATURAL THEOLOGY, illustrated by the plates and by a sesection from the notes of James Paxton, with additional notes, original and selected-New edition.

WATSON'S THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTES, or a view of the evidences, doctrines, morals and institutions of Christianity, by Richard Watson.—Ster eotype edition.

In addition to the above may be found a very valuable collection of Theological and other Books at CORY & BROWN'S, 13, Market-street.

SCOTT'S FAMILY BIBLE, with critical Notes and practical Obser vations, in 6 Octavo vols.-Price 13 dollars-For sale at No. 5, MarketSquare, by BREWER & WILCOX.

THE THREE FIRST VOLUMES OF THE HOPKINSIAN MAGAZINE, either Half-bound, or in Boards, may be had, entire, or in single volumes, at very reduced prices, at the Book-store of

HUTCHENS & SHEPARD,

First door West of the Bridge, Providence.

WILLIAM MARSHALL & Co No. 12, Market-Square, Providence, R. I. will execute orders of any amount for Book AND JOB PRINTING, in a neat manner, with promptness, and on reasonable terms..

Providence, March, 1831.

AN ESSAY ON THE STATE OF INFANTS, by Rev. Alvan Hyde, D. D. Price 10 cents. For sale by HUTCHENS & SHEPARD.

HOPKINSIAN MAGAZINE.

VOL. IV.

SEPTEMBER 30, 1831.

NO. 13.

SERMON.

JEREMIAH VI, 10.-Behold the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach.

God sent Jeremiah to deliver his messages to his people, at a time when they had become extremely corrupt. They had shut their eyes against so much light, and stopped their ears against so much truth, that they appeared to be beyond the reach of full conviction, by any means that God could use with them. So that he seemed to be at a loss, whether it were of any avail, to warn and admonish them any more of their duty and danger. To whom shall I speak, aud give warning, that they may hear? behold; their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken. behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it." When God speaks to sinners by his word, it never fails to awaken their sensibility more or less. Though they wish not to hear his word, nor to realize the weight of his authority; yet they are constrained to hear and feel in spite of their hearts. And whenever, and however God speaks to them by his word, he knows perfectly what they think and how they feel. If they think hard

of his messages, and inwardly complain of them, he knows their views and feelings. He knew how his people of old felt under the messages which he sent them by Jeremiah and the prophets before him. And he tells them in the text, that they had thought he had reproached, that is, abused them by what he had said to them. And sinners of the same character, and in the same situation, at this day, entertain the same sentiment concerning what God says to them in his word. Hence we may justly conclude,

That sinners are apt to think, that God abuses them in his word. I shall,

I. Show that they think so.

II. Show why they think so.

III. Show that they have no just ground to think so.

I. I am to show, that sinners do think, that God abuses them in his word They think so, on several accounts.

1. Because he requires more of them than is reasonable. They think it is hard, they should be required to love God with all the heart, to repeat and believe the gospel, and to live in universal obedience to the divine commands. Though the law of love might be reasonable in respect to angels, and in respect to man before

his apostacy; yet it is not reasonable in respect to such poor, weak and depraved creatures as they are. They think, that this is requiring more than they are able to do, in their present imperfect state. Men ought not to require more of one another than they are able to perform. If a prince requires more of his subjects than they are able to perform, they have reason to complain. If a master require more of his servant than he is able to perform, he has reason to complain. So, if God requires more of his creatures than they are able to perform, they have reason to complain. Upon this ground, the sinners in Ezekiel's day complained of God, that his way was not equal, because he required them to put away their transgressions and make them a new heart and a new spirit. The slothful servant made the same complaint for the same cause. He alleged that his master was a hard and austere man, because he required him to act from a higher princiciple than selfishness, which was the reigning disposition of his heart. And sinners now complain of God, because he requires them to act from that supreme love to him, which they do not possess.

2. They think that God abuses them, by representing them to be worse than they really are. He has drawn their characters very fully and plainly in his word. He represents them not only as having no goodness, but as totally sinful. He represents them as unwise, unholy, unjust, unrighteous, ungodly; that is, as totally destitute of true wisdom, true holiness, true justice, true righteousness, and true godliness. He tells them, "I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you." This they think looks hard. For they imagine they have some real goodness, though they are not so good as they own they ought to be. And many of them think they have a great deal of goodness. The Pharisees thought they were the best men in the world. They trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. Paul viewed himself in this light before he had the least spark of goodness. The amiable young man thought he had kept all the commands of God, while he had never obeyed him in a single instance. And there are thousands under the light of the gospel, who are totally destitute of goodness, and yet imagine they are very good. And the very worst of men imagine, that they have amiable traits in their character, and are far from being absolutely devoid of real goodness. It is, therefore, the united opinion of sinners, that God has represented them more destitute of goodness, than they really are; which they think is reproachful and injurious to them. But God has gone further than this, in drawing the character of sinners. He has represented them as positively and totally wicked. says, that their hearts are full of evil; that they are fully set in them to do evil; that they drink iniquity like water; that there whole head is sick, and their whole heart faint; that there is no soundness in them, but from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, they are full of wounds, bruises, and putrifying sores;

He

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