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Due notice will be given of the cost of the wood, and at what rate, in advance of the amount deposited, it may be drawn for.

Twenty-five cents a week laid by and paid into this institution, will in 34 weeks, say from May to December inclusive, amount to the sum of $8,50. Supposing the wood to cost $31 per cord, and that it afterwards rises to the price which it has been selling at the past winter, taking into consideration also the difference between wharf and cart measure, it gives a saving of over one half, and will entitle the depositor to draw out 5 loads of wood of 4 feet each, or 24 cords.

A deposit of fifty cents per week is $17, and together with the advance above stated, will provide ten loads of wood, and will be equal to the necessities of a family, with several in number, through the year.

Thus will a good stock of wood be provided for, almost imperceptibly, at the original cost.”

We find that in our last number the statement respecting the ordination of Mr. Brooks in Hingham was in one particular incorrect. The church did not vote that they had no right in the choice of a minister independent of the parish. They silently acted with the parish, without calling a separate meeting for a regular concurrence.

NOTICE." At a meeting of ministers from various parts of the Commonwealth, May 31, 1820, it was

Voted, That there be an annual meeting in Election week for mutual improvement in pastoral duty, and the promotion of Christian truth and holiness."

In conformity with this agreement, a meeting will be held the present year at HALF PAST EIGHT o'clock, on the MORNING of Election day, at the Vestry of the Rev. Dr. Channing's Church. It is intended to open the meeting precisely at the time appointed. Prayers will be offered, and an Address delivered on the prevalent defects of liberal ministers.

It is hoped and requested that our brethren will be general and punctual in their attendance, that the meeting may be made as interesting and profitable as possible.

The Vestry is in Berry street, two doors from the meeting-house in Federal street.

NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Prayers, and Religious Meditations, by David Hartley, M.D. First American Edition. Cambridge, pp. 39.

"There is so much of the true spirit of rational and fervent piety in the following prayers, and so little in them which is exclusively applicable to the peculiar circumstances of their author, that it was thought they would be useful and acceptable to those who seek to cultivate a similar temper. The character of Dr. Hartley needs no encomium; but were it necessary, the following prayers and religious meditations bear distinct and strong testimony to its moral and religious excellence."

No Fiction; a Narrative founded on recent and interesting facts First American from the third London Edition. Boston, 2 vols. 12mo.

A Discourse on the Evidences of Revealed Religion, Delivered before the University in Cambridge at the Dudleian Lecture. By W. E. Channing.

In this discourse are considered and answered the objections brought against miracles, and several points of the direct evidence for the truth of christianity are stated with great strength, especially that which relates to the character of its Founder.

A Discourse delivered in the West Church, in Boston, Dec. 31, 1820. By C. Lowell.

This discourse contains a concise account of the first settlers of NewEngland, and a history of the West Church with the character of its ministers. Appended to it are copions notes containing much curious historical illustration.

Sermon at the ordination of Rev. J. Sparks. By W. E. Channing. Seventh Edition. Cambridge.

A Letter to the Editor of the Unitarian Miscellany, in reply to an attack by an anonymous writer in that work, on a late ordination Sermon delivered at Baltimore. By Samuel Miller, author of the Sermon. Baltimore.

This is in reply to an able, animated and severe letter, addressed to Dr. M. upon occasion of a strange libel upon Unitarianism, introduced into his ordination sermon at Baltimore. It is written with skill and moderation; but maintains that nothing but the Calvinistic doctrines of grace is christianity, and consequently that Unitarians are no christians. Besides this the most remarkable thing in the letter is an attempt to prove, that Watts never was a Unitarian, because his hymns and other early publications are Trinitarian. The Dr. does not seem to understand, that it is only asserted his last opinions were Unitarian, and that this of course could not change the complexion of his earlier publications. We took occasion to state this matter clearly in one of our late numbers, and shall probably say a few words more.

A Hebrew Grammar, with a copious Syntax and Praxis. By Moses Stuart: Andover.

Unitarian Miscellany, and Christian Monitor, No. 4. for April. This number contains a very fine article on Dr. Chalmers' character of Sir Isaac Newton. We recommend it to our readers as a masterly exposition, which, taken in connexion with the extracts respecting Newton's theological opinions in this number of the Disciple, must afford the highest satisfaction to reflecting christians.

The Grand Theme of the Christian Preacher. A Sermon at the Ordination of B. B. Wisner, pastor of the Old South Church, Boston. By L. Woods, D.D. Prof. of Ch. Theol. Andover.

The grand theme of the christian preacher, according to this sermon, is the cross of Christ. When this is preached, the sum of the gospel is preached, and when this is neglected the gospel is not preached at all; there is no christianity in any or all the doctrines of religion without this, and of course no efficacy in their preaching. It is something of a defect in the sermon, we think, that it does not any where tell us what this allimportant doctrine is; no one would be able to discover from it what the author means by preaching the cross of Christ, and therefore it is impossible to judge whether his statements are right or wrong. Only one thing is clear, that all who do not preach this doctrine according to a right understanding of it, publish another gospel, and "hinder, or strive to hinder, the salvation of men." Aud yet we are left wholly in the dark as to what this infinitely important doctrine is.

Dispassionate Thoughts on the Subjects and mode of Christian Baptism, in a series of letters. By Jacob Norton, Pastor of the first christian society in Weymouth. Boston. 8vo. pp. 76. A Pastoral Letter, by the Bishop of the Eastern Diocese. ton. pp. 68.

Bos

By John Foster,

An Essay on the Evils of Popular Ignorance. &c. First American edition. Boston. 12mo. pp. 300. Robert Southey is preparing a Ilistory of the Quakers for publication.

CORRESPONDENCE,

We have received a long and almost angry "remonstrance" from an unknown friend, to whom we were indebted for the poetical communication in our last number, complaining of the alterations and substitutions which we took the liberty of making in his piece. Perhaps he will see that some of his anger is causeless and his insinuations unkind, if he will consider, that it is our duty to regard, first of all, the character and reputation of our book, and not, as he claims, the feelings of an anonymous correspondent. We may be glad to publish a communication, with certain alterations, which we should decline publishing unless those alterations should be made. If the writer be unknown, we have no alternative but to reject altogether, or change what we think ought to be changed. We do not like the trouble; we would far prefer that the author should do it himself, and where he is known to us we take it to be his right, and consult him accordingly. But when he keeps himself concealed, we take it for granted that he gives his writings entirely to us, to use as we please, and we claim the right to reject, or so to alter, if we think needful, as to suit them to our taste. We never should do this in any case in which the writer had trusted us with his name; and therefore there is no ground for proposing to us the example, which our friend, we must say, bas rather nhandsomely and ungenerously done. We say thus much, because our correspondent insists that we should have made public the rules by which we decide on anonymous communications. We are surprised to find it in a single instance necessary, for we thought nothing could be better understood, than, that since authors who conceal their names shrink from all responsibility, and cast it entirely upon us, it is a matter of justice, that we should have the right of so altering, as to be willing to bear the burden. We do not solicit anonymous communications; we do not think them very desirable. It is an arduous and difficult matter to examine and judge of them, and painful oftentimes either to reject or publish them. It has been our happiness, however, until now, to escape the clamour and reproof of irritated authors; and we hope that our friends will save both themselves and us the repetition of the pain by trusting us with their names, that they may be consulted about emendations. We do not pretend to be infallible in taste any more than in theology, and earnestly desire to be saved from bigotry in each. But we certainly will not publish what we believe to be false doctrine, and we will try to correct the faults of the poetry that is sent for insertion. We dare say that our verses may not be very good; they very probably are what our friend is pleased to call them, fanatical and namby pamby; and very likely our readers may discover which three lines we wrote, by this description We would find no fault with any one who would make them better; but they at least are capable of being understood, and obscurity was the fault which we attempted to remove by the substitution. As for the correction of grammatical errors, we suppose that is not complained of. We are, however, sorry to have given offence, and regret that we had no private opportunity of replying to that in which our readers have no concern.

THE

CHRISTIAN DISCIPLE.

NEW SERIES-No. 15.

For May and June, 1821.

MEMOIR OF THE REVEREND ROBERT WALKER.

[The following Memoir of the Rev. Robert Walker, which presents a most extraordinary picture of frugal worth, and pattern of christian simplicity and industry, is taken from the Notes to Wordsworth's Sonnets on the river Duddon.]

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In the year 1709, Robert Walker was born at Under-crag, in Seathwaite; he was the youngest of twelve children. His eldest brother, who inherited the small family estate, died at Under-crag, aged ninety-four, being twenty-four years older than the subject of this Memoir, who was born of the same mother. Robert was a sickly infant; and, through his boyhood and youth continuing to be of delicate frame and tender health, it was deemed best, according to the country phrase, to breed him a scholar; for it was not likely that he would be able to earn a livelihood by bodily labour. At that period few of these Dales were furnished with school-houses; the children being taught to read and write in the chapel; and in the same consecrated building, where he officiated for so many years both as preacher and schoolmaster, he himself received the rudiments of his education. In his youth he became school-master at Lowes-water; not being called upon, probably, in that situation, to teach more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. But, by the assistance of a "Gentleman" in the neighbourhood, he acquired, at leisure hours, a knowledge of the classics, and became qualified for taking holy orders. Upon his ordination, he "had the offer of two curacies; the one, Torver, in the vale of Coniston, the other, Seathwaite, in his native vale. The value of each was the same, viz. five pounds per annum; but the New Series-vol. III.

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cure of Seathwaite having a cottage attached to it, as he wished to marry, he chose it in preference. The young person on whom his affections were fixed, though in the condition of a domestic servant, had given promise, by her serious and modest deportment, and by her virtuous dispositions, that she was worthy to become the help-mate of a man entering upon a plan of life such as he had marked out for himself. By her frugality she had stored up a small sum of money, with which they began housekeeping. In 1735 or 1736, he entered upon his curacy; and, nineteen years afterwards, his situation is thus described, in some letters to be found in the Annual Register for 1760, from which the following is extracted :

TO MR.

"Coniston, July 26, 1754.

'SIR,-I was the other day upon a party of pleasure, about five or six miles from this place, where I met with a very striking object, and of a nature not very common. Going into a clergyman's house (of whom I had frequently heard) I found him sitting at the head of a long square table, such as is commonly used in this country by the lower class of people, dressed in a coarse blue frock, trimmed with black horn buttons; a checked shirt, a leathern strap about his neck for a stock, a coarse apron, and a pair of great wooden-soled shoes, plated with iron to preserve them, (what we call clogs in these parts,) with a child upon his knee eating his breakfast; his wife, and the remainder of his children, were some of them employed in waiting on each other, the rest in teazing and spinning wool, at which trade he is a great proficient; and moreover, when it is made ready for sale, will lay it by sixteen, or thirty-two pounds weight, upon his back, and on foot, seven or eight miles, will carry it to the market, even in the depth of winter. I was not much surprised at all this, as you may possibly be, having heard a great deal of it related before. But I must confess myself astonished with the alacrity and the good humour that appeared both in the clergyman and his wife, and more so, at the sense and ingenuity of the clergyman himself."

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Then follows a letter, from another person, dated 1755, from which an extract shall be given.

'By his frugality and good management, he keeps the wolf from the door, as we say; and if he advances a little in the world, it is owing more to his own care, than to any thing else

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