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alleging that he had been guilty of no capital offence in what he had declared, his argument being taken from the words of Christ. At the same time Blandrata went up Judas-like to his emaciated victim, and embracing him, said, in a low voice, Do not fear-I have found favour with the prince.' David indignantly replied, Go, go-proceed as thou hast begun.' Blandrata having resumed his seat, his colleagues again importuned the prince to spare the life of the superintendant. But the Hungarian Trinitarian ministers opposed them in a long oration, wherein they exhorted the prince, on the ground of the command of Moses concerning false prophets, to put him to death as a blasphemer; and concluded in these words: We this day, by virtue of our office, cite thee, O thou illustrious prince, the keeper of both tables, together with thy consort, thy children, and all thy posterity, before the tribunal of the awful judge Jesus Christ, whom this man has blasphemed, if thou suffer him to live!'

"The prince, at this adjuration, changed colour; and, calling to the officer of the court, commanded him to give the following reply: The illustrious prince has heard the orations of both parties: his highness therefore promises that he will take care to eyince to all that he will not suffer such an offender to escape with impunity.' Then turning to Francis David, he proceeded: The illustrious prince has been made acquainted with the whole of this affair, in what manner, led by thine own fancy, and without the consent of the Church, thou hast fallen into this atheistical, execrable, and unheardof blasphemy. His highness therefore will, according to thy desert, make an example of thee, because others also ought to be deterred from such fanatical innovations. In the mean time thou shalt be kept in the custody of the prince, until he shall determine further concerning thee.'

"David was now committed to close custody in the castle of Deva, none of his friends or relations being allowed access to him; and here, worn down by the fatigues of his persecutions and the ravages of a painful disorder, he closed a long life on the 15th of November following, in the year 1579."

In extending our attention so far to this historical sketch, we have left ourselves no room to speak of the Racovian Catechism, to a translation of which it is prefixed. To this we may recur at some future opportunity.

INTELLIGENCE.

Theological school at Cambridge.-The annual visitation and examination took place on Wednesday July 15, in the presence

of the patrons and friends of the institution, who were highly gratified by the proofs of diligence and fidelity in the use of their privileges exhibited by the theological students, and the promise of future usefulness in the church.

Society for promoting Theological Education in Harvard University. The anniversary discourse was delivered on the Sunday evening preceding commencement, in the Federal-Street Church, by Rev. Dr. Richmond: on the importance of an educated ministry, and the consequent necessity of encouraging seminaries of theological education. The annual meeting of the society was held at the Medical College on the following Tuesday, when the usual business was transacted, and the officers of the Institution chosen. The following is the Report of the Di

rectors:

The Directors of the Society for promoting Theological Education in Harvard College, report to the Society the state of the funds as received from the Trustees in the Treasurer's account, by which it appears that the permanent fund, applicable to the objects of the Society is $33044 93.* During the College year ending this day, thirty-five persons, exclusive of permanent officers of the College, have resided at the University as candidates for the ministry, or members of the Theological Seminary. In the same year two have been ordained, and two are under calls, which they have accepted. Seven are now candidates ;-the remaining number have belonged or belong to one of the three classes in the Theological Seminary. Twenty have been assisted by the funds of the Society, or of the College, to the amount of $2440.

August 28, 1821.

Subscriptions to Societies. We have seen in an English publication (the Monthly Repository) a plan proposed by which the funds of those religious and charitable institutions, which are de pendent on subscriptions, may be saved from diminution and even annually augmented. We recommend it to the attention of our Bible Society, Peace Society, Evangelical Missionary Society, Society for Theological Education, &c. as a simple expedient which might be of great service, and can be proved inefficacious only by experiment. The plan is suggested in the following letter to the Christian Tract Society.

"Diminution of funds, in institutions like yours, is always to be deeply regretted. Permit, therefore, a member to suggest a

*This does not include the bequest of Mr. Brown, $2000, nor $65, the recent donations of three individuals.

practicable plan of augmenting your means, and with it your usefulness. It is to engraft on your rules a resolution, that your secretary should, in his annual letter, solicit in rotation of seniority (as subscribers) the tenth part of your Society, to procure one new member each within the year. The present members of the Book Society, say, are 250. The increase for the next ten years, on this principle, would be about twenty-five annually; and in the subsequent ten years it would be the tenth on 500 members, and so on progressively every succeeding ten years. Would any subscriber consider such a request burdensome, of procuring only one new member each, in rotation, in ten years? In adopting it, would it not also contribute to the gradual diffusion of religious truth, as well as to the pecuniary concerns of our Book-Fund and Christian Tract Societies, &c.? Some such constant, progressive, invigorating principle is earnestly recommended to the next meeting of your Societies, as the best supply for such losses as the Christian Tract Society experienced in funds and members in the past year."

Extract from the Fourth Annual Report of the Peace Society in London, 1820.-The Committee of the Society for the Promotion of Permanent and Universal Peace trust that through the encouragement and co-operation of their Christian brethren, the great principles they have endeavoured to exhibit and to promote, have already obtained a stability which gives the strongest conviction of their durable influence, and they may be allowed, from the eminence on which they believe the Society now stands, to look back on the events and vicissitudes which have marked their progress, grateful if they have been enabled successfully to inculcate those important truths, the consequences of which are so closely connected with the virtue and happiness of individual as well as social man.

They have ever considered, that principles so much in accordance with the lovely and peculiar character of our Holy Religion, so beautifully displayed in the temper and conduct of its Founder -so friendly to human improvement-so encouraging to moral exertion-so conducive to the well-being of man-must have their foundation in Immutable Truth. They wished to bring them to the test of honest inquiry-to the ordeal of deliberate investigation. The result has answered their expectations,-it has often exceeded them. A Society, originating with a few individuals, has seen its influence and its ramifications extending through a large portion of our own country; while the exertions and the success of our trans-atlantick brethren have been, perhaps, even more efficient and more encouraging than our own.

In connexion with our own efforts, it is to us a subject of the most complacent feeling, that among the great people so closely allied to us by common ancestry, by common language, and in so many respects by common institutions, there are numerous societies cordially co-operating with us in the promotion of our high and important objects. We have already slightly adverted to this and we cannot refrain on this occasion from wafting across the Atlantic our sincerest and warmest congratulations to our American brethren, with our prayers for their continued, their rapidly increasing success.

During the past year, we have received considerable encouragement from the correspondence of our continental friends. Though the restraints upon public meetings in some countries, and the poverty of others, added to those Revolutions which have agitated many of them, though these and other circumstances have prevented the establishment of Foreign Auxiliary Societies, yet we are persuaded that our cause is prospering. Its progress, its peaceful progress, disturbs not the superficies of things, and may not, in consequence, be discerned by the careless observer; but a great change is manifestly going on in the hearts of men, and beneath the frozen surface of seeming indifference, mighty principles are at work, and will sooner or later exhibit themselves in their benign influence.

One new Tract, No. 6, consisting of extracts from a sermon by Dr. Bogue, has been published by permission of the author; also editions of Nos. 2, 3, and 4; No. 2 in Dutch, and the Third Annual Report, have been printed, in all, 54,000 copies; making a total of 207,000 that have been printed since the formation of the Society. The sales and distributions this year are about 30,000. Tract No. 3, has been translated into Spanish, and an edition is in preparation. The amount of Subscriptions and Donations received this year is £413. 8s. 1d. which the Committee lament to say falls considerably below the receipts of the previous year and as a very extended field of labour is now open to them, the Committee earnestly solicit the attention of their friends to the collection of additional Subscriptions, without which they will be unable to meet the demands on them, particularly for the translation of tracts and documents into foreign languages. They trust the exertions of their advocates will be stimulated by this appeal, and that while no opportunity is lost for circulating the tracts of the Society, they will be provided with the means of availing themselves of those encouraging circumstances which they hail as giving the promise that their great object may be finally accomplished. Several of the Auxiliaries are prosperously engaged in promoting the views of the Society. The Com

mittee cannot, however, state accurately the number of Subscribers, from the want of returns. New Auxiliaries have been established at BATH, BRISTOL, SOUTHAMPTON, PLYMOUTH, and STOCKTON.

Copies of the Tracts have been transmitted by a member of your Committee, when on the Continent, to the Kings of France and Spain, through the regular channels of communication. Much attention has been excited to the subject in Paris, and your Committee hope that some measures will soon be taken in that capital to promote the cause. Opportunities have been embraced for forwarding Tracts to different parts of the world; and from the seeds thus sown in the British dependencies and in different nations, may we not reasonably look for some fruit?

Extracts from Third Report of New-York Peace Society.-The Committee have to report, That their operations during the past year, have been much restricted for want of pecuniary means. The demands against the Society have, however, been nearly extinguished, and its resources will hereafter be employed in active operations. Since the last anniversary the number of subscribers to the Society has been considerably increased, and its prospects are encouraging. *

Of the various books and tracts on hand at the date of the last Report, the greater part has been distributed. The last Report also, and one hundred copies of the current numbers of "The Friend of Peace," taken on behalf of the Society, have been put in circulation.

Among the distributions to individuals living at a distance, the Committee think it proper to mention, that a copy of the several publications was conveyed to the Rev. Mr. Ward, of Serampore, before he embarked on his return to the mission in Bengal.

Your Committee are free to say, that every successive year since the formation of the Society has added to their regard for the object, and increased their confidence of its final success.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Two poetical communications were received too late for insertion in the present number.

The Notice of New Publications unavoidably omitted.

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