and an irrefutable reply to their libels who charge the doctrines of grace with licentious consequences. Believers are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Hence the language of each of them is "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Grace in the heart produces humility and holiness in the conduct. All who experience it, give glory to God and put the crown upon the Redeemer's head. Whilst they thus walk humbly with their God, they also do justly and love mercy. Christ is all and in all to them. He is formed in their souls the hope of glory. By his strength, they overcome their enemies. As the captain of their salvation, he will guide them safe through life, support them in death, and receive them to himself in glory.

ANECDOTE.

Lord Chesterfield being at supper with Voltaire and Madame C, the conversation turned on the affairs of England. "I think, my Lord," said the lady, "that the parliament of England consists of five or six hundred of the best informed and most sensible men in the kingdom."" True, Madam, they are generally supposed so to be."" What then can be the reason they should tolerate so great an absurdity as the Christian religion ?"-" I suppose, Madam, it is because they have not been able to substitute any thing better in its stead; when they can, I don't doubt, but in their wisdom, they will readily accept it."

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

DOMESTIC.

We intend to lay before our readers a view of the means which the churches in our country have provided for the education of their Ministry. We begin with an account of the

THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF NEW-YORK, established under the inspection of the General Synod of the Associate Reformed Church. The following view of its plan is taken from the Minutes of Synod for the year 1805.

AN ACT RELATIVE TO A THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.

WHEREAS, The ministry of reconciliation is the great means instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ, for perfecting his saints, and edifying his body; and, Whereas, he has requir ed in his word that they who are called to this excellent and important work, be furnished with gifts and graces above those of other believers; especially, that they be faithful men, apt to teach, workmen who need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, wise stewards to give the household their portion of meet in due season, able to convince gainsayers, to stop the mouths of unruly and vain talkers, to reprove, to rebuke, to exhort, with all long-suffering and doc trine and authority; and to know how they ought to behave themselves in the house of God, ruling well, and being ensamples to the flock-And, Whereas, the aforesaid qualifications, since the miraculous effusions of the divine Spirit have ceased, cannot be obtained in any other way than by his blessing upon the cultivation of natural talent, sanctified by his grace; which cultivation consists in a good acquaintance with those various branches of literature, which are necessary for understanding, expounding, defending, and applying all the parts of revealed truth-And, Whereas, seminaries erected for the especial purpose of instructing the ris

ing ministry in things immediately connected with their holy vocation, are the most probable means of attaining the proposed end; have been cherished by the Christian church with much affection from the earliest ages; and have been remarkably owned of God, for the preservation of her purity and glory-And, Whereas, the Lord has been graciously pleased to incline the hearts of Christians, both at home and abroad, to assist the Associate Reformed Church in the design of establishing such a seminary: Therefore,

The Ministers and Elders in general Synod convened, do hereby Direct and Ordain,

That their seminary be forthwith established in the city of New-York, for the sole purpose of preparing for the work of the ministry such young men as, having passed through a previous course of liberal education, shall resolve to consecrate themselves to the service of God, in the gospel of his Son.

And the Synod further direct, That the course of instruction in said seminary be conducted by a professor in theology, to be chosen, by their ballot at all times hereafter, and to hold his office and emoluments until removed by a vote of two-thirds of the General Synod: which vote shall not pass till a meeting subsequent to that at which it shall have been proposed; provided, that this shall not be construed to impair the power of the Synod, on any charge of gross error or immorality, to suspend a professor from the exercise of his functions, till judgment be definitively given.

And the Synod further direct, That the outlines of instruction in the seminary be as follows: viz.

1. The scriptures themselves shall be the great subject of study.

2. The period of study in the seminary shall be four years; and the session shall continue for seven months successively; that is to say, from the first Monday of November till the first Monday of June.

3. These four years shall be divided into two equal parts; and the course of study shall proceed as follows:

Every student shall begin and close the day with exercises of secret devotion; uniting to prayer the reading of a portion of God's word; and using as a help some book of impressive practical religion. In these exercises he is to read the scriptures, not as a critic, but as a Christian; as a saved sinner, who knows no other way of peace but that which belongs to him in common with the least of God's redeemed; and who lives by faith, for daily counsel and strength, and

consolation, upon that Saviour whom he is afterwards to. preach to others.

Such a portion of every day, (the Lord's day excepted,) shall be devoted to the study of the scriptures in the original tongues, and of that literature which facilitates this study, as by a faithful improvement of time, may enable the student, at the expiration of his course, to read the originals with tolerable ease.

The holy scriptures in our common version shall be read in such daily portions, as shall finish the whole during the first period of two years and to render the reading thereof more profitable, the professor of theology shall direct the student to succinct treatises on scriptural subjects, as they octur; and shall carefully examine him on these subjects..

Having completed this first reading of the scriptures, the student shall commence a second course of the same nature; dividing it in such a manner as to finish it at the expiration of his last year. He shall now consult the originals, step by step, as he goes along; and have his course of biblical reading extending under the direction of the professor.

With his third year the student shall commence the study of systematic theology: and as a basis for it, he shall commit to memory, during the previous two years, the whole text of the Confession of Faith and larger Catechism. He shall read, on each topic, such proper books as may be digested within the time allotted, and may give him an acquaintance with the substance of the system.

The professor shall also lecture upon the primary topics of the system, following the general order of the Confession, of Faith. That his students may enjoy the benefit of his whole course of lectures, he must not fail to complete it within two years. And, on the other hand, that this time may be sufficient, his lectures are to be concise and dense, accommodated to the principle, that his work is not so much to furnish his pupils with thoughts, as to set them upon a proper train of thinking for themselves.

In the fourth year of the course, the professor shall also deliver critical lectures; which are to embrace, not merely the philology of the context, but also its connexion, scope, and argument. No authority is to be admitted in these lectures but that of the originals; the student shall have them before him, and turn to the parallel texts cited by the professor. These texts are to be few, and well selected.

Every student shall prepare in his third year, two of those discourses commonly called lectures, and two popular ser

mons; and in his fourth year, three of each; neither to exceed half an hour when deliberately spoken. All the scriptural proofs, cited by a student in any exercise of his fourth year, must be referrible to the originals.

Hours of study must be so distributed as to leave a suitable portion to miscellaneous reading; such as history, morality, belles lettres, &c. and to healthful bodily exercise.

And the Synod further direct-1. That every student, on his admission, bind himself, in a written obligation, to strict obedience, to diligence, to peace, and not to propagate directly or indirectly any opinion or tenet whatever, contrary to the known faith of the Associate Reformed Church.

2. That students, who do not depend in any measure for their temporal support, upon the provision made or to be made for such as may be in indigent circumstances, shall pay into the hands of the professor, for the benefit of the seminary, the annual sum of 24 dollars.

3. That students of other denominations be admitted into the seminary upon the same terms as are exacted from those of the Associate Reformed Church; and on condition of their paying into the hands of the professor of theology, for the use of the seminary, the annual sum of 32 dollars.

4. That no person shall be admitted as a student, without producing satisfactory proof of the following particulars :That he has received a liberal education; or has an adequate acquaintance with those branches of literature which usually enter into such an education:

That he is in full communion with the Christian Church: That his habitual deportment is exemplary and prudent: And, that his natural talents are such as, by an ordinary blessing upon their cultivation, may render him an able minister of the New Testament.

Presbyterial certificates, clear and explicit to the above purport, shall always be satisfactory.

5. That in so far as relates to the enjoyment of sacramental privileges, all students shall be considered as subject to the discipline of that congregation with which they statedly worship.

And the Synod further direct, That the care of the seminary be intrusted to five ministers of the Associate Reformed Church, to be called superintendents of the seminary; who shall be chosen by the ballot, and hold their office during the pleasure of the General Synod.

The said superintendents, or a major part of them, shall have full power and authority,