And here I close what I have been able to collect of the external evidence for the Apocalypse.

We have seen its rise, as of a pure fountain, from the sacred rock of the apostolical Church. We have traced it through the first century of its passage, flowing from one fair field to another, identified through them all, and every where the same. As it proceeded lower, we have seen attempts to obscure its sacred origin, to arrest or divert its course, to lose it in the sands of antiquity, or bury it in the rubbish of the dark ages. We have seen these attempts repeated in our own times, and by a dextrous adversary*. But it has at length arrived to us, such as it flowed forth at the beginning.

In short, so far as the question concerning the Apocalypse is to be determined by external evidence, we may indubitably pronounce that the book is to be received as Divine Scripture, communicated to the Church by John the Apostle and Evangelist.

* Και τ' ἔθελε ῥῆξαι ειχας ανδρων, πειρητίζων,

Η δη πλείσον ομιλον ορα και τευχέ αςιςα·

Αλλ' εδ

ὡς δυνατο ρήξαι, μαλα πες μενεαίνων.

Hiad, O. 615.

(To be continued.)

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

FOREIGN.

-

Extract of a letter from Moscow, Dec. 11, N. S. 1809.

"The Clergy in this place belonging to the Greek Church, are very numerous; many of them are well behaved, and really learned men ; yet, they are by no means so liberal-minded towards other classes of Christians as might be expected from men of cultivated understandings. On the contrary, they are jealous to the utmost degree of every innovation in their religion, or any thing tending thereto, and make it their study to keep the people bound up in ignorance and superstition.

"The Nobility of Russia live in the midst of luxury and ungodliness: and the most of them, in regard to religion, are free-thinkers. The high degree to which infidelity has arisen among them, is indeed lamentable. The repute in which the language and manners of the French are held, together with the multitude of ungodly publications in that language, which are so much beloved by the nobility, have tended not a little to bring about this corruption in morals and disregard of religion. The education of their offspring too is in general wholly committed to French Governors and Governesses, most part of whom are the enemies of Christianity, and instead of impressing the minds of their pupils with a sense of the Divine Presence, or convincing them of their need of a Saviour, they teach them to make game of religion and its professors, yea, to contemn God, neglect their own souls, and seek happiness alone in the things of this world.

"The mercantile class of people in this city is large. They hold closely to the Greek Church, and follow the customs of their fathers, that is, in regard to religion, clothing, and manner of living. In general, they know how to read and write their own language, and are, in their own estimate, religious: but, of all the men I ever met with, they are most given to fraud in their dealings. Russians in general, however, are very prone to cheat and deceive.

"The lower classes of the people are mostly all in a state of slavery. They are ignorant, and superstitious; and the priests and their masters study to hold them in their present lamentable condition. Infidelity among the rich, unjust dealing among the merchants, and drunkenness among the lower classes, are the sins that most abound among the Rus (Report of the Religious Tract Society.)

sians."

Report of the Directors to the London Missionary Society, at their sixteenth general meeting, on Thursday, May 10, 1810.

(Continued from page 44.)

MADRAS.

OUR dear brother Loveless has, during the past year, been so much

afflicted by sickness, that his public labours were for a considerable time interrupted. During this interval, our respected friend, Mr. Vos, had supplied his place with much acceptance; and, at the dates of Mr. Loveless' last letters, in October, he was perfectly restored, and had resumed all his engagements. While attentive to the duties of the important stations he occupies, as a preacher, and as master of the asylum, he laments that the commencement of the Surat Mission, for which he was originally destined, should have been so long delayed, through the circumstances which were fully detailed in our last Report; and he still recommends and encourages its being commenced by suitable Missionaries.

He was much cheered at the prospect of soon seeing the Brethren from the Cape of Good Hope, and assures us that on their arrival at Madras they would all be cordially received; and that there was no obstruction to the two Brethren proceeding to the Birman Empire. These intimations are highly gratifying, after the unworthy attempts that have been made, here and in India, to prejudice the Public against the Missionary

cause.

His ministry in the chapel appeared to go on comfortably; and much liberality in the support of it began to be manifested among the hearers. One of them had presented him with 100 star-pagodas, (407) for the necessary expenses, so that he had been enabled to replace to the Society's funds, what had been advanced therefrom for the chapel the last year.

The male school he had undertaken was in a prosperous state, and so well supported, that a proposition had been made to commence a female school on the same plan: the subscription was begun, and application has been made to Government, to render these establishments permanent. He says, that if the descendants of Europeans, by whose zeal these infant seminaries were principally raised, had "a Missionary minister entirely devoted to their spiritual instruction, many would probably prove ornaments to the church of Christ."

The death of the Rev. Dr. Kerr, of Madras, a truly Christian minister, and zealous friend of Missions, was announced in our last Report, and was justly considered as peculiarly afflictive; but it evidently appears that God had provided other faithful servants like-minded, who act on the same kind and liberal principles in the support of His cause, and in forwarding every plan for the diffusion of the light of divine truth among the Heathen.

Our aged Brother Vos, not finding himself comfortable at Vizagapatam, had, as he formerly proposed, returned to pass the remainder of his days and ministry among his countrymen at the Cape of Good Hope.

VIZAGAPATAM.

OUR Brother Des Granges, though deeply afflicted by the removal of his dear coadjutor, continued, with exemplary diligence, his labours of love, in teaching, preaching, and translating the Scriptures and small fracts into Telinga, assisted by Anandarayer, formerly a Bramin, who, with his pious wife, exhibited unequivocal proofs of the power of that glorious gospel, by which they had been brought out of Darkness into marvellous light. (See Appendix, No. III.)

Suitable steps had been taken to facilitate the journey of the Brethren Gordon and Lee, from Bengal to Vizagapatam, which we trust has been accomplished; and that this important Mission, reinforced by these long-expected Brethren, is now proceeding successfully, under the fostering care of the great Head of the church.

Our last letters from Mr. Des Granges are dated in August and September, 1809. He continues to exhibit the power and influence of the love of Christ on his heart, and appears to be animated by a true Missionary spirit.

Just as he was concluding these communications, he had learnt, to his great joy, of the arrival of his friends Gordon and Lee, with their families, in Bengal. Extracts from his correspondence will convey an idea of his situation and exertions. (See Appendix, No. IV.)

IN CEYLON.

THE Missionary Brethren, Palm, Errhardt, and Read, continue their laudable exertions in different places; but we are much concerned to state, that the Missionary cause does not prosper in the island. Pure and evangelical religion is hated and opposed by the nominal Christians. Many of the Malays and Cingalese, who had been baptized by the Dutch ministers when the island was in their possession, have relapsed into gross idolatry; and the blind attachment of the natives in general to their abominable idols, together with the difficulty of acquiring the Cingalese language, and the very limited number of Missionaries, all combine to hinder the progress of the gospel in this populous domain of the British Empire.

It is, however, some alleviation of our regret, that the desolate situation of the inhabitants, in a moral and religious point of view, seems to be generally felt; in consequence of which the presiding judge of that island has taken measures, we are informed, to obtain from home Christian teachers, for the instruction both of Europeans and of the natives. Some good men of high rank in military stations, with whom the Directors have had communication, are also strongly impressed with the feelings of compassion towards this destitute people, and are anxious to obtain suitable help. These good intentions it will be the duty and pleasure of the Directors to promote as far as may be in their power.

By a diary received from Mr. Errhardt, at Matura, which contains his proceedings from March, 1808, to the close of that year, it appears, that on the 4th of May, only about eight months after the period of his painful separation from Mr. Vos, his sphere of usefulness was again enlarged ; and he was unexpectedly authorized, by a warrant from the governor, to perform all the duties of the ministerial office, in Matura, and its district. At Point de Galle also, which is near Matura, and where Mr. Vos was formerly stationed, until called from thence to Columbo, by Governor North, he was likewise encouraged to discharge the same duties. He appears to have entered on these labours in a spiritual frame of mind, and in the exercise of that Christian prudence which his circumstances required. The extracts from his diary in the Appendix, (see No. V.) will sufficiently express his situation, views, and avocations.

By a letter from Mr. W. Read, dated at Point de Galle, Feb. 14, 1809, we find that he preached to the English soldiers, and visited them when

confined to the hospital; and for the last two years had also exhorted in Dutch, on Lord's-day evenings, in the house of a friend. He meets the most serious of the people at the house of one of the Dutch elders once a-week. He continued to study the Cingalese language, in which he could read, write, and speak a little; and hoped by degrees to attain such maturity as to expound the Scriptures in that language. He kept a school for teaching Cingalese and Portuguese boys the English language, on which he engrafted religious instruction; and had got two approved catechisms translated into Dutch, Portuguese, and Cingalese, which he hopes to get printed at Columbo. He asks for a supply of Bibles, hymn-books, prayer-books, &c. for his school, all which will be sent him and says he has no doubt but much good may be done by good Missionaries who could speak the Cingalese language, notwithstanding the deplorable darkness of that people, which, like Brother Errhardt, he describes and laments in the most affecting terms.

From Mr. Palm, who was situated at Tillipally, near Jaffnapatnam, we have received no later accounts than those published in the XXth Number of Transactions, dated Feb. 28, 1808. It is probable that his letters and journal are on their way; and also communications from Mr. Ringeltaube, (who was at Palameotta, in the Tinevelly district;) but none have yet reached us: it would appear, however, by the agent's account, that the latter is employing catechists to assist him in his labours.

CHINA.

EVERY account from our Missionary, Mr. Morrison, renews and heightens our satisfaction. By his indefatigable attention to the language, with the aid of able teachers, the principal difficulties are surmounted; and it appears that the period of his acquiring it completely, is by no means so distant as might have been expected.

His journals, to the close of the year 1808, have been received, and letters to April 17, 1809: from the former, some extracts appear in our XXIst Number of Transactions. Further interesting matter will be given in our future Numbers.

It has proved of great advantage to him, that he copied and carried out with him the Chinese translation of the gospels, &c. preserved in the British Museum; which he now finds, from his own increasing acquaintance with the language, and the opinion of his Chinese assistants, to be exceedingly valuable, and which must, from the excellency of the style, have been produced by Chinese natives.

Mr. Morrison has also obtained other unexpected helps in reference to the Scriptures; particularly an Exposition of the Decalogue, in three volumes, in Chinese, which a native, professing the Roman Catholic religion, furnished him with. It is but justice to notice the constant and grateful attention paid to Mr. Morrison by Yong Sam Tak, the Chinese native who assisted him when in London; and whose friendly services on many occasions, where a native only could serve him, have evinced his good disposition, and the favourable impression made upon his mind by Mr. Morrison's uprightness and benevolence.

The recent political disputes between the Chinese and our countrymen had occasionally interrupted his studies, and constrained him, with all the Europeans and Americans, repeatedly to remove from Canton to Macao, where he continued at the date of the last letters.

His talents, and assiduity in acquiring the language, have already