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and government are the same: where the Greek is absolute, so is the Shanscrit; and in many instances the primitives or roots are the same. This will exhibit a curious phenomenon to the learned in Europe.

"While I am writing, Mr. Carey has sent to the college, for the Honourable Court of Directors, 40 copies of his Shanscrit grammar, just pub. lished, containing 1014 pages in quarto.

"I have given you the above information, my dear Sir, merely to convince you, that we are not indifferent to the cause in which you are engag ed. But for a more accurate and satisfactory account you must wait till the end of the year, when the first report will be published. "I am, with sincere regard, My dear Sir,

Most truly yours."

Extract of a Letter from Capt.
Stonehouse, to the same Society.
Nov. 18, 1806.

"It is impossible to give you an adequate description of the anxiety that was manifested by the poor Spaniards to get possession of a Testament; many sought them with tears and earnest entreaties; and, although I had nearly enough for them all, yet it was with difficulty they were paci fied, until they received from my hand the word of eternal life. Since which I have witnessed the most pleasing sight that ever my eyes be beheld-nearly a thousand poor Span ish prisoners, sitting round the prison walls-doing what? Reading the word of God, with an apparent eager. ness, that would have put many professing Christians to the blush!"

Literary and Philosophical Intelligence.

GREAT BRITAIN.

East India Company's Shipping. By the official list recently published at the India House, it appears that the company have in their employ 58 regular ships abroad, from 800 to 1200 tons; 16 at home, and one repairing: 20 extra ships of 500 to 600 tons abroad; 9 proceeding to India, but not sailed; and 2 at home. Total 106. The chartered tonnage of which exceeds 150,000 tons; the number of sailors is near 10,000.

Breweries. Statement of the quantity of barrels of beer, denominated porter, brewed in London by the 12 principal houses, between the 5th July, 1806, and the 5th July, 1807: .

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Bishop of London's Donation. The bishop of London has transferred twelve hundred pounds stock to the master and fellows of Christ college, Cambridge, and directed the interest of it to be laid out annually in the purchase of three gold medals, to be contended for by the students of that college; one of fifteen guineas, a prize for the best Latin dissertation on some evidence of Christianity; another of 15 guineas, a prize for the bestEnglish composition on some moral precept of the gospel; and one of 10 guineas, a prize to the most distinct and graceful reader in, and regular attendant at chapel; and the surplus, if any, to be laid out in books, and distributed by the master. His lordship 170,879 was educated at this college, and cer166,600 tainly is its greatest living ornament; 135,972 and in this mark of his regard for it, 125,657 it is difficult to determine whether 104,251 the magnificence of his liberality, 83,004 or the wisdom of its direction, is 80,278 most to be admired. His liberality 72,580 has certainly insured an earlier atten47,388 tion than usual to the sublime sub38,554 jects of these compositions, which 37,033 cannot fail to lay a solid foundation 33,283 for piety and religion. Its effects

upon the prosperity of the college must soon be felt; such provocations to moral and religious improvement must operate. The subjects will not be given out till October; which, in this first instance, it is probable that the bishop himself will propose.

Life Boat. On the 8th and 14th July Capt. Manby made several experiments with a life boat and apparatus, at Yarmouth, constructed under his own inspection, and which not only overcomes supposed impossibilities, but promises the most essential service in saving the lives of those unfortunate persons, who may in future be involved in such dreadful situations, as occurred to the crew of the Snipe gun brig in that tremendous gale of the 18th Feb. last, when only 18 out of 72 were saved. It is only necessary to add, that Adm. Doug las, and many officers of the navy, also several merchants and gentlemen resident there, were present, and expressed themselves fully convinced of its services and great utility. [Panora.

UNITED STATES.

Variation of the Magnetic Needle.

THE editors of the Panoplist are informed, that S. Dewitt, Esq, surveyor general of the state of New York, has lately discovered, that the variation of the magnetic needle is rapidly changing in a direction contrary to that in which it has heretofore moved. This is a singular and interesting phenomenon; and we should be obliged to any of our philosophical correspondents to favour us with their observations upon it; noticing the time when this reversed movement commenced, the progress it has already made, the causes which have probably produced it, and any other circumstances, which may throw light on a subject of so much importance. A communication of this kind would be very acceptable to the editors, and gratifying and useful to the public.

List of New Publications.

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An Essay on the Life of George Washington, commander in chief of the American army through the revolutionary war, and the first president of the United States. By Aaron Bancroft, A. A. s. Pastor of a Congrega tional Church in Worcester. 8vo. pp. nearly 600. 2 dols. 50 cts. boards. Worcester. Isaiah Thomas, jun.

A Letter to Dr. David Ramsay, of Charleston, S. C. respecting the errors in Johnson's Dictionary, and other Lexicons. By Noah Webster, Esq. 12mo. pp. 28. New Haven. Oliver Steele, & Co. 12 cts.

Vol. VI. Part I. & II. of Rees' New Cyclopedia, or Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. Philadelphia. S. F. Bradford. Lemuel Blake, No. 1, Cornhill, agent in Boston.

A Sermon preached at Northamp ton before the Hampshire Missionary Society, at their annual meeting, Aug. 27, 1807. By Rev. Samuel Taggart, A. M. Pastor of the Presbyterian church in Colrain. Northampton. W. Butler.

Serious and Candid Letters to Rev. Thomas Baldwin, D. D. on his book entitled "The Baptism of Believers only, and the particular Communion of the Baptist Churches explained and vindicated." By S. Worcester, A. M. Salem. Cushing & Appleton.

Domestic Medicine; or a treatise on the prevention and cure of Diseases by Regimen and simple Medicines; with an appendix, containing a dispensatory for the use of private practitioners, &c. By William Buchan. First Charleston edition, enlarged, from the author's last revisal. 8vo. Charleston. South Carolina. John Hoff.

1807.

Worlds Displayed, for the benefit of young people, by a familiar history

of some of their inhabitants. Boston. Lincoln & Edmands. 1807.

WORKS IN THE PRESS. The Tenth Volume of the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, is in the press of Munroe & Francis of this town, and will be pub lished in February.

Manning & Loring of this town have in the press an 8vo. volume of Select Sermons, by the late Rev. Samuel Stillman, D. D. late pastor of the 1st Baptist church in Boston.

E. & J. Larkin are publishing Law's Serious Call, from the fifteenth London edition in one volume, price, one dollar and 25 cents, neatly bound and lettered.

Poetry.

THE ALARM.

WRITTEN IN 1753.

From the Religious Monitor.

YE, who with giddy thought, or ardent view,
Earth's bliss through all her fancied paths pursue;
Who o'er the flow'ry fields of pleasure stray;
Or climb, with steep ascent, ambition's way;
Or dig, beneath a weight of gold to groan;
Or chase the flying echoes of renown;
A friendly muse, a complicated throng,
Calls you to listen to her serious song→
Be wise, be taught, and know at what
Earth's bliss is false, a visionary name.
you aim

PARMENAS.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

THE Editors feel under great obligations to Candidus, for the assistance his communication affords them in preparing a sketch of Calvin's life. His learning, diligence and fidelity are manifested in his communication, which will be used, we trust, in a manner corresponding with the wishes of Candidus. His letter, on the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, is received, and shall

appear next month.

The Reviews of Dr. Tappan's volume of Sermons, of the first volume of Foster's Essays, and of Mr. Griffin's Sermon on the Death of Dr. Macwhor ter, came too late for this month. These approved compositions, with several articles for the Obituary, prepared for the present number, shall be inserted

in the next.

Errata.-Page 309, first colume, 11th line from bottom, for "beaten soil, &c; read "beaten oil, &c.

OR,

THE CHRISTIAN'S ARMORY.

No. 32.]

JANUARY, 1808. [No. 8. VOL. II.

Biography.

SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF JOHN CALVIN, Taken from the Religious Monitor, with the addition of several extracts of a communication received from a learned and ingenious Correspondent.

BIOGRAPHY, or the delinea tion of human character, may be termed the art of moral painting. It represents the features of the mind, and the actions of the life, as the pencil does the lineaments of the face, and the peculiar air of the person. When the moral portrait is skilfully executed, it wants nothing to make it perfect, but what it is impossible it ever can receive, the animation of real life; and is as superior in importance and utility to the most striking picture, as the living character is to the inanimate bust. It not only revives the memory of friends long forgotten in the silence of the dead, but gives them a much more extensive range of acquaintance than when alive, by transmitting not their name only, but their attainments and virtues, their imperfections and errors, for the imitation and warning of future generations.

The lives of those, who have been raised up as instruments of reviving, reforming, strengthening, or extending the knowledge Vol. III. No. 8. Тт

of divine truth, must be interesting in no common degree to the friends of genuine godliness. No apology, therefore, is necessary for introducing to the notice of our readers, the following sketch of the life and character of that illustrious reformer and defender of the faith, John Calvin, to whom the greater part of the Protestant world look back, as under Providence, one of the most eminent supporters of that form of religious doctrine and discipline, which they believe to be consonant to the word of God. When we consider his piety, and his ardent zeal for the truth, his uncommon talents, and indefatigable industry, his deep and solid learning, and his various other accomplishments; we must view him as one of the most eminent men of the sixteenth century, and as one of the first, the ablest, and most suc cessful reformers.

It must be accounted a very interesting attainment for any modern Christian to become fully acquainted with this won

derful man. A full drawn picture of him would be a valuable present to the literary and the christian world. His virtues would afford a strong spur to imitation, while his imperfections would remain a most instructive caution. But he, who shali un dertake this task, must have a complete acquaintance with the political state of Geneva at that period; with the arts and intrigues of the court of Rome and her partizans at the dawn of the Reformation, and with all the obstacles which the first Reformers had to surmount.

The Reformation of Geneva, being inseparably connected with the history of Calvin, cannot be passed in silence. A concise account of it will spread light on some dark spots in the following sketch.

The Reformation was begun. in Geneva long before Calvin's residence in that city. But the obstacles, which prevented or delayed its progress, were many and powerful; among which must be mentioned the ignorance, superstition, bigotry, and domineering spirit of the higher and lower clergy; and the turbulent state of the city arising partly from various factions watching one another with a furious zeal, partly from the imminent danger which menaced their liberty and independence from the dukes of Savoy, and partly from their alliance with the Swiss Cantons, who opposed the Reformation with violence.

It was, indeed, something, that the canton of Berne had seceded from the church of Rome, espoused openly the Reformed cause, and encouraged its neighbours and allies to throw off the

papal yoke. It was something too, that the dominant clergy, the regular canons above all, had, by their depraved manners, incurred the hatred of the best of their fellow citizens; while the interdict of the archbishop of Vienne, in the year 1527, exasperated them more and more, and the detection of priestly imposture opened the eyes of many.

In 1532, Farell daringly stept forward in Geneva, and preached the gospel doctrine, convincing many of its truth. This bold, intrepid preacher was not awed by danger. In Basil and Wirtemberg he had before encountered harsh and violent treatment; but there, as well as in Geneva, his labours were crowned with success.

Farell was followed, 1534, by one of his disciples, Ant. Froment, who, under the cloak of a schoolmaster, spread the seeds of the Reformation far and wide. But after awhile the violence of the soldiery, and the increasing tumult of the people, induced him to leave the city.

After his retreat, more rigid laws were enacted against the meetings of the Reformed. But all these proved too weak to check the impetuous ardour of the Reformers. They were yet, however, compelled to hold their assemblies in secret, in which the Lord's Supper was first adminis tered by Guerin. They all opposed themselves vigorously to the scandalous superstitions, which had, for ages, defaced the church of Christ, though it must be acknowledged that, in the manner of their opposition, they some times went beyond due bounds. From the year 1538, a more sol

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