some of whom sleep in him. The doctrine of the atonement has ever been the great object of my zeal; and, through the grace of God, I still go on to teach and preach Jesus Christ."

"It has pleased God to shew me great troubles and great mercies; to carry me through evil report and through good report; and it is because his mercies fail not, that I am not consumed. Since I arrived in this country, (more than fourteen years ago), I have been constantly employed in preaching three or four times every week. I have for some years been first chaplain at this presidency, and for above ten years have had a Sunday-evening and weekly lecture at the old mission church, at which I commenced my labours in Calcutta soon after my arrival in the country. I have a full church, and several of the first rank in this settlement attend. Some of them know the truth as it is in Jesus, and feel the power of his resurrection on their hearts. God has given me to find favour in the eyes of our Governor Generals, Marquis Cornwallis, Lord Teignmouth, and Marquis Wellesley: the last has lately founded a college at Fort-William, of which he has been pleased to appoint me the Provost; and my friend, Mr Buchanan, (a man of eminent learning, and an able minister of the New Testament,) the Vice-provost. It is to be my peculiar office to teach the Christian religion to the junior servants of the Company who are to enter the college. I rejoice at this wonderful call, and pray that I may have grace and wisdom to declare the whole counsel of God; and I entreat your prayers, my dear reverend Sir, that I may be found faithful-faithful unto death."

Mr Brown's first wife died in July 1794, leaving only one daughter behind her. Three sons had died in their infancy, under inoculation for the small-pox. After two years of widowhood, in July 1796, he married Miss Cowley, who survives, with nine children, to lament his loss, and to cherish a grateful remembrance of his piety and affection.

In the year 1805, Mr Brown prepared a Memorial on the progress and state of religion in Calcutta, for the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, which gives a modest, but comprehensive view of the good effects produced by his labours during the preceding years of his residence at Calcutta, aided as they had been, in the earlier years, by the Rev. John Owen, (now chaplain-general), and afterwards by the Rev. Claudius Buchanan, who, since his settlement in Calcutta, had regularly shared with him all the duties of the mission congregation."

*He was appointed to the Presidency Church, by Lord Teignmouth, in 1794%

"It will be satisfactory," he adds, "to the Society to be informed, that our united efforts have not been without success. We have seen the congregation continually increasing in numbers, respectability, and seriousness.

"Through the pious zeal and liberality of individuals, the church has been now again considerably enlarged, entirely new furnished, and the premises extended, at the cost of about four thousand pounds; and the public utility of the church has obtained for it the favourable notice of Government, which has now extended to it the same protection and aid it affords to the settlement church, and has granted an annual amount to defray the current expense of organist, servants, lights, &c. besides' the sum of rather more than eighteen hundred pounds to pay off all arrears incurred by needful repairs, &c.

"The zeal of the mission congregation has been further manifested by raising a fund for the maintenance of a minister whenever he shall arrive. The fund goes on increasing by monthly contributions, and affords a reasonable prospect of support and comfort to future missionaries; a circumstance which cannot fail to engage the Society to renew their efforts on behalf of their Calcutta mission.

"The above brief view of past and present circumstances will be acceptable to the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, by whose countenance I have been encouraged to proceed hitherto. I think also I owe it to the Society to add a few words respecting the state of religion in Bengal, having witnessed its progress from the first arrival of Lord Cornwallis in India, in 1786, to the present period; during which term of years there has been a growing attention to religious principles, and an observable improvement in religious practice; and a remarkable change has been effected on the public mind and morals of this community.

"The awful history of the French Revolution prepared the minds of our countrymen to support the principles of religion and loyalty, which our late Governor General" (Lord Teignmouth) "considered it his most sacred duty to uphold with the weight of his authority. He resolved, to use his own words to me,' to make it be seen that the Christian religion was the religion of the state;' and therefore at different times he appeared in his place as chief representative of the British nation, attended to church by all the officers of Government, to give the Christian religion the most public marked respect of the governor of the country. These solemn acts, and the public thanksgivings which took place for the first time under Marquis Wel lesley's government, awakened a religious sense of things in many; and led to an open and general acknowledgment of the

Divine Providence, which has been highly beneficial to the interests of true religion and virtue.

"Nor ought I to neglect to mention the services which religion and morality have derived from the institution of the College of Fort William for the civil servants of the Company; who under this means have been delivered from the bondage of sloth and sensuality, and from the still worse yoke of the natives' influence. This large and respectable part of the community have imbibed a spirit of virtuous emulation and literary research, which bids fair to extend religion and science throughout the Company's vast dominions.

"The natives themselves, it is to be presumed, will derive invaluable benefits from this institution, if duly supported; and I think we are authorized to hope that the knowledge of the Gospel among the heathen, will, by the Divine blessing, be promoted by the success of this institution."

It is observed, by the writer of the Memorial Sketches, the widow of this excellent minister, that, "to speak in the mildest manner, Mr Brown found on his arrival at Calcutta, in 1786, that a deep ignorance on religious subjects, and a careless indifference to Christian duties, were but too generally prevalent there. Living witnesses can testify, that the Lord's day, that distinguishing badge of a Christian people, was nearly as little regarded by the British as by the natives; the most noted distinction being hardly more than the waving of the flag at head-quarters; excepting as it was the well-known signal for fresh accessions of dissipation. In short, it would hardly be believed in Calcutta now, how the Sunday was openly neglected then."

"It was frequently urged, that there could be no use in keeping holy the Seventh day, in a heathen country; since the common people not being, as in England, Christians, the example was not needed." "In truth, no business (any more than pleasure) whether public or private, was discontinued on the Lord's day."

In ten years, the change was so remarkable, that the churchyard, and even streets adjoining the church where Mr Brown officiated, were regularly thronged with palanquins and other equipages, where, but a few years before, scarcely half a dozen had usually appeared; and the number of communicants was greatly multiplied.

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Strangers from Europe, and the sister presidencies of India, have expressed themselves struck at the superior tone of the religious advantages of Calcutta; and have freely admitted that they had not witnessed, elsewhere, more eager attendance, and devout observance of the ordinances of religion. That a church has been built up of living stones; that a godly people,

loving holiness, have risen up in India; is then a fact, that may be safely credited. And assuredly, in having accomplished this, he may well be considered as having been made eminently useful. Whatever moral or political changes our Asiatic states have in the course of this period undergone, his warning and encouraging voice was uninterruptedly heard in the churches of Calcutta for twenty-five years."

To be concluded in our next.]

The following paper has been handed to us by Mr MILLER, author of "A View of some of the Leading Features of the Christian Faith." We presented our readers some time ago with several extracts from that valuable pamphlet, and expressed the pleasure we felt in perusing it, not only on account of its own intrinsic excellence, but of its being the production of a member of the Society of Friends. This publication, however, we understand has been followed by his exclusion from that body of professing Christians,-a circumstance which clearly shews how much their religious belief is opposed to the stateinents of Holy Scrip

ture.

REMARKS ON A LATE DECISION OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS, AS CONNECTED WITH THEIR RELIGIOUS SYSTEM.

IN February last, I published "A View of some of the Leading Features of the Christian Faith," which, as a member of the Society of Friends, I addressed to them. My object in bringing forward this publication was, to lay the Scripture representation of the doctrines of the gospel before them, being persuaded that their views thereof were not only essentially defective, but also destructive of the spirit, as well as letter of the gospel; that their system substitutes mere conceits of imagination for express declarations of God; and that it leads the mind, in reference to what we should believe and do, not to what the Spirit of God has recorded for our information, but to what coincides with an imaginary standard of truth in our own minds; thus establishing the dominion of a spiritual taste, instead of the authority of God. It is true, they so far acknowledge the Scripture as to use its language, and to have a general belief of its truth; but this very language, by having a different set of ideas, in as far as regards all the peculiar doc'trines of the gospel, attached to it, becomes the means of establishing in the mind sentiments that are widely different from those taught in the Bible.

In a country like this, there are few persons who have not opportunities of knowing, in some degree, the doctrines of

Scripture. Friends, however, not only shut themselves up from all others on this subject, but cherish unfavourable feelings to what are called evangelical principles. The practice of spiritualizing religious language to the extent and in the manner they do, while it has a most imposing influence on uninformed minds, not only prevents them from understanding the religious language of others, but renders their ideas quite unintelligible to all but themselves. Therefore, having been long a zealous and devoted disciple of the principles of Friends—seeking with much earnestness to have the dominion of the inward principle established in my own mind, under the habitual sense of a coming eternity-having read many of the great spiritual authors connected with their system, and knowing it well, I thought it might be possible, and that it certainly was desirable, to address the doctrines of the gospel to them, in such a way as would, notwithstanding these difficulties, bring the subject more particularly home to their consideration.

They want information to an incredible degree. Hence, with respect to other religious people, they very generally think, that although some particular dogmas cause them to express themselves differently, that their feelings and practical principles are governed just by their "inward light." I thought I might be able to do away this delusion, and enable them to see the true state of the question, and that this might lead to a favourable result with some of them. But, while it was my wish to shew them that they were wrong, I was anxious to avoid saying so. I stated the truth, supporting it by Scripture, making rare and faint allusions to their sentiments: thus giving them an opportunity of recognising the truth, without the repulsive information that their system was inconsistent with it. In stating my views in this manner, they might be looked upon by the public as the sentiments of the Society: yet it did not appear to me that there could be any great loss, should this idea prevail in a small degree; nor did I ever conceive that Friends should be deeply injured by my causing some to believe, that sentiments which they now say agree with our public confessions, were the same as theirs.

Occupying as you do the place of a critic and censor, you cannot at all times avoid giving offence; but, when you introduced into your Magazine for May a quotation from my pamphlet, by the charitable and indulgent remark, "It is pleasing to think, that such sentiments are held by a member of a Society, whose views of gospel doctrine are generally held to be very erroneous," I am sure it did not occur to you that Friends should, instead of considering such principles an honour, look upon the imputation of them as a disgrace. They, however, have a right to decide for themselves what is creditable and