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of 556 persons on its books-nearer one-fifth than one-fourth the size of the First African Church.

If the Capitol of Virginia fairly represent the State of Virginia in this particular, the African population of Virginia, that is its slaves, are much nearer the kingdom of heaven than their masters, and much more accessible to the Baptist kingdom of heaven than are the whites of any denomination in the State. I wonder how our transatlantic and northern brethren will explain this mystery. unless by admitting that God has blessed the means of grace much more to the slave than to the master. Else, being more enthusiastic and spiritual, it suits the African ear much better than the European or American.

Be this as it may, it appears not only from the data here presented, but from the general tabular views of black and white membership in the Baptist churches of the South, the proportion between black and white membership is as about two to one. If, then, the Baptists in the South report 300,000 members in full communion, they have only 100,000 white members, a number not so much greater to the white brethren of the Reformation than I had imagined. We have comparatively very few blacks in our communities. The Methodists and Baptists have long ago possessed themselves of the eyes, the ears, and the affections of the slave population above and beyond all fear of competition with the preachers and reformers of other denominations. This will be a favorable or an unfavorable omen, as every one is enlightened in the genius and spirit of Christianity and the peculiar ministrations of these denominations A. C.

THEOLOGICAL SEMINARIES.

THE Princeton Theological Seminary (Presbyterian) has this year 150 students. The Providence (R. I.) Journal says that this is not only the largest seminary of sacred learning in this country, but has more students than any institution in Europe of a like character-not even excepting the Propaganda at Rome-143 are graduates of colleges, 4 have never graduated, and 3 are resident licentiates. Thirty-one colleges are represented, 27 of the pupils being from the College of New Jersey, and 22 from Lafayette College; and the students are from 20 States of the Union, and from 3 of the countries under the government of England.

The number of Protestant Theological Seminaries in the United States is 44.

There is a general impression abroad that the Andover institution is the first Protestant Theological Seminary established in this country; but a

statistical table published in the "Family Christian Almanac" for 1840, shows that this is not the case. The first established was the Theological Seminary of the Dutch Reformed Church at New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1784.

2d. The Associate Presbyterian at Canonsburg. Pa., 1792.

3d. The Associate Reformed, at Newburg, 1804.

4th. The Andover Seminary, 1807.

5th. The Princeton Seminary, 1812.

The six Seminaries which seem to be the most flourishing are the following, with their present members and alumu:—

Andover, present members 93; alumni, 1006.
Princeton, present members 150; alumni, 1626.

Auburn, (founded in 1821,) present members 30; alumni, 580.
New Haven, (founded in 1822,) present members 35; alumni, 515.
Protestant Episcopal, New York city, (founded in 1821,) present mem-
bers 64; alumni, 336.

Union Theological Seminary, (founded in 1836,) present members 105;. alumni, 211." New York Observer.

This is a valuable exhibit of the means employed for raising up a Protestant ministry in this country from 1784 to the present time. Sixty-five years have created forty-four Theological Seminaries in the United States. How many Roman Institutions Theological are there?-? A. C.

MISCELLANEOUS SCRAPS--No. I

BIBLE CIRCULATION.

THE increasing circulation of the Word of God is among the most encouraging signs of the times. The time has been when the price of the sacred volume placed it beyond the reach of the poor; now it can be had for a trifle, or, if need be, for nothing. The following statistics will prove interesting:

In 1804, according to the best estimates that can be obtained, there were in existence only about 4,000,000 copies of the Bible.. Now there are more than 30,000,000. In 1804, the Bible had been published in only 48 or 49 languages; in 1847, it exists in 136. In 1804, it was accessible in languages spoken by about 200,000,000;. in 1847, it existed in tongues spoken by 600,000,000. During the last year, 1,419,283 copies were issued by the British and Foreign Bible Societies alone-400,000 more than in any year before, except

in 1805.

In every point of view in which it can be contemplated, the Bible is worthy of extensive circulation. Sir William Jones wrote in his Bible

"I have carefully and regularly perused these Holy Scriptures; and I am of opinion that volume, independently of its divine origin, contains more true sublimity, more exquisite beauty, more pure morality, more important history, and finer strains both of poetry and eloquence, than can be collected from all other books, in whatever age or language they may have been written."

Even Lord Byron has recorded his testimony. The following lines were written on a blank leaf of a Bible a few weeks before his death

"Within this awful volume lies
The mystery of mysteries.
Happiest they of human race
To whom their God has given grace
To read, to fear, to hope, to pray;
To lift the latch, and force the way.
And better had they ne'er been born,
Than read to doubt, or read to scorn."

"The Bible for more than two thousand years has gone hand in hand with civilization, science, and law. It has never been behind the age; nay, it has always gone before it, like the pillar of fire before Israel in the wilderness. Its great principles of good order, submission, and freedom, have been the stability of States. Its very presence among them has been a saving ark, a refuge, and a rest. How far even beyond the present time, gleams the light of that wondrous book, which describes and promises true freedom and fraternity, that divine and universal brotherhood, of which the nations only dream! In a word, the Christians revelation is the true salt of the earth, the vital force of communities and states."

ROMANISM.

Broughton, April 10, 1848. It appears from the Roman Catholic Directory for 1848, that the total number of Roman Catholic churches and chapels in England and Wales is 545; in Scotland 85, besides 22 stations where divine service is performed; making a grand total of 630 churches and chapels. Of Catholic colleges there are in England 10, and in Scotland 1. Convents, 28, of which 12 are in the London district. Monasteries, 4. Of missionary priests in England and Wales, there are 707, including priests without any fixed mission; in Scotland, 99; making a grand total of 806 missionary priests in Great Britain, including the Bishops. This is a goodly staff, and well calculated to extend and uphold the interests of the church of Rome.

IRISH BAPTIST UNION.

THE annual meeting of the Baptist Union of Ireland was held in Dublin a few weeks ago. There are seventeen churches connected with this body, consisting of about eight hundred members, and the additions during the year had been one hundred and twenty-one. The decrease, occasioned chiefly by emigrations, was sixty; leaving a clear increase of sixty-one members-nearly four to each church. On the Lord's day previous to the meeting, the ordinance of baptism was administered in the river, at which several of the brethren from

a distance officiated, and a large number of spectators were present. It is peculiarly desirable that in Ireland great publicity should be given to our views of baptism; they are so intimately connected with right views of Christ's kingdom, in other respects, and so admirably adapted to excite attention to personal religion, that every unobjectionable opportunity to bring them forward should be embraced. This has been done to a much greater degree of late than formerly, and the good accruing from it has been evident.

The annual meeting of the Scottish Baptist Union, also, was held in August, in Edinburgh. The number of churches in it is thirteen. The clear increase for the year is 164; the total number of members, 1,044. N. Y. Baptist Recorder.

ANTIQUITIES.

NINEVEH was 15 miles by 9, and 40 round, with walls 100 feet high, and thick enough for three chariots abreast.

Babylon was 60 miles within the walls, which were 75 feet thick and 300 feet high, with 100 brazen gates.

The Temple of Diana, at Ephesus, was 425 feet high, to support the roof. It was 200 years in building.

The largest of the Pyramids is 481 feet high, and 663 feet on the side. Its base covers 11 acres. The stones are about 30 feet in length, and the layers are 208. Three hundred and sixty thousand men were employed in its erection.

The Labyrinth of Egypi contains three thousand chambers and twelve halls.

Thebes, in Egypt, presents ruins twenty-seven miles round. It had one hundred gates.

Carthage was twenty-five miles round.

Athens was 25 miles round, and contained 250,000 citizens, and 400,00 slaves.

The Temple of Delphos was so rich in donations, that it was once plundered of £100,000 sterling; and Nero carried from it 200

statues.

The walls of Rome were thirteen miles.

THE RUINS OF ANCIENT NINEVEH.

THESE are now being explored by an English antiquarian named Layard. The city, once "three days journey" in extent, was located on the east bank of the Tigris, twenty miles below Mosul, and Mr. Layard finds that "the buildings were provided with a complete system of sewerage, each room having had a drain connected with a main sewer." The buildings are found to have been made of sun-dried bricks, the rooms lined with slabs of marble, covered with bas-reliefs. The earliest buildings, constructed probably twelve hundred years before Christ, were buried, and the earth which had accumulated upon them was used as a cemetery seven hundred years before Christ.

TRACT OPERATIONS.

THE receipts of the American Tract Society, for the six months preceding October 1st, amount to $105,097, and the amount of issues exceeded the receipts by $5,000.

SINGULAR FACT.

THE ship Alexander, of Dundee, left Calcutta in April last for London. When about a month at sea, Mr. Latta, the chief officer of the ship, while on duty one evening, caught an eagle. After keeping the bird two days, he proposed to Captain Inglis, the commander of the ship, that the bird should be released. This was accordingly done. A small piece of leather, with the name of the ship, with latitude and longitude, was tied to the bird's neck, and the bird took its flight. Strange to say, this same bird was caught by an American whaler 2200 miles distant from the place it left the ship Alexander. The news came to London by a ship from the island of Ceylon, who spoke the whaler, and saw the bird.

THE MOTHER'S TRUST.
MOTHER, with thy warm lips pressing
Thy fair infant's dimpled cheek,
Winning smiles by soft caressing

From lips yet untaught to speak;
Lone may be thy home, and lowly,
Small of earthly wealth thy share;
But a precious trust and holy,

Is committed to thy care.

Guard it well, O! gentle mother,

Looking still with steadfast eye,
From this dim world to another,

Where no dark'ning shadows lie.

Thou may'st rear thy fragile blossom,
In celestial bowers to dwell;
Clasp the treasure to thy bosom,
Gentle mother, guard it well.

Duxbury, Mass.

Scotsman.

AMANDA WESTON.

THE LAND PROPRIETARY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. IN 1775 there were in England 250,000 landed propritors in capite, who were reduced in 1815 to 30,000, and now they do not exceed 10,000. In Scotland there are only 3000, and in Ireland 6444 land owners in capite; so that it may be said the 119,111 sway power over 30,000,000 persons.

BISHOP JEWEL'S CHALLENGE TO THE PAPISTS.

If any man can prove the following articles by any one plain sentence, out of the Scriptures, or out of the works of the old Fathers, or by a canon of any old General Council, or by any practice of the primitive church, then I promise to go over to his party:

That there was any private mass in the world for the space of six hundred years after Christ; or, that there was any communion ministered to the people under one kind; or, that the people had their common prayers then in a strange tongue, that they understood not; or, that the Bishop of Rome was then called an Universal Bishop, or the Head of the Universal Church; or, that the people

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