rous in Alabama and Tennessee; also in the vicinity of Georgetown (Kentucky). A large body of them reside on Ellison Prairie (Illinois); also at Bloomington and Indianopolis (Indiana); at Paoli (Indiana) and Paris (Preble county, Ohio). These places

are among the principal settlements, of which I have named but a few. I will close with the single remark, that I was never among any class of Christians, who better live up to their profession, than the Western Unitarian Christians.'

From Dr. Tuckerman's Reports, we can only give two passages. They involve subjects deeply affecting the improvement and happiness of human society.

"On the second day of my mission, I visited a widow, who was passing rapidly to the grave in consumption; and I ministered to her till the 27th ultimo, on which day she died. She was thirty-five years of age, and had three children. I particularize her, only because I have the pleasure to tell you, that neither in my reading, nor in my ministry of twenty-five years, have I met with a more impressive example of the power, which the simplest principles of our religion, when they have full possession of the heart, may exert in forming a perfectly Christian character. Her daily sufferings were very great. But the ruling principle in her soul was-love to God. This was the source of all her immediate comfort, and of all her hope as a disciple of Christ. O Sir,' she had repeatedly said to me, I would not exchange my sick bed, with the love of God which I feel in my heart, for ten thousand worlds.' I can glorify God in my greatest sufferings, for my love of him triumphs over all my distresses.' • Adversity,' she said, 'is better than prosperity. I once lived without God; but I have passed through many scenes of trouble, and in trouble I learned to know and to love God. The hardest trial to which I have been called, has been, to give up my children. But now that I have given them up to God, I look upon them without a feeling of anxiety." Such, indeed, were her conceptions of God's government, and of the purposes of suffering; such her love of God, and her desire to possess and to maintain the spirit of Christ, that she refused opiates by which her sufferings might have been alleviated; preferring to endure distress, rather than have her mind in the smallest degree enfeebled in its exercises, or checked in its aspirations after a nearer acquaintance with Him, who was the rock of her confidence, and the fountain to her heart of unutterable blessedness. In all my visits to this poor, but intelligent, most amiable, and pious woman, I never heard from her any of the technical language of a sectarian. We were soon friends; and I shall never forget the emotion with which, a short time before she expired, she said, 'I bless God, who has sent you to me, to enlighten my way through the dark valley of the shadow of death.' If no other circumstance, to cheer and strengthen me, should occur in the year of service on which I have entered, than the privilege of ministering to this poor widow, I shall be well compensated for all the toils to which it may call me."

"Let me say a word of the moral exposures of the poor, for they

are indeed hardly to be conceived but by those who are intimately acquainted with the poor. We must go into the rooms in which they live, and see how they live, and what they suffer there, to feel as we should feel for them, and to realize the extent and the strength of their claims upon us. Take the case of

a mother, whose intemperate husband is daily spending his small earnings to obtain the rum which he drinks daily; who is herself working like a slave, when she can get work, to procure bread for her children; whose ragged children are not only every day so treated by their father, that they lose, as far as children can lose, all affection for him, but who are at once the daily witnesses of his profaneness and degradation, and who are even daily encouraged by him to disobey their mother; I say, what are you to look for in these children, but that they will be as vicious and debased as their father? I can take you from house to house into families of this description. Or, suppose the case of an intemperate mother, or where both parents are intemperate. Rum is here the chief ingredient of breakfast, of dinner, and of supper. Is it wonderful, then, that there should be not a few among us, who are drunkards at the age of 14 or 15 years? Or, does it excite any surprise, that children who are reared under such influences, will not go to school? At 9 or 10 years of age they are wholly beyond parental control. Their home is in the streets; and they go to the habitations of their parents, only to obtain a supply of the wants which they cannot supply elsewhere. It is a matter of course, therefore, that they should not only be intemperate, but profane, deceitful, and dishonest. No plan could be devised for their moral ruin, more certain in its results, than the very manner in which they are now living. Will any one say, that this is a necessary evil? I cannot think so. The obligation is most solemn upon those to whom God has given the means of rescuing these young immortals from perdition, to attempt at least what may be attempted for their rescue. These children are now in a regular course of training for the House of Correction, and for the State Prison. My heart has ached to see a mother, and to hear her sobs of anguish, at the House of Correction, while she was visiting her son there, who was only 14 years old; and to see this boy, after weeping for a few moments with his agonized mother, return to be a companion of convicts, with five or six of whom he must be shut up at night in a cell, where he may learn more of the mysteries of iniquity in eight nights, than he would acquire in as many years by his own unaided experience."

In the course of the Report, the Committee of the Association state,

"It is pleasant to be able to express our congratulations at this time with our distant brethren. In Augusta (Georgia), a church was, a few weeks since, dedicated to the worship of One God, even the Father. In Baltimore, a pastor has been happily ordained, who will watch over the flock of the Lord Jesus, that have so long been without an earthly shepherd. In Philadelphia,..

the Unitarian Society has so increased, that the erection of a new church has become necessary, and has been commenced. In New York, a minister has been invited to take charge of the Second Congregational Church, whose labours, we have every reason to believe, will be abundantly prospered. In this city [Boston], also, Unitarian Christianity retains its strength. A new Society has recently been gathered; and the former churches, which embrace the doctrines signified by this name, were never more firm in their adherence to the great principles of Christianity, nor more prosperous in their condition."

We sincerely congratulate, not our American brethren alone, but all who value man's happiness and God's glory, on the bright prospects which are opening for the progress of truth. Union and perseverance, gratitude to the allgracious Father for his mercies, and practical proofs in our lives and conversations, that we deeply prize the blessings of salvation, will, through God's goodness, ensure the further prevalence of the kingdom of Christ-synonymous as that is, with all that is valuable to humanity, all that is honourable to the Almighty.

Unitarian Mission.

THE Rev. Robert Aspland, of Hackney, deputed by the British and Foreign Unitarian Association, has lately made a visit to the Unitarians of Lancashire and Cheshire, with a view to make more generally and fully known the objects of the Association, as well as to augment its funds. He preached in Liverpool and Chester; in Manchester, at the Cross-Street Chapel, the Mosley-Street Chapel, and the Green Gate Meeting-house; he preached also at Bolton, Duckenfield, Chowbent, and Hyde. The pecuniary assistance obtained for the Institution, is considerable; but the good which he has effected must be measured not merely by the increase of the Society's funds, but also, and chiefly, by the interest which has been awakened in favour of its objects; and the cordial and brotherly feelings which the private intercourse, and the piety and zeal which the public services of Mr. Aspland, have contributed to arouse and sustain. We heartily approve of this method of promoting the interests of the Association; and hope, that the success of the first attempt, will induce the Committee to send its advocates into other parts of the country.

WE are happy in being able to inform our readers, that the Rev. H. Montgomery has accepted an invitation to preach at the approaching anniversary of the Unitarian Meeting-house Green Gate, Salford. The anniversary will be held on Sunday and Monday, the 28th and 29th of December next. The hands of Mr. Montgomery will, we doubt not, be strengthened by a visit to our zealous friends in Manchester, and we feel persuaded, that he will return to the contest against spiritual wickedness in high places, in his native country, with refreshed and invigorated spirits.

CHRISTIAN PIONEER.

No. 29.

JANUARY, 1829. Vol. III.

Dialogues on Religion.-No. 1.

[We have pleasure in inserting the following Article. It has already appeared in "The Christian Moderator," Vol. II. p. 535,* but as it forms a portion of a series of conversations, hereafter to be given in our pages, we feel obliged by its communication, and gladly announce, that other Articles by its respected, and excellent Author, are also promised.-Edit.]

A. I am sorry to find that you have withdrawn from. our place of worship. Had you any cause of offence?

T. Not at all; I had no fault to find either with minister or people. This step was the result of an inquiry into the merits of the Arian and Trinitarian Creeds.

A. Were these or any other controverted points introduced into our devotional service?

T. No: My objection was rather founded on the reverse of this.

A. You wished to hear controversial prayers?

T. I wished for the introduction of sentiments to which I was particularly attached.

A. Now, I should rather think that it would be a profanation of prayer to address the Deity in language of Polemical Divinity, instead of Scripture, in which Trinity, Essence, and the other words necessary to express that doctrine, are not to be found; particularly in invocations, &c.

This well conducted publication, is, we understand, unfortunately relinquished. We say unfortunately, for we cannot afford to lose any means of spreading abroad the principles of scriptural inquiry-unfortunately, as it is an additional proof of the supineness of those who are called "liberal Christians," in embracing these opportunities of doing good; and of their indifference to the efforts of those who are labouring in the diffusion of truths they acknowledge to be worthy of all acceptation. It is not "The Christian Moderator" alone, which has cause of complaint,-for we much question, if any one of our periodicals is supported with that earnestness and zeal, which might have been expected from the intelligence, the learning, and the worldly prosperity of the members of the denomination, to the promotion of whose cause they are chiefly devoted.-Edit.

P

descriptive of his nature. Was there any thing in our devotions to which you could object, or in which you could not join? Or was there any assent, consent, or subscription required of you, or any scrutiny made into your private opinions?

T. I cannot say that there was; but I think it wrong to countenance, or worship with a people of different sentiments from my own.

A. I fear, then, you would neither have countenanced nor worshipped with the Apostles, who certainly never prayed to a Triune God. Is there nothing in the worship on which you now attend, discordant from your feelings or belief?

T. No doubt, there must be always somewhat of this kind, but not with respect to the Trinity.

A. With respect to the Trinity, do you think that all your fellow-worshippers are of the same mind?

T. We all agree in the doctrine.

A. Do you all coincide in the interpretation of the doctrine?

T. I suppose this is not to be expected.

A. Then you are still worshipping with a people of a different opinion from your own.

T. Yes, in minute distinctions, but not on the object of worship.

A. I presume you are aware that the differences among nominal Trinitarians, are neither minute nor unimportant; for instance, between Tritheists and Sabellians.

T. I am well aware of that. One extreme is the height of impiety; and the other is no Trinity at all.

A. The shades between these are innumerable; and probably both they and the extremes exist in every numerous congregation of Trinitarians. You are, therefore, farther from uniformity than before. Pray, what is your

own scheme?

T. I am not prepared to give a categorical answer to that question. It is a mystery, and cannot be clearly explained by any one.

A. You know, however, that many divines have undertaken to explain it. To which of these do you adhere? T. I do not attach myself to any private doctor.

A. You are right in that; for none of them ever broached a scheme, but he was presently confuted by another Trinitarian; from Sherlock, who was condemned by the Uni