circuits, stations, and missions. There were eight preachers admitted on trial in this conference, and six located. Numbers in society, 13,269 whites, and 7,801 coloured. An increase of 127 whites, with a decrease of 854 coloured.

5. The Louisiana Conference stations forty-six preachers, and has forty-two circuits, stations, and missions. Six preachers were admitted on trial, and five located. The numbers in society were, 4,845 whites, and 4,405 coloured. Increase, 505 whites, and 30 coloured.

6. The Alabama Conference stations one hundred and eighteen preachers, and has a hundred and six circuits, stations, and missions, in ten presiding elders' districts. Thirteen preachers were admitted on trial, and five located. Numbers in society, 33,163 whites, and 15,484 coloured. Showing a decrease of 27 whites, and an increase of 138 coloured.

The whole number of preachers in the regular work in these six conferences is five hundred and fifty. The membership, 152,657 whites, and 45,630 coloured. The bishop remarks that he grieves "for the smallness of this last number scarcely less than for want of preachers; and the more, as it is seen, on comparing it with the returns last year, that there is a decrease of 1,149. The increase of whites in the present aggregates is 2,894 ; no great number." The smallness of the increase, however, is attributed to an unprecedented drain by emigration to the West, especially to Texas and Arkansas.

The Annual Report of the Sunday-School Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church, for 1851, is perhaps the most interesting and important report of that valuable institution ever issued. Prefixed to the regular report of the Board of Managers, is a pretty full account of the Anniversary of the Union, and also of a number of Conference Anniversaries. It is to be hoped that next year we shall have such a reported anniversary from every Conference. The Statistics for

The report on the Department of Publication shows great activity, and affords another illustration of the industry of the Editor, Rev. D. P. Kidder. Eighty-two new volumes have been issued during the year. The circulation of the Sunday School Advocate amounts to eighty thousand copies. From the Cash Report, we perceive that the New-Jersey Conference has raised more money for the Sunday-School Union than any other, although, in point of numbers and wealth, she is far inferior to several others. The Appendix contains an account of the Origin of the Sunday-School System, in which more facts are stated on that subject than we have seen brought together before. This document settles two points beyond the possibility of cavil, viz., (1.) That the system of gratuitous instruction in Sunday schools, was first introduced and practised by John Wesley: (2.) That the present Sunday-School system was first introduced and practised in America by the Methodist Episcopal Church. In fact, the substance of the system was officially incorporated in the Discipline of that Church as early as 1790, only nine years after the first schools were established by Mr. Raikes in England. We trust that this report will be widely diffused, and carefully read by our ministers and people.

The contents of the Theologische Studien und Kritiken, for January 1851, are as follows:-Art. I. On the Authority of majorities in the Church, by Dr. Ullman: Art. II. The Ethics of Classical Antiquity, compared with those of Christianity, by Dr. Schaubach. (The point of comparison chosen is the Christian law, love your enemies, which is shown to have been entirely foreign to the whole life of classical antiquity): Art. III. John Denk; a contribution to the history of the sects in the time of the Reformation: Art. IV. The Fragments of Pherecydes in the Church-Fathers, by Prof. Jacobi: Art. V. Examination of Rom. viii, 18-23, by Pastor Rupprecht: Art, VI. Survey of works contributing to a knowledge of the Christian life of the Middle Ages, by Prof. Schmidt: Art. VII. Observations on the present State of the Church, by Dr. Kienlen.

The Journal of Sacred Literature, for January, contains articles on Nineveh; the Jansenists, and their Remnant in Holland; the Claims of the Septuagint to Biblical and Canonical Authority; The Theory of Human Progression, or the Natural Probability of a reign of Justice; Letter and Spirit in the Old Testament Scriptures; The Life and Times of Calvin, a review of Henry's and Dyer's works; First Lessons in Biblical Criticism, the Canon of Scripture; On the Interpretation of 1 Cor. vii, 25-40; Our Lord's Discourses and Sayings, a Review of Dr. Brown's Exposition; Bloomfield's additional annotations on the New Testament, a pretty caustic review; with Correspondence and Miscellanies. We are glad to see that Dr. Kitto, the veteran editor of the Journal, has received a pension of £100 a year from the Civil List.

The eighteenth volume of Clark's Foreign Theological Library, includes Hävernick's Historico-critical Introduction to the Pentateuch, translated by Alexander Thomson, A. M., Professor of Biblical Literature in Glasgow.

The third volume of Dr. Davidson's Introduction to the New Testament is announced for speedy publication in London.

"Tetraglot Pentateuch, in Hebrew, Samaritan, Chaldee, and Syriac. This is the title of a work now far advanced in the printing, and about to be published by Mr. Robert Young, an enterprising bookseller in Edinburgh. We know so much of the great dif ficulty of gaining an adequate circulation for really learned works on Biblical criticism, that we gladly use all our influence to further the efforts of our fellow-labourers in this department of literature. This undertaking is to contain the following texts of the Pentateuch-the Hebrew, the Chaldæa-Samaritan Version, the Chaldee Version of Onkelos, the Peschito Syriac. These are all arranged on the interlinear system, so that a comparison of these valuable critical helps, with the Hebrew text, is obtained at a glance. We need not point out in this brief notice the great use which may be made of such a work as this, but hope to return to the subject when the first volume, to contain Genesis, is completed. Our present object is to call the attention of our readers to the fact that such a valuable critical help is now undertaken, and that the names of subscribers are solicited by the publisher. The proof sheets are revised by the Rev. John Duncan, LL.D., Professor of Hebrew and Oriental languages, New College, Edinburgh." -Kitto's Journal.

Our readers may remember Dr. Whately's admirable brochure entitled "Historic Doubts Respecting Napoleon Bonaparte," in which it was clearly shown, by a strict application of the principles of infidel criticism, that no such person as Napoleon ever existed. Since that pamphlet appeared, Strauss and his followers have put the objections to the sacred word on somewhat different ground. The mythical theory is the favourite weapon of the latest form of scepticism, and we hear from them of the Hebrew mythology and the Christian mythology just as much as of the Greek or Roman mythology. An ingenious pamphlet has been issued in London subjecting the history of the French Revolution to the mythical process, under the title of "Historic Certainties respecting the Early History of America developed in a

"

Critical Examination of the Book of the Chronicles of the Land of Ecnarf, by the Rev. Aristarchus Newlight." We take the following extracts from the Athenæum :

"The course of the argument is often ingenious. A brief and accurate outline of the history of Europe (though the scenes and events are referred to America, proper names are used with no other disguise than that of spelling backward,-thus, France, Ecnarf,-Britain, Niatirb) is given in the form of a chronicle :-on which the critic goes to work, with his rules in his hand, and soon demolishes the whole fabric, leaving a curious skeleton of falsehood as the sole residuum of Fact. At the first mention of the name Noel-opan, (Napoleon,) we are treated to the following amusing note :

"This, I have no doubt, was not his real name, but the nickname under which he was known in Niatirb. Noel-opan is neither more nor less than the "Godless Revolution."

7, as Gesenius justly observes, is radically equivalent to verneinen vernichten, to deny or annihilate. As a particle it answers to the Greek negative, νη (in νήπιος, νημερτής, &c.) - the Latin ne or non-the English no-the German nein-the Arabic na. El, (3), as every one knows, is the name of God; Noel therefore is the same as ülɛoç, godless.

אפך

, Opan, actually occurs as the name of a wheel in Ezekiel, in Exod. xiv. 25, and many other places. In its contracted form, it denotes a period or revolution of time. It is impossible to resist these little obvious, but on that account more striking, evidences of the antiquity of the document. The framers of the story of Napoleon were, fancy, aware of the true etymology of Noelopan. Hence they represent a great literary bugbear (Lord Byron) as signing his name Noel-Byron,"-just as Shelley is said to have written ǎ0ɛoç after his name in the album at Chamouni.""

I

The following refutation of the History of Napoleon's return from Elba, and of the Hundred days-is equal to almost anything in Strauss:

"It is a pure myth from beginning to end: probably the work of some later legendary, who was desirous of giving the Niatirbites the whole glory of finally crushing Noelopan. They had, as we have seen, no share in the great combination of princes which led to his retirement. It was, therefore, requisite that he should be brought upon the arena once more to receive the finishing stroke from the misericordia of the king of

Niatirb. In other respects, this second subjugation of Noel-opan is a mere repetition of the former :-just as Rebecca's adventure with Abimelech is a counterpart of Sarah's, in the harem of Pharaoh. A great battle, ending in grievous slaughter of the Ecnarfites; the flight of Noel-opan to Sirap; the eagerness of the populace to thrust him out,' his banishment to an island, and finally the tranquil re-establishment of Sivol II. on the throne of Ecnarf. Ovum non ovo similius. Homer's unhappy warriors are most unceremoniously resuscitated, when some hero's glory demands that he should 'fight his battles o'er again,' and' thrice slay the slain.' But Noel-opan's return from Able and second banishment, will only be received by those who expect the grand Avatar of Prince Arthur, 'rex quondam, rexque futurus,' or those similar mythic figments which may be found in most popular creeds.

Qui Bavium non odit amet tua carmina, Mævi. Let the reader observe how many marks of the genuine myth here combine :-1. The miraculous complexion of the events. Noelopan returns with 600 men! IMMEDIATELY all Ecnarf submits, and Sivol flies without striking a blow. Noel-opan is defeated in one battle; and IMMEDIATELY the Ecnarfites thrust him out. Sivol returns as rapidly as he fled; and Noel-opan chooses to surrender to his greatest enemy, the king of Niatirb. It is really like the changes of a Christmas pantomime. 2. The expectation that a great person, whose actions have deeply impressed the public mind, should return, is a common phenomenon. And such expectations (as in the case of the Jewish Messiah) often produce a belief in their own fulfil3. The honour of Niatirb required this appendix. 4. The story is worked up from the materials of older legends. 5. It is inconsistent with the previous narrative. (a). In that Noel-opan was thrust out as a murderer and a tyrant: In this, he is received with open arms. (b). In that, Ecnarf had just lost three great armies successively. In this, after less than a year's space, Noelopan is able to raise, in that same country, another army, large enough to fight a desperate battle with the fresh troops of Niatirb, Aissurp, and Muigleb. Unless, indeed, we suppose that Noel-opan encountered the combined host with his '600 men who drew the sword.' (c). In that, Noel-opan's settlement in Able is made freely by the assembled princes for the purpose of removing all danger of his further interference. In this,

ment.

the place and circumstances seem so badly chosen that he is able to recover his throne in a few months. (d). In that, the king of Niatirb is his most hated enemy, while other princes seem disposed to deal mildly with him, and are 'merciful kings;' especially the king of Saturia, with whom he is connected by marriage. In this, he chooses to surrender to the king of Niatirb, who, instead of keeping him (as he easily might) in Niatirb, sends him to a distant island, for the sake of being obliged to maintain a fleet of ships to guard him. (e). In that, Noel-opan always flies when he is left with only a small force. In this, he trusts himself to the people who had just driven him away with 600 men! If this story be not a MYTH, where are myths to be found?"

The "Westminster Review" for January speaks of Wesley as follows:

Some century and a quarter ago, John Wesley was Fellow of Lincoln College, and Greek Lecturer there. With a few companions recoiling like himself from the profligate habits of the place, he took to heart the appeals of Law's "Serious Call," and resolved to live with the invisible realities, which with others served but for a stately dream or a mocking jest. In the cold midnight, beneath the truthful sky, he struggled for a faith worthy of so great a sight. He prayed without ceasing; he fasted in secret; he passed the mystery on from his own heart to the souls of others; and led the saintly life with less offence to creed and prejudice, than almost any devotee in history. The son of a High Church rector, he could not be charged with unsacramental doctrine or nonconformist sympathies; he denied the Christian baptism of dissenters, and drove them from the communion as unregenerate. He duly proved his spirit of self-sacrifice by preferring a mission to the Indians of Georgia to a parochial provision at home, and the fraternity of the poor Hernnhuter to the aristocratic priesthood of England. The sequel is well-known: how he took up the labours, while others boasted of the privileges, of Apostleship; civilized whole counties; lifted brutal populations into communities of orderly citizens and consistent Christians; and in grandeur of missionary achievement rivalled the most splendid successes of Christendom. With what eye did the Church as the mother, and the University as the nurse, of so much greatness, look upon his career? Did they avail themselves of his gifts, bless Heaven

But

for the timely mission of such rare graces, and heap on him the work which he was so eager to do, and others so much needed to get done? Did they found an order to bear his name and propagate his activity? He coveted their support; and so clung to their alliance, that seldom has a strong enthusiasm been combined with such moderation. in their most favourable mood, they did but stare and stand aloof. It was vain to look to the clergy for their help; he was driven to a lay organization and even a lay ministry; the Wesleyan chapel became the rival instead of the auxiliary of the Parish church ; and the most loyal of all popular religious bodies was absolutely repulsed from conformity. When the leaders, with a cart for their pulpit, and the field for their church, provoked the vices and passions they denounced, and were stoned and caried off to prison, the rector was less likely to be their intercessor than their judge. And in Wesley's college days, where the premonition of his religious movement was distinctly given, he met no wisdom and affection to protect him from the scorn of the learned and the laughter of the rich. The apostle of popular piety was repudiated and contemned."

So also the Edinburgh Review, for January, 1851, in an article on Devon and Cornwall, which part of England was called "West Barbary," from the wild and almost ferocious character of its population before the coming of Wesley among its people, speaks as follows of the influence of Methodism there :

"Whether or not we sympathize with the particular religious spirit introduced in these quarters by the teaching of Wesley, and sedulously maintained by his disciples, no one can deny the deep influence it exercises over the lives, as well as the sentiments, of great numbers of the people; the strength it lends to their courage and enthusiasm; the severity it imparts to their moral principles. Their fishermen range the whole coast of the south of England, and have turned the seas of Ireland, neglected by its inhabitants, into preserves of their own; their miners disinter the hidden wealth of Brazil and Australia. And yet the peace of this populous district, swarming with men of so adventurous a race, whose employments are peculiarly liable to those extreme fluctuations which try, above all things, the temper and judgment of the operative, is maintained by a detachment of thirty soldiers at Falmouth. No partiality for old world investi