The great exertions on the part of the Socie ty to extend its efficiency in the sundry important objects already detailed, press beavily on the funds, and call therefore for the continued and increasing support of the benefactions and legacies of well-disposed Christians.

The audit of last year left no balance in the hands of the Treasurers, and they were under the necessity of selling out between six and seven thousand pounds three per cent. consols.

The strength of the Society has, however, been greatly increased by the accession of Subscribing and Corresponding Members, making together 11,746; and there have been admitted since the printing of the last Report, viz. from Christmas, 1814, to Christmas, 1815, in all 1429; consisting of Subscribing Members 1198, Corresponding 26, and Ladies Subscribers 205.

Mrs. Jenkins, of Wells, Somerset, has conferred a donation of 100 guineas on the Society, on condition that Common Prayer Books to the value of three guineas be transmitted yearly to the present Vicar of St. Cuthbert in Wells, during his incumbency, and afterwards for ever to his successors, Vicars of St. Cuthbert, and the senior Priest Vicar of the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew's, also in Wells, jointly, in order that those Prayer Books may be duly distri buted in those two parishes, and the hamlets appertaining thereto.

The General Board were glad to participate to the best of their ability, in carrying this prudent and charitable design into effect; and have directed the 100 guineas to be funded.

ABSTRACT OF RECEIPTS.

Benefactions and Legacies
Annual Subscriptions
Dividends of various Funds

L.4,113 7 9

7,440 1 1 7,426 13 6

The public are very speedily to be presented, from the press of T. & J. Swords, with a new edition of the Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with a Commentary, arranged under the sanction of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge in England, by George D'Oyley, B. D. and Richard Mant. The exalted character of the persons engaged in this compilation, and the high auspices under which it appeared in England, have given to it there a most extensive circulation. The work is planned upon the purest model, and executed with a particular view to general use. The excellence of this Commentary, which will be put at a remarkably low price, will no doubt secure to it a very extensive patronage from the Amerioan public.

The following important work, from the pen of a venerable Clergyman, to whom the Church has been for many years indebted for his able writings in her defence, is just published by David Longworth:

Observations, (by a Protestant,) on a work entitled, "Profession of Catholic Faith, by a Clergyman of Baltimore, and with the authority of the Right Reverend Bishop Carroll.

The following theológical works have been recently published in England:

An Apology for the Ministers of the Church of England, who hold the doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration in a Letter addressed to the Rev. George Stanley Faber, B. D. in consequence of the misrepresentations of their opini ons contained in his Sermons on Regeneration By Christopher Bethel, M. A. Dean of Chi chester.

A brief Statement of the Nature of Baptism, and of the Benefits bestowed upon Christians in that Sacrament; according to Scripture, and the sense of the Church of England. To which are added some Observations intended to show the necessity on the part of baptized persons, of a perseverance in the performance of their Baptismal Vows. By Robert Hardy, A. M. Vicar of the united parishes of Walberton and Yapton, and of Stoughton in Sussex, and Chaplain to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent.

Considerations on the Doctrines of Regenera tion, in the sense in which that term is used in the Church of England in her Public Formularies. By the Rev. Charles Daubeny, Archdeacon of Sarum.

The Personality and Office of the Christian Comforter asserted and explained, in a course of Sermons on Johu xvi. 7. Preached before the University of Oxford in 1815, at the Lecture founded by the late Rev. John Bampton, M. A. By Reginald Heber, M. A. 8vo.

A Treatise on the Records of the Creation, and on the Moral Attributes of the Creator; with particular Reference to the Jewish History, and to the Consistency of the Principle of Population with the Wisdom and Goodness of the Deity. By John Bird Sumner, M. A. In 2 vols. 8vo.

A Familiar and Practical Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion of the United Church of England and Ireland. By the Rev. H. C. O. Donoghue, A. M. 12mo.

A Course of Lectures, containing a Description and Systematic Arrangement of the several Branches of Divinity. By Herbert Marsh, D. D. F. R. S. Part iv. 8vo.

A Familiar Exposition and Application of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians, in eight Sermons, by Thomas Gisborne, M. A. 12mo.

The public, and particularly the friends of religion, are respectfully informed, that the price of this Journal is put so low, that unless it receive extensive patronage it cannot be continued. It is hoped, therefore, that all whe feel an interest in the objects which this publi cation is intended to promote, will exert themselves in extending its circulation.

In places where a number of copies may be subscribed for, it is desirable that some responsible person should become the Agent for the whole, to whom the Journal may be sent, and from whom the individual Subscribers may receive them. To such Agents Subscriber's will pay their Subscription Money; and the Agents will please to embrace the first good opportunity of remitting it to the Publishers.

Printed and published by T. & J. Swords, No. 160 Pearl-street, New-York; where Subscriptions for this Work will be received, at one dollar per annum, or 24 numbers. All Letters relative to this Journal must come free of Postage.

No. 2.]

The CHARACTER, and some PARTICULARS in the LIFE of PHILIP MELANG

THON

(Abridged from the British Review.)

PHILIP MELANCTnos appears, from his history, to have possessed a mind formed for friendship and all the amenities of social life. His genius was marked by unusual precocity, yet accompanied with so much suavity and kindness, that he was greatly beloved, as well as respected, even amongst the childish rivals and companions whom the brilliancy of his talents was accustomed to eclipse. His memory was so powerful, that he not only retained the general ideas, but even the very words of almost every author he perused. Being as remarkable for persevering application as for quickness of intellect and retentiveness of memory, his literary attainments were so diffuse and rapid, that he commene ed Doctor in Philosophy before he had completed his seventeenth year, At a very early age he had become master of the principal Greek and Latin classics, especially of the elegant Terence; whose works he rescued from that unadorned prosaic dress in which, through the ignorance of tran, scribers, they had long appeared. The eulogies of learned men, and even of religious disputants, respecting Me, lancthon, would fill, says Seckendorf, if collected together, a considerable volume. Erasinus himself has borne frequent and magnificent testimony to his genius, his learning, and his vir

tues.

But to crown his fame, he had the singular felicity of being beloved as well as eulogized; so that even his adversaries, said Erasmus, cannot find it in their hearts to hate him.

VOL. I.

[VOL. I.

The important change which at an early age took place in the mind of Melancthon on the subject of religion, may be ascribed to the perusal of a copy of the Bible which the celebrated Capnio had put into his hands, and which instantly became his inseparable companion. The monks, with their usual virulence and prejudice, instantly became his persecutors.

The spirit manifested by these re ligious barbarians on this occasion, perfectly harmonized with the language of one of the monkish fraternity, whose preposterous ignorance and bigotry have furnished a standing joke ever since the Reformation. “A new language," says he, " has been invented, which is called Greek; guard carefully against it, it is the mother of every species of heresy. I observe in the hands of a great many people, a book written in this language, which they call the New Tes tament; it is a book full of thorns and serpents. With respect to He brew, it is certain, my dear brethren, that all who learn it are instantly converted to Judaism !"

At the early age of twenty-one, by the particular desire of Frederick the Wise, Melancthon migrated from his own university of Tubingen, to undertake the Greek Professorship at that of Wittemberg. The sorrow of his Alma Mater at her loss, was exceeded only by the joy of Luther and his colleagues at the treasure which they had gained. Melancthon instantly became so popular, that innu merable students flocked to Wittemberg; and his own auditory of pupils is said to have amounted to more than fifteen hundred persons. The praises bestowed by Luther upon the youthful stranger, amount almost to

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rapture; he even condescended himself to become his pupil in the Greek language, and from the first moment of their intercourse, a hallowed friendship commenced, which ended only with their lives.

The advantages resulting from this connexion, both to the illustrious associates themselves and to the glorious cause which they espoused, can scarcely be appreciated. Though possessed individually of the most astonishing powers, neither alone would have been adequate to the task which Luther had commenced. The bold, sanguine, yet obstinate mind of the senior reformer, was doubtless great ly moderated by the uniform Christian prudence and serenity of his friend; and, in return, his friend must have derived from constant collision with so strongly marked a spirit -a spirit which could neither be intimidated nor cajoled-no small portion of that energy and resolution which his own complexion had denied.

2

In a literary point of view also, the Reformation derived very great ádvantages from the efforts of Melancthon. The learning of Luther, at least in his early years, was dry and scholastic; his mind also was somewhat coarse and ungraceful; the more elegant pursuits of literature formed scarcely any part of his studies or his taste;-what an accession, therefore, was it to the strength of his most righteous cause, to have found a friend of acknowledged profundity of classical learning, of indisputable taste, of true Attic wit, and máster of all those graces of thought and language which the revival of learning had greatly qualified the greater part of Europe to enjoy and appreciate! At a time when genuine religion was injuriously identified with party, (and when, alas! has that ceased to be the case ?) nothing could have operated more powerfully than the conduct and character of the judicious Melancthon, to associate it with sentiments of cheerfulness and taste. There appears in his writings a sort of practical good sense, combined with great elegance and lite

Tary merit, which must have produced irresistible effects on those discerning readers, who, fatigued with the nonsensical jargon of the schools, had begun to look around for some more interesting and rational discussion.

In another point of view also their friendship was important; for Luther had rendered himself so completely obnoxious to the Papists, that it became at length inexpedient, on various accounts, for him to appear in person at the public disputations; especially after the proscription at Worms, when to have taken away his life would have been esteemed a meritorious act of piety. The ridicule also with which he had assailed the head of the Romish Church had so irritated his opponents, that nothing like a calm investigation of truth could reasonably be expected where he was present at the discussion. But Melancthon was free from these exceptions; so that at the great conference at Augsburg, he conducted the whole affair on the side of the Reformers, Luther being placed at a convenient distance for intercourse and consultation.

Melancthon has always been, as he deserved to be, a considerable favourite with the Protestant world; and even the Roman Catholic writers themselves, in default of being able to impeach his character or his talents, have affected to boast that se illustrious a man was born and educated within the pale of the infallible Church. As far, however, as the work of reformation is concerned, he can by no means claim equality with his gigantic friend. Luther might have done much without Melancthon, but Melancthon could have done nothing without Luther. The one was fitter for discovering and opposing abuses, the other for edifying a Church substantially correct. We believe both to have been equally free from that worldly policy which would have urged them to accommodate their doctrine to the fashion of the times, but the same real quality of heart assumed a different air in the two men, by passing through the

medium of a very different temper and disposition. Luther's love of truth oftentimes assumed an appear ance of malignity towards its opposers; while Melancthon, though far from shrinking from the promulga tion of his tenets, and conscientiously willing even to suffer martyrdom for the cause in which he was engaged, clothed his conceptions in such conciliating terms, and accompanied theu by such mild and engaging manners, that he secured reverence and even regard from the very men whose principles he was opposing.

"I am born," exclaims Luther, "to be for ever fighting with opponents, and with the devil himself, which gives a controversial and warlike cast to all my works. I clear the ground of stumps and trees, root up thorns and briars, fill up ditches, raise up causeways, and smooth the roads through the wood: but to Philip Melancthon it belongs, by the grace of God, to perform a milder and more grateful labour-to build, to plant, to sow, to water, to please by elegance and taste. O happy circumstance! and shame to their ingratitude who are not sensible of it!"

The charge of culpable timidity, so frequently urged against Melancthon, is in a great measure unjust. Compared with Luther, he might be timid; -and who is not ? but what so often appeared in him like timidity and equivocation, arose rather from a tender conscience than a weak heart. He hesitated, not because he was afraid of torments, or of death itself; but because he was accustomed to weigh, deliberate, and re-consider, before he finally resolved, and dreaded lest he should endanger his own salvation, and disturb the repose of the Church by unnecessary innovations,

It is no common testimony to the truth of the doctrines avowed by the Reformed Church, that each of these illustrious men should have been converted from Popery by the perusal of the sacred writings.

With regard indeed to Melancthon, he never became thoroughly decided respecting the great points at issue between the Reformers and

the Church of Rome, till after the memorable conference at Leipsic. Here, on the very spot where Popery expected a complete triumph, the goodness of the Protestant cause appeared so obvious, that the ingenuous Philip, who had been present only as an auditor, became an unshaken advocate, and attached himself irrevocably to the side of his colleague. Still, however, on looking back to his early history, we perceive that the first impressions on his mind, which ultimately produced this decisive step, were derived from the patient study of the Volume of Inspiration.

Melancthon appears to have been singularly happy in his domestic connexion. His house was greatly fre quented both by the rich and the poor; the former for the pleasure of his society, the latter for that relief which he was never known to deny. Indeed both himself and his partner in life seem to have been characterized by an exuberant benevolence; and to complete their comfort, possessed, what in modern days is no common treasure, a most valuable and faithful servant, whose praises have been justly handed down to posterity along with those of his beloved master. So complete was the union of the great and the minor virtues in our illustrious Reformer, that he whose presence had been earnestly courted by no less than three crowned heads at once, namely Henry VIII. Francis, and his own sovereign the Elector of Saxony, could condescend to invent puzzles for children, or even literally to rock his infant to repose.

From the period of the death of Luther, almost all the weight of the Reformation devolved upon the survivor, who was spared about fourteen years longer to continue the work which his companion had commenced. His lamp burned brightly to the last. He would not for a moment desist from his ordinary labours, till once, by the kind stratagem of his friends, who saw and lamented his extreme weakness of body, the pupils of the university were advised to absent themselves from the lecture-room, so that he was obliged to return to his