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the members of the church, yet all was still and serious. Thirty-one were received from the world to our fellowship, most of whom appeared to me more than usually hopeful. These were selected from more than a hundred inquirers, whose names have been on my list for many months."

CANTON.-Mr. and Mrs. Bonney arrived at Hongkong on the 1st of December. On the 13th of that month he wrote that he had rented rooms at Macao, to which place other missionaries had repaired from Canton, for "the present distress." The English Admiral, Sir M. Seymour, had very kindly offered the services of a war steamer for the safe removal of the goods of the missionaries from

Canton, which offer had been gratefully accepted. Mr. Vrooman, in a letter dated December 9, expresses the confident expectation that the existing difficulties in China, with the rebels as well as with the English and Americans, are to be overruled for the furtherance of the missionary work.

FUH-CHAU. Mr. Doolittle writes, October 15, 1856, that the number of pupils in his school is twenty-three day scholars and fifteen boarders.

You will be glad to hear, that several of the older pupils, who have been members of the school the longest, express a personal interest in the truths they learn. Five of them, from 16 to 22 years of age, say they desire to be the disciples of Jesus. They are known to be in the practice of praying with their room-mates, and some of them, I have ascertained, retire in the evening to a certain place for private prayer. Their conduct, so far as I am able myself to discern, or can learn from others, is consistent and commendable. One or two have expressed their desire to become such as their teacher is, (who was baptized last April,) i. e. one who explains our books, and exhorts men to believe in Jesus. How deep and sincere their feelings are, I am not able to affirm; time must determine. I hope and rejoice, though with trembling. It is a source of devout thanksgiving to God, that these young men feel so free to avow their personal interest in the despised religion of Jesus, and pray daily to him for salvation. May the Holy Spirit lead them in the way of life.

MADURA.-Two letters, very brief but of great interest, have been received from Mr. Rendall. The first, dated December 24, relates to the Seminary at Pasumalie. The examination had just taken place, and Mr. Rendall, as one of the Seminary Committee, communicates a few thoughts, as they struck him during that examination, which will awaken in many who read, cheerful hope and fervent gratitude. He writes as follows:

1. The class studying Tamil only. This class have been studying only one term in the

Seminary, and I was struck with the proficiency they have already made in the study of the Scriptures and theology. If they are permitted to remain three years from the time of entering the Seminary, I doubt not that they will obtain sufficient knowledge to make very useful catechists in many parts of our field. After gaining practical experience in the work, some of them, without doubt, may become pastors of churches.

2. The first class.-As I have no time to speak of each class in order, I will say a word about the first class as an illustration of all the others. The examination of this class in the Bible, theology, moral science, sermonizing, and the duties of pastors, was in the Tamil language. Indeed the English was not used at all, excepting to a small extent in the higher mathematics. Although the text-books in moral science and in theology were in English, the instruction had been

imparted by the teachers in Tamil, and the pupils showed that they thoroughly understood the subject by giving their thoughts in their own tongue. I was exceedingly interested in the thorough course taken by the class in sermonizing, and in the various duties pertaining to pastors and teachers in the church. The principal had prepared a course of lectures on these subjects, and given them to the class in Tamil, and all had evidently taken a deep interest in them. These, as practical subjects and bearing on our work, are of the greatest importance; and I was exceedingly pleased to notice the attainments made by the young men in these studies.

3. The candidate for the pastoral office studying at the Seminary.-This candidate is from Mandahasalie, and has been studying since last July. His Bible studies were in connection with one of the lower classes; his studies in theology, sermonizing, and on the duties of the pastoral office, in connection with the first class. In all respects he did credit to himself, showing that he had been studious and thoughtful. The education, mental discipline and knowledge he has acquired, by coming to the Seminary for a short time, will be a lasting benefit to him, and a great assistance when called upon to take upon himself the responsible duties of a pas

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I am so pleased with this first experiment, that I shall hope to see a respectable class selected from catechists who are tried, faithful men, enter our Seminary in 1857, that they may become fitted, by the blessing of God, to be pastors of the little churches already organized at our several stations.

You will perceive that our Seminary is thus becoming more and more adapted to the wants of our field, and as such I hope, in the good providence of God, it will prove a bless ing to our mission, to our churches, and to all our people.

The second letter, dated January 6, 1857, has reference to the churches and the general interests of the mission, and is even more encouraging than the one above.

Since I last wrote, Mr. H. Zilva has received twelve adults to the church under his care at Carisacoolum. Mr. Winfred also, at a communion season Sabbath before last, received two persons to the church at Mallankinaru. You will greatly rejoice to hear of

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accessions to the churches under the care of | scarcely a thought, though reiterated fifty these worthy native pastors, and I doubt not pray

that they may be more and more blessed in their labors. Both of these churches have had large accessions during the year.

I have just received the statistics of our mission for 1856, and I am sure you will bless the Lord for the prosperity we have enjoyed. The number now connected with our congregations is five thousand two hundred and seventy-nine, nearly two hundred more than in 1855.

In connection with ten of our stations, we have twenty-three churches and eight hundred and four church members. One hundred and seventy-one persons have joined the churches, on profession of faith, during the year. This is a larger number than we have received during any previous year, and we thank the Lord and take courage. But it is painful to see, that while the field is lying open to us, six of our stations are unoccupied by any missionary, and four others are in charge of brethren who should be altogether free to promote the work in their own fields.

AHMEDNUGGUR.-Mr. Ballantine, in a letter dated Bombay, January 16, announces the safe arrival at that place of the missionary company who sailed from Boston on the 18th of August last, to join the Mahratta missions; consisting of Rev. Messrs. Fairbank, Wood, Dean, and Harding, with their wives. They reached Bombay on the 12th of January.

The formation of another church in the Ahmednuggur field is mentioned.

On Saturday, the 29th of November, I had the privilege of forming a church at Lonee, eighteen miles west of Ahmednuggur. Six members were set off from the first church in Ahmednuggur to form it, and on the Sabbath, November 30, another man was admitted by baptism, and the sacrament was administered. It was an interesting occasion. Yesooba, formerly stationed at Khokar, has charge of the new church.

The Ahmednuggur mission was formed in December, 1831, and of course has now been in operation twenty-five years, just a quarter of a century. It now embraces seven native churches the seven churches in Asia". with a hundred and eighty-nine native communicants and more than two hundred baptized children.

times, will find a way into their minds. The mind is pre-occupied; the heart is satisfied. I speak of the mass. Some do think, and break away from Hindooism. I more believe in preaching rather than teaching, if we can get hearers; but it is evident that strong measures are employed here to prevent the people from attending the places of preaching. They are afraid of the truth. The great want is that state of mind in regard to the truth, which only the Spirit of God can produce a feeling of sinfulness."

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ARMENIANS. Mr. Nutting wrote from Aintab, January 24. He had just returned from a visit to Oorfa, which is to be his station, and gives his impressions as to the progress of the work of the Lord in that place. The increase of the congregation has been very little since he was there in May, 1854. The largest attendance during his visit, of three weeks, was thirty-four, exclusive of non-residents. "Yet," he says, "it is an increase, and not a decrease; and considering the kind and amount of gospel preaching performed there during the time, and the fact that more than two-thirds of those enumerated as among our hearers in 1854 were the same year compelled by persecution to flee to Aintab and other places where they still remain, it is a larger increase than could have been expected." Native brethren from Aintab have been laboring there. "These laborers, however, have been unlearned and ignorant men as to human learning, and during all the time, the little handful of Protestants have been upbraided with their being 'headless,' i. e. without a regularly instructed preacher." For more than two and a half years, "the only missionary visit was that of Dr. Pratt, who spent two Sabbaths there in December, 1855, and organized a church of six members. Of these church members, there is much reason to fear that the one female member is not a child of God; but much intercourse with the others made me feel that there is good reason to judge them members of the true, invisible church. Four of the five male members were not even nominal Protestants in 1854.". "Three members of the Aintab church, natives and residents of Oorfa until persecution drove them away, are this day on their return to their native city to reside, with the idea that their influence is more needed there than here. There is reason to hope that they will add much to the efficacy of the little church there." "Thus

SATARA.—In a letter dated January 14, Mr. Munger speaks of the state of things in his field as not promising at present. He has had a sore trial in the case of one of his native helpers, who had been subjected to discipline, and was suspended from the church. He writes: "I am greatly grieved by these things. I cannot see that the truth is making progress. Sometimes I feel much encouraged, and at others I am quite discouraged. The great obstacle to progress is the indisposition of the people to think. They will not think. They sometimes seem to listen, and look as if they were giving fixed attention; but members, concerning the Christian character

the church at Oorfa now consists of nine

from us all that is desirable.

of eight of whom we have no reason to doubt; | failed, simply because they may not hear and there is at least one other man who will probably be received at the next communion. This, then, is sufficient evidence that God has been carrying on his work in the place where 'before he preached the gospel to Abraham,' and that he still has purposes of mercy to its thirty thousand inhabitants, and the other thousands in the Oorfa pashalic, who, through their word, shall believe on him. There is now much more inquiry, and searching the Scriptures to see whether these things are so, among the Armenians and Syrians of the place, than in 1854."

For nine months, the Bible had been read to the people in one of the Syrian churches of the place, in their own language; and within that time, it had also been introduced, in the spoken language, into the Armenian school. Before he left, Mr. Nutting "thought it best to hire a room in the custom-house khan, owned by the Governor of the city, for a book magazine. There, in place of spending his time in the school, C. will henceforth be found one-half of each day, ready to converse with any who may call, and sell them the Bible and other religious books, in Armenian, Armeno and Arabo-Turkish, Arabic and Koordish."

ZULUS.-A letter from Mr. Ireland, dated September 19, states that six infants had been baptized, and four persons had been added to the church at his station (Ifumi) by profession, within the previous nine months, making the number of church members in good standing thirty-one.

Mr. A. Grout writes, September 12, a letter suggested by his having heard that some consider the Zulu mission a failure. The remarks on this subject, in the mission letter, which was published in the Herald for January last, render it perhaps unnecessary to publish this letter from Mr. Grout. He is pained, as are the other missionaries, by the thought that such a false impression may have gone abroad, and fears that Christians in the United States have been thus led in great measure to cease praying for them, and for the people in their field, and that, in the same way, candidates for the missionary work have been led to turn away from their appeals for help. He earnestly protests against any such impression, for which there is no foundation, and says: "Whatever else may be thought or done, two things are quite important in reference to us and our work; 1st, that the churches at home pray particularly and earnestly for us; and 2d, that they never pain our hearts by asking if we have

In regard to reinforcements he writes: "I know loud calls have been made from other fields, yet what call can be louder than real, pressing need? To say nothing of other places, two of our stations, where churches had been formed, have long been destitute; and at one, I think the wild boar hath completely trodden down the vine and rooted it up. At the other, a few remain firm, even without a shepherd. Humanly speaking, we have lost immensely by the want of men. How long, O, how long, shall this want continue to feed on our vitals? Shall it go on till the churches utterly forget us, and lose the last particle of sympathy for us? If Africa was long forgotten and left to destruetion, when she had no missionaries, shall she now, with her missionaries, be utterly forgot ten? I am afraid the rocks of these mountains will soon begin to cry out against you, if not the rocks of these black hearts."

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Amherst, Gent. 114,77; la. 69; m.
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