the members of the church, yet all was still Seminary, and I was struck with the profiand serious. Thirty-one were received from

ciency they have already made in the study

of the Scriptures and theology. If they are the world to our fellowship, most of whom

permitted to remain three years from the appeared to me more than usually hopeful. time of entering the Seminary, doubt not These were selected from more than a hun- that they will obtain sufficient knowledge to dred inquirers, whose names have been on my

make very useful catechists in many parts of

our field. After gaining practical experience list for many months."

in the work, some of them, without doubt,

may become pastors of churches. CANTON.-Mr. and Mrs. Bonney arrived at 2. The first class.-As I have no time to Hongkong on the 1st of December. On the speak of each class in order, I will say a word 13th of that month he wrote that he had

about the first class as an illustration of all

the others. The examination of this class in rented rooms at Macao, to which place other the Bible, theology, moral science, sermonmissionaries had repaired from Canton, for izing, and the duties of pastors, was in the " the present distress." The English Admi

Tamil language. Indeed the English was

not used at all, excepting to a small extent ral, Sir M. Seymour, had very kindly offered

in the higher mathematics. Although the the services of a war steamer for the safe text-books in moral science and in theology removal of the goods of the missionaries from

were in English, the instruction had been Canton, which offer had been gratefully pupils showed that they thoroughly under

imparted by the teachers in Tamil, and the accepted. Mr. Vrooman, in a letter dated stood the subject by giving their thoughts in December expresses the confident expec- their own tongue. I was exceedingly interesttation that the existing difficulties in China,

ed in the thorough course taken by the class with the rebels as well as with the English pertaining to pastors and teachers in the

in sermonizing, and in the various duties and Americans, are to be overruled for the church. The principal had prepared a course furtherance of the missionary work.

of lectures on these subjects, and given them

to the class in Tamil, and all had evidently FUH-CHAU.—Mr. Doolittle writes, October taken a deep interest in them. These, as 15, 1856, that the number of pupils in his

practical subjects and bearing on our work,

are of the greatest importance; and I was school is twenty-three day scholars and fif

exceedingly pleased to notice the attainments teen boarders.

made by the young men in these studies. You will be glad to hear, that several of studying at the Seminary. This candidate is

3. The candidate for the pastoral offices the older pupils, who have been members of the school the longest, express a personal

from Mandahasalie, and has been studying interest in the truths they learn.

since last July. His Bible studies were in Five of

connection with one of the lower classes; his them, from 16 to 22 years of age, say they desire to be the disciples of Jesus. They are

studies in theology, sermonizing, and on the known to be in the practice of praying with

duties of the pastoral office, in connection

with the first class. In all respects he did their room-mates, and some of them, I have ascertained, retire in the evening to a certain

credit to himself, showing that he had been

studious and thoughtful. The education, place for private prayer. Their conduct, so

mental discipline and knowledge he has acfar as I am able myself to discern, or can learn from others, is consistent and com

quired, by coming to the Seminary for a short mendable. One or two have expressed their

time, will be a lasting benefit to him, and a desire to become such as

great assistance when called upon to take

their teacher is, (who was baptized last April,) i. e. one

upon himself the responsible duties of a paswho explains our books, and exhorts men

I am so pleased with this first experiment, to believe in Jesus. How deep and sin

that I shall hope to see a respectable class cere their feelings are, I am not able to af

selected from catechists who are tried, faithfirm; time must determine. I hope and

ful men, enter our Seminary in 1857, that rejoice, though with trembling: It is a source of devout thanksgiving to God, that these

they may become fitted, by the blessing of

God, to be pastors of the little churches young men feel so free to avow their personal interest in the despised religion of Jesus, and

already organized at our several stations. pray daily to him for salvation. May the becoming more and more adapted to the

You will perceive that our Seminary is thus Holy Spirit lead them in the way of life.

wants of our field, and as such I hope, in the MADURA.—Two letters, very brief but of good providence of God, it will prove a bless

ing to our mission, to our churches, and to great interest, have been received from Mr.

all our people. Rendall. The first, dated December 24, relates to the Seminary at Pasumalie. The

The second letter, dated January 6, 1857, examination had just taken place, and Mr.

has reference to the churches and the general Rendall, as one of the Seminary Committee,

interests of the mission, and is even more encommunicates a few thoughts, as they struck

couraging than the one above. him during that examination, which will

Since I last wrote, Mr. H. Zilva has re awaken in many who read, cheerful hope and ceived twelve adults to the church under his fervent gratitude. He writes as follows:

tor.

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

times, will find a way into their minds. The pray that they may be more and more blessed in their labors. Both of these churches have

mind is pre-occupied; the heart is satisfied. had large accessions during the year.

I speak of the mass. Some do think, and I have just received the statistics of our break away from Hindooism. I more believe mission for 1856, and I am sure you will bless the Lord for the prosperity we have enjoyed.

in preaching rather than teaching, if we can The number now connected with our congre. get hearers; but it is evident that strong gations five thousand two hundred and measures are employed here to prevent the seventy-nine, nearly two hundred more than

people from attending the places of preachin 1855. In connection with ten of our stations, we

ing. They are afraid of the truth. The have twenty-three churches and eight hun- great want is that state of mind in regard to dred and four church members. One hun

the truth, which only the Spirit of God can dred and seventy-one persons have joined the churches, on profession of faith, during the produce—a feeling of sinfulness.” 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

ARMENIANS. — Mr. Nutting wrote from painful to see, that while the field is lying

Aintab, January 24. He had just returned open to us, six of our stations are unoccupied from a visit to Oorfa, which is to be his staby any missionary, and four others are in

tion, and gives his impressions as to the procharge of brethren who should be altogether free to promote the work in their own fields.

gress of the work of the Lord in that place.

The increase of the congregation has been AHMEDNUGGUR.--Mr. Ballantine, in a let

very little since he was there in May, 1854. ter dated Bombay, January 16, announces

The largest attendance during his visit, of the safe arrival at that place of the mission

three weeks, was thirty-four, exclusive of ary company who sailed from Boston on the non-residents. “ Yet,” he says, “it is an in18th of August last, to join the Mahratta crease, and not a decrease; and considering missions; consisting of Rev. Messrs. Fair

the kind and amount of gospel preaching bank, Wood, Dean, and Harding, with their performed there during the time, and the fact wives. They reached Bombay on the 12th

that more than two-thirds of those enumerof January. The formation of another ated as among our hearers in 1854 were the church in the Ahmednuggur field is men

same year compelled by persecution to flee to tioned.

Aintab and other places where they still reOn Saturday, the 29th of November, I had

main, it is a larger increase than could have the privilege of forming a church at Lonee,

been expected.” Native brethren from Aineighteen miles west of Ahmednuggur. Six tab have been laboring there. " These labormembers were set off from the first church in Ahmednuggur to form it, and on the Sabbath,

ers, however, have been 'unlearned and ignoNovember 30, another man was admitted by

rant men’as to human learning, and during baptism, and the sacrament was administered. all the time, the little handful of Protestants It was an interesting occasion. Yesooba, formerly stationed at Khokar, has charge of

have been upbraided with their being headthe new church.

less,' i. e. without a regularly instructed The Ahmednuggur mission was formed in preacher.” For more than two and a half December, 1831, and of course has now been in operation twenty-five years, just a quarter

years, “the only missionary visit was that of of a century. It now embraces seven native

Dr. Pratt, who spent two Sabbaths there in churches the seven churches in Asia ”- December, 1855, and organized a church of with a hundred and eighty-nine native com- six members. Of these church members, municants and more than two hundred bap

there is much reason to fear that the one

female member is not a child of God; but SATARA.-In a letter dated January 14,

much intercourse with the others made me Mr. Munger speaks of the state of things in

feel that there is good reason to judge them his field as not promising at present. He has members of the true, invisible church. Four of had a sore trial in the case of one of his na

the five male members were not even nominal tive helpers, who had been subjected to disci

Protestants in 1854.”. "Three members of pline, and was suspended from the church. the Aintab church, natives and residents of He writes : “I am greatly grieved by these Oorfa until persecution drove them away, are things

. I cannot see that the truth is making this day on their return to their native city progress. Sometimes I feel much encouraged, to reside, with the idea that their influence is and at others I am quite discouraged. The

more needed there than here. There is reagreat obstacle to progress is the indisposition son to hope that they will add much to the of the people to think. They will not think. efficacy of the little church there.”

• Thus They sometimes seem to listen, and look as the church at Oorfa now consists of nine

giving fixed attention; but ! members, concerning the Christian character

tized children.

if they were

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 from us all that is desirable. probably be received at the next communion. In regard to reinforcements he writes: “I This, then, is sufficient evidence that God has know loud calls have been made from other been carrying on his work in the place where fields, yet what call can be louder than real, before he preached the gospel to Abraham,' pressing need ? To say nothing of other and that he still has purposes of mercy to its places, two of our stations, where churches thirty thousand inhabitants, and the other had been formed, have long been destitute; thousands in the Oorfa pashalic, who, through and at one, I think the wild boar hath comtheir word, shall believe on him. There is pletely trodden down the vine and rooted it now much more inquiry, and searching the up. At the other, a few remain firm, even Scriptures to see whether these things are so, without a shepherd. Humanly speaking, we among the Armenians and Syrians of the have lost immensely by the want of men. place, than in 1854.”

How long, 0, how long, shall this want conFor nine months, the Bible had been read tinue to feed on our vitals ? Shall it go on to the people in one of the Syrian churches of till the churches utterly forget us, and lose the place, in their own language; and within the last particle of sympathy for us? If that time, it had also been introduced, in the Africa was long forgotten and left to destruo spoken language, into the Armenian school. tion, when she had no missionaries, shall she Before he left, Mr. Nutting “ thought it best now,

with her missionaries, be utterly forgot to hire a room in the custom-house khan, ten? I am afraid the rocks of these mounowned by the Governor of the city, for a book

tains will soon begin to cry out against you, magazine. There, in place of spending his

if not the rocks of these black hearts." 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

DONATIONS, and other religious books, in Armenian, Ar

RECEIVED IN FEBRUARY. meno and Arabo-Turkish, Arabic and Koordish.”

MAINE.

Cumberland co. Aux. So. F. Blake, Tr. ZULUS.-A letter from Mr. Ireland, dated

Cumberland Centre, Cong. ch. m. c. 21 50

Falmouth, 2d cong. ch. 25,04 ; R. September 19, states that six infants had been

Merrill, 10;

35 04 baptized, and four persons had been added to Freeport, Cong. ch. to cons. Miss

SARAH J. NASON an H. M. 161 00 the church at his station (Ifumi) by profes- North Bridgeton, Cong. ch.

5 00 sion, within the previous nine months, mak- Otisfield, D. Knight,

2 00

Portland, High st. ch. 6,85; a ing the number of church members in good

lady, 5;

11 85 standing thirty-one.

Ponal, Cong. ch.

20 02 Scarborough, Ist cong. ch. to cons.

Rev. JOHN B. GARMAN an H. Mr. A. Grout writes, September 12, a letter M.

79 55 suggested by his having heard that some Waterford, Cong. ch. 17; Mrs. 0.

Hale, 20;

37 00372 98 consider the Zulu mission a failure. The

Franklin co. Conf. of chs. Rev. I. Rogers, Tr. remarks on this subject, in the mission letter,

Farmington, Cong. ch. and so.

30 00

Hancock co. Aux. So. which was published in the Herald for Jan

Castine, Mrs. R. Perkins,

20 00 vary last, render it perhaps unnecessary to

Lincoln có. Aux. So. Rev. J. W. Ellingwood, TT,
Bath, Central ch.

143 00 publish this letter from Mr. Grout. He is

Penobscot co. Aux. So. E. F. Duren, Tr. pained, as are the other missionaries, by the Bangor, Central ch. and so. 50 00

Brownville, Cong. ch. and so. m. c. 16 00--66 20 thought that such a false impression may York Conf. of chs. Rev. G. W. Cressey, Tr. have gone abroad, and fears that Christians Biddeford, S. Haskell,

2 00 in the United States have been thus led in

Buxton Centre, Rev. G. W. Cressey, 15 00—17 00 great measure to cease praying for them, and

648 98 Whitneysville, Mrs. J. Pope,

500 for the people in their field, and that, in the same way, candidates for the missionary

653 98 work have been led to turn away from their

NEW HAMPSHIRE. appeals for help. He earnestly protests

Grafton co. Aux. So. W. W. Russell, Tr.
Bristol, Cong. ch. m. c.

12 52 against any such impression, for which there Hillsboro' co. Aux. So. J. A. Wheat, Tr. is no foundation, and says: “ Whatever else

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

C. 59,02; (of wh. to cons. Miss may be thought or done, two things are quite LYDIA PEABODY an H. M. 100 ;) important in reference to us and our work;

a friend, 2; J. Blunt, 25; 269 79 Bedford, Pres. ch. and so.

100 00 1st, that the churches at home pray particu- Manchester, Mrs. E. D. A. larly and earnestly for us; and 2d, that they

a