rishes, and between 300 and 400 chapels-of-ease, as they would be called in England; that is, chapels in the largest parishes for the accommodation of the people, and which are in reality adjunct churches to the parish church.

The number of pastors is 211; but the whole number of preachers-pastors, adjuncts, assistants, &c.-is about 1100. There are two bishops, one of whom bears the title and fulfils the office of archbishop.

From all I can learn, I am inclined to think that there is more pure religion in Finland than in either Sweden or Norway, in proportion to the population. There is a goodly number of faithful ministers. And there have been some remarkable effusions of the Holy Spirit in some parts of the kingdom. In some places, however, what seemed at the outset to be a precious work of grace, has run into wild fanaticism, through the want of able and devoted ministers to conduct the meetings and give the requisite solid instruction.

Helsingfors, June 22nd.

Our steamer, the Furst Menschikoff, arrived here last evening; and as we must remain until noon, I have time to add a few words to my letter.

Abo was the capital of Finland until 1827, when the place was almost wholly destroyed by fire: and although it has been completely rebuilt, and has a population of more than 13,000 inhabitants, yet the government has been removed to this city, which is a new and pleasant place, containing some 15,000 souls. With the government, the university was also removed to Helsingfors, so that old Abo is quite abandoned.

The University buildings, the Senate House, (for Finland has a senate, a sort of consultative body,) the Military Hospital, the Observatory, the new Greek church, the Governor's

Population. Denmark.... 2,250,000

house, and several other public edifices, are fine buildings, and give great beauty to the place. There is a fine Botanical Garden a little way out of the town, which furnishes an admirable promenade to the citizens. Whilst in front of the city, and at the distance of some two miles, lies the strong insular fortress of Sveeaborge, called the Gibraltar of the North.

Finland, though forming a part of the Russian empire, is governed ac cording to her own laws in a great measure. There is a Governor-general, who spends a good deal of his time at St. Petersburg, and six subordinate Governors, over the six provinces into which the country is divided. At St. Petersburg there is a separate department for Finland. Moreover the Finnish ships are allowed to carry their own flag. In fact, the Finnish seamen are almost the only good ones that Russia possesses.

The University at this place contains usually from 400 to 500 students, about 150 of whom are in the Theological department, in which there are four professors, who have the reputation of being able men. To what extent they are truly pious men, and how far they are jealous for the truth and its faithful maintenance, our stay is too short to enable me to obtain any very definite information. Rationalism, I am happy to say, has never prevailed much in Sweden or Finland. Finland. But a dead formalism, though it has as little spiritual life in it as rationalism, is not nearly so dangerous in a literary institution, or in the pulpit; for the words of sound doctrine may, through God's great blessing, be the means of benefiting others, even when those who impart them feel not the power of the truths which they teach.

As I am about to leave the Scandinavian countries, perhaps it may be as well to give you some statistical views of the whole.

The churches enumerated are all Protestant churches, and of the Lutheran denomination. As to the others, I can only say that there are, as far as I know, six Roman Catholic churches, and seven priests; three French Protestant churches, and as many pastors; two English chapels, and one minister; five or six Moravian congregations, and as many preachers; and half a dozen or more churches of the Greek religion,

That it would please God to pour

out his Spirit upon the Protestant churches of these realms, and raise up some Whitfields and Wesleys to preach the glorious Gospel in such a way as to awaken them from the sleep of death, and bring about another reformation, more glorious and spiritual than that of the 16th century, let all your readers, as well as yourself, most earnestly pray; for this is the blessing which is so much needed in all these regions.

THAT the vessel of the State is in a position of great danger, is an axiom which will not admit of a second opinion; but the cause is another question. How comes it that troubles assail on every side, and that the danger is imminent? Passing events give the answer in the language of holy writ, "Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters." These are the words of the prophet Ezekiel with respect to Tyre, a city once famous for an extensive trade, and abounding in riches, the ordinary nurses of pride, luxury, and security. She carried on a most extensive commerce, even when the art of navigation was only in its infancy. She was proud. "I am a god," said her haughty prince, "I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas," the sovereignty of which she claimed as her own. In this chapter there is a continued torrent of threatenings against her, directed by an unseen, but an unerring and omnipotent Being, without whose knowledge not even a sparrow falls to the ground. And the Lord, by the mouth of his prophet, traces her dangers and difficulties to the conduct of men in high places, vested with power, but which they grossly abused. "Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters." As if he had said, "Thy governors, who guide the vessel, have brought thee into great trials, in which thou art likely to be shipwrecked, and in which thou shalt certainly perish."

And

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where is Tyre now, once the pride of nations? While Balbec still retains magnificent monuments of its ancient glory, Tyre seems to be swallowed up by the sea; literally the dust is scraped up out of her, (Ezekiel xxvi. 4.) as if every stone were removed from the stone above it, and thus it is now like "the top of a rock" for the spreading of nets. What is said of Tyre is but too characteristic of the present degenerate times, when ambition, popularity, patronage, and the love of ease, possess so deadly an influence over the minds of our rulers; and they who hold the helm of affairs are themselves guided by selfish and interested motives. Let England beware of her false security. The vessel of the State is in great waters, and the rowers seem to be reckless of its fate, careless whether it should strike upon a rock, or arrive at á harbour of safety., •nt".

Popery is fostered and caressed in the council chamber, in the senate house, and near the throne, as if its long-established character were changed, and the national PROTEST against her unscriptural and antisocial doctrines had been made without a sufficient cause. The power of the Vatican is making rapid progress both at home and abroad, encouraged and strengthened in its attempts to gain an ascendency by men of rank and influence, Protestants by profession, but

measures for the daily concerting

of

system against which they have solemnly protested. We deliberately bring this charge against the rowers of the vessel of the State, in conjunc tion with the m many senators of the British Parliament, whose voice is raised, whose influence is exercised, ence is exercise and whose Votes are

favour of an extension of privileges to a class of men, who, with liberty on their lips, and under the semblance of patriotism, would, if armed with power, exercise those privileges as despots, and give proof that their patriotism was mere selfishness.

Much of this latitudinarianism of principle, usually followed by laxity of morals, may be traced to our course with Italy and France. The infidelity of the one, and the Popery of the other, have had the effects of giving birth to indifferentism, a species of heresy, if it may be so called, which levels the partition wall between truth and error, and induces those, who have imbibed the poison, to see little or no difference between the two modes of faith, which are distinguished by the terms-Protestantism and Popery. The pious Herbert, who flourished nearly three centuries ago, writing in almost prophetic language, thus expresses himself in his Temple":

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morals of France, as well as the imposing ceremonials of a superstitious worship at Rome, have in a great degree accomplished what violence could never have gained, have gradually led to a corruption of morals and a disregard of true religion among multitudes, who have visited the continent of Europe. The rowers of the vessel of the State have not es escaped the infection, and on them, aided by a host of fawning parasites, eager to obtain place or pension, and all impregnated with the poison of foreign association, lies the awful responsibility of bringing the vessel into great waters. Ignorance of religion produced contempt of it in France; and both together meeting in one

common

throw of entre, a combination to government of God himself, led to the overthrow of the State. "Is the picture like ?" Can we not trace its facsimile, its counterpart, nearer home? The likeness is too striking to admit of a doubt.

Let the rowers of the vessel of the State but retrace their steps, cease to call good evil, and evil good, refrain from nursing a viper in their bosom, which, when it becomes warm, will turn upon them, and sting them; and in all their deliberations at the council table, seek counsel of the Lord-then may we expect that the vessel will have fair sailing, and at length reach the harbour in safety. While the governors are turning the vessel as they please, and are active in their vocation, it is incumbent on all who are on board not to be passive. The pilots are entitled to our prayers, and we have much need to watch unto prayer, looking to that God for an answer to our petitions, who can preserve amid dangers the most threatening, and make the ark ride out every storm. A great weight devolves on those high personages, who sit at the helm of the nation, and the vessel of the State is under their direction. If they be faithless to the trust reposed in them, let the faithful in the land not forget that on them also rests a heavy responsibility. Let the nation, both rulers and people, learn a lesson from Shiloh! Psalm lxxviii. Jeremiah vii.

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THIS is a year long to be remembered in the history of the Manchester and Salford Auxiliary Bible Society. Every true lover of the precious Word of God, and every one who wishes well to the religious interests of his fellow-creatures, will rejoice to hear that an unparalleled demand for the Holy Scriptures has manifested itself in this district during the year which has just closed. From a circulation ranging from 5 to 10,000 per annum, and which last year reached to 15,000, the issues have extended during the present year to upwards of 96,000 copies !

The fact of a few friends of various denominations of Christians, who were sojourning for a season at Blackpool, having been eminently successful in putting, under peculiar and interesting circumstances, a large number of copies of the Scriptures into circulation in that place, has been often adverted to, and is well known. The spirit of zeal and prayer kindled there was transferred to Manchester and elsewhere, on the dispersion to their several homes of those who had taken an active part in the good work. Its first appearance amongst us was in connexion with Sunday-school operations. A teacher in a school, where some of the young people were employed occasionally in delivering tracts to the poor, having suggested to his father (who had been prominent in the Blackpool distribution,) that portions of the Scriptures should be substituted for the tracts, received for reply, "Why not give them the whole book?" The hint was immediately taken, samples of Bibles and Testaments were furnished to the young people, an unexpected readiness to receive the Scriptures was discovered, and the work of distribution was set about in good earnest and proceeded with great rapidity. Another large school, receiving its impulse from the same quarter, commenced operations at nearly the same time, and proceeded simultaneously in the labours of distribution. The parties thus embarked in the under

taking had no preconceived plan of operations; they met frequently for prayer and consultation, watching the openings of Providence, and diligently availed themselves of them as they rapidly presented themselves on every hand. Other Sunday-schools soon caught the flame of zeal: the superintendents of many of these institutions met to receive and impart information as to the further extension of the work, and a Sundayschool Bible Association was formed to prosecute it in a more systematic and efficient manner.

In addition to this agency, the old and tried friends of the Bible Society, were excited to renewed zeal, and many of the general public were induced to interest themselves in the circulation of the Scriptures. In particular, an extensive correspondence was carried on (especially by the gentleman already referred to,) with ministers of the Gospel, superintendents of schools, millowners, and other employers of workmen in this and the neighbouring towns, with a view to enlist their influence in this Christian enterprise. And the Committees and Collectors of the Ladies' Associations, instead of being superseded by the new kind of agency which had been called into operation, were roused to fresh exertions, and accomplished more in a short time than they had done for years previously.

It may not be uninteresting to advert to the manner in which the young people went about this labour of love. They first supplied themselves and families with copies of the whole Bible or the New Testament, as they could afford it. They next went to their neighbours, going from cottage to cottage, to ascertain to what extent the Scriptures were possessed, and taking specimen copies with them; and here they found both a deplorable deficiency of the Word of God, and an unexpected willingness to purchase it. Numbers of the teachers and scholars in the Sunday-schools who were employed

in the great mills and factories, took advantage of their position, and proceeded to dispose of Bibles and Testaments among their fellow-workpeople. Room after room in these large establishments was canvassed, and a most extraordinary desire was evinced by the greater part of the operatives, both male and female, to possess themselves of the Word of God. Not a few even of professed infidels and Roman Catholics were induced to purchase at their own cost the precious volume of inspiration. Those persons who took the greatest part in these proceedings, and who drank most deeply of the happiness which such engagements yielded, were instant in season and out of season in stirring up others to like zealous exertions, stimulating their acquaintances in other mills, and, by correspondence, in other towns, and when called upon to visit neighbouring places, carrying their zeal with them, and setting other parties to work in the same way.

The Committee of this auxiliary also co-operated as far as they were able, holding meetings in various parts of the town and its vicinity, to impart information, and to enlist other labourers in this work; corresponding with neighbouring auxiliaries, with a view to special meetings being summoned, to forward the object in their respective localities, and sending deputations to attend such meetings when held; and taking other suitable methods of directing the public attention to the work as it proceeded. In many of these engagements Mr. Dudley, the agent of the Parent Society, who was here during a considerable portion of the time, took an active part, and rendered efficient service.

The results of the whole are summarily as follows:-The copies of Bibles and Testaments which were disposed of by one Sunday-school amounted to 11,000, and by another to 12,500. The Ladies' Association was almost overpowered with work. The Cheetham Hill Association had issued in six years, ending in June 1845, 552 copies; and in the six months following, 1731, that is to say, in a twelfth part of the time more

Total........ 96,711

This number is equal to the issues of the whole preceding twelve years,— the work of twelve years thus being accomplished in one.

Speedily there sprung up a greatly increased demand for the Scriptures in Liverpool, Bristol, Hull, Huddersfield, and in very many other places. The Parent Society was overpowered with orders for the Scriptures. On one occasion it gave an unprecedented order to the printers for 450,000 copies in sheets, and to the binders for 100,000 books to be bound; and there was a daily delivery of 5,000 for the supply of auxiliaries, which we believe is still going on.

The total number issued by this auxiliary since its formation in 1810, is-306,256 copies.

Nor was there wanting some happy measure of sympathy in this good work, as it respects the disposition of the public to afford pecuniary contributions. The Scriptures, it will be remembered, were not given away, but sold; but on some of the editions of the Scriptures, those intended for the use of Sunday-schools and the poor, it was well understood that a loss was sustained by the Parent Society; and this was thought to be a fitting season to call upon such as had the means, to come forward with their aid to the funds of the Bible Society. Much was done in the way of canvassing, and more, doubtless, might have been done, had gentlemen in sufficient numbers been found who could spare the time for that self-denying labour. The amount of additional annual subscriptions received is £167 2s.; and the amount of special donations £940 8s. 9d.