Extract of a letter from Rev. WM. M'KENDREE, to Rev. T. MASON, Corresponding Secretary of the "Missionary and Bible Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America, " in answer to a communication made to him, by order of the managers. In the letter of the Corresponding Secretary to BISHOP M'KENDREE, the formation of the Society was officially communicated, and information desired relative to the field for missionary labours generally, and especially in the Western and Southern extremities of the United States, and Territories; also relative to the necessary qualifications for missionaries designed for that country; particularly, whether it would be needful for them to be acquainted with the French and Spanish Languages.

DEAR BROTHer,

Cincinnati, 9th August, 1819.

A FEW days ago I arrived at this place, where I received your letter, accompanied with some copies of the "Address and Constitution of the Missionary and Bible Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church." This cheered my spirits,-It revived my hope of being enabled to carry the Bible to the poor, to preach the gospel to thousands, at present not included in our charge, and especially to those, who like the Macedonians, continually urge us, saying, "Come and preach the gospel of life and salvation to us also."

Your plan meets my views of " preaching the gospel to every creature," better than any one I have yet seen. First, because that body of Missionaries which you intend to assist, (in order to render the most extensive service to the human family) have mutually agreed to renounce ease and worldly interest, and devote their time, their talents, and their labours.

They know no geographical boundaries; but like the gospel which they preach, embrace the poor as well as the rich of every nation and condition of men. And in order to perpetuate the inestimable blessings of the gospel to all classes of men, they voluntarily subject themselves to a system of rules and regulations, calculated to promote so desirable an end, and labour for the reformation and happiness of mankind, which is the ultimate design of the gospel.

Secondly, it promises that pecuniary aid, for want of which we have had the mortification of seeing many well devised plans frustrated, and many hopeful prospects fade away. It was hoped that our lack of service, arising from the want of men and means, would be made up to the public by the Missionaries of other denominations; but their systems are local, the Missionaries are at liberty to establish themselves to their best advantage for ease and temporal prosperity, and frequently they seem to do so. From what I hear, and what sometimes comes under my observation, they frequently travel from city to city,

from town to town, through the most prosperous neighbourhoods in the country, where churches are formed and the people blessed with useful ministers; or follow those hardy enterprising preachers who have opened the way into frontier settlements, and establish themselves as ministers or school-masters, thus entering into other men's labours.

By such measures the grand and most important object of the gospel mission is defeated. The poor, the afflicted, and the most needy are not attended to, while many, very many who arrange themselves under the minister, and are considered his crown of rejoicing, are such as have only a name to live while they are dead. But all the missionaries are not of this description: some of them are very useful, and we rejoice to see, and hear, of the work of the Lord, the triumphs of the gospel, and of good done among the people, by whatever instrument.

You are sufficiently acquainted with the state of things in Canada.

Florida, the state of Louisiana, and the Missouri Territory form our Western frontiers, and furnish a large field for missionary enterprize: in those bounds there are many French, some of them friendly to our views of religion. We have establishments at New-Orleans, Mobile, through the Alabama, on RedRiver, Washataw, Arkinsas and Missouri. We have regular circuits formed through the country north of this, but as they extend over a vast tract of country, they leave room for considerable missionary labours.

Believing that it would be productive of much good, we have long wished for, and frequently endeavoured to procure ministers who would be itinerant missionaries indeed, to send to our western frontiers to preach to the inhabitants in French; but we have hitherto been disappointed. To understand the Spanish language would be an additional benefit, but is not essentially

necessary.

Thus far the Lord has been pleased, in the abundance of his goodness, mercifully to spare me. By his grace, and the assistance of many well-wishers to his cause, I have been supported in weakness, and enabled to visit New-Orleans, and the churches through the state of Mississippi, and to travel through the Indian nations. I have had the advantage of mineral springs, and the advice of excellent physicians; and above all, though I could render but little service, have had the inexpressible pleasure of seeing the work of the Lord gloriously triumphing at a number of popular meetings in the woods, where many professed to be converted.

Your affectionate brother in Christ.

WM. M'KENDREE.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM BISHOP ROBERTS, TO J. SOULE, DATED, NEW-LANCASTER, OHIO, AUGUST 25, 1819.

THE work of the Lord is progressing within the bounds of this Conference in a glorious manner. Great additions both in the ministry and membership. At the late Conference three preachers were re-admitted, twenty-seven received on trial, and only one located. From the numbers returned from the several circuits and stations, it appears that the increase is upwards of six thousand in this Conference the last year.

The Ohio Conference warmly approved the establishment of the "MISSIONARY AND BIBLE SOCIETY OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH." They fixed on Chillicothe as the place where the centre Society should be established; and the Rev. Truman Bishop is chosen as their Vice-President for the parent Society.

They have likewise established a mission among the Indians at Upper Sandusky; and it is in contemplation to send a missionary among the Cherokees on the Arkansaw.

R. R. ROBERTS.

It is with no ordinary pleasure we witness the deep and general interest which is taken by the several Annual Conferences, and by the members and friends of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the success and prosperity of the "MISSIONARY AND BIBLE SOCIETY, formed in this City. Under the superintending providence of God, we trust this Institution will be no ordinary auxiliary to the spread of evangelical Christianity. Wishing success to every Institution which has the circulation of the sacred writings, and the proclamation of the "glorious Gospel" to perishing souls, as its objects, we cannot but rejoice in the present auspicious prospect of the benefits which thousands of precious souls may derive from the establishment of this Society.

Two auxiliary societies have already been formed in this City, under circumstances peculiarly favourable; one entitled, "THE YOUNG MEN'S MISSIONARY AND BIBLE SOCIETY IN NEW-YORK;" and the other "THE NEW-YORK FEMALE MISSIONARY AND BIBLE SOCIETY." Examples of this kind, we hope and trust, will be followed by females and young gentlemen attached to the ministry of the Methodist through these United States. EDITORS.

Poetry.

THE

METHODIST MAGAZINE.

FOR NOVEMBER, 1819.

Divinity.

ON THE STUDY OF DIVINITY.

(Continued from page 365.)

CHAPTER VIII.

ON THE INSPIRATION OF THE SACRED SCRIPTURES.

AFTER having stated the nature of Inspiration in general, and of that kind of it, whi h, as we apprehend, is to be ascribed to the New-Testament: We endeavoured to prove, that this sacred book was undoubtedly written by such Inspiration. Now in the same manner, and by the same kind of arguments, may the Inspiration of the Old Testament be proved. We have shewn in a former chapter, that the books are genuine, and that the history which they contain is credible: from which premises, the inspiration of these books may easily be inferred, by a train of arguments similar to that which we pursued in the foregoing chapter.

For the genuineness and credibility of these books being supposed to be evinced, we may soon shew that they were written by a superintendant inspiration: And this we may argue, not merely, or chiefly, from the tradition to this purpose, so generally and so early prevailing in the Jewish church,-though that is considerable: nor even from those very signal and glorious internal evidences, of various kinds, which every competent judge may easily see and feel; but from surveying the characters and circumstances of the persons, by whom the several books were written, in comparison with the genius of that dispensation, under which they lived and wrote. This may, in all the branches of the argument, be proved in this way, with the greatest facili ty and strength, concerning Moses, and his writings; and when the authority of the Pentateuch is established, that of the most VOL. II.

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