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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 Am SERMON / ON THK EDUCATION OF THE POOR, THE DUTY OF DIFFUSING THE GOSPEL, AMD, MORE FARTICrLAKLY, OH THK IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY RELIGION PnEACHED BEFORE THE DIOCESAN COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE, UN THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF QUEBEC, On the 24th FEBRUARY, x822. UPON OCCASIOK BY THE REVEREND G. J. MOUNTAIN, D. D. ARCHDEACON OF QUEBEC. QUEBEC : PRINTED BY J. NEILSON, 3, MOUNTAIN STREET. i Jl 1822. » " . • ■ • • • • • . • . , . A JLO'^ TO THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, AT Q,UEBEC, (among w horn some wish for the Publication has been expresbed) THE FOLLOWING S SERMON IS DEDICATED, By their affectionate Servant in Christ, G. J. MOUNTAIN. 59593 ADVERTISEMENT, The principal leason for the publica- tion of this Sermon is the hope of giving more durable effect to the recommendations of Family i2d/iO70W which it contains, and the desire of fur- nishing some slight hints and references upon this point, (appearing m the shape of notes,) which could not be introduced, with any sort of propri- ety, in the delivery, nor retained with any suffi- cient accuracy by the Audience. It is proper to take this opportunity of acknow- ledging the honor done to me by the Clergy of this Province, with the Bishop of the Diocess at their head, in desiring the publication of the ser- mon preached at the Visitation held at Montreal, in the year 1820. I ought not, indeed, to have suf- fered so much time to elapse in deliberation upon my compliance with this desire, as to leave the occasion, a\; last, so far disjoined from the time at which the publication could have taken place, that ro appearance of their connection would have been preserved. I have only to plead in excuse, that the Sermon in question formed part of a Series, addressed to my first flock, which, if I en- joy sufficient leisure for the task, I may possibly one day revise and prepare for the press. A SERMON. FsAtM S4. II. Come ye children and A?nr*«rn unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. ± HE subject to which I called your atten^ tion a week ago from this place, was the necessity of uniting religious practice to our religious know- ledge ; and we concluded by some reflections up- on the blessedness of Christian knoiioledge, as well as its necessity in order to practice, with an allusi- on to the present occasion, upon which vou are in- vited to promote the work of spreading that know- ledge among your brethren. It is my business to recommend to you, (so far as it shall please God to bless my endea> ours,) the Association which has been formed among us for some years past, for this purpose. The resources which we have at command are divided into two principal channels ; the general diffusion of Christian knowledge, to all points which the effects of our contributions can reach; and the education of poor children, with an express provi- sion included for their instruction in Christian principles. The text which I have chosen presents the sub- ject, under either aspect, to our thoughts. " Come ye children and hearken unto me — I will teach you the fear of the Lord." ^ These words, in their direct literal acceptation, may serve as the very motto for that branch of our endeavours which relates to Education. What these endeavours have been, and what their fruits, we need not shrink to enquire. We have laboured, indeed, under some discouragements ; we have had to struggle with some disadvantages of a local or accidental nature ; — we have experienced from the large proportion of transient persons in the poorer population, much fluctuation in the mate- rials upon which we had to work, and we have not yet reached that complete establishment and per- fect operation of the Madras system, with that re- gular provision for its continuance which we hope, with due support, to attain. But, my brethren, I trust that we have done good. I trust that it is for a decidedly good pur- pose that the appeal is made to your bounty on this behalf. In undertakings of this nature, whatever occasional obstacles or disappointments we may encounter, they should operate, not to dishearten but to stimulate our zeal, so long as we can even Jiope that, upon the the whole, we are doing good. Much more, then, should we be encouraged to persevere when we have reaped a fair harvest of good fruit, and enjoy the prospect of an improved blessing upon our labours. And is it not a fair harvest when we have opened the sources of com- mon useful knowledge to nearly one hundred and fifty children at one time, to the greater part of whoni, perhaps, all access would be otherwise de- nied ? And is it not a grateful sight to behold a portion of them collected in the House of God, who would else perhaps be idling in the streets, and learning the easy lesson of vice ? And is it not a pleasing sound to hear them hymn their Ma- ker's praise, and verify the description of the Pro- phet,—" Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise" ? What if, in some in- stances they perform these things as a mere task ? if they utter their part mechanically, and betray the absence of real comprehension or serious feel- ing upon the subject ?— it is a point which we need not rigourously scan,— -for at least their memories are beneficially exercised— at least they are fur- nished with stores which (according, in fact, to tne usual process of education,) maybe laid up in the mind and brought out for future use— at least T 1 8 they arc moulded to habits and made to imbibe associations which to themselves and to the com- munity in which they live, may be of infinite ad- vantage in after-life: And I appeal to you who have honoured with your presence the public examina- tions;* to you who have immediately shared with me the inspection of these children t whether there are not many of them who upon that occasion, and in their attendance also upon the Lord's day, in the questions with which they are there exercised, have mnnifested both a general promptness of in- tellect which it would be sin and pity to suffer to run to waste, and an acquaintance with sacred sub- jects which in some points would shame the defici- ency of older and more educated persons ? Ofar be it from our views, and alien may it always be held to Christian principles, to turn them loose upon the world that they may choose, in matters of Re- ligion for themselves ! — to send them into the thickening warfare of temptation, unprotected by the *' shield of Faith," unfurnished with the " hel. met of Salvation," and the •* sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," We make, indeed^ an exception, in this point, for those who are claim- ed by their Parents as Members of other regularly constituted folds — our local Rules in that respect * His Excellency the Earl of Dalhousie, and the Countess, with several of the princip^il Inhabitants of Quebec havo been pr«sentat th« Examinatious. f The Ladies whu act as Monthly Visitors. i 9 are public, t We are willing — we arc glad— +to give them education without meddling with their tenets, or religious discipline— but utterly do we renounce the maxim which would forbid it to Re- Hgion to have her share in the public training of Youth, or would divorce her from the national Establishments for the education of the different classes in the nation. The Madras system has been called exclusive — but I know of no exclusion so injurious as the exclusion of Religion. And, un- less we mean to subvert the whole Constitution of the Country both civil and ecclesiastical, in what shape shall it be introduced, (for it would be a per- fect Babel of confusion were we to open the door to all at once,) in what shape but according to the received form of the Country itself? Are we to be so afraid of training children to be Churchmen, that we will not contribute to their chance of be- ing Christians ? We are very wise — very enlight- ened — we have undeniably made great strides in Science and civilization, but there is a Wisdom in which we have gone back from our venerable fore- * The foJlowing arc the two firs^ Rules in the printed Regulations :— 1. 1 he general regulation of the Schools shall be in strict conformity with the instructions of Dr. Bell, except where a deviation may become neceiwarv from local circumstances. ' ' ^e^lJ^"^ children of Roman Catholic Parents, and of those who are Members of the national Church of Scotland will be allowed to attend their respeciiva fc^f«K rT'^'P,"" ^^ll^fy^ instead of going, with the other children, to the Eng ish Cnth..>dral-and the former (and if the Parents should desire it, the lat- lind "' exempted from learning the Catechijm of the Church of £n- b : :-^ ':\ . < •^ t , 10 fathers by full as many steps as those by which we have outstripped them \v\. another field. But the blessings of Education and the peculiar advantages of mutual instruction have been recommended to you upon former occasions at length— these falla- cies of a specious Philosophy have been combated also by abler hands than mine. The impression, I hope, has not been worn away j and I shall draw this part of my subject to a close by simply obser- ving that although the fallacies in question are of- ten unguardedly aaoptedhy well-disposed and well- informed persons, I cannot avoid thinking, for my own shar6, that their root is to be traced to a deli- berate scepticism ; they spring originally from the supposition that the Gospel may be false. For if the Gospel be of GOD, it must be matter of deep, earnest, universal, concern; and we need not be afraid to sow the seeds of it too early, or to provide foi its due culture over too wide an extent. Let ifc then,— we might argue thus with our op- ponents,— let it then be disproved. We are ready to meet the enquiry. We cloak nothing in our Re- ligion — we keep nothing back. You may search it through and through— the closer yo'i search the better. But we cpnnoc allow you to call ua dog- mathts—'^e car^not allow you to reserve to your- selves the credit ^f true philosophy, because we insist upon teaching what we are prepared to sup. port, and what you do not venture to impugn. n You would indeed be more consistent if you did. Yes — if the Gospel be of God, the question is at rest. *♦ Come then, ye Children and hearken unto us:" We will do more for you than enabling you to converse with books, and to handle "the pen of a ready writer :*' — " We will teach you the fear of the Lord,** Let this be the blazon of our Society — let it be writt'^n over the gates of all our Schools-^let us, even at this distance, ,(but why distance ? for our Saviour is always near us^) put in force, and preserve inviolate the injunction re- ceived by his immediate disciples,-" Suffer thelittle *' children to come unto me, an^ forbid them not, " for of such is the kingdom of Heaven." " Of such is the kingdom of lleaven." The nearer we are to the innocence, the §iriiplicity of childhood, the further removed from that selfish* scheming, ambitious spirit j that practiced demean- our ', that hard fartiiliarity with Vice ; that disdain of correct principle and tender feeling j that high- toned assertion of our own pretensions, which are learnt too weii in the traffic of the World,— the fit- ter subjects do we become for th6 reception of the Gospel. " I thank thee O Father, Lord of Fea- ** ven and Earth, because thou hast hid these things " from the wise and prudent, and revealed " them unto babes " because, if these treasures b2 12 are despised by the proud disciple of the world if they are sealed against him who rests in the con" ceit of his own sufficiency, — they are open to the modest and lowly in heast, they freely im)p3Ltt them- selves to him who is humble and willing to learn. " It is not the will of my Father that one of these " little ones should perish," — the salvation of all these humble, and simple, and perhaps illiterate be* lievers is provided for by God, and woe is denoun. ced to those who oiFend them ; i. e. who throw im- pediments in the way of their salvation. Here then, while we learn the character and temper of mind which, as we value our souls, we ought to cultivate in ourselves — ^we are led also to the other branch of our subject, and the corres- ponding application of our text — " Comet/e ChiU " dren and hearken unto me : I will teach you the " fear of the Lord. Come forward all you hum- ble believers— ye " babes in Christ," as the Apos- tle speaks — ye who " desire the sincere milk of the " word," and are conscious that your growth in Christian knowledge has not fitted you for the use of " strong meat," — we " will teach you the fear of the Lord," — we will give you the means of im- provement in the " wisdom which is unto Salva- tion." Yes — if to offend these little ones be so high and grievous a sin, it is only a step removed from it to neglect them ; and the neglect indeed often constitutes the offence. It is our clear duty there- IS I fore to contribute according to our means, to the diffusion of Christian knowledge ; to open every proper channel for the free passage of the waters oflife;^and letthem in upon every destitute cor- ner to refresh the parched sterility of the soil. " To the poor the Gospel is preached," is one of the marks which characterize the kingdom of the Messiah ; one of the tests of his own title to that name and office to which he referred the Messen- gers of the Baptist, for satisfaction in the subject of their enquiry : " Blessed" St. John the Apos- tle tells us, — " blessed is he that readetk, and " they that hear the words of this Prophecy and " keep those things which are written therein :** Words applicable in their fuUstrength to the whole volume of inspiration, & descriptive of a blessedness the facilities of diffusing which, in our own day, sur- pass infinitely those means to which the allusion is made " Blessed is he that RE ADETH & they th at HEAR :' * The art of Printing was unknown, and the means of education confined comparatively to few per- sons : the written copies of Scripture, although they were zealously multiplied among the early Christians, could never amount to a number which would make them familiar to the Congregation at ^arge, except by the means of hearing them read. It is the object of our Society to improve our ad- vantages in both points — -to multiply the number of readers by providing the means of education, u and to administer our quantum of aid to those funds which have been employed for more than a Century in sending the Bible abroad over the World, with the humble handmaids in its train, of human Piety and Learning. But this Charity— and it is of a high order— this Charity, in a very improved application of a proverb which expresses usually no very laudable sentiment, must begin at home. It is a lamentable inconsistency to concur in the important work of spreading the Gospel in all quarters, and to fail to bring it home to our families and to ourselves — to neglect the maintenance of its honor by the means of personal example and immediate personal influ- ence. It was the complaint of the Prophet that when he ascribed the errors of the lower classes to their Ignorance, and looked for more conformity to the rules of Duty in those who enjoyed higher opportunites of knowledge, he found that these had only profited by their elevation to shake off' all the restraints of Religion. ** Therefore I *' said, surely these are poor — they are foolish, for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God ;— I will get me unto the «* great men, and will speak unto them, for they •« have known the way of the Lord, and the judg- " ment of their God" — ^but, what was the disap- pointment of his expectation !— ** these have alto- it *t 6 15 *• gether broken the yoke and burst the bonds." My brethren — my Chrislian brethren, let us be- ware how we lie open, under a better dispensation, to any degree of similar reproach ! Let it not be said that while we are ministering the means of light to others we suffer our own lamps to go out. Let it not be seen that we undo by our careless lives, any por- tion of the good which we promote by lending our names, or our purses, or our time to works of Cha- rity and Religion. Let it not be forgotten that we have our own souls to take care of, — that we have, to a certain extent, a responsibility for the souls of those belonging to us, — while we are contribu- ting to benefit the souls of stangers. Let us ascer- tam by experiment upon ourselves and our families, what it is that we are seeking to engraft upon the constitutions of other men. We shall at least be better judges of the expediency of the plan — more competent to decide whether we can forward it with unreserved satisfaction. For the result of such a trial my anxiety would be very small. Suffer me then to urge, in some little detail, such an employment of the resourses which our Society aflbrds. I might choose indeed a mor^ popular me- thod of recommending the object to your favour. I might paint only some remote effects where all blemishes should be lost in distance — I might set before you a fiiir landscape where the flocks shoiild 16 be grazing in the " green pastures" of the mighty shepherd, and i.o near unsightliness in the home- stall should be suifered to obtrude itself upon the eye. But we must, in the annual recurrence of this occasion, make all points of the plan promi- nent in their turns — and, as it h a part of the plan to furnish assistances to family -religion, I could not be justified to myself if I were to lose the op- portunity of this full audience, to press so highly important a duty. The heads of every household feel it incumbent upon them to supply the temporal wants of the members — to provide for their comfort & to attend to the preservation of their health : " If any man " provide not for his own and specially for them ** that are of his own house, he hath denied the " faith, and is worse than an infidel" — ^because, this duty is clearly recognized even where the Gos- pel is not received. But where the Gospel is re- ceived, is there no new order of duties superindu- ced ?— and have we done all that is to distinguish us from the infidel when we have manifested some improved consideration for the ease and bodily comfort of our dependents ? — Shall the health of their immortal souls be interdicted from our con- cern ?^— shall the promotion of their eternal well- being be driven out of the circle of our cares? Shall we deem it too great a condescension to be mighty I home- )on the ence of promi- he plan I could I the op- ) highly umbent s of the 3 attend my man jr them led the jecause, he Gos- j1 is re- )erindii- binguish ed some [ bodily ealth of )ur con- lal well- r cares ? n to be 17 tender of the consciences of those " weak bre. thren" who may form the inferior members of our household ? — shall we pronounce it to be quite an extravagant expectation, that we should take the trouble of setting them forward in the way to Hea- ven, and furnishing them with assistance for the road ? O think upon that day when we shall all stand upon a level before our Judge — and when the fruit of our opportunities — the employment of our authority — the effect of our influence and exam^ pie, will be sifted in the scrutiny of GOD! Where shall we hide our heads if it shall be found that these, — the talents for which we are to account,-^ have borne only with an evil influence upon the soul of " our brother for whom Christ died ?" How many complaints of rebellious children, how many exclamations of astonishment at the perverseness and ingratitude of dependents might justly be charged back upon the heads of the Pa- rent and of the Master ! Trust not to their love for you-~nor count upon their fear or their fideli- ty,— if you "have failed to plant in their hearts the fear and the love of tlioir Father in Heaven. *• How can I do this great wickedness and siti against God?** was the question dictated within the breast of Joseph by the force of religious principle, which preserved him true in the hour of trial, and with- held him from dishonouring his Master. We may c ^^Bc |n1'| IM 18 take from our own times an example on the other side. The story is very probably not new to you, it offered itself to my notice, I believe, in one of the common journals of the day — but it is striking and remarkably in point. It is related of an irre- ligious Poet who flourished in the last century, that he was in the habit of scoffing at the faith of Christ, and placed no guard upon himself in this point, on account of the presence of his house- hold. — His servant robbed the house ; but was taken w^ith his booty, and brought before his Mas- ter. — He was upbraided with his wickedness, and asked what had induced him to commit so daring an act ? " Sir," said he, " you had removed my " fears for the other world, and therefore I thought ** it but wisdom to provide myself well in this." — ** But I never,** replied his Master, " removed ** your fears of the sentence of death in an earth- ** ly Court.** — " That calculation,** said the man «* was my concern — ^you had removed the greater " fear, and I risked the less. You had silenced ** conscience — the rest of the question was but the " policy of the game. »» To Servants, then, to Apprentices, to Labourers retained in our employment, to all our dependents, to all who feel our influence, (especially if they are young, and w^ .oily withdrawn from the charge and inspection of their>wn friends,) but far above all ■3 't >> 19 to our children, we owe it as a sacred duty to think of the furtherance of their salvation. Mothers ! — how much depends upon you ! — and how bles- sed are the fruits which may spring from your ju- dicious care ! — We have a beautiful instance in Scripture of the transmitted effect of maternal Pi- ety : It is the testimony given by St. Paul, in his 2d Epistle to Timothy, expressing his earnest de- sire to see this favourite pupil of his own, " when " I call to remembrance," says he, " the unfeign- " ed faith that is in thee which dwelt first in thy ** grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, " and I am persuaded that in thee also :" — More honourable distinction than if they had sparkled in scenes of gaiety ; than if they had occupied the van of the ranks of fashion j than if they had sur- passed in display the proudest daughters of the East— yet a distinction not inconsistent with gran- deur, not at war with social elegance and cheerful- ness ; for it is the property of our Religion, while it humanizes the ruggedness of the coarsest orders ip the community, while it eases the bur- thens of Indigence, while it is the stay of the wretched, and companion of the recluse, to shed a grace of its own also over the brighter scenes of existence ; to charity away the maladies of abundance, and draw out from the fulness of Prosperity the irritating venom of Sin and Pride. C2 ilv'MHHU' W«. 20 But we are rambling over too large a field, and must marshall our excursive thoughts into more order & arrangement. We must endeavour to mark down some definite portions of duty for the practi- cal application of our doctrine j to state some spe- cific instances of the mode in which fam%-religi' on may be promoted, & promoted by means of our Society. Without dwelling then upon the obvious propri- ety of so distributing cur domestic arrangements as to leave every practicable opening for the reli- gious duties of our dependents ; for their becom- ing employment of the sabbath, & their attendance upon thepublic worship of God; let us consider the neglected practice of FfltTW^.prfl-^er. Let us remem- ber the promise ofour Saviour Christ, that "where " two or three are gathered together in his name " there will he be in the midst of them ;" & let u^ contemplate the picture of a Christian householdt in the faith of this promise, led on by him, who, in some sense, is a Patriarch and Priest within the limits of those walls, to " lift up holy hands," and discharge the morning and evening sacrifice of Prayer :— Tell me now, my brethren, what is there in such a duty which should prompt us to excuse ourselves from the performarjeP—which can fur- nish any colourable plea for the neglect? What will it imply, what confession will it necessarily in- volve, if we are obliged to own that we feel any 21 disdain, that we aro conscious of any disinclinati- on for such a task ? Can it possibly imply any thing but that we liave some secret dislike to Religion, or that we cannot bring ourselves to part with some habits which would seem to make a mockery of st> much seriousness ? And is not this an alarming acknowledgment, and one which should rouse us to feel the necessity of a change ? Is it not, in fact, one of the strongest arguments in favour of family- worship that its absence proceeds from some indefensible indulgence ? Or if we have no repug- nance to the duty, why do we not perform it? ** We have no proper forms or serviceable hints and assistances at hand." We will cut otF that escape ; they shall be furnished to you imme- diately. Our Society will supplyyou, will give you choice.* And having brought you to this point, cannot we venture to recommend also the addition of a selected portion from Scripture read and ex- plained to all the Members of the household ? Or if the pressure of necessary occupation do really forbid it as a daily exercise, if such a plea can in any case be urged, may it not be done at inter- * Besides the Irac s drawn up expressly for this purpose there are forms of rfThi^wf' *^°"'«'"«,^ ■» "-l^ following and other b^ks upon the Catalogue of the Society, and usually to be had at the Uepository, No. 2rHope Str^t Grossman s Introduction. n-uiiuui. Great Importance of a Ueligious Life. Pious Country Parishoner. Bishop Wilson's Knowledge and Practice, &c. Nelson's Practice of True Devotion. Essay on the happiness of a well-ordered Family. Burkitt's help and guide to Christian PamUies. 22 vals ? t It is the unquestioned duty of all men to read tlie Scriptures who can read at all— and why others should not benefit by it at the same time it would be difficult to say. The Society in whose cause I am an humble Advocate, offers her aid also in this case. She holds the Bible in her right hand, and she has a key in her left. She bids you unlock the treasures of Truth, and she in- structs you, as " a man that is an nouse-holder,*' to " bring forth," for the use of our household, «* things new and old." She provides, (in addition to some lesser aids towards the study of the Scrip, tures,*) a Family. Bible, -^2^ Bible to be used infa^ mliesy — rich in exposition which she warrants to be unexceptionable and sound, and furnished with every appendage of information which can facili- tate the knowledge of Scripture, and quicken the interest of Scriptural research. There are many other occasions in families, and among dependents, which may be met by the sup- plies of this Son'ety. Is there a want of common Bibles for their private use ? Of Prayer-Books for public worship ? Of plain Formularies for their retired devotions ? Of preparatory helps for the Sacrament, or ar guments to remove their scruples nilif;)^n® ^ff^ °^ ^J"^ household feel themselves incompetent to the task of ex- P-^ c 'J .K ''"'^.''' "^""'^ P"""''""* °^ Scripture which are plain. The four Gospels are the most important part of Scripture, and they are also the plainest • Such as Trimmer's Help to the Unlearned; Bishop Mann's four Gosnrls*. 23 upon the subject ? f Are they addicted to particu- lar vices? Are they exposed to solicitations urg. ing the change of their religion, and shaken at all in the firmness of their Protestant principles ? Or are they so unhappy as to be unsettled in their be lief of Christianity itself ? Perhaps they are cal- led upon to perform the duty of Sponsors at a christening, and know nothing of the office or its obligations : Perhaps, (for such a thing is possible,) the family is at ;v loss for some form in which to acknowledge at their daily meals, the bounty of Him who « openeth his hand, and filleth all things living with plenteousness,-^a duty clearly point- ed out to us in Scripture, § and practised even by Heathens towards their imaginary Gods.t Perhaps- but why should we enumerate all possible cases ? all these, however ,and many others may occur, and they ought not to escape the watchful eye, nor miss the mindful care of those who are clothed with in- fluence and authority over the parties. For all these demands, (besid^ s^hejooksjbr^^ and the cd upon mentioning the suSeSlf.^'* ^""^^^"^ ^^'"'^ '»>«> *^^'' be furnish- " l4'!;S!:.|e 'will L ^ranSt'co^it'"- '"• l^ """^ "• ^' ' Sam. ix. 13. " ■'•- -lit iV. steel his friends V^^^^^ »''« Person who dition, proper in thanksgTv „« as' ieU ^^^^ ^k"? ^^'"^ ^"^ C'^''"""" "d- of Jesus ChristO may suVy^'afo^ for gSTtmS '^^'^"^ '"^^ »«'"«tion ♦ Nee prills aut epulas, aut munera grata Lycoei Faseuiquam te.igissefuit. qu^m muItaprSns Sold by J. .NeUson, « the ^^^^o'i^'SZ^^S^SiZ.&r''^ '^ Q4, miscellaneous supply of religious Tracts, all of which, it should be observed, are" inspected andap» proved before they pass, and stamped, as it were, for sterling doctrine,;* — fci all these demands the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge is pre- pared : — prepared, according to circumstances, ei. ther to disperse them gratuitously, or to furnish them at those reduced rates which the resourses of the Parent Society render practicable and proper, • The Incor[K)rated Society for ths propjgation of the Gospel has laid i^ «!own as a Rule for the guidance of ihe Missionaries that the Tracts wftich they disperse shall be takeu from tnis Catalogue. — There aiC probably many persons to whom such restrictive provisions may appear rather in the light of a.n objecti- on than of an culmutage, but they might be led perhaps to view the subject ve- ry differently if they saw it more in its details.— Among the religious wares which are circulateid in these days with an unwearied zeal, there are too many which are rnsound, and the practised hand can readily detect in what forge they iiave been fabricated, and what peculiar interests they have been calculated to serve. And hardly is there a more imperative point of duty in the work of pro- moting Religion, than to guard against the insinuation of adulterated materi- als. 1 had intended to exhibit some specimens of this nature, and to have left it to the judgment of the readfir to pronounce whether a Clergyman, at least, may not be par