Fourthly. It is much more pleasant and easy to teach four students in a class than one alone.

Lastly. It is thought to be much more agreeable to the na ture of the spiritual and heavenly kingdom of Jesus Christ, his own example, and that of his apostles, that the gospel should be taught freely, than that it should be taught for worldly honours and worldly emoluments.

Every student is gratuitously taught, in a class of four, to become a teacher of four other students, and a superintendant of four classes, consisting of sixteen students and four teachingstudents.

Every student engages to instruct four other students upon the same free terms on which he himself receives instruction.

As the teachers and superintendants receive no emolument for their instructions, so none are encouraged to become students, who have not the probable means of supporting themselves and families by their fortunes, professions, or trades. As this is an institution for adults, persons do not become students until they are twenty-one years of age. The institution is open to christians of every denomination, who have received a good English education, and who have sufficient health, mental ability, inclination, perseverance, and time, to enter into it. The time devoted to study is only one hour each day, from seven o'clock in the evening to eight in the winter, and from eight to nine in the summer. Common abilities only are necessary, but very much depends on inclination and perseverance by which, things almost incredible may be easily effected.

The whole time for learning and teaching is divided into three equal parts. During the first part, persons are students only; during the second, teaching-students; and during the third, teachers and superintendants.

For the first two years the students are taught their own language grammatically, the elements of Rhetoric, Logic, the Hebrew of the Old Testament, the Greek of the Septuagint translation and of the New Testament. During the next two years, the students become teaching-students, and for one hour every other day, instruct their students in English Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Hebrew, and Greek; while for one hour every other day, they are taught what is farther necessary to enable them to read well and explain clearly the Holy Scriptures; namely, the geography and natural history of the countries were the Scriptures were written; the history of the four great empires with which the Jews were connected; the customs of the Jews and other Eastern nations; Christian ecclesi

astical history, &c. &c. The composing of sermons has no place in this institution, because such compositions as are now called by that name, were never delivered by Jesus Christ, his apostles, or by the Christian teachers of the first two centuries-because they are much better calculated to support the peculiar opinions of a party, and to divide the Christian church, than to explain the Holy Scriptures; and further, because it is thought no rational man would ever adopt such a method to make people well acquainted with the contents of any other book. The teaching-students, having at the end of four years completed their course of studies, for two years more teach their students, what they themselves have learned during the last two years of their own education.

The business of the superintendants is to see that the stu dents, teaching-students, and teachers, properly fulfil their res pective engagements; to assist by their advice and counsel, and to preside when four classes meet together for prayer, reading, and explaining the Holy Scriptures.

In the class of five, there are four students and one teaching student. In the class of twenty-one, there are sixteen students, four teaching students, and one teacher and superintendant. In the class of eighty five, which is denominated the Society, there are sixty-four students, sixteen teaching-students, four teachers, who are superintendants of twenties, and one who is superintendant of the whole society.

In the class of five, twenty minutes of the hour devoted to instruction, are employed in reverently reading the Holy Scriptures in English. The Books of Holy Scripture are read regularly, chronologically, connectedly, and, as far as we are able, without prejudice: truth and its holy influence being the only objects of the Institution.

This Institution is purely religious, and is to be kept entirely distinct from all that is political; neither asking nor accepting any privileges from the civil government. For a religious society, by accepting privileges from a state, gives that state a plausible pretext for interfering with its principles and government; and in this way, has pure Christianity been corrupted, and its corruptions are likely thus to be long continued. "My kingdom is not of this world."

TO YOUNG MEN.

Are the twenty-four hours of the day so thoroughly employed, that you cannot apply one to this object?

If you have one hour to spare, can you employ it in a better

way?

Will not the advantages you may derive from this Institution compensate for the time employed in it?

Do you not expect to live for ever? Will you not then devote a twenty-fourth part of your time to your own eternal interest and that of others; but the whole to the affairs of a moment? For your whole life, compared with eternity, is not so long as a moment!

Consider, that you have now an opportunity of receiving and of doing much good. See that you do not neglect it.

The following calculation shews, that if one teacher complete the education of four pupils in four years, and the four pupils shall each of them have begun the education of four other pupils at the end of two years, the education of those pupils will be finished at the end of six years; and they will have bad in train sixty-four pupils, whose education will be completed at the end of eight years, and so on, till all the world might soon be instructed in the knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures, in the languages in which they were originally written.

[The above curious article, which, notwithstanding some strange and indefensible notions, contains valuable hints, we have extracted without alteration from the Christian Reformer, of September, 1817.]

Massachusetts Peace Society-The Fourth Annual Report of this truly christian and philanthropic Society, at its anniversary in December last, has been published, and presents a prospect full of animating encouragement to the friends of humanity and religion. It opens with a summary history of its origin and success thus far.

"it is now four years since twenty-two brethren of differentdenomi nations gave their signatures to the Constitution of this Society. Many of them will long remember the appalling obstacles which were then presented to their minds, and the concern with which they resolved to encounter the host of prejudices in favor of war as a necessary and irremediable evil. But before the close of the year they had distributed 4820 Tracts, and the number of members had increased to 173.

In 1817 they distributed 5370 Tracts, and at the close of the year the Society comprised 30+ members.

In 1818, the third year of the Society, 8298 Tracts were distributedof which 4785 were copies of the Friend of Peace, The same year six Auxiliary or Branch Societies were formed and reported: including these, the whole number of members at the end of the year was upwards of 550. In the course of 1819 the distribution of 'raets has amounted to 16,149— of which 7360 have been copies of the Friend of Peace.

The distribution has extended to nearly all the United States and the British Provinces in America-to Great Britain, France, and Russia in Europe, to india, and to the Sandwich Islands.

he society has been increased in the last year by 83 individual members and six additional Auxiliary Societies. The whole number of subscribers to the original Society is

To the twelve Branches

Making a total of

547

335

882

There are now in this country, besides the Massachusetts Peace Society, and its twelve Auxiliaries, 15 Peace Societies in the United States: one in Maine, one in Rhode Island, five in New-York, one in North Carolina, five in Ohio, and two in Indiana."

The Clergyman's Almanack.-We regret that the year opened, and we suffered the season, at which families provide themselves with Almanacks, to pass by, without recommending to our readers to purchase the religious almanack with the above title. It is well arranged, plain, and interesting; and answers the double purpose of a calendar and a tract. We might give many reasons on account of which all serious people should prefer to have lying on their table, and within constant reach of their children, a little book like this, filled with serious matter and wholesome instruction, rather than to have perpetually in their way the idle and useless anecdotes and jests which usually fill the pages of these pamphlets. But for the present we think it enough to invite the attention of those, to whom the recommnendation does not come too late, persuaded that it may be the instrument of no small good.

OBITUARY.

Died at Raleigh, N. C. January 18th, after a lingering illness of nine months, the Rev. ANTHONY FORSTER. late Pastor of the Second Independent Church, in Charleston, S. C. The following notice of his character we have extracted partly from a Charleston publication, and partly from the manuscript of a correspondent.

Mr. Forster was a native of North-Carolina, and received his education in the University of that State. At an early period of life be entered the army, with a Lieutenant's commission, and served for some time on our southwestern frontier. After resigning his commission he devoted himself, at first, to the study of Law. But he was not called to the bar-new views opened on his mind, which induced him to relinquish this profession, and dedicate his talents and exertions to the immediate service of the Gospel. After preaching for some time in various churches in this city and vicinity, he was elected into the Independent Church in this city, as temporary Pastor, in the room of the late Dr. Hollingshead, at that time disabled from his labors.

The most important and interesting occurrence in his ministry we cannot pass without notice. He became suspected, in the course of a few years, of heresy on those doctrines peculiarly denominated Calvinism, and was required to subscribe a coufession of faith implying his assent to this system. He deemed this an unwarranted requisition; and gave to it a final answer in a masterly communication on the unscripturalness of all buman forms of faith. The belief of Mr. Forster in the doctrines of the Trinity, and an atoning and vicarious sacrifice, seems at this time to have continued unshaken It was in the auxions investigation or discussion which followed, that his active and inquiring mind first misgave him in regard to the truth of what are called these peculiar doctrines, and to the validity of the arguments he had employed in their support. The state of feeling to which this suspicion gave birth, was by no means an enviable one. In his own relation of himself, he passed whole sleepless nights, and his pillow was wet with tears. From distressing doubt and suspense, the only relief which he gained, was in a state of conviction, at first, probably, more painful still. The evidence of the opinions he had fondly devoted himself to extirpate, unfolded itself to his mind, more copious, clear and decisive; and the scales of human error were torn from his eyes. Mr. Forster's attention was first given to purify the service of his church from the offensive doxologies which had hitherto been used. It is not to be supposed, however, that this revolution in his opinions passed unregarded. The more thinking part of his congregation were probably well prepared to receive his simple views of Christianity; and the preaching of Mr. Forster was so skilful and judicious, as without doubt, to have wrought on the minds of many more. Those whose tenacity in their former faith would not permit their continuance in the society, were interchanged with that portion of the associated church, in whom Mr. Forster had produced a sympathy with himself; and the union of the two churches was dissolved.

Previously to this event, Mr. Forster, whose health had not for some years been firm, had been afflicted with a hæmorrhage of the lungs, and though he had, to appearance, regained nearly his usual health, yet his constitution had sustained a shock, from the effects of which it could never recover. In the summer of 1817, and again in that of 1818, he was induced to try the effect of a temporary suspension of his labours, and travelled to the northern and middle States. From both these excursions he returned with evident symptoms of improvement; but the flattering appearances were transient-the fatal arrow was lodged in his vitals, and its effects, though slow and treacherous, were inevitable. In February, 1819, he preached for the last time; soon after this, his weakness increased to such a degree as made it evident that his pastoral labours were closed. About the last of April, he left Charleston with his family for Raleigh, which he reached with difficulty; and there, after a long period of weakness, pain and decay, which he bore with the most exemplary fortitude, resignation and cheerfulness, he expired without a struggle or a groan.