VII.-The Native Christian Protection Society.

It having been frequently a question with the Missionaries of the different Societies, how to deal with cases of oppression practised upon Native Christians, members of their Churches, by zemindars and mahájans, but especially the former; and the matter having of late been discussed more fully than heretofore, in consequence both of the accumulating instances of such oppression and of the frequent applications made to some of them for protection and aid-it was agreed, at the Monthly Missionary Meeting of the Missionaries held on the 1st Tuesday in April last, to form a Provisional Committee for taking the entire subject into detailed consideration, with a view to ascertain what measures might be adopted for protecting Native Christians from wrong, without either fostering worldliness and litigiousness in them, or departing from the strict line of Missionary obligation by entering upon a province not belonging to their own spiritual designation.

The Committee consists of the following gentlemen: Rev. Messrs. Gogerly, Lacroix, Piffard, Mack, Macdonald, Aratoon, and Morton, the last being also the Secretary.

At a Meeting held on Monday, 1st May last, the Provisional Committee agreed

1. That many instances have occurred, are yet occurring, and may be expected still more frequently to occur, of great oppression and manifest injustice practised by zemindars and mahajans upon Native Christians as such, and therefore fully meriting to be called cases of religious persecution; whilst others have arisen out of their Christian profession, as, e. g. in reference to Sabbath labour, supposed peaceableness, &c.

2. That from the timidity, poverty, and defencelessness of the Native Christians of the villages generally, it is nearly impossible for them to defend themselves from such oppression and injustice without the aid of Missionary or other European patronage.

3. That, on the other hand, there must always be a danger, in attempting to prevent oppression, of unwittingly encouraging professing Native Christians in resistance to just claims and disregard of clear obligations; that there must ever, indeed, be this double danger in a state of Society such as is that of the present rural population of Bengal.

4. That the individual or combined interference in aid of their converts, even in the clearest cases of direct injustice, of Missionaries as such, is in all respects unadvisable; whether we regard the probable inducement to a false and interested

profession of Christianity, on the one hand, so presenting itself; or the diversion of Missionary time and energy from the proper and direct line of their spiritual calling, on the other.

5. That the Provisional Committee recommend, therefore, that measures be taken for the formation of a Society to be designated the Native Christian Protection Society, as loudly called for in the present exigence.

It was resolved in consequence to recommend,

1st. That all persons subscribing to its funds be members of the projected Society.

2nd. That the Society be under the management of a Committee consisting of at least one Missionary from each Missionary Society, together with six lay members.

3rd. That the following suggestions respecting matters of detail, be offered to the consideration of any permanent Committee which may be appointed by the projected Society, or of its members at large.

1st. That no case of alleged oppression be entertained except from bonâ fide communing members of the several Churches.

2nd. That no case be entertained which may have occurred prior to the formation of this Society.

3rd. That no case be entertained which may have occurred previously to the complainant's having become a communing member of a Christian Church.

4th. That no case be taken into consideration unless first recommended by the Pastor of the Church of which the complainant is a member, or the Missionary with whom he stands connected; and that no case be received from any person belonging to a Church whose Pastor is not a member of this Society.

5th. That no case be carried into Court unless supported by the sanction of at least two-thirds of the Committee in attendance, after having been specially summoned for the occasion.

6th. That if the Complainant possesses the means of defraying the law expences connected with his case, he shall bind himself to the Committee to repay the same, in whole or in part, at their discretion.

7th. That any case which may be recommended to the Society, though perfectly good at first and actually entered upon, be at once thrown up if it be proved that, during its progress, improper means have been used to ensure success, by the party whose cause is advocated by the Society.

8th. That if at any time deception be practised on the Society, and through that deception a case be supported by the

Society in Court, and in the course of judicial inquiry or otherwise the deception become apparent to the satisfaction of the Committee, such deceiving party be for ever after deprived of any benefit which the Society may be able to afford; or if at any time the Committee should be inclined to depart from the severity of this law, it can only be after a sufficient period of probation and, it shall possess a strong renewed confidence in the party.

Lastly, That subscription books, containing a Prospectus of the Society and the above string of resolutions, signed by all the Missionaries and Ministers who desire to become members of the Society, be immediately sent round among the Laity of Calcutta and its vicinity.

REVIEW.

Philip's Life and Times of Whitefield.

Philip has amply established his claim to deference and regard as an author. His writings have been tried by the test of public opinion and honorably approved. His highest encomiums are to be found in the grateful remembrance which numbers retain of the pleasure and lasting profit they have derived from his writings. Many following his "Guides" have been richly repaid with peace of conscience and joy of heart. "Manly Piety" has grown up under his skilful cultivation, and female excellencies have developed themselves under his fostering care. With regard to such an author we do not ask, what can he do? but what has he done? We feel confident, when taking up his work, that we shall find what is both interesting and improving, and we neither temper nor restrain our censures, if disappointed.

The former productions of Philip's pen have been mainly of one class-short, experimental, popular treatises. We think the present volume is his first attempt at biography. We should have said beforehand that he would succeed well in this kind of writing. The knowledge of human nature in general and of the fluctuations and feelings of the renewed heart which his writings develope, would admirably fit him to trace out and place in strong colours, the dominant and actual principles in any particular case. But on reading the present volume we were compelled to feel that he has far outstripped all our expectations. The work thrills and throbs with inVIII.

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terest and every page is laden with treasure. Undoubtedly he owes much to his subject. The name and memory of Whitefield are deservedly dear and sacred to the church. He had not to introduce to our notice an unknown worthy about whom it was necessary to throw a glowing halo of interest, in the light of which his excellencies might be seen. He had to bring forward one so entwined and grasped by the warmest affections of our hearts, that we were prepared to hail with rapture every mere shred of information respecting his history or movements. Still he secures this advantage by his judicious treatment of his selected subject-his determination to permit Whitefield to speak for himself. Had he filled his pages with rhetorical flourishes or high-sounding encomiums he would have lost this vantage ground. His volume owes its main interest to the fact that "the seraphic man" is allowed to stand forth in all the naked majesty and power of that fullgrown measure of the stature of Christ to which he so eminently attained.

The volume contains also (and we are sorry that we can only devote to it the present passing notice) a valuable mass of information respecting the Times of Whitefield. The spiritual condition of those Christian bodies which, in Whitefield's day, were most important and influential, is delineated by reference to authentic documents; and peculiar pains is taken to bring out to view the state of popular feeling towards the primary, and fundamental doctrines of Revelation,-those which are at once the foundation and glory of the Gospel. Thus for instance at the commencement of the sixth chapter our author has given us a bird's-eye view of the rise and progress of Methodism in Wales, and its peculiar position at the time that Whitefield's influence was brought to bear upon the Welch community. The like course is pursued in the seventh chapter respecting the first settlers in North America, and the fluctuations of religious prosperity among their descendants till the time of Whitefield's visits to that continent. And a brief view of the early history of the Scotch secession church, is given in the ninth chapter. Many of the contemporaries of Whitefield,men worthy to be had in everlasting remembrance, such as Cennick, Romaine, Hervey, Howel Harris, the Welch revivalist, the Tennents in America, and M'Cullock in Scotland, who assisted mightily and manfully in helping forwards the grand impulses produced by Whitefield's preachings,-are pleasingly introduced to our notice. And Whitefield's connection and breach with the Wesleys is not the least interesting portion of the volume.

Still strong as are our temptations to linger among the "Times," we feel compelled to confine our attention to the

Life of Whitefield. Much as he is revered and beloved by the church he is but little known. He is regarded as a blazing comet, whose course, while it was splendid indeed, was so erratic and irregular that, in vain should we investigate it with a view to elicit any of those common laws of nature which are the guides of our conduct and expectations.

Whitefield's example has never so profited the church as it might and would have done but for this wrong estimate; nor have the ministry derived from it that stimulus and direction which it would have supplied, had it been viewed in a right light and diligently studied. We hold that numerous lessons of present and permanent importance may be derived from a knowledge of his character and success.

The first question which we endeavoured to answer whilst reading this volume was, what was the amount of Whitefield's success? We feel that in addition to all the difficulties which would beset a question of this kind, if asked respecting any useful minister, there are in Whitefield's case some peculiar hindrances to prevent our obtaining a definite answer.

He never became a stationary pastor. Georgia, he regarded as his especial charge, and in his numerous wanderings amidst the most exciting and absorbing scenes, of which his life was one long series, he never forgot the orphan house he had built, or the children he was supporting. Still it was but a small portion of his time he spent there. He deemed itinerating, or as he termed it "ranging," his peculiar work.

And then he made no provision for forming his converts into separate communities. His aim was, not to form a new party, but to revive religion amongst all denominations. He felt so strongly the supreme importance of the substance of vital religion, that he would not, while he saw this was so lamentably scarce in the world, suffer his time to be occupied or his attention diverted by its accidents. In this respect he was far in advance of the majority in his day and we fear of the majority in ours. Had he, like the Wesleys, adopted measures to secure the distant perpetuation of his labours, data would have been supplied for computing the amount of his success. But on two occasions he determined not to revisit Ireland because his converts were desirous that he

should join them into separate societies. And then of some of his most successful tours, when he was too fully occupied to correspond with his friends, or write his journals, either no traces, or the most meagre records, have been preserved. Still by keeping this question steadily in view, as we have passed over the pages before us, we have we think collected