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seemed surprised, and intimated a wish to see some of them. The same day I sent him copies of some of the Translations which I possessed. He was highly gratified, and expressed his thanks in writing. I was glad to hear, the other day, that he had already sent the copies which I gave him, to some of his distant friends, of high rank in the Church, as a valuable present.

the

Romaic Version of the Scriptures. The British and Foreign Bible Society has undertaken to defray of expense a new Translation, into Modern Greek, of the New Testament. Of the necessity of this work, and of the provision made for its proper execution, with the addition to it of a Translation of the Old Testament, Mr. Connor thus writes

I shewed a copy of the present Romaic Testament to my Greek Master: "What Romaic!" he exclaimed. "You will never hear Greeks speak in this style." He dissuaded me from the study of it, as being a bad model of the language.

Hilarion, the Archimandrite of the Greek Church in Constantinople, is at present engaged in a new Translation of the Testament. Mr. Wil. liamson, in behalf of the British and Foreign Bible Society, put the work into his hands. He has finished to the end of the Acts of the Apostles. When his Translation appears, it will, no doubt, be gladly received by all

classes of Greeks. A well-executed Version is especially needed in Constantinople, where the niceties of the language are much studied. From what I have heard and known of the dialect used here, I am persuaded that the projected Version of the Old Testament into Modern Greek would be better executed in Constantinople, than any where else. In Scio, the language is mixed, more or less, with Italian; in Smyrna, with Turkish: but the Greeks of the Fanál reject, as much as possible, all foreign words from their speech; and approximate, as closely as they can, to the mother tongue. In the course of time I trust that I may have a part assigned me, in promoting that great work here.

am compiling a Hebrew Gram

the

mar for the Greeks, which it is my
intention to follow with a Lexicon.
They might be printed at our press,
about to be established in Malta.
They are. certainly a desideratum, at
A Translation
present moment.
of the Old Testament into Romaic
being proposed, it will be necessary
to give the Greeks the means of
examining into the accuracy of the
Version as it proceeds, and of opening
their eyes to the incorrectness of the
Septuagint. With regard to the
Translation itself, I long to see Dr.
Pinkerton, and converse with him on
the subject. My Hebrew Studies
have, I think, qualified me to lend
some assistance to the work, and I
should with joy devote myself to it.

CO-OPERATION OF THE REVEREND
CHARLES WILLIAMSON.

In the want of suitable Labourers, to enter on the calls of service diterranean, the Committee have everywhere heard round the Methankfully availed themselves of an arrangement made by Mr. Jowett and Mr. Connor with the Rev. Charles Williamson, Chaplain at Smyrna; and will gladly defray all such charges as may be incurred by that Gentleman in promoting the objects of the Society, as he undertakes to do, so far as his own duties as Chaplain may allow.

Between Smyrna and Constantinople, there is a promising field of investigation, along the Asiatic Coast by the Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmora; and then returning back, by the European Shores, Mr. and through the Islands. Williamson hoped to have it in his power to accomplish this object.

CHINA.

EDICT AGAINST CHRISTIANITY.

THE following translation of an Imperial Edict, issued in China, in 1805, is extracted from the Transactions of the Literary Society of Bombay. It has been sent to us by a friend, as likely not to be seen by the great body of our Readers in the work from which he has extracted it. The European to whom the Edict

refers, under the name of Te-tien-tse, was father Adeodato, a Missionary at Pekin. The Edict manifests a degree of alarm at the employment of the Press in China, in the diffusion of the Truths of Christianity, which will not fail to encourage Christians in the determined employment, in every practicable way, as opportunities shall be afforded, of this powerful engine.

The Supreme Criminal Court has reported to us the trial, investigation, and sentence of that tribunal, respecting Ching-yo-vang, a Native of the Province of Canton, who had been discovered to have received privately a man and sundry Letters from the European Te-tien-tse, and also regarding several other persons who had been found guilty of teaching and propagating the doctrines of the Christian Religion.

The Europeans, who adhere to the Christian Faith, act conformably to the customs established in these countries, and are not prohibited from doing so by our laws. Their establishments at Pekin were originally founded with the auspicious views of adopting the Western method in our astronomical calculations: and Europeans, of every nation, who have been desirous of studying and practising the same at this Court, have readily been permitted to come and reside upon the above establishments; but, from the beginning, they were restricted from maintaining intercourse with, and exciting troubles among our subjects.

Nevertheless, Te-tien-tse has had the audacity secretly to propagate and teach his doctrines to the various persons mentioned in the Report; and he has not only worked on the minds of the simple peasantry and women, but even many of our Tartar Subjects have been persuaded to believe and conform to his Religion: and it appears that no less than thirty-one Books upon the European Religion have been printed, by his order, in the Chinese Character.

Unless we act with severity and decision on this occasion, how are these perverse doctrines to be suppressed? how shall we stop their insinuating progress? The Books of the Chris tian Religion must originally have

been written in the European Languages; and, in that state, were incapable of influencing the minds of our subjects, or of propagating the doclately discovered are all of them printtrine in this country: but the Books ed in the Chinese Character-with what view it is needless to inquire: for it is sufficient, that, in this country, such means must not be employed to seduce our simple peasantry to the knowledge and belief of these tenets; and much less can it be suffered thus to operate on the minds of our Tartar Subjects, as the most serious effects are to be apprehended from it on the hearts and minds of the eople.

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With respect to Ching-yo-vang, who had taken charge of the LettersChing-ping-te, a private of infantry under the Chinese Banner, who was discovered teaching the doctrine in a Church Lieut - chao - tang, Siaoching-ting, Chu-chang-tug, and the private soldier Veng-mea-te, who severally superintended Congregations of Christians; as they have been respectively convicted of conveying Letters, or employing other means for extending their sect and doctrine, it is our pleasure to confirm the sentence of the Court, according to which they shall severally be sent into banishment at Elee, in Tartary, and become Slaves among the Eleuts; and, previous to their departure, shall wear each of them the heavy cangue for three months, that their chastisement may be corrective and exemplary.

The conduct of the female peasant Chin-yang-shy, who undertook to superintend a Congregation of her own sex, is still more odious: she, therefore, shall also be banished to Elee, and reduced to the condition of a Slave at the Military Station, instead of being indulged with the female privilege of redeeming the punishment by a fine.

The peasant, Kien-hen, who was employed in distributing Letters for the Congregation, and in persuading others to assist in their Ministry, and likewise the soldier, Tung-hing-shen, who contumaciously resisted the repeated exhortations made to him to renounce his errors, shall respectively wear the common cangue for three months; and, after the expiration of that term, undergo banishment to

Elee, and become slaves among the
Eleuts.

The soldiers, Chau-ping-te, Vangmen-te, Tung-hen-shen, who have gone astray, and willingly become proselytes to the European Doctrine, are really unworthy to be considered as men; and their names shall be erased from the list of those serving under our banners.

The countrymen, Vang-shy-ning, Ko-tien-fo, Yen-se-king, and Vu-siman; and the soldiers serving in the Chinese Infantry, Tung-ming, Tung-. tse, and Chin-yung-tung-have each of them repented, and renounced their errors; and may, therefore, be discharged from confinement: but, as the fear of punishment may have had more effect in producing their recantation than any sincere disposition to reform, it is necessary that the Magistrates and Military Officers, in whose jurisdiction they may be, should keep a strict watch over them; and inflict a punishment doubly severe, if they should relapse into their former errors.

Te-tien-tse, who is an European entertained in our service at Court, having so far forgot his duty and disobeyed the laws, as to print Books and otherwise contrive to disseminate his doctrines, is guilty of a very odious offence. The alternative proposed by the Court, of dismissing him to his native country or of remanding him from the prison to his station at Pekin, is very inadequate to his crime. We, therefore, direct that the Supreme Military Court do appoint an officer to take charge of the said Te-tien-tse, and conduct him to Ge-ho, in Tartary; where it is our pleasure that he should remain a prisoner in the guard-house of the Eleuts, and be subject to the superintendence and visitation of the noble magistrate King-ku, who must carefully prevent him from having any correspondence or communication with the Tartars in that neighbourhood.

The noble officer, Chang-foe, who has hitherto superintended the European Establishment, having been ignorant of what was going forward in his department, and having made no investigation or inquiries during the time that Te-tien-tse was writing Letters, printing Books, and spreading his Religion, has proved himself

insufficient, and unworthy of his station: wherefore we direct the Interior Council of State to take cognizance of his misconduct. In like manner, it it our desire that the Council of State take cognizance of the neglect and inattention ascribable to the Military Commanders, who suffered the soldiers under their orders to be corrupted with these foreign doctrines, and then report to us the result of their deliberations, in order that we may refer the adjudication of punishment to the proper Court. The Coun cil of State shall, moreover, in concurrence with the Supreme Criminal Court, appoint certain Officers to examine all the books of the Christian Doctrine which have been discovered; after which they shall, without exception, be committed to the flames, together with the printing blocks from which the impressions were taken.

The Governor and other Magistrates of Pekin, and the Commanders of troops stationed in the Capital, shall strictly attend to the subject of these Instructions: and severally address Edicts to the people and soldiers, declaring that all persons henceforth frequenting the Europeans in order to learn their doctrines, will be punished with the utmost rigour of the law, without exception or abatement, for having acted in defiance of the present prohibition. As for the rest, we confirm the sentence of the Court.

POLYNESIA.

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Great Demand for the Scriptures. AT p. 44 of the "Survey" we stated that 3000 copies of St. Luke's Gospel were to be printed. It will appear from the following extract of a Letter, dated Otaheite, July 19, 1818, that these copies have been printed, and eagerly purchased.

Reading is become general among this people, and they are diligently engaged in teaching one another. THREE THOUSAND copies of St. Luke's Gospel have been printed, and sold for THREE GALLONS OF COCOA NUT OIL each copy. Many thousands are sadly disappointed that there are no more. We believe that 10,000 copies might have been sold, in ten days. We hope to make progress in printing and publishing the Sacred Scriptures.

Chichester.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY, From August 21, to September 20, 1819.

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By W. G. Bird, Esq. Lichfield

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At Aldershott, (Hants.) by Rev. John West, M. A. Perpet. Curate
At Burton on Trent, (Staffordshire,) by Rev. Edward Cooper

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By William Flemyng, Esq. Cork. for Benj. Lacam (4th & 5th years)...

ERRATA.

Vol. 1818. p. 215, line 2, for 1818 read 1817.

[read influr.

Vol. 1818. p. 389, col. 2, line 4, for May 21st, read March 21st.
Vol. 1819. p. 14, col. 2, second line in the extract from Mr. Connor, for influence
Vol. 1819. p. 186. Of the sum received from Carlisle, £.15 was on account of the
School Fund: being for the Fourth Year of John Fawcett and Mary Tirzah
Stordy; and for the First Year of Anne Ferguson, from the Brothers and
Sisters of the late Miss Anne Ferguson.

Vol. 1819. p. 566, col. 2, line 4, for Ethiopia, in some copies, read Ethiopic.

OCTOBER, 1819.

Reports of Societies.

NINETEENTH report of THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. (Continued from Page 386.)

In the last Number, we gave an account of the West-Africa and Mediterranean Missions: the present will contain a view of those on the Continent of India; and, in the next, our abstract of the Report will be completed.

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CALCUTTA AND NORTH-INDIA MISSION.

The First Report of the Calcutta Corresponding Committee is given much at large. The substance of that Report has already appeared, in the "Survey," pp. 29 to 32, and in the Report of the State of Native Education in India, pp. 103 to 121 of the Number for March.

The Committee give the details, under the heads of Calcutta, Kidderpore, Burdwan, Chunar, Benares, Lucknow, Bareilly, Agra, Meerut, Delhi, and Titalya. We refer the Reader to these heads in the Survey;" and shall now proceed to extract from the Report the chief additional matter..

After quoting from the Report of the Corresponding Committee the remarks respecting the adaptation of the Means of Education to local circumstances, which were printed at pp. 112 & 113 of the Number for March, a list is given of the Tracts published during the year. These consisted of Selections from the Beauties of History, an Explanation of the Ten Commandments, a Catechism on the Principles of Christianity, Morning and Evening Prayers, the Parables of our Lord, and Scripture Dialogues. Some of these Tracts are in Bengalee, and the rest in Hindoostanee, Of the "Scripture Dialogues," written in Bengalee, by Mr.Ellerton, of Goamalty, it is said→→→

Oct. 1819.

Six of these interesting Dialogues have been printed, forming as many distinct Tracts. They are part of a series, which when completed will embrace the whole Scripture History, from the Creation to reaches down to the destruction of the the Birth of Christ. The Sixth Dialogue Cities of the Plain. These Dialogues were intended, by their judicious author, to convey a knowledge of Scripture Facts, with appropriate Christian Instruction, in idiomatical language, and in a form of The great interest excited by these little all others the most captivating to a Native. Tracts has occasioned a demand for them which the Committee have been utterly unable to satisfy. They form a seasonable and highly important supply in aid of thanks are due to Mr. Ellerton from the Missionary Exertions; and the warmest Committee and the Society at large, for

his zealous and able services in this de

partment. It is the fervent prayer of the Committee, that he may not only live to see the completion of his plan, but to' labours, in the diffusion of light and of true religion among the benighted

witness also the beneficial results of his

Heathens around him.

Of one of these Tracts by Mrs Ellerton, Mr. Corrie writes

The third is inexpressibly well suited to do good among the Hindoos. It undermines their false notions, without shocking their prejudices. Most other Tracts offend, without gaining for the truth a candid. § hearing.

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