menced his labours in the village on the 28th), Mr. Hoddy, and Mr. Cox of Hadleigh. The ancient congregation of Protestant Dissenters at Forest Green, near Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, long felt the inconvenience of their place of worship being at so great a distance from the village, and so incompetent to the comfortable accommodation of the hearers. As the venerable edifice had stood more than 130 years, it was in so dilapidated a state, that in the year 1820 an entirely new erection was deemed expedient; and it was agreed that it should be reared at the entrance of the village. In 1821, a plain and spacious chapel was built, and opened for divine worship in September; on which occasion three sermons were delivered, by Messrs. James of Birmingham, Brown of Cheltenham, and Jay of Bath. A considerable debt remaining undischarged, the congregation adopted the plan of an annual collection for its liquidation. The preacher last year was Dr. Chalmers. The anniversary of the present year was held Sept. 28, when three appropriate sermons were delivered: Mr. Lowell of Bristol preached morning and evening; Mr. Bishop of Glocester in the afternoon. The collections amounted to upwards of 1007. We understand that a brief historical account of this ancient Nonconformist church may be expected in print shortly. Oct. 3, was re-opened, after considerable alteration, Newfoundland - street Chapel, Bristol; when the Rev. Hen. Townley preached on behalf of the London Missionary Society, and a collection, amounting to upwards of 91 pounds, was made in aid of its funds. Oct. 23. Rev. John Wooldridge was ordained to the pastoral office over the church and congregation recently raised there by his instrumentality. The chapel, originally built by some admirers of the late Mr. Huntingdon, was about two years rented by T. Wilson, Esq. of Hoxton; and under his patronage, Mr. Wooldridge, then a student, commenced his labours there, and the blessing of God has attended his efforts. The chapel (45 feet by 60) has been paid for, and a considerable part of the expense occasioned by its alteration defrayed by the friends of the gospel at Bristol. Mr. Crisp commenced with reading, &c.; Mr. Lowell delivered the introductory discourse, &c. (which he has consented to print,) Dr. Ryland offered the ordination-prayer; Dr. Harris, (Mr. W.'s Tutor) delivered the charge; Mr. Elliott, of Devizes, addressed the people; and and Messrs. Sibree of Coventry, Kent of Trowbridge, Guy of Clifton, Brown of Ashton, and Spilsbury, (late of Tewksbury) engaged in the other parts of the service. Oct. 7. The Rev. R. Varty, from Hoxton Academy, was ordained over the church and congregation at Mitcham, Surrey. Mr. Jackson, of Stockwell, commenced the service; Mr. Rayson, of London, (Mr. V.'s pastor) took the introductory discourse, and asked the questions; Mr. Henry, of Tooting, offered the ordination-prayer; Dr. Harris, (Tutor) gave the charge; and Mr. Liefchild, of Kensington, addressed the con. gregation; Mr. James, of Birmingham, concluded, and preached in the evening. The old Independent Meeting-house, High Wycomb, (which has been shut up for repairs and alterations) was reopened Oct. 15; Mr. Cooke, of Maidenhead, preached in the morning; and Mr. Rayson, of London, in the evening. Messrs. Hackett, Harrison, Harsant, Todhunter, and Judson, (pastor of (the church) assisted in the other religious services of the day. For above two months (during the repairs of the Meeting-house) the Wesleyan ministers and friends kindly granted the use of their chapel twice on the Lord's Day, and for the Weekly Lecture. Oct. 21. A neat new Independent Chapel, which will accommodate about 300 persons, was opened for public worship in the village of Cannington, containing. 1200 inhabitants, nearly four miles west of Bridgewater. In the forenoon, after prayer and reading by Mr. Cork of Bridgewater, and Mr. Buck of Wivelscomb, Mr. Chaplin, of Bishop Stortford, delivered an appropriate discourse from Psalm. cxxii. 1.; and Mr. Rimey of Bridgewater (Baptist minister) concluded. In the afternoon, Mr. Johnson of Kingston, (Home Missionary) began; Mr. Winton of Bishop's Hull, preached from Matt. xviii. 20; and Mr. Escourt closed the service. In the evening, after prayer by Mr. Lewis of Glastonbury, Mr. Golding, of Poundisford Park, preached from Heb. xi. 4.; and Mr. Cave, of Nether Stowey, concluded. There was a good attendance each part of the day, especially in the afternoon and evening. There is in the village a Roman Catholic chapel and convent. Oct. 23. The Rev. D. Roberts, late of Pentir, was publicly recognised as pastor of the Congregational church at Denbigh, North Wales, formerly under the care of the Rev. R. Everett, who has removed to Utica, în America. At seven in the morning, Mr. O. Owens, of Rhesycae, introduced with reading and prayer; and Mr. Ellis, of Llangwm, preached from Heb. iv. 2. At Ten, Mr. Williams, of Mold, read and prayed; Mr. Llewelyn Samuel, Mr. R.'s successor at Pentir, &c. preached from John iii. 16; Mr. Jones, of Moelfre, then affectionately addressed the church and Mr. Roberts with regard to the union now formed. Mr. Jones, of Holywell, implored the divine blessing; and Mr. Williams, of Wern, addressed the pastor and church in an appropriate discourse from Phil. i. 27, and concluded. At Two, Mr. James, of Rhosymeirch, commenced; Mr. Griffiths of Bethel, Mr. Jones of Carnarvon, (in English,) and Mr. Breeze of Liverpool preached. At Six, Mr. Griffiths, of Bethel, commenced; Mr. J. Breeze, of Liverpool, and Mr. Hughes, of Saron, preached Oct. 29. Mr. David Jones, from Hoxton Academy, was ordained to the pastoral office at Foleshill, near Coventry; Mr. Miller, of Atherstone, commenced the service; Mr. Percy, of Warwick, gave the introductory address and asked the questions; Mr. Jerard, of Coventry, offered the ordination-prayer; Mr. Stol. lery of London, Mr. J.'s pastor, gave the charge; Mr. James, of Birmingham, preached to the people; and Mr. Rowton of Coventry, (the former minister) concluded. Nov. 9. A commodious place of worship at Llanddeusant, Anglesea, occupied by Mr. Owen and Mr. Jones, was reopened, after an enlargement; the following ministers preached on the occasion: Messrs. O. Thomas, Carog, J. Evans, Amlwch, W.Williams, Wern, W. Griffith, Holyhead, J. Evans, Beaumaris, with our long absent friend Mr. Arthur Jones, who preached six times in the island, and returned to Bangor, where he now resides. We were highly favoured with fine weather. The inhabitants in the neighbourhood heard attentively, and the place was completely filled during all the services. Nov. 12. A neat place of worship was opened at Pyle, Middlesex, when Mr. J. Clayton, Jun, of London, preached from Acts xix. 2; and Mr. Griffin, of Portsea, from 1 Tim. i. 19. The ministers engaged in the devotional services were Messrs. Redford of Windsor, Cooke of Maidenhead, Hale of Chesham, Redford of Uxbridge, Harrison of Wooburn, Whitridge of Armitage, and Ashwell, the present supply at Pyle. The collections amounted to upwards of 761. The late Messrs. East and Ibotson, of Wooburn, Bucks, on purchasing the paper-mills at Pyle, determined to set apart a room in the manufactory for preaching; and principally at their own expense obtained supplies from London on Lord's Days; and neighbouring ministers preached on week days. The sons of Mr. Ibotson coming to the estate, have followed the laudable example of their pious predecessors, and have now erected this meeting, the expense of which is estimated at 5501.; towards which they have generously contributed 250., besides the gift of the ground. FOREIGN. CONFLAGRATION AT SAREPTA Circular Letter to the Congregations of the United Brethren, and to the Friends of our Church in other Denominations. IT has pleased the Lord our God, whose ways are often inscrutable, but always righteous and full of love, to visit our congregation at Sarepta in Russia, with a very heavy disaster. On the 9th of August last, about one o'clock in the afternoon, a fire broke out in one of the outhouses of the Tobacco manufactory, and as all those premises were built of wood, and by the long continued drought and heat had become like tinder, the flames spread with such rapidity that all human help proved vain; and in the short space of four hours and a half, the shops, with all the buildings belonging to the manufactory, the apothecary's shop, the large distillery, the warden's house, the two large houses of the single Brethren, with all their shops and farming premises, and twenty-four dwelling houses (comprising three-fourths of the whole settlement) were laid in ashes. Thus twenty-eight families, all the single Brethren, seventy in number, and about twenty families of workmen and servants, were bereft of their habitations. When the fire had reached the most dangerous place, between the single Brethren's house and the closely adjoining out-buildings of the Minister's house, it pleased God to grant success to the unwearied exertions of those who came to our assistance, and to put a stop to the progress of the devouring element, otherwise in half an hour more, the whole settlement of Sarepta would have been converted into a melancholy heap of ruins, and all its inhabitants left without a home. "But," as the Bishop, Brother Benjamin Reichel expresses himself in his letter, dated August 14th, "our gracious God, who found it needful to treat us with paternal severity, would yet, according to the purposes A settlement in Russian Asia, on the Wolga, where is a small congregation of Calmuck Tar tars, of His love, not lay a heavier burden upon us than we were able to bear, but preserved to us our beautiful church, and so many dwelling-houses, that, on the 10th of August all the inhabitants, both members of the congregation and strangers, could be provided with a place of refuge. The single Brethren removed into the church, the single Sisters supplying them with victuals; and all the rest of the sufferers were likewise furnished with food and lodging. Our worthy brother Wullschlegel, master of one of the manufactories belonging to the shop, anxious to save as much of the property as possible, exposed himself too long to the flames, and was burnt to such a degree, that he departed this life two days after. An aged single Sister, Sophia Frantz, a servant in the inn, escaped into the street without harm, but the fright had such an effect upon her, that she died of a fit in the street. Brother Hopf has assisted us in harbouring the families of the Brethren Nitschman and Langerfeld, and indeed all who have retained their houses have most cheerfully accommodated the poor sufferers in the best manner. That which most of all comforts us in this state of deep distress and affliction, is, that the whole congregation, with one voice, acknowledges and confesses, We have indeed deserved this severe chastisement, but the Lord, who has inflicted it, is our gracious God and Saviour, who will heal the wound, and yet make manifest His merciful purposes with Sarepta. In every countenance humble cheerfulness, resignation, and thankfulness for the marvellous help He has afforded us, are depicted, and what the lips utter, is confirmed by grateful tears. Considering the furious and rapid progress of the flames, it is surprising how much has been saved of goods belonging to individuals, and other effects, though very much indeed has been consumed. The total loss is immense, and cannot at present be calculated; but the Lord has done it; He is almighty to help in time of need, and He will shew us by what means help is to be obtained. assistance, was made, under God, the instrument of saving our church and the few houses which remain in the place. May God reward him for it." The above is all we know as yet of this dreadful calamity. But as touching brotherly love, dear Brethren and Sisters, ye need not that we write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. Ever since He, who is the Divine Author of our brotherly union, and covenant, on the 13th of August, 1727, baptized our first brethren with the Spirit of Love, that Spirit has, through his mercy, reigned among us, notwithstanding all our failings and imperfections. We have felt ourselves closely united together, as members of one body, of which Christ is the Head, and if one member suffered, all have suffered with it. Of this, ample evidence has been afforded in the earlier periods of our history, at the time of the emigration from Herrnhaag and the burning of our settlement at Neusaltz, and more recently, by occasion of the destructive fire at Gradenfrey, and the damage done during the war at Neuwied and Gnadenberg. To those great misfortunes, which we have experienced, belongs also the late dreadful conflagration at Sarepta. Let us therefore cry mightily to our God and Saviour, that he would refresh by his consolations the hearts of our poor suffering Brethren, and the whole deeply afflicted congregation in that remote region on the borders of Asia, and give them faith and confidence in him. Our own hearts will dictate to us, what we may do for their assistance, and the Lord, the God of love, will strengthen our hands to exert ourselves in their behalf. In the fellowship of Jesus, we salute you, as your faithful and affectionate Brethren, The Elders' Conference of the Unity, and in their name, SAMUEL CHRISTLIEB REICHEL. Berthelsdorf, Sept. 20th, 1823.” We have since been informed, that on the 17th of August, the single Brethren having been otherwise accommodated, the congregation met for the first time after the fire in their church, in fellowship, to offer up praise and prayer to God for his mercy, which he remembers even in judgment. The fire was not yet quite extinguished among great heaps of ruins. We are sure, that on the receipt of this mournful intelligence, compassion and active benevolence will be excited in the breasts of all our Brethren and Sisters. That all the inhabitants of Sarepta, notwithstanding their extraordinary exertions and the excessive heat, are well, and continue with unwearied courage and strength, to assist in extinguishing the fire, which still on the 14th was smothering or blazing up in numberless places among the ruins, is to be ascribed to the mercy of our gracious Saviour alone. Our worthy neighbour, Mr. Popow of Otrade, who hastened to our relief with forty of his tenants, and gave the best orders and manual No. 10, Nevil's Court, Fetter Lane, Any contributions for the relief of the suffering congregation at Sarepta, will be most thankfully received by the Ministers of all the Brethren's congregations, and by C. I. LATROBE, Secretary of the Unity in England. FOR DECEMBER 1823. LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Subscriptions and Donations, in aid of the Funds of this Society, will be thankfully received by the Treasurer, or Secretaries, at the Mission House, Austin Friars, London. DEMERARA. THE Directors are concerned that they are still unable to relieve the anxiety of their Friends, on the subject of the events in Demerara, announced in the last Chronicle. They are yet without any advices from the Colony, and believe that no authentic intelligence of ulterior proceedings has reached this country. A packet is, however, daily expected, the arrival of which will, it is presumed, dissipate the uncertainty which hangs over the public mind, as to the real causes of the commotion which has unhappily taken place. The confidence which the Directors retain in the innocence of the accused Missionaries, as to any criminal or intentional participation in that event, enables them, on their own part, to wait with tranquillity for the full eluci dation of the whole transaction, which time will produce. Letters have been received from Mr. Wray, of the neighbouring Colony of Berbice, which though they add nothing to our knowledge of the affairs at Demerara, serve to prove on what false grounds imputations against the Missionaries can be raised, which in their progress may assume the form of serious accusations. A report that Mr. Wray had invited his hearers amongst the negroes to a private meeting, for the purpose of communicating to them important intelligence from England, with some other aggravating additions, was brought by such respectable authority to the Governor, as to lead him to require Mr. W. to appear before him. An official investigation was, at the instance of Mr. Wray, entered upon, which resulted in Mr. Wray's receiving a Letter from the Fiscal, by the command of His Excellency, entirely exonerating him from the charge. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS OF THE DIRECTORS. THE Directors of the London Missionary Society cannot suffer the year to close without an expression of their most respectful acknowledgments to the several Ministers and Congregations in various parts of the kingdom,. who have, during the past summer, most kindly received the visits of their several Deputations, and most readily and liberally co-operated in promoting the great objects of the Society. To the Ministers of various denominations in Scotland, and in Ireland, the Directors feel that they are under peculiar obligations, for the prompt, zealous, and affectionate manner in which they received and united with the Society's representatives; by which, considering the present state of the times, and the urgent claims of other numerous Societies, considerable sums have been raised, and pleasing hopes cherished, of further enlarged means being furnished for carrying into effect the great objects contemplated by the Society. 3 A VOL. I. INDIA. BENGAL MISSIONARY SOCIETY. WE have just seen the Fifth Report of the Bengal Auxiliary Missionary Society; but, as to insert the whole of it would be much too long for our limited space, we have made the following abstract, containing the most interesting parts of it, which cannot fail to give pleasure to every one who feels interested in the education of the natives of India, or who wishes to see them shake off the shackles of superstition with which they are so fast bound, and assume to themselves the place which every reasonable being is destined to hold among his fellows. Without being enthusiasts, we feel that we cannot speak in too high or too flattering terms of the labours of the individuals who have exerted themselves so actively to bring about these desirable ends. Indeed we are fully convinced, that education and civilization are the basis upon which every thing rests that is great or noble in our nature; and, whatever other causes may be subservient to this end, we maintain that, without these, they will all be useless. We now proceed to point out the extent of the Society's labours. Besides the Union Chapel in the Durrumtollah, which belongs to this Society, native chapels have been established at Mirzapoor, Manicktula, and Kidderpore. With the exception of that at Manicktula, which it has been deemed advisable to relinquish, these are well attended. Tracts and religious books have been distributed at these stations, and divine service performed on Sunday mornings and Tuesday evenings. to attentive and numerous audiences. Schools, which we consider to be the most useful of the Society's labours, have been established at Kidderpore, Bhobinapore, Chitlah, and Tallah Gunge. On Sunday mornings, the Chitlah and Kidderpore Schools are regularly cate. chized in one of the Bengallee chapels, where the number of children in attend ance frequently amounts to seventy. A female school, under the superin. tendence of Mrs. Trawin, has also been established, where there is sometimes an attendance of sixteen girls. Two of these have made considerable progress in reading, and have committed to memory the whole of the catechism. The regularity of their attendance, and the attention they have displayed to what has been taught them, is said to have been highly gratifying. The establishment of the school-press is another means which, in the hands of the Society, promises to be highly instrumental in enlightening the natives. The following account will show that the Society has not been idle in availing themselves of this powerful engine, for it appears that, "during the last year, the Society's press has printed in Bengallee, 12,500 tracts; in English and Bengallee, 18,000; in Hindoostanee, 4,500; in English and Hindoostanee, 1,500; in Hinduwi, 1,500; amounting in all to 30,000, and making a total of tracts which have been printed by the Society since its establishment, of. 117,000." The Society also possesses chapels at Chinsurah and Benares. Messrs. Pearson and Mundy preside at the former, and Mr. Adam at the latter place.Catechetical instruction and preaching are the principal means used by these persons to promote the important objects which they have in view. For the support of the Society, branches have been formed among its friends, which seem to promise the most favourable results. Among these are the Cal-` cutta Ladies' Branch Society, which has › contributed during the last year to the amount of Sa. Rs. 730. 10. Another Branch Society at Chinsurah has contributed Sa. Rs. 773. 2. 3. and a third, in His Majesty's 17th regt. of Foot, Sa. Rs. 84. 8. In addition to this, the Society's press has cleared Sa. Rs. 2,387.6, and the sale of their publications has realized Sa. Rs. 153. The whole of the Society's funds for the last year amount to Sa. Rs. 7,419. 14. 9, and its disbursements to Sa. Rs. 11,096. 7. 3, leaving the Society in debt Sa.Rupees 3,676. 1.6. We cannot leave this subject without reverting to a circumstance of a very novel nature, viz. the education of native females. We look upon the formation of a school having this object in view, as one of the most direct attacks upon the formidable system of Hindu superstition that could be made; and while we warmly offer our mite of applause to the general objects of the Society, we cannot avoid particularly noticing this fact, as the most spirited and praiseworthy attempt that has yet been made for the diffusion of knowledge, and the amelioration of the condition of our fellow-creatures.-Beng. Hurk., March 12. SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. A letter from Messrs. Tyerman and Bennet has lately been received, written |