THE MORAVIANS IN GREENLAND.

2d Edition.

Edinburgh, 1831. P. p. 320. 18mo.

"THE Moravians in Greenland!" What a strange combination, we exclaimed, as we took up this neat and attractive little volume! Here we have the Christian character presented under its mildest, most gentle, and unobtrusive form, in singular contrast with nature in her dreariest, most rugged, and ungainly aspects! Had we been unacquainted with the history of this mission, we would, doubtless, have been rash enough to condemn the attempt to evangelize the heathen population of this dismal, ice-bound promontory, as a visionary undertaking, especially in the hands of perhaps the poorest and smallest church in Christendom. No one, however, who reads the interesting narrative before us, which presents us with a condensed history of this mission, from its commencement in the year 1733, up to the present time, and which is most pleasingly written with all the gracefulness and vivacity characteristic of the female style, but will rejoice that the attempt was made, not only for the sake of the benighted wanderers there, but that an incredulous world might be furnished with another authentic record of the power and progress of the Gospel, and of what has been done by humble, evangelical zeal, in ameliorating the condition of man under an accumulation of the most appaling difficulties. While the sincere, devoted Christian has been denounced as a pitiable enthusiast, or a poor useless visionary, unworthy of respect or sympathy; and while the world has been ringing with the praises of philosophers and philosophic philanthropists, as the only real friends of the human race, we look in vain among these boasted patriots for any such displays of genuine love and philanthropy, or for any such substantial benefits conferred by them on mankind, as the records of Christian missions unfold. Even this little volume is sufficient to silence the vain-glorious pretensions of all our would-be philosophers to be reckoned the sole or even the chief benefactors of our race. What, for instance, have any of them done for a remote, unbefriended country, or even for their native land, equal to what the Moravians have done for Greenland? What sacrifices have any of them made at all, comparable with what the missionaries of this unostentatious community have made, in order to civilize, educate, and convert the inhabitants of that remote and inhospitable region? Let any right-minded, unprejudiced individual read the interesting volume before us; let him remark the fearful difficulties with which they had to contend, from cold, and famine, and pestilence on the one hand, and from ignorance, superstition, and mental weakness on the other; let him observe the untiring patience and affec tionate solicitude with which those men of God pursued the one object of their devoted labours-the instruction and salvation of the debased savages

Our readers are, perhaps, not aware of the rancorous spirit of hostility, with which Christian Missionaries are assailed by the boasted philosophic and liberal men of this our day. We submit a choice specimen from the Monthly Review" for the present month, page 413. The devoted men by whom the inhabitants of Otaheite and its dependencies have been converted from murderous savages and the most beastly profligates, into industrious, chaste, and peaceable Christians, are styled "the moral scourges of the Pacific, and their instrumentality in merely removing the descendants of the mutineers of the Bounty from Pitcairn's island-which had become incapable of accommodating their rapidly increasing members-to the large and fertile island of Otaheite, is described as a "filling up of the iniquities of those harpies, who ought to be swept from the face of the earth." What philosophic meekness and impartiality! What a spirit of liberality and toleration Edit.".

of Greenland; and "when he looks at the number and the greatness of their achievements, when he thinks of the change they have male on materials so coarse and so unpromising, when he eyes the villages they have formed, and around the whole of that engaging perspective by which they have chequered and relieved the grim solitude of the desert, he witnesses the love and listens to the piety of reclaimed savages," he will see an exhibition of genuine philanthropy, such as he will look for in vain among the boasted achievements of mere human philosophy or worldly patriotism.

When we look at the physical obstacles with which 'The Moravians in Greenland' had to contend, and the indomitable perseverance with which they have continued to press forward their labours, and the singular success with which they have been favoured, 'we are disposed to unite with the eloquent writer of " Hints on Missions,”—Mr. Douglass of Cavers, in the expression of his regret that this excellent community of Christians should have selected, as the chief scene of their labours, so uninviting and unpromising a field as Greenland. "The result of their labours," he says, "would have been very different, had they exerted the same effort on some central and civilized spot, where the light once enkindled might have radiated from nation to nation with reflected and multiplied brightness, instead of being hid in a bye-corner of the world, where the most triumphant success would have found but a speedier termination in the waves."But he adds, "it is well there should be one lasting monument of the triumph of christianity on a soil too barren for the fruits of cultivation, and that a perpetual argument should thence be afforded for all other enterprizes, where the success must be more speedy, and the triumph more complete."

The Moravian missions are, memorable on two accounts. They were the earliest among modern missionary enterprizes. We say modern, for it has been erroneously stated, that they were the first Protestant community, since the Reformation, that sent forth missionaries to the heathen. This is not the fact. Whatever merit may be attached to this pre-eminence, belongs to the Presbyterian Church. So early as the year 1556, arrangements were made at Geneva for propagating christianity throughout the extensive regions of America, and settlements were made for that purpose in Brazil. And when Presbyterianism was predominant in England during the civil wars, its adherents formed the first British society for evangelizing the heathen, under the designation of "The corporation for the propagation of the Gospel in New England and the adjacent parts of America." For a century, however, the spirit lay dormant in almost every Protestant church. It first revived, in what we may call modern times, in Denmark, and led to the formation of "The Royal Danish Mission College." And shortly after, about the year 1732, the Moravians commenced their missionary operations in Greenland and elsewhere. Of the circumstances that led to this happy result, a very interesting account is given at pages 74-6 of the volume before us, These operations for a length of time appeared to be unprofitable; so much so indeed, that the missionaries began to entertain serious doubts whether they ought to re main at this station. Of their proceedings at this crisis, we are presented with the following pleasing narrative:

"As no encouraging symptoms appeared among the natives, even where Mr. Egede and some assistants, whom he had procured from Denmark, had laboured; and as every thing yet had seemed to go adverse with themselves, they proposed for their serious consideration the following queries:-1st. Whether they were convinced their

call was from God? 2d. Whether they were determined not to suffer themselves to be obstructed in their call, even if it should happen that they received nothing from Europe for their support? 3d. Whether they could offer themselves up entirely to the service of the heathen, and would never abandon it, till they were fully convinced in their conscience they had done all in their power as faithful servants, or till God discharged them from their call? 4th. Whether they were agreed in the means? Christian David said, he had received no other call to Greenland but to accompany them thither, see them settled, and return; yet that mission would be dear to his heart, and the object of his prayers and endeavours wherever he might be. Christian Stack never looked upon his call from the beginning, to be to spend all his life if he should see no fruit, but rather as a voyage upon trial, yet he would remain in his present situation till God took him out of it. The other three, Matthew Stack, Frederick Bochnish, and John Beek, would bind themselves in the strictest manner to this work, come life, come death, nor would they in any wise be induced to desert it till they could appeal to God with the testimony of their conscience, that they had done all that man could do and venture in concurrence with God's help. They would not previously hear, see, or know how, or in what manner, God would glorify himself in this work; neither would they look at the inability of their bodily or mental faculties, but in the strength of the Lord persevere in the prayer of faith and fidelity, even though they should see no fruit come out of it in many years.

"Accordingly these three brethren bound themselves,-Never to forget that, in a confidence resting upon God the Saviour, in whom all nations of the earth shall be blessed, they came thither not on the principle of seeing but believing: that the prin cipal doctrine among them should be, the knowledge of Christ, how he effected on the cross the pacification of their sins through his blood, and is the cause and source of eternal salvation to all them that believe, which they would confirm by their word and walk according to the ability God should be pleased to give them; and by this doctrine they should endeavour to bring the heathen to the obedience of faith that they would, diligently endeavour to learn the language, in love, patience, and hope: that they would own and value the grace of God in each other, in honour prefer one another, and be subject to each other in the fear of the Lord: that they would stead fastly maintain brotherly discipline, admonition, and correction, according to the rule of Christ: that they would do outward labour in the name of the Lord, and if any one should be negligent therein, they would admonish him; yet that they would not be anxious and say, What shall we eat, and what shall we drink, and wherewithal shall we be clothed ? but casting their care on Him, who feeds the sparrows and clothes the flowers of the field, respect the word of the Lord, in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread; and those of the Apostle, you yourselves know, that these hands have ministered to my necessities, and to them that were with me; and 1 have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak. Upon this they partook together of the holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper, by which their hearts were strengthened in a particular manner in faith and love, and prepared for meeting the most severe trial they had yet experienced-the horrors of famine."

We are sorry our limits prevent us from noticing at greater length this valuable work. In our next we may probably lay before our readers more copious extracts, and shall conclude our present notice with the hope that this delightful and instructive volume will soon be in the hands of all our readers interested in the progress of the missionary cause.

WE beg to remind our Clerical Brethren of the following Synodical appointments:-"That the congregations composing this Church do hold the last Wednesday, or, where circumstances may render that day inconvenient, the last Thursday of December, as a day of humiliation and prayer."

That on the first Lord's day in January, in each year, a collection, in aid of the funds of the Presbyterian Missionary Society for Ireland, be taken up in all the congregations of this Synod."-Minutes of Syno p. 27-30,

THE

ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN.

No. XXVII.

DECEMBER, 1831. VOL. III.

NEW SYSTEM OF NATIONAL EDUCATION.THE EXPERIMENT, VIZ.

Destruction of the Kildare-Place Society-Erection of Des potism over Schools and School-Books-Expulsion of the Bible-Introduction of ARIAN or SOCINIAN influence over Education-Deceptive recognition of PRESBYTERIANISM, and real Establishment of POPERY by GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY: the whole uttering a loud call to every honest, consistent, and determined Protestant to examine his danger, and stand upon his post for the defence of religion.

JUST as we anticipated, our review of the new system of education has exposed us to a variety of attacks. We have been accused of "confounding the Report of 1828 with the Bill of 1831," though at p. 65 we gave them separately and distinctly; and a sweeping charge of "incorrect representations" has been unceremoniously hurled against us. In the midst of this smoke and fire we needed an auxiliary, and we have found him where we least expected him, in the person of the Rt. Hon. E. G. Stanley. His letter to the Duke of Leinster, dated "Irish Office, Oct. 1831," has confirmed the correctness of all our statements. Full well we knew that the unclean spirit of the Report was intended to transmigrate into the dead carcase of the Bill. Mr. Stanley has but waved his pen, and the monster stands before us in all its native deformities.

There are three ways of treating a subject. 1. Hold your tongue. 2. Shuffle. 3. Speak out.-We choose the last.

We begin, then, with a few plain questions to whom it may concern. Is it usual in official documents to date by the month, and not by the day? Upon what day in October was this document issued? Why has it been pocketed till this date? (We quote from a Dublin Paper

of 10th December, 1831.) Why have the Protestants been kept in ignorance of the design of Government to establish Popery, and to secure that establishment by Protestant superintendence? These are questions we should be glad to hear answered. We know the profound secrecy in which the Bill was preserved. We know how the Moderator of the Synod of Ulster has not even yet been favoured with a copy of a document in which he is personally and deeply interested. We see, in the whole transaction, such an air of mystification, that we suspect it must be a consciousness of something wrong, which produces such a sensitive avoidance of the light.

The document however has at last seen the light; and it becomes our painful duty to record its contents, and to offer a few comments upon its several details. The Letter commences with stating, that

"His Majesty's Government have come to the determination of empowering the Lord Lieutenant to constitute a Board for the superintendence of a system of national education in Ireland, and Parliament having so far sanctioned the arrangement, as to appropriate a sum of money in the present year, as an experiment of the probable success of the proposed system, I am directed by his Excellency to acquaint your Grace, that it is his intention, with your consent, to constitute you the President of the New Board: and 1 have it further in command to lay before your Grace the motives of the Government in constituting this Board, the powers which it is intended to confer upon it, and the objects which it is expected that it will bear in view, and carry into effect."

The Letter, after some matters of detail, proceeds to speak of the Kildare-Place Society :

"They cannot but be sensible that one of its leading principles was calculated to defeat its avowed objects, as experience has subsequently proved that it has. The determination to enforce in all their schools the reading of the Holy Scriptures, without note or comment, was undoubtedly taken with the purest motives, with the wish at once to connect religious with moral and literary education, and, at the same time, not to run the risk of wounding the peculiar feelings of any sect by catechetical instruc. tion, or comments which might tend to subjects of polemical controversy. But it seems to have been overlooked, that the principles of the Roman Catholic Church (to which, in any system intended for general diffusion throughout Ireland, the bulk of the pupils must necessarily belong) were totally at variance with this principle; and that the indiscriminate reading of the Holy Scriptures, without note or comment, by children, must be peculiarly obnoxious to a church, which denies, even to adults, the right of unaided private interpretatation of the sacred volume, with respect to articles of religious belief.

"Shortly after its institution, although the society prospered and extended its operations under the fostering care of the legislature, this vital defect (vital defect!!) began to be noticed, and the Roman Catholic