us at Kingston, we promised to place several at their disposal. this object. This sum is divided among the different districts, in proportion to the number of inhabitants, &c. Kingston, Hallowell, Bellville, and Hamilton. Ministers might also be settled in York, Stamford, and Windham, where The government have done much for the Churches are already formed. In all these promotion of literature. In each district places, a Minister of piety, talents, and pru- there is what is denominated a district dence, who was devoted to his work, might school, which answers to our academies : receive a salary from $600 to $1000 a year. The teachers of which, in addition to the The people urged us to use our utmost en- charges for tuition, received from governdeavours to influence Ministers to come and ment 100 pounds per year. And for the settle among them. To a man of a true support of common schools, the legislature missionary spirit the encouragement is passed an act, April 1, 1816, to continue for great, for the harvest is great and the la-four years, by which they appropriated bourers are few, and the fields are already 6000 pounds or 24,000 dollars annually for white for the harvest. We can truly affirm that we have never preached to any people who so generally received the word with solemnity and attention, and many of whom appeared more deeply impressed. Here If we wish to succeed, either in building also they enter not on other men's labours, up the Reformed Dutch Church in Canada, and there is the fairest opportunity to build or in promoting the interest of Zion generalup Churches in the order of the Gospel.ly, we must in some measure alter our plan To those Ministers who wish to provide for of Missions. It is not more important that their families, in such a manner, as not to Churches should be organized, than that leave them dependent on Christian charity, pastors should be placed over them; for unwe know of no place that affords fairer less this is done, little or nothing is gained. prospects; for landed property is cheap or Neither can it be expected that a Missionaeasily acquired. The climate also does not ry, by spending a week or two in a place differ materially, from that on the opposite can become sufficiently acquainted with the shores, of New-York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, character and conduct of individuals to and Michigan. The soil in general is ex-proceed with sufficient caution, in so solema cellent, and produces very abundantly. and important a transaction as the formaThe greatest difficulty to an American in tion of a Church. The present state of our removing to Canada, is that which arises Churches in Canada show the force of from a change of government. But the these remarks. Instead therefore of sendMinisters of Jesus ought to remember, that ing Missionaries on a cursory mission of a they belong to a kingdom which is not of few weeks, to travel from one end of the this world; and therefore that in the ser- province to the other, we ought to send men vice of Christ they ought to be willing to of proper qualifications, to labour within a become peaceable and faithful subjects to certain circuit, where, in all human probaany government which grants them libertybility, a congregation and Church may be of conscience, and protects their persons speedily organized; and in case an opporand property. tunity of a settlement offers, should be willThe four Bible Societies at Kingston, ing to settle among the people. And if Ernestown, York, and Niagara, have not such a Society should not be able immediyet circulated many Bibles, and the pro-ately to support a Minister all the time, he bability is they will not very soon be able to ought to be supported in part out of the supply the wants of the province. We Missionary fund, and labour then a prohave been informed by several Ministers,portionable time as a Missionary, in such that Bibles are much needed, and in expec-places in his vicinity as call for Missionary tation that a box of Bibles was forwarded to service. The experience of other Mission ary Societies has proved this as the best therefore there are but few able Missionaplan for Missionary operations. The ries. It is also a great mistake that men of in- It were to be wished that our candidates ferior talents are good enough to be em- were more touched by a view of the wants of ployed in the Missionary cause. Such men Canada, and other destitute regions. The often rather retard than advance the pro- call is the louder on them, because they gress of the Gospel, and might rather be can more easily enter the Missionary serpaid to stay home than to go abroad. vice than men with families and flocks. It truth is, that the proper labours of a Mis-might also be of great advantage to them, in sionary are much more arduous than those increasing their knowledge of countries and of an ordinary pastor, and therefore require manners, enlarging their views of the spiri higher qualifications. It is comparatively tual wants of the world, exciting an interest easy to feed a congregation whose princi- in these wants, and thus awakening a spirit ples and habits are already formed; but to which might distinguish them through life, go into uncultivated regions, and root out in exertions to build up the Redeemer's ignorance and error, silence the assaults of kingdom. enthusiastic Sectarians, and bring order out of confusion, and light out of darkness, requires abilities, prudence, zeal, and perseverance, which but few possess. And Signed, JOHN F. SCHERMERHORN, TO OUR READERS. Our readers are informed, that "The Second Annual Report of the Directors to the New-York Evangelical Missionary Society of Young Men,” would have been published in this number if we had received it in time. It shall appear in our next. TO CORRESPONDENTS. is informed that his "Review of Barlass's Sermons is unavoidably postponed. We shall insert it in our number for March. Q shall be inserted. OF THE MANNER IN WHICH AME- FLOOD. Schadale across in his canoe from Asia to America. But, as soon as it was known that the distance between the two continents did HISTORIANS and philosophers an island in the middle space, Dr. not exceed 39 miles, there being have been greatly perplexed in Robertson, and other historians, attempting to account for the without any difficulty, were enamanner in which America was bled to bring the man of Asia peopled by any part of the human across to America. race, after the flood. The whole that man is capable of existing in True it is, process unfortunately depends any latitude, from the equator to upon pure conjecture. Some the vicinity of either pole. But philosophers in Europe have ac- there are few other animals capacounted for the fact in a summa-ble of bearing the same diversity ry method. They have alleged of temperatures. It is well known that the man of America is a dis- that there are some animals in tinct branch of the creation. This America, as the reindeer, that was a short method of solving the cannot endure a warm climate. knot; but we do not recollect And there is a great variety of that any writer has been quite so animals, beasts, and birds, that visionary as to allege that all ani- cannot endure a cold climate. mals, birds, and beasts, were in How did these animals come to the same predicament. Nor have America? They certainly did not we seen any attempts to account cross in the vicinity of Behring's for the transportation of those Straits: they could not endure animals, a process which is much the severe cold of that climate. more difficult than to account for But if we could find two crossing the transportation of the human places, (one in a cold, the other race to America. While it was in a warm, latitude) equally conbelieved that a considerable venient and practicable as that at ocean intervened between Asia Kamschatka, we should be glad to and America, great difficulties hear in what manner any writer were found in bringing the Kam-can account for the transportaVOL. II....No. 11. 31 3. There are some islands in tion of sundry beasts and reptiles, peds in America that are not that have passed from the old con- found in the other continent. tinent to America. It does not, as we think, appear that any man has transported the elephant, the which very few quadrupeds are lion, or the camel. If they have found. been transported, they did not thrive in their new, quarters. In reference to the first case, But the man must have had a we have to observe that the elestrange turn of mind, who was at phant, camelopard, zebra, and the trouble of transporting the some other quadrupeds, do not wolf, the fox, the polecat, the mole, seem to be much disposed to the rattlesnake, or other ve- change their native soil and clinomous sepents. Although it mate. Hence it is that they are is not probable that the azouti, not found in many places on the the раса, or sundry other other continent. The lion. tiquadrupeds, were transported ger, hyena, &c. seem to be more either for their beauty or their inclined to ramble; but they. use, it seems probable that they may have found a sufficient supthrived much better in America ply of defenceless beasts in their than in the country from which they came; for the race of sundry quadrupeds seems to be worn out in the other continent. native country, when they could have migrated; or the soil and climate of America, on trial, may not have agreed with them. It is believed that America is not well fitted to a race of ferocious animals. In a word, little difficulty occurs in showing various methods by which the man of America may have passed over from the 2. To account for the existother continent. Nor is it at all ence of quadrupeds in America, improbable that he came over in that are not found at present in different places, and at different the old continent, we have only periods. But it is very probable to recollect that the bones of that America was not peopled sundry quadrupeds are now found with beasts, birds, and reptiles, in France, and the adjacent in the same manner that it was islands, that do not live at prepeopled by the human race. We sent in those regions. Their anare then to inquire, in what man-cestors must have migrated from ner, and at what period, was those regions, or the race is now America supplied with quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles. While we attend to this part of Natural History, there are a few circumstances that demand our particular notice, viz. 1. There are sundry quadrupeds on the old continent that are not found in America. extinct. It is not improbable that the soil and climate of America may have proved more favourable to the increase of certain animals, than the country from which they came. 3. We shall bereafter consider how it may have happened that few quadrupeds are found in some parts of the earth. We return to the original 2. There are sundry quadru- quesion:-By what means was America furnished with that im- nearly in the same manner. But mense variety of beasts, birds, we suspect, that, whatever diffiand reptiles, that abound on this culty modern writers have found continent, since it appears to be in peopling America after the absolutely certain that they could flood, by quadrupeds and birds, not have been introduced or none of our readers will venture transported by adventurers of the to assert that any difficulty could human race?-We answer with- have occurred in peopling the out hesitation they must have whole earth at the beginning. We come in the character of volun- cannot, for a moment, suffer ourteers to this country: they must selves to believe, that when the have migrated of choice. But divine Being had formed a world this supposes that there was land for the comfortable residence of on which they could travel; and an innocent race of men, he sepathis supposition opens to us a rated one part of that world from field of great extent. It implies the other by a vast ocean that a supposition, that there was a time in which there was not more than one continent; a time in which man and beast might travel from any part of this globe to any other part, without the help of shipping. could not be passed by the brute creation. In a word, we count it certain that America was not separated from the other continent before the flood of Noah. could not allow ourselves to believe that two-thirds of the globe was covered by water, and onehalf of the remaining third was nearly useless, being reduced to sandy deserts, or rocks, hills, and mountains. This would be to When we attempted to account for the long life of the antediluThe reader is here requested vians, we took for granted that to pause a little, and consider the quantity of ocean-water upon whether it is not probable, or the face of the earth was very certain, that America, before the small, before the flood, compared flood, was peopled like every to what it is at present. We other part of the world; and whether all flesh, in America, was not cut off, as in other parts. The words of Moses are very explicit that all flesh should be destroyed wherein was the breath of life, from under heaven; and that every thing in the earth suppose, that the earth was cursshould die. But if America had ed before man had sinned. We been peopled before the flood, take for granted that every part it certainly must have been peo- of the earth might have been pled by the natural increase of come at, from every other part, animals from an original pair. without crossing an ocean. For, in this very manner, we dis-support of this opinion, the readcover that it was to be peopled er will be pleased to consider, after the flood, according to the that the ark of Noah was cerexpress directions that were given tainly the first vessel that ever to Noah. We, therefore, take floated upon water for the confor granted, that, in both cases, venience of men or support of after the creation and after the life. The antediluvians were, flood, America was peopled by many of them, artificers in brass quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles, and iron; they were sufficiently In |