man

been for many years a decided and zealous Unitarian. I saw lately a correspon. dence between our estimable fellow.citizen Colonel Pickering (now eighty) and Mr. Jefferson upon this subject, and I assure you read it with no small surprise. Pickering, of the genuine race of the New Evangeli. cal Puritans, and of a family for several generations of the straitest of that sect; the most inflexible since the days of Cato, the zealous supporter of Washington's administration, and after a distinguished career during the revolutionary war, appointed by W. Postmaster General, and then Secretary of State-bred up by temperament, education, and fierce political rivalry to abhor Jefferson, who no doubt returned it by perhaps a more guarded but a deeper animosity-He writes to the man who seemed almost his natural enemy, in a style truly gentlemanly and truly Christian, to inquire into his sentiments respecing the Christian revelation. He states that many persons believe Mr. J. to be a sceptic or a disbeliever, hoping it is not so, but that his rejection is only that of the irrational, unscriptural, and absurd doctrines which have too often passed for

Christianity; hoping too, that Mr. J. will not permit his celebrated Danie 10 descend to posterity, as that of a man who disbelieved the doctrines of the Christian revelation, and to be used as an argu. ment against its credibility. Jefferson replies with great good sense and good feeling, and as it appeared to me, (scanning his words, you may assure yourself, with suspicous keenness). in a manner open and explicit. He professes his belief in the divine mission of Christ, his regret that the corruptions of Christianity, have so long obscured its glories and prevented its, reception~and his joy, that. these corruptions are now passing away, and that the doctrine of the Divine Unity and just views of the di. vine character are making. a progress so rapid and extensive. When I speak of Mr. Pickering, I speak of a man of great intelligence and of a character. which more resembles that, of Cato than of any other map. His opinions were changed many years ago, by the reading of Dr. Price's Sermons, and be has since been a zealous Unitarian.

“These also are the opi nions of General Brooks, Dr. Osgood's parishioner, whose steady liberality of

sentiment had an effect the the most beneficial upon the good Doctor's character and ministrations. He also has had a distinguished military career, and commanded a regiment at the capture of Burgoyne with great eclat. At the peace, he resumed the medical profession, and continued it with great reputation for thirty years, and indeed to the present time to his immediate friends and neighbours. He has been for seven or eight years governor of this state with great esteem, and with so much moderation, that even the democrats had alDost given up their opposi tionto his annual re election. This office he resigned two months ago, to the regret of all. We have just lost au admirable man, Mr. George Cabot, of this town, a direct descendant I be. lieve of Sebastian Cabot. He told me that more than forty years ago, he met with one or two merchants in a little compting-room, which he pointed out, to devise the means of publishing some liberal tracts, especially Dr. Priestley's little

Appeal' and History of Corruptions. When the Doctor was at Philadelphia, Mr. C. was a senator in Conand his constant heargress. Dr. er and great admirer. Kakland preached bis fu

neral sermon last Sunday, ard I hope to bring you acquainted with the character of this pure, able, judicious, and most amiable man. He was a Unitarian, who laid great stress upon the value of these principles; and at one of the last conversations I had with him, he expressed, in terms similar to those in which you are wont to clothe the strength of your belief, that those principles of which we were speaking, would in no long time become those of the intelligent and virtuous throughout the United States.

"I mention these men, my dear Sir, not because they are governors and seThese are nators, &c. names, and emphatically in this country, vox et præ terca nihil,, conferred upon the ignorant, the worthless, and the vulgar. But I mention them as men of senso and reflection, raised, all of them, by these qualities, united with an excellent moral character, from an much humble station, to distinction among their fellow-citizens. They were all educated in the times and principles of Orthodoeminent during xy; all their whole lives in active life and the business of the world. That such men become the sup

should

porters and advocates cf liberal sentiments, in oppo. sition to early prejudices, and moreover at a period of life when zeal is apt to cool should take a warm interest in the propagation

of Unitarian sentiments, I must think affords no mean presumption, that these opinions approve themselves, when examined to the grave and intelligent inquirer."---Monthly Rep.

On Wednesday, the 28th of April, agreeably to public notice previously given, the annual Examination of the more advanced boys of the Calcutta School Society in the English and Bengalee languages, was held at the house of Baboo Gopecmohun Deb in Sobha Bazar. Among the European gentlemen present were Sir Anthony Baller, Mr. Larkins, Mr. Blaquiere, Capt. Beatson, Professor Ross, and the Rev. Messrs. Law. son and Warden. Among the native gentlemen present we observed Baboo Radhakant Deb, NunduJal Thakoor, Ramcomal Sen and several others whose names are unknown to us. The examination was prin. cipally conducted by Mr. Hare the present, and Mr. Pearce the former, Secretary to the Society, and the boys upon the whole evinced a very pleasing degree of proficiency in Writing, Reading, Spelling, Arithme tic, and Geography. We were particularly gratified, by their attainments in the

last of these departments, the importance of which in expanding the mind appears to be duly estimated by those who prescribe the course of study to be pursued, or rather who prepare and furnish the class-books that are employed in the Society's schools.

est

We augur the happiest results from that combina tion of European and Native philanthropy which the operations of this Society present, and particularly from the interest taken in its objects by some of the staunchadvocates of idolatry in Calcutta. With a liberality, or shall we rather say, an inconsistency which is not the less pleasing or useful because it could not have been expected, several native gentlemen of this description, have been the warm friends of the Society and the active promoters of its plans ever since its formation. Whether this proceed from an enlightened desire of improvement disregardful of all consequences, or from an honest

JAMES PIERCE was born, 1673, in London: left an orphan, he was educated by

the celebrated Matthew Mead of Stepney; he finished his education at the Universities of Utrecht and Leyden in Holland. On his return be took lodgings at Ox. ford to be near the Bodleian Library, and afterwards settled in the ministry at Cambridge. He went to Newbury, 1717, where he wrote a very able reply in Latin to Dr. Nichol's Defence of the Church of England. Not long after he removed to Exeter, and here was very acceptable, till a violent dispute broke out respecting the Trinity. He was, at first, a Trinitarian, but now became an advocate for the pre-existent system. This occasioned much prejudice and ill treatment towards him. He vindicated bimself with great spirit, and printed a tract, called Western Inquisition." The conduct of his persecutors was irreconcileable with the spirit of Christianity. He now published a Paraphrase on the Colossians and PhilippiHe was also entering on the Epistle to the Hebrews,

ans.

"The

[VOL. I.

when he died, 1726, in the fifty-third year of his age. Evans's Sequel to the Sketch.

Archbishop Magee in his Discourses and Dissertations speaks of the learned Mr. Pierce. In reference to this expression, Dr. Carpenter, in his Examination of the Archbishop's work, relates the following circumstance. "That eminently pious, learned, and undaunted advocate for the Dissenters, and their great principle, unshackled liberty of conscience and the right of private judgment, was buried in the church-yard of St. Leonard's, a parish adjoining to the city of Exeter. A tablet was prepared to be placed there with a suitable inscription; but the Clergyman refused to permit the erection of it. His objec tion was that it spoke of the Reverend, Learned, and Pious James Pierce. 'Now,' main. tained the Clergyman,' he was not reverend, for he was not ordained by a Bishop: he was not learned, for he was not educated at Oxford or Cambridge: he was not prous, for he was an Arian"," Such is the spirit of bigotry.-Ed.