News has just reached us of the death of Peter, br. Bronson's native

THE SECT OF TAOU.

The sect called the Taou sze, or Doctors of Reason, is now a very insignificant one, and so utterly degenerated from the doctrines of their founder, that a description of them as given in their ancient books, would not agree with their present character. Their temples are comparatively few in number, and their priests differ from the Buddhists principally in not shaving off all their hair. They suffer the hair on the back of their head to grow, and fasten it up in a knot. Their clothes are different from those of the common people, and their robes are not so long as those worn by the Buddhist priests.

This sect derives its origin from Laoukeun, a philosopher who flourished while Confucius was yet young. Many strange and ridiculous stories are told respecting him. Some say that his mother bore him for eighty years in her womb, so that when he was born he was an old man with white hair, from which circumstance the name by which he is commonly known, Laou tsze," an old boy," is derived. Others say that he lived for several centuries; and others again, that he visited the earth a number of times to propagate his doctrines. It is pretty certain that in the time of Confucius he was well known and much esteemed for uprightness and probity. On one occasion Confucius, being in the country where he lived, paid him a visit. Laou-tsze received him very politely, and among other things said, "The wealthy merchant does not hawk his goods about like a common pedlar, but stores them in his warehouses, and you would scarcely know that he is a rich man. So the man of eminent virtue does not proclaim his own praise abroad, but walks forth humbly as though unconscious of possessing any merit." Confucius thought there was so much wisdom in this remark, that when he went out, he said to his disciples, "I understand how a bird flies, or a fish swims, or a beast walks, but I cannot comprehend the movements of the dragon that mounts the clouds and ascends to heaven: so the

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wisdom of Laou-tsze fills me with amazement, for he is like the dragon in its upward course." When Confucius was about to return to his own country, Laoutsze sent him the following message: have heard that rich men present jewels to their friends, but men of the highest virtue give them good words. Now my words to you are these: Acute men who are fond of spying out the defects of others, are in danger of losing their own lives, for people do not like to be harshly spoken of; and men of great intellectual power, in speaking evil of others, expose themselves to great danger.' Confucius receiving the message, bowed and said, "I respectfully receive this instruction."

Laou-tsze was the author of the Taoutehking, or "Classic of Reason and Virtue," a book much admired by the Chinese, but very little known or studied by those who now profess to be his followers. It is said to contain five thousand words. The character of this man is thus summed up in one of the Chinese books: "He did not seek after fame, nor blazon abroad his virtue, and considered purity, retirement and inaction to be the most desirable of all things."

Those who call themselves Doctors of Reason, or followers of Laou-tsze, have very little in common with their master, and in one of their largest temples his image is placed in a bare unfurnished room, with no particular marks of veneration or respect. There was a time during the Tang dynasty when this sect possessed a good deal of influence, but commonly they have been what they are now, little better than so many jugglers and mountebanks, and the most of them would find it difficult to give any account of their principles or doctrines. In the Chinese novels and historical books, they are commonly spoken of as practising magical arts and enchantments: but I have never been able to get any satisfactory account of their system of faith, if indeed they have any. this account, and the insignificance of the sect generally, it is not worth while to trouble you with many details of what no

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W. M. L.. in Pres. Miss. Chron.

FAIR AT ALLAHABAD.

Decrease in attendance.

Every twelfth year there is usually a larger assemblage of people here than on other years; and as this is the year, we were expecting a very much larger Mela than we have had two or three years past; but we were agreeably disappointed-this Mela really seems to be going out of fashion-bathing at this "king of junctions " seems to be less esteemed than formerly. When I first came to this place the assemblage of people was very great I well remember being almost crushed in the press a very little way from our preaching place; and four or five years ago it was no uncommon thing to be obliged to get out of one's buggy two or three hundred yards from the embankment on which we pitch our tents, because the crowd of people was so great that it was next to impossible to get on. But there has been a regular and great falling off ever since. It is amusing to hear the excuses given for this, at different times, by the Pryagwals [the Brahmans who attend as priests at the junction]. One year it was the Gwalior war; another year it was said that the pilgrims from the north and east had suffered so much from cholera the previous year, that all the people in those parts were frightened, and kept away; and last year it was the Punjabi war that made the Mela so contemptible;-what they will say now, I cannot guess.

To what is this decrease in the attendance to be attributed? It would be flattering ourselves beyond measure to believe that our preaching here has been the sole cause. But I believe this decrease is to be attributed to the efforts that are being made to enlighten the country. I take it to be an indication that the preaching here, at Hurdwar, and other great Melas, at the several mission-stations, and in preaching towns-together with the distribution of books, has not been without effect. I shall labor with more courage-shall give

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Still let no one suppose that this fair was a trifling matter. It was far otherwise. I went to the summit of the embankment at the eastern angle of the fort, which commands a good view of all the Mela ground, and looked over it. junction this year is far below the fort, between which and the Ganges is a tract of land measuring, I should think, about a half a mile (more rather than less) by a mile and a half; and this tract, usually destitute of all signs of human habitations, had been covered by a great temporary city, made of grass huts, shops of grass or cloth, tents, faqirs' enclosures, &c.; and circulating through its dusty lanes and avenues a multitude of people, greater than are ever seen together in America on any occasion whatever. There was no lack of people to speak to, nor of work to be done.

The people were, as usual, from all parts of northern and western India; and our books are gone with them to their far distant homes. And they will no doubt go home and talk about what they have heard, and think of it, and thus become prepared in some degree for the time when the light shall be brought nearer to them, and when God, in answer to the prayers of his people, shall pour out his Spirit.

A swinging faqir-Sunyasis.

Close to our principal tent was a tree, on which a swinging faqir was exhibiting himself. Every day he swung more or less-sometimes standing, at other times head downwards with a slow fire of cowdung burning under his nose. He had two ropes tied on a limb at some distance from the trunk of the tree; and at the lower ends loops for the feet, wound with red cloth. Sometimes he stood in the loops, and held the ropes with one hand; and sometimes slipping his feet through the loops hung by the ancles. He kept up the swinging motion by pulling at a small cord tied to a limb near the body of the tree. This man did not seem stupified, as one would suppose he must be by swinging with his head downwards. We preached the gospel to him, but he would not regard it. On one occasion a faqir of his own sect went with us to him, and ordered him

to come down, and told him that it was shameful to be making such an ostentatious display of his devotion; that if he wished to make tapasiya he ought to go to the wilderness. They had a long wrangle between themselves. We tried to teach both, but with small success. The swinger told us that he was doing this to obtain sanctification of heart, and assured us that it was a very successful contrivance.

I was witness to a very singular scene one day at the commencement of this Mela. I went down to make arrangements for pitching the tent, and having gone down to look at the bazaar below the embankment, returned; when I found all the Sunyasis collecting on the top of the embankment. Some Hindu in the city had invited all the sect to dinner, and they were gathering to set out. They had several long native bugles blowing signals, and I noticed besides a great many other instruments-amongst them an English serpent. Silver sticks were carried in front of the crowd, as before native princes. They had a very wild, and even frightful appearance. Some were totally naked; some were dressed in about six square inches of cloth (in a narrow strip) and a string; most of their heads were bare, with the hair long, clotted, tangled and sunburnt; one I noticed with long hair turned backward and plastered down all over his head tight with light colored clay; some had caps of every imaginable shape, some covered with brass knobs, brass plates and peacock's feathers; some had, instead of clothes, light clay rubbed all over their bodies; others only marks of the same clay on the body and face; some few were well-dressed. This shocking crowd kept increasing for about a quarter of an hour, and then moved off towards the city. I did not count them; but I have often seen regiments of soldiers consisting of one thousand men each, marching and manoeuvreing, and noticed the space of ground they occupied and I fully believe that these men occupied closely ground more than sufficient to contain two full regiments marching in close order: from this I judge that there were at least two thousand of them. I could not help thinking what a delightful dinner party the city Hindu had chosen to entertain. While amongst them I spoke about Christ, and they listened better and were more mild than I expected. There were several boys amongst these people, and I affectionately invited them to come away with me and learn a better way; but I have often noticed that boys attached to these sects show a more hardened effrontery than the men.

Several times it has happened, that when

we were disputing with a Hindu, some man of another sect would take our part, and maintain some part of the truth with great zeal and ability. The common Brahmans and the Kabirpanthis often contradicted each other; and one day one of the latter sect took up an argument, and conducted it with such ability,—so completely prostrated his adversary,-advocated so much of truth about the nature of God and the nature of sin,-that we were astonished; and could not help thinking that this man was "not far from the kingdom of God;" but, alas! he was as much spoiled by " philosophy falsely so called " as any of them, only in a different way. We have reason to believe that some impression was made upon many minds. I noticed one old man several days in succession, sitting and listening attentively. I asked him what he thought of what he had heard; but he denied being convinced. Still, he evidently was much interested, and perhaps will not settle down into the same state of mind in which he was before. Another came to me, and asked me where my house was; and said he would come and see me, and inquire further concerning the doctrine he had heard. He said he resided but twenty miles from here, and was often in on business. I shall hope to see him again.

The seed of sin.

One day, when I was about to go home, a man came forward and begged I would stay a little while, and answer a question. He addressed me much as follows: "I know that every man is a sinner: I am so: I have tried every way that the Pundits could tell me I have tried every thing that the Shasters recommend-in order to get rid of my sin. I was very early taught that taking the name of Ram repeatedly would destroy my sins; and I began to use that name; day and night I kept muttering Ram! Ram! Ram! and I was told by my spiritual guide that as often as I pronounced that name, so often my sins were by its power cut away from me. But when I asked how this could be true, when I found myself still so sinful, they told me that perhaps I had better try Krishen. So I called upon his name, but still remained sinful. I knew that I was sinful; I felt it in my heart. Then they told me to make offerings, first to this god, then to that; but after doing all, I still found myself sinful. Then they set me on austerities: I tried them, and soon left them off: for I found myself more sinful than ever. Then they recommended pilgrimages, and I have made three long ones, each of which I was assured had

taken away all my sins; but still I was sinful. Last of all I was sent here to bathe, and told that this ceremony is of such power that compliance with it will take away the sins of eight births. I have bathed and complied with all requisitions, but I am sinful still-I feel it in my heart. Now, I have just asked a learned Pundit why this is so; and he tells me that beyond all doubt all my sins are pardoned, but that the seed of sin remains in the heart. I said, tell me something that will destroy that seed or keep down the awful growth of sin that arises from it. He told me, there is no such thing! As long as the soul is connected with matter the seed of sin will remain in it! Now I have heard you—I have heard that those who really regard the Christian religion become good men, pure from lying, cheating, the dominion of evil desire, and the like. Indeed, it is manifest that a good Englishman is better than the best of Hindus; and as for the comparisons of one with the other, your people are immeasurably better than we are. Tell me, is there any place to which you go, or any ceremony with which you comply, or any austerity which you practise, or any particular mode of worship which you adopt, or any name which you repeat, that has the power to kill the seed of sin in the heart?" The poor man looked very anxious. I had listened to him in entire silence; his statement of his experience was so clear; he seemed to have such an uncommonly correct notion of the plague of his heart”—that I was unwilling to interrupt him. When he was done, I told him that we obtain neither righteousness nor sanctification in any of the ways he had mentioned; that the sinfulness of our heart does not depend upon our connection with matter, nor can any thing within our power to do remove it; but the grace of God is freely given to all those who believe in and truly follow the Lord Jesus Christ, to enable them truly to repent of, and forsake their sins; that the seed of sin remains in pious Christians, but that its power is manifestly broken, and day by day grows less and less. I then entreated him to examine Christianity; and told him he would find all that he had been so anxiously seeking, only perhaps in a different form and way from what he had expected. He promised me that he would examine; told me his name and residence; promised that he would see me again; and, as he lives but thirtysix miles from here, I hope he will.

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A missionary of the Wesleyan Missionary Society writes from Mysore, India, March, 1847 :—

The annual festival of the Goobee Appa has just now closed. The people flocked in from all the towns within many miles, to participate in the festivity of the occasion. Approaching the town from all directions was to be seen the little infant in the arms of its elder sister, both seated on a bullock, and both instructed in the sentiment that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. Beside them walked the aged sire, bowing beneath the weight of years, leaning on a staff to support his tottering frame. Even to the margin of the grave he is faithful to his god, not having knowledge or understanding to say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? Mr. Gostick and Mr. Taylor came from Conghul to assist us in our work on this occasion; and here we were furnished with one of the most striking proofs that Providence has opened the country for + the entrance of gospel truth. Morning and evening, before the car, and sometimes beneath the shadow of its flags, we took our stand, demanding silence and attention. The people flocked around to hear the word of heaven: there the claims of Jehovah were urged, his laws proclaimed, his honor vindicated, and the folly of idolatry stated with a plainness which none could misunderstand. And yet there was no visible hostility, excepting as it was manifested by a few ignorant men, who wanted to shew their wisdom to the people. Every day we had crowds of people coming to see the bungalow, and the little infant. Of course, we made it a point of conscience to preach the gospel to all. We found many who only attempted to defend their idolatrous practices on the ground that they had been performed by all their ancestors, and that they had no desire to leave the old paths. Others stoutly persisted in the absurdity that Goobee Appa, after death, had been invested with divinity by devout men, and was deserving of all the honors they had rendered; and some even said that the "linga "' around their necks was the Supreme God of the universe. distributed among those who came from distant towns many copies of the gospels and tracts; and earnestly do we pray that the light thus scattered may dispel the darkness which broods over the minds of the people.

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