Vedas, Shasters, and Puranas, insisted that the appointed punishment must be undergone before sin could be removed. 'But,' he said, there is one way, in our Bewastha, by which sin may be remitted: it is, if a holy, sinless person will take upon himself the punishment due to the sinner, make an atonement for him, and give him the fruits of his own merits: then the offender may be released. Now this is just what God has done in the Gospel; which I then explained." Mr. Sandberg in his journal writes, that some of the Hindoos now say " that every school in which the Bible is only read ought to be avoided; for such, they add, is the nature of the book, that the mere reading of it is capable of changing the Hindoo's heart and thoughts." Astonishing testimony to the power of the Word of God by those who are ignorant that it "is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword!" IDOLATRY OF THE HINDOOS. From the Journal of the Rev. G. Cuthbert. We had been greatly interested as well as greatly pained, by witnessing, at a village called Ghosepara, near the banks of the Hooghly, a display of undisguised idolatry. We came upon a temple dedicated to the licentious Hindoo god, Krishna. There was an outer court to this temple; and a part of this court was covered with a sort of awning, under which Nautch-girls were to dance that night in honour of the god-meet honour to such a god. In the very small portion of the main building of this temple devoted to the purposes of worship-for the great body of it is occupied by the Brahmins and their companions-we saw the image of Krishna, about sixteen inches high, made of a peculiar black stone, and gaudily attired, standing on one leg, and playing on a flute. Beside him was a smaller image, composed of a mixture of several metals, representing his mistress Reddha, the wife of another man, whom this foul god had stolen away and retained for himself, according to the Hindoos' sacred books. A Brahmin was performing Poojah (worship), seated on the ground. The only offerings we saw were flowers, and the worshippers were six or eight women, in one of the porches at the opposite side of the outer court. When the Poojah was over, the Brahmin rang a hand-bell, and the worshippers went away. Krishna is, I believe, the favourite god of a great part of the people. What but the worst results can be expected from the adoring contemplation of such a deity? We were also shown his car. It was thatched over, to preserve it from the injuries of the weather; but we got inside the pent-house, and surveyed it at leisure, attended by several respectable young natives, who had been educated at the government college, and spoke English. The car is a huge clumsy structure, twentyfive feet square, and from thirty to forty feet in height. The bottom is crowded with rude heavy wheels, by means of which it is moved along at stated seasons, when the pigmy image of the god is placed aloft upon the summit of this towering vehicle, and dragged along by hundreds of deluded votaries. It consists of three or four stages, or stories, one above another: the top is gained by means of a ladder in the middle of the structure. There were two horses, carved in wood, nearly of the size of life, ready to be attached to it, and several human figures, of grotesque appearance, around the base of the second stage. We had some interesting conversation with the young men who attached themselves to us, and who with great readiness answered our questions. We spoke to them about the only name whereby they could be saved. They listened, generally assented, and one of them seemed in earnest to have given up Brahminism. He said he never could get any Brahmin to tell him how their gods could save men; that they their gods-had not come to the world for that purpose, but to accomplish their own ends, &c. He received a New Testament; and we explained to him that he should study it with an inquiring, submissive, teachable spirit, and with fervent prayer for teaching from above. He promised to do so, when we commended him to God, and departed. PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL. AMONG the many remains of former times, which we now see around us, few are so interesting as those of the monasteries, once so thickly scattered over Great Britain. Many of these have now entirely disappeared, some are in a state of unprotected ruin, and many have been converted into farm-houses; the domestic portions, and sometimes the church itself, forming commodious places for agricultural purposes: but many of them have happily met with better treatment, for many a massive tower and heaven-directed spire are still the ornament of happy England, and continue to grace the church raised and still appropriated to the glory and worship of God. 66 At the time of the Reformation, when the monasteries were dissolved, you will remember that King Henry the Eighth was on the throne of England; and it was determined by him to constitute certain of the monastic churches as cathedrals: though he had destined more than twelve for this honour, he died before he had time fully to effect what he had intended, so that only five new cathedrals," as they are called, were in fact made: among the number was the beautiful church represented in the engraving. It is said that the reason why Henry the Eighth chose to pay such respect to this church, was because the remains of his first wife, Catharine of Arragon, were buried there, and he therefore spared it as a monument to her,—which seems by no means improbable. The origin of the Monastery of Peterborough, which eventually became one of the most important and powerful of the religious establishments of this kingdom, was of as early a date as the year 655, when it was founded by Penda, King of Mercia, one of the kingdoms of the Saxon Heptarchy. In the time of Abbot Hedda, who came to the government of the monastery about two centuries after its foundation, the abbey was totally destroyed by the Danes, who killed the abbot and monks; the monument subsequently erected to their memory is still preserved in the Lady Chapel of the cathedral, and is considered to VOL. XXVII. C be the oldest Christian monument in England. The abbey was not rebuilt for some time after this, but after it had lain in ruins about a hundred years it was restored to its former splendour by Athelwold, Bishop of Winchester, who was assisted in the work by Edgar, the King of England. But this monastery and its church shared the same fate as the former, as it was almost entirely destroyed by fire in the year A.D. 1117. It was at this time that the foundations of the present cathedral were laid by Abbot John de Sais, who lived to see the east end of the choir, which is shown in the engraving, completed.-O. W. D. Angel hosts the tidings bring; While the heav'ns re-echo "Glory!" And withhold our feeble praise? Truly, Lord, I am unable Depths t' explore, or heights to win; Infant Jesus! what abasement Does that alter'd aspect speak! The divine I love to trace; Deep delight brings deep endurance; Faithful shepherds hast'ning hither, |