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Proposes to continue the publication of

THE QUARTERLY

THEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE,

AND

RELIGIOUS REPOSITORY.

It will hereafter be conducted

BY THE REV. CHARLES H. WHARTON, D. D. Rector of Saint Mary's Church, Burlington, Newjersey:

AND

THE REV. JAMES ABERCROMBIE, D. D.

Senior assistant Minister of Christ-Church, Saint Peter's, and Saint James's, Philadelphia:

With the aid of several distinguished religious and literary cha

racters.

ORIGINAL PROSPECTUS.

VARIOUS Considerations have induced the editors of this work to present it to the public, and solicit its patronage. They have observed, not without concern, that almost all the monthly publications calculated to convey religious knowledge and information, have been unfortunately dropt, and that the few which remain, drag on a sickly and precarious existence. From what causes this failure may have arisen it would be immaterial, perhaps inviduous to inquire: but it must excite the regret of all the friends to religion, that periodical works of this nature have nearly ceased to circulate through our country: and this fact of course will se

cure their approbation to any fresh attempt to diffuse religious truth and intelligence in a more promising or permanent shape. By following the track in which their more able predecessors have failed, the conductors of the present work could not presume to look for success: they have therefore entered upon an untried course, by collecting materials for a quarterly instead of a monthly publication. The superior advantages of such a plan are obvious to the editors, and they trust will not be less so to the public. It will afford room for more ample biographical details, theological discussions, and religious intelligence. It will present to the reader a full and entire view of many important subjects, which, in monthly publications, must be frequently interrupted, and of course lose much of their interest and usefulness. In a pamphlet of sixty or seventy pages, calculated to amuse by variety as well as to edify by instruction, discussion for the most part must be very superficial, and biographical or historical narrative so much compressed, as to leave on the mind faint and lifeless traces of those important lessons which general history, and individual example, are intended to inculcate. The conductors, therefore, of this Quarterly Magazine and Repository, have preferred the plan of presenting their patrons with a few important selections, and choice original matter, on religious subjects, to that of loading their pages with a multiplicity of unconnected and desultory paragraphs. Judging from their own feelings, they presume, that to a well regulated appetite, respecting the high concerns of religion and morals, a few solid articles, though seldom offered, will be more acceptable than the frequent occurrence of a profusion of dainties less calculated to nourish and invigorate the soul. In this, as in most other cases, variety is wisely sacrificed to substance: and the principal end of the conductors is better answered, which, they can assure their readers, is no other, than to contribute their mite towards the diffusion of evangelical knowledge among their fellow christians of every denomination, and the implantation of genuine piety in their hearts.

At a time, when books are multiplied to facilitate among all classes of our citizens, the elementary knowledge of useful science, elegant arts, and ornamental literature, shall the principles of divine theology, the only science which " can direct us to real

felicity, as our chief end, and conduct us to it by the way of true religion," be confined almost exclusively to the libraries of the learned, or to its professional teachers and students. True, indeed, it is, that few besides professional men have leisure for that extensive reading and laborious investigation which can enable them to penetrate deeply into the theory of religion, into the attributes of its author, the evidences of its truths, and the sanctions of its laws. Yet surely it is the duty of every professing christian of decent education, to aim at being ready, and in some degree, to be qualified and prepared to give an answer to every man that asketh him for a reason of the hope that is in him.”

A periodical publication, intended to subserve thus far the interests of our common christianity, cannot fail of being useful, and we trust acceptable also to religious readers of every denomination. That it may fully answer this end, nothing acrimonious, nothing illiberal, nothing fanatical, and nothing political, will be admitted into its pages. It will be conducted on the great and leading principles of religion, as taught by the primitive church, and restored at the reformation. Scripture alone shall be the standard and criterion of its orthodoxy and its ethics.

"The Bible only," says Chillingworth, " is the religion of protestants:" but as many learned and pious divines, while agreeing in the fundamental doctrines of religion, have differed in their interpretation of some scriptural passages of considerable importance, the conductors of the present work deem it necessary to adopt a well known system or body of christian doctrine, as well to preserve through their pages a unity of design, as to ground the maxims of practical piety and inward religion, which they wish to inculcate upon one uniform, solid, and infallible foundation:Such a system they believe is delivered in the articles of their church, and therefore, from what they conceive to be the obvious and literal meaning of these articles, they will never depart. While steering by this polar star, they hope to escape the fate of many who have been wrecked in the ocean of controversy, and to carry with them into the haven of truth, the good wishes and prayers, not only of their own, but of other christian churches, who, with but few exceptions, and those less material, regard these articles with veneration and assent.

The editors will endeavour entirely to discard the sectarian spirit, so long at variance with that spirit of unity, and that bond of peace, which ought to constitute the distinguishing marks of all christian societies. On many subordinate subjects, there must be a difference of opinion among christians: but so many, and so important are the points of coincidence among them, that whoever lends his aid to support and enforce them, must surely be engaged in a godlike employment: in nothing less, than in promoting the endearing charities of life, in strengthening the bonds of society, and extending the kingdom of love and harmony, which is the kingdom of the Redeemer.

CONDITIONS.

I. Each number shall consist of about two hundred and fifty octavo pages: a number to be issued quarterly, and to commence with the ensuing January.

II. A life of some eminent Christian: A Homily of the church, and one or two selected or unpublished Sermons on some very interesting and practical subject, shall appear in each number. To these shall be added, Original Essays: Reviews of new and important religious publications, foreign and domestic: The spirit of all the principal religious periodical works of Europe: Together with a copious summary of religious, literary, and philosophical intelligence, if it can be procured.

III. The work shall be delivered to Subscribers at FIVE DOLLARS per annum, payable on delivery of the third number: or ONE DOLLAR and TWENTY-FIVE CENTS a number, payable on delivery of each.

IV. It shall be printed on a handsome new type, and on fine paper. A title-page, and a table of contents, shall accompany every second number.

If sufficient encouragement be obtained, each volume shall be ornamented with one or more engravings of some eminent divine, religious edifice, or other interesting object.

Sub-criptions received by the agents for the Analectic Magazine, and also by I. Patterson, Pittsburgh; Maccoun, Tilford & Co. Lexington, Kent'y; C. Emerson, Marietta; J. Dabney, Salem; I. F. Shores & Co. Portsmouth, N. H.; P. Merrifield, Windsor, Vermont.

M. THOMAS,

(No. 52, Chesnut, five doors above Second-street)

HAS JUST PUBLISHED,

Experiments on the Principle of Life, And particularly on the Principle of the Motions of the Heart, and on the seat of this principle;

Including the Report made to the First Class of the Institute, upon the Experiments relating to the Motions of the Heart:

BY M. LE GALLOIS, M. D. P.

Adjunct Member of the Society of the Professors of the Faculty of Medicine of Paris, Member of the Philomatic Society, Physician to the Board of Benevolence of the Pantheon Ward.

TRANSLATED BY N. C. & J. G. NANCREDE, M. D.

1 vol. 8vo. (with an engraving) price $2 50.

At the request of the translators of Dr. Le Gallois's Essay on the Principle of Life, &c. the subscriber states his opinion, that the said Essay is one of the most curious and interesting productions which he has ever seen, and that a translation of it will be very useful to those students of Anatomy and Physiology, who do not understand the French language.

Philadelphia, Nov. 15, 1813.

C. WISTAR, M. D. Professor of Anatomy in the University of Pennsylvania.

I concur with Dr. Wistar in recommending Dr. Le Gallois's work, as an extremely interesting one. I may add, that such parts of the translation as I have seen, appear to be highly correct.

BENJAMIN SMITH BARTON, M. D. Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine.

The subscriber concurs with Drs. Wistar and Barton in their recommendation of Dr. Le Gallois's very interesting work, and from what he has seen of the translation, he believes it is faithfully executed.

THOMAS C. JAMES, M. D.
Professor of Midwifery.

The praise which has been bestowed on Dr. Le Gallois's work, seems to me by no means extravagant. The experiments which it contains are well conducted, and lead to some very curious and highly interesting results. The work, will no doubt, be an acceptable present to every cultivator of Anatomy and Physiology. N. CHAPMAN, M. D. Professor of the Materia Medica.

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