ean we imagine that he would frown on the British and Foreign Bible Society? Doubtless, he would lament that it has some injudicious friends: and what society is without such? His correctness and severity of taste, moreover, would be not a little offended at the style of certain speeches delivered, by one class of persons, at its Anniversary Meetings. Yet no considerations of this kind would repel him, if his recorded sentiments may guide our judgment, from joining the ranks of those who associate solely for the purpose of diffusing the holy scriptures.

Thus far, the objections against the Bible Society do not indicate any particular zeal, on the side of those who make them, for the supremacy and honour of the sacred volume. There is a class of persons, however, exceedingly respectable for their talents, virtues and public spirit, whose attachment to this volume prevents them from becoming members of a Society, which, as they allege, really circulates the scriptures with notes and comments, a corrupted text and an erroneous translation. As the allegations proceed from some of our muchesteemed correspondents, we shall give them an attentive hearing.

"We have frequently observed," says our Christian Surveyor of the Political world,* "that the Bible Society does not follow its own rule, inasmuch as it circulates King James's, or the vulgar English Bible, in which are many annotations." By annotations we understand him to mean those tables of contents which are placed at the head of every chapter, &c. in the larger copies of the public version, and which another valuable contributort to our pages holds in the same light. We assuredly wish that all such tables were removed: nor shall we shrink from admitting that the fact of their existence deserves the serious notice and immediate interference of the acting members of the Society. In an undertaking of such magnitude and usefulness, every cause of offence should, if possible, be done away. Judging, however, from our own experience, we are of opinion that the notes and comments to which our friends refer, have little influence on the readers of the

Bible. We doubt whether, in the course of our lives, we have deliberately perused even six of them: and we can sincerely add, that we had almost forgotten that there are any such notes, &c. when this objection was presented to our eyes. The practical effect of these appendages we believe to be very inconsiderabie, They who are most anxious to gain an acquaintance with the scriptures, look, in the first instance, at the text; and hence, although we are earnestly desirous that the sacred volume be disseminated by the Bible Society, and by some other religious bodies, without even the semblance of notes and comments, we must own that we cannot regard the plea before us as a solid argument for withdrawing our support from the institution.

But "the text of the public version is occasionally spurious, often incorrect; and the translation itself contains numerous errors!" We admit, substantially, the truth of this statement. At the same time, we appeal to the discrimination, the justice, the candour of the objectors, whether the public version, with all its faults, be not sufficient to instruct men in the pure faith and morals of the gospel? When we cannot do good to the utmost extent of our wishes, let us do as much as is within our power; provided we do not violate our integrity. Of what text or what version of the Bible can we pronounce that it is free from blemishes? The difficulty of editing and of making such an one, far exceeds what persons unacquainted with these studies can imagine. And, in the mean time, shall we put forth no efforts for supplying men with copies of the records of Revelation? Is it of no importance that we publicly express our attachment to scripture as the rule of our faith and practice, and co-operate with all the professors of Christianity in perhaps the only religious design where an almost universal co-operation is admissible? Brotherly love will be a gainer by the union: nor will the progress of bibli cal and scriptural criticism be retarded. We must circulate the sacred volume, in order that men may have a desire of being better acquainted with its contents. Never was it so widely disseminated among us as during the present reign: and it is a memorable fact that, within the same

much in the same way as the cry of • The Church is in danger!' and No popery of more recent times. Where any in the opinion of others are re-baptized, it is because the party so re-baptizing denies the validity of the rite as previously administered. No sect has ever professed to repeat valid baptism. Christians at different periods and in different places have had different views of the essence of baptism; and where the essence was not, they did not think the name enough. If the essence were wanting, they, of course thought no baptism had taken place; and therefore, while others charged them with re-baptizing, they considered themselves as baptizing for the first and only time." This the author shews by various facts, and that Anabaptism, thus understood, existed long before the Reformation.

We would add, that this tract opens with "Thoughts on Persecution." The writer exhibits this demon in its most terrific form, "as living in an element composed of the sufferings of humanity;' these," he says, "constitute the air he breathes, the sphere of his enjoyment. For music this Moloch desires passionate exclamations, shrieks and groans; from splendid pageants and the fair face of nature, his eyes turn with eagerness to gloomy, and crowded prisons, to insidious and sanguinary tribunals: the richest and most luxurious feasts present to him no viands so exquisite as pallid countenances, quivering limbs and bloody executions. Thus is it, when the spirit of persecution operates uncontroulled, when the power of the persecutor is commensurate with his rage. Where power enough exists, there first the characters are maligned, and then corporal and capital punishments are inflicted. Where power for the last is wanting, persecutors are constrained to confine themselves to the first.

Recent events have rendered it indubitable, that the spirit of persecution is not yet laid: but that, associated with the ghost of its old

companion, bigotry, whose obsequies

have been celebrated, sometimes solemnly, sometimes ludicrously, it still walks, and stares, and menaces, in spite of all the exorcisms with which it has been assailed. Unjust and unprovoked attacks upon the reputation of a class of Christians which has not

deserved ill of the Church, shew, that some persons are either ignorant of the spirit by which they are actuated, or wittingly follow that which the scripture forbids."

Thus is introduced the mention of the tract, the review of which in the Evangelical Magazine, has called forth these animadversions. The reviewer, it seems, avers that it is not designed to degrade the Baptists by exposing "the vices and extravagancies of those who bore that name at Munster." To which our author replies: "It is probably, then, done to their honour. One man addresses another, Sir, your ancestors were robbers and murderers; they perished by the hand of the hangman, at such a period.' Turning to a numerous company, before whom this takes place, he facetiously says, 'I do not mean to degrade the gentleman, but merely to ascertain the period at which his family became notorious.' Ifthe person thus insulted, were calmly to reply, • Certain criminals were undoubtedly executed at that time you mention, but they were not at all of my family,' he would offer exactly the answer of the Baptists to their calumiators.”

The author concludes his sensible and spirited Strictures with these concessions. "He does not wish to disguise, that his feelings have been strongly excited, and that he has sought for strong expressions: but he trusts his feelings have been those of regret, and a disposition to complain, rather than of bitterness. He knows that he had infinitely rather be chargeable with tameness than with rancour: and fain would he adopt the dying prayer of the Saviour, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.'

ART. III-A Letter to the Bishop of

St. David's, on some extraordinary Passages in a Charge delivered to the Clergy of his Diocese, on September, 1819. By a Lay Seceder. Johnson, 1814. Pp. 24. 8vo. of the penal laws against the imT is well known, that the repeal pugners of the doctrine of the Trinity, has disturbed the mind and incurred the censure of the amiable and learned prelate who fills the see of St. David's, an effect not consistent with this character, under which he is spoken of

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by those who know him; and surprising in a day, when the principles of religious liberty are so justly appreciated, widely disseminated, and avowed from the episcopal bench. His lordship is, however, a dissenter from his brethren, and laments the measure which they supported and advocated. This he has done in "A Brief Memorial on the Repeal of the 9th and 10th William III. &c.," and in "A Charge to his Clergy," to which the title of the above tract refers. His lordship's "Memorial" has received a most ample and able review from the pen of Mr. Belsham. The Lay Seceder, who, we understand has separated from the Establishment on Unitarian principles, and has gained deserved praise as a biographical writer, here animadverts with candour on the "Charge to the Clergy," in which Dr. Burgess laments the repeal of those penal statutes as "the loss of guards intended for the protection of our common Christianity."

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"The repeal of such laws, enacted to stop the progress of free inquiry, and to silence those enlightened advocates for the sole deity and supremacy of Jehovah, whose arguments it was not otherwise found easy to refute, if not called for by any recent instances of persecution, was surely," says our author, no less demanded by the improving spirit of the age. It was time, that, in pursuing the path of free inquiry into the language and meaning of scripture, our countrymen should be released, not only from the actual dread of persecution, but even from the stigma which such statutes were intended to affix."

On these principles the piece before us is a candid, respectful and forcible remonstrance with the Bishop of St. David's, on the strong, not to say illiberal disapprobation with which he expresses himself; and on the fears and alarm which he testifies on the repeal of those statutes.

"Admitting," says the author, "that the truth of Christianity consists in its essential doctrines; and the belief of it in the admission of all that are founded on

the authority of scripture, let us consider what may be fairly deemed essential doctrines, and what proof you have adduced in their support. The existence and di. vinity of three persons in one God,' which you contend for, being no where explicitly revealed, I suspect can only be supported in opposition to the clear and decisive tes

In a subsequent paragraph, the author appeals to the bishop on the nature of tenets maintained by those against whom the severe penalties of those statutes have been hitherto in force. "Let us consider, my lord, what are the opinions which, under the name of blasphemy, you arraign so vehemently; and who are the supposed enthusiasts and levellers, so long amenable to the penal law. The existence of one God, by whom all things were created; the divine mission, death, and resurrection of Christ; the divine authority of his precepts, revealed in the gospel; and the hope of immortality in the resurrection of the dead, are the leading tenets maintained by Unitarians; the essential doctrines which they deduce from scripture, as clearly and explicitly revealed. Such was the avowed faith of Lardner, the more than suspected creed of Newton and Locke; such were the strictly-scriptural conclusions for which Lindsey, Jebb and Disney resigned their preferment in the Church of England; and which were embraced among Dissenters, by Simpson, by Priestley, and by Cappe. And such, my lord, if any additional authorities should still be wanting, were the doctrines openly espoused by the late Duke of Grafton, Sir George Saville, and Attorney-General Lee. In these opinions where does your lordship find any appearance of blasphemy; among such men where would you have selected a proper subject for the penal law? Away, then, with all idle lamentation about the repeal of statutes, so totally inapplicable and absurd: which, although at times, they might give sanction to an unjust, illiberal stigma, affording

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have conferred neither credit nor seno proof of the tolerant spirit,' could curity on the Established Church. Your lordship may declaim against what you deem the insidious arts of Socinian and Infidel innovation;' but the progress of free inquiry can no longer be impeded in this country;