and to divest it of any thing like a party designation, they took the title of the BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY. The Prince Regent is an annual subscriber of 100l. their royal highnesses the Dukes of Kent and Sussex are Vice Patrons: the Duke of Bedford is the President: and among the Vice Presidents are, the Marquisses of Lansdowne and Tavistock, Lords Darnley, Moira, Rosslynn, Fingall, and Clifford, Sir John Swinburne, Sir Samuel Romilly, and Messrs. Grattan, Horner, W. Smith, Wilberforce, &c. "The British System embraces instruction in Reading, Writing, and the elements of Arithmetic, and in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures as derived from the scriptures themselves. It enters into no religious distinctions; but is open to all of every religions persuasion. Its grand object is, by the general diffusion of education, to raise the moral character of the great mass of the people; to train them to habits of order and subordi. nation, of industry, decency, cleanliness, and a regard to character; and to impress early and strongly, upon the minds of the young, the divine commands as contained in the sacred volume. "The simplicity, economy, and surprising operation of the system, have excited the liveliest admiration of many distinguished foreigners: and, under the blessing of Divine Providence, this Institution will, in all probability, be the means of causing the extensive establishment of Schools on similar principles in Russia and in France. There is every reason to believe that the Emperor of Russia will introduce the system throughout his dominions; and the agency of the society in extending it to France is still more direct, and alike important. In that country a very large proportion of the lower classes are in the most degrading ignorance; and at least two million French children are unable even to read. The effect of the British System would be to restore the knowledge of Christian duty, and to check the disorder and licentiousness which prevail in that unhappy country. "The System is not confined to Europe. Through the exertions of the Committee, it has been extended to the remaining quarters of the globe and at this time there are schools established in different remote Countries, for several thousand children. The native Indians of British America, the Half-cast of Hindostan, the captured Slaves and Black Settlers of Sierra Leone, and even the Hottentots are enjoying the advantages afforded by the Society: and there is no limit but the want of the pecuniary means of extending them more widely. ; "Among civilized nations, the only object is to give the first impulse, to furnish a qualified teacher, and lessons in the respective languages; and by this means schools might be speedily established in Poland, Germany, Flanders, &c. which would serve as a preparation for many others. In the uncivilized regions, the aid must more completely come from Britain and at home also, in numerous cases, teachers and lessons must be provided at the commencement of schools. All this involves considerable expense: and though the plans of the Committee have been aided by extraordinary liberality from individuals of their own body as well as from others, they have never been able to relieve the Institution from the difficulties under which they first undertook the management of it, together with the great additional expenses which have since been incurred. Having themselves long laboured under these difficulties, they feel themselves entitled to call upon the friends of the system for their encouragement. Their present earnest desire is, to consolidate the Society, and to give energy and efficacy to its exertions in future. "The object is one in which ALL PARTIES may unite. By teaching from the Holy Scriptures in the authorized version, and promoting the attendance of children at the respective places of worship of their parents, it offers a point of union for all of all denominations; and as it admits no catechism, or other instruction in peculiar religious tenets, it excludes none from the blessings of education. Its schools are schools FOR ALL. "As a most important auxiliary to the BIBLE SOCIETY, it claims the support of that powerful and important Institution. To give the Bible, without the means of reading it, is useless. The one society offers the casket in which is the pearl of great price: the to children of all religious persuasions -one which did not profess to make converts-one which, while it imparted general religions instruction, left those who were its objects to obtain their particular religions discipline elsewhere. This declaration from a member of the Irish administration, is peculiarly gratifying and encouraging to the friends of the British System. The Society has, in various ways, (and particularly by affording a very able and intelligent teacher, well qualified to superintend the establishment of schools,) contributed to the introduction of it in Ireland: their efforts will now probably receive the co-operation of the government." Subscriptions are received by Hoare, Barnet, and Co. Bankers, Lombard Street; by William Allen, Treasurer, Plough Court, Lombard Street; and by Joseph Fox, Secretary, Argyle Street, Oxford Street. Though the School Society has no more to do with Unitarianism than the Bible Society has, yet we cannot but view it with peculiar satisfaction, as affording the means of diffusing religious knowledge, from scriptural sources alone. And I earnestly wish that our Unitarian friends in different parts of the kingdom, (and especially that class who do not seem willing to contribute to the dissemination of Unitarian principles,) would come forwards at this present time and assist to place this Society on a permanent foundation, and to give the Committee the power of promoting its object abroad, in an effectual and more extensive manner.-Hitherto the Society has had its chief encouragement from the Friends; I shall rejoice indeed if this statement should assist in ob taining for it more attention and support among the Unitarians.* L. C. Among other subscriptions from our TO class of people are more abused by the generality of Dissenting ministers than Unitarian Christians. Every possible means is taken to blacken their characters, and to inculcate an idea that no good Christian can safely hear their preachers or associate with them. To make them more terrific they are constantly ranked with Atheists, Deists and blasphemers. They are not only denied the appellation of Christians, but are declared by many to be as certain of condemnation as if already in hell. And why this virulence?-Do the Unitarians lead worse lives than other Christians? No!-Their greatest enemies never assert it. It is merely because they claim the liberty of private judg ment, and because they use it, in the real and strict sense of the phrase, by interpreting the scriptures in a manner consistent with reason and truth; thereby rendering them intelligible and acceptable to the philosopher as well as Christian: whereas most other sects resolutely proscribe human reason and compel you to take every passage of scripture as they understand it, from the common literal translation, by which means the sacred writings appear ridiculous and inconsistent to the intelligent and rational man. I was brought up in the vulgar notions of Christianity, and came to London a few years back with a strong bias in favour of what is called Evangelical religion," but at the same time with au inquiring disposi tion. Among the various societies into which I was led by a thirst for information, was one chiefly composed of persons who rejected divine revelation. Volney and Paine were immediately put into my hands. The fascinating reveries of the former seem plausible to the unexperienced reader, and the, dry ridicule of the latter fastens on the imagination of the superficial thinker, but the general conversation of the company hurried me in friends, one is particularly observable :"By the Rev. Dr. Lindsay, for himself and friends of Monkwell-Street Society, 1501." to the labyrinths of infidelity quicker than the books. To hear those who are looked up to for their wit, learning or eloquence, perpetually directing their sarcasms at religion through the medium of its abuses, and burlesquing many things, which we have been accustomed to hold sacred, but which are in fact real absurdities, injuriously amalgamated with Christianity, has a strong tendency to shake the faith of a person who has only received his notious of religion through the distorted medium of Calvinistic or fanatical preaching. This, Sir, was my peculiar situation, and under the idea of thinking for myself and searching after truth, I continued bewildered in the aberrations of scepticism for a considerable time, till having pursued my speculations to the boldest extremes, I began to be alarmed at the consequences such principles might produce if they became prevalent in society. I could not help reflecting that opinions which would destroy the belief of a future consciousness, and with it, that of an ultimate accountability, must from their dangerous effects be unfounded in truth. These circumstances induced me to peruse some works on the genuineness and authenticity of the scriptures, among which I was forcibly struck with "Priestley's Institutes," a manuscript copy of Aspland's Lectures, and a "Summary View of the Evidences and Practical Importance of the Christian Revelation," by Thos. Belsham: a class of writers I had totally neglected during my progress through the French and English authors of an opposite description. I found the last mentioned works to be the productions of men who were not only sincere Christians but acccomplished scholars and enlightened philosophers, whose laudable ambition it had been to divest the religion of Jesus of the various appendages with which craft, ignorance and superstition had obscured its beauties and sullied its pristine purity. In fact, I became convinced that the " objections and cavils of modern infidelity are generally leveled more at the prevailing corruptions than at the essential doctrines or substantial evidences of revealed religion." I felt conscious that if I had been educated in liberal and rational views of Christianity I should have been much better protected against the errors of scepticism, than by reputed orthodoxy or blind fanaticism, and am confident that nothing is better calculated to stop the career of infidelity on the one hand and to tame the fierceness of sectarian rancour, and infuriated bigotry on the other, than a more extensive diffusion of Unitarian principles. I shall not content myself with being a speculative or professed Chistian, but shall earnestly strive to become a real and practical one, and as I am indebted to the Unitarians for the new and agreeable views I have of religion, shall endeavour to atone for my past errors, by devoting the remainder of my life to assist them in enlightening and liberalizing their fellow-christians. Yours, &c. UNITA PHILARIO. SIR, Aug. 30, 1815. NITARIANS respect the sincerity, though they regret the inconsistency, of their Trinitarian brethren who worship a God the Son, and a God the Holy Ghost, while they pro fess to receive the apostolic doctrine of one God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ, who, himself, has declared, on a very interesting occasion, that the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. It is remarkable how the use of unscriptural phraseology has prepared Trinitarian Christians, especially, if they have been scholars, easily to adopt the expressions of a Pagan polytheism. Thus Johannes Sapidus, a scholar of the fifteenth century, in an epitaph on Sixtus IVth., whom he intends to describe as an Atheist, under a Christian profession, has these expressions, Riserat ut vivens Celestia Numinu Sixtus Sic moriens nullos credidit esse Deos, which may be fairly translated, Sixtus, who scorn'd through life the heavenly pow'rs, No Gods acknowledg'd in his life's last hours. The author of "The History of Popery, 1786," from whom I have quoted this couplet, (ii. 293) as if aware of its Pagan complexion, thus qualifies the original: 618 Public Libraries.-Petitioning Clergy.-On Natural Religions As Sixtus, when he liv'd, mock'd God, so he your plan, of a page of your useful Repository, to suggest some remarks and make one or two inquiries, on the existing state of endowed libraries in England which have been at any time founded for the express use of the public, in contradistinction to such as are restricted to the use of particular establishments; such as those of collegiate, cathedral or other ecclesiastical corporations. Few of your readers, I should apprehend, can be ignorant that there is one very valuable one of the description to which I allude, at Manchester, founded during the Usurpation by the munificence of a Mr. Cheetham, for the public benefit of the inhabitants at large of that populous town. Its excellent founder left an ample estate to provide for the support of a regular librarian, for the annual augmentation as well as constant care of the Library itself, and for the comfortable accommodation, besides all, of the inhabitants of his native town in their use of his beneficent bequest to them. There is likewise a library in some degree similar in its object to this institution attached to St. Nicholas' Church, at Newcastle, founded by Sir Walter Blackitt (a gentleman whose memory is gratefully preserved in many valuable benefits done to that place by his liberal munificence). But whether it be from an inadequacy of its existing revenue to admit of the sufficient attendance of a librariau, and a due attention to its preservation and improvement, or whether it may be owing to the superior extent and more unrestricted access to the valuable and yearly improving library of the Literary and Philosophical Society in the same town, it is much to be regretted that his institution is (as at present conducted) but little calculated to ensure the original intention of its founder, notwithstanding it comprises a very large collection of scarce and many very valuable works in va rious departments of general literature, history and science. Besides the above there are dispersed over the kingdom some other libraries founded for public use, though none perhaps (those of the universities and other national establishments excepted) so completely endowed with revenues for their maintenance as these of any of your intelligent correspondents to afford the intelligence, I shall feel particular obligation for the supply of a list of such institutions, the origin of their endowment, and if pos sible, the extent of the resources for their maintenance and improvement. SCRUTATOR. P.S. Of the state of those endowed libraries that are attached to the various national and collegiate establishments, it is almost unnecessary I should conceive to remark, that Mr. Dyer has been long assiduously occupied in the preparation from actual survey, of a laborious and extensive history. SIR, OME see several Clergymen of the have now elapsed Established Church petitioned parliament to be relieved from signing Articles of Religion. I have for some time been desirous to meet with the petition and the names of the petitioners, but have not been successful. I should be obliged therefore if any of your correspondents could, through the medium of your publication, give it to the world; for I think that the names of the petitioners ought to be remembered. If some biographical notices could be prefixed to the names the communication would be more interesting, and as I have been informed that they were for the most part men of considerable learning, it might recall their remembrance, and stimulate others to attempt something of a similar nature at present. On Natural Religion. sure and satisfaction to many of your readers of the Old School, to find that you have lately admitted some valuable Essays on Natural Theology: One in particular, on the natural ar guments for a future state, worthy their teachers cause them to err!" Even the pen of a Steele, an Addison, a Calvin himself, were he to arise from Watts, or a Young. This is not only the dead, would shake his hoary locks, a proof of your impartiality, and that at the sentiments uttered by some of you are free from the trammels of a his zealous adherents. When we hear sect; but also, in their idea, eminent- a popular divine of this class, after ly conducive to the interests of true stating his own notions of the death religion especially, as there is an of Christ, tell the congregation, that evident tendency, at present,, in the "if these notions are not the true ones, writings and sermons of some able, the death of Christ is an event of no learned and strenuous advocates of importance in the scheme of ChristianChristianity, (no doubt, from the best ity;" we scarcely know whether more intentions,) to depreciate natural re- to admire the modesty and judgment ligion, and the evidences upon which of the preacher, or the sagacity of it is founded. Wherefore, it is in- his auditors, who eagerly imbibe this cumbent upon those who think other- luminous and salutary doctrine, and wise, to strengthen," in this view, call it," Gospel!" Why-good peo"the things that remain," and which, ple, if you are now to be informed, in the opinion of some, may be "ready that the death of Christ, as to its real to die," by studying these principles nature and efficacy in the scheme of more and more, both to improve, ex- redemption, remains just as it is in alt and consolidate their own faith, itself, notwithstanding all your disand promote the knowledge of them putes concerning it, and the authoriamong others. Nor, as it should tative decisions of your spiritual leadseem, is this a very difficult task. We er-you are as yet, but "babes in may entertain different sentiments on religion, needing milk and not strong this subject, as well as others; but it meat, and to be taught the first prinmust be an Herculean labour indeed, ciples of the oracles of God." Again, to endeavour to prove, that all which when a sober rationalist would perthe ancient and modern advocates of suade us, that "the wretched savage natural religion, both Heathen and commits his departed relatives and Christian, have urged in its behalf. friends to the silent mansions of the men, who in the opinion of most, tomb, without any hope of restitution have" written for immortality"-is of and recovery"-instead of reasoning little use or importance: and what- with him upon the subject, we are ever we may think of the reasonings inclined to refer him to any common of the "masters in Israel" on the op- book of travels, or elementary treatise posite side of this question, we must of geography, to prove the rashness be sensible that their humble follow- of his assertious. Another candidate ers often commit grievous errors and for pulpit fame, under an idea of exmistakes, both in the parlour and in alting the gospel morality, gravely inthe pulpit. Mankind are too apt to forms us, that "the polished Romans, pay an undue deference to great had no word to express the virtue of names, in religion and in the sciences; humility; or, if they had, it signified and it is truly lamentable, in a general something very different from what view, to witness the extremes into Christiaus mean by that term." Perwhich the partisans of discordant haps, this sapient divine hd just besects are apt to run, upon particular fore turned over his Latin Dictionary, occasions. We do not expect perfec- where we find, that in Ciceronian tion, even from a minister of long es- language, “Humilitas" signifies" lowtablished reputation, any more than ness, pooruess, meanness, baseness." from his people; still less from one, A goodly and decisive argument, just emerged from the walls of an academy, whether as commonly deemed orthodox or heretical: but we do expect, in those who are set apart for public instruction, a freedom from manifest and glaring absurdities, contrary to the analogy of the faith, to the general opinions of thinking men, and even to matter of fact and experience. "Woe unto them, when truly! Cicero, gentle reader, hath determined the matter for the whole Roman commonwealth, and you are to inquire no farther. They had no humility. We may help on this sort of logic, by observing, that neither did the word Papyrus, with the Romans, signify paper, nor penna, a handy instrument, now-a days made from the wing of a goose; ergo, they |