Catholic. Why, you fool, how could you misunderstand me?none but an ideot would suppose that I intended to say that all bread and wine is the body, blood, and divinity of Jesus.

The Freethinking Christian would shrug up his shoulders, and think it rather hard that he should be accountable for the idiotism of his adversary.

The apology of" the Reflector" for his ill temper is childish to a degree" If the Reflector has been hurried by the warmth of his own feelings into intemperate language, let it be remembered that Saceto first gave the provocation by contemptuous insinuation, and illiberal invectives." Thus have I seen a peevish and quarrelsome school-boy foaming with rage and swoln with passions, and when brought before the stern authority of the master, for abusing, kicking, and cuffing his companion-his only excuse is-Please, Sir, he called me names, Sir.-Please, Sir, he struck me first, Sir!

The Reflector wishes to know "if Saceto is a materialist ?" Saceto's compliments to "the Reflector," and begs to inforin him, in answer to his polite enquiry, that he is a materialist—is duly sensible of the condescension of" the Reflector" in letting him know that he " is not ;" but begs he will not consider himselfat issue with Saceto on this account, Saceto being of opinion that the disputant in the intricate doctrines of Matter and Spirit should possess certain qualifications, such as temper, perspicuity, and a knowledge of the subject. In the absence of these, though Saceto, like Rasselas, might feel it prudent to bow in silence to the philosopher, yet he is fearful he should find him one of those sages whom he should understand less as he heard him longer."

Surry, Jan. 14, 1812.

SACETO.

THE UNITARIANS AND THE BIBLE SOCIETY.

To the Editor of the Freethinking Christians' Magazine.

SIR,

AS none of your correspondents have favoured the public with any remarks on that wonderful phenomenon, the Bible Society, I beg leave to submit my opinion of it to your disposal. I have a good deal of phlegm in my constitution, but any thing very monstrous excites my attention for a time.

I consider the union of the High and Low Churchmen, with the Quaker, the common Dissenter, and the Unitarian, a most curious medley of pride, obsequiousness, insipidity, self-conceit, and inconsistency. This huge mass of offensive qualities is combined together, for what?-Why, to propagate the word of God with a mixture of filthy heathenish fables: the first

of which is designed, and well calculated, to stagger our faith in that most authentic and rational history of the genealogy of Jesus, contained in the first part of the first chapter of Matthew. From this accurate statement, who can augur any good? On the contrary, we must anticipate evil; for the best things when corrupted become the worst. The reflecting and well-informed mind must be painfully affected to see so large a body of men as forms the Bible Society agree together to delude the ignorant and unsuspecting in so serious a matter as religion.

There is something so amiable, and so evidently calculated to promote the happiness of man, in that beautiful and perfect system of morality which Jesus taught-in connexion with that glorious and exhilarating prospect which it holds forth to us beyond the grave-that every one who feels for the happiness of his fellow-creatures must wish Christianity to be universally believed and acted upon. Next, in point of importance to the Christian religion, is that varied and voluminous work the Book of Nature, which may always be read with profit; and we should be careful not to divert the mind from a perusal of the intelligible creation, to a work replete with error and absurdity, as we must consider the version of the New Testament, and which the above society agree to propagate.

I wish to see how far the moral character is implicated in supporting this institution :-No sooner does the day appointed for the meeting of the friends of this society arrive, than the different sects sally forth in great numbers like crusaders going to do penance at Jerusalem. There is no small analogy between this institution and the crusades: this is headed by many ecclesiastics, so was that-this represents the situation of those who are unacquainted with a corrupt version of the New Testament, as dismal beyond description-that represented the deplorable state of their brethren in the East. The crusaders considered the holy wars as an atonement for every violation of humanity and benevolence-many of the Bible Society men, to my knowledge, pass by scenes of pecuniary wretchedness as soon as they leave their own doors, to give a guinea to the Bible Society.

Would it not be acting more like a Christian to relieve the positive evils that surround us, than in risking our superfluous wealth upon an uncertain and foreign expedition ?-Suppose charity was to begin at home, and the thirty or forty thousand pounds which are collected upon this occasion, were to be applied to the relief of some of those twenty thousand of our fellow-creatures that rise every morning in our metropolis without knowing where to get a breakfast!-But leave this

part of the subject, and notice the conduct of the Unitarian in giving his assistance to the support of this institution, and thereby propagating what he believes to be error for truth. How can any individual satisfy himself by sending into the world falsehood for truth? Is this consistent with the love of truth as it is in Jesus?

With regard to the effect which this institution may have upon the religion of this island, many High Churchmen think it subversive of the established religion, and the Unitarians with whom I am acquainted, think the same; but in this tête à tête with the churchmen at their meetings, 1 have never yet heard the Unitarians urge that as a reason for giving their support to the society; for, peradventure, in freely speaking their mind, evil would come of it, and the blind churchman, opening his eyes, would withhold his guinea!

I am not in the habit of wielding the quill, but should you think this, or any part of it, worthy of a place in your Maga zine, I shall be glad to see it in your next number.

Biggleswade, Jan. 1812.

IN

Your's, &c.

A FREETHINKING CHRISTIAN.

THE ADMIRER OF NATURE.-No. VII.

"Sée Winter comes to rule the varied year,

Sullen and sad with all his rising train;

Vapours, and clouds, and storms, be these my theme,
These that exalt the soul to solemn thought,

And heavenly musing."-Thomson.

N unison with the poet of the seasons, the Admirer of Nature has chosen for his subject the season of Winter-a theme which, as the poet observes, exalts the soul to solemn thought; and in once more resuming his feeble pen to address his young readers, he feels a pleasure in reflecting, that trifling as his lucubrations may be, and attended with but little advantage either to them or to himself, that at least he is, as he stated in his first paper, contributing his mite towards the improvement of his species; and if those of greater abilities would turn their talents this way, instead of employing them in the support of vice or injustice, the aggregate benefit to society would be great.

But to return to the subject of Winter :-Cold and senseless must that mortal be, and lost to the best feelings of human nature, when the Spring smiles around, and every object seems to give earnest of future plenty-who, as he treads the flowery turf, does not feel his breast glow with pleasure, when he hears the joyful notes which are poured forth from every grove-who

does not partake of the general joy, and feel impressed with a grateful sense of the goodness of the author of such happiness, and a wish in all things to obey his will, in order to enjoy the favour and approbation of so good a being, and merit the rewards he has promised to those, who, following the bright example of Jesus, make the observance of his commands, as revealed to us by Christianity, the rule and study of their lives. But how few are there when the snow covers the ground, and all seems to présent a scene of desolation and horror, who feel their hearts glow with the same fervour of devotion, the same gratitude to the Supreme Being, as in the scenes of Spring-who, looking beyond the face of things, see in the apparently cold and damp covering a warm mantle which Nature has provided to protect vegetation; and when the winds and storms ravage the earth, see in this the hand of divine goodness, who has caused these winds and these storms to come in their

due season to purify the air, and prevent those evils which its putrefaction might occasion; and however he may lament the individual injury it causes, yet he will consider, with Pope,

"All partial evil's universal good."

Winter is supposed to commence on the 21st of December, which is called the winter solstice; the sun's distance from the zenith of the place then being greatest: and what may perhaps appear extremely strange is, that the sun is nearer to the earth in Winter than in Summer, but owing to the obliquity of his rays, we feel less of his heat.

As snow forms a peculiar feature of Winter, it demands some attention from the Admirer of Nature; and to his young readers perhaps some explanation of its nature and formation. Considered without any reference to its utility, as a beautiful phenomenon, it claims our highest admiration; but when we reflect on its use in the covering it affords to the tender plants, we are struck with its beneficial effects. In Winter, the higher regions of the air being extremely cold, the water of which the clouds are formed, condensed by this extreme cold, freeze, and slowly crystallizing, form little icy stars or darts, which, in their descent touching each other, unite and form flakes of snow: the small intervals which these darts leave between them, like so many pores filled with air, are the cause of their lightness. The small particles that compose these flakes being transparent, and differently arranged, reflecting the light from all parts, occasion their extreme whiteness. Ice, when pounded, is equally white with snow; and when examined by a magnifying glass, a flake of snow appears composed of a number of small points, diverging like rays from a centre. The beneficial effects of snow, as affording protection to the vegetable tribe,

and the great service of frost, which, by expanding the water contained in the clods of earth in the ploughed fields, causes them to break, and thus preparing them for the reception of the seed, need not be dwelt upon. The goodness of the Deity in thus ordering every thing for the best, cannot fail exciting our admiration and gratitude.

Although Winter cannot boast the vivid beauties of the Spring, or the rich bounty of Autumn, yet it is not without its charms to the minute observer. The beautiful effects of a hoar frost can scarcely be surpassed by any sight in nature; and though Winter may be deprived of vernal beauty, yet he may be considered, as Cowper in his Personification has styled him,

King of intimate delights,

Fire side enjoyments, home born happiness,
And all the comforts that the lowly roof
Of undisturb'd retirement, and the hours
Of long uninterrupted evening know."

Its long evenings present opportunities of social intercourse and domestic felicity, which are not to be found in any other part of the year; and when the storm is raging without, and we are blessed with warmth and shelter, it calls forth our pity for those who are deprived of these advantages. But not contented with pitying, we should exert ourselves by every means in our power to alleviate the wants of the poor-not satisfied with commiserating their situation, we should seek out indigence, and relieve it, and show that at least we endeavour to be worthy of the blessings we possess. And whether we view the unerring hand of the Deity in the opening blossoms of Spring, in the more mature beauties of Summer, in the abundance of Autumn, or the chilling severity of Winter, we must more and more feel ourselves impressed with a love of his goodness, and admiration of his wisdom. How does the returning Spring exhilarate our hearts as it succeeds the gloomy period of Winter! its pleasures are heightened as it were by the contrast whereas, if it were continued, we should soon cease to regard it with the delight with which we now hail its approach. The charming vicissitudes of the seasons have been often compared to the life of man.

Behold, fond man!

See here thy pictur'd life. Pass some few years
Thy flow'ring Spring, thy Summer's ardent strength,
Thy sober Autumn fading into age,

And pale concluding Winter comes at last,

And shuts the scene.

With these lines the Admirer of Nature will close this paper, hoping that his young readers will so use the spring of