all the Scriptures require him to believe in order to salvation.". This must be good news to Unitarians, although the Reviewer may not be acquainted with the fact, for we can not suppose him combating a mere creature of his own imagination. Unitarians do believe in divine influence: see Dr. Carpenter on that subject. Unitarians do believe in the divinity or divine mission of Jesus Christ: see Mr. Belsham, Mr. Aspland, Mr. Yates, Mr. Kenrick and Dr. Thomas Rees. Unitarians do believe in the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ, and the means of recovery from sin and its effects: see Mr. Wright, Mr. Wellbeloved, Mr. Kentish, Mr. Butcher. Unitarians do not only believe that the Scriptures have revealed to us the means of salvation, but that they alone ought to be the rule of our faith and the guide of our conduct. If because we call no man master in matters of religion, we are said to have no creed; if because we deem it better to worship God according to the dictates of our heart, rather than obey the traditions and inventions of men; if for this cause we are lightly esteemed by others, we will bear with patience the sneers of the world, and look to him who will judge righte ously, and prepare to give to him an account of our stewardship Wheen! first perused the Review I have mentioned, I was rejoiced, and resolved to congratulate my brethren on our being acknowledged to be Christians; for it is not always pleasant to see ourselves classed with Deists, Infidels and Atheists. But my joy was damped when I read, and re-read the following passage: "The man who believes this with his heart, believes all the Scriptures require him to believe in order to salvation. He may not express himself on the subject of the Trinity, the personality of the Spirit and other points of confessed importance in our language; but he holds the head; he belongs to the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Though of all men Unitarians have the least confidence in the flesh, acknowledging that it is of the mercy of God that they are saved and not of themselves; yet they disclaim any language of their own, and deem no points of confessed im

portance but what are clearly stated in the word of God. What then does the Reviewer intend? Is he wise beyond what Divine wisdom has disclosed? Or does the phrase, our language, mean some particular confession of faith, some standard of true orthodoxy? It would have been candid to have given an explanation, espe cially as his design was to induce the Quakers to join the sect that is characterized by its soundness in faith. Perhaps, the writer only meant to furnish a specimen of the language of that sect, in the correctness and diversity of metaphor, and the substitution of sound for sense in the quotation of scripture. If this were his object, he is happy in his elucidation of a person who believes with his heart, holding the head, belonging to the true cir cumcision, worshiping God in spirit, &c. Mr. Editor, I am a plain man, and as the gospel was designed as a peculiar blessing for the poor, I am anxious that both our religious services and our controversial writings should be conducted in a language that may only excite to love and good works.

SIR,

L. E. F.

Bristol, Feb. 3rd, 1823.

FROM the perusal of a hibation spectable Quarterly Publication, entitled "The Inquirer," I have with a peculiar degree of satisfaction learned the existence of a Convention of Delegates from New York, Philadelphia and Delaware, whose specific objects are "the abolition of domestic slavery, the protection of free Negroes illegally detained, and generally the improvement of the condition of the African race throughout the United States;" and that this Convention assembled at Philadelphia on the 29th of October, and closed the sittings of its 17th Session on the 29th of November, 1821.

This intelligence being new and interesting to me, I conclude that it will be equally so to many of your readers, and that they will share in the pleasure which I feel in finding that the reports of the Session are said to be for the most part, of a highly encouraging description. "The constituted Societies continue to add to their numbers, the schools for the education of Ne

gro children prosper and increase, and kidnapping though still prevailing to an afflicting degree, is yet practised with less and less audacity." For farther particulars relating to the proceedings of this patriotic and benevolent Society, I must refer to "The Inquirer," No. 2, my present object being to point out a fuct equally unexpected and gratifying to me, which is related in the plan laid down by the Convention, for the "general emancipation of Slaves." This fact is, that an experiment for very materially improving the condition of the field Negroes in our West-India Islands, has been tried on a scale of sufficient magnitude, and been found not only to answer, but far to surpass the hopes that had been formed of its success. I give the account verbatim.

"The plan now proposed" (by the American Delegates) "is not new. It is no Utopian visionary theory, unsupported by experience. It has been successfully tried in the Island of Barbadoes, by the late Joshua Steel, and the result exceeded his most sanguine expectations. The first principles of his plan,' says Dr. Dickson, are the plain ones of treating the Slaves as human creatures; moving them to action by the hope of reward, as well as the fear of punishment; giving them out of their own labours, wages and land, sufficient to afford them the plainest necessaries; and protecting them against the capricious violence, too often of ignorant, unthinking, or unprincipled, perhaps drunken men and boys, invested with arbitrary powers, as their managers and drivers. His plan is founded in nature, and has nothing in it of rash innovation. It does not hurry forward a new order of things: it recommends no fine new projects or ticklish experiments; but by a few safe and easy steps, and a few simple applications of English law, opens the way for a gradual introduction of a better system.' To advance above 300 debased field Negroes, who had never before moved without the whip, to a state nearly resembling that of contented, honest and industrious servants, and often paying them for their labour; to triple in a few years the annual net income of his estates-these were great achievements for an aged man, in an untried field of improvement,

pre-occupied by inveterate vulgar prejudices. He has indeed accomplished all that was really doubtful or difficult in the undertaking; and perhaps all that is at present desirable, either to owner or Slave; for he has ascertained as a fact-what was before only known to the learned as a theory, and to practical men as a paradox-that the paying of Slaves for their labour, does actually produce a very great profit to their owners."

It must be a matter of rejoicing to every humane heart, to find it proved experimentally, that such a step towards actual emancipation, may at the present time be taken, not only without fear of injury, but with great profit to West-India proprietors. Had our friend Cooper gone out to Christianize a plantation so organized, we cannot doubt respecting the success that would have attended his judicious and persevering efforts; and thus it clearly appears, that this hitherto wretched and degraded race of men, may, even with large pecuniary advantage to their owners, be rendered comfortable, rational and religious.

In another article of the "Inquirer," (Proceedings of School Societies,) we are also informed that "a gentleman of Barbadoes lately made a voyage to England at his own expense, in order fully to understand the Lancasterian system of teaching, and has returned to promote it with his utmost zeal."

The information which I have thus

gained, of bright rays, precursors I trust of freedom and intelligence, having penetrated into a morally dark region, I hope you will permit me to spread through the medium of your Repository. It cannot but be acceptable to many; and if any of your readers have connexions in the Island where this interesting experiment has been tried, and these great improvements made, I hope they will be disposed to gladden the hearts of the benevolent, by communicating such farther particulars as are within their present knowledge, or that by inquiry they may be able to procure.

MARY HUGHES.

SIR,

Bloxham, Feb. 12, 1823.

HEARTILY wish every perd had the world could read, and had free access to a correct copy of the Holy Scriptures. But the capital law of the Bible Society, i. e. "without note or comment," and above all the very many serious defects that the most learned and pious acknowledge attend our version, and many other very modern translations, have effectually prevented me from having any thing to do with the Bible Society. I sent a letter about the year 1810 to two monthly publications, in which I exhorted the distributors of Bibles and Testaments seriously to consider whether they ought not to correct our version, before they proceeded to multiply the copies in so great a degree. When I give away a Bible or Testament, I put the following note in one of the blank pages at the end of it:

"I John v. 7, "There are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.'

"Dr. Doddridge thought this pas⚫sage doubtful.

Archbishop Newcome has left it out of his translation of the New Testament: and the present Bishop of Lincoln says it is spurious. See Dr. Prettyman's Works, Vol. II. p. 90."

And in more instances, probably, than one, I have also pointed out some acknowledged erroneous translations.

It appears from a pamphlet by Dr. P. Smith, that he had used to inform his Catechumens that 1 John v. 7 was not genuine; and that this offended some of his brethren. He says in his own defence, "I cannot, as an honest inan, permit my Catechumens to repeat the passage as if it were a part of the word of God, and I should dread the effects (and I know a painful instance) of the discovery being made at a less propitious time." Vindiciæ Academicæ. Part 2nd. By John Pye Smith, D.D.; p. 77.

I also beg leave to say, that it is not acting an open, honest and upright part, nor doing as we would be done by, to give away Bibles or Testaments without taking such notice of it, as is specified above. Truth stands in no need of error to shore it up. Job says, "Will ye speak wickedly for

God? and talk deceitfully for him?” Job xiii. 7. It is also deserving of very serious consideration, whether it is not acting contrary to the express command of God, given us in Deut. iv. 2: "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you." And in Rev. xxii. 18: "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book."

Esq., a very zealous and active member of the Bible Society, called on me, many months ago, to procure orders for Bibles and Testaments. I informed him that I had Bibles and Testaments put into my hands to give away, and that I had then some copies by me. He came in, took a seat, and we conversed for a few minutes. When he rose up to go away, a few of my books being at hand, I pointed to them and said, there is Newcome, and there is Griesbach, and there is the Improved Version; and then turning to him, I laid my finger on his arm, and said in a very serious manner, what a pity, Sir, it is that our translation was not improved before the copies were so much multiplied! He, I apprehend, meant to say that it was not expected at first that the copies would have been so numerousthat the work would be done. I replied, yes-it will be done, but in the mean time I have suffered a great deal from the defects of our translation; and I feel for those that shall come after me; I meant wheresoever these corrupt translations shall be dispersed.

He some time after favoured me with the loan of the second number of Mr. Bellamy's Translation of the Bible: when I returned it, I sent with it a letter that contains the following passage:

"I wish, Sir, you would seriously ask yourself, whether the great works of Kennicott and Griesbach, and the New Translations of part of the Scriptures by Bishop Lowth, Drs. Blayney, Geddes, Doddridge, Archbishop Newcome, and many others, do not call upon you and other persons to use all your influence to excite the British nation to improve our authorized Version of the Holy Scriptures. Depend

upon it, Sir, that you cannot glorify God, honour your Saviour, or benefit mankind more effectually, than by making such efforts, during the few days or years that you have to spend in this world. Recollect what Mordecai, the good subject and servant of God said, on a weighty concern, to Queen Esther, 'If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance' (from, in this case, an imperfect translation of the Holy Scriptures) arise' (to the British nation) "from another place.' Esther iv. 14.

We learn from the Sixteenth Report of the British and Foreign Bible Society, 1820, p. 64, that Dr. Tingstadius, one of the bishops of Sweden, who is also one of the first Hebrew scholars of the present day, and who has long been employed in preparing a New Translation of the Swedish Bible, could not be persuaded by Dr. Henderson to form a Bible Society in his diocese, as it would give to the Old Swedish Translation such an extensive circulation, as would obstruct the progress of the New.

Such rational checks put to the 'boundless increase of the copies of corrupt translations of the Holy Scriptures, are both laudable and necessary, and will in the end do more for the glory of God, the credit of our holy religion, and the good of mankind, than the well-meant, but too hasty efforts of many of their imprudent brethren. I bear them record that they have a zeal for God, but in this respect, it is not according to sound knowledge.

SIR,

JOSEPH JEVANS.

I correspondent, Mr.

BEG to assure your interesting

751,] that when I sent you the paper, [XVII. 677,] on which he has animadverted, nothing could be farther from my intention than to say any thing that could wound his feelings, much less question his veracity. I was truly sorry to observe, in his concluding sentence, something which almost implied that I had done so; but let me express a hope, that he will shew that he does not retain any offence where none was intended, by speedily completing the series of his interesting

communications. At least, let him consider, that it will be unjust to punish all your unoffending readers for my fault alone. The fact is, I will acknowledge, that not being very familiar with West-Indian matters, I was not sufficiently on the alert to inquire, whether the children, stated to be in the schools, were in the state of slavery or not. I rather took it for granted that they were; whereas, I see by re-consulting the Report that the contrary is generally the case. But while I concede thus much, I must still contend that, even with respect to the Slaves, both children and adults, the Methodist Report furnishes evidence that philanthropic endeavours are not in vain. Mr. C. appears to admit, what indeed is very evident from numerous parts of the Report, that the Wesleian Missionaries have considerable numbers of the Slave population submitted to their religious instructions, and that with the goodwill of the Planters. I have already quoted, in my former letter, their testimonies to the improvement in morals and piety, which the Negroes manifest in many instances. To these I will add one more: it comes from the island of St. Eustatius. Mr. French says,

"I have on this island four places, in each of which I preach once in the course of the week. The last of these was opened under the following peculiar circumstances. A Slave belonging to a person on this island had run away from his master, and become a most notorious robber, and having got others to join him, he was appointed their captain. He resided with them in the mountains fourteen months, but at last was taken and put into confinement. His master expostulated with him on his conduct, but the Slave

religious concerns, and therefore he had been ignorant and wicked. The master applied to me, and I told him that if he would suffer me to preach to his Negroes, it would save him a great deal of trouble. I went to the robber, conversed with him, and left him apparently sorry for his past wickedness, and purposing to act very differently in future. The master offered me a large warehouse for worship, and has since fitted it up for that purpose: I preach in it to all his Ne

groes, who, with his own family and many others, attend from the neighbourhood. The late robber himself, I am happy to state, manifests a real change of life and heart, to the truth of which his master bears a pleasing testimony. He has been received as a scholar into our Sunday-school. Our excellent governor, with his secretary and a member of the council, lately visited the Sunday-school, and expressed his high satisfaction with the improvement of the children."

But your correspondent seems to think that all these instructions can do the Negroes but little real good, as long as they remain in slavery. He will pardon me for saying that I cannot conceive this. Such is the nature of Christian truth, that if it be but received with any degree of seriousness and affection, I think it must, to a moral certainty, operate most beneficially both on the heart and the understanding, and through them on the whole social behaviour. And this appears, from the statements of the Missionaries, to be realized in fact. Whether the reception of religion will tend to produce any insurrectionary movements among the Negroes, I feel unable to judge with absolute confidence; but it appears to me, that religion represses such movements by much stronger motives than it incites them, nor am I aware that there are any facts on record in evidence of such a danger. Moreover, among the Planters themselves, a contrary opinion seems to be gaining ground.

With respect to the instruction of the Negroes in the art of reading, it is certainly a more questionable measure, and unless it goes hand in hand with a progressive emancipation, may have dangerous tendencies. Reading, however, is not absolutely necessary, either to life or godliness: it is but a modern blessing in the world, since before the art of printing, it was probably never enjoyed by the mass of mankind, whether bond or free. But even from this acquirement, when at tained in conjunction with religious instruction and discipline, I think there must be more to be hoped than to be feared. More jealousy, however, exists on this point among the Planters, and consequently, a comparatively limited number of slave-children receive this

part of education. Indeed, I must admit your Correspondent's correctness, in saying, that the Report alluded to furnishes no decisive evidence of any slave-children being taught to read, though it is made probable that in a few instances they are so. But we have seen that religious instruction, by catechizing and preaching, is carried on to a considerable extent among the Negro Slaves, and that with apparent benefit. From the opinion, therefore, that among these degraded people Missionary labours are almost useless, Mr. Cooper must pardon me when I say that I still feel some ground for dissent. EUELPIS.

GLEANINGS; OR, SELECTIONS AND REFLECTIONS MADE IN A COURSE OF GENERAL READING.

No. CCCCI.

Botanical Heaven.

It is amusing to see how men associate their favourite pursuits with their religious expectations. In this they sometimes fall into the ludicrous. The Botanic Garden, for instance, at Leyden, contains a bust of Clusius, one of its founders and benefactors, on which is the following inscription:

Non potuit plures hic quærere Clusius herbas,

Ergo novas campis quærit in Elysiis, which may be thus plainly Englished,

New plants to Clusius, Earth no longer yields,

He goes to botanize in the Elysian fields.

the Horticultural Tour by a Deputation This compliment (says the Editor of from the Edinburgh Horticultural Society, an interesting and valuable work, just published in one volume, 8vo.) has a parallel in one paid by the author of the "Grainina Britannica" to the herborizing zeal of the late Mr. Sole, of Bath: "If our spirits, after their escape from this prison of clay, continue any attachments to what engaged them on earth," surely, concludes the amiable Author, rapt in botanical fervour, Sole is now simpling in celestial fields !"