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ture intimates: "The ploughing of the wicked is sin," Prov. xxi. 4; doubtless, because it is done from selfish and worldly motives, and in an ungodly manner. "To them that are defiled and unbelieving, is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled," Tit. i. 15. The sacred writers did not, however, enter any strong protest against the corrupt motives of those who cultivated the earth: nor did they refuse to partake of its fruits," asking no questions for conscience sake:" yet, surely, they were not in this

contrary to the law of "loving our
neighbour as ourselves?" Yet sla-
very subsisted, even among Chris-
tians: and not only were some
Christians slaves, but some even
possessed slaves. The apostles
taught both these classes their seve-
ral duties; which being carefully
attended to, the worst effects of the
system would be counteracted. But
so far from openly protesting against
slavery, and its attendant evils in
the world at large, they did not
even require or exhort Christian
masters to liberate their slaves: and
yet, I trust, we shall not venture to
say, that they sanctioned all the
evils of slavery and the traffic for
slaves, and were partakers of the
guilt. Had they been legislators or
senators in a country, like Britain,
professing Christianity, and possess
ing liberty; they would doubtless
have done what their instructions
have excited Christian senators and
legislators most honourably to at-
tempt, and in part to accomplish in
our land, and which, doubtless, the
same principles will still lead them
perseveringly to pursue to 'destruc-
tion. But they were ministers of
religion: "the weapons of their
warfare" did not admit the attempt
of altering the laws and constitutions
of the kingdoms of this world; and
where success could not be expect
ed, vehement protests on the sub-
ject would only have rendered
Christian slaves discontented; have
prejudiced most fatally masters"
against the Gospel; and have exas-
perated the rulers of the world to
inore determined and violent per-
secution. This suffices to shew,
that circumstances of various kinds
are to be considered in what we
attempt; and that we should not
impede the practicable good which
we aim at, by useless, injurious, and
unseasonable endeavours at those
improvements which to us are evi-
dently impracticable, and beyond
our line of action.

Wrong motives may render sinful, even things most lawful and need ful in themselves; and this the Scrip

partakers of other men's sins." Ministers and Christians, in their private capacity, cannot possibly influence the great mass of mankind: and, without some special call, or prospect of good, it is best to avoid what must give great umbrage to no purpose. The same protest against emulation, as employed in educating young persons, which might be made, in the opinion of many, against the Lancasterian method of teaching, would, in great degree at least, involve under condemnation all our public schools and seminaries of learning, and all methods used to train up men to eminence in the army and navy, or as physicians and lawyers, or in the senate; nay, I fear in the church itself; for the name of Christian does not at all change the character of those who bear it.

We may think, yea, prove, that the ploughing of the wicked is sin;" but we cannot communicate our views to the bulk of mankind. We may maintain, yea, demonstrate from Scripture, that emulation of outstripping others is a corrupt principle; but we can never convince men in general that it is so; and by too eagerly and violently attempting it, we may prevent the good which otherwise we might do.

I am not competent to say, how far the Lancasterian plan of teaching more encourages this corrupt emulation than other plans do; I mean, plans where all coucerned are not actuated by genuine Chris

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parent, who asks my opinion of edu cation:-You know the general principle of schools and colleges: we cannot alter it; and if we could, unless all concerned became true Christians, we should effect no good: but "yet shew I you a more excellent way: Give as little encou ragement as possible to the emulation of outstripping others, and endeavour to repress it; and teach your children, that they ought to be diligent, and endeavour to make progress in useful knowledge, because it is their duty to God, and in order that they may be qualified to fill up their station in society in a suitable manner, to the glory of God and the good of men?-Surely this must be allowed to be an unexceptionable plan for a Christian parent or counsellor; and I believe all, who have fairly tried it, will concur with me in saying, that much more, very much more, may be effected in this way than is generally supposed. But he who thinks himself bound to oppose and protest against every thing which falls below it, among men in general, "must needs go out of the world."

tian motives. Were I called to take an active part in such schools as are formed on this mode, or any similar to it, I should more carefully consider the subject than I have been hitherto led to do, and endeavour to counteract the tendency; but I do not think that I should enter any protest against them. It is absolutely necessary, that vastly more corn should be grown than can be raised by truly pious husbandmen; and is it not equally necessary, that far more children should be taught to read, and even trained up in learning, han can, in the present state of things, be taught from genuine Christian motives? Alas! in far the greatest part of Christendom, both the teachers and those to be taught are almost equally strangers to them: but is the world to be starved, because "the ploughing of the wicked is a sin?" Is it to sink into barbarous ignorance, because the teaching in almost all places is connected with emulation? Must no Christian contribute to a Sunday school, or a charity school, or a Lancasterian school, because of this? On the other hand, must he acknowledge it as a right principle; and expressly sanction, and adopt, and recommend it? I fear that I cannot wholly exclude emulation in teaching four or five children; but must they, therefore, not be taught? Or may I not say to my children or pupils, You ought to apply to your studies, and to labour after proficiency in them; not in order to surpass others, and from a vain desire of honour from man, but that you may acquire a talent with which you may glorify God and do good to mankind? May I not say, The emulation of outstripping others can hardly keep clear of vainglory, and is nearly related to envy, and often produces very bad effects on both the successful and unsuccessful: you should therefore watch and pray against it; and aim at real, not comparative, excellence? May I not say this to a Christian

(To be continued.)

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

THE Catholic Journal (offered to the notice of your readers by a correspondent, in your February Number, p. 93) continues to be published; and appears to have obtained high credit with such persons as have adopted the sentiments of the Catholic Board in Dublin; particularly with their accredited agent, Bishop Milner, who has supplied the editor with numerous papers, authenticated by his own signature: and in this he has been followed by Mr. Gandolphy, Mr. Haydock, and other members of their community. Without interfering with the political measures of the Catholics, as discussed in their magazine, I beg leave to lay before you the following specimens of correspondence on

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"Would not, Mr. Editor, some cunning financier do well, if he took advantage of this rage for Bibles, and laid a smart tax upon the reading of it; permitting none to read it without first taking out a licence? And why not tax this, as well as other nostrums? Or might it not serve as a commutation for the window tax? For if they are determined, that the light of heaven shall be obscured by so many contradictory doctrines, we might at least have a little more terrestrial light, to illuminate our darkness." (Vol. II. p. 58).—“ The Bible-distributing scheme......is then a mere human invention; consequently, the merit or demerit of this scheme, its utility or inutility, as to the object which it professes to have in view, may easily be learnt by weighing it in the scales of human prudence. It would, indeed, be neither rashness nor presumption... ...to dismiss this scheme as a delusive phantom, and pronounce its speedy dissolution in air. For, if the Bible-distributing scheme be not the method appointed by Christ for propagating his doctrines, but a plan engendered in the conceit and fostered by the pride of man and adopted by human folly, as preferable to the system formed for the diffusion of Christianity by the wisdom of its Divine Founder, it requires no great depth of penetration to foresee that such a scheme will return no other fruit to its inventors but disappointment.-If in the present deluge of infidelity and moral corruption, which overflows this land of Bibles, the Bible Society can find any cause for triumph or any encouragement to go on with the glorious work, I envy them not their wreath of fame, nor wish to deprive them of one atom of the merit to which their scheme may entitle

them. It would have been more to the purpose, however, if the cham. pions of the Bible Society, instead of empty boasts and magnificent prophecies, had condescended to point out to us one single nation converted to Christianity by the distribution of Bibles, or, in more modern times, one single individual who solely by reading the Bible was changed from an infidel to a Christian. This they cannot do; hence it is but reasonable to conclude, that their display of the wonders to be wrought by the Bibledistributing scheme in the conversion of mankind, is mere frothy assertion. I must confess, I am not very sanguine in my expectations of a miracle from the Bible Society, never having witnessed any thing from them approximating to the miraculous, except their success in drawing money from the pockets of so many well-meaning men, for the support of a plan so directly in opposition to observation, experience, and common-sense, as is the Bibledistributing scheme.-Let the Bibledistributing scheme be adopted in its full extent, and at no great distance of time the blessed fruits of the Reformation will be brought to complete maturity......each self-interpreting individual will be a sect within himself; the Bible itself, in conse quence of the absurdities and extravagancies fathered upon it, will no longer command respect; Christianity will, among the followers of this scheme, be nothing but a name, and infidelity will pour in full tide over this land of Bibles. But the true church, which has in every age preserved with so much care the sacred deposit of the Divine Word, will continue not only to deliver to her children the letter of this word, but unfold to them the hidden treasures of its sublime doctrines and moral precepts, and, in unity of faith and purity of morals, will reap the plenteous harvest of her glorious exertions." (pp. 60-62)." The features of the Bible Society, though heightened by all the charms of the

splendid dress in which they have been decked out, to such cold hearts as yours and mine appear to have proved unattractive. Stripped of their meretricious ornaments, they can hardly excite any sentiments but those of disgust and contempt.-I have clearly shewn, that the distribution of Bibles was not the plan instituted by Christ for the propagation of Christianity..... that the coalition between the Established Church and its dissenting offspring, is a convincing proof of the tottering state of the former; and that, in forming a society for distribnting Bibles, the Church of England has signed its death-warrant, unless, at the same time that it puts a Bible into the hands of self-interpreting readers, it will furnish each of them with a pair of Church-of-England spectacles, to enable him to see the Thirty-nine Articles in the Sacred Volume. I might add, that, if each one is to teach himself the doctrines of Christianity, ministers of religion will become an almost useless branch of society. I would therefore suggest to the Bible-men, in order to render their work complete, to give the Book, when they distribute it, a new title, viz. Every Man his own Parson." (pp. 140—142.)—“ It is amusing to reflect on the self-importance and idiotism of these Bible distributors and fanatics! Do they really believe, by such paltry and silly artifices, to subvert our divine religion, which has for eighteen centuries shone amidst the dark clouds of bigotry, superstition, and malice?— Vain men! how futile are their expectations! how dangerous to themselves their ambition! This Bibledistribution scheme, like a midnight vision, has fired their imaginations to a pitch of absolute frenzy.-No; they may succeed in prevailing on a few individuals, whom poverty and

a want of confidence in the Almighty may have rendered insensible to the spiritual wants of their forlorn little ones; but I am confident there is hardly a Catholic family among the poor, the most ignorant of whom would not be able to instruct in the true principle of the Christian Religion those same Bible distributors, whose only spiritual learning seems confined to a few texts of the Protestant Bible; and yet these men (with an arrogance never excelled) would lead our little innocents from the pious care of their spiritual instructors (their clergy) to drag them to such dens of hypocrisy * as those the subject of my letter." (pp. 184, 185.)-The extract which follows is from Bishop Milner himself.--"The present Bible-men are the first associated Protestants who have acted up to their principles, and who can with truth proclaim, with the Socinian Chillingworth, The Bible, the Bible alone, is the sum of our faith. What though this rule leads those who adopt it into an endless variety of contradictory opinions;......yet as this diversity of sentiments is the unavoidable consequence of the fundamental principle of the Reformation, so called, it must either be borne with by the consistent Protestant, or he must trace back his steps to the living speaking tribunal of the Catholic Church,whose authority in expounding the Word of God can alone unite men in the same uniform be lief." (p. 135.)

**The Hymn from the Roman Breviary, inserted in the Christian Observer for June (p. 355), is translated in the "Orthodox Journal" for March 1814.

The St. Giles's Catholic Schools,

REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

An Address to the Rev. Eustace Carey, Jan. 19, 1814, on his Designation as a Christian Missionary to India. By ROBERT HALL, M. A. 8vo. pp. 49. London: Button and Son,

MANY circumstances conspire to render this Address peculiarly interesting. The destination of the Missionary, the name which he bears, and the acknowledged eminence of the person selected to deliver the charge, are well calculated to excite the attention of all who take any concern in the advancement of religion abroad, and possess any knowledge of what is great and distinguished at home, Upon the labours of the Baptist Missionaries in the East there is little need for us to enlarge. They have borne an honourable testimony for the faith of Jesus, and their words have been successful: many poor and ignorant idolaters have turned from dead works to serve the living God,and the light of Revelation is by their means arising upon multitudes, who were unable to come to the light. Difficulties and discouragements appear to have had little effect but to animate their zeal and to awaken their vigilance: they have obtained a reward, which perhaps they never expected, the praise of men: the tongue of calumny has been silenced. May they so continue to labour as to obtain the praise of God!

We are not sorry to see other labourers entering into the same extensive field; and it is with much pleasure that we read upon the titlepage of this pamphlet the name of Carey. In what degree he is reJated to the father of the Baptist. Missions we know not: he is mentioned as of the same family; and we hope, and are persuaded, from

certain observations contained in

this Address, that he will follow the example of his distinguished rela

tive.

A few years must terminate the labours of that good man, and call him to his reward: happy will be his closing days, if he shall perceive that his house, like himself, is determined to serve the Lord, and to praise his name among the Gentiles.

We have assumed that the Missionary addressed in these pages is of the Baptist persuasion; but there is nothing in the Address itself of an exclusive character. Mr. Hall has far higher objects than to promote the views of a party: he aims at the extension of real religion; and, whatever may be his own peculiar opinions on subjects of inferior consideration, he urges upon the Missionary the promulgation of those truths which are of vital importance. By these alone can the spirit of Christianity be diffused, and its benefits imparted.

Mr. Hall commences his Address by stating three qualifications essential for a missionary. The first is, a decided predilection for the office. -Without entering minutely into the circumstances which contribute to that predilection, he considers it as indispensable. Whoever engages to preach the Gospel to heathen nations, should be influenced by an ardent desire to be employed as a messenger among them. And his resolution is to be maturely formed: little account is to be made of a sudden impulse, or of a decision founded in ignorance: it is necessary to be apprised of the danger, and to count the cost.

The second qualification is that of self-devotement.-Mr. Hall justly observes, that without a degree of this spirit it is impossible ever to

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