A new Society has been established, for distributing the formularies of the Church. The support, which the clergy have given to the Bible Society, has raised the Church in the eyes of the Christian world. The most splendid Protestant establishment now appears at the head of a great combina tion, unrivalled in ancient or modern times, for the diffusion of Christianity; a glory equal to what it derived from being the bulwark of the reformed faith. And while churchmen have increased their own zeal and charity, they have very much diminished the prejudices, and effectually gained the esteem, of their dissenting fellow christians.

We have now but little space, and indeed, after Mr. Cunningham's admirable reply, it is not necessary to write many words on Dr. Maltby's Thoughts.' A Protestant clergyman, expatiating on the dangers of circulating the sacred volume is a singular phenomenon. He seems to have abjured the first principles of his own faith. He is to be considered, not so much the enemy of the British and Foreign Bible Society, as of all societies, nay of all individuals who promote the indiscriminate circulation of the Word of God. And yet though Dr. Maitby is of opinion, that the scripture is neither designed, nor adapted for general circulation, and therefore strenuously objects to the British and Foreign Bible Society; be becomes, with peculiar inconsistency, the advocate of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

That Dr. Maltby is mistaken in supposing that the whole Scriptures are not designed for general circulation, Mr. Cunningham clearly evinces, from several considerations,-from the fact that God himself gave these scriptures to us without any restriction upon their general use,-from the manner of using them in the Jewish Church,-from the precedent of Christ,and from the express declaration of God.

Independent of similar injunctions, will that with which the book of the Revelation is closed, admit of any interpretation favourable to the scheme of our author?" If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophesy God shall take away his part out of the book of life." But is not the witholding from the poor a portion of the Bible, as to them, in effect, taking from the words of this book? Is it not virtually cancelling the interdicted parts? if pursued systematically, must not these parts become a dead letter to them? Such was the jealousy with which the Jews regarded any violation of their scriptures, that every letter of them was counted; but modern latitudinarianism (though I am far from charging ing this upon Dr. Maltby in its full amount), spurning these narrow bounds, lifts its hand even against the altar, cashiers kings and prophets at a stroke, prescribes new laws to Heaven, and hints at excess in the very Revelation of God. p. 14.

Nor is the Observer less successful in exposing the futility of Mr. Maltby's thoughts on the unfitness of the Scriptures for general circulation. If there are parts of the sacred volume unintelligible to the lower orders, so likewise are there to those in higher stations; and indeed it would be difficult to say whether the Scriptures have been most abused in the hands of the learned, or the illiterate.

The simple fact, (Mr. C. beautifully observes) that "God is a spirit," at once instructs and forewarns us that many parts of religion will elude our amplest grasp. It is not for those whose powers are defeated and exhausted in the examination of a blade of grass, to hope that they shall comprehend the mind or dispensations of a Being who surrounds them on all sides, and touches them at every point; who, in the language of philosophy, is obscurely but grandly shadowed out, by "a circle whose centre is every where, and whose circumference is no where." That parts of the Scripture, then, are unintelligible, is no ground for their exclusion from the houses of the poor. Religion never proclaimed itself to be free from mysteries. Its base is among us, but its head in the clouds.' pp. 15, 16.

Indeed, there is no part of this work which is more painful than the attempt running through it, to place a wide interval between the religious attainments of the higher and lower orders of society; to assign knowledge to the high, and mere practice to the low. Such a system, appears to me utterly discordant with the genius of Christianity. This religion is no respecter of persons: its mysteries are mysteries to all; and its doctrines and precepts, as far as they are intelligible to any, are intelligible to all. Its night falls, and its sun rises, alike upon the whole mass of society. The heathen systems, indeed, not looking to the 'immortal part of man, but regarding the multitude merely either as a "manyheaded monster" to be tamed by force, or a set of machines to be worked by contrivance, gave fables to the mob, and kept the mysteries for philosophers. But, under the Christian scheme, all distinctions are merged in the consideration that men are all immortal, are all children of the same family, lost by the same offences, and redeemed by the same blood. To shut up the Bible from any, then, is to quench a ray of heavenly light designed for all. It is to destroy the general element of our spiritual existence. It is to confine to a few, the manna cast upon the plain, by the prodigality of God, for the sustenance of all.' pp. 16, 17.

In reply to another of Mr. Maltby's objections-that all which it is indispensable for man to know, is contained in a very small part of the bible,' the Observer contends, that to venture upon this affirmation is highly presumptuous-that, in a variety of known instances, God does not work by the simple means we might anticipate-and that, if the principle of narrowing or disparaging the value of any single passage of Scripture, be once admitted, it is impossible to say to what extent it may be carried.

For,' says Mr. C. who is to determine what are the parts of the Bible exclusively necessary to salvation? The Antinomian will say the doctrinal parts; the Socinian, the practical: each of these, however, lopping away doctrines and precepts unfavourable to his own creed and practice. If, then, bodies of men are not to be trusted, can Dr. Maltby believe that the Christain world will consent to put the sceptre into any single hand; into his own, for example; and constitute him sole religious autocrat for all ages and people? Will they stake the national salvation upon the turn of his solitary hand? Will they invest him with that authority to decree what is essential in religion, which his project would go near, however unintentionally, to deny to God himself? And if they would, has Dr. Maltby that confidence in his own judgment, that he would venture to seat himself on the throne, and arbitrate for the eternal interests of millions yet unborn? If not, is there any other single individual, or any college of apostles, to whom he would transfer the office? Does he discern upon the breast of any modern interpreter a sort of Urim and Thummim, which bespeaks the present Deity, and transforms his bosom into the ark and depository of the Divine will? If not, let him reflect upon the hazardous nature of his scheme. He is pulling, as he conceives, merely at useless branches in the sacred grove, but, as in Virgil, blood will follow. No twig of the tree of life can be spared. Though its age be great; though its head hide itself in the heavens; though some of its branches shoot in bold disdain of the hand of the pruner, and others seem to him to have lost something of their ancient verdure; still it takes root downwards, and bears fruit upwards, and all " its leaves are for the healing of the nations.' pp. 25, 26.

To follow this indiscreet thinker into all his minute objections against particular parts of the Bible, &c. would be trespassing on the patience of our readers-even if the task were not rendered utterly superfluous by Mr. Cunningham, whose pamphlet we beg leave warmly to recommend to their attention. The following beautiful extract on the utility of the historical parts of Scripture we cannot but insert.

The historical books are the grand instrument of maintaining and illustrating that highly important doctrine of religion, a superintending Providence. No one better knows the importance both of this doctrine itself, and of every legitimate means of establishing it, than Dr. Maltby. But now, that God no longer lays bare the movements of his arm; no longer, as under a theocracy, follows up the virtues and crimes of mankind with their immediate temporal rewards and punishments; the doctrine is in some danger, unless by an appeal to earlier and authen. ticated facts, of escaping from the popular creed. Men of reflection, indeed, may infer the doctrine from the nature of God; but men led chiefly by their senses, will always be slow to believe what carries no evidence to the sense. Here, then, is the chief value of the historical books, as a work for the people. They are to be considered as a connected history of the providential dealings of God with a particular people. They constitute what may be called the sensible part of religion. They teach the doctrine of providence, as it were, by signs that cannot be mistaken. They unveil the Deity, and let us see and hear the terrors of his violated law. In this point of view, then, they

are of the highest importance; and on this account, amongst others, thinking men will not willingly surrender them to the over-anxious specu. lations of the author.' pp. 35, 36.

We must just be permitted to subjoin the following noble effusion in vindication of the Psalms. After quoting several panegyrics on these exquisite conpositions, by Hooker, Bossuet, Horne, &c. Mr. C. thus proceeds.

For such extracts I make no apology; nor can I help entreating Dr. Maltby to contrast them with the hasty and somewhat irreverent sentence in which he has denounced these sacred songs. Is he in no degree startled at the singularity of his own opinions? Is he not shocked that his harp alone should be silent in the general chorus which celebrates these sacred writings? Is he in no degree alarmed to find that these prophets have ascended, and that their mantle has not fallen upon himself? But, whatever may be his feelings, let him be persuaded, in pity to the devout and the unfortunate, not to violate their sanctuary; not to endeavour to spoil the Church of that rich legacy which David and his brother psalmists have bequeathed to us, and which the wisest and the best of their successors have, in all ages, stamped and sealed with their concurring hands. The world is not yet happy enough to do without it; and there is many an evil spirit, which, even now, waits to be "dispossessed" by the harp of " the son of Jesse."" pp. 43, 44.

If, after reading Mr. Cunningham's "Observations," Dr. Maltby repent not heartily of his temerity in publishing his "Thoughts," we hope it will only be, because they have called forth a reply so richly fraught with eloquence and piety.

We shall now terminate this article with two brief remarks. The first relates to the conduct of the controversy. If the opponents of the Bible Society had hoped for success, they should at least have been unanimous. But error is never consistent. Messrs. Sikes and Spry are convinced that the co-operation of churchmen with dissenters, for the purpose of giving a way bibles, is forbidden in the nature of things, and must necessarily prove fatal to the interests of the establishment. Dr. Marsh distinctly recognizes the principle of co-operation, provided the bibles are distributed abroad. While Dr. Maltby is of opinion that the mistake lies in giving away the bible, the place of which would be much better supplied by human compositions, and, in particular, by a volume judiciously selected from Cappe's Life of Christ.' All these clerical persons, indeed, agree in heartily disliking the British and Foreign Bible Society, but each of them has not merely different, but contradictory motives of hostility. In this distraction of counsels, we are most disposed to lament the fate of the Professor. Dr. Marsh is neither a bigot nor a Socinian: he has rushed into the battle after the victory was decided, and has sacrificed him. self, without having rendered a particle of service to his cause.

But let us turn for a moment from the waywardness of human passions, to contemplate the institution itself, which

has been the innocent occasion of them; an institution which, within the short period of eight years from its formation, presents one of the most solemn and magnificent spectacles that was ever displayed in any age or country. Its success must, no doubt, under God, be ascribed to its constitution. Consigning to oblivion all the formal distinctions which have hitherto separated the Christian world-abandoning the idle hope of reconciling the diversities of human opinion, it has given a new prominence to essential truth, and united the religious of every persuasion, in the extension of their common faith. It is the practical exemplification of the "new commandment"-the fulfilment of the Redeemer's last le gacy. Parties indeed still exist, but they have at length discovered a neutral territory, where they can throw aside the weapons of contention, and approach each other with mutual good will. The sacred fire which is so widely and rapidly extending, consumes only the earthliness of our nature, while it purifies what is of celestial temper, and gives it additional brightness. The effects of this splendid institution are far from being limited to its specific object. Glorious, undoubtedly, and Godlike, is the design of preaching the gospel to the whole world, nay to distant ages and unborn generations: but great and beneficial also is the reaction on the minds of those who are engaged in the work. In how many instances has their attention become rivetted on the contents of that volume, which they have been solicitous to disseminate? On how many occasions have the powerful, and the learned, men of rank and of literature, been constrained by the grandeur of the scene to express their undissembled conviction of the value of religious truth, and, like the Centurion, to recognize the present Deity? Chased from the open plain, Infidelity has retired to her fastnesses and her coverts: but this embodied expression of the national sentiment is pursuing her even to her most secret retreats. May the triumph be as durable as it is illustrious; and of this dominion may it indeed be said, in a far higher sense than entered into the conception of the Roman Poet,

Imperium terris, animos equabit Olympo.

Art. X. Sermons on various Subjects, by David Brichan, D. D. Minister of the United Parishes of Dyke and Moy, in the County of Moray, late of Artillery-Street, London. Vol. II. octavo. pp. 371. Price 10s. 6d. Hamilton, 1812.

WITH the merit of Dr. Brichan, as a writer of sermons, few of our readers are unacquainted. Nor, after a perusal of the present volume, are we disposed to make any material. Vol. VIII.

5 G