Ceiving the scriptures in English, but Mr. knowledge, will you go through all the drudgery requisite to teach them to reason in a foreign tongue, although it has been proved that they can be taught in a few months to read in their own language? Again there is a vast part of the popu lation that speak English partially. Their knowledge of it is but the ungracious acquaintance of necessity. Anderson has well observed, they only speak as much as is absolutely requisite for the ordinary intercourse of life with the English; and their descendants; he has truly and expressively said, they can not reason in that language. "Irish is still the language of the heart and the best part of the understanding." Well then, is it not evident, that if you agree with my friend, an immense number of human beings must reach the goal of mortality, irretrievably lost, as to knowledge, while you are hesitating and disputing about the means of their instruction?-Think you not that their immortal souls will be required at the hands of an enlightened generation? I say it is a prospect too terrible to contemplate. You have proofs-proofs are stronger than all theoretical reasoning-stronger than the contemplations of the philosophical mind, however learnedly abstruse, or ingeniously imposing-you have in reply to all speculative calculations, the most stubborn of all arguments -that of experience-the most decisive of all answers-that of a practical conviction. I trust I have not trespassed too long upon your time. I should be glad to see my friend exert his eloquence in a good cause, since he has been able to say so much, and so well, though I hope to no effect, upon a bad one-to no effect: not because he has not shewn eloquence and ability; not because you have had reason to be unalterably convinced to the contrary, by the lucid statements of your report, and the testimony of your Welch champion (whom we may call the David of the cause of Christendom) to allow any ingenuity, however plausible, to con trol your determination. I only add, that you must expect obstacles, many and difficult: What moral conflict was ever won without the struggle of great opposition? All moral revolutions are slow and progressive. The means of dissipating intellectual darkness have never been organized into that power of producing immediate effect, like what the Deity has performed in the physical economy of the universe. You perceive that this earth, when involved in obscurity, can be brightened by a sun beam * See an excellent "Memorial in 'behalf of the native Irish, with a view to their improvement in moral and religious knowledge, through the medium of their own language," by Mr. C. Anderson of Edinburgh. Fenner, London. 2s. which has traversed millions of miles with a rapidity that outruns conception; but no nation, ignorant and debased, bas ever become suddenly illustrious in the radiance of civilization, or emerged from the confusion of barbarism to an instantaneous apprehension of order and intelligence! But is enough for you to be convinced, that, in undertaking this task, you perform a great duty to your fellow-creatures, and you may safely entrust the result to that providence, who watches over the operations of charity with a parental solicitude. Yes, under his direction, you may safely commit to the earth of Ireland the seed of cultivation, and in whatever age it may spring and be matured, it will be a nobler bequest to posterity than the sword of conquest ever transmitted, and will cover your memory with the most enduring of all decorations, that of moral and intellectual victory! A number of other gentlemen addressed the meeting, among whom were, Mr. Burls, Mr. Shenstone, Mr. Newman, Mr. Morgan of Birmingham, Mr. Ivimey, the Secretary, Mr. Uppadine, Mr. Finch of Lynn, Mr. Winterbotham, Mr. Thos. Thomas, Joseph Gutteridge, Esq. Dr. Moore, an Irish physician, &c. but we regret that our limits prevent us from going more into detail of the interesting proceedings of this Society, which we now take our leave of, with unfeigned good wishes for its success, by laying before our readers the short address of JOSEPH BUTTER WORTH, Esq.-It is, Ladies and Gentlemen, the most painful part of the duty of a chairman to say any thing that respects himself. Excuse my being very short. With regard to the motion that has just been made, I can only present you my sincere thanks for the kind manner in which you have received my feeble services. BAPTIST MISSION TO INDIA. In concluding our last number (See p. 224) we find we have inadvertently fallen into a mistake respecting the printing of the whole Bible in the Chinese language, which we hasten to correct. The Report of the Missionary stations and translations which was read at Mr. Goode's Meeting 26th June, (not at Salter's hall, as stated in the Baptist Magazine) has been since printed, and from a copy of it which now lies before us we learn, that the whole Bible is translated into that language, but the New Testament only is as yet completed at pressand the Old Testament in progress. The following extract from the Report, will put the reader in possession of the real state of the case; and we are obliged to Mr. Dyer for setting us right upon the subject. Among those languages into which the whole New Testament has been print ed, we mention the Chinese; a tongue which has always been deemed peculiarly difficult to acquire, and which nothing probably but the love of Christ and of souls would have enabled men to conquer, Within a very few days further intelligence has been received; and we have now the pleasure to announce, that the whole Old Testament is completely translated; and after eleven years of vigorous and successful application, three hundred millions of our fellow-immortals have a version of the whole word of God prepared in their own tongue, wherein they were born. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name be all the glory." Want of room prevents us from being more copious in our extracts from this truly interesting Report this monthand even our account of Mr. Hinton's Academical Sermon at Salter's Hall, must yield to the pressure of necessity. Of this, however, our friends will have little cause to complain, since we find from the Baptist Magazine, there is a probability of the Sermon being printed. LITERARY NOTICE. The Domestick Altar: a Six Weeks' Course of Morning and Evening Prayers, for the Use of Families. To which are added, a Few on Particular Occasions. By the Rev. WILLIAM SMITH, A. M. Author of "A System of Prayer." DIED, On Friday, the 25th inst. at Ewood Hall, near Halifax, Yorkshire, in the 78th year of his age, the Rev. JOHN FAWCETT, D.D. More than half a Century of his long and laborious life had been devoted to the discharge of his ministerial duties at Wainsgate and Hebden-bridge, and to the publication of n merous works on religious subjects, many of which have had an extensive circulation. So long as his health would permit, he took an active part in conducting the Seminary, first established at BrearleyHall, and afterwards removed to Ewood Hall; but his increasing infirmities ir duced him, more than ten years ago, to retire from that situation to the neighbourhood of Hebden-bridge, where he was chiefly employed in writing, the Deve tional Family Bible. In the month of February 1816, he was incapacitated by a paralytic affec tion from attending to his pastoral office, and returned to his relatives at Ewood Hall, where he has ended his days in peace, supported by those truths which he had long dispensed for the edification and comfort of others. We hope to present our readers with a Memoir of his life, ministry, and writings in a future number. NEW EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE, AND Theological Review. SEPTEMBER 1817. THE CAUSE, CRIME, AND CURE OF EVIL SPEAKING, Preached at the Baptist Monthly Meeting in Devonshire Square, April 22, 1816. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature: and it is set on fire of hell. Jam. iii. 6. as if there were some texts of scripture that are not to be made use of or introduced) this very tongue is apt to let loose, and give itself unwarrantable liberties, suggesting I HAVE for a long time had a pre- that perhaps the reason the minisvalent desire of preaching to you, ter speaks from this text is that and the more publicly the better, some of the people have said somefrom these words; because I have thing that has been injurious and thought, and from considerable has vexed him, and so he took this experience and observation been text to scold them that had done of the opinion, that there is much it! I freely profess to you, that I instruction, and that of the last am not conscious of any such moand most necessary importance tive. When I at first proposed to (necessary and useful more espe- preach from this text, it was rather cially, in the age and place in unceremoniously, and not without which we live) to be deduced from á considerable quantity of hauteur: them and also because, that after and self-sufficiency, demanded of all the clamour uttered against theme in a public company, "Whether tongue, I do not remember to have by chusing such a text I had a heard or seen this text touched mind to set the city of London on upon by any preacher or sermon-fire? I had a ready reply to that izer, though it is perhaps one of thoughtless question, namely, that the most descriptive and alarming the City of London is already on in the whole Bible. It is a very fire, and that by a worse confladelicate subject I confess, but not gration than what took place in the to be passed over superficially. days of King Charles II. and that If the tongue be the ornament of I wished to erect a monument our rational and intellectual na-against it. I wished to be if possiture, whatsoever hath a tendency ble under the divine direction an to injure or deface the beauty of that faculty is an enemy to the image of God, at first enstamped upon the soul. But there is a formidable objection to a minister's taking such a text (tacitly implying VOL. III. humble means of stopping the City's total destruction or to change the idea: you know when a general and infectious disorder such as the plague, breaks out in a district, and the help of phy 2 L |