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"Dr. Dodd would have given both his hands and both his legs to have lived." On another occasion Johnson related, that when some of Dodd's pious friends tried to console him, by saying that he was going to leave a wretched world; "No, no," said he; "it has been a very agreeable world to me. Johnson added, "I respect Dodd for thus speaking the truth; for, to be sure, he had for several years enjoyed a life of great voluptuousness." This amply confirms the opinion you have given, in the Review of the Gamester, respecting Dr. Dodd's general character; and supports also your theory, that an act of atrocious criminality, when suddenly perpetrated, is not to be considered as a black spot on the robe of a vestal; but as an additional stain on vestments already discoloured, but the hue of which had not been previously discernable by every eye.

Since the above was written, your Number for June has reached my hands; containing the communication from S. B. (pp. 345-347.) I entirely concur with a wish indirectly expressed in his address, that prison chaplains would either prohibit, as far as may be in their power, the publication of pernicious fables; or, what would be far better, furnish, themselves, accurate statements. They might thence be induced to examine the present system of the religion of felons; and particularly in relation to the administration of the sacrament. If the present course be persevered in, the commemoration of the death of Christ in the eucharist will become nothing better than extreme unction under the forms of a Protestant church; in fact, the Antinomian comforts which a true penitent rejects with abhorrence, and the impenitent welcomes, as conferring forgiveness for sins which he confesses, but does not sincerely lament. I shall conclude by citing, in reference to the general subject, a fragment of that sound body

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Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

EVERY well-wisher to the cause of the abolition of slavery, must feel truly gratified on reading your very important remarks upon the question of bringing the subject forward in the pulpit, more espe cially in those cities and towns which form the residence of slaveowners, and merchants connected with the West Indies. I would hope your faithful admonitions will both be received kindly, and acted upon. And as an encouragement to any clergyman well-disposed to the cause, and who sees the im propriety of being altogether silent on the peculiar sins of his hearers, I will copy a few extracts from a sermon preached at St. Peter's, Liverpool, nearly fifty years ago, by G. Gregory, F. A. S., author of "Essays, Historical, &c." His text is from Micah vi. 8. And in treating of justice he says, "I fear it is a melancholy fact, that not individuals only, but whole nations, and those the most enlightened which the present (or perhaps any) stage

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I require it, and at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Let him ponder this, and let him (if he be a man possessed of any sense of religion) reflect on the innocent multitudes whom he has been the means of bringing to an untimely and miserable end; let him then, if it be possible, silence the reproaches of his conscience, and rest tranquil and satisfied, under the apprehension of that justice which will render to every man (exactly) according to his works. These are among the more glaring breaches of justice," &c.

Much of the above obviously refers to the slave trade which has happily been abolished by our legislature, yet does it apply with almost equal force to legalized slavery. The author adds notes from Ramsey's tracts on slavery, and also from his own essays, and at the close of one of them on the subject of cruelty to females, he subjoins ; "These assertions are proved in the above essay, which has never been controverted by particular facts."

of society can exhibit, will be found, in an accurate inspection, miserably ignorant of the principles of this virtue; a virtue which indeed appears to dwell more upon our lips than in our hearts; and serves to grace our conversation, but is not seen in our practice." "If we turn our eyes to that scene of unparalleled cruelty and injustice, which universally disgraces our possessions in the West, surely we shall find this melancholy reflexion too fatally verified. When we consider the unhappy and unmerited fate of thousands, forced by violence from that home which, however rude and inelegant, has always charms to interest the passions of men; the tender wife torn from the embraces of her husband; the parent deprived of his child; every delicate connexion, every tender tie that constitutes the felicity of human life, rudely burst asunder; when we consider these unhappy fugitives for ever removed from that country where all their happiness was centered, for ever removed from the assistance of those whose affections and cares might serve to lighten the burden of calamity;-when we regard them exposed to hunger, to fatigue, to the utmost inclemency of seasons, perishing under the lash, enduring the infliction of tortures, at the bare idea of which every feeling of humanity revolts; what but ignorance of the virtue of justice, shall we say, can induce a great and generous nation to be told these enormities with a callous indifference?" "Let the slave-holder or the slave-merchant peruse with attention the sacred dictates of Almighty justice. Let him read, that whoever, in any form or manner, directly or indirectly, shall cause the death or misery of a fellow-creature, will at the last great day be called to the severest account. Let him read the awful sentence pronounced by the mouth of ALMIGHTY GOD: Surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of even every beast will

Ought not the Christian boldness of this author, contending probably alone in the very focus of slave transactions, and exposed not only to obloquy, but perhaps to personal violence, to shame the timidity of many in the present day, in which there is a host of combatants engaged in the righteous cause, and prepared to encourage each other? J. U. T.

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

I AGREE with your correspondent J. D. L., that we are indebted to ATTORNATUS for mooting the question as to the form of bequests to religious and charitable societies, and also in the opinion that the form objected to by him is not quite sufficient to exclude doubts. I hope, however, that J. D. L. will not think me needlessly fastidious in doubting whether the form proposed

by himself, is as clear as is desirable. The subject is of great importance; I trust, therefore, that your readers will patiently bear with me, while, without further preface, I lay before them another form, which (perhaps through prejudice and partiality), I humbly submit, is more free from objection than either of those already inserted.

"I give and bequeath unto my friends A. B. and C. D., their executors and administrators, all and singular my ready money, securities for money (not being chattels real, or in any way affecting real estate), money in the funds, debts which may be due to me at my decease, cattle, and all other my personal estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever, which by law may be applicable to the discharge of legacies for religious and charitable purposes, upon trust, with all convenient speed, to convert into money such part of the same personal estate and effects as shall not consist of money, and therewith or thereout to pay the several legacies following; namely, to the treasurer for the time being of the voluntary society or association established in London, and called Society," for the purposes of that society, the sum of ; and to the treasurer for the time being, of the institution at called "the Infirmary," for the purposes of that institution the sum of And I do declare, that the receipts of the said several treasurers shall be sufficient discharges to my said trustees, for the said legacies respectively. And as to the surplus or residue of the said trust-moneys which shall remain, after payment and discharge of the aforesaid legacies, I direct that my said trustees shall stand possessed thereof, upon the trusts and for the purposes hereinafter mentioned." [Then will follow the bequests of mortgages and other personal estate affecting realty, and the devise of real estates, &c.]

"the

Your readers may perhaps think

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Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

It would be presumptuous to suppose that any remarks from an anonymous correspondent in your pages could add weight to the well known and highly respectable name of the Quarterly Review. The conductors of that work, I am informed (for I have not yet read the article), have undertaken in their last Number, just published, an investigation of the questions lately at issue, with respect to the foreign translations, and other more general operations of the British and Foreign Bible Society. I am perfectly sure that good must result from such an investigation, if fairly conducted; and whilst the cause of that invaluable society will, I trust, from its very nature and structure, ultimately triumph, all intermediate struggles will only tend to make it more known and more pure. My object for now addressing you has, however, no direct reference to that ar ticle, with which, as I have already stated, I am at present, through want of opportunity for its perusal, unacquainted*: but not so, with an interesting article in the preceding Number, which reviews and abstracts Dr. Henderson's Biblical Researches and Travels in Russia, and the Chevalier Gamba's "Voyage dans la Russe Meridionale," and on a portion of which I am about to tender a few remarks. The para graph in that review to which I allude is as follows:

"If any one should think it impossible, that forty thousand

Our respected correspondent will doubtless, by this time, have become ac quainted with that uncandid and unjust article, and we shall be happy if he will favour our readers with a reply to it.

EDITOR.

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persons, of forty different modes of faith Jews, Christians, Mohammedans, and Pagans-ever could be found living together under the same government, and in the same town, each worshipping the Deity after his own manner, all tolerated, nay, protected by one presiding nation, and all tolerating each other, without hatred, or malice, or uncharitableness, on the score of their respective religious opinions, let the sceptic go to Astrachan. He will there find Russians, Greeks, Armenians, Persians, Hindoos, Calmucks, Cossacks, Mongols, Chinese, Bucharians, Turcomans, Poles, Germans, Italians; in short, representatives of every nation and every horde, from the wildest steppe of Asia to the most civilized kingdoms of Europe; and among the rest, three English, or rather Scotch, families, sent by the Bible Society of London to convert the Bucharians, Calmucks, &c. to the Christian faith. For this end,' says M. Gamba, they distribute Bibles translated into the languages of these different peoples; but the greater number, unable to read, can make no use of them, and those who can read are hardly disposed to change their creed for a religion deprived of all ceremony and exterior worship.' Mr. Henderson says, in substance, nearly the same thing: Sometimes they found few of the inhabitants at home; at others, those whom they did meet would scarcely listen to them. Sometimes they treated their message with mockery and scorn, hooted them with the utmost rudeness, and ordered them away! And yet it is stated by both our authors, that these Scotch families inhabit (we need not say at whose expense), beyond comparison, the best looking house in Astrachan ! * No body can attach importance to the coldness with which professed proselytemakers may happen to be received any where. But perhaps we ought to distinguish from the state of "This useless mission, we believe, has

since been abandoned."

CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 307,

general harmony we have been applauding, two sects of Christians; the Rascolnicks, a kind of Russian Round-heads, and the Roman Catholics, whose priests are here, as they too often are elsewhere, ignorant, bigoted, and intolerant. Both these sects bear a hatred, plusquam theologicum, towards the Established Greek Church."-- Quarterly Review for March 1827, pp. 401, 402.

Thus far the Quarterly. Now, it is to be remembered that the editor of the above paragraph has rendered himself responsible, in the subsequent Number, for a correct and impartial investigation, with, I trust, a fair intent, of the object and operations of the British and Foreign Bible Society. And the question I would put, with all openness and frankness, is this: whether the penman, or the editor, of such a paragraph is to be deemed a fit and worthy arbiter in the important controversies respecting the Bible Society; controversies on which it is not too much to say, that, in one way or the other, the spiritual interests and eternal welfare of millions upon millions are deeply staked.

In the first place, with respect to the mere head of correctness. The writer asserts, that the Bible Society of London had sent "three English,or rather Scotch, families, to convert the Bucharians, Calmucks, &c., to the Christian faith;" and adds, that it is stated by both the authors under review, that these Scotch families inhabit ("we need not say," he remarks," at whose expense"), beyond comparison, the best looking house in Astrachan. Now, I will venture, notwithstanding the inuendo evidently implied, to believe, that never at the expense of " the Bible Society in London" was any one English, or rather Scotch, family sent out to Astrachan, for the purpose of converting Bucharians, Calmucks, &c. to the Christian faith, or for any other purpose whatever. The Bible Society in London does not send out families, either English or Scotch, on the work of conver3 G

sion: and the writer of this article, either in originating or believing such an assertion, must be wholly unacquainted with the first principles of the Bible Society in London, and with all the most obvious, necessary, and unalterable conditions of its proceedings, foreign and domestic. That a Scotch Missionary Society had once a mission at Astrachan, is a fact: but I do not exactly believe, that the Bible Society in London, and the Scotch Friends to Missions in Edinburgh, or the Scotch Biblists, consider themselves as one society Yet it is this abandoned Scotch mission in Astrachan, that the writer of the article in the Quarterly Review, or his friend who undertakes, I understand, in the last Number, to arbitrate in Biblical controversies, has called forth from its nonexistence as a specimen of, and an argument against, the present operations of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Indeed it would not have been quite fair even to our Northern neighbours themselves, to have inscribed their errors at full length in the broad and legible type and text of the Quarterly page; and to have inserted in a single line scarcely legible, and not observable at the bottom, the confession, that this charge against their cool and collected judgment had in fact no existence; "the useless mission having been abandoned!" The following extracts from Dr. Henderson's Tour will sufficiently substantiate the perfect innocence of the Bible Society in London, of all the guilt of the Astrachan Christian Mission, even to the very incidental Biblical operations themselves; Dr. Henderson having been the agent of the Russian Bible Society, not of that" in London." In the course of the extracts will appear what I conceive to be always the legitimate and approved share borne by the Bible Society in London," in all Missionary, or other stations, where the opening is afforded for its simple and beneficent operations. The "lamented" aban.

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donment of the mission at Astrachan will be perceived from the extracts to have been conveyed to the Reviewer in the same page and text with that which furnished him with the information of its expensive housing; and can leave no doubt on the mind of any fair reader, where and in what manner it should have been mentioned by him. The omission of the sentence with respect to the moderate terms on which "the best house in Astrachan" was obtained by the English, or rather Scotch, families, shall have no comment of mine. I will only ask, Was it ingenuous to omit it?

the house of the Scottish Missionary "About 12 o'clock, we reached Society, where we met with the kindest reception from all the families; some of the heads of which we had known before leaving our native country in 1805, and others we had seen in St. Petersburgh, on their way to this town." p. 419.

nary interest that the author entered "It was with feelings of no ordithe gates of Astrakhan. For nearly three years his attention had been directed to that town, as the centre of an important sphere of Biblical operations; his furniture and library had been forwarded from St. Petersburgh the preceding summer, and commodious rooms in the Missionhouse had been kindly allotted for his residence." p. 420.

"In the summer of 1807, an edition of five hundred copies of the Gospel of Matthew left the Karass press.

folio; and the paper being blue, it It is printed in presents rather an uncommon appearance. A specimen having been forwarded to Britain, it was submitted to the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society; which, after its being examined by the Rev. Dr. Clarke, voted a grant. of a fount of types to the Missionaries, and a quantity of paper, sufficient to print 5000 copies of the whole New Testament." p. 423.

I observe, that the Committee of
"It is with pleasure, however,

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