Thus he adds, (and Mr. N. seems resolved that the sentence shall lose nothing of its importance from the absence of italics and capitals,)

"Infidelity may look favorably on the dispersion of the Bible. "hoping thereby that its interests will be eventually promoted by in66 troducing THE GOLDEN AGE OF REASON THE MILLENIUM ΟΙ INFIDELS." p. 236.

From all which the editor most logically infers, that

"The Society whose cause Mr. Thorpe undertook to advocate, arrogating to itself the office of preaching the Gospel to the world, not only invites the open enemies of that Gospel to come into its bosom and to assist in the work; but holds out to them the facilities which it generates for carrying on their hostility, and the complacency with which it contemplates their attacks, as inducements to accept the invitation.' It would be worse than trifling with our readers to spend one moment in animadverting upon such malignant absurdity.

The course which Mr. N. has followed in 'demonstrating' the preceding statement is, in the first instance, to establish by numerous proofs, (what none would have thought of disputing,) that the Socinians of the present day are unusually zealous for the propagation of their religious tenets. The publication of a soi-disant" Improved version of the New Testament," of mutilated editions of popular theological treatises, and of tracts, catechisms and hand-bills, fraught with the most pernicious errors, and designed to pour contempt on doctrines which we hold most sacred-the establishment of what are called "religious conferences," but which in reality are public disputations on controverted points of theology-the attention paid by this sect to the education of the children of the poor, and their endeavours at the same time to initiate them into the mysteries of the Socinian faith ;-these and many similar facts are amongst the proofs adduced by our author of the party zeal and activity of a sect, which he affirms to be 'striking daily, with measured blows, at the very vitals of Christianity. The major proposition having been thus established, Mr. N. proceeds to the minor; viz. that the Socinians in general, and especially the teachers of the sect, have associated themselves with the Auxiliary Societies, patronize them by their subscriptions and by their eloquence, and in some instances are enrolled amongst the number of VicePresidents.' Thus far the Editor's argument goes on smoothly. But will any rational mind be prepared to jump from these premises to his somewhat staggering conclusion, that the result of this coalition on the part of the Bible Society must be indifference to every religious opinion, and the substitution of Socinianism for pure and perfect Christianity! Surely it was necessary, in order to complete his proof,' to shew, either that the authorized version of the Scripturcs is rendered corrupt and per

:

nicious, by being purchased with the contributions, or distributed by the hand of a Socinian; or that the Society has been pre vailed upon by its new patrons to circulate copies of the "Improved Version," in violation of their fundamental principle of union; or that this coalition furnishes the adversaries of evangelical truth with injurious weapons they did not before, and could not otherwise, possess; or, at least, that some persons have been proselyted from Orthodoxy to Socinianism, in consequence of this co-operation. Not the semblance of any attempt, however, is made by the author to establish any one of these prerequisites to his conclusions and we will venture to add, if his temerity had led him to the trial he would have completely failed. On the contrary, we are firmly persuaded, that the coalition must be productive of great, if not unmixed good, and that it is one of the results of the Bible Society, in which all who are cordially attached to evangelical principles have reason to rejoice. As we have no wish to imitate Mr. N. in imputing un◄ worthy motives and dark designs to the Socinians who have co-operated, we think that both candour and justice require us to give them credit for acting upon a principle, which several of their leaders have openly avowed. They profess to have been induced to lend their assistance to the Society as the only probable or effectual means of circulating the Scriptures throughout the world; preferring, upon the whole, that the poor of their own and of foreign countries, should be put into possession of the Scriptures in a form which they consider corrupt, and by means of a version which is directly opposed to their tenets, to their remaining altogether destitute of the sacred oracles. And must it not be admitted by every candid mind that this principle is commendable? Does it not shew a disposition, (which, where ever it may be found, is praise worthy,) to concede in some measure the interests of a party to the good of the whole. May not this be contemplated as a blossom of virtue, expanding indeed in a cold and barren clime, but which, unless nipped by the chilling frosts of bigotry, may hereafter ripen into the "fruits of righteousness? Besides, if Socinians are thus active in propagating their religious opinions, is it not better that their pernicious tracts, and erroneous statements should be accompanied with an antidote so powerful, a corrective so excellent, as the authorized version of the Scriptures, instead of being suffered to work out alone their full measure of evil? Could any one have devised a more effectual means of counteracting their baneful consequences, than that of placing by their side an uncorrupted copy of the word of God? And is not an important point gained, if those who are thus indefatigable in promoting, what we believe to be, dangerous and destructive errors, are also induced, by whatever motive, to neutralize the mischief, by promoting also the circulation of the Scriptures of truth

Again, if there be a disposition amongst many of the opulent members of this body to appropriate a portion of their substance to religious uses, ought not the friends of evangelical truth to rejoice, that a part of this is diverted into an useful, which would otherwise have flowed in a pernicious channel; that a Society has arisen so winning in her aspect, and so benevolent in her character, as to constrain even the adversaries to the cross of Christ to promote her interests and further her designs, instead of applying all their resources to the propagation of error; and, finally, that by their co-operation in this Society. "Christ crucified" will be virtually preached by thousands of those who degrade the Son of God, by refusing him divine honours? But we may pursue the argument further and prove that, upon the recognized principles of the opponents to the Bible Society, this measure, instead of being friendly must be fatal to Socinianism. Mr. Norris's great oracle, Dr. Marsh argues that members of the Church by merely belonging to a Society which circulates the Bible alone, will gradually neglect to distribute, become indifferent to, and finally reject the Liturgy; from all which, he predicts the Church's downfall. Now, if this reasoning will apply in the one case, why not in the other? The "Improved Version," Socinian tracts, &c. &c. are to the members of that denomination, what the Liturgy is to Church-men. Consequently, if Socinians belong to a Society which circulates the Bible alone, and that Bible, too, direetly opposed to their creed, will not the result be, that they will gradually neglect to disperse their their "improved" version, will soon become indifferent to these interpreters of their system, till, at length, they all consent to embrace the orthodox faith! Not being disciples of Dr. Marsh ourselves, we cannot say we are prepared to anticipate so extensive a result; yet we think its consequences cannot fail to be beneficial to the cause of truth and holiness, and therefore unfeignedly rejoice in it.

Unwilling as we are to extend this article, which has already occupied more space than we intended, we cannot forbear to state the above argument in another form. Suppose the British and Foreign Bible Society were to circulate the "New Version, instead of the authorized translation of the Scriptures, would not Mr. N. deem this a just ground for the most serious apprehension, that the cause of evangelical truth was hastening to ruin? But if from such a measure imminent danger would arise to that system which we believe to be" the truth as it is in Jesus," is not the inference grossly unfair-is not the argument wholly inconclusive-which assumes, that Socinianism will derive strength from the efforts of its advocates to circulate a Version of the Scriptures, as much opposed to their theological tenets, as the New Version, to the orthodox faith? In the supposed case, the Socinians would be furnished with a mighty engine of mis

chief; but in that which is acted upon by the Bible Society, they are using a weapon which is likely to pierce the hand that employs it. In the former case the Society might be compared to the upas-tree diffusing death; while in its present form, we see a plant of paradise, its root firm and deep, its branches luxuriant, its fruit abundant. We confess that something far more convincing must be produced, than the inuendoes and invectives, the suspicions and falsehoods, the pompous bluster, and empty declamations, which make up this volume, before we shall be induced to cherish the eruel desire, that this tree might be torn up and withered, rather than behold a few of the adversaries of evangelical religion reclining beneath its shadow.

To recur one moment to the arguments and expressions of different advocates of the Bible Society, (from which we have diverged for the purpose of repelling the objection that has been made on account of the occasional co-operation of Socinians,) let it be observed, once for all, that a defender of the cause and objects of this excellent Society need not attempt to justify all that is said or done, at the several public meetings; and that it is the height of disingenuousness to draw an argument from that source against the Institution itself. So far as a careful perusal of the various publications of the Parent Society, and its several Auxiliaries, will enable us to, speak, we do assert, without fear of contradiction from any competent and. candid judge, that there are no free and deliberate assemblies in this country, in which there have been fewer deviations from sound argument, fewer extravagancies of sentiment advanced, and fewer stimulants to any censureable or even questionable course of conduct, than in the meetings of the Bible Society. Nay, we will go farther, and say, that if we wished a sensible and liberal Chinese or Mussulman, to see what tendency the Christian religion, as sanctioned and established, in the freest even of Protestant nations, had to liberalize the views, to expand the faculties, to fill the soul with generous and noble sentiments, and to engender a manly and pious eloquence, among a people naturally taciturn, we should request them earnestly to peruse the speeches which have been delivered in almost every part of the kingdom in meetings convened in aid of the Bible Society. But suppose the fact were otherwise; and that much which was nonsensical, impolitic, and unwise, had been uttered at the Bible Society meetings? What then? Is that Society, and that alone, to be tried by this unnatural test? Is the Bible Society, and no other, to be decried, and maligned, and misrepresented, because all its advocates are not the wisest and most discreet men upon earth. Let the Marshians and Norrisians bring the Bartlett's Buildings' Society to the same touchstone, and there try the feelings and drivellings of its advocates, the Nolans and the Sprys, et id genus omne. Let them ponder

over the sapient questions of that reverend body at their dreaming meetings. "Did not the clock strike one "-"No."Then a dead silence of a quarter of an hour.- "Hark! was not that the sound of a horn?"-" Aye, aye," (says a third) rubbing his spectacles, "there's more news from the allies. Let's adjourn the meeting, and make haste to the Chapter Coffee House." Now admitting this to be (as we understand it is) a correct description of some of the committee deliberations of that venerable body; still would not it be the extreme of unfairness, to argue thence that the Society never had done, nor ever could do good. If Mr. Norris be not yet convinced of his shockingly uncandid mode of procedure, let him apply the same test to the Church of England: let him consider how idly and ignorantly, and absurdly, its cause has been advocated by some of her well-intentioned children; and if he be not prepared to admit as an irrefragable consequence, that the tendency of the Episcopalian church Government, is to produce weak and puerile reasoners, let him blush at his own folly (to employ no stronger term) in imagining that an English public is to be cheated into the adoption of a mode of warfare upon this noble benevolent institution, which if received generally, would serve equally to attack all its most venerable, laudable and beneficial establishments, and even the British Constitution itself.

Before we drop this volume into the oblivious pool' we wish just to apprize our female readers of their obligations to its author. Amongst the multitude of his 'demonstrations' he has 'demonstrated,' that they have been in every age the ringleaders of mischief! He reminds them that they were first in the transgression that the Old Testament abounds with proofs of their malignant influence-that in the beginning of Christianity, "devout and honourable women" stirred up a persecution against the apostles-that women were the chief fomenters of the Arian heresy that they have been the principal supporters of Popery -that they were the most boisterous of the Puritans-that they were the most mischievous of the modern philosophers-that they are now the chief promoters of Socinianism-and, to complete the catalogue of their crimes, that they have been uniformly the warmest supporters of the Bible Society, though he conceives that intricate question to be as far beyond the depths of their understandings as the speculative subtleties of modern Unitarianism!

We most earnestly hope our reverend author is not married to a shrew,' that he should thus speak of the fair sex. For, that he did not always so describe them, is evident from the following passages, taken from a sermon he published in the year 1801: