To the Editor of the Christian Observer. THE object I have, in at present addressing you, is, in all humility, and with all deference to your superior judgment, to prefer a request

of

You profess to have particularly in view the benefit of clergy men, or young men about to become clergymen;" and not only them, but men and women in general. Now, sir, the two former may be supposed, and indeed ought, to be well acquainted with the Latin tongue, and other dead languages; but very few comparatively of the latter, even in this age so favourable for education, have had the advantage of classical instruction: so that a numerous body of your read ers are deprived of some of their pleasure and profit, by not being able to translate the Latin and Greek sentences which frequently occur in your pages and the consequence is, that they do not peruse such papers as contain them, or stop when they meet with them, and skip over the remainder to proceed to the next subject. The writer of these lines is approaching threescore; and though the Latin he gained in his youth is of some use to him as to the regulation of his language in speaking and writing, yet the avocations of a very active life have not allowed him to improve and retain what he once knew: so that he is, for the most part, not competent to render into English the numerous quotations he meets with in your valuable miscellany, which he considers, in many cases, as a serious loss.

My request therefore is, sir, for the benefit of myself and other unlettered persons, "that translations of all quotations from the dead or foreign living languages may in future be added in the margin of the column or page, as a note, in a small type." This would not oc

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

AMONG the many wise regulations which have been adopted by the Legislature, for the conservation of pure and undefiled religion in these kingdoms, that which guarantees the integrity of the sacred Scrip tures in the vernacular language, by confining the privilege of printing them, in the Authorised Version, to the King's Printer and to the two Universities, is not the least important. Without this salutary restriction, there would be no security against the corruptions and mutilations of those theorists, who, being "wise above what is written," and more intent on supporting a favourite hypothesis, than in disseminating the "truth as it is in Jesus," seize every opportunity to wrest the Scriptures from their plain and simple meaning, and to make them speak a language at once inconsistent with the great and essential truths of the Gospel, and destructive of the hopes and supports of the humble and devout Christian.

The restriction, however, does not, nor is it right that it should, extend to new versions of the Scriptures, or to the Authorised Version accompanied with a commentary. Whatever ill consequences may have resulted from this liberty, they are abundantly compensated by the good which the labours of many learned and pious expositors have effected.

But editions of the Sacred Vo lume, without note or comment, are not unfrequently, in defiance of the probibitions of the Legislature, printed and published by unprivileged, persons. Whether any advantage has been yet taken of this practice, for the purpose of propagating the

Conceits or dogmas of a party, I have hot ascertained. But that a wide door is thus open to the most dangerous abuses, is sufficiently evident; and that a speedy check should be put to such a daring violation of an enactment of vital importance to the best interests of the country, must be bbvious from the acknowledged necessity of the law itself.

Some of these spurious editions are marked by certain peculiarities, which are worthy of notice, as they indicate an indifference, at least, to established usage and authority, and in some cases to the dictates of truth: qualities which afford no sure pledge of a faithful adherence to the received text, if interest or party feeling should interfere. In one of these editions, printed by Richard Edwards, Bristol, 1802, I observe that the words supplied by the translators, which in all the authorised editions are very properly distinguished by the Italic character, are printed in the common type, without any distinction; an innovation for which no excuse can be offered, unless it be that of extreme ignorance or parsimony.

Another edition which I have lately seen is remarkable for a gross deception at the very threshold; not, I fear, unprecedented, but which is not on that account less reprehensible; for though we are expressly told that it contains Notes, the words "with notes" forming a prominent part of the title-page, yet there is not a vestige of a note to be found in the whole volume. What the object of this species of fraud is, they who practise it can best tell; but surely if ever falsehood appears under an aspect of peculiar hatefulness and disgust, it must be when it is employed to usher into the world the sacred word of Divine truth.

It may not be considered irrelevant to mention here, that, when this edition was put into my hands at my bookseller's, a gross typographical error happened to meet my eye; which induced me to go through the whole chapter in which

it occured; and, to my great astonishment, I found in that chapter alone (Levit. xvi.) no fewer than five sitnilar mistakes. I afterwards ran over several other chapters, and was repaid for my trouble by a copious gleaning of blunders of various kinds. This immediately suggested to me the propriety of addressing a word of admonition and caution to the press from whence the edition issued; not doubting but that it would be received with attention, and that in their future impressions greater vigilance would be exercised. But on turning to the title-page for the necessary information, I had the mortification to discover that the book was not printed by either of the Universities, or by the King's Printer (to whom alone I could with any prospect of utility address myself), but by "C. Corrall, Charing Cross."

"

Lev. xvi. children of raise up,"

your faithful minister," for you a faithful, &c. Eph. iv. 4, " This is one body," for There is one body. Deut. xxxii. 12, on strange God," for no strange God. 5, "children Israel," for Israel. Ps. xxxv. 11, for rise up. "Ps. lxxxix. 19, "speakest," for spakest. Gen. xxviii. 2," Pardan-aram," for Padan-aram, &c. &c. The punctuation, moreover, as far as my examination went, was very incorrect.

I am aware, however, that the Bibles which issue from the authorised sources are not exempt from similar blemishes: but the public has the satisfaction to know, that no designed departure can be there admitted (and it is there alone that we can possess this confidence); while a hope may reasonably be entertained, that, by the stereotype process lately adopted, all the accidental errors of

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. As the object of the Christian Observer is to do good, I will make no apology for addressing him on a subject which needs neither interest to recommend nor eloquence to enforce it. Among the numerous charities of the religious world, so eminent and so honourable to a Christian land, there is one which still seems to be imperiously required. A number of persons exist among the poor who are capable of reading from education, and eager to read from inclination; whose eyesight is become dim with age or infirmity. I know several of that description. To them the Bibles and Testaments, as well as Prayer-books and Tracts, in the common print, are given in vain! Some of them are unable to read them, even could they afford spectacles; for such it would be an act of Christian charity to provide Bibles and Testaments, Prayer-books, with suitable Tracts, (perhaps prayers in a large print with Scripture extracts), in a black ·large letter, which they might easily distinguish; and this is the more required, as many a tedious hour must they often pass unnoticed and despised by the world. This plan would be also of importance to the sick, whose rooms are generally darkened, and whose eyes become dim in the course of a long, lingerCHRIST. OBSERV. No. 150.

ing distemper, though their intellect is clear, and they hunger and thirst for the bread of life just on the threshold of eternity.

AN ELDERLY GENTLEWOMAN.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. WILL you allow an old British Seaman to occupy a small space in your valuable and truly useful miscellany, or at least to engage a few minutes of your attention?

I no more expect, sir, to see the wavy honours of a naval flag flying over my head; but I am fully aware that the Christian banner is

always displayed, and that, under its benign, though powerful, direction, there is neither superannuation nor half-pay; that neither wounds nor infirmities can plead a moment's dereliction of duty; and that the Christian Warrior must remain in active service, as long as the voyage of his life may endure.

At the present moment, the be nevolence and munificence of the British public have been elicited by the pure flame of vital religion, the blessed influence of which is rapidly expanding as far as the range of man can penetrate; and my brother sailors now pursue their voyages charged with the rich freight of the Word of Life, and may boast, with honest and warm exultation, that they are the means of spreading the truth from pole to pole. May the reflection sink deep into their minds, and produce such happy effects on their conduct as to make them the missionaries of example as well as the messengers of glad tidings to all the world!

In truth, Mr. Editor, the extended operations of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, and the energetic co-operators of moderu days, must afford an animated glow of satisfaction to the thinking mind, and make the pious Christian exult in witnessing a period, second in religious consequence to none, since

3 B

our blessed Master first sent his disciples to preach to all nations.

We see how much has been done in this good cause; and in this labour of love, as well as in all other labours, one step gained points out the next which it is requisite to attain in our approximation towards the heights of Christian perfection. The rich and the great, who have so nobly contributed to expand the powers of the human mind, and to make known the Word of God to all mankind, have only now to seal the bond of their good deeds by the stamp of example. The original of more than one of our beneficent societies of instruction and expansion of Christian knowledge have, far as my information extends, originated in your pages. Let me then, through their extensive medium, propose Societies of Examplesocieties of the rich and powerful to show the poor and needy, that their faith in the holy Books which their bounty distributes is pure and unfeigned.

as

The two cases mentioned, of a prince and a judge, are most powerful; and I should think that an AntiSabbath-breaking Society would be a most useful undertaking; and, should their attention be once called seriously to the subject, I should hope that the prince would be the patron and president, and the judge a worthy member.

May I be allowed to call to the recollection of those who give a Bible or Prayer-book to a poor man, that one of the most striking commands contained in it is, beyond a doubt, the Fourth Commandment ; and it is one which, in its nature, most powerfully attracts the attention of those to whom its effects are doubly blessed, as uniting relief from labour with the means and leisure of worshipping God in the great congregation, and having their duties explained to them.

Now, sir, would any of the noble patrons of the Bible Society ever make a journey on a Sunday without evident necessity, if they once reflected, how many persons they deprive of the only time they would otherwise have had to read that Sacred Volume which they have so I will not bountifully bestowed? encumber your pages by stating the probable number of hostlers, drivers, waiters, &c. &c. they thus keep from church, but just offer one supposed contrast.

Let us imagine a nobleman, in the course of his journey, shewing such an obedience to the Divine laws, and such respect for religious institutions, as to stop during the Sunday, and attend Divine worship at the nearest church. Let him calculate how many persons this conduct would enable to attend to the duties of the day. This he can calculate; but I can assure him, that the tone of such an example would be beyond his calculation or belief, and as superior to the effects of the most benevolent earthly charity, as the blessings of a boundless eternity are to the transient enjoyments of time,

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

I ENCLOSE you a paper, which though it is not dated, must, I think, from its situation in my journal of occurrences, have been written in the close of the year 1801. It is word for word, as nearly as recollection at the time enabled me to write it down, the substance of a conversation which passed between me and a poor man, all whose connections were Catholics, but who constantly attended my church himself. I will not, however, anticipate his character, which will appear

from the recital.

it.

Extract from passing Occurrences.

"There is a poor man who constantly frequents my church. On no public occasion, unless prevented by illness, have I missed him out of His name is Barny, and he is generally esteemed a sort of idiot: yet simple as he evidently is, his knowledge in spiritual things is enough to shame many a wiser head. He gets his subsistence by going among the parishioners, who make an annual subscription for him to procure him clothes*. Having just come to make his usual application to me on this subject, and Amanda having remarked to me, that she had observed Barny apparently much affected by parts of my discourses, which she conceived he could not understand, I resolved to seize the opportunity of inquiring from himself, whether he received any benefit from coming to church. The following is the conversation that passed between us :

* We have no poor gates in Ireland,

Do you love Jesus Christ,

Barny?" I do, sir." How do you know that you love him?"- He is precious to

me."

"How have you then learned to give me these answers?"-" I learn by the blood of Jesus Christ, that he will wash away my sins--And the Lord God wash away all my sins that I have committed."

The reader will be inclined to think, that Barny, whose action and

The night-i. e. this night: I should think it wrong to amend Barny's language.