"To the charge of inactivity in circulating Bibles, we oppose facts, and dates, and bills for Bibles.-To the imputation of indifference to the spiritual wants of the parish, and to the affording of biblical information, we offer as an answer our conduct in the parish rather than our professions. "The clergy of the neighbourhood to whom the circular may be addressed, will, of course, judge and act according to the information they may possess upon the subject. But we conceive, that in the present instance, their interference will neither be friendly nor judicious. We intentionally avoid the expression of any opinion upon the right to form Bible Societies wherever such societies may appear to some individuals to be desirable. The consideration of that right, or supposed right, is, in our view, foreign to the business of the present Gomersall society. We imagine that no judicious friend to the British and Foreign Bible Society will be forward to agitate that abstract question. "We have no dispute with any individual, or any association of persons, who choose to distribute Bibles in our parish. And we should have been glad if the Committee of the Gomersall Bible Society had permitted us to withhold the preceding remarks. 66 "W. M. HEAld, "JAMES S. JONES, HAMMOND ROBERSON, ROBERT BBAUMONT. Vicarage, Birstall, 9th January, 1824." On reading this Letter the new Committee resolved as follows, and thus terminated this outrageous proceeding in the same spirit that they commenced it. "Resolved, "That this meeting highly approve of the observations made by the Rev. James Scott, at the anniversary of the Bradford Auxiliary Bible Society, which have been so completely misrepresented by the clergy of the parish of Birstall, in a letter this day received; being fully satisfied that Mr. Scott's remarks on that occasion related not to the Clergy of the parish of Birstall, but to the late Bible Association, for a confirmation of which statement they refer to the Clergymen of the parish of Bradford who were present at that public meeting. And the Committee likewise avail themselves of this opportunity of expressing their thankfulness that the observations made by Mr. Scott at Bradford, have led under Divine Providence, in their final effects, to so excellent a result as the establishment of this Society.-Signed in behalf of the Committee, "Birstall, January 23, 1824." "DAVID STONER, Secretary. We trust that our readers will diffuse the knowledge of this case, and all the circumstances of it, as widely as possible in their respective neighbourhoods, that those Clergymen whose' eyes are not yet opened to the real import of dissenting fraternization, may have the means of discovering the delusion before it be too late. MISCELLANEOUS. PROPOSED ENDOWMENT OF NATIONAL SCHOOLS. SIR, To the Editor of the Christian Remembrancer. I TAKE the liberty to forward the enclosed paragraph inserted by me in some of the daily newspapers; and as the suggestion may perhaps advance the interests of the National Schools and of the Established Church of England, you will perhaps do me the favour to make it known through the medium of the Christian Remembrancer, Bedford Square. And oblige, Sir, yours most respectfully, H.C. SIR, NATIONAL SCHOOLS. To the Editor of the Morning Post. THE grand system of National Education, introduced by Dr. Bell, has rapidly triumphed over the combined efforts of party spirit, ill-will, and prejudice, and it now becomes our duty to give it that permanence and stability which its decided superiority so well deserves. How far the following suggestions are calculated to attain so desirable an object an enlightened public must determine. Hitherto it has been the custom with the opulent, after having well provided for their families, most liberally to endow all public institutions, the National Schools alone excepted. But it were much to be desired, that in future certain sums were left by them, and invested in the funds, that the interest thereof might be applied in the most marked manner at the annual examinations, to the selecting six, twelve, or more of the most moral, industrious, and best educated children, as apprentices to those tradesmen (such as shoemakers, tailors, and carpenters,) who may have acquired the best characters in the neighbourhood for integrity, sobriety, and steadiness of conduct. It would be impossible for me, within the limits of this letter, to enumerate all the advantages which the general execution of this plan would confer upon indigent parents, their children, and society at large. By the humbler classes of the community not only a most decided preference immediately would be given to those schools of the Established Church, wherein a good character most assuredly would pave the way to temporal advantages; the expectation of which, at the same time that it excited the emulation of all the children, would induce them to remain a more considerable time in these schools; more ample justice would thus be done to their teachers and masters, and those more solid advantages of a useful education be acquired by the children, of which an earlier removal would otherwise have deprived them. Nor would society and the nation receive less benefit; for it cannot be doubted that these means would encourage and bring into action a much greater quantity of talent, industry, and virtue. It were therefore much to be desired that the opulent part of the community would well consider these advantages; and, in their future bequests to Public Institutions, remember, that by thus placing certain sums at the disposal of the Patrons, Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and their respective Committees, they have an opportunity afforded them, by one and the same charitable action, of conferring the greatest possible spiritual and temporal advantages upon indigent parents and their children, society in general, and the Established Church of England in particular, Of which, allow me to subscribe myself A SINCERE MEMBER. To the Editor of the Christian Remembrancer. 66 SIR, In reply to " Criticus" on the words of Scripture, “ov Ayes” συ λέγεις” σ συ was," I presume to offer the following suggestions, with the hope that they may be deemed not unworthy of attention. I commence with observing, that in the New Testament we cannot expect to find classic purity, especially when we consider that its writers were men of no learning (St. Paul excepted), and that very many of the Greek words found in the New Testament, are not such as were adopted by men of education, and the higher and more polished ranks of life, but were in use with the common people: thereby shewing, that their acquaintance with the Greek language originated more from actual intercourse with those who spoke it, than from any study of books. A large propor- . tion, however, of the phrases and constructions of the New Testament is pure Greek, that is to say, of the same degree of purity as the Greek which was spoken in Macedonia. The sacred writers employ all the dialects of the Greek language, and being Jews, were consequently acquainted with the Hebrew idioms, and also with the common as well as acquired senses of the words of that language. Hence, when they used a Greek word, as correspondent to a Hebrew one of like signification, they employed it as the Hebrew word was used, either in a common or acquired sense, as the occasion demanded. In all cases, therefore, it is preferable to adopt that meaning which a Jew would give, because in all probability the sacred writer had this in view, rather than the Greek meaning; especially if the latter were not of very frequent occurrence, as are the words " συ είπας and συ λέγεις, which I now propose to consider. In the first place, these words, when they stand alone, are generally affirmations in the Greek language, (unless used by the speaker in an ironical sense, or in retorting an adversary's word) and reference must be made, in these words of the sacred writers, both to parallel passages, and to the context. But as the sense of these words is not questioned by " Criticus," I proceed in the next place to refer him to certain quotations from the dramatic writers, which will fully prove that the ellipsis is manifestly affirmative, and admits of no reservation on the part of the speaker. In Soph. Cdip. Tyran. 1473. σε καί μ' ἐποικτείρας Κρέων ἔπεμψ ̓ ἐμοι τὰ φίλτατ ̓ ἐκγόνοιν ἐμοῖν ; Creon. "yes" thou sayest right, viz. that Creon hath sent them to you" ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμ' ὁ πορσύνας τάδε”for I am he who brought them 66 to here. Again in Esch. Eumen. 718.- λέγεις· ἐγὼ δὲ μὴ τυχᾶσα τῆς Sans, &c. thou sayest right: but if I obtain not justice, &c. Here it is plain from the context, that some such adverbs as ευ, κάλως, ΟΙ ogows," (words frequently united with the verbs " and Ay" in the επω λεγω” Greek poets, and in Lucian) is understood. This ellipsis of the adverb may be found in Soph. Trach. 1222, though with a different verb: "Hercules says to Hyllus, who inquired whether Iole was meant,' "yes" i. e. thou knowest right. In all doubtful passages, a careful consideration of the context will enable us to affix their true and proper meaning and in illustration of this doctrine, I refer again to Soph. Antig. 1053. Creon says, σεξ βέλομαι τον μάντιν ἀντειπεῖν κακῶς. which Teiresias replies, “ καὶ μήν λέγεις,” κακῶς understood. With respect to the quotations cited by Parkhurst, those from Sophocles and Euripides are not only indecisive, but imply dissent. In Lucian, the verb σε λέγεις, οι απας” is frequently understood after “ τα αληθή, εὖ, καλως, opows," (and in a few instances even in the poets)—surely the same expressions may be annexed to those verbs, when they stand alone, without offence to the rules of grammatical accuracy. Thus then after the words " συ είπας, συ λέγεις,” I conceive “ ορθώς οι καλως” may justly be understood; otherwise, as the words in our translation stand, they may imply mental reservation in our Lord. It cannot be supposed that He," in whose mouth was found no guile," would, upon being so solemnly adjured by the High Priest, evade the question by equivocation, and have recourse to an artifice so inconsistent with his spotless and sacred character. But the Jews did not misunderstand him: for, upon hearing his answer, they said, "He hath spoken blasphemy." In Luke xxii. 70. He said unto them, "Ye say that I am." And they said, "What need we any further witness." In Luke xxiii. 3. "Art thou the king of the Jews?" Our Lord admits the fact, explaining His kingdom to be a spiritual one. See John xviii. 36. Should the authorities produced be considered unsatisfactory by your correspondent, I shall still remain open to conviction, and am ready to listen to any thing which he may offer in contradiction to them. I am, Sir, yours, &c. J. H. To the Editor of the Christian Remembrancer. SIR, In your Number for this month, there is a letter signed E. D., the purport of which is to affirm, that the London Society for Promoting Christianity amongst the Jews, is to be classed amongst "the humbugs of the present day, and this principally on the ground, that by its exertions 66 not one English Jen has been converted, or even brought into a state approaching to conversion," for that the Society has been "useful in Russia and Poland" seems to be conceded. I doubt not your readiness to insert a reply to this unfounded attack on a Society supported by some of our Bishops, many of our Clergy, and a considerable body of respectable and pious members of our 66 venerable Establishment. Your Correspondent, who is evidently ignorant of what the Society has done and is doing, sits quietly in his arm chair, and is sadly afraid that its professed labours will be found to be a humbug." If to have translated the New Testament into the Biblical Hebrew, and to have distributed 20,000 copies amongst the Jews in different countries, be " a humbug," the Society deserves that appellation. If it be a humbug, to have educated 300 Jewish children in the Christian faith, and thus to have brought them up "in the way in which they should go," then is the Society thus properly designated. If to prepare and send forth duly qualified Missionaries, to call the attention of the Jews to the truth of Christianity, be a humbug, the Society is a humbug. If to have called the attention of Christians, not only in England and Ireland, but on the Continent, to a long neglected duty, and to a long persecuted people, and to have stirred them up to a benevolent attempt to seek their spiritual and everlasting welfare, be a humbug, then is there some reason for the accusation brought by your Correspondent against the Society. If to have been the means of awakening a most unprecedented spirit of inquiry amongst the Jews abroad into the subject of Christianity, entitle the attempt to the name of a humbug, it richly deserves it. But your Correspondent having heard something of what is going forward in Poland, and probably knowing that a considerable number of Jews have been, within the last two or three years, converted and baptized abroad, (fifty at Berlin alone within the last eighteen months) rests his "humbug" charge on the total want of success in this country. He seems to be quite indignant, that the charity of Englishmen should be extended to an Institution which, according to his account, is beneficial to the Jews, if at all," only in Russia and Poland!" Now, your Correspondent is surely ignorant, that Russian and Prussian Poland may be considered as containing the great mass of the Jewish people. It is calculated that above two million of Jews are found there, while in England the number does not probably exceed 14 or 15,000. That Poland, therefore, should be the main field of the Society's labours is no matter of wonder, though they have Missionaries employed in Germany, and Prussia, and Holland, and Italy, as well as in India and in Palestine. But, Sir, the assertion of E. D., respecting the total want of converts in England, is in itself untrue. I myself am acquainted with SEVERAL, who not only have believed and been baptized, but who are walking in a manner consistently with their Christian profession. If your Correspondent wishes himself to see one of those who is now dying of a lingering disorder, and who is enjoying the comforts resulting from a cordial belief, that Jesus is the Christ, I can direct him where such a one is to be found. He was baptized nine or ten years ago, and has ever since, by his industry and integrity, as well as by his devout attendance on all the ordinances of our religion, adorned his profession. If but one such instance could be adduced, we must forget the inestimable value of an immortal soul, before we could allow the exertions of the Society to be "a humbug." |