"Icontent myself, therefore, with observ ing, that the ministers of Christ may fearlessly take upon them to maintain, that if atonement for the sins of fallen man by the blood of a redeeming Saviour be not the doctrine which pervades the general tenor of divine Revelation; binding, as it were, by an indissoluble chain, the several parts of it together in uniform consistency; the Bible, of all books that have ever been put into the hands of man, is certainly the most inconsistent and most unintelligible.” P. 28. This is certainly impregnable ground, and the Archdeacon has done well in adverting to it. It appears to us, indeed, almost an irrelevant task, though it is highly gratifying to see with what triumphant skill it has been accomplished, to combat the Unitarians with their own small arms, by debating with them detached texts of Scripture, and exposing the nakedness of that garb of criticism in which their vulgar theology is clothed: the use of such weapons only gratifies the pride of ingenuity in its literary advocates, and still leaves them a ground on which they may carry on their warfare of missiles. We would have this ground altogether removed. We would not have it conceded that cri. ticism is any foundation for building up theological truth. The "sic cogitavit" of a Thomas Belsham, or of a Jeremy Bentham, a par nobile fratrum, is not to be admitted as a preliminary in religious inquiry. The very novelty of any speculation in matters of faith, as we have seen it somewhere remarked, is the strongest argument in itself, that such speculation is unsound. Some weight surely is to be attributed to the catholic tradition of the Christian Church, (that Church with which Christ promised to be always, even unto the end,) as a depository of the faith, contemporary with, and auxiliary to, the Scriptures themselves; so that any doctrine which that Catholic Church has never acknowledged, however it may profess to be elicited from the Scriptures, or however specious may be the criticism on which it is founded, were that REMEMBRANCER, No. 69.

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criticism even tenfold more answerable than that of the Belsham sect, ought at once to be rejected, as not savouring of the things which be of God.

We pass on to the conclusion of the Charge in which the Archdeacon comments on the increasing influence of Popery, and the consequent danger to a Protestant establishment. The increase of Papists in this country in the course of the last half century, he states to have been, from much under one hundred thousand, to upwards of half a million-a fact, which certainly ought to render us scrupulously cautious how we extend the power of annoyance to so formidable a legion of a foreign and jealous Church. It shews indeed great activity on the part of the "proselyting priesthood" of the Romish Church, and that activity calls for a corresponding exertion on our part.

It becomes accordingly, the clergy especially, to be "on the alert." The circumstance which the Archdeacon notices, in reference to the pretended claims to exclusive catholicism on the part of that communion, ought to be strongly insisted upon in such times as these-namely "the original independence of the British Church, as a regularly constituted branch of the Universal Church of Christ."-This is a very important fact, not only as an answer to the charge of heresy and schism brought against us by the Romanists, but as establishing a broad line of distinction between our case with respect to the Church of Rome, and that of the Dissenters with respect to ourselves. We have only discontinued that communion which we could no longer maintain, and stood aloof in our integral capacity-they, the Dissenters, have broken off themselves as a fragment from our body, and set up an independence to which they had no previous claim; and they consequently have no authority for the functions of their ministers. It is with the Papists, however, that 4 B

converted thousands of heathens within the compass of one year: which sort of conversion is undoubtedly much of the same nature with what we have seen per formed in this town.

"Some of these Roman Catholic converts have been with us. After some discourse with them, we found they did not know so much as one word of the Lord's Prayer. Some weeks ago, a Braman entreated us to lodge in our house for some time. We knew not whether he did sincerely desire to be instructed in the principles of Christianity, or whether perhaps he might be an emissary sent to get intelligence of our life and conduct. After having discoursed him awhile, be at last confessed he had been baptized five years ago by the Roman Catholics, and so supposed he was become a member of the true Church. All he knew of the Christian religion, was no more than that he had been sprinkled with water, and thereby initiated into the Christian Church. He carried still about him the usual badge, whereby these silly Priests do distinguish themselves from the common people, which is a little heathenish idolet fastened before their breast. He also still anointed, after the way of the heathenish Priests, his breast and forehead, with an ointment made of ashes and cowdung and other filthy ingredients. This is the unhappy effect of a superficial method of converting Heathens to the Christian faith, and which, I fear, is too frequently used in India."

Tranquebar, Jan. 6, 1710.

Another account, published in the same collection, states:—

"I lately met with a book, treating of the Malabar Mission by the Danes to Tranquebar, in which I find, that which I often wished, which was, that the Protestants would send their ministers abroad, to teach those Eastern Pagans the true Christian faith; which has been so blended with superstition by the Roman Missionaries, that many of their converts repent of being made Christians; especially the Chinese, who are a wise and understanding people, masters of reason, and learned in natural philosophy. I have been fourteen voyages to China, and carried many of the French Mission to Emoy and Canton; have discoursed them often, and found most of them loved the riches and grandeur of China more than the souls of the poor Pagans, and accordingly made earnest application to advance themselves to places of diguity, more especially the Jesuits. It must be acknowledged they lived unblameable in other respects.

"The Portuguese Padres at Macao are scandalous beyond expression, and are a great obstacle to the propagation of Christianity. The Chinese say, 'If they believed what they taught themselves, they would live better.' The Chinese are great lovers of mathematical arts, for which reason most of the Missionaries are masters of that art, the easier to get favour at Court, or with the Governors of provinces or ci. ties, and most of them are better mathematicians than divines. They seldom preach but on a saint's day, that is, one of their modern saints, and among them St. Xavier is most worshipped in China, calling him the Apostle of the East, and ascribing to him many miracles.

"I heard a Jesuit, in the pulpit at St. Paul's, in Macao, say, He had done more than our Saviour and all the Apostles.' The Chinese are offended at our religion, for exposing the Saviour on the cross in full proportion, almost naked; and will not suffer the women to go into the Church of the naked God.' It is true, the Clericoas do not expose him so, for which the Jesuits hate them, and call them in derision, Asinos Dei, to carry the Gospel.

"Another offence to them is, their preaching down China idolatry, and preaching up the Europe idolatry. The Chinese say, they have more reason to worship China saints, than Europe saints, of whom they know nothing; and are willing to lay aside the worship of images wholly, but will not change for those of Europe, giving many reasons for what they allege. The Chinese are offended at the indulgences given for money, to do severals things, which otherwise are damnable sins: this they say is priestcraft, aud a design to enslave the people to the Church government. I knew an eminent merchant that threw off his religion, being denied to eat pork in Lent, without paying to the Church, which he was not then able to do; and without it he was to be damned, which startled him: upon which he asked, why he might not eat the flesh, as well as fish fried in pork fat, which all the Christians in Macao were allowed to do. So he told the Padre, that if his salvation depended upon so nice a point, as the difference is between fat and lean, he should no longer be of that religion. He is now living, and gives this reason for returning to Paganism. His name is Angua of Emoy, speaks Portuguese very well, and has often asked, why the English did not send Padres to teach their religion, which worshipped no images, nor gave so much power to their Padres, whom he had seen in the Europe ships; and they. only taught the people, and meddled not

with every man's business, as the others did; saying, that our religion would be much approved among them.

"In the conclusion of the book it is said, that many Portuguese Testaments are to be printed and sent to China. It is my opinion, that they will be of no use in that country. For no Chinese read that language, though many speak it; and the Roman Missionaries will get an order to gather them in, and burn them, pretending they are seditious books. They practised this upon the coast of Coromandel, buying up all the Portuguese Common Prayer Books, and destroying them, so that little will be done in China that way. But if any Divines that understand mathematics and physic, would attempt the mission, and learn the languages, they may then translate the New Testament, which the Roman Missionaries have not done, it not being for their purpose; but have translated many stories of the saints, and the office of the Blessed Virgin, and some mathematical books and histories, especially of France.

"The Tartars that conquered China have some of the Mahometan religion among them, but have agreed with the China Paganism, eating pork, and several sorts of fish and flesh that are unclean, and few of them are circumcised; so that their devotion is not very strict; and by what I could perceive, they were Deists: only in compliance with the law of the empire, which obliges every person, once a year, to make a public confession, that there is one God who made all things. In practice they are epicures, indulging all their senses, studying to gratify their appetites and satisfy their lusts: no wonder if Christianity sits uneay upon them at first. Therefore the change must not be sudden and violent, running from one extreme to another; they must be won by sound reason, and convinced that a real good is designed to be done them, not teaching them to worship they know not what, as the Romanists teach them, of which they complain.

"The Patriarch attempting to purge out the philosophy and idolatry of Confucius, which the Jesuits had mixed with the Roman superstition, to the scandal of that Church, so incensed the Jesuits, that they represented him to the Emperor as a person dangerous to the Government; and procured an order to confine him in the city of Macao, where he ended his days, despised and neglected, and all his adherents forced to leave China. And now Pagan-Christianity triumphs under the REMEMBRANCER, No. 69.

management of the Jesuits, till God Almighty shall punish them, as in Japan, by a general persecution in China; which I have heard many good grave Chinese say, is no further off than the days of this Emperor's death, who is now fifty-three years of age.

"At a great solemnity, when they choose Doctors of Law, and others to serve the Emperor in places of trust, out of the college of Confucius, in Canton, Padre Tonglang, Prior of the Jesuits, and Tajon or Messenger from Court, assisted at the sacrifice to Confucius,and dipped his finger in the hog's blood that lay upon the altar; of which being accused by several persons, French gentlemen, he presently answered, like a Jesuit, that though he assisted as a China-Mandarine, he said the prayers of a Christian all the time of the ceremony."、 January 10, 1712-13.

DISTRIBUTION OF BIBLES TO THE ARMY.

IN our Number for July, we inserted the general order of the Commanderin-Chief to the army, restricting the unauthorized distribution of Bibles among the soldiers. Another general order has since been issued, explaIt is as natory of the previous one. follows:

Horse Guards, 24th June, 1824. General Order.-Lest the General Order of the 18th ult. should be misunderstood, the Commander-in-Chief makes it known to the army, that it was not intended thereby to cancel the authority given to the commanding officers of regiments and depots in the circular letter of the 8th June, 1818, (repeated in the general regulations of the army of 1st January, 1822) for communicating with the Naval and Military Bible Society, respecting the distribution of Bibles among the troops; but merely to forbid the employment of any subordinate agents in the army for performing a duty which is only to be executed under the control and superintendence of the commanding officers of corps and military chaplains, who will hold such correspondence with the Naval and Military Bible Society as they may think necessary for the benefit of the garrisons and corps to which they are attached.-By command of his Royal Highness, the Commander-in-Chief, HENRY TORRENS, Adj.-Gen.

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For our part, we can see nothing in these successive Orders, but what a due regard to military discipline, as well as to our Church establishment, absolutely required. If regimental officers and chaplains are both able and willing to do the duty which naturally and properly devolves on them, why should not a check be put on the officious zeal of others who intrude on their province? Yet we observe, in a contemporary publication, a severe animadversion on these Orders, as if an attempt was made by them to check the diffusion of religious knowledge. We could not choose but smile, to see them classed, as they are in the publication to which we allude, with the fulminatory Bull of the Pope against Bible Societies, and the affair of the Methodist Missionary at Demerara.

Φωνᾶντα συνετοῖσιν.

To the Editor of the Christian Remembrancer.

SIR,

HAVING observed in the number of your publication for the present month, a letter from "SCRUTATOR," relative to an advertisement which appeared in a Newfoundland paper, of September last, I beg to give you the following explanation for the satisfaction of your readers, trusting that it will shew that the Society has not violated in this, any more than in other instances, its fundamental rule.

A gentleman, going to St. John's, Newfoundland, received from the Society a supply of Bibles and Testaments only for distribution in that place. On his arrival, he was obliged immediately to remove to another situation, and in consequence entrusted the copies of the Scriptures to Mr. Winton, who made a proposal to act as an agent for our Society. This application was forwarded to England; but without waiting a reply, Mr. Winton appears

SIR,

I would avail myself of your publication to suggest to the Beneficed Clergy of the Kingdom generally, the propriety and advantage of making written Terriers of all the important circumstances of their Livings. The old Terriers are in many instances very defective and insufficient, and I believe we are not now required to furnish others. Accordingly, it sometimes happens, that, when a Clergyman is preferred to a Living, he finds no one single document to put him in possession of the information respecting it, which it is necessary for him to have.-This was exactly my case.— On coming to a Rectory, in a County to

which I was a stranger, I naturally expected to find an authentic statement of the incomings and outgoings of it, and of the lands claiming to be exempt from the payment of tithe, or subject only to a modus in lieu of tithe. But no such statement was to be found.-I had, therefore, either to take things as they