6 dicted that false teachers would arise, unto their own destruction.' He there "Thirdly, from the agency of the Holy Spirit in giving effect to the word of God, the principle under consideration is shown to be erroneous, dangerous, and eventually destructive of all revealed religion. "No doctrine of Christianity is more firmly established than that of the exclu sive necessity of spiritual illumination, to a right understanding and application of the Scriptures; and it is equally sure that the Holy Spirit is given, to lead us into all needful truth. Is it thence to be assumed, however, that the simple volume is necessarily accompanied by the Spirit of God; and that every impression made on the mind of the reader of that volume, is the witness of the Spirit to the truth and certainty of the interpretation he comes to? Have we any warrant, from what is revealed to us, of the connexion of spiritual influence with the written word of God, to believe that such is the agency of the Holy Ghost upon uninspired men? Yet the favourite principle of this and other such is the unavoidable extent to which Bible Societies carries the essential dostrine of spiritual influence." According to this principle, says our author, the Bible is its own interpreter -the Bible is to be exclusively interpreted from itself: and according to Scriptures, the operation of the Holy the universally received doctrine of the Ghost is indispensably necessary to a saving knowledge and application of divine truth. Taking both to be true, it follows that the effect produced through the word of God read, must be received as the immediate dictate of the Spirit, by the person under its influence, and indeed by all others. "This, it appears to me, is the unavoidable conclusion, assuming the principle to be founded. Whether it is intended to be carried this far, may reasonably be doubted: but whether intended or not, an awful responsibility is incurred, by sanctioning so dangerous a position on a subject of such vital interest, by such an imposing weight of character as Europe and America have leagued in its favour. "With whatever intention, however, a more erroneous notion could not be sug. gested: for it goes the whole length of making every man's private imagination tions the destructive, but prevailing nothe test to him of saving truth; and sanction, that the discordant and opposite views of Christian faith and practice, which deform the gospel, have all alike the witness of the Spirit of God, that they are the truths of God, and equally to be relied on for salvation. But is such the doctrine of the religion we profess? Is the hope given to man, by the revelation of Jesus Christ, built upon so sandy a foundation? Are its fundamental doe trines, wise directions, and bright ex, amples, of so vague and indeterminate a character, as to give countenance to so broad a delusion? I ask Christian menI ask men who stand forward as Christian teachers ask men who say they reverence the Bible, and wish to present it as the best of all gifts to their fellow-men; and I beseech them to meet the question not under the influence of assaulted feeling, not under the calculations of party interests, but under the solemn influence of that account which we must all give in to God; in particular, I entreat those who are capable of embracing the argument in its extent, who are competent to try its truth and soundness, to reflect that they owe to others who are not so gifted, the benefit of their counsel and example: and that, however popular an error may be, it is not therefore the less, but the more injurious, and demands the united efforts of the wise and good to counteract its effects. In the case before us, it appears to your preacher, that the best interests of pure and undefiled religion are at stake; that they are compromised on grounds most difficult to meet, because ostensibly fortified with zeal for the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom. Yet there is a zeal without knowledge, which is to be guarded against; and the surest guard must for ever be a close adherence to that system of divine truth and prescribed minis trations, which God hath indissolubly joined together, for the assurance of faith to man, in the hope of the gospel." P. 12, 13. I think, Mr. Editor, that it must be manifest to such of your readers as are disposed to examine for themselves, that a large proportion of the supporters of Bible Societies do maintain the principles which I have stated to be the bond of their union; and I think that they will agree with the writer whom I have quoted, that these principles are dangerous, and, if carried to their legitimate consequences, are subversive of all true religion. But it has been said, that although men may speak and act on these principles in their capacity as Bible Society members, in order to prevent a division of effort, yet that, inasmuch as in their individual capacity, and in their capacity as Church members, they exert themselves to spread their several confessions and creeds, and to provide numerous missionaries, the Society is not accountable for the consequences which may result from the indiscretion of a few of its members, who withhold the means which are necessary for the increase of these missionaries and the circulation of these creeds. * To this I reply, that the Society is accountable for all the injurious effects which have resulted, and which will continue to result, from a reasonable construction of its acknowledged principles: the Society is responsible in a great measure for "that miserable in The first obvious consequence' of Bible and Prayer Book Societies, (says A Churchman,' &c. p 56,) is the division of effort in the Bible cause? The same argument would hold against a separate Missionary Associa. tons, difference to articles of faith, (I use the words of Dr. Miller,) which is so replete with mischief to every Chris. tian community in which it is found". for that utter contempt of 'distinctive religious views," which prevails to an alarming extent throughout our land, and the effects of which our Presbyterian brethren are now striving to resist. And I reply farther, that when men support different principles in different religious capacities, (one principle as Bible Society members, and another as Church members,) their consistency (to say nothing more) may reasonably be called in question; and more especially may their consistency be questioned, who contend for the principles their own records afford abundant eviof the American Bible Society, while dence, that, as members of the Society, they do not act in conformity to these professed principles. That the American Bible Society, instead of adhering to the principle of its organization, has proved to be vir tually, at least in part, a Missionary Association, was the second point proposed for examination; and in stating the evidence on which I ground my assertion, it will not be necessary to adduce the numerous tracts and speeches which monthly issue from the several depositories;* but I shall refer to official Corrector has given a specimen of the comments which were delivered at the anniversary in 1825. Should the readers of the Journal desire to see further specimens, they are referred to the Hon. Mr. Daggett's Address, of May, 1824, which may be entitled, "A Running Commentary on all the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testaments." This gentleman, speaking of the opposition to the Societies, asks-"Where is the proof that the study of this Book of all books has tended to corrupt one heart, &c.?" And another speaker warmly exhorts his brethren to send it without note or apprehension: it is only to read to understand." comment, for "its cardinal truths are easy of To which I will only oppose the opinion of St. Peter, that some unlearned and unstable perdestruction. The Rev. President of Yale Colsons MAY wrest the Scriptures to their own lege, at the same meeting, used this emphatio language:"Amidst the endless variety of opinions with which I am surrounded, how am I to fix upon a creed which I may know to be right? The discoveries of science will not reveal the secret. The researches and acquirements of literature will not settle the question. The decisions of councils, of synods, of learned expositors, may only serve to confirm me in error. I can have no ground of safety but in documents, drawn up with care and attention, and placed among the records of the Society, as lasting memorials of its progress and its efficiency. The constitution of the Society declares that its "sole object shall be, to encourage a wider circulation of the holy Scriptures without note or comment." How far this declaration agrees with the Society's proceedings, will be perceived by the following extracts from its reports: "The missionaries of the United Brethren, or Moravians, have, many years since, opened a door for the introduction of the Scriptures among the Indians on our borders."- "Accordingly one hundred and forty copies of the Epistles in the Delaware tongue, were transmitted to the Rev. Mr. Leukenback, in the state of Ohio, to be distributed among the Indians under his pastoral care, and such others as may be within his reach." Three hun appealing to the simple word of God." To all this, it seems to me, that his reverend brother, the professor in Princeton, gives a sufficient reply, (Lecture, p. 11,) "that although the Scriptures are undoubtedly simple and plain, so plain that he who runs may read; yet it is equally certain, that thousands do, in fact, mistake and misinterpret them. This cannot possibly be denied; because thousands interpret them, and that on points confessedly fun damental, not only in different, but in directly opposite ways of course, all cannot be equally right." "As the world is acknowledged, on all hands, to be, in fact, full of mistake and error as to the true meaning of the holy Scriptures, can it be thought a superfluous task for opinions, to hold them to view as a testimony to the truth, and as a guide to such as may be in error?" The decisions of councils, &c.' it is true, may serve to confirm us in error;' but can we not safely refer to a time before those who have more light and more correct councils were in existence, to a time when, as Vincent of Lerins observed, the same doctrines were held semper, ubique, ab omnibus? The opinions of the first and second centuries are confidently appealed to by all the orthodox, as the best commentary on the Scriptures with regard to our Lord's divinity; and we naturally cite the unanimous declarations of the primitive fathers as conclusive and demonstrative evidence on the observance of certain rites and ordinances, which, although fairly deducible from the Bible, are not expressly enjoined, such as the consecration of the first day of the week to religious exercises, the baptism of infants, the admission of females to the Lord's supper, &c. And is it unreasonable, that, on other points of equal, if not of greater magnitude, the same authority should be referred to, to settle differences, where we are liable to be 'carried about by every wind of doctrine? VOL. IX. dred copies of John's Epistles were also sent to Mr. Dencke, in Upper Ca nada, which "Mr. Dencke distributed in his church." (Third Report.)-Here we learn that the Society had been informed of a door of entrance' which had been opened to the Indians, and that a number of the Epistles were immediately sent to be distributed by the missionaries. And does the Society really suppose that Mr. Dencke and Mr. Leukenback distributed these Epistles among tribes bordering on barbarism, without putting any comment upon them? No; the members of the Society must have expected that the missionaries would explain these Epistles to the Indians; and (unless we admit the improbable supposition, that they countenance the ministrations of men whose characters and principles were unknown) they must have had such confidence in them, that all without exception, from the Supralapsarian down to the Unitarian, could agree with their expositions! Let it not be thought from these remarks, that the conduct of the missionaries is by any means disapproved of. As far as I have learned, they were faithful and exemplary men; and did the Bible Society employ, or was it the means of getting employment, for such men merely as belong to the respectable and apostolic society of the Moravians, we should not have much occasion for finding fault. But the design of the foregoing observations is to show, that in the proceedings of the Society there is a virtual acknowledgment of the truth of the sentiment, that the preaching of the Gospel is the scriptural plan of evangelizing the world; and that the Scriptures ordinarily will have little effect among the rude, uncultivated heathens, unless "missionaries open the door for the introduction of the Gospel." * There is a trifling difference on this subjeet, between the sentiments of the managers of the Society and those of its speakers and advocates. The former, in the above quotation, affirm that the "Missionaries open a door for the introduction of the Scriptures." The Rev. Mr. Henshaw, on the contrary, (speaking at the seventh anniversary,) declares that "the Bible Society prepares the way for the opera tions of the Missionary Society:" that "the 18 To proceed with further extracts:"Great difficulties have been experienced in putting the Indian Scriptures into circulation, particularly the Mohawk; of which it will be seen very few have been issued, and those chiefly by way of "_" Two hundred and fifty of experiment." the Epistles of St. John in Delaware, and thirty of the Gospel of St. John in Mohawk, have been delivered to the Rev. Mr. Mortimer, for distribution among Indians of those nations by the missionaries of the United Brethren; and twenty-four copies of the latter to the Rev Mr. Crane, a missionary among the Tuscarora Indians in the state of New-York, for distribution among the members of his congregation and other Indians understanding that language."-" At present it is to be lamented that but few of the Indians can read."Fourth Report. "The Board having recently been informed that the Missionary and Bible Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America were about sending two missionaries to the Floridas, have placed at their disposal for distribution, 50 French and 50 English Bibles, and 200 Spanish and 100 English Testaments. "The managers having been informed that a [congregational] missionary was about to proceed from Boston to the Sandwich Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, under the direction of the American Board of Com missioners for Foreign Missions,-presented that respectable body with a donation of 200 Bibles and 100 Testaments, to be distributed by their missionaries among the Americans and Europeans resident at and frequenting those islands."-" They have also, on the application of the committee of that Board, made them a grant of 200 Bibles and 200 Testaments, for distribution by their [congregational] missionaries in the island of Ceylon."—(Fourth Report, p. 16, 17.) 66 During the past year, the managers have granted 1000 dollars to the Rev. Dr. Carey and his associates at Serampore, to be applied by them towards defraying the expense of translating and printing the Scriptures in the various languages of India. Another grant of 500 dollars has been made to the missionaries of the American circulation of the Scriptures must be followed by the preaching of the gospel from the lips of living teachers," &c. "A Churchman of the Diocese of New-York," also, writing on the 66 same subject, seems to differ in language from the managers: at page 56 of his first Letter he maintains, that those who spread the Scriptures, prepare the way for Missionaries, Churches, &c." Of the two plans under consideration, I should much prefer that supported by the accredited agents of the Society, at the same time confessing that if Bibles and authorized missionaries were to go together, the ef feet would ordinarily be much greater. Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in the island of Ceylon, to be em ployed by them in the purchase of Scripbution in that island."(Seventh Report, tures in the Tamul language, for distrip. 13) "The Spanish Bible, in the version ap proved by the Roman Catholics, is preparing" for the Spaniards in America (Se venth Report, p. 26.) "The managers have been assured, that in one place (in South-America) the Testaments were received as a most acceptable gift by a Roman Catholic ecclesiastic, and that he proceeded immediately to a judicious distribution of them, &c." From these passages we derive this interesting information : 1. That difficulties have arisen in circulating the Indian Scriptures, on account of the ignorance of many, who are not able to read. 2. That the missionaries of the Moravians, Methodists, Congregationalists, Baptists, and Roman Catholics, equally enjoy the favour and protection of the Society; and that the Bibles issued to these several missionaries, are to be distributed by them, as each thinks proper. 3. That the Society circulates such versions as are approved of by the different missionaries, without having any control over the translations. Here then is as satisfactory proof as can be desired, that in the opinion of the Society, missionaries must be employed to teach the doctrines and precepts of the Bible to the ignorant; and here is conclusive evidence, that, although the Society does not actually pay for missionary duty, it contributes to the support of these missionaries; and thus encourages in the prosecution of their work, men who hold as dissimilar sentiments as those of the Roman Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, &c. It may be said in reply to this, that the Society puts its Scriptures, without note or comment, into the hands of those who succeed best in distributing them; and after that it can have no control over them, but the distributors may give what comment they please. But to place this subject in its true light, let us suppose that a Missionary Society, having some surplus funds at its disposal, appropriates them to the purchase of Bibles, and then sends out its missionaries with the expectation that they will put that construction upon the Bible which is sanctioned by their particular creed; what is the difference in the results of the proceedings of the two societies? Not a particle, not the slightest shade of difference; and yet the Bible Society informs us, that " as the proceedings are public, it is impossible to wander from the object of the institution without its being known; and such a departure, when known, would be a death-blow to the Society." -(Seventh Report, p. 40.) * Again; from the foregoing extracts it appears that the Society employs cer tain missionaries to make translations for the heathen nations: but to whom are the translators accountable? To the Society? The Society holds its meetings many thousand miles off; and even if it held its meetings at Serampore, Dr. Carey and his associates would not be assisted by the councils or exegesis of such a promiscuous assembly. If, as the Society already knows to be the fact, some versions are not sufficiently accurate, where is the power of redress? As a body, the members cannot determine upon the propriety of the translation, and must therefore depend on the judgment of a few learned men, taken from different sects. If one of these learned men happen to be a Socinian, he of course will prefer the interpretation and translation of Priestley or Wakefield, or peradventure, if he be an Ul tra, the results of the twenty years' labour of Mr. Belsham. Should another chance to be a Methodist, the notes of John Wesley and Adam Clarke will give him the clearest insight into difficult passages. Is a Presbyterian or a Roman Catholic joined to them? He will follow a different standard from both, and regulate his translation accordingly. The Church of England, after her firm establishment, was deeply impressed with a sense of the importance of a translation for the use of those who spoke the English language; and when the design was once formed, she did not venture upon it unadvisedly or without preparation-she did not entrust it to one or to half a dozen of her members, but, with the utmost circumspection and care, committed it to a large body of her most able, respectable, and learned divines, who, for the most part, were united in sentiment. She maintained (as does her daughter, the Episcopal Church of America, Article 20) that the "Church is a witness and keeper of holy writ," and therefore could not with propriety or consistency countenance any translations which had not the sanction of the "Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church," the "depository, guardian, and witness, of the truth." Ser The above notices of the actual operation of Bible Societies, are a part of an overwhelming body of evidence that those Societies neither are nor can be what they profess to be. They neither do nor can distribute the Scriptures without note or comment. They may print them without note or comment; but the instant they get into circulation, notes and comments multiply thickly around them; and these, directly or indirectly, with the encouragement, and under the authority, of the Bible Societies themselves. mons, speeches, letters, reports, &c. &c. distributed by these Societies, furnish notes and comments in any quantity, and in every variety. Reverend agents, sent to organize auxiliaries, collect funds, &c. in all parts of the country, are, while in the employment of Bible Societies, supported by their funds, and possessing the powerful influence of their respectable name, perpetually preaching such comments as to them appear the best. Missionaries devoted to the propagation of every wind of doctrine, preaching Popery, Antipædobaptism, Universalism, Unitarianism, Calvinism, &c. &c. &c. have their hands strengthened, and their influence increased, by being furnished with Bibles for distribution, as explained and accommodated by their |