ciety, and these only one copy each. One of the principal purchasers of books from pawnbrokers was likewise applied to ; but here the result was even more satisfactory, as it produced only a single copy as having passed through his hands within the preceding eight months. In pursuing this investigation, it was fully ascertained that the general demand for Bibles and Testaments has progressively increased since the establishment of the British and Foreign Bible Society. The detailed results of this inquiry, with a brief statement of collateral facts, and a copy of your original Report, were sent to the gentleman alluded to; and it is but justice to his character to state, that he promptly and unequivocally denied having made the assertions imputed to him."-First Annual Report of the Southwark Bible Society. In p. 79, we have certain other assertions in support of the original assertion, that the poor abuse the privilege of procuring Bibles at a moderate rate. We are under the necessity of estimating these statements exactly as we have proved that some other of Mr. Norris's leading facts deserve to be estimated. His confidence has been so marvellously abused, that he must excuse us for not admitting one of his positions without the evidence on which it rests. As for his idle story of Bibles and pawnbrokers' shops, &c. (see p. 163), it has been sifted to the bottom, and it is found to be the mere fiction of those who are hostile to the circulation of the Scriptures. The Committee of the Southwark Society give this testimony:-"Your Committee would next advert to a circumstance, which, though not immediately connected with your Society, involves its dearest interests in the results to which it has led. Early in the present year a resolution was moved in the Common Council of the City of London, for granting additional aid to the British and Foreign Bible Society. This resolution was negatived; and in reporting the discussions on the question, the public papers attributed assertions to one of the opponents of the proposed grant, which, if suffered to pass unrefuted, might have influenced the public opinion in no small degree. It was stated, that the gentleman alluded to had resisted the grant, on the ground Mr. Norris will permit us to indulge "that the poor were crammed with him with an anecdote on that subBibles against their consent," and ject:-An Auxiliary Bible Society "that the pawnbrokers' shops were having been formed in a large and now filled with Bibles." Groundless populous town in the north of Engas such assertions must appear to land, a rumour was presently spread, every advocate of the Bible system, that the place was inundated with a formal exposition of their fallacy Bibles, and that the pawnbrokers' appeared requisite, especially as they shops were full. The answer was simseemed the only arguments urged ple: It is true, we have established against the grant. One of your Sean Auxiliary Society, but not one cretaries accordingly instituted an Bible have we yet received! The inquiry; and it is with pleasure your whole was a pure fiction, evidently Committee report, that out of twen- made and propagated to injore the ty-eight pawnbrokers, two only had Society, and to prevent the distribut Bibles derived from the Parent So- tion of Bibles among the poor. CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 14 C The Committee of the Clapham Society say," It having been reported that Bibles and Testaments, given by this Society, had been sold or pledged at pawnbrokers in the district, your Committee deemed it proper to institute an inquiry in the part where it had been stated these books had been pledged. The result was, not a single book that had been given by this Society was found; and your Committee were moreover assured, that none had ever been offered for these purposes."First Report of the Committee of the Clapham Auxiliary Bible Society. We do not mean to assert, that Bibles have never been pledged cases of this nature have certainly occurred; but in general attended with this remarkable circumstance, that the owners came to redeem them on Saturday night. And have not the poor, sometimes through pure want, pledged the most essential articles of furniture? It has re peatedly happened to us, to see with what care the Bibles are usually preserved among them; and with what honest pleasure the sacred book is produced. We recommend to Mr. Norris's consideration the following statement: we have no doubt of us correctness:-"I had an interview with Mr. (the only pawnbroker at -), this morning. He informed me, that Bibles and Testaments were sometimes offered him as pledges, and he has taken them assuch; but he assured me, that in such cases, they were uniformly redeemed on the succeeding Saturday night. Seldom has he had any for more than four or five days successively. He has a Bible now, but it is not one of our Society's: it was given the person who pledged it by another somewhat similar institution. This, together with a Testament, which does not at all appear as if it had been a gift, are the only books of the kind he now has. As to their being offered him for sale, he never met with one solitary instance of the sort. I know the woman who pledged the Bible alluded to above, and am fully convinced that nothing but the most pressing want could be the reason of her pledging it (for 8d.) It is highly probable, that she was one of the two or three persons of who offered them in their own village for a temporary loan (as we heard last night), but could not prevail on the brokers to advance any money upon them." If Mr. Norris's facts deserve any attention, would not "another somewhat similar institution" bave reason to stop its issues? We should be sorry to increase their caution; and we trust that they will expe We have made inquiry, and find this assertion to be incorrect. are sorry for it, as we believe that Professor Dealtry would be glad if the dissenting fraternities would close their meeting-houses, whenever either himself or the Curate of Hackney should deliver a sermon. a novel way of making dissenters. It is 6 Mr. Dealtry's "inconsideration in hazarding an assertion, for which a Socinian at York immediately took him to task." pp. xl. xli. This also we find to be incorrect. 7. "Of the Committees of the four Bible As sociations of the Hackney Auxiliary Districts, one, it is believed, is wholly composed of dissenters, thirty-nine in number, another has one churchman amongst seventeen of other persuasions; a third, two among cleven; and the last, five or six amongst twelve; but here the personal application of the Lecturer of Newington was employed; one of the churchmen, however, has retired in disgust, and others are retiring, convinced that the design in which they had too precipitately embarked, is of a very suspicious complexion." p. 319. All this statement about committees we believe to be without foundation. Is it not the fact, that the poor man alluded to above is a tradesman, who withdrew from the committee, in consequence of his being persuaded by Mr. Norris, that he would otherwise disoblige all the gentlemen of Hackney, his custom it into effect? It is not, we believe, for want of exertions of a similar character, that Mr. Norris is unable to tell the same story, even of clergymen. 8. "It (the Society) is so framed, as to give a decided superiority to the dissenters, whenever they choose to exert it." p. 158. Notoriously -erroneous; as any one may perceive who examines the constitution of the Committee. 9. A speech was published after the Ipswich Meeting by an enemy to the Society, purporting to be the speech of Mr. Owen. That gentleman immediately gave it the most positive and public denial: nevertheless, Mr. Norris hearing of this denial, and knowing that Mr. Owen had repeatedly disclaimed it (for he reasons upon that knowledge), persists in attributing it to Mr. Owen, and inserts it in p. 401. The truth is, that the whole is a shameless misrepresentation. To get rid of this obvious difficulty, the tale is supported by some other of Mr. Norris's facts. Take a specimen : "Mr. Owen did write a letter, complaining that his speech was not accurately given; that this letter was laid before the Committee of the Auxiliary Bible Society at Ipswich, and that this Committee took no notice of it." P. 200. Now this is the very converse of truth; the Committee circulated an edition, omitting the part quoted by the Curate of Hackney. 10." At Newington on the 5th of the preseut month (July), at a Bible Association (the last disclosed progression of the Society's original design, directed specially to the lower orders, for gaining them over to the confederacy, and for spreading amongst them disaffection to the church) sneers were insinuated by a young Civilian against the Peclesiastical head of the church, and were received by a crowded audience of this class, particularly females, with thundering applause; a clergyman of the Church of England presiding." p. 98. This tale is worthy of its author. The speaker alluded to expressly stated, that he intended to insinuate nothing disrespectful to the Arch bishop of Canterbury; but to shew the opinion which Foreigners entertained of the natural connection between the Bible Society and the church, he cited from the Ninth Report the anecdote of a Foreign Bishop, who, having a communication to make to the Society, addressed bis letter as a matter of course to the Archbishop of Canterbury as head of the Establishment. 11. Mr. Norris asserts, that Mr. Steinkopff went on an embassy to Bonaparte. Without doubt he believes it to be true: and yet there seems as little doubt that he must know it to be false; as Mr. Steinkopif's Narrative and the last Report of the Bible Society have been long before the world. Mr. Norris attempts to prove it, as he does the fact of a Common Council-man's assertion, by a paragraph in a newspaper. The mode is ingenious. We could in five days prove the same fact with respect to Mr. Norris ; and by the same process. Newspapers are very convenient to a man who is at a loss for facts, and writes for the lovers of demonstration. 12. We shall now turn to a tale, which has been reported with wonderful assiduity in various parts of the kingdom. Mr. Norris's statement is this:"Those views which were then kept secret, as being in the critical state of recent excogitation, are now far advanced towards matuqualification. For at the last anniversary of the rity, and are promulgated without reserve or Hertford Auxiliary Meeting, held on WhitMonday, one of the speakers made this avowal; That he did not support the Bible Society on the ground usually taken. He did not, nor could he think, that many could believe the Bible to be the work of Inspiration; he mentioned the Song of Solomon, and some part of the Gospels, as mere human inventions; and then said, that he patronized the Bible Society because he thought it would overthrow the Established Church. Some disapprobation being expressed at this, another speaker got up, and declared himself & zealous supporter of the Bible Society; so much so, that he had travelled forty miles to be present at the meeting, but that he would not go one mile to take a stone from a steeple, as he considered that but a secondary ob ject." pp. 97, 98. "At the anniversary auxiliary meeting, at Hertford, on Whit-Monday, a learned Doctor is reported to the Editor to have concluded a long speech with these very words: I ear nestly recommend the Society to the ladies, for if they are active in its cause, God will be their lover,'" pp. 276, 277. "In the university of Oxford, within three weeks after public declaration has been made with exulting confidence at an auxiliary an niversary at Hertford, (see letter 6, note p.) that the project which the Bible Society has in hand will overthrow the church establish ment, &c.'" pp. 281, 282. "In sermons and at public meetings, individuals make no hesitation in declaring that the overthrow of the Establishment is at the bottom of its design." p. 362. Mr. Norris relied for his authority upon an ill-written letter sent by some person at Hertford to some other person (we believe) in Essex. With what delight did the lovers of demonstration circulate this precious production! It was a blessing beyond their hopes! By some perverse accident, it should seem, a copy of it fell into the hands of the Committee at Hertford; and its authority is gone for ever. We make the following extract from their Report: "The Committee of the Hertfordshire Auxiliary Bible Society having learnt that a letter, the tendency of which is to injure their Society and the Parent Institution in London, has been diligently circulated in many parts of the kingdom, and appears to be cited as authority in a recent publication, think it their duty not to suffer that letter to pass unnoticed. Nothing but a sense of duty could have induced them to enter upon so painful a task. "Copy of the Letter. "Dear Sir, I know not if you will think the subject of this letter worth your attention; but as I have been disappointed in calling upon you as I expected, I feel disposed to give you some account of the last meeting of the Auxiliary Bible Socie ty in this town. Lord Griniston was in the chair-more than two-thirds were Dissenters. The principal apeaker was Mr. Fox Townshend son of Lord JohnTownshend, a youth of 18, júst loose from Eton, and now of St. John's College, Cambridge. He enlarged upon Dealtry's two streams to which he compared the good old Society and the Bible Society, and expressing his abhorrence of all persons who did not support the latter. Lloyd replied to his animadversions and pointed out the impropiety of on the Christian Knowledge Society, comparisons. Mr. Fordham said, he did not support the Bible Society on not, nor could he think that many the ground usually taken. He did did believe the Bible to be the work of Inspiration. He mentioned the Song of Solomon and some parts of the Gospel as mere human inven tions. He said he patronized the Bible Society merely because he thought it would overthrow the Church Establishment*. Some disapprobation was then shewn, when Mr. Clayton, a dissenting minister, rose and said, that he was a zealous supporter of the Bible Society I that he had travelled forty miles that morning to be present, but that he would not go one mile to take a stone from a steeple, as he considered the destruction of the Church a secondary object. Dr. Olinthus Gregory made a long speech, and concluded thus: earnestly recommend the Society to the ladies, for if they are active in its cause, God will be their lover.' I am happy to say that great disgust has been expressed by many that N. Calvert, one of the town-memwere friendly to the Society. Mr. hers, said, that if it was to become a mere dissenting debating club, he ly to the Society, gave me his should retire. A clergyman, friend. opinion in these words: Leave them alone, and they will cut their own throats.' He added, however, that he should continue a member, as he thought the Society ought to be watched by the clergy. Many These words have a mark under them obtained, and which they have every reason on the copy of the letter which the Committe to consider as genuine," other particulars, not worth record ing, occurred. "I am, your's,' &c. &c. "Hertford, June 22, 1813.' "The Anniversary was held on the 7th of June-Lord Grimston, the President, in the chair. His Lordship expressed his warm approbation of the Society, adding, that if it should ever abandon the principle on which it is founded, he should no longer consider himself as bound to support it. "The Report of the Committee was read by Professor Dealtry, one of the Secretaries. My Lord, I wish to speak to order. I trust that the individual who has just conducted himself in so extraordinary a manner will not be suffered to proceed. He can have no right to take a part on this occasion. The advertisement invit ed only the subscribers and friends of the Society. He has declared himself to be an enemy, and has acted like one. We are not assem bled now to consider whether Society shall be established. It is established; and it would be the "The Hon. E. S. Cowper, M. P. having addressed the meeting in terms of high regard to the Society, Mr. C. Fox Townshend rose, and delivered the following speech."-height of absurdity to discuss in Second Report, Hertfordshire Aux iliary Bible Society, pp. 1-5. Then follow the speeches of Mr. C. Fox Townshend and the Rev. T. Lloyd. The Report proceeds thus: "Mr. E. G. Fordham said, that a challenge had been given by Mr. Townshend to the enemies of the Bible Society to come forward and state their objections. He was himself a decided enemy, and, thus challenged, would deliver his sentiments. He said, that no considera tion under present circumstances could induce him to support it. The hope that it would destroy the Esta blished Church was the only thing that could lead him to think favourably of it; and this hope he in dulged because the Bible was of Divine authority, and the Church of human. But these considerations were entirely overborne by his ob. jections on another ground; namely, that it circulated corrupt copies of the Scriptures. He demanded whe, ther any man could believe in the inspiration of Solomon's Song, and the two first chapters of Matthew and Luke? He was proceeding, when "Mr. N. Calvert and Mr. Dealtry Mr. Calvert asked Mr. Dealtry, Do you mean to speak to order?' On being an rose at the same time. this place the authority of particu- which our fathers loved, and in sub- "During this address the sense of the meeting was shewn in the most marked and decisive manner. Mr. E. G. Fordham attempted in vain to gain an hearing. The universal cry was Down! Down!— withdraw! withdraw!' His brother demanded, What, will you not hear us?' No, No,' from all parts of the room. Then,' said he, you have less liberality than you pretend to have.' "Mr. King Fordham (uncle to the individuals who had avowed their hostility to the Institution) also spoke to order. He observed, that the persons invited to this meeting were the friends and supporters of this Institution ;--that from his own knowledge the two gentlemen who had last risen were not subscribers |