was communicated to Rowand Ronald, Esq., of this city, lately of Calcutta, in a letter dated Calcutta, March 16, 1822.Glasgow Courier. FOREIGN. the public schools. The celebrated Hindoo Reformer, Ram Mohun Roy, has held public mouthly meetings at Calcutta, for the purpose of freely discussing the tenets of his religion, and exposing the cruelties practised under it. By the way, a Mr. Adam, a Baptist Missionary, awakFree Press and Unitarianism in India. Reformer, has declared himself an Unitaened by the arguments of this Hindoo "Ir must gratify every friend to the rian, and established an Unitarian press. progress of human reason to learn, that This conversion gave great umbrage in notwithstanding the difficulties so long a certain quarter, and the Attorney Geneconsidered insuperable, a glorious change ral was applied to, to interpose the shield is effecting in British India. The free of some antiquated statute, to protect press of Calcutta has operated most pow-spiritual intolerance. As became his erfully in reforming the most inveterate, talents and his character, the enlightened and revolting abuses. The effect of seven Lawyer assured the l that these native presses at work in that great city days were passed. Mr. Adam, consehas been to triumph over Hindoo super- quently, remains at Calcutta, supported stition in its strong hold. During the and encouraged by some of its respectable last festival of Jagarnaut there were so inhabitants, who are about to erect an few pilgrims present that they were una Unitarian Chapel for him. Such are the ble to drag the car. The Brahmins called blessings of unfettered discussion." in other aid, but no devotee could be persuaded to sacrifice himself to the Idol. They now talk of removing the Rath to a more central situation. The wily priesthood have sagacity enough to perceive that they must remove the theatre of their sanguinary superstition beyond the sphere of a free press; or that the bigotry of thirty centuries will disappear. To the permanent glory of our Indian Administration, a large portion of the population of Bengal are receiving the rudiments of an improved system of education, while thousands of elementary works are circulating throughout our empire. Even Hindoo women, against whom widowhood, and consequent burning alive, are denounced for learning the alphabet, and who must not read the Veda, under pain of death, have placed their daughters at We copy the above paragraph from the Morning Chronicle. The statement with regard to Ram Mohun Roy and Mr..Adam is quite correct, as we hope for an occa. sion of shewing very fully ere long. Can the writer meau that the blank in the passage should be filled up with the name of Dr. Middleton, the Bishop of Calcutta? Is it thus that Episcopacy displays its novel front in the East Indies? Has the learned Bishop no reliance upon his fond argument against the Unitarians from the Greek article, and would he uphold the doctrine of the Trinity by banishing its opponents from the earth? Happily, the recent law for the protection of Missionaries in our Asiatic dependencies is as good for Unitarians as for Athanasians and Calvinists. CORRESPONDENCE. Communications have been received from Messrs. Turner, of Newcastle; J. Marsom; G. Kenrick; D. Davis; D. A. Borrenstein; also from Christianus; R. C.; and C. Vectis is respectfully informed that No. CXXI. for January 1816, may be had of the Publishers. There must have been negligence (we cannot suspect artifice) in the booksellers referred to. When we have received another communication or two from Discipulus, we shall be better able to judge of his proposal; but our Correspondents are none of them of the description that he seems to suppose. ERRATA. P. 491, col. 1, middle, for the " most high God, possessor of heaven and earth," and his friend,'-read "the most high God, possessor of Heaven and Earth, of his friend" the sense is he raised his hand to Jehovah, the same as his friend knew under the appellation of "the most high God," &c. Mr. D. Logan requests that the title of his verses, p. 517, may be altered to The Christian Soldier's Song, and that the word of may be supplied at the beginning of the second line. Monthly Repository. No. CCII.] SIR, IN OCTOBER, 1822. Blasphemy-Law in United States of America. Philadelphin, August 28, 1822. N p. 224 of the Monthly Repository for this year, an article appeared, signed "Gamaliel," containing the following extract from Wm. Cobbett's Register for 2nd February last: "In the year 1819, a man was tried in New Jersey, under the act of King William III., for impugning the Holy Trinity, found guilty, and punished by imprisonment in the common gaol." Assuming the fact to be as thus stated, your correspondent expresses a wish that you may be furnished with some particulars; and makes such comments as would only be proper were the truth of what is alleged established by satisfactory evidence. If such an occurrence had really happened, so extraordinary and unprecedented would it have been, that it could not have failed to create a general and strong excitement. Our newspapers would have circulated the news from one end of the United States to the other, and comments would not have been sparingly made. Unitarians, more especially, (of whom I am one,) could not have been indifferent to so alarmning an attack on their religious freedom. But, happily, the news comes to us from the other side of the Atlantic, instead of the other side of the river Delaware, which divides the city of Philadelphia -from the state of New Jersey; and it is not a little suspicions, that neither the place where this trial was had, the name of the offender, nor any particulars relative to the court, jury, proceedings, &c., are given by Wm. Cobbett, though enough is asserted for the purpose of defamation. It might be sufficient to inform your readers, that this man stands on the records of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania as a libeller, in consequence VOL. XVII. 4 F [Vol. XVII. of the verdict of a jury, and after a fair and full investigation. But I have readers, that the 18th and 19th Artithe pleasure to be able to inform your cles of the Constitution of the Province, now State of New Jersey, make liberty of all persons, and that, under effectual provision for the religious this constitution, those of every Propeaceably, are equally eligible to of testant sect, who demean themselves fices of trust, power and authority; whether executive, judicial or legisNew Jersey under which a proseculative; neither is there any law of tion could be maintained for denying the Trinity, or any other supposed doctrine of Holy Scripture. The constitution would be a dead letter did it not abrogate whatever is inconsistent with its spirit and express provisions. About two or three years ago, seveand punished by the Mayor's Court of ral persons were prosecuted, convicted Philadelphia, for uttering profane and contumelious language, to the great annoyance of people who were returning from their place of worship; and, on the part of the defendants, much was said about religious liberty, the but the court very properly said, that, rights of conscience, persecution, &c.; on their own principles, they ought to suffer, because they could not plead conscience for disturbing the peace and interfering with the rights of I have never heard of any person suffering from the civil power in consequence of maintaining and endeavouring to propagate his religious opinions. But, then, this license must not be abused for the purpose of uttering profane and impious ribaldry. others. JAMES TAYLOR. Letters between Rev. Jos. Cornish, of Mr. Cornish to Mr. T. Williams. SIR, THO Colyton, Sept. 1798. HOUGH an utter stranger to your person, my feelings at your treatment are most indignant. Firmly believing the Christian revelation to be the best gift of the great Father of mercies, and that the evidences of its divine original must prove irresistible on a candid examination, unless to minds very peculiarly disposed, all at tempts to stifle objections appear to me not only unwise, but directly contrary to its spirit and design. The blessed Jesus and those who were commissioned by him, appealed to the reason and understandings of men; the Sacred Scriptures also repeatedly commend attentive hearers and diligent inquirers. Scoffers are sharply rebuked, and awful threats denounced against them; but the New Testament in no place countenances the infliction of penalties, by the civil power, on any who should reject or deride its teachings, leaving men entirely, as to belief and profession, to God and their own consciences. "What," said St. Paul, "have I to do with those who are without? Those who are without, God judgeth." The regulations of a Christian Society had nothing to do with Jews or Heathens. Concerning your ideas on religion, I am as much a stranger as to your person. If you have not already attended to the subject, Lord Lyttelton on the Conversion of St. Paul, Dr. Doddridge's three sermons on the Evidences of Christianity, price 6d., not to mention innumerable other brief and valuable publications, would probably remove all doubt and create a firm belief in truths which yield the most effectual support under every worldly sorrow. Dr. Leland's Advantages and Necessity of the Christian Revelation, besides being highly entertaining and interesting, carries conviction in each important page, and richly deserves the attentive and frequent perusal of all who think religion an object worthy of serious consideration. A cheap edition of it would prove a public benefit. Not, however, to intrude on your time, your acceptance is requested of five guineas, as a small help under the expenses of a prosecution so injudiciously, some think wickedly, encouraged by political religionists,-the worst enemies, and in general the greatest strangers, to the religion of the heart. Public wisdom, for which many profess a wonderful reverence, is, to adopt the language of the admired Dr. Jortin, "a mere Proteus, and, not to consider it in Pagan or Mahommedan countries, it was once the wisdom of Ahab and Jezebel, and afterwards of Annas and Caiaphas; and in Christian countries it hath appeared in a hundred shapes. It sets out with a great show of religion: it begins with the Gospel according to St. Matthew, and it often ends in the Gospel according to Mr. Hobbes." This gospel according to Mr. Hobbes, who teaches, "that religion is merely what the civil power in any country hath decreed to be so named," is the gospel of too many politicians, and it is to be feared of not a few priests in every establishment now existing on the face of the earth. The gospel of real Christians is that of the blessed Jesus, "whose kingdom is not of this world," therefore, its true subjects in defending it will employ no worldly arts or weapons. The times are now so difficult, that the generous find it necessary to set bounds to their exertions, very painful to their feelings, and the friends of liberty particularly have been called to repeated pecuniary aids. It may, however, be hoped, that a sufficient number of genuine Christians, or, to use Mr. Wilberforce's expression, friends to "vital Christianity," will be found disposed to manifest their regards to the gospel, which they value more than their own lives, by effectually expressing their abhorrence of a prosecution so disgraceful to all who took a part in it. If they were actuated by a zeal for God, it was not according to knowledge, and no way becoming the disciples of the meek and holy Jesus, who came to promote peace on earth and good-will towards men. Clearly, however, did this Divine Instructor foresee that numbers of his professed and pretended disciples and ministers would excite division and wield the sword. The truth as it is in him will finally prevail, and then no civil forms of religion will domineer, or rational beings, whether professing Christianity or not, for their mere profession, either in speaking or writing, be domineered over. The ablest advocates for Christianity, like the great Lardner, have decidedly expressed their abhorrence of persecuting measures. This little help would have been forwarded long ago, but it was thought best to wait till the sentence was passed, and opportunity did not immediately offer. It would be worthy of the ministers of the gospel, publicly to petition the King to give orders for your immediate release and the remission of your fine, and, like a true Defender of the Faith, discountenance and reject every other mode of defence but reason and argument. That you may be delivered from every effect of the prosecution under which you suffer, and be savingly enlightened in the knowledge of the best things, is the fervent prayer of Yours, most sincerely, WITH am ȚITH heartfelt gratitude I return you my sincere thanks for your liberal donation in support of my family; and believe me, as God is just, the persecution of me is unjust; for I not publicly charged with any thing but selling the book which was answered by the Bishop of Llandaff, Watson; and it was his answer that induced me to publish it, conceiving the work was sanctioned by his publishing an answer to it, and physically no man can be considered capable of forming an idea of an answer, (whether it be to the purpose or not,) unless he be permitted to peruse the work which gave cause to it; and if I have been guilty of any crime in publishing it, the Bishop of Llandaff was the cause of it, and would have evinced his affec. tion for the Christian religion if he had used his influence to suppress the prosecution; and if he could not have accomplished it privately, he, as a servant of Christ, should have published to the world the words of his Lord and Master, who metaphorically says, St. Matt. xxvi. 52, "All they that institute persecution shall perish with persecution.” With respect to my ideas on religion; I presume when I inform you that I am by trade a book-binder, and that for six years last past, my chief support has been by binding the different works of the late venerable John Wesley, for Mr. G. Whitfield, one of the preachers and bookseller belonging to that Society at the New Chapel, City-Road, Moorfields, you will be satisfied that I am not a very immoral character; for it is to be presumed that no Christian Society will prefer supporting a person of that class to one of their own principle. In regard of petitioning the King, I am satisfied there is no chance of one being conveyed to him, for the hearts of those through whose hands a petition must go, are as callous as the stone-floor of the melancholy cell I am now locked up in; and I conceive the only effectual means of procuring me any liberation, would be for some philanthropist to write an energetic letter to the Bishop of London, who is president of the conspirators against the gospel of our blessed Saviour and the liberty of religious opinion. Permit me to inform you that I have petitioned the Society before I received sentence, to stop all farther proceedings, when Mr. Wilberforce, the Bishops of London (Porteus), Durham (Barrington) and St. Asaph (Bagot), with other persons, came to the following unanimous decision: "That they did not feel themselves justified in intimating a wish to shew lenity;" which answer precludes me from making any further personal application, although by my being kept from my business my family are literally starving to what they would be if I was with them to render my efforts in their support. And permit me to picture to your mind what my feelings must have been since the first of May last, in the course of which month I was so ill, that I lay without the least expectation of seeing the month through; in which time I had one of my children died of the small pox, and the other, immediately after her decease, was taken with a putrid fever, and for a month was given over by the physician: on her recovery, my wife was taken ill; and it being Sessions time now, my wife has not been allowed to see me all the week, and the last time I heard of her, I was informed she was very ill. When I was presented this morning with your kind letter, I was almost afraid to open it for fear of its containing some fatal news, but happily I was disappointed. I have got nearly ready for the press, a letter to the Bishop of London, as president, and another to Mr. Wilberforce, as vice-president of the Society who prosecuted me; and, with your permission, I will send you a copy of each as soon as they are printed. I must beg leave to inform you, that I am not allowed to speak privately to my wife, and that neither pens, ink or paper is (if known) allowed, therefore must intrude on this letter of mine being kept a profound secret, as the channel of my information would be shut if it was known, and most likely I not be allowed to see my wife again during the remainder of the time I have to remain here, which, to all outward appearance, will be till the 28th of April next. I remain, Sir, Your most obliged, Humble Servant, THO". WILLIAMS. No. III. Mrs. Williams to Mr. Cornish. London, SIR, Nov. 15, 1798. I have this day received a fresh wound from my inhuman persecutors, orders being given to have my husband closely locked up to prevent his communication with any one, in consequence of a manuscript of the intended publication being found upon him. Although it contained no subject of crimination, being purely intended to shew that the conduct of his prosecutors was quite opposite to the spirit of the gospel; yet a handle is made of it for fresh severity, and to what length they will now carry it, I cannot tell; but with constant gratitude to you, I shall ever remain, Your much obliged Servant, SIR, September, 1822. I faith of Christians in T is very gratifying to view the connexion with a manly freedom of mind and a fearless exercise of the understanding, such as the history of religious inquiry has never before exhibited. It is still more delightful to see its appropriate effect on the temper of a man's heart; to view it preeminently favourable to an amiable mind; an enlarged Catholic spirit; a spirit friendly to social charities and private affections; in a word, a kind and candid temper, without which religion has no beauty, and human nature no loveliness. One is naturally desirous that such a spirit should “go on to perfection;" and that every thing in the conduct or writings of our Unitarian brethren, really or apparently inconsistent with it, should be done away. Permit me, Sir, by your useful pages, to throw out a hint or two for so good an end. With a very distinguished zeal and ability, the Repository and Reformer have protested and argued against the popular creed; and, with most of your readers, I have no doubt the name of Calvinism is tantamount to every thing unamiable and bad. I cannot but think, Sir, we have somewhat erred in this course of proceeding; and that the effect has not been good, either to our own minds, or in facilitating the conversion of our brethren. Should it appear to my fellow Unitarians that some ignorance of human nature has been betrayed, some disingenuousness discovered, and a forgetfulness of the requisitions of the Christian character, I shall be confident of their candid acknowledgment and ready correction of the error. To come to the point: If the wise and the good and the amiable (and who will say there are not many such?) amongst our Calvinistic brethren, deny the truth and correctness of the consequences we charge on their creed, and say, (as they do,) "Were Calvinism the odious thing you describe it, we would fling it from us," shall we continue the disingenuous practice of taxing the system with them? It has ever appeared to myself, Sir, bad every way, bad to the best Unitarians, in embittering the temper towards their fellow-christians, strengthening prejudice against them, and increasing the coldness and distance between them. The |