From the London Baptist Magazine. HARK! 'tis the voice of high command- Thou faithful Missionary hear! With prompt alacrity. Midst paths were nightly robbers prowl, Armed with benignity. Behold what crowds are perishing, Healing their misery. But chiefly ministers it where Humble, yet faithful to thy God, There ransomed souls in glory shine— REVIEW. I. A respectful letter to the Earl of Liverpool, occasioned by the speech imputed to his Lordship at the Isle of Thanet Bible Society meeting, October 17, 1821. By the Rev. H. H. Norris, A. M. (No imprint.) pp. 60.* II. A second letter to the Right Hon. the Earl of Liverpool, K. G., &c., in reply to that from the Rev. H. H. Norris, on the subject of the British and Foreign Bible Society. By the Rev. James Scholefield, A. M. Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. 8vo. pp. 200. London : Seely, 1822. WHAT! another attack on the British and Foreign Bible Society! at this day; when every nation on the globe is, in succession, adding its testimony to the transcendent effects resulting from the disinterested labours of that distinguished body, which is at once the glory of Britain and the wonder of the world! When princes, and potentates, and rulers, and statesmen, are unitedly lending their efforts to promote its extensive influence, as the only sure foundation on which the peace, and order, and security of their governments must rest. Surely that man must be bloated with self-conceit who can hope, by his puny efforts, to resist so mighty a torrent; or blinded by temporary madness, to add, by opposition, to its irresistible sway. * We would rather have avoided repeating even the title of this pamphlet ; but in justice to the Bible cause, we could not pass silently by the able defence of Mr. Scholefield; and hence we are obliged to bring Mr. Norris again to public notice. The interests of Bible societies had a large share of the earlier volumes of the Christian Herald, where the national institution found an able advocate in the person of "WYCKLIFFE," as well as others. [See vol. I.] During the first years of the American Bible Society, this, we believe, was the only work which recorded its proceedings in detail: the necessity for our continung this practice is now happily removed, by the wide circulation of the Monthly Extracts; but still we have a pleasure in giving a more general account of the society's operations, and in attempting to fulfil a duty, by pleading its cause, against the attacks of its enemies. Mr. Norris, at least, might have taken warning from the effects of his former efforts. But there are those upon whom the lessons of experience are thrown away. Upon his first publication, in 1813, the funds of the society were increased nearly fifty thousand dollars per annum, which his well timed volume certainly contributed greatly to produce. And we should have no doubt that his second production would, in a similar manner, aid the Bible cause; but that we fear his beneficial influence is too nearly exhausted. Among the advantages resulting to the Bible cause from the controversy into which its friends have been provoked, is the exhibition of that placid, manly, and Christian spirit with which its claims have been defended. While on the other hand, its opponents have exhibited a malignancy, which is always indicative of a bad cause, and which finely sets off, by contrast, that truly Christian temper which the true advocates of the Bible must always imbibe. This diversity of character is clearly exhibited in the two publications before us. With a zeal and industry, worthy of a better cause, Mr. Norris has, for a long period it would seem, collected from newspapers and anonymous letters, every thing which would promise to expose the cause which he was determined to oppose; and these he has exhibited with a triumph which would seem almost to rejoice in an opportunity of casting odium even on the Bible itself. And with these indefatigable efforts, what has he been able to produce? At most, if the allegation be true, some little acts of indiscretion of agents, arising from excess of zeal in a cause which justly called forth all their energies. But let us hear the advocate of the society: "Amidst the mingled feelings with which I contemplate this performance," says the Rev Mr. Scholefield, "one of the most prominent is that of unfeigned surprise, that in an institution so extensive, comprehending so many dependencies and such multifarious agency, scrutinized as it has been with such unsparing jealousy, and put to the very torture to compel a disclosure of all its secret mischief, so small a contingency of evil has been discovered, that that infirmity of human nature, which mixes itself up with every good thing under the sun, has done so little towards marring the excellence of this great object; and defeating the purposes of Christian benevolence. Not but that Mr. Norris has brought forward a case quite as black and terrible as any enemy of the society could well desire but this case is so utterly unsupported by any proofs that can carry conviction to a candid and liberal mind, and rests so almost exclusively on bold assertions, ridiculous distortions, and unauthorized insinuations, that it cannot stand the test of even a cursory examination "—pp. 6, 7. One of the allegations brought forward by Mr. Norris against the society, is the management with which its agents have endeavoured to increase its funds by enlarging the number of its associations. In one particular he has ventured to specify; and here his respondent has been able to show the confidence which is to be put in his general charges. Mr. Scholefield observes: Mr. Norris says inhis first page, that the speech in question* was in circulation at Warwick, and eft in the shape of a hand-bill at every house in the town, perparatory to an attempt to bring that county under the Bible Society's auxiliary -* Lord Liverpod's speech at the Isle of Thanet Auxiliary Bible Society. system! Now it is a singular fact that the meeting at Warwick was held on the 2d of October, and the speech was not delivered till the 17th of the same month." -p. 12. A more complete obliteration of the work of curate of the Hackney, can scarcely be conceived or desired. One of the main objects of Mr. Norris's pamphlet is, to urge the superior claims to patronage of the ancient and venerable "Society for the promotion of Christian knowledge", because of its more varied field of operation; and because, as he would argue, of its adequacy to all the purposes designed. But surely, as the dissemination of the Bible is only one of the objects of that venerable society, and its efforts are necessarily divided between a vast variety of other publications, and therefore, in the same proportion, weakened as respects the Bible cause; there can be no possible plea why that specific object should not obtain the undivided attention of a particular association; since it has proved itself of sufficient magnitude to claim and to exercise the combined efforts of the friends of the Bible, not only in Britain, but throughout the world. On this part of the subject Mr. Scholefield observes: "It is conceded, then, to Mr. Norris, that these objects are excellent : it is conceded also, that the Bible Society limits itself to the first' of these objects. But when he amplifies this point by stating, that it discards both the teacher and his commentary, it is surely a mode of speech somewhat ungracious. It no more discards them than it discards food and clothing: it never had any thing to do with either. Nor must Mr. Norris think to surprise your lordship into the conclusion he draws from this statement, which is as mere a petitio principii as ever was called in to the aid of a faltering argument. He'entreats your lordship's attention to the comprehensiveness of [the] one society, and the restrictiveness of the other, and therefore to the superior claim of that whose cause he has undertaken to advocate, on the score of the greater measure of good service done, and of its more varied usefulness.'t More varied, and therefore, he would argue, greater in the aggregate; an inference which no thinking man will grant him, since it might easily be demonstrated in the same way, that to feed ten men with bread and meat would be doing greater good than to feed a thousand with bread only."—pp. 37, 38. This is a fair specimen of Mr. Scholefield's production; and it exhibits him as altogether adequate to the grandeur of his subject; and worthy to hold a distinguished rank among the noble and eloquent advocates, who have preceded in the same cause. We have already adverted to the fact, and it is worthy of consideration, that the letter of Mr. Norris was published in this city, though without. the publisher's name, or a date, shortly after its appearance in England. From the agency of those by whom its sale has been promoted, we may fairly conclude that its publication here has been conducted by that "distinguished American" of whom Mr. Norris so respectfully speaks on the first page of his letter. If it was in order to fulfil the office of pioneer to his address to the last convention, the unusual delay in printing that document would afford sufficient time for Mr. Norris to preoccupy the ground. But to this, perhaps, we shall revert on some future occasion, It is to be hoped that equal attention will be paid o the second letter to the Earl of Liverpool, by Mr. Scholefield: that those who are furnished with the unfounded allegations of Mr. Norris, may be supplied, also, with the full and efficient antidote. Entelligence. CONTINENT.-ASYLUM FOR CONVERted Jews. THE following communication, and two others, published in the Jewish Expositor, for December, 1822, have been addressed to a committee of the London society for promoting Christianity among the Jews, by friends on the Continent, on the subject of opening an asylum for converted Jews, who may be persecuted on account of their professed belief in the Gospel of Christ. It will be obvious at once, that the rules by which our [the London] society is governed, entirely preclude the committee from giving any part of their funds to the temporal support of Jewish converts. This reply has of course been given by the committee, with an assurance that they would readily advance the spiritual welfare of such a colony, by the grant of books and by missionary exertions. We present our readers with the communications, because they do prove this important fact, viz. that those, who have the best opportunity of knowing, are convinced that such an asylum begins to be necessary, on account of the numbers of the Jewish nation who secretly believe that Jesus is the Christ. LETTER FROM MR. L. AT FRANKFORT. Frankfort, July 20th, 1821. Revered Brethren in Jesus Christ-From my early youth the Jews were objects of my deep interest; and, therefore, my zeal was so much the more excited in their behalf, when Mr. Marc arrived here, and entered upon his missionary work among the Israelites. Since that time this object has in a degree engaged my attention, and I have attempted to consider it from every point of view. But the result to which I have arrived is this, that, desirable as the deliverance of Israel is from the state of blindness in which it is held, all that hitherto has been done to that effect, is little calculated to produce that blessed change, and that the labours of individuals must be in vain, unless the Lord inclines the hearts of Christians at large to adopt other measures. The sending out of missionaries, and the dissemination of New Testaments and other Christian books among the Jews, were so far useful measures, because thereby they were stirred up to listen to, and to examine the word of truth; and because several individuals thereby actually have been brought to the saving knowledge of Christ. But this latter effect has brought to light a material defect, in so striking a manner, that every one, who is unprejudiced, must clearly see, that while this defect lasts we cannot proceed farther. We have here, under divine assistance, in the course of one year introduced more than twenty Jewish converts into the Christian church; and we may say to the praise of the Lord, that they have not been made nominal Christians only, but that they, as far as our judgment goes, have been brought to an experimental knowledge of the grace of God in the blood of his Son Jesus Christ. But here I, by the situation I hold, have felt, in a more painful manner than other members of our Committee, the great difficulty of bringing Jewish converts into a proper way of gaining their temporal support. This will be the rock which will effect the shipwreck of all the lately instituted societies for the conversion of the Jews in Germany; for they want a solid foundation; and as long as that defect is not obviated, all our toil and all our expenses will be in vain, and the whole will be dissolved and fall to ruin. It is true we have here not been discouraged hitherto, notwithstanding many trying and painful occurrences. But another society, lately instituted, after having introduced only four or five Israelites into the Christian church, is already so much at a loss how to provide for their temporal wants, that the members are almost ready to withdraw their hands from the work. And thus it is more than probable, that all the other societies will lose their energy and fall into a state of inactivity, owing to the impossibility to get over a material difficulty. Having by dint of observation and much experience found the great obstacle, which hitherto in a great measure has hindered our success, and in future will finally stop our progress, I deem it my duty humbly to lay before you what I consider to be the only effective means of bringing about, by the grace of God, the blessed object we have in view; and this is, the establishment of Israelite Christian congregations, in the form and spirit of the settlements of the United Brethren, in which the converted Israelites might live together, without being compelled to mix with a dead world, where too easily they may lose again whatever by the grace of God they had obtained. To that end an estate is to be purchased, where they might settle and cultivate the ground, with which, if circumstances permit, all sorts of trade and handicraft business may be united. It will therefore be desirable, that the settlement be situated in the neighbourhood of some great city. Every truly converted Israelite, who desires to be received into the congregation, must pledge himself to live according to its statutes, which, though not in contradiction to the liberty of the children of God, yet involve a strict obedience to the commandments of our Lord. Every one, who is able to work, must be directed to eat his own bread, and industry and activity must characterize the whole. The doctrine of Jesus Christ must be the basis of all the regulations; and these must have for their only object the institution of a congregation, whose members show forth in their lives and conduct the power of a living faith in the Gospel. If this idea be realized-and, I think, that both the season has arrived and the persons have been found, to realize it-we shall see the rising of a work in Germany, which at first may be exposed to the contempt and ridicule of the world, but in its effects will be the blessing of thousands, and a means to promote the glory of God. By such an institution all the obstacles, whereby convinced Jews hitherto have been prevented from making their transition into the Christian church, would be removed; here they may receive both instruction and the means of supporting themselves by their own industry: here they also may live among their own brethren, which is of no small importance to Jews; and I anticipate a hope, that, if the thing be undertaken in faith, with a single view to the glory of God and the welfare of Israel, and if it be |