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the perfection of his holiness, and the severity of his justice. It is sufficient for us to adore that actual dispensation of grace he has disclosed-to admire that mercy which the death of his Son has permitted him to extend to mankind. This awful fact seems, however, to teach us, that the pardon of sin could be obtained at no inferior cost; that man must suffer through eternal years, or the Son of God must bleed upon the cross. Would we then mark the entire malignity, the entire heinousness of sin, let us turn to Calvary, and collect the punishment it merited from the sufferings of the Son of God; let us mark His affliction who was bruised for our transgressions, and wounded for our iniquity:" let us mark his body, fainting, scourged, sweating drops of blood, pierced with nails, expiring on the cross; and his soul "exceeding sorrowful," "smitten," "afflicted," yea, "forsaken of God!”

Oh what shall we now think of the guilt of transgression, when this spectacle passes before our eyes! What shall be our estimate of the evil of sin, when, to the innumerable obligations it violates, to the judgments it has brought into the world, to the torments it has yet in store for the wicked, this is added, that it could meet no pardon but through the sacrifice and passion of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

N.G.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

I TRUST I shall not trespass too much on your time and on the pages of your most valuable work, if I beg leave to offer a few observations on the last two communications of SoPATER; one of which appeared in your number for October, and the other in that of January. With all respect for the piety of Sopater, I cannot but say that the language he bas used appears to me inconsistent with the tenor of Scripture, and perbaps calculated to produce on the CHRIST, OBSERV. No. 111.

minds of some, impressions directly opposite to those which the Gospel conveys respecting the plan of our salvation. There is, I grant, much truth in his observations, as it regards the workings of the heart when brought into a state of alarm; and there is also unquestionably great propriety in elevating the standard of religious obedience, and pointing men to that as absolutely necessary to be attained; for without holiness no man shall see the Lord. To rouse, to animate, to incite, is the duty of the Christian minister; and there is an indispensable necessity of pressing upon his hear ers self-denial and prayer; but when Sopater goes so far as to talk of well-timing the assertions, that salvation is all of grace, &c. 1 confess it is a doctrine which I have never yet discovered in the Bible. It is possible indeed, and I fear is sometimes the case, that practical exhortations may be omitted when they ought to be enforced; but it seems to me impossible to exalt too high the dignity of the Saviour, and the sovereignty of his love. If any motive can weigh with a poor sinner, brought into a state of alarm, to abandon his sins; if any induce ment can be offered to persuade him to turn to God; I know of no motive, of no inducement, so powerful as that which is deduced from the cross of Christ. And if this fail, in vain shall we try the force of all other exhortations whatever. But what was the practice of the apostles? Did they ever talk of well-timing their declarations of the Gospel plan, from a fear that they would" tainly, sooner or later, weaken, if not destroy, the force of practical exhortations?" Consult the language of the Epistles. We there discover, in every line, a remarkable promi nence given to the free grace of God; and whenever St. Paul advances towards this amazing subject, his soul becomes impassioned with the theme, and he is lost in rapture.

cer

This is the grand machine which once converted the world: and

X

a matter of comparatively small im portance: nor am I to be unde stood to mean that the doctrines the Gospel, and nothing more, ar to be preached, from a convictio that they will produce all the effect necessary. All that I wish to ob serve is, that the grand engine o conversion is the cross of Christ and, as it regards the motive to in duce a sinner to leave his sins, no thing but a full, and open, and clea enunciation of the free, unmerite grace of God in Christ, will avai And, when once the mind begins feel the force of this love, it will n longer be divided by two" contra dictory propositions;" but, one ad mitted, the other will be assented t with joy.

we would be the happy instruments of the same blessed work, now in these latter days, let us not proceed upon any other foundation. When the poor jailor at Philippi came trembling, and fell down at the feet of the apostles, demanding what he must do to be saved, they did not well-time their answer, by telling the man he must labour, he must run, and strive, though undoubtedly none knew better than they the propriety of such an exhortation; but they said unto him, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house." Let me ask, would it not, while the man was in that state of mind, have been rather ill-timed, and as if one should call upon a poor cripple to run, when we knew him utterly incapable of standing? We seem to forget the efficacy of the cross of Christ, and, in attempting too eagerly to raise the superstructure, we neglect to lay a proper foundation; and the consequence is, that the building falls to the ground. I cannot, sir, but think that this subject is by some too much neglected. It seems to be imagined, that if men are continually told their duty, this is all which is to be done; while Christ (if I may be allowed the expression) is kept too much in the back-ground, and those views which ought to be in distant perspective are brought into the front of the piece. Far be it from me to insinuate that practical exhortation is

It seems to me, that that preach ing which leaves the mind to adop a confused idea about what Sopate is pleased to call "unconnecte premises," must emit an uncertai sound: and if so, then indeed th conclusions arising from ther "must necessarily be weak and in efficacious." I have, sir, for a con siderable time past read your work and, as I think, these observation are in consonance with it: and am happy to take this, the first op portunity, of saying that I trust i has often contributed to rectify my judgment, and lead me to much use ful reflection.

With sincere respect,

I am yours, &c.

JOHN

MISCELLANEOUS.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. I AM no lexicographer, or dictionary maker; nor even concordist: yet I could not but feel rather displeased at seeing my old acquaintance and benefactors incautiously placed among that motley group, which is

for December, p. 753.
held up to derision in your Numbe

There are, perhaps, few descrip tions of men, to whom the church and the world, the learned and the unlearned, they who know it and they who know it not, are mor deeply indebted, than the body o

men in question: and merely to acknowledge that their labours are useful, while they themselves are spoken of with contempt, is not the most proper return for the benefits which we have received; nor the way to encourage others to tread in their steps: and as Europe especially is under immense obligations to the lexicographers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, for the excellent translations of the sacred Scriptures which she now possesses; so the exertions of " the Bible Society," and of other societies for circulating the Scriptures, will need a great number of laborious dictionary-makers, in various languages, to give their pious and benevolent designs full effect; and every attempt of this kind, in a language little known, is an important opening to the translation of the Scriptures into that language.

You have performed a long journey. It is inquired of you, at what rate you travelled: you answer, five, six, seven, or eight miles, in an tour. I go no further, because, except on great emergencies, no man ought, and one would hope no merciful man can desire, to travel more rapidly. Various other quesLions are proposed about the jourey and you give due commendation to the horses, drivers, or grooms, &c. But at length this uncommon inquiry is started-Who made the road and built the bridges? Yet if the road had not been previously prepared, you could not have travelled, either with such speed, safety, or comfort. The Crudges who do the common labour, and the surveyors of the high-ways, Bight perhaps here occur to your wind, without exciting either much respect or sense of obligation. But, probably the whole was planned by men of far more enlarged minds: as we know that the enlightened Romans made roads in all the countries which they possessed; knowing that this would facilitate social intercourse, and promote civilizatroa: and thus, unconsciously, they

opened' a way for the more rapid propagation of the Gospel.

In like manner, a man has made considerable proficiency in the learned languages, perhaps without the advantages of a liberal education: he ascribes his progress to the assistance of this or the other friend; but perhaps, above all, to his own indefatigable perseverance-But, what dictionary did you use? If you had not had that dictionary, what would you have done? The answer to such questions will remind him, that if others before him had not bestowed still more indefatigable diligence in the business, his own labours must have been to little or no purpose. A great part of his learning therefore, yea, and of the good which it enables him to do, is owing to the lexicographers. The case is the same with all learned men, whether they recollect it or no; and with the unlearned, who in any way profit by their labours.

This, however, your correspondent considers as springing from their "love of fame." Perhaps it may be more justly imputed to a high, probably excessive, valuation of that kind of learning in which they are proficients, and an ardour of mind in exciting others to the same studies, united with a desire of acquiring a hard-earned maintenance by their labours. But, when we consider what kind of men laboured in making lexicons and dictionaries, in the dawning of the reformation; it would be unjust not to ascribe the assiduity and perseverance of many, to strong religious principles, and an ardent hope of thus rendering a most important service to the souls of men.

Suppose, again, a man to have made a great proficiency as a textuary in the Holy Scriptures: will this person refuse the tribute of respect due to Cruden the concordist? I mention him, as his was long by far the best concordance, and as it has furnished materials to all subsequent ones. Shall impute Cru

den's labours to the love of fame, or to other mean motives? Even if I had no information on the subject, what I have learned from his labours would induce me to ascribe his indefatigable diligence to his love of the Holy Scriptures, and to the love of souls. I must consider him as a man, in that respect at least, of a very enlarged as well as pious and benevolent mind; who selected the best possible means of being extensively and permanently useful, which Providence had placed with in his reach, and who exerted him. self most diligently and success fully in accomplishing his object.

Were I disposed, with the Papists, to canonize any persons, William Cruden, and the inventor of spectacles, would be selected by me: without the latter, during many past years, I could hardly have studied at all; and without the former I should have studied with far inferior advantage,

I am,

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To the Editor of the Christian Observer,

I HAD Scarcely noticed your insertion of my paper on the subject of persecution, when a relation of some extraordinary circumstances, which took place last year at Wickham Market, in Suffolk, appeared in the public prints, under the form of a Law Report. As the case is now before the proper judges, to them it may be safely confided; and I will only observe upon it, that should only one half of the facts, detailed in Mr.

Garrow's address, be substantiated, the defendants will be criminated by every person who regards the sacredness I will not say of religion, but even-of property; and the offending party will surely be subjected to a very serious punish

ment.

Below is the report*. I recom*The enclosed report is more minute than what is contained in some of the newspapers.

mend you to insert it, by way of rendering its publicity more perma nent; and in order to record what, I trust, will be the last act of irre ligious outrage committed in the United Kingdom.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH,

Monday, Feb. 11, 1811.

THE KING V. CHURHYARD AND OTHERS. Mr. Garrow moved for leave to file a criminal information against fourteen persons out of a much greater number, for what he had no hesitation in calling, the most outrageous conduct the court ever remembered. A dissenting minister regularly authorised by the law had hired two rooms of a cottage in Wickham Market, in the county of Suffolk, and announced his intention of preaching there on Sunday, the 2d of September last. Upon the Saturday preceding, the crier was employed by certain persons, who were averse to the minister's coming among them, to warn the parish to take care of their houses and persons, for a bad set of people was coming among them. There was an idea in the county of Suffolk which the learned counsel hoped would be corrected by the Bench, that as long as dissenting places of worship were insulted and disturbed without their walls, they might be insulted and disturbed with impu nity, and that the penalties of the

act were confined to disturbances within the walls of the meeting houses. Upon the minister's arrival at the meeting-house in question, on the 2d of September, be found i sand persons, some in disguises, af besieged by upwards of one thoufecting attitudes of adoration, others beating drums and a large gong and blowing trumpets, and al making an uproar; the obvious

purpose

tion of every thing that might be of which was, the preven heard. These outrages were after said in the meeting-house from being wards repeated on the 16th of September, and on various subsequent Sundays, the crowd of rioters

amounting in number sometimes to two or three thousand. Ou one occasion was brought before the door of the meeting-house a waggon, in which was placed a man dressed out in a full suit of black, awig, and a cocked hat, who distributed bread to the mob, certainly for no other purpose than to disturb the dissenting congregation; for the orator gave out separately the names of the persons who were to receive this bread, upon which there was a general shout; and the whole concluded with a scramble for the loaves which remained. Upon some occasions, the minister was met by a concourse of these persons, and was jostled by one of those against whom the motion was made, and who was on horseback. Fireworks and stones were also thrown into the meeting-house, and at the horse and chase in which the minister departed. At one time a procession was formed by the mob, who carried a gallows in their front. At another time rotten eggs were thrown into the meeting; and two of the rioters, who were professed masks, stationed themselves among the congregation, saying that they came there to hear the word of God, and, by, they would hear it. At length the rioters broke all the windows of the meeting-house, One man kept open house during the time of this riot, and gave wine to all those who opposed the Pograms, as the dissenters were nick-named. It was openly stated too, at the vestry of the parish, that there was a gentleman ready with one hundred pounds, to support the Anti-pograms. The owner of the cottage where the dissenters assembled was forcibly turned out of his house, and his wife was threatened, that he and his brother, who had interfered in the business, should be pressed and sent to sea, if they did not turn the Pograms out of their house. Of this house the rioters had gotten posses sion, and were tearing it to pieces in the night, when the brother of its owner endeavoured to prevent

them; upon which one of the rioters called out of the window, Pogram, seize him!" and fired a gun. It was also threatened, that if the congregation should attempt to meet again, an engine would be prepared to play upon them. The affidavit, which stated all these circumstances, concluded with saying, that there was no other place in the parish for the congregation to meet in; and that if they were to attempt to build one, what they should erect in the day would be inevitably pulled down in the night. Against every one of the persons who were the subject of Mr. Garrow's motion, the affidavit swore overt acts of this conspiracy to prevent the congregation from exercising their religion. The first was a farmer, of the name of James Churchyard, of whom it was sworn, that he entered the meeting-house on the 14th of November, when he talked loud, and afterwards joined Mr. Thompson, the officiating minister, home, telling bim, that if he were to come for. seven years to preach there, that would be the way in which he would be served. Mr. Garrow had omitted to mention, that these rioters wore cockades of their order, and in short presented an happy edition of an O. P. riot at a dissenting meeting-house. The next person against whom the learned counsel moved, was Benjamin Garrard, the distributor of the bread, and the person who rode at the head of the cavalcade, who threw stones and fireworks. The third was William Hewitt, a collar-maker, who wore a cockade, and was the mask who had been before described have mocked the attitude of adoration. It was he that procured the drum and drummer. The next was Philip Dykes, not one of the most vulgar of the rioters, but a man more criminal than perhaps they; for he was in a superior station of life to them, and supported and encouraged them. He was described yeoman, and was the churchwarden of the parish. On the 2d of December, which was

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