the ancients. These, the words of men, he receives; why not, then, the words of God? There is not a single reason of those which he has assigned for rejecting the word of God, which is not equally applicable at least to the word of man. The want of a universal language, the errors to which translations are subject, and the rest, affect alike, if they affect at all, each and every book, whatever be the matter which it contains; only with the difference before noticed, that the importance of the matter in the one case would insure a greater degree of attention than in the other. But, in one point of view, there is no distinction between the writings of antiquity-they are all the works and the words of man. This Mr. Paine himself, in order to start another objection, distinctly states. "Revelation," he says, " is necessarily limited to the first communication." It forthwith ceases then to be the word of God, and, upon his own showing, becomes the word of man. How absurd, then, to contend for the impossibility of its transmission-how absurd to argue upon a distinction which has no real existence, and which he himself has overthrown! With you, then, my friends, the matter may thus easily be set at rest. You know that the words of Thomas Paine have been handed down to these days, and in spite of Mr. Paine's own arguments to the contrary-in spite of the want of a universal language-in spite of the possibility of its being totally suppressed; you possess them, and doubt not of their authenticity;-why may not the same be true of any other work-of that by Euclid, or Herodotus, which Mr. Paine admits, or that by Matthew and John, which he inconsistently rejects? Having been led so easily to this conclusion, I might be spared the trouble of noticing his objections in detail. I will, however, devote a few words to them. "There is no universal language." Granted. But this affects alike Euclid and Matthew, Herodotus and John. The Greek is the language in which the Scriptures were published. At the time of their publication, it was known or spoken by the civilized world; and ever since, down to the present day, myriads of all sects and parties, alike the friends and foes of Christianity, have been acquainted with itfathers have transmitted a knowledge of it to sons, and one generation to another. To all these it has been a universal language; and many of these have possessed the means, and exerted them, of conveying to others, in their own tongue, the ideas which were clothed in Grecian words. Where is their difficulty? All imposition has been prevented, because the means of detection were in the hands of thousands of enemies; and to this day the means exist. Every one who understands the Greek language, and who can read the classic authors that have written in it, whatever be his nation, or whatever his religion, knows whether or not the Scriptures have been fairly translated; and knowing this, the universal silence that prevails, except in a few minor points, is, in fact, a universal acquiescence in the correctness of our translations. But, says Mr. Paine, translations are subject to errors. Granted again. This also affects alike Euclid and Matthew, Herodotus and John. Now, what is the nature of the errors to which translations are subject? They regard not the general tenor of a book, but only here and there unimportant particulars. Often, indeed, this does not exist; and the only difference between a work in the original language, and when translated, consists not in any change of ideas, but in a change of sounds, or merely in the imagery or dress in which such ideas are clothed. Mr. Paine himself, in another part of his work, and for another object, acknowledges the sufficiency of translations. He is contending against the study of the Greek and Latin languages. "There is now," he says, "nothing new to be learned from the dead languages-all the useful books being already translated-the languages are become useless, and the time expended in teaching and learning them is wasted." Of course, if translations supersede the necessity of knowing the original, transla tions for all practical purposes must be correct, upon his own showing. And that these general remarks and proofs are true, if applied to the Scriptures, is clear at once, from the reason of the thing, inasmuch as that must be true of an individual of a class, which is true of the whole class; and also from this important fact, that whereas there are in existence versions of the Scriptures, made in ancient and in modern times, to the amount of some hundreds; they all agree in all important points; no difference affecting the sentiments taught in the Scriptures can be discovered. Whence is this? How could it take place, if translations gave an uncertain sound? If Mr. Paine's objection were of any weight, these versions would present nothing but confusion twice confounded-diversities without end, and contradictions without measure. Again, Mr. Paine contends for the possibility of suppressing a revelation. Of what avail can this objection be, when it is an acknowledged fact, that Christianity has not been suppressed! How idle was such an objection, from the pen of a writer, who, in the 18th century of the Christian era, was actually examining the Christian documents -those very documents which he endeavours to discredit, by telling you that they might have been suppressed. In reply, then, we appeal to the books, and say, whatever might have been the case, we know not. The fact is, they have not been suppressed, for, lo! here they are. Nor was such a suppression possible. In the first ages, would Christians suppress that upon which their hopes relied? The enemies of Christianity, indeed, might desire, but they could not effect the suppression of the Scriptures; for the same circumstances which secured to Christianity the triumph over Paganism, would secure also · the preservation of its documents. The latter, indeed, is involved in the former; for except the Scriptures had been saved, it is incredible that converts could have been made. We know that converts were made that the religion triumphed gloriously, though through much tribulationwe know, therefore, that the Scriptures were not suppressed. As you come down to a later period in the history of the Church, you find the difficulties of a suppression, if possible, increase. For the Scriptures are then found in every part of the civilized world; they exist not in one city, nor in one country, merely; but under the whole heaven, and possessed by myriads of churches and individuals. Was it possible to suppress documents so numerous and so scattered? It would be as easy to collect the leaves that fall in autumn, or to extinguish the light of the stars of heaven. This, those of you who have seen Mr. Paine's Age of Reason, know to be true, for you there see a practical proof of the utter futility of all attempts at suppression. And the fact undoubtedly is, that all such attempts tend only to increase the prevalency of the obnoxious publication. If, however, there could still remain any question as to the suppression of the Christian Scriptures, that doubt must vanish before the simple fact, that history is silent respecting such a suppression, which it could not possibly be, bad such a suppression ever taken place. Nay more, we know that the books we now have, are identically S the same with those of the early Christians; because, of these books, there exist in their writings, quotations so numerous and so extensive, that if all our copies of the Scriptures should perish, the volume of the New Testament might be re-produced, accurate almost to a letter. I shall at present say nothing in reply to Mr. Paine's last objection, relatively to the possibility of a fabrication, for the whole of my strictures will go to show the contrary, and to attempt a reply to this, would be to enter upon the discussion of the general question. I shall ask of you, then, to suspend your judgment upon this point till the termination of my observations, when, unless I am mistaken, you will have seen abundant reason to conclude, that this objection rests upon no better grounds than those which I have now passed in review. We are now, then, warranted in drawing these conclusions: that it is possible for the Divine Being to reveal himself to man- that it is possible that such a communication may be transmitted to remote generations, correct in all important points. G. C. S. (Letter I. to be concluded in our next.) A Sister's Death-bed. Hush, my fond heart, hush! there is a shore Of better promise; and I know at last, We two shall meet in Christ-to part no more!" Henry Kirke White. THY heart is faint-thy heart is faint, Thy lamp of life is flickering- I may not speak-the briny tear, Will tell how sadly, sadly now I gaze upon that changing brow- Thou'rt deadly pale-thou'rt deadly pale, Is it the icy touch of death? And must I see thee die? Thou smil'st amid our dewy tears, Thy spirit's fled-thy spirit's fled! And when Creation's judgment-call S. T. B. REVIEW. Elements of Religious Instruction, designed for the use of Young Persons.-By a Lady; p. 66. Hunter, London. We always open, with a degree of peculiar interest, books written for the religious instruction of young persons. The importance of works of this description will be acknowledged by all who have paid any attention to the constitution of the human mind. They have the great advantage of priority of impression; and if judiciously drawn up, and discreetly used, they will exercise a salutary influence on the mind and heart through every stage of existence. Many, indeed, there are, who can bear grateful testimony to the advantages which they have received in early life, from the pious care of parents, in furnishing their thirsty minds with copious supplies from the pure well of life-many who have been seduced into the path of sin by the fascinating allurements of the world, have been recalled to a sense of duty by the revival of early religious impressions;-and there are multitudes whose minds have been cramped, and whose hearts have been withered by the laboured inculcation of a false system of religion. To what must we attribute the prevalence of the doctrines of reputed orthodoxy, and the pertinacity with which they are held, in defiance of the dictates of reason and the general tenor of Scripture, but to the |