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received throughout with enthusiastic
applause. We can only record the names
of Rev. Dr. Bogue, Timothy East, James,
Bennett of Rotherham, John Townsend,
Spedding Curwen, Dr. Codman, Joseph
Fletcher, M. A., Mr. Young, the Rev.
Thomas James, of Woolwich; Ray, of
Sudbury; Robert Steven, Esq. the Trea-
surer; Mr. Pellatt, the Secretary; Dr.
Brown; Rev. Mr. Dwight, from Ame-
rica;
and the Chairman, who succes-
sively addressed the meeting with great
effect; but whose speeches, in course, it
is not in our power to report. This valu-
able Society is supported by congrega-
tional subscriptions of two guineas per
annum, and we sincerely wish it more
extensive patronage among our dissenting
churches.

Recent Deaths.-May 20th, died the Rev. Mr. MATHER, of Dover, formerly minister of Lady Huntingdon's chapel in that town.

succeeded. (Hear, hear.) Let us then this day, and in this place, vow that we will never be satisfied until not a remnant of them shall remain! (Cheers.) It is only by sound acquaintance with the generally diffused and unceasing exertions for their repeal, that we can ever hope to conquer these oppressive statutes. While they remain, they will be made instruments for our injury, and it is only by soundness in religious principle, that we can prevent the continuance of these wrongs. There is in man that love of power, that aptness for dominion, that he will play those fantastic tricks before high heaven," though they be tricks" which make the angels weep." Never let it be said, that man shall be allowed to interfere between man and his Creator. (Hear.) Never let the notion be tolerated, that there exists the right to impose upon any people the religion of the state. If it be crime to dissent from a state religion, then was NERO improperly condemned; for at the time when Christians endeavoured to overthrow the base idolatry which then existed, that was the power of the state; and if so, there is no idolatry which may not become a state religion; and if men are liable to have a state religion forced upon them, may not all the best wishes of those who love liberty, be trampled on and swept away for ever? But as we do love LiBERTY! let us all unite ourselves to obtain those rights we are entitled to enjoy ; and it shall be so. Oh! the presumption ! oh! the ignorance! but oh! the impotence of man! He will interfere between God and his creature. But ah! let him strive; let them pile the Andes on the Alps; let them bring all their force against a load of glory; still the SPIRIT will not be imprisoned; it will ascend pure and uncorrupted-it will rise in acceptable invocations to its Creator; and amidst all, will celebrate his praises, and glory in his power!

We regret that our space will not permit us to follow the learned gentleman through his eloquent peroration, which closed a speech of three hours, which was

The Rev. Dr. Ryland (recently) at Bristol. Notices.-The Religious Instruction of London. We are happy to learn that a Society for the Promotion of Christian Instruction in London and its vicinity, has been undertaken by several respectable ministers and laymen of the metropolis, and that a public meeting for its formation will be held at Albion Chapel, Moorfields, on Tuesday evening, June 7th, when J. Key, Esq. Alderman and Sheriff, has promised to take the Chair at six o'clock. We regret that the crowded state of our pages prevents our publishing the plan, but we hope to give ample details in

our next.

Hoxton Academy.-The first stone of the new College at Highbury Park, will be laid on Tuesday morning, June 28, at two o'clock precisely. In the evening of the same day, the Annual Meeting of the Subscribers and Friends of the Institution,. will be held at Canonbury Tavern, Islington. The Chair to be taken at half-past six. On the following day, Wednesday, June 29, three of the senior Students will deliver short discourses at Claremont Chapel, Pentonville. Service to commence precisely at six o'clock.

Answers to Correspondents, &c.

COMMUNICATIONS have this month been received from Rev. Dr. J. P. Smith-T. Hathway-J. Leifchild-J. Blackburn-C. N. Davies-T. Hope.

Also from Messrs. T. Fisher-W. Ellerby-Davis-T. R. T.-A Traveller-Observator-R. J. Kitchener-Viator-Knpv-H. R.-W. Brewis-C. Trevial—A. Allan. The complaint of Q., respecting the refusal of some of the clergy, in the diocese of Peterborough, to allow the church bells to be tolled for deceased Dissenters, is just enough; especially as the bell, like the church, is national, and paid for, as well as the services of the clergy, by Dissenters in common with others. But the fact ought to teach all Dissenters to provide burial-grounds for themselves, and to be content to bury their dead without the sounds that scare away the sprites." Let them learn to despise the bell, and to be independent of the church-ground. Every meeting-house, however small, might have, and ought to have, a cemetry.

The paper of Aλpa came to hand, was acknowledged in April, and will probably be

inserted.

The pressure of important intelligence compels us to defer the List of New Publications, American Miscellany, Book-Worm, and Statistics.

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HIGHBURY COLLEGE, ERECTING IN HIGHBURY PARK, ISLINGTON, 1825.

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MEMOIR OF MILES COVERDALE, D. D.

A CELEBRATED REFORMER AND PURITAN.

THE memorials of wise and good men, especially of those who have been ornaments of their country and distinguished benefactors to society, are interesting and profitable. Since the publication of "The Lives of the Puritans," the author has obtained almost immense stores of new materials relating to the history of those worthies, partly from rare printed books, and partly from original MSS.; and he hopes the memoir of the venerable divine whose name stands at the head of this article, will not be unacceptable to the numerous readers of the Congregational Magazine.

MILES COVERDALE was born in Yorkshire, and educated in the university of Cambridge, where he was trained in all the superstitions of popery, being an Augustine monk. He took his doctor's degree at Tubingen, in Germany, and was incorporated at Cambridge. Early in the reign of Henry VIII. he cast off the shackles of popery, and proved himself a zealous Protestant, being one of the first who faithfully preached the Gospel, and devoted himself wholly to promote the reformed religion. He was classed among the earliest professors of the Protestant doctrines, at the commencement of the Reformation; and when sound learning and pure religion began to dawn on the university of Cambridge, he was uniformly zealous in the good NEW SERIES, No. 7.

work, uniting with the pious reformers in their useful associations.

In the year 1528, Coverdale preached at Bumstead, in Essex, where he declared openly against the mass, the worship of images, and auricular confession; maintained that confession of sin before God, and conviction in a man's own conscience, were sufficient without confession to a priest. His zealous and faithful labours at this place were not in vain; since he was the honoured instrument of turning Thomas Topley, afterwards a martyr, from the errors of popery to the true Protestant faith. Our divine having for some time espoused and promoted the reformed doctrines, and finding himself in danger of the fire, fled to Holland, where he assiduously employed himself in the trans-. lation of the Scriptures. In 1529, William Tindal, having finished his translation of the Pentateuch, wished to have it printed at Hamburgh, but, in crossing the sea, the ship was wrecked, when he lost all his money and papers, and so had to begin the work afresh. On his arrival at Hamburgh, his friend Coverdale, waiting for him, assisted him in writing a new translation; and, in the year 1535, Tindal and Coverdale published the whole Bible in folio, the first in the English language, when John Rogers, the protomartyr, corrected the press. This 2 X

first English translation is entitled "Biblia; The Bible-that is, the Holy Scripture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully and truly translated out of the Douch and Latyn into English," and is dedicated by Coverdale to king Henry. At the head of this dedication, he thus addressed his majesty:

"Unto the most victorious prynce and oure most gracyous soveraygne lorde Kynge HENRY eyght, kynge of Englonde and of Fraunce, lorde of Irlonde, &c. defendour of the fayth; and under God the chefe and suppreme heade of the church of Englonde. The ryght and just administracy on of the lawes that God gave unto Moses and Josua: the testimonye of faythfulnes that God gave of David the plenteous abundance of wysdome that God gave unto Salomon: the lucky and prosperous age with the multiplicacy on of sede whiche God gave unto Abraham and Sara his wife, be geven unto you, most gracyous prynce, with your dearest just wyfe and moost vertuous pryncesse Quene Jane. Amen."

To the dedication, Coverdale subjoined his "prologue," from which the following extract is inserted in his own language:

"To say the trueth before God, it was nether my laboure ner desyre to have this worke put in my hande; nevertheles it greved me that other nacyons shude be more plenteously provyded for with the Scripture in theyr mother tongue, then we; therefore, when I was instantly requyred, though I coulde not do so well as I wolde, I thought it yet my dewtye to do my best, and that with a good wyll.-Seynge then that this diligent exercyse of translatynge doth so moch good and edifyeth in other languages, why shude it do evell in oures? Doutles lyke all nacyons in the diversite of speeches maye knowe one God in the unyte of the faith,

and be one in love: even so maye dyverse translacyons understonde one another, and that in the head articles and grounde of oure most blessed faith, though they use sondrye wordes. Wherefore me thynke we have greate occasyon to geve thankes unto God, that he hath opened unto his church the gyft of interpretacyon and of prynting, and that there are now at this tyme so many, which with soch diligence and faithfulnes interprete the scripture, to the honoure of God and edifyenge of his people. Yet thou hast knowledge, therefore, to judge where any faute is made, I doute not but thou wilt helpe to amende it, yf love be joyned with thy knowlege. Howbeit wherin so ever I can perceave by my self, or by the informacyon of other, that I have fayled (as it is no wonder), I shall now by the helpe of God overloke it better and amende it."

This translation was divided into six tomes or parts, and Coverdale prefixed to every book the contents of the several chapters, and not to the particular chapters, which was done afterwards. It is adorned throughout with wooden cuts, and in the margin are Scripture references. In the last page it is said, "Prynted in the yeare of our Lorde MDXXXV., and finished the fourth daye of October." By this first translation of the Bible, it is said, Coverdale "rocked the cradle of the Refor

mation." Lord Cromwell, by his injunctions in 1536, ordered this Bible to be set up in all the churches.

The year following, two editions of the Bible in quarto. "newly ovresene and correcte" by Coverdale, were "sett forth with the kynges moost gracious licence;" the one with, the other without, his dedication. One edition printed this year is entitled, "The Bible, which is all the Holy Scripture, in which are contayned the Olde

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