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so that if we take the population
of Nottingham, who are able to
attend public worship, at fifteen
thousand persons, it is obvious
The state of Sunday School instruction is equally cheering:-

that there are abundant means of
public religious instruction for the
whole, were they inclined to at-
tend.

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DR. H. F. BURDER'S STRICTURES ON A RECENT CRITICISM.

66

To the Editor.-MY DEAR SIRI AM accustomed to think that there ought not to be in the minds of authors any peculiar sensitiveness to the animadversions of periodical criticism. On reading, there fore, the notice with which you have honoured my little work, entitled, "The Way of Salvation," I felt disinclined to trouble you or your readers with any remarks, although it appeared to me that my meaning was misunderstood. As, however, the reviewer represents me as insinuating" a sentitiment which he proceeds to pronounce a great error," it appears to me to be my duty to remove the misapprehension. It was not my object in the passage, from which part of a sentence is extracted, to direct any persons to offer prayer in unbelief, but to show the culpability of the inconsistency of those who assert their inability to believe, and plead it as an excuse both for unbelief and for the neglect of prayer. This will, I think, sufficiently appear from the passage itself, which is as follows:

66

"It is certain, indeed, that you will not receive the testimony concerning the Saviour, and that you will not make a personal and believing application to him for pardon and life, unless you deeply feel your guilt and misery; but surely you are culpable, unpardonably culpable, if you neglect, if you refuse to make that application. Plead not inability as an excuse for that neglect; for the only inability under which any one can labour, is a want of inclination; and assuredly, that want of disposition is itself a sin of awful magnitude. It is true, that no man will come to Christ unless inclined

and disposed by the influence of the Holy Spirit; but be it considered, that the very state of mind and heart which renders that influence indispensable, is a state of criminal alienation from God, which admits of no defence. Be it remembered also, that no one remains destitute of the aid of the Spirit of God except the man who neglects to seek it, because he is not in earnest to obtain it. Oh, what will be hereafter the feelings of those who plead inability as the extenuation of the sin of unbelief; and at the same time present no supplication at the throne of grace, for the influence so graciously promised, without which, they confess they can do nothing!"

In the connexion in which these words stand, I venture respectfully to ask the reviewer, whether they "insinuate" a sentiment which deserves to be branded as "a great error," or as any error at all.

it

The reviewer has quoted as exceptionable, the following passage from a chapter on repentance. "It is said of those who, by the righteous determination of God, are excluded from forgiveness, that is impossible to renew them again unto repentance;' but it is by no means said, that repentance, were it exercised, would be unavailing." The reviewer then asks, "Is any man, in this life, by the righteous determination of God,' excluded from forgiveness?" My reference was to the sin which, in the word of God, is pronounced unpardonable, and the reviewer in his following remarks, proceeds on the admission that there is a sin which is unpardonable. What is this but to admit, that there is a sin which God himself has excluded from the promise of forgiveness? To the above explanations you will not, I

trust, refuse a place in the next number of your valuable Maga

zine.

With unfeigned regard I am,
My dear Sir,
Very cordially yours,
H. F. BURDER.

Hackney, 2nd March.

As soon as the preceding letter came to hand, the Editor communicated it to the gentleman who wrote the critique to which it refers, and who has furnished the following note in reply.

"The writer of the critique on the little work entitled "The Way of Salvation," has read Dr. Burder's remarks upon it, and though he is not disposed to retract any opinion which he has written, yet he is sorry that any expression which has escaped him should have occasioned pain to the mind of one whom he highly esteems. He is glad that the Doctor admits that it is not right to call on unconverted men, as such, to pray; for they cannot pray till they believe. Their inability to believe is the want of will; but their inability to pray is the want both of will and of

faith. The point at issue, he is well aware, is one on which a diversity of opinion obtains, and therefore what he perhaps too strongly designated "a great error," may more properly be called a general or popular mistake. And then, as the Doctor does not state what he considers the unpardonable sin to be, with the Reviewer's present conceptions of it, he could not venture to say that any man is, in this life, excluded by a righteous determination from forgiveness. Scripture nowhere favours such an idea. While the impossibility in relation to repentance of which Paul treats in his apostolic letter to the Hebrews, is not the impossibility of bringing men to repentance, but the impossibility of inducing repentance by any other means than those with which he was furnished in the Gospel.

"The points on which he thus passingly animadverted in the short notice, affect not the general character and excellence of the little volume in question, which is justly entitled to the hearty recommendation which he gave of it."

ON THE NEGLECT OF STANDARD BOOKS.
To the Editor.

DEAR SIR,-The continual occur-
rence of new objects, as we float
down the stream of life, subjects us
to the danger of losing sight of
those which no longer arrest us by
the charm of a novel form or a
sounding name; though their use-
ful character may be not only un-
diminished, but is actually raised,
by the very course of events, to an
importance more pressing and awful
than ever. This remark may be
applied to nothing, with more pro-
priety, than to valuable books. I
therefore take the liberty of beg-

N. s. No. 136.

ging that you would recal the attention of your numerous readers to a work, which, popular and admired as it confessedly is, has never met with the thousandth part of the attention which it deserves;

Mr. FOSTER'S Essay on the Evils of Popular Ignorance. It appears to me that we are now at a crisis, in the state of our country and of the world, which renders the reasonings and exhortations of that eloquent production, applicable and urgent beyond all power of mine to express.

If this humble remonstrance 2 I

should induce those who did read that work ten or twelve years ago, to read and ponder it again, especially its last chapter; if it should arouse those who never have given themselves this benefit, to read and study it thoroughly; if, by the impulse of general sentiment, its arguments and anticipations could be forced upon the solemn attention of the Higher Orders in our land; and if those efforts should follow which might then be hoped for :-a blessing unspeakably greater will be conferred upon our country, even as to its temporal prosperity, than if the national debt were paid off and all our taxes abolished. This appears to me to be a sober truth and no exaggeration. Let the servants of Christ and the friends of mankind look to it. If you favour me by the insertion of this letter, Mr. Foster will undoubtedly see it: and he will be surprised and distressed, but, I hope, not offended. He must love

-

Allow me also to apply this style of remark to another work, which deserves to be "had in everlasting remembrance;" the Memoirs of Colonel Hutchinson, by his accomplished and noble-minded widow. Perhaps we are entering upon a career in our national and ecclesiastical affairs, upon which many may put themselves forward, professing religion with vehement zeal; yet who will not scruple to betray their country and their king, and the highest interests of truth, piety, and morality, when their own selfish purposes shall seem likely to be promoted thereby. The study of that work, valuable also and most interesting as it is for its historical relations, may put pious men (who, being honest themselves, are not very ready to suspect others) on their guard, and may suggest many means of preventing evil and securing good.

the cause of God and man, better Homerton.
than the sparing of his own de-
licacy.

J. P. S.

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REVIEW OF BOOKS.

The Claims of Dissenters on the Government of the Country: a Letter addressed to the Right Honourable Lord Viscount Melbourne, First Lord of his Majesty's Treasury, &c. &c. By the Rev. Adam Thomson, A. M. Coldstream. pp. 136. Sro. London: Effingham Wilson. WE consider this publication as an important document. At any time it would command attention, on account of the valuable information which it gives respecting the Dissenters of Scotland; but at this time, when the boldest and most impudent attempts are made to depreciate the character and usefulness of Dissenters in that country, Mr. Thomson's letter to Lord Melbourne is peculiarly seasonable and acceptable. The writer has made out a clear case. He has brought considerations before his Lordship and the Government, which are of paramount importance, as affecting not only the question of a grant to the Scottish Establishment, but as bearing on the question of national churches in general.

There is, however, another reason which we have for directing the attention of our readers to this publication. It is a desire to excite a deeper interest in their minds respecting the struggle now going on in Scotland, between the friends and the enemies of the voluntary principle. Few of our readers can be unaware of the attempt now making by the Scottish Kirk, to obtain from Parliament a grant of public money for building and endowing churches. We all know the origin of the Church Commission, appointed to examine into the religious necessities of Scotland, and the spirit in which the

members of that Commission were condemned. But we fear that with all this knowledge we have not felt as we ought to have done. We have not sufficiently identified the cause of the Scottish Dissenters with our own. We have not contemplated the struggle, as parties. that must stand or fall with them. Let the Establishment in Scotland secure their object, by obtaining a grant from Parliament, while we stand aloof, and do not protest against the principle, as well as the application of it in this particular instance; and how can we object to a much larger grant for the religious necessities of England, which are greater than even those of Scotland.

Neither are we to forget, that the Dissenters of Scotland form a small body compared with those of England. They have at present the high church clergy, and the Tory press of Scotland, arrayed against them. All this they could successfully contend with and overcome, but they have also the Tories and the church party of England to contend with. Herod and Pilate are friends in attempting to force from Parliament a compulsory grant of public money. The proud prelate and the simple presbyter are now united on the common ground of an establishment; and, fas et nefas, they are determined to defeat the voluntaries. Success in such a scheme would indeed be a triumph, if it was obtained by our indifference. We have the power to prevent it. We have only to exercise our constitutional rights, and Government cannot persevere in committing such an outrage on

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