destitute of what they highly valued and earnestly desired. It is presumptuous in the extreme to say, that if people have no desire for reading, the posses sion of copies would avail nothing. Might not the possession of the book produce this very desire? Might not a transient glance into it discover something so suitable, so important and attractive, as would produce this desire? If persons have no desire for reading in a time of health, might they not feel a desire in time of sickness, and might not the possession of the Scriptures at such a season avail much? And though persons who had no desire for reading might neglect the book, though possessed of it, is it impossible that one who had such a desire should ever enter the habitation, or think of opening this precious book in the presence of those who undervalued and neglected it? And if any such should ever come in contact with these careless ones, and have access to the neglected book in their possession, might not their influence, recommendation, or example, reach conviction to their hearts? By this means might they not be led to perceive their folly and infatuation, in disregarding what it was so much their interest to mind seriously and with care? Might not some such occurrence as this produce in these persons the desire for reading, and for reading this book, in particular, which they are supposed to want? And if the desire for reading the Scriptures were once excited, the most beneficial results might be expected. But this gentleman, while he objected to one plan, was not so ungenerous as not to propose another. He observed, that it would be preferable to promote schools. And did this gentleman, in the plenitude of his wisdom, or rather, of his presumption, suppose that the Bible and Missionary Societies are the patrons of ignorance? Have they not promoted schools, and have not their exertions led to the formation of other societies, for this very purpose? Nor must these other societies for patronizing schools, be looked upon as rival institutions to the Bible and Missionary Societies, but as able and active coadjutors to their plans, and not only primarily suggested by them, but generally patronized by the friends of these very institutions, which have excited in this gentleman so much alarm, and given him so high offence. Had this gentleman taken the trouble to inform himself of what was actually going on, he might have found that his own sage suggestion was a day too late, and wholly uncalled for, as it was a recommendation to these societies to do the very thing they were already engaged in doing. The gentleman might have found, if he had only inquired, that at every Missionary station, the establishment of schools is a prominent part of their plan, and that the communication of education to the heathen population around them, and especially to the young, by means of the erection of schools, is never lost sight of by them for a moment. This gentleman might also have known, had he inquired as he ought, that the British and Foreign School Society is extending its system of education by schools, while the British and Foreign Bible Society is generally engaged in aiding their toils, by liberal supplies of Bibles for the schools which they establish or patronize. His preferable plan, then, has been already adopted, and his silly ob◄ jection is destitute of foundation. Besides, on this gentleman's own showing, his objection should never have been heard of. For the object of the Bible Society is good; only, as he thinks, his plan is better. But surely, though the promoting of schools might be preferable, it would not be right for the sake of this plan to lay aside the other, which is no way inconsistent with it. Surely, this gentleman himself being judge, it would be better to promote both plans than to give up any of them. But though this gentleman proposes a plan, and recommends it as a superior one, which plan, at the same time, happens to be adopted by the very persons whose other plans he very inconsiderately and inconsistently condemns, since the plans are both good, and perfectly harmonious, and strictly compatible with one another; yet he is not willing to let the Bible Societies alone, without making another desperate attempt to wound them. "Dif fusing the Scriptures," said he, "is nowhere enjoined." So that, ac cording to him, these societies are acting without warrant and without authority. But I would ask this scribe, who says that diffusing the Scriptures is nowhere enjoinéd, for what purpose he supposes them to have been written? Does he suppose, that it was merely that they might serve as a literary curiosity, to be placed in the cabinets of the curious, or locked up in the libraries of the learned? If these writings were communicated for the benefit and instruction of mankind, then, doubtless, the diffusion of them must be a duty incumbent on all the servants of the Most High. And the fact of their being communicated by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, implies in it an injunction to diffuse them, and confers an obligation on all who enjoy the gift, to assist in communicating it to others. Does this preacher not know that the Lord our Saviour gave his Apostles a commission to diffuse his Gospel universally, and to continue this service in succession to the end of time? Does he not know that this commission has ne< ver been repealed, but remains in force to this day, and will remain in force to the end of the world? How does he think that this commandment can now be complied with? It cannot be complied with by the Apostles in person, but it can be executed by those who have obtained like precious faith with them. And when the servants of God go every where preaching the word, how are they to conduct themselves? Are they to go to the nations which know not God, without proper credentials of a divine commission, or something equivalent to an authenticated commission, namely, an accredited document, containing their commission? In the first way, it were great presumption for any now to go to the heathen, and very absurd would the pretence now be of any to such power; for the apostles are long since dead, and the age of miracles ceased with them, and their immediate disciples and followers. But, in the second way, the people of God are still commanded, and bound to labour to spread the Gospel, and to do so with the Scriptures in their hands, as the ground of their doctrine, as well as the proof of their authority. And they ought to give the Scriptures to the people, to enable them to examine and judge for themselves, and that they may increase in knowledge and in comfort. We may, perhaps, prosecute the subject at some future period. URIEL. Kirkden. TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTOR. SIR, Among the rumours, well founded and ill founded, that prevailed in our city during the late gracious visit 1 of his Majesty to the metropolis and kingdom of Scotland, I heard the following one: It was said that a proposition was made to his Majesty that the senior dean of the chapel royal should act as clerk of the closet on the occasion of the king's attendance on divine worship in the High Church; but that the king, for some reason or other, dispensed with the services of the senior dean. Now, Sir, whether this rumour be true or false, is of little consequence; but it suggests, I think, a question worthy of investigation. What are the rights or privileges of the deans and chaplains of this said chapel royal? Had the senior dean, or any other member of that body, a title to enter the High Church, on any authority, and to act there, in any capacity, as a clergyman, without the leave of the ministers of that church first asked and obtained? I am a minister of the church of Scotland, and cannot help being of opinion that the proposition alluded to cuts at the root of a fundamental principle in the constitution of our Presbyterian establishment. I wish, therefore, that some light were thrown on this point by some person, who has better opportunities of investigating the subject than my remote parochial residence allows me to possess, The chapel royal appears to me to be altogether an anomalous appendage of our establishment-and in no respect recognised by our laws or standards. Dean is certainly not a title which any of these sanction as the title of any of our office-bearers, nor do I recollect to have seen his duties or his prerogatives any where described. If you, Sir, or Dr. M'Crie, or Dr. Cook, would undertake the task of investigating this topic, I would look with confidence to some useful and desirable information being communicated. Indeed, I think that, totally independent of the ru mour referred to, the rights and privileges of the chapel royal is a matter of Scots ecclesiastical history curious in itself, and well deserving of expiscation and settlement. I am one of those who am quite ready to give the deans the honour that is due to them; but I am not disposed to relinquish unduly my claim to Presbyterian parity with them-and if the proposition to act as clerk of the closet was really made to his Majesty in favour of the senior dean, I humbly conceive that, if it had not been, as it is said to have been, resisted by his Majesty, this Presbyterian parity would have been violated. But having brought the case into your view, I leave it to your disposal, and remain, Sir, Your most obedient Servant, TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN Thoughts on Conversation. One of the most distinguishing qualities of man is the faculty of speech, which was bestowed upon him by his beneficent Creator for the noblest purposes; and yet it is a faculty which is oftener abused than any of his other powers. Hence, in all ages, the " government of the tongue" has formed an important part of the admonitions of the moralist and philosopher. In the Christian life there is no duty more worthy of serious thought than this, and there is no want of precept in the holy Scriptures, by which the Christian can regulate himself on this important subject. It was the prayer of the Psalmist that the Lord should keep the door of his lips," and also that "the lying lips should be put to silence." The Apostle James says that the tongue, that little member, "is a fire, a world of iniquity, an unruly evil, full of deadly poison," and he presses upon his brethren that those who wish to prove themselves "wise, and endued with knowledge," should be able to show, "out of a good conversation, their works with meekness of wisdom." With these authorities, which approve themselves to the common understanding of all, one would think the Christian was in possession of sufficient guides to the performance of this duty, and that other rules were unnecessary. Yet it is not so; and we may with confidence appeal to the experience of every man, or at least to the great majority of mankind, that there is no part of duty upon which they stand more in need of admonition and advice. The failure, too, is more occasioned by want of attention to what are the proper subjects of conversation, than from ignorance of the obligation to be circumspect in the choice of their subjects. I submit the following hints as to what should be considered important and profitable sources of conversation. 1st. Religious knowledge is one never failing theme for conversation, and, to a mind rightly disposed, has the greatest attractions. We have here the animating field of the nature of God-his holy attributes and perfections-his creation of the world-his manifestation of himself to its first inhabitants-his wonderful providence in watching over the rebellious and ungrateful people whom he made the instruments of handing down his laws to late posterity-and we have the more wonderful work of the redemption of the human race, from the consequences of their having wandered from him, and devoted themselves to sin-each of these, which are all "parts of one stupendous whole," admits of many collateral subjects-and in all of them we have an interest, so that there is here no lack of matter for enlightened and edifying conversation. But in case it be objected that this knowledge is merely theoretical, if not speculative, I would therefore mention, 2dly, That our moral duties should form the frequent subject of conversation. We know it was the practice of the early Christians to meet for the purpose of exhorting one another to the faithful discharge of their duties, and this practice is the subject of frequent apostolic admonition; and here, too, a wise and interesting field is laid open for our exercise. The duty of man as a member of the community in which he lives-his allegiance to the government to which he owes his protection and the duties of honesty, hospitality, and charity, which he owes to his neighbours, are subjects of great interest and importance; but there are the more particular duties of husband and wife, parent and child, master and servant, upon which it is not only interesting, but profitable, in no small degree, to interchange remarks with one another. Besides the positive good to be derived from such conversation, it is a subject of rational entertainment to enlightened parents to talk of the education of their children, and to hear of their progressive improvement in knowledge and virtue. Sdly. The arts and sciences form another very interesting subject for conversation. The progress of the human mind is more clearly traced in the history of science than in the history of metaphysics. The moderns have out of all sight surpassed the ancients in their know 1 ledge of physics and of the whole Jaws by which nature is governed. All that the ancients knew of electricity was, that a piece of amber when heated by friction, had the property of attracting light bodies; now it is shown by experiment that this fluid pervades the whole of nature; and this discovery enables us to explain many of the phenomena of nature which before were altogether misunderstood. In like manner, the ancients believed that the sky was an extended vault, and that the stars which twinkled there were lamps of crystal; now the divine science of astronomy has as certained with precision the laws which regulate the motions of the heavenly bodies, and these have given us such wonderful proofs of the power and goodness of the Deity as to add fervour to our devotion, and to verify what the poet has said that, "an undevout astronomer is mad." 4thly. General literature affords an inexhaustible fund of conversa tion. It is a decided improvement in our own days, that no person can act his part in respectable society, unless he be pretty generally ac quainted with the productions of the press. The facility of acquiring this knowledge is now remarkable, and is chiefly owing to the circulation of periodical works, which introduce to our notice every book of merit, the contents and purport of which we thus easily know, at little pains, and trifling expense; and when these monitors are kept free from party feeling, which unhappily can be introduced into any and every department of literature, they are of most essential benefit, and well deserving of public patronage. In this field, Mr. Editor, you have been no unimportant or unprofitable labourer. 5thly. History is another excellent subject for conversation. Perhaps, after all, histórical knowledge is the most profitable, certainly it is not the least prolific, of subjects for profitable discourse. He that is well acquainted with history may be said to have lived from the beginning of the world; and true it is that there is one people still before our eyes, whose history not only carries us back to the earliest ages, but affords us living evidence of the truth of our holy religion. I allude here to the history of the Jews, and venture to remark, that he who has made himself master of the history of this most interesting people, and yet remains sceptical of Christianity, must have not only a perverse mind, but a conscience seared as with a hot iron. But though there be in the history of the Jews a greater display of the miraculous power of God than in the history of any other people, yet the history of all nations proves the existence of a superintending providence. No doubt, much of the early history of the world is obscured by fable, and can give rise to fewer moral maxims than we can draw from that which is authentic; yet it is wrong to look back to the remote ages of antiquity for historical knowledge. The annals of our own country afford sufficient means for instructing us in the great truth, that " verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth." Besides this religious inference, the history of our own country gives to its scenery a charm from which strangers are wholly shut out. Who can walk over the fields where our heroic ancestors fought for the liberty of their unconquered land, without feeling in his bosom the glow of genuine patriotism? Or who can travel over the ground where our pious forefathers unflinchingly met their fate from the hands of their bloody persecutors, without having his devotion roused, and his faith strengthened, in the belief of |