The Sun.
London, England, 1824-02-07 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GLASGOW CHRONICLE.

Sift—f have perused the last letter from Mr.
OWEN, published in your Paper of the 20th inst., with much
pleasure; and only wish that he could have confined himself
in all his previous notices of religion to such expositions.
Mr. Owen, Sir, has shewn in wine degree, though by no
means to the extent that the demonstration might be carried,
the coincidence of the precepts of christianity with the proposed
New System ; and 1, on my part, am prepared to contend,
that the present state of things is utterly .inconsistent with
them in the very essentials.

It is the peculiar privilege of truth to be concise and clear—
this is also the case with the Christian doctrines, which are
fully comprised in the two commandments; " Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and
with all thy strength, and thy neighbour as thyself." It is there-
fore by this criterion that the state of things, both past and
present, among the various professions of Christianity, must
submit to be tried.

In treating the two points above named, I shall endeavour
to " suit the'word to the word" by rendering the discus-
sion proportiorately brief to the subject matter of it, and
with this view to the fitness of things, and also, because I
deem no reasoning necessary to prove that facts, where
they can be produced, are in all cases preferable to argu-
ments.

I proceed to demand, in reference to the first commandment,
and without the fear of contradiction, whether the love of mam-
mon has not prevailed over the love of God in every Christian
age* and country since the dayst of the first disciple down to
the present hour ; and whether there are any symptoms, either
in the •existing state of the nations professing Christianity, or in
any admitted view of things in prospect, progressing on the
same system, which authorize even the hope of alteration. Will
the Missionaries, if they render all the Ilindoos and Hottentots,
and Otaheitans as perfect Christians as we are, preserve them
from our predominant rage, for the accumulation of wealth anal
the worship of it when acquired ?
I insist on it, that the actual congregations of mankind—l do
not call them Societies—are, and eter will be found, whilst
they remain, incompatible with that abstraction from self-in-
terest, and that sufficient leisure from the affairs of the world
which are necessary to enable human beings to devote that
due portion of time, and that concentration of mind, to the con-
sideration of the divine attributes which are so justly demanded
from them.

The monastic institutions, whilst they act up to the spirit of
their vows, carry the principle too far in one direction, with
practice against the course of nature ; but the general state
of the lay world, at every period, has shown quite as great
a deviation from it in the other, and is just as much at variance
with a true system of human association, and with the perfect
love of God. _ _

It is not the failure, but the accumulation of illustrations,
which induce me to pass to the consideration of the second
commandment :—And here let me ask at once at what era of
the Christian church, since the times of the miracles, it has
happened that this law of " loving our neighbour as ourselves"
has not been a dead letter ?
Leaving the consideration of past times, however, for that of
the-present, which is what we are principally concerned with, let
amid thus
atmosphere for ever surcharged
‘.t
Path of five times fifty thousand fires—
the greatest part of the inhabitants pass their lives' without
us look at the state of London, that largest aggregation of human
beings within the Christian world. In that overgrown, and still
grwiothwinthgel‘•
knowing or caring one jot about their next door neighbours, or
their neighbours about them ; yet enjoying one immunity
withal, through this very isolation, in being thereby exempted
from the scandal and detraction which prevail too certainly in
smaller places. I call the communities of bees and beaver's
societies, and not the congregations of mankind; and since So-
lomon
I dolomon sent the sluggard of ancient days to the ant for instruc-
tion,l smokee roy o 1
ai
fires—
is
not see why we should disdain to learn wisdom from,
her instinct in our times.
I maintain, Sir, that things cannot be mended under the
present chance arrangement of humane assemblages ; they have
no common plan, no adequate bond of union, nor sufficiently
combined Views for purposes of durable and extended peace,
and comfort, and conservation. Instead of mutual co-operation,
we are in a state of unceasing contention with one another, for
what each considers his just rights ; and it is utterly impracti-
cable for any individual singly to fulfil the divine precept,
unless like fleward, by sacrificing fortune, and health, and life
in the attempt, without any adequate or satisfactory attainment
of the object of it,
Of all the different sorts of our religion, I think it will not
be denied that the Quackers have come nearest, both to the
letter and spirit of the commandment in question ; but I doubt
they will themselves admit that the fulfilment is not only im-
perfect, even within their own pale, but that they have no pros-
pect whatever, under the existing system, of attaining the uni-
versal extention of the principle enjoyed in the parable of the
good Samaritan.l-
- thus set forth the view I entertain of the utter in-
compatibility of the present state of things with genuine Chris-
tianity, I will endeavour, with your leave, to demonstrate, in
a future letter the practability of uniting under the projected
New System, a far greater proportion and diffusion of the com-
forts and enjoyments of life, than are attainable under the Old
—a point of view which, I believe, most people will be obliged
to confess to themselves to be quite as interesting as any part
of the jubject whatever.—l am, Sir, dm
Jan. 29,1924.

11. J.

"I imagine the spirit and conduct of the Crusaders will
hardly entitle them to be regarded as exceptions : they formed
too but a small portion of the population of Christianity.
t Their favourite and praiseworthy project of Negro eman-
cipation, which, from having seen much of the West Indies, I
am well aware of the necessity of to the cause of humanity and
justice, can to no way be so certainly advanced, as by the pre-
valence of the New System.

The proposed trial in Dalzell parish of Mr.
OWEN'S System is at length fairly commenced.
A number of workmen are constantly employed
in spade labour, digging and levelling the ground.
Every one that chooses gets constant employ-
ment at 10s. a week, which, at this season of the
year, is a great benefit to labourers. Mr. OWEN
was personally present on Friday, superintend-
ing the operations, and receiving estimates for
the building of the houses of the new es ta blish-
ment.—(Glasgow Chronicle.)

EMBEZZLEMENT AT DRURY-LANE THEATRE.-
John Jordan, a private box keeper at Drury-lane Theatre, was
brought up to Bow-street Office yesterday, charged with de- •
frauding his employer, Mr. R. W. Elliston, of 21.25. On Friday
night last a gentleman of the name of Turner went with a party
of ladies to Drury-lane Theatre, and applied otr the King's side
for a private box, but was informed that there was not one on
that side, except in the second tier. He was advised to try on
the Prince's side, and was let through the house to save the
trouble of going round. He there saw the prisoner, who said he
could put him into the Duke of Gloucester's box. Mr. Turner
thought this would be more expensive than any other, and ask-
ed what he should have to pay? but the answer was, " any, thimg
you please, Sir." The prisoner requested him net to bring the
party through the house—he had a reason for it he said, but take
them round to the door in Vinegar-yard. This was done, and
in a few moments the party found themselves snugly seated in
the Duke of Gloucester's box. Mr. Turner gave the prisoner
two guineas. In the book the following morning there was this
entry—" Duke of Gloucester's box, four persons," but no
money was accounted for, and Mr. Elliston thought that the
party had come with his Royal Highness's ticket. It happened
however that Mr. Turner, upon reflection the next day,thought
there was something wrong in the matter, and he wrote to
Mr. Elliston, when of course the fraud was discovered._
Mr. Elliston stated, that by the terms of his agreement with
the Duke of Gloucester, the box belonged to his Royal High-
ness one week and to himself the other. It happened that the
last week was the Duke's week, and it would therefore be a
question whether the prisoner had defrauded him.—Sir R.
BIRNIE had no doubt upon the subject. The parties went
with the intention of paying Mr. Elliston for the use of a pri-
vate box, and by the trick of the prisoner that money was kept
out of the coffers of the Theatre.—The prisoner was remanded.

It appears by a letter from Long Island, New
York,dated the 19th of December, that the Rev.
Mr. COLTON, about whose disappearance th'are
has been so maul silly reports, has arrived in the
United States.