The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONI/ON, SATURDA 1, NOVEMBER, 21, 1810.

E BIBLE MONOPOLY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sir,—ln the Tinffs of phis morning, which has just
arrived here, a leading article, in defence of the Bible
monopoly appears, which cannot fail to call forth the
reprobalion of every man who rega:ds the free distri-
bution of the word of God as of the first importance to
the happiness and the peace of the wo:1d. In the
middle of last year, the Bible monopoly in Scotland ex-
pired, and you with your accustomed earnestness for
the public good, inserted in your paper the warrant
issued by the Crown, authorising any persons in Scot-
land to print and publish the Scriptures, and appointing
a Board or Committee to guarantee the purity of the
text from interpolation and error. That Board is com-
posed of the law officers of the Crown, and the mode-
rator of the General Assembly for the time being, two
divines, two laymen, and a Secretary, all of the Esta-
blished Church. Since the abolition of the monopoly,
the price of the Scriptures have been reduced in sonic
cases to nearly half their former cost to the public.
The Timcs of this morning attempts to throw ridi-
cule on a speech made at Liverpool, condemnatory of
the system which withholds "the bread of Heaven from a
famished world," and insists that it is not a matter of any
consequence whether a New Testament be sold for 7:1,d.
or Bd. The Board above-mentioned made a report
in June last, and, as their opinion is exactly as oppo-
site to that of the Time: :Is their reputation and
honour are above that of the leading Journal, 1 beg
your kindness to insert too extracts in junta-position,
one from the " Report of the Board of her Majesty's
Sole and only Master Printers in Scotland, June, 1810,
presented to both Houses of Parliament, by order of
her Majesty. London : printed by W. Closes and
Sons, 14, Charing-cross, for her Majesty's Stationary•
office," and the other from the Times of this day :
The Times, Nov. *2O, 1810. Report of Scotch Board,

June, 1.40.
"We utterly deny that any "It is not merely a ivies-
further lowering is to be de- lion as to the amount of re-
sired. We do not wish to see duction, by the effects of corn-
the Sacred writings so far re. petition, though even in this
duced in price as to be the respect it is far from being
cheapest thing that the Infidel undeserving of attention, but
or Socialist. can buy for waste whether a vast number of in-
paper purposes. Already, the dividuals arc, or arc not, to be
two great Societies have so far put in possession of the Sacred
lowered their prices, that the Scriptures. In this way, a
street-sweeper can possess him- very small diminution of price
self of a copy—if he has hut acquires a magnitude and Um-
the inclination—out of a single portance -essentially cliiThrent
week's savings. Whether the from what can be predicated in
price of a school Testament respect of any other article of
shall be 7,141. or Bkt., or that sale. The difference of a single
of a llrgc Bible 4s. 3d. or penny in He of a Bible
utterly deny to 1:w determin , dear after s. ear,
a matter orty cf the na- vite,ther the v.-ord of God
tional attention." or is not, to 'enlighten aed
glad en thous=id,3 of

The Boari further report that English Bibles can
now be bought in Scotland at from t2O to 30 per
cent, cheaper than they could he purchased in Eng-
land previously to the expiry of the former patent, and
that there cannot be a doubt, from the number of edi-
tions of the Scriptures which are in preparation, that
Bibles and Testiments will be sold for half the price
they were sold at during the continuance of the nionodoly.
The man who is so sunk in moral and religious feeling,
whose mind is brought to the conclusion that it is unim-
portant whether a poor man pays nd.or for a Testa•
ment for his family, must be an object of pity, even though
he believes the unhappy proposition ; but what shall be
said of the man who knows, or ought ti know, that the
New Testament, under the system which no .v ob-
tains in Scotland, is sold, not for 71d. or 81.,
but for 3d., and who uses the argument of
no difference between 73:d. and a penny more
kir the purpose of throwing dust in the eyes of those
who do not understand the subject, and checking the
distribution of the Word of Life without note or comment?

Depend upon it, Sir, the speech which has given so
much umbrage to the Times, the Bible Society, and
the King's Printer, will do infinite good, by having
rowed up the Thunderer to notice the subject—a
subject so plain that it has only to be mooted to be soon
understood ; and I venture to affirm that of the thousands
of readers, of whom the Timcs boasts, there is not one
friend to the distribution of the Bible, who will not see
through his transparent article. That man must have
attained the summit of arrogant self-importance and
delusion, who does not see that this article of his ex-
hibits the terror of his friends the Puscyites. on the
one hand, lest the Word of the Lord should have free
course and be g!orified, and his friend the King's Prin-
ter, who dreads the loss of his unholy gains.
I am, Sir, your obliged Servant,
A MEMBER OF THE BIBLE SOCIETY.
Ipswich, Nov. 20. 1840.

GREAT MEETING OF DISSENT-
ERS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE
IMPRISONMENT OF MR. W. BAINES.

(Abridged from the Leicestershire lliercury.)
On Monday evening a very numerous and highly-re-
spectable meeting of the friends of religious liberty,
called by the Leicester Voluntary Church Society, was
held in the New Hall Wellington-strcEt, in this town,
to take into consideration the steps to be pursued with
respect to the imprisonment of Mr. Baines-.
Mr. JOHN THOROGOOD, who had arrived in town
but a short time before, appeared on the platform, ac-
companied by Mrs. Thoragood, and was received with
enthusiastic and protracted cheering. After the tumult
of ,ipplAuke had subsided, he was moved into the chair.
Mr. THOROGOOD then rose amidst the most hearty
and continued cheering, and as soon as he could he
heard, addressed the meeting as follows :—My friends
and fellow-countrymen, it is under no ordinary circum-
stances that 1 appear before you. 1 hare just been I
to see our excellent friend Mr. Baines in his prison ;
but I feel great pleasure in knowing that he is not laid
in that place " as a murderer, or as a thief, or na an
evil-doer ;" but through the contrivances of rapacious,
and cruel, and tyrannical priests.—(Hear, hear, and
cheers.) It often gratified my heart, when 1 remem-
bered how kindly he sympathised, with me, when I was
lying in a damp and dreary dungeon. lam placed to-
night in a situation which 1 could not have wished ;
nevertheless, I could not refuse therequest of my friends
here, when my fellow-sufferer for conscience sake,
Mr. Baines, who treated me with so much kindness,
was l3ing within the walls of a prison. lam sure you
will excuse me. I ant not accustomed to address
public assemblies, and 1 have had very little intercourse
or communion with men whom I can commune with,
with satisfaction. There are friends around me who
will address you, and therefore I shall sly no store at
present.—(Cheers.)
The Rev. E. MIALL rose amidst loud cheering, and
stated that an invitation to attend the meeting had been
given by the Voluntary Society to the Members for the
borough, Messrs. Easthope and Ellis, and to that con-
sistent friend of religious liberty, Mr. Thomas Dun-
combe, M.P.—(Cheers.) It was with deep regret
that be had to state that Mr. Easthope was suffering
under severe indisposition, and could not therefore be
present.
Front Mr. Duncombe the following reply had been
received :

My dear wish it was in my power to be
with you on Monday evening, but unfortunately I have
engagements on that day which preclude the pessibility
of my being able to be present at your meeting. I
should like much to have witnessed that righteous in-
dignation which I am confident must be unversally felt,
and I have no doubt will be boldly expresFed by the
friends and fellow-townsmen of Mr, Baines, at this
fresh act of cruelty and intolerance which the Esta-
blishment has thought it expedient to perpetrate. But
after the encouragement and countenance which the
Lords Spiritual as well as temporal gave, during the
last Session of Parliament to the protracted persecu-
tion of poor John Thorogood by the Essex malig.
nanis, I confess that I
am not much surprised that
other bigots should take courage and do likewise. How
long this system is to last, I much fear must now de-
pend upon the energy and determination of the great
body 01 Dissenters themselves, for if you rely upon
the Government, or the House of Commons as at pre-
sent constituted, for redress, be assured you rely upon
a broken reed, which, as was well said," not only basely
fails, but also cruelly pierces the hand that rests upon
it." With best wishes, I remain, my dear Sir,
Your's very faithfully,
THOMAS DUNCOM BE.

The Rey. T. STEVENSON, proposed the first ,
reso-
lution, and bore the following testimony to Mr. Baines
character. The enemies and some of the pretended
friends of Mr. Baines, have been basely circulating the
report, that he is a man of extreme, vicious, and vio-
lent party feeling—an ambitious man, desirous of h,:ing
regarded as a martyr. I assure you, my respected
fellow-townsmen, that I have known Mr. Baines for
many years, and I feel hound thus publicly to state
that Mr. Baines is a man of sound and sober views and
feelings, both in polities and religion. 1 do not think
that 1 ever heard a violent expression escape from his
lips.—(hear.) I do not believe that a man of more in-
tegrity, and good sense, and modesty in the parish, ex-
ists, than my neighbour Baines.
The Rev. E. MIALL seconded the resolution in an
eloquent speech. We can only give a brief extract :
A few there will be, of necessity, whose little grovelling
minds never can sufficiently expand as to comprehend
the noble heroism displayed, when outraged conscience
sets at defiance the laws of man, and takes its higher
stand upon the law of God—a few will insist upon it,
that it is ridiculous for an individual will to set itself
above the will of the majority—a few who will stand
calmly by and see the domains of conscience entered
and its rights despoiled, and bless God that they
are not political—(Hear, and lnughter),—who be-
fore the Toleration Act would have sneered at the
at the davn of the Reformation would have held up
forwardness and obstinacy of John Runyan, and
their hands in pious horror at
inthe•violence of Martin
Luther—and who in every age, which principles have
been tried with fire, would have sided with power
wielded in whatever country, and allied to whatever
creed.—(Cheers.) A few such men, Sir, may be found
amongst us—but they constitute not the great body
—nor can I believe that their influence will avail in this
instance to smother the voice of public indignation,

No, Sir, I have confidence in the right feeling and en-
ergetic action of Dissenters in this case—a confidence
based on reasonable grounds. I look at their ances-
try, I read their history, I hear their professions, I
examine their principles, and I find in them ail a
gurantce for sympathy and exertion. They boast,
cor vainly boast, of their nonconforming forefathers,
who resisted ecclesiastical imposition in matters in-
volving a far less important principle than CArch-rates,
and who, rather than yield up the rights of conscience,,
even at the demand 'of law, were content to sufl,2r
indignities, at the very recollection of which hu-
manity shudders.— (Cheers.) I ask, can men be
proud of such an ancestry and yet be allay want-
ing in this spirit ?—I read the history of Dissenters—
I find that liberty both civil and religious, when driven
from every other corner of the earth, has always found
among them an asylum and a home.—(Hear, hear.)
I hear the professions of Dissenters and examine their
principles.
ritual affairs ey repudiate
affairs---the,,,
declare
ethatStatei interferencen
religion
tli with
ey know
no master but Christ—own no allegiance but to Him—
and denounce as impious assumption the claims of any
earthly Government to fix the creed of their subjects
Now William Baines of Leicester is just actieg out
their principles, just living up to the mark of their pro-
fessions, adding another page of glory to their history,
imitating that conduct and displaying that noble spirit
i(*.lir u
ciaitiste.)
their ancestors they point to with exultation.—
I defy any man to be a consistent ad-
mirer of the one who sloes not cordially sympathise
with the other. I challenge any gainsayer to lay
his fiver upon the difference between the prin-
ciples acted upon by the two parties. What was
right in them cannot be wrong in him—if he be
condemned they are involved in his condemnation—in
both cases the contending is for freedom of conscience
—in both the law of man is set at nought—in both
there is cilia), patient, and unmurmuring endurance—
and there must be some intellectual and moral obliquity
in that mind which can laud to the very heavens the
heroism of a former age, and yet find nothing but a
sneer for John Thorogood and William Baines.—
(Hear, hear.) Up, I beseech you, sons of the Non-
confOrmists, up and be doing—(Enthusiastic cheer-
ing) awake from the slumber of these later
days arouse yourselves. for auction summon
your aslemblics—record your resolutions—manfully
avow. your . solemn determination tell the Le-
gislature, in a voce like that of many waters, that you
will be their butt and scorn no longer—lay aside all
petty jealoudes—give to the winds all little and low-
born fears. Unite—deliberate—determine—lod !hen
53r,:0y itself ,0411 before yon
---the pr;•,,,) dnerc will fly orie end sly; c;,ptiv,
9,e f,q,h frr

The Rn. :.ill.. uin cd reso-
lution anti concluded thus t—The very feet of an Esta-
blisioncnt supposes injustice and degradation to one part
of the (mm 111111143,, and its inevitable tendency, so far as
the spirit of the age will allow, is to every species of ty-
ranny and cruelty. No reform or alteration of it can ren-
der it other than a system of oppression and wrong. IN' c
are opposed to it in every one of its Proteus forms, on
religious grounds, on moral grounds, on social and poli-
tical grounds. We bcliere it to be anti-Christian in its
principles, anti-social in its operations, deserving' the
hatred and malediction of God and man. It has " been
tried in the balance and found wanting." It is radically
bad—irremediably vicious ; it reeks to heaven. If I
may be permitted to repeat the reported saying of the
great celebrity of our living essayists—" it reeks to hea-
ven, and only pleases the nostrils of the prince of the
power of the air."—(Great cheering.)
The Rev. T. Alai's seconded the resolution and ex-
pressed his firm conviction that the established episco-
pacy of this country is essentially tyrannical and perse-
cuting. Our only hope is in our own energies. it
• must be ours to restore the Church to the position in
which God himself' did place it, sustained by his throne,
and obedient to his high commend. There must
be an entire separation of the Church from the State ;
the system is radically wrong ; no reformation can re-
may the evil. Established episcopacy has always
been persecuting. With her money is every-
thing.
but her money she holds most tenaciously. When
~Lncas o elay go—her ritual may go—
t took with him his family end
his household
doctrines(o,di,sr—oy t
i hine
thin
gs he loved best. Alen
of Leicester—Fellow countrymen, you must awake—
you must arouse yourselves, or you will be traitors to
your country—traitors to your principles—traitors to
your God. You must be prompt and 'decisive in your
movements, that there may be a speedy and an entire
separation of the Church from the State, that she
„may
no longer tyrannise over the consciences of men and
insult heaven.—(Applause.)
The resolutions being put from the 'chair, were.unani-
mously carried, and the meeting broke up.

IMPRISONMENT OF MR. WIL-
LIAM BAINES FOR NON-PAYMENT OF
CHURCH-RATES.

cic
c the Isvirci•tr
scric;uutryni)t 9
About half-past one, Mr. Dent, the Sheriff's officer, en-
execution.
On Frida(yl,:rtohme It3hethr,
tered Mr. Baines's shop, and seeing him there, desiredto speak with him in private. He then said that he
had at last called to execute the long-expected writ.
Mr. Baines immediately said, " My intention has been
from the first, and remains unaltered, to let this case
take its course, and to suffer imprisonment. I ask no
favour, but 1 deem it my duty to inform you, that I
am hourly expecting my wife's confinement." The i
officer expressed with some feeling, a wish that he had
known it before, but declared that it was out of hit
power to suffer Mr. Baines to go out of his presence.
Meanwhile Mrs. Baines and a friend who had en-
gaged to dine with the family on that day at two
o'clock, begun to wonder at the cause of his absence,
and laughingly, in entire ignorance of what had taken
place, surmised that he might be gone to goal. His
ucontinuederabsence,esi gad ion
ntl
(Into
leovt
i:vret shop,
co
orn
pem,
aennr(iyin
ascertaining
gentlemanietthhrettahieni
nst,trhifra
t,
officer, he called on Mr. Dads, and afterwards hastened
back to Mr. Baines' house,
and cautiously commis-
nicated the intelligence to Mrs. Brines. Although
taken by surprise, she heard of the event with calm-
ness—calmness that nothing but high-toned principle
could inspire.

jo‘isn'tell'elhbys,
prisoner' in
lelobcc;kati.otvhle.e'n,,S,i.tal.:nf
our
to five
Church Society Selaoscetis.e. et; i ng' met the
arrange C onunlint rteael
was
spsaouis(f)hrliteilleolen.omfirVeneoetltii:,ing,ta3nordn
we
b eliPayerso,e , woctremosmost
offeredof forthe Aniri.s.,Benaitninegs and
Chapelsltis fi,ountilhse,
town on Sunday. On that day, his
pr%ivl
oi furent,eghgomaeth‘,oacdveithd‘,plinh.tttee,o.,hodmtnali)osrnnite,hrid(oisnitoni,litit,tr,.eihh;hectiiilriohoenhee_s
aan(diaeuogthigteergatlinoaiesntehiea,i at ts:ctes:do' Bond-street orasi
gnont
!di( :is:,
school-room
iniir':lecooyeormtlec-
commend
Chapel,ontnrombqineuer attached
:d
alCALbtrea.irpi yßet'ltihoi:se'caGsssoethwiv.ronged, and earnest prayers were put up
to
,God t
boon
publichi s
meeting
on
tniriig.Aofl
itgofAeosairftosoorptdi.uiecal
redrc3,
Monday,
, il,ci,t.toefoo.rerlettrov:p3ll,:a.,
n(e.oss,
IttreulaKeansgdl,,ai,rninperellgodurro..cedbld:
trsairosellltlooedhncn:i
ttilatehtlaiirnlait,toln,teionee,asgislts:s.tenztclsidnoe.
idmuttiriltotitheireAliisesiii)rl,eß:awsAgaechinee,iu.rdncs
jelsto..oabtnpnlyti,:ee.iitnhpsecurdibsjoia,nieteri
"11. should
to Mr. Baines on behalf of the meeting, and the Dis-
senting ministers were requested to act as a deputation,
with Mr. Thorogood, the Chelmsford victimib,iostuctre:atnri;r:
their wishes into effect. The friends of Mr. Bathe;
were, at the same time, invited to testify their
respect
for him, and the cause for which he suffered, by joining
ceitiniricsirla,e(l);aipsbtusioile;nll
til,chpli.opreiurdsorociiiyie:eresras:ir:sinceoltfi‘tcoolai
n..zoteg,hc,
brothers followed. The Dissenting ministers with Mr.
I,‘litoutrtesirieeei interested : eurdat,o_, The partv
, throu,ol the
tmhTouohnvodertriohiegedooongd,gecamegentlemen,
sent
neT,xe
itri,,,e,, andwa
itiusli
Market-place, up Mariet-street, and
withh t
the prisoner. No
i;ad-
missionissootionfqN.Aliri.oßis,ttionressp'
present to
severalt visit
stiht,er
sooner hatd they entered than, the throng;
; without sent
up to the skies three hearty cheers for Air. Baine4, aisd
then presented sen
admitt7cl
oinf
then peaceably spparated T.OO deputation proceeded
public meeting,gentlemen who
towe tr.loie
speedily
di)n,
succeeded in gaining an entrance. Mr. Thorogood, as
Leicester County
ssipleeenceici),(htiisleeMmoet:noonrSiableing too
"Werfl
to Mr. 13itines. Mr. Mursell
read it :
the Chairman of the
payment of Church-rates.
, ,;_iend and Fellow-Townsman,We, the
Respected t r
Fberty of th
friends of religious , . , c town and vicinity of
Leicester, in public meeting assembled, beg to express
our indignant reprobation of the outrage dmie to the
cause of religious liberty,
thy your imprisonment for thu
non-payment of Church-rates.
With the utmost cordiality, we tender to you, and to
T°G\a‘o'ill,lifaomr non-payment
the members of your family,i and
earnest expressions of
sympathy and condolence,,n our fervent hope that
gloom of a prison, you
amidst themay enjoy the high
and sacred satisfaction resulting_ from a consciousness
that you have done your duty ; and that the sufferings
,ou endure in consequence of your firm and unflinching
)inciple, will greatly promote the ad-
vance of religious freedom.
We beg respectfully to record our unqualified admi-
' ration of the consistency, the fortitude, the undaunted
and unostentatious resolution with which you have borne
a persecution of nearly three years, and which you now
maintain even in bonds.
Be assure, I of our heartiest efforts for your honourable
release, and suffer us to express our conviction that from
this trouble, which you nobly bear for conscience sake,
11 crc long come forth triumphant.
you will
We remain,
Respected friend and fellow-townsman,
Your's most sincerely,
(Signed on behalf of the meeting.)
The high-minded prisonerlistencd, during the reading
of the address, with feelings which no effort could sup-
' press. At the conclusion, he replied as follows :

" Christian Brethren,—lt would indeed be bypocriiy
I if I were to tell you that I could do justice to my own
feelings in expressing the deep sense of your kindness
for this expression of your sympathy. I cannot refrain
from assuring you of the perfect and uninterrupted
tranquillity 1 have enjoyed from my first entering this
place. I have possessed a peace of mind which nothing
but a strict reliance on Almighty God could afford me.
Had I trusted to my own strength it would have as-
suredly failed. We arc told that the prayers of the
righteous will be heard and answered ; these I have
reason to believe have been offered at the throne of Grace
by hundreds of the best of human beings ; in addition
to which—in answer to my own repeated and fervent
petitions that I might receive divine support in the
hour of need—strength has been vouchsafed unto me in
a much greater measure than 1 could possibly have ex-
pected. In reference to my endeared parents it has
been to them a bitter trial, they having arrived at an
eve when the nervous system is not expected to retain
its more youthful vigour.
" But, my Christian Friends, I again thank you for
this token of your kindness and trust it is an event that
will never be forgotten by any of us:'
During the delivery of this reply to the memorial,
Mr. Baines spoke throughout as one whose heart was
too full for utterance, and when making a transient al-
lusion to his family, he was, for a moment or two, over-
powered by his emotions. The scene was now one of
the most touching that can he imagined. High admi-
ration of the firmness and unbending principle of the
prisoner was blended with sympathy with him for the
wrongs he endured. It was felt that united prayer would
be appropriate—and Mr. Thorogood was requested to
offer supplication to the Most High. This he did in a
manner so simple, in tones so touching, in a strain so
fitting the occasion, and in a spirit of meekness and kind-
ness so lovely, that every man in the assembly felt sub-
dued. At the close of the prayer, the prisoner—re
quested the company to sing, and gave out himself,
" Praise God, from whom all blessings flow," which was
sung with the utmost feeling. The company then shook
hands with the prisoner and departed.