The Sun.
London, England, 1819-01-07 00:00:00

THE BIBLE.

MR. EDITOU,—As it has never been nay int-el-I-
lion to enter into a personal controversy 'on the
subject of Mr. BELLAMY'S New Translation of. the
Bible ; but only to point out, as far as my humble
appvehension extended, what T conceived to be
-bis errors, or those of kis admirer. ; and to cau-
tion the public against the unguarded reception of
a Work whicb, on some points, appeared to be of
a dubious, if not a dangerous, tendency; I, there-
fore, beg leave to address to you, my remarks on
-STACKHOUSB'S Letter to me, as inserted in your
Paper of the 2(1 inst.
Ist. T did not merely ask why STarxttou.ti in-
discriminately abused Mr. B's opponents, but
why he contented liimatif with so doiog, instead
of adopting " the more manly, and certainly more
philosophical msty!er of answering their argu-
ments." This he still declines doing. However
he may alfeet to despise them, till Ie do answer
them, they must he allowed to stand.
2d. From the second paragraph, STACKI-10t7sE
plainly in'immes that he intends to build his
Faith on Mr. BELLAMY'S interpretations, " llts
answer with me," STACKIVW.P says, " is deci-
., re." If he think Mr. B. less likely to be mis-
taken than St. Part. or St, JA74 Ks, who wrote
front inspiroliQn, but whom he yet thinks may he
" innocently mistaken," 1 eau only congratulate
Mr. R. on the power he h•ts obtained over his
Convert. The words, " because thou 'last not
ssithheld tby Son," &c. alone do not itnply a
" command;" but they imply, undoubtedly, ap-
proba,iou of ABRAH AM's ConiphanCe will! a pre-
vious command, as the whole context clearly proves.
16r. B's argument against our received interpre-
tation is drawn from his notion of such a command
being ir.consiitent with the Divine Nature. Su it
would be, had it brew intended as whet than is
Tyne a grv,tter Sacrifice to be after worth ojered
in the Fero'? of CHFlist. Upon 'd r. B's argu-
ment, the' cfore, STACKfioUsts's obrervation must
fall to the ;;round ; as tile same Divine Essence
never could have hetn pleased at a freewill offering
of such a nature, in which light STacmiouse pro-
fesses to cooader it.

3 I must beg leave to consider thris Sec-
tion as a rather awkward mod:• of waiv-
ing arguments ‘vhich he cannot meet. Mr.
work has been cens►►red "at its birth,"
from his endeavours to do away the meaning of
p,ilsnges which are of consequence to the Chris-
tian Faith; which have obtained in all ages; x\ hieh
the inspired Apostles (who surely knew Ts much
of Ilia matter as Mr. B.) have con6mttd, and
whole received inrerpretation Mr. B. his not
proved to be erroneous 4 though he has asserted it to
be so.

4. Is merely personal. As the passage stood,
it is something like Causistry to deny my charge.
'4 is said by SCSUTATOR, µ'lio appears t►,
know as little of the spirit of true Christianity
as any half-witted follower of a Methodist Preacher."
1 transcribe it from the letter now before me.
A fair inference is allowable that lam one. But
I have no wish to talk about myself.
5. If STACKHOUSR reps el►e►►d an ungentlemanly
tone in others, he bas no excuse for adopting their
language himself, which in very many epithets he
has done. The above is one instance ; I could
.paint out many more ; but this is again personal,
and has nothing to do tvi h the main question.
6. Philosophy has nothing to do with Religion
on prints purely of faith. On these only do 1
deprecate its reasonings. If STACKHOUSR deny
this, he must deny his faith, on which I defy hint
to reason, nnless he can reason on Divine mys-
terits. If we believe only what we can c0u,:,1 c-
bend, our faith NM be as limited is our faculties.
Our very existence is a mystery to its. As far as
morality is concerned, i e. th practical part of
}feligion, 1 always agreed with STacy.nousz.
I never s i'l, or could seem to inter, that
" Christianity iticuleates only moral obligation."
I thank Smox.nouss for the information which
follows this remark, which I learnt at school,—
but he may observe, it be turn to my letter, that
I objected this doctrine to him, when 1 •aid, that
it this were the case," the Heathen and the Chris-
tian would be so tar on a par,''—when, admitting
with him that CHRIST taught morality " in purity
and beauty." I added, " but did CHRIST teach
only morality ?"—and also, " if STACKHOUSB
view his Saviour only as a moraLteacher, I shall
know in what class of Christians to rank him."

7. Philosophy, I do say, has made men
Atheists ; but " cannot make them Christians."
The manner in which I prove it STACKHOUSB
►foes not notice.—lt may, perhaps, make them
Christians as far as morality goes, hot no farther,
and if so far only, they will not be Christians at
all. The doctrine of CHRIST inculcated much more
than morality. Had that alone been his object,
why should he have suffered for mankind, to pur-
chase their redemption by his blood? STACKHOUSB
should be cautious in saying' what is, or is not,
Christian doctrine. The Established Church,"
which he professes to uphold, would not receive
his te:aituouy if he deny what I here advance;
Dor will the Scriptures, on which alone its doc-
trines are built, bear him out in such an as-
sertion.

8. No Christian would use such arguments, if
he thought twice. They are beneath answering,
and prove, from STACKHOUSE'S own words, that his
faith embraces only what he thinks he can com-
prehend. Ergo—it does not embrace the scheme
rf man's redemption, from the Incarnation, down-
ward.r. which certainly passes all human " undcr-
standing !"
9. As a man, the same power that made SO-
CRATES, also made CHRIST. But CHRIST eXiSted
from the beginning with the Father. His assmrip-
tion of the human nature was, " as 1 am taught
to believe," miraculous. STACK HOUSE, perhaps,
does not believe it. His comparison is not jut"
in any point of view I had almost said, it is
blasphemous. SOCRATES died, the victim of a
barbarous mandate ; and died, indeed, greatly.
Cuttt,T died " for the sins of the whole world;"
a sacrifice ordained from the beginning ; of which
cbe whole Jewibla dispensation is more or less figu.

Tative. Will STAC'iIiOUSZ dare -to Assert that
CH UST alld SOCRATES " (lied in the same
Cause !! !" " Beyond morality," lie continues,
" a belief in the divine author of all Nature, all
Worlds, and all that therein is) with a belief in his
ovidence, I call religion." Is this ALL ? if so,
it is the creed.of a Deist, not of a Christian; and it
has so much " to do with Mr, BaLLAstY's Trans-
lation of the Old Testament," that if this be time
belief to which it lead, it leads to undisguised So-
cinianism. Is STACK HOUSR " answered yet ?".

40. This paragraph leaves my argument precise-
ly where it was. STACK-HOUSE has given his
meaning in the followioL4 words : " No one can
judge whether Moses, and the inspired Writers,
wrote down the exact worth which were revealed
to them " As an observation it is puerile; as an
argument it would do Mr. BRLL AM Y more harm
than good. If "no one can judge," how should
Mr. B. judge Mr. B. tries to prove our Trans-
lators wrong, because their interpretation would
lead to a conclusion which he is disposed to doubt.
STACKnotiSE ',VFW+ to imply, that Mr. B. may
also find our that Moses and the inspired Writers
were wrong !
I I. STACK HOUSE'S disclaimer of Btauornmus
as a referee, is not upon reason, but upon general
and unsupported assertion. A " mechanical Re-
ligionist," as he terms him, he has said what his
opponents may find it hard to answer. At least he
seems little inclined to try.
Thns, Sir, I have endeavonred to reply, as
briefly as possible, to STACKHOUSE's Letter to me;
I will only add, that I reply with nu personal ill-
will to him, or any mini. individual. It is only
the argument I attack ; not the man. In pers.,nal
controversy I wt.l not engage, My object ia to
point out what may seem to hale a dangerous
tendency in Mr. litiLLAmY'S work, or in the writ-
logs of his supporters. I have advanced my vt
arg,ninvtita—they have been waived, not answered.
Al,(1 it STACK nOUSEI think to identify the cause
which 1 sappor•, with that of " Faithsters" Fre-
(fuenters nt " I abernaeles," " Spiritual Ranters,''
&c. I think) from the whole tenor of his argu-
ments and assertions, I shall be fully justified if
I rank him among the followers of SOCINUS.—If
Mr. IiELLM‘IY.S book he deserving of support, the
patrouoge which it received, ere it saw the light',
will not be withdrawn upon its birth.—lf, on
the contrary, it should appear to have a tendency
hostile to the faith which we profess, a faith
built upon the Gospel, and sanctioned by the
wiatiom of at let the Guardains of that faith
look well to their charge.

Jan. t, 1819.

1 am, Sir,
Your most obedient Servnnt,
SCRU'J'ATOR.•

* We must repeat that this Correwondent is not the person
who writes, under the same signature, on The Insolvent
Debtors' Act.

THEATRICAL REGISTER.
Per Last A'ight.
TintATRE noYAT., DRURY-LANE.—(6O time), Flodden Field:
Principal Characters by Mr. H. Nemble and Mrs. W. West.
After which (Ist time), The Silver Arrow.
THEATRE ROYAL, CoYENT-GARDEN.—The Twelfth Night:
Sir Andrew Aguechvek, Mr. W. Farren ; Viola, Miss
Brunton. After which (10th time), Harlequin Munchausen.

TO CORTIE•PON DENTS.
EtcLtsis ANCILICANCE PR 3BYTEN,To-morrorr.

PRICE OF STOCKS
nos DAY AT TIVE.I.Yr o'cLocK.
Bank Stock 267} 5 per Cent. Navy Ann. 10541
3 pet Cent. Red. 78i4k Bank 1.. Ann....... 20 1-16th
3 per Cent. Cons. 7744 India Bonds .955. 935. pl.
3} per (*cot Erni E,xeli. Bills, 2d... 18s. 20s. pr.
4 per Cents. ....9.54111 Cons. for Account......79ia

ARRlvaio-1 Dohlin, t France, 1 Malta.
DUE-2 Waterford, 3 Sweden, S Haniburgh.

111tH WATF.R AT LONDON BRIDGE TOMORROW.
Morning, 34 minutes alter 11. Evening, 57 minutes after 11.

THE SUN.

lOLEM (ls DICERE ITALSUM AUDF:AT

LONDON,
THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1819.

We received this morning the Paris Papers of
Monday last. The following are Extracts
" PARIS, JAN. 4 —The King received yester-
day Deputations from the different Courts, and
the Tribunal of Commerce of Paris, who paid
their respects on the occasion of the New Year.
The French Academy and the Royal Society of
Agriculture also paid their respects.

" The Duke of Gloucester dined at the Tbuil-
leries on Saturday with the King and the Royal

" The King received yesterday the Amhasse-
dors, Ministers, Marshals, and several Peers and
Deputies.
" IYr learn from Bordeaux the 30th ult, that a
Cabinet Courier, who left Madrid the 24th in the
morning, and passed through the foimer city in
the night of the 27th, has contradicted all the re-
ports which have been spread by malevolence re-
specting Spain and her Colonies ; the most per-
fect harmony prevailed in the capital. A few
days previously the tete of the Queen was cele-
brated in the most solemn manner. No credit is
therefore given to the reports which have for
some days been in circulation respecting the in-
ternal state of Spain.
"'Tie new Minister of Finance has re-appoint-
ed M. Jourdan Cashier of the Treasury.

" Eight considerable failures have been de-
clared within these few days at Paris.
Marguerite Reinaud, widow of Ferranti,
born at Aix (Bunches de Rhone), died on the
27th ult. at Toulouse, aged 117.
" CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec. 4.—We expect here,
witl► great impatience, tLe arrival of Abdallab,

the late Chief of the Weelialii.es• The
Seignior has caused to be made a peculiar kind
of car to exhibit him and his family to the peo-
ple on their passing through the streets. The
fate reserved for this prisoner may he anticipated.
The Sultan has granter! large rewards to the Vice-
roy of Egypt, his Son, and his brave Army.
" VIENNA, DEC. 24.—The Emperor of Russia
is said to have promised to return here next
Spring.
" FRANKFORT, DEC. 27.—The Committee as-
sembled here, consisting of the Ministers of the
four Allied Powers, will only be occupied at pre-
sent with the final arrangement of the affkeire of
Bavaria and Baden.

" VIENNA, Disc. 24.—The Emperor of Russia
quitted this capital yesterdsy a, four it, the morn•
ing, to return to Russia. His Imperial Majesty,
Who travels incoviito, will proceed by Brunn,
Ohnutz, Tesehen, Tanwer, &c.

" ItAsTADT, Dgc. 29.—1 t is said, that the
Court of Bavarii, not satisfied with the
indemnities awarded at Aix-la-Chapelle for the
loss of some of its provinces, means to address
new reclamations to the High Allied Powers."

New York Papers to the 1 lib Dec. arrived tbk

morninv.
(From The Yew Y0,•,4 Ererilng Past of flu: 7th.)
CONGRESS, Dec. 3.—The following Nie•sage
was received from the President of the United
States