To the Editor of the Christian Observer. On a subject in which so many are implicated as novel reading, I am surprised that only one champion on each side has as yet entered the lists. A. A. attacks all novels indiscriminately as causing a criminal waste of time, enervating the mind, and injuring the morals. Candidus generously surrenders to him the common farrago of circulating libraries, that is to say, all those tedious and insipid productions which are destitute of interest, pathos, or wit -all from which he could derive no gratification. He even condemns them to the flames with the zeal of an inquisitor, little thinking that his own productions were destined to experience a similar fate. But by this concession Candidus only proves his literary taste. For every work of genius, however faulty in other respects, he seems determined to shed the last drop of his ink. I was particularly disgusted at the tenderness with which he treats the works of Fielding and Smollett, works whose licentiousness seems

to demand a universal proscription. It is not possible to wade through the filth of such a slough, without contracting some pollution. I think indeed that Candidus has fully established against A. A. the possibility of the subservience of fiction to morality and religion. But as I differ both from Candidus and A. A., I think it right to state the grounds on which my own sentiments are founded.

The Almighty has gifted us with various powers physical and intellectual, and, amongst them, with imagination. All the rest have their

various uses and gratifications allowed by Divine Goodness: and I find no especial curse denounced upon this single faculty, except by A. A. In my opinion, to read a work of fiction (I always except the case of its being made a vehicle of immorality) is as innocent a gratification as to drink a glass of wine. It is very true, that an excessive love of works of fiction causes a criminal waste of time, enervates the mind, and therefore injures the morals. But the same may be said of an excessive love of a bottle of wine; yet it by no means follows, that Mahomet's entire prohibition was required by religion. I think imagination and taste faculties as innocent as reason; an exercise of the one as allowable as an exercise of the other. Our spiritual interests may be at least as much benefited by a beautiful work of fiction as by that much extolled science Mathematics; and I really do not perceive, how a person who has been receiving gratification from the splendid poetry of Southey is more criminal than he who, after spending many a thoughtful hour on Euclid's Elements and Peacock's Conic Sections, rises at length thoroughly convinced, that the square of an ordinate on the axis major of a hyperbola varies as the rectangle under its abscissæ ; and that the equation of the hyperbola, when referred to its diameter, is of the form

b2

y2=2 ax+x2x a2* I may be

in an error; if so, I only ask A. A. to point out my error perspicuously: I ask but for simple proof.

I should suppose that A. A. would not recoil with horror from Plutarch's Lives: (though some good judges have pronounced these little better than novels; I mean, in respect to their truth :) I would ask him in what respects Miss Edgeworth's "Ennui" is more objectionable. Would it tend more to enervate his mind, and to injure his morals? He may say, it is less instructive, I would ask him, whether it be more

useful to know that Brutus saw a vision before the battle of Philippi, than to know that Lord Glenthorne overcame his vis inertia?

If A. A.'s anathema on the pleasures of fiction, imagination, and taste, be generally received, it will be difficult to fix the bounds of our proscriptions. A novel in verse is as much a novel as a novel in prose. Homer, Virgil, Eschylus, Shakspeare, Dante, Ariosto, Tasso, Spenser, must all be swept from our shelves, with Campbell, Southey, Scott, Richardson, Edgeworth, Hamilton, and More. They may differ in the shades of their genius; but I know no argument which can be adduced, against the one, which is not applicable to the others. The Cartoons must be committed to the flames, and the Laocoön calcined into mortar. But I trust that no one in the. present age will attempt to destroy these finer pleasures of the intellect these nobler luxuries of the cultivated mind, to rob language of all its magnificence and grace, to strip nature of all the rainbow bues in which the glance of the poet invests her scenery, to forbid the fibres of the soul to throb with interest, melt with sympathy, glow with the noble energy of feeling, or suspend their motions for a moment, in a thrill ing pause of awe, while the deep tones of sublimity vibrate on the

sense.

I join heartily with A. A. in condemning an excessive love of works of imagination, as I would condemn an excessive love of any of the objects or occupations of this fleeting world. But I consider them as a recreation of a high order. They may often convey useful instruction. Miss Edgeworth has made the present age more acquainted with the manners of the lower Irish than any tourist could have done; and few will dispute the still higher benefits conferred on society by the Cheap Repository Tracts of Mrs. More.

I agree with A. A. in reprobating,

in the strongest manner, whatever is immoral in its tendency. We should do well if we imitated the example of Sancho the Proverbialist, and committed all guilty authors to a bonfire. But I beg leave to remind him, that a work of fiction is not necessarily immoral.

Till the contrary, therefore, is demonstrated, I shall continue to believe that fiction is not necessarily adverse to morality and religion, and may even be rendered a useful auxiliary to them. All I ask is proof-proof by abstract reason, that they are incompatible; and this, I think, A. A. will not be able to adduce. I know not, sir, how far my sentiments will agree with yours: I hope they will justify me in assuming the signature of

CANDIDIOR.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer, As the Christian Observer is republished in America, and appears to be greatly esteemed there, I may hope, through your permission, to awaken the attention of those who are not indifferent to the progress of religious knowledge, by an observation on the Travels of Captains Lewis and Clarke, in 1804, 1805, and 1806, to discover the source of the Missouri, &c. &c. which I have just read with great interest. I was most seriously disappointed at not finding, through the whole work, one single notice of the Sabbath, even of the slightest kind. Christmas Day was observed, but in such a manner as heathens might be expected to celebrate one of their festivals. The death of one of the soldiers occurred, and he was buried with proper honours: a salute was fired over his grave; but no mention is made of any religious service being used on the occasion. The expedition was in route three years, passed through the grandest scenery, navigated one of the noblest rivers in the world, was exposed to a variety of vicissitudes, and experienced, in

all, the protecting hand of Divine Providence, in a most merciful manner; and yet no acknowledgment is ever made of his daily mercies, although the party encamped on shore every evening. It is doubtful whether amongst the whole crew a Bible was to be found. Now, would it have derogated from the intrepidity of the adventure to have paid some attention to the Sabbath? What notions must the various tribes of Indians have formed of the religion of the white or red people? Surely, if a chaplain cannot conveniently accompany such expeditions, at least some instructions should be given, by the proper authorities, from whatever Christian country they are fitted out, that the commanding officer should pay respect, if not to the various institutions of religion, yet to the Christian Sabbath. Our own country, I admit, is, perhaps, as deeply involved as America in the guilt of neglecting this duty; and were I to attribute the failure of some recent expedition to this neglect of religion, this disregard of an overruling Providence, this utter

Edition of 1800, page 59,

Collect for Christmas Day, called a
Prayer "for regeneration."
Index.

"Conversion."

"A prayer for the conversion of infidels and heretics, 406. For conversion from sin, 38, 149. See Regeneration." "Regeneration."

"A prayer for regeneration, 59. For the renewal of our minds, 381. See Conversion."

Though aware of the erasure of the term "regeneration," from the anonymous tract prefixed to all the Society's Prayer-books, I could not suppose, before I made this discovery, that any body of men could deliberately alter the work of a deceased author, and print their own doctrines under his name; and above all, that they would make such an alteration during the pendency of a controversy wherein frequent appeals are made to authority.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. IN a packet of books, lately received from the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, was a copy of Robert Nelson's celebrated Companion for the Festivals and Fasts of the Church of England, printed in 1815. On referring to the Index of this work, I was greatly surprised to find the word renovation introduced in no less than two places, in place of the word regeneration; and still more so, when I met with it in the body of the work itself, in the margin of page 59. On comparing this edition of 1815 with a copy printed in 1800, before the commencement of the present controversy, I discovered the following variations :—

Edition of 1815, page 59, Collect for Christmas Day, called a Prayer "for renovation." Index. "Conversion."

"A prayer for the conversion of infidels and heretics, 406. For conversion from sin, 38, 149. See Renovation." "Renovation."

"A prayer for renovation, 59. For the renewal of our minds: see Conversion, 381."

Whether the opinions of Dr. Mant, on the subject of Baptism and Regeneration, be right or wrong, true or false, the impropriety of altering the work of a deceased author, and publishing under his name what he never wrote, will remain the same. Does Dr. Mant wish that some committee, after his decease, should reprint his tracts, altering the words renovation and conversion? Are Messrs. Biddulph, Scott, Bug, and Faber

desirous that some one may republish their works, after they shall have been gathered to their fathers, substituting some other term for regeneration? Is any literary member of the present London Board particularly ambitious to have his own works metamorphosed and mangled after this manner, and yet reprinted with his name at full length in the title page? Why not then adopt the golden rule of Christianity, and do unto others as we would that others should do unto us? Why does not the present committee publish their system in their own tracts, either anonymously or under their own names? Why obtrude on the name of Nelson, what Nelson never wrote, and what, I believe, it cannot be proved he ever thought? Surely, sir, this is not acting towards others as we wish that others would act towards

us.

tinguished as the Pagan Party, in the name of the said party, beg leave to address your Excellency on a subject which we hope will be as pleasing to your Excellency as it is to us.

We no longer own the name of Pagans. We have abandoned our idols and our sacrifices, and have fixed our hopes on the blessed Redeemer. In evidence of this assertion, we here tender to your Excellency, solemnly and unequivocally, our abjuration of Paganism and its rites; and take the Christian's God to be our God, and our only hope of salvation.

We believe in God the Fatherthe Creator and Preserver of all things-as omniscient and omnipresent most gracious and most merciful. We believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God-the Saviour of the world—the Mediator between God and man-and that all must believe in him and embrace him, in order to obtain salvation. We believe in God the Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier and Comforter of all the children of men. We believe in a general resurrection and a future judgment, in which all man

I am, &c. &c.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. THE following communication is copied from the New-York Gazette of February 13, 1817.

To his Excellency the Governor of the State of New-York.

May it please your Excellency, We, the chiefs and principal men of that part of the Oneida Nation of Indians, heretofore known and dis

*The former editions of Bishop Bradford's Discourse concerning Baptismal and Spiritual Regeneration con tained a notice, that it was published by the Society for the settling of men's minds concerning this controverted subject. In the eighth edition, printed by the Society, in 1815, this notice is

omitted.

We present to your Excellency this abstract of our faith, in order to demonstrate the impropriety of our retaining any longer the name of Pagans. We trust that, through the mercy of God, we have abandoned the character of Pagans let us also abandon the name.

the

We therefore request your Excellency, that in all future transactions with this State, we may be known and distinguished as second Christian Party of the Oneida Nation of Indians." And we pray that your Excellency will take such means as may be necessary and proper to cause us to be known and recognised in future by that name. And in the name

of the most Holy Trinity we do here sign ourselves your Excellency's most sincere friends. Done in general council at Oneida, this twenty-fifth day of January, 1817. The following Indian Names were subscribed to the above, each one

making his mark: Cornelius Otbaesbeat, Peter Southecalchos, Arirus Teboraniogo, Nicholas Gan rongontie, John Connellius, Moses. Schuyler, Jacob Atoni, William Tigarentotasdon, William Toniatisben, William Teboiatat-he, and Peter Tewaserashe.

Histoire des Sectes Religieuses, qui depuis le Commencement du Siecle dernier jusq'u a l'Epoque actuelle, sont nees, se sont modifices, se sont eteintes dans les quatre Parties du Monde. Par M. GREGOIRE, Ancien Evêque de Blois, Membre de l'Institut, etc. etc. 2 tom. History of the Religious Sects which, from the Commencement of the last Century to the present Time, have sprung up, have been modified or extinguished, in the four Quarters of the World. By M. Gregoire, formerly Bishop of Blois, &c. 2 vols. Paris. 1814. THERE is no volume which we take up with more real pain than a bistory of religious sects. Believing the eternal and infinite importance of the Christian dispensation, and convinced more and more forcibly, by the experience of every succeeding day, of its blessed effects upon the condition of mankind, we cannot but feel at once disgusted and distressed to see it stripped of its beauty and excellence, by the absurd and impious fancies of weak or designing men who, under the name of its disciples, have innovated on its doctrines and spirit, and done more towards its subversion than all its avowed enemies in combination.

To a devout mind, therefore, there can be nothing like amusement in a history of Christian sects. We find there, indeed, a practical commentary upon those

truths of the Gospel, which point out the waywardness and imbecility of man, his proneness to error, the blindness of his understanding, and the hardness of his heart. Page after page exhibits some new deformity; and the mind sickens and recoils in witnessing the mutilations and morbid affections to which the fair frame of religion is: exposed.

Yet, perhaps, the disgust thus excited may be sometimes salutary. It surely will be so, if it check the avidity of the mind for novelty and rashness of speculation, in things: beyond the reach of human intellect, and teach us to rest contented with a knowledge of those plain truths which are necessary. to our salvation, and which, amidst all the errors and disagreements of the religious world, may still be easily discovered by all who are really in earnest on the subject, and who, convinced of their own ignorance and weakness, are looking up, with an humble and penitential eye, to the Divipe Enlightener and Guide.

To the advanced and steady Christian, a knowledge of the beresies which have infested the world may thus incidentally produce a beneficial, rather than injurious, effect. It will, however, be usually found that persons of this description are far more cautious of ascertaining how much poison their constitution will bear, than others who have neither the discernment to perceive nor the