order and discipline, it is said, "they believe that the only officers placed by the apostles over individual churches, are the bishops or pastors, and the deacons.". "Placed over" are terms which seem to imply rule, which the New Testament neither asserts nor implies as belonging to the office of deacon. It is added, "and to these, (i. e. the bishops and deacons) as the officers of the Church, are committed respectively the administration of its social worship, its discipline, and its temporal concerns. The term respectively is probably designed to intimate that to the pastors is committed the administration of its social worship and discipline, and to the deacons the administration of the temporal concerns of the Church. If this is the meaning, I perfectly agree with it, but think the sentiment capable of less equivocal expression.

It is observed in the preliminary remarks, that some of " our coun

trymen take us for Methodists." This is evidently regarded as undesirable. But I do not see any thing in the Declaration which would serve to distinguish us from some of our worthy brethren, the Calvinistic Methodists, or, as you have sometimes styled them, the partial conformists. Doubtless they are conscientious in the adoption of the established forms; but Churchmen regard their use of them as dishonest; and should the Congregational Union comprehend these worthy brethren, that comprehension will serve to increase the slander, that we are kept out of the national establishment by necessity, rather than by the light of Scripture and the dictates of conscience.

The principles of religion included in the proposed Declaration are admirable; one or two words, perhaps, excepted, they are the language of the dispensation, and not of a sect.

M. S.

To the Editors.-To prove the value of education would, in these days, be useless. That a knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages confers advantages, is clear and undisputed; and yet there are many possessed of it who appear ignorant of the importance of their acquisition by their failing to employ it. How frequently do young men, after passing their youth at a grammar-school, and devoting years to the study of Latin and Greek, and having vanquished many of the difficulties of the Grammar and the Lexicon, turn their back on school, and consider it from thenceforth only as a remembrancer of labours and

toil. The ripening fruits of years are as little regarded as if the long period of the tillage was a matter of regret instead of thankful satisfaction. In apology, it may be said, that the duties of actual life require such a devotion of time, as to prevent the continued pursuit of ornamental studies. But if the fact were that the Latin and Greek are merely ornamental studies, this excuse would be valid. It is because they are not merely such, that we now speak of them; they are the keys by which we can best explore the treasures of that "wisdom which is more precious than rubies, and to which nothing that can be desired, is to be compared." Of

that wisdom we cannot only boast as did the Roman Orator" Hæc studia adolescentiam alunt, senectutem oblectant, secundas res ornant, adversis perfugium ac sola tiam præbent: delectant domi, non impediunt foris, pernoctant nobis cum, perigrinantur, rusticantur; but we can affirm that it is not only valuable and pleasurable now (at all times, and under all cireumstances), but that it passes with us to eternity.

But it may be enquired, where is the great advantage of being able to read the New Testament in the original Greek, since we have a translation? Now if it be considered (which no one who is at all acquainted with the subject will deny) that no translation from the Greek into the English language can ever profess to equal the original; and that were a perfect rendering possible, our present translation bears on its head the errors of 211 years, is universally admitted to be capable of much improvement, and was scarcely more than a compilation from former translations, it might, therefore, be reasonably expected that (as time brought forth from different individuals improved translations, the fruits of prayer and study,) the common version would stand in need of revision. It is conceived, that if these circumstances were duly considered, sufficient reason would be found for examining the truth otherwise than at second hand, as in a translation.

But a few examples will prove the superiority of studying the Scriptures, in the original Greek, over the study of the translation. Let the reader open the Epistle to the Hebrews, and after having read it again and again, till every part and expression is familiar, let him

N. S. No. 93.

endeavour to analyse, on paper, the arguments contained in it. Let the string of the argument be shown, and the connection and value of every idea, and I am persuaded, if I may judge from my own experience, that in the attempt he will cast down his pen in despair, and say that he has striven at a hopeless task. The fact is, that in no part of our common translation are mistakes so numerous, and corrections SO needed, as in the rendering of the Greek particles, which are the bonds of union in arguments. How frequently do we find, and particularly in the Epistles, a continued repetition at the commencement of each verse of the causal conjunction "for," when no connection of cause and effect is seen. If the particles in the Epistle to the Romans were properly rendered, it would do more towards the clearing up of the meaning of our English translation (the difficulties of which every English

reader must have felt and lamented,) than any other partial amendment. And thus the grounds of dispute and error would be, in some degree, removed, which have been found in the Epistles of St. Paul more than in any other part of the Scriptures, not indeed necessarily, for they are the perfection of composition, when each part is understood; they are compositions which, had the writer touched on any other subject than a pure religion, would have exalted him to a niche amongst the great master-writers of pagan antiquity. But sad is it to say, to such an extent are the arguments of the writers of the Epistles disfigured, that many persons are to be met with that have with some reason concluded, from the sole reading of the English transla

3 Z

tion, that they are frequently written with very little or no regard to the common modes of reasoning, and with a defiance of the rules of style.

But, besides a want of intelligibility, there is frequently an absence of elegance; for though the common translation often approaches very near to the dignified and unaffected simplicity of the original, yet it fails in giving all the fulness which constitutes, in so great a degree, the beauty and perfection of the Greek Testament. Let the tame rendering of 2 Cor. ix. 8, be compared with the almost inexpressible force, emphasis, and beauty of the original, "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work.” Δυνατος δε ο Θεός πασαν χαριν περισσευσαι εις υμας, ινα εν παντι παντοτε πασαν αυταρ κειαν έχοντες, περισσεύητε εις παν Epyov ayalov. Again, we might refer to one of the most apt, forci ble, and beautiful illustrations of St. Paul, but which, in our translation, is altogether spoilt, if not perverted. It would require too much space to assign the reason of every variation from the ordinary version. It will be necessary, however, in order to undertand its beauty, to state that the Apostle is giving a reason for his more than ordinary exertion in the Gospel, He brings in the practice of the Grecian games, which were cele brated near Corinth, and with which games, therefore, the Corinthians were fully acquainted. It is thought to have been the prac tice in the contests for one of the competitors to stand forth and proclaim the rules of the game and the prize. There would, therefore, be greater cmulation excited

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in the breast of the one who had been so selected, than in those of the other candidates. St. Paul compares himself to the elected competitor, Know ye not that all they who are competitors in a race run, and that one of them holdeth up the prize, and proclaims the rules and regulations : then ye run that ye may obtain: And that every one who fights uses all cautious restraint. These, indeed, for a corruptible crown, but we for an incorruptible one. Therefore I so run, not as against the rules; I so fight, not as one that buffets the air. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, fearing lest that by any means where I have acted the part of a herald to others, I myself may be rejected from the prize." 1 Cor. ix. 24-27.

But further, supposing it were a fact, that the common version of the New Testament were nearer perfection than it is, still it ought to be the earnest wish of every youthful mind to be able to examine for himself, and for his own satisfaction, the truths of Revelation in their original dress. He who does not feel this, ought to blush that he is willing to receive opinions from others, when the way was open to him to have judged for himself.

After all, perhaps, the most common apology will be drawn from a want of time for studying the original Greek Scriptures. The reader may admit, perhaps, the advantages of doing so, if it were practicable for him. Let us then inquire if this excuse, which stands the head and chief, is not, in reality, of little consideration, and easily removed. Supposing the reader is a student of law, to him I would say, that I know, from experience, that he may always command

the fear of the Lord, and FIND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.* A YOUNG LAWYER.

Exeter, July 2, 1832.

Parkhurst's Greek Lexicon for the New Testament, edited by Rose, is an

excellent work. It includes many of the discoveries of the indefatigable German literati. Hoogeven on the Greek Particles, and Viger on the Greek Idioms, both translated by Seager, are highly useful in reading the Greek Tes

tament.

space

To the Editors.-IN the interesting and instructive" inquiry into the causes of the introduction and progress of Unitarianism in the Congregational Churches of New Eng. land," with which you gratified your readers last month, it is asserted, "that the Congregational Churches of Great Britain have been preserved, without a single exception, from this Unitarian heresy." As this is a mistake which is frequently repeated, you may think it worth while to allow me a short for its correction. The fact, I believe, is, that the first dissenting congregation in England that invited an avowed Socinian to be its pastor, was of the Independent denomination. I refer to the invitation of Dr. Foster to be the Minister of the Independent Church, at Pinners' Hall, in 1744. For many years after this, no Presbyterian congregation, perhaps, in the kingdom, certainly not in London, would have invited an avowed Socinian to the pastoral office. Mr. Sandercock, another Socinian, became pastor of the Independent Church, in Lower Rotherhithe, as early as 1738; but whether he had then avowed his Socinianism, I have not the means of ascertaining. It is true that Dr. Benson had been chosen pastor of the Presbyterian

in

congregation, in Poor Jewry Lane, in 1740, and Dr. Lardner had been appointed assistant preacher to the same congregation, many years before, but neither of those very learned men, but very inefficient ministers, were avowed Socinians at the time of their election, nor for a long time afterwards. In the country there have not been wanting instances of the introduction of Socinianism into Independent pulpits; as at Sheffield (in the congregation formerly Mr. Jollie's ;) Duckinfield, Cheshire (Mr. Angier's;) Ransonstall, in Lancashire; Walthamstow, in Essex, built by Mr. Coward. I might also mention Call Lane, Leeds; but the congregation of this place are, I believe, Arians. It is quite sufficient honour to the Independents, that they have generally escaped the system, which has scattered so many of our finest dissenting congregations; but to say, as your correspondent and many others have done," that the Congregational Churches of Great Britain have been preserved, without a single exception, from the Unitarian heresy," is a glorying which is not good, because it is a glorying which is not founded in fact.

M. S.