Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

bility; and among all men he must ever be distinguished for his philanthropy, his great learning, and his intellectual ascendancy in general. As a man who bas cut no mean gure in the republic of letters, and in the walks of philosophi cal inquiry, we have a right thus publicly to men?" tion RAMMOHUN Roy; and it is necessary that we should claim this right, lest if might be deemed indeli cate in us to refer too pointedly to a person whose great modesty of itself is an evidence of high genius, and certainly enhances its gift.

"RAMMOHUN Roy is pretty well known to the public in general, by his benevolent efforts to abolish the abominable practice of widow burning. What effect his writings to that end may have produced, we have no certain criterion of judging, If concremation of the living has not very apparently decreased since bis works exposing the absurdity and wickedness of the practice appeared, lei

as not not hastily infer from this that they have not produced effect some where. Let us rather consider the immense field of mind over which the seed was to be strown by ode single unasisted-hand. In a popula

[ocr errors]

tion of one hundred milli- / ous, a single individualea. rises to stay, if possible, destroying angel of dark. hess that scatters misery over the land. In such a population a hundred' lives saved in course of a few years would hardly be noticed; yet what an object' the saving of one life must be to the Philanthopist? I That RAMMOHUN 'Roy's! writings bave been the means of saving some lives we doubt not: for we 00derstand that there aro now many respectable natives convinced by his ar- { guments; and it is not to be questioned, but this conviction must be beneficial, s is on the increase, and must in its increase' weak en the bonds of superstition and murderous custom, and set their captives free, For our own parts we regret extremely that t these writings were spread forth among the peoplé as much as possible. * It is, however, 'impractica ble for one man to give suf- a ficient currency to them. Were a committee of weal thy Natives to take the sabject into consideration, much good might be effected; and we cannot help thinking that Christian Missionaries might do as mach good by republishing and dis tributing the appeals against.

[ocr errors]

notor

[ocr errors]

these human sacrifices, as by doling out tracts upon doetrinal and practical Christianity which the Natives wont read, or, which reading, fail to move them jot from the religion of their fathers.

"In addition to his efforts to put a stop to a most hor, rid practice, RAMMOHUN Roy endeavoured to improve the moral condition of his countrymen, by mak ing them acquainted with the sublime ethics of the Christian system, What. ever might have been his ideas respecting the mys. teries of Christianity with reference to its founder, and his miracles; he ap:, pears to have held only one opinion respecting his precepts. He, and so must every one who studies them, considered them as incor, porating the best system of moral law ever delivered to mankind. Accordingly he selected out of the sacred books which contain his history, as it has come down to our times, the Precepts of Jesuą, and under that title he presented them to his countrymen without gloss or comment; leaving them to produce that effect

• We presume the Editor of the Gazette here refers to the seremonial practices upon which some are disposed to lay so much stress.-Ed. of U. R.

which in the end they mast produce on every mind not entirely and obstinately blind to the truth. The cire cumstance of his having thus published for his country. men the precepts alone of Jes sus Christ, drew our compi ler into the vortex of a Controversy, which what ever other effects it may have caused, still further exhibited the acuteness of his mind, the logical power of his intellect, and the unruffled good temper with which he could argue.

"The article to which we referred at the commence, ment of these desultory observations, gives a general summary of the controvers sy in question. To it, there, fore, we would direct the attention of our readers; and to those who have not in their hand the writing of RAMMOHON and his oppoDents, the excerption in question must be accepta ble.

It is taken from the last number of the Unitarian Repository, au unostentag tious little periodical pub lished in this city.

"So far as we can under stand, the strictures of the Reverend Editor of the Re pository are candidly and dispassionately written. As to Unitarian or Trinitarian questions or other specula tive points of Doctrine, we have here nothing whatever

[blocks in formation]

The congregation inEdinburgh, under the pastoral care of the Rev. J. O. Squier, met on the 14th of September to open their new chapel for Unitarian worship. Two sermons were preached by the Rev. W. 1. Fox, of London, and one Bermon by the Rev. B. Mardon, of Glasgow. All the three services were attended by crowded and deeply attentive audiences.

A commodious and elegant chapel, in Stamford Street, Blackfriars' Road, Surrey, built for the accommodation of the surviving members of the congrega.. tion formerly assembling in Prince's Street, Westminster, to whom are united the congregation lately oċcopying the chapel in St. Thomas's, Southwark, was opened on Sunday, October

12th. The minister of the place the Rev. Dr. Tho

mas Rees went throug the service in a manner highly satisfactory to his Dumerous auditors. His sermon was valued for its interesting historical details and above all for the fear. less, yet truly Christian, spirit of Protestant Dissent which it inculcated.

The chapel just erected at Hanley, in the Potteries, Staffordshire, of which the Rev. Thomas Cooper is the minister, was opened on the 19th inst. (Nov.) The Rev. R. Aspland preached in the morning, and the Rev James Yates in the evening. The attendance was very respec table; the collection liberal; and the prospects here are highly encouraging.—Chris tian Reformer.

In addition to the above we observe notices of se veral other new Unitarian Chapels in our periodical publications lately received.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

At Bolton in Lancashire few individuals may by

Dumber of Unitarians have united in purchasing ■ Chapel previously occu pied by a society of Cal- vinistic Baptists. it is capable of conveniently seating more than eight * hundred people, has attached to it about eleven bundred yards of burial ground, and was purchased for £900. The Rev. George Harris, late of Liverpool, has accepted an invitation to become the Pastor. A the opening of the Chapel, the Society consisted of about 200 persons, and the number of sittings let was 233. At the present period more than double the sittings are let, and the regular attendants are trebled.

[ocr errors]

A VERY beat and commodious little chapel, has been erected for Unitarian Worship, at STRATFORD, in Essex, and was opened on Sunday the 18th January 1824, with two sermons, that in the morning by the Rev. R. Aspland, consisting of a "Review of the Suf. ferings of Good Mea in Times Past for Conscience' Sake," and that in the evening by the Rev. W. J. Fox, on "the Value of Christian Truth." The his

of the small but restory pectable congregation at Stratford is truly encour. aging, as it shews that a

W

steadiness, consistency and perseverance, finally esta blish their religious opini. ons in the form of publio worship. This people is peculiarly praise-worthy in having been contented with a place of worship, accom modated to their pecuniary means, and in having erect ad in the end a House of Prayer, the support of which will not be felt as a burden. Monthly Repository

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

A new Chapel has also been erected in Finsbury Square, London, for the accommodation of the cog gregation assembling in Parliament Court Chapel under the ministry of the Rev. W. J. Fox with whose name and character most of our readers are already acquainted. It was to have been opened on February 1st. 1824.

When, from the Journals of Unitarian Missionaries, the formation of New Unitarian Societies, and the erection of new Unitarian chapels, we observe the rapid progress which Unitarianism is mak. ing in England, on the Continent of Europe, and in A. merica, it is amusing to hear some persons talk of Unitarianism being a cold system, and Unitarians having no zeal. No other sect of Christians has had to strug

gle against so many and so great difficulties, but if ever there was a religious sys. tem calculated to call forth a rational and intelligent zeal into steady and persevering operation, it is that of Unitarian Christianity. It is far from leaving the affections untouched, but it addresses them only through the understanding. The

passions fluctuate and the imagination may deceive, but the converts which reason makes, reason will ge nerally retain; and it is therefore just in propor tion to the march of intellect and the triumph of truth on other subjects, that Unitarianism will be found make its way in the

to

world.

Extracts from the Journal of Mr. Harding. June 1st, went to Smarden, and preached twice; in the evening we had a large company. Monday, preached at Biddenden, Tuesday at Bennenden, Wednesday at Woodchurch, Thursday at Halden, Fris day at Fausten Green, and Sunday, the 8th, at Applea dore. At Biddenden, Benbenden, Fausten Green, Woodchurch,and Appledore, the cause of divine truth is making pleasing progress; and it gave me much plea sure to see, that i had not laboured in vain.

some time assisted in the duties of the ministry by Mr. Edwards, a respetable tradesman of that villages who likewise gives his la bours gratuitously. The above Society, I would add, is respectable, not for wealth, but for that piety and vir tue, which the friends ma nifest in their blameless and useful lives.

Sunday, the 15th, preach. ed at Cranbrook, and on the 22d at Northiam. In the latter place there is a very respectable Unitarian Society, of considerable standing, under the pastoral care of the truly pious and venerable Mr. Blundell, who for years has devoted himself, without fee or reward, to the ministry of the Gospel. He has been for

Wednesday, the 25th, attended the district meeting at Tenterden, an account of which has already appeared it is, therefore, on ly necessary to say, that it was a very pleasant and profitable opportunity. One hundred and fourteen per. sons sat down to tea. Tho sentiments given from the chair, which was ably filled by the zealous and venerable Mr. Holden, and the spirited bat jadicions remarks elicited by them, both enlivened and edified the com. pany. Most of the friends. present on that occasion ar

« ElőzőTovább »