and what we know of the Apostle's conduct in reference to it, I can never be of opinion he meant to teach that it was of no consequence whether one day in seven were devoted to religious purposes or not. The Apostle, indeed, - might allude here to the rigid and superstitious abstinence from manual occupation, to the legal and expensive and burdensome ceremonies, including the double sacrifices both morning and evening, with which the seventh day was observed by the Jews; all which ceremonies were then abolished; and he might very properly remind the Colossians, that no man had a right to condemn them for their non-observance of these intolerable rites and superstitions on the seventh day; but, at any rate, there is not a syllable in the passage inimical to the Lord's-day, then set apart by Christians, and apparently by himself, to a purer, a simpler, and far more edifying mode of worship. These three texts, then, in my estimation, weigh nothing in opposition to the arguments advanced in these letters in support of the Sabbath.

There is not room to proceed with any additional remarks; I shall, therefore, conclude by observing, that it was my object to shew that we have sufficient authority from the Scriptures to abstract from secular employment one day in seven, to be devoted chiefly to religious purposes; and must leave it, Sir, to your readers to judge for themselves whether this design have been accomplished. Of the utility, and even the necessity of such an institution, in a moral and religious view, there can surely be but one opinion in the Christian world. I have only to add now, that, as the observance of a Sabbath has accompanied the progress of Christianity from the first, so, in my opinion at least, if the observance of it were to be laid aside universally, the influence, if not the existence in society, of this best of all systems of faith and practice, would speedily be annihilated.

THOS. MOORE.

"Orthodox Tactics: or, a new Mode of Attack and Defence," adopted against Mr. Adam in the East Indies. [From "The Unitarian Repository," &c., No. VI., March, 1824."Calcutta: printed at the Unitarian Press. Price One Rupee."] THE following communications are inserted in the [Calcutta] Repository, as illustrative of the true nature of Or

thodox zeal; a zeal which is eager to make an unprovoked attack under circumstances that render defence impossible, but which refuses to discuss on equal ground doctrines that are delivered ex cathedrá as if with all the authority of inspiration.

The occasion which led to these communications was this: Mr. Adam having proceeded on the river for the benefit of his health, on his arrival at Chandernagore, accepted the kind invitation of the gentleman to whom the letter No. 1 is addressed, to remain at his house for a few days. As Mr. C— and family are in the habit of attending divine service at Chinsurah church, in which the Missionaries resident at that settlement regularly officiate, Mr. A. of course proposed to accompany them; not supposing that his mere presence would prove offensive. In this, however, he was mistaken, for the Missionaries having become acquainted with his intention, seem to have considered his simple attendance as an attack upon the doctrines of orthodoxy, if not upon the orthodox themselves ; and accordingly both the morning and the evening preachers not only felt themselves called upon to enter generally into a defence of these doctrines, but even had recourse in their prayers, as well as in their discourses, to the most unequivocal personal allusions. The extempore discourse, delivered in the morning by Mr. Mundy, was chiefly remarkable for a discovery which the preacher communicated to his audience, that the Devil was neither an Arian, an Arminian, nor a Pelagian, but a true orthodox believer; and also for the unsparing use which he made of the thunders of God's wrath against all those who should hold a different creed. Mr. La Croix, the evening preacher, delivered a written discourse, which, however ultra-orthodox may have been some of the doctrines advanced in it, was at least clear in its arrangement and connected in its parts, and laid claim to the merit of being close and consecutive in its reasoning. While, therefore, the personal allusions already referred to compelled Mr. A. to adopt some step for the vindication both of his religious sentiments, he felt no difficulty in determining to whom he should address himself; and accordingly requested Mr. C to forward a copy of No. I. to the Rev. Mr. La Croix, who, through the same medium, returned the answer marked No. II.

No. I.-From Mr. Adam to A- C—, Esq.`
MY DEAR SIR,

The lateness of our return last night from Chinsurah church, and the necessity of my early departure this morning, have prevented me from fulfilling the intention which I intimated to you of addressing Mr. La Croix on the subject of the sermon which we heard him preach; and I shall therefore feel obliged by your doing it for me.

Express to him, if you please, my sincere thanks for the luminous views which he gave of the doctrines of reputed orthodoxy, and at the same time my strong objections to them as unscriptural and unreasonable.

To endeavour to prove this, I would request permission either to occupy his place in the pulpit for one Sunday evening, or that he would publish the sermon which he preached, and to which, in that case, I hereby engage to reply through the medium of the press, or that he would meet me either at your house or his own, each in company with a single friend, on Friday next, at 10 in the forenoon, when we may leisurely discuss the successive paragraphs of his very able discourse.

The direct and pointed language employed both in his sermon and prayers, especially the latter, renders an apology for my apparent presumption in making these offers unnecessary; tand I beg you will assure him that it is not to indulge the angry spirit of controversy, but with an earnest and sincere desire to vindicate the truth as it is in Jesus, that they have been made. From the tenor of Mr. La Croix's discourse, I feel persuaded that one or other of them will be accepted by him, and that the consequent investigation will, on his part, be carried on with the manners of a gentleman and the spirit of a Christian. Yours very truly,

Chandernagore, Monday morn. 6ž a. m.

W. ADAM.

No. II.-From Mr. La Croix to A— C—, Esq.
MY DEAR SIR,

I duly received your note yesterday evening; but as I was not at home, could not answer it immediately.

I have perused Mr. Adam's letter, wherein he seems to wish me to enter into a controversy with him on the doctrines he has found proper to reject as unscriptural and unreasonable. I kindly request you to tell him, that I consider such a controversy as perfectly useless in the present circumstances, as the doctrines in question, which are (according to my ideas) for every unprejudiced mind set forth in Scripture in the plainest manner, have already been discussed and demonstrated so fully by men of far greater abilities than my own, that it may, I

think, satisfy any one who, with an humble spirit, is searching after truth.

I consequently feel it not only my inclination, but my duty, to decline positively, once for ever, to agree to any of Mr. Adam's proposals; my time likewise being too precious to me to be employed or rather wasted in disputes of which experience has shewn so frequently, that no good fruits have ever proceeded from, neither in Calcutta of late, nor elsewhere. Believe me, my dear Sir, yours very truly,

Chinsurah, Feb. 24, 1824.

A. F. LA CROIX.

On this reply a few remarks will suffice. The first thing worthy of notice is, that Mr. La Croix does not attempt to deny"the direct and pointed language employed both in his sermon and prayers, especially the latter." If such language had not been used, Mr. A. would never have thought of making any of those proposals which, after having provoked them, Mr. La Croix has deemed it proper positively to decline.

r

He says, that the doctrines he preaches are set forth in Scripture" in a manner sufficiently plain "for every unprejudiced mind." But this is taking for granted the very question at issue; for there are some who consider that every page of Scripture contains a refutation of these doctrines, and that it is only a mind under the influence of the deepest prejudice that can profess to ground its belief of them upon the authority of revelation.

He considers that the doctrines in question have been "discussed and demonstrated" by men of far greater abilities than himself. Those who admire his modesty cannot applaud his consistency. This might have been a good excuse for leaving these doctrines untouched altogether: it is but a sorry reply to a challenge to which he himself had given occasion.

His time likewise is too precious to be "employed, or rather wasted," in such disputes. It is to be hoped, therefore, that should circumstances ever happen a second time to bring a heterodox stranger within the reach of his voice, he will not be required to "waste" his time in listening to doctrines which are confessedly of so little worth.

But "experience," it is said, "has frequently shewn that no good fruits have ever proceeded from such discussions." On the contrary, all experience proves that truth

is ever a gainer by the candid, temperate and free investigation of existing popular opinions; and to such an investigation alone Mr. La Croix was invited. It is on this principle that Mr. La Croix acts as a Missionary to the Heathen; and it will be found that the errors of idolatry which he opposes, and the corruptions of Christianity which he supports, will both give way just in proportion as a spirit of liberal and independent inquiry is excited. It is only error and corruption that love to stagnate: truth and goodness seek to diffuse their blessings all around.

Mr. La Croix seems to have no difficulty in determining who those are that seek truth "with an humble spirit." For this purpose he does not consider it necessary to inquire into the actual temper of their minds, but only into the result of their investigations. If the conclusion to which they come perfectly accord with his own opinions, then they possess every characteristic of sincere inquirers. But if a man will believe only upon evidence, if he will not receive every pulpit dictum with profound submission, if he venture to offer any objection to the notions of his ghostly friends, then he is in effect told "Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us"-us, the favourites of Heaven, the chosen of the Lord, the ministers of his word, and the messengers of his grace?

Since the above was written, Mr. Adam has heard two other discourses delivered by the same gentlemen in the same place of worship. The morning preacher was even more outrageously violent than on the former occasion. With an unblushing hardihood in which, it is to be hoped, he will find few admirers and still fewer imitators, he did not hesitate to declare that if Jesus Christ was not God, then the Apostle Paul was a fool, and the Bible a bundle of lies. And yet this is one of the men who are accustomed to accuse Unitarians of being deficient in reverence for the Sacred Scriptures and for apostolic authority, and of torturing both into a conformity with their creed. Unless Mr. Mundy seek to rival his Holiness at Rome, he will at least admit that he may be mistaken in his interpretation of the Scriptures; and if it should at last appear that he is mistaken, then how serious the predicament in which he has placed himself, by thus presumptuously pledging his own fallible opinion against the inspiration of Paul and the truth of the Bible !