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In Greenfield, there is a parish library, principally founded by the pious benevolence of the late Shubael Bell, Esq. consisting of

about 320 volumes.

In Ashfield, a library has been begun, and a small number of books collected.

We regret that the returns to the convention were not made by all the parishes, and that among those presented so many are defective. It is of importance to have an accurate statistick account of the church every year; and we cannot but hope that more attention will be paid to this subject, not only in this state but throughout the whole Union. The following gentlemen were nominated and chosen the standing committee for the ensuing year: Clergy-Rev. J. S. J. Gardiner, D. D. Rev. S. F. Jarvis, D. D. Rev. Isaac Boyle. Laity-G. Brinley, S. Codman, and T. Clark, Esquires.

Delegates to the diocesan convention; Clergy-Rev. Dr. Gardiner, Rev. Mr. Morss, Rev. Dr. Jarvis, Rev. Mr. Boyle. Laity-D. A. Tyng, Stephen Codman, Joseph Head, and William Woart, Esquires.

Delegates to the general convention; Clergy-Rev. Dr. Gardiner, Rev. Dr. Jarvis, Rev. Mr. Eaton, Rev. Mr. Morss. Laity-Gardiner Greene, Joseph Head, William Appleton and George Sullivan, Esquires.

The standing committee were empowered to fill vacancies in the abovementioned delegation to the general convention.

The following representation respecting the Massachusetts protestant Episcopal missionary society, and trustees of the bible, prayer book and tract society, was read.

"To the convention of the protestant Epis

copal church in Massachusetts. "The directors of the Massachusetts Episcopal missionary society ask leave respectfully to represent to the convention, the objects, condition, and prospects of this society; and to solicit their countenance and co-operation.

"This society was incorporated by an act of the legislature in 1815, by the name of the Massachusetts Episcopal missionary society, and trustees of the Massachusetts Episcopal prayer-book and tract society.' It was soon after organized, and has since been continued in existence by an annual election of officers on Easter Tuesday. But little else has been done until the present year. On the fourth of February last, a meeting of the friends of the church, called at the request of the society, was held in this town, at which, and at an adjourned meeting, the subject was fully discussed; and measures were adopted to provide means to enable the society to go into operation. Sub

scriptions were opened, from which a considerable sum has already been obtained; and more it is expected will be received. The sum of 565 dollars has been subscribed in this town, to be paid annually, and more than 300 dollars have been given in donations to the society.*

"At the same meeting, a committee was appointed to correspond with all the Episcopal churches in the commonwealth, for the purpose of procuring the establishment of an auxiliary society in each church. A circu. lar letter has accordingly been addressed to each church, stating the objects of the society, with a request for assistance. It is not yet time to expect a full return from all the churches; but very encouraging accounts have been received from several, of the exertions which are making in behalf of this society.

"The objects of the society are to assist the destitute churches in our own state, in providing themselves with the means of religion,

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Making the sum total $902 71 "A large proportion of this sum has been already received by the treasurer, say between 5 and 600 dollars, of which about 50 dollars has been invested in prayer-books.

"It will be observed that all the above subscriptions and donations have been obtained this year, excepting about 25 dollars included in the donations from individuals,' &c. which was the avails of a collection taken at Christ church some years since. There is little doubt that the society will realize the sum of 1000 dollars or more, before the close of the year. B. Howard, Treasurer."

and, as we shall be able, to extend the same assistance to other destitute portions of our country, and hereafter, if sufficient funds should be provided, to other countries. It is also a prominent object, to provide prayerbooks for the poor, either to be sold to them at a very low rate, or, in some instances to be distributed gratuitously. The funds now in hand will enable us to begin the prosecution of these objects, although on a very limited scale.

"At the last annual meeting, in Easter week, the by-laws of the society were revised, and provision was made that each of the several objects of the society should receive their due share of attention. The directors ap pointed a standing committee on the subject of missions, and another for the purchase and distribution of prayer-books and tracts. The committee for prayer-books have procured a supply for immediate use, and will probably be always prepared to furnish them as they may be needed.

"The committee for missions have not as

yet been able to do more in the prosecution of the designs entrusted to them, than to col. lect some information as to the portions of our church, which stand in the most urgent need of aid from the society. They have been prevented from doing more by the want of cler gymen to act as missionaries. They do not find that there is a clergyman of our church in this diocese, who is so disengaged as to permit bis being employed in the service of the society. We trust, however, that this obstacle will soon be removed, by an application to the bishops of some of the other dioceses. "Under these circumstances, the directors look with confidence to the convention for their support and assistance. To build up the waste places of our church, and to extend the blessings of our holy religion to those who are destitute of its privileges, are objects so important, that they cannot be regarded with indifference. We trust that what we have done will meet with the approbation of the convention; and that they will concur with us in the hope, that the subscription which has been begun in this town will prove but the commencement of a system of Christian liberality, which shall extend through

all our churches.

For the directors,

John T. Winthrop, Secretary." "Boston, June 17, 1822."

Whereupon, on motion of the Rev. Titus Strong, seconded by the Rev. Dr. Jarvis, it

was

"Resolved, as the sense of this convention, That the organization of a missionary society, with a view to the necessities of destitute parishes in our own commonwealth, and in distant places, is an event of the greatest im

portance to the welfare of the church, and one which deserves, in the accomplishment of the object intended, the co-operation of all her members.

"Therefore, voted, That it be recommended to the Episcopal parishes in Massachusetts to establish auxiliary societies, and to adopt all such means as their respective circumstances may warrant for the purpose of giving constant and vigorous effect to the exertions which have been so happily commenced by an association whose labours are to extend, to the needy and forsaken, the bread of everlasting life."

It was then moved by the Rev. Mr. Eaton, seconded by the Rev. Dr. Jarvis, that the thanks of this convention be, and they hereby are returned to the Rev. Calvin Wolcott, convention, and that for his sermon preached this day before the

be

a committee to request a copy to be inserted in the Gospel Advocate.

On motion to fill up the blank, the names of the Rev. Dr. Jarvis, and the Rev. Mr. Eaton were inserted. The committee withdrew for a short time, and returned with their report, informing the convention, that the Rev. Mr. Wolcott would comply with their request.

The Rev. Isaac Boyle was appointed to preach before the next annual convention; after which, it was adjourned for one month, to meet at St. Peter's church, Salem, the third Wednesday in July.

CONNECTICUT CONVENTION.

THE annual convention of the protestant Episcopal church of the diocese of Connecticut, was held at Stratford, June 5 and 6; the bishop having met the clergy in convocation on the preceding evening. A very appropriate sermon, on the origin, nature, and benefit of the Christian ministry, was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Noble, of Middletown, on Wednesday morning; after which, the Right Rev. bishop Brownell admitted the Rev. Beardsley Northrop,deacon, of Oxford, to the holy order of priests, and Palmer Dyer, A. B. to the holy order of deacons. In the evening an ingenious and interesting sermon on the object of missions, was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Baldwin, of Guilford, and a collection made for the benefit of the society for the promotion of Christian knowledge. The convention was well attended, both by clergy and laity; and it must be gratifying to the friends of the church, to be informed, that the returns of contributions from the various parishes in the diocese, for the support of missions, have much increased, and that a growing zeal for the general cause of religion, and for the par

ticular interest of our Zion, was uniformly manifested on this occasion.

MISSION TO AFRICA.

We are happy to learn, from a communication in a Philadelphia paper, that the missionary society of the protestant Episcopal church has resolved to establish a mission school on the coast of Africa. At a late meeting of the board of managers of that society, held in Philadelphia, Mr. Ephraim Bacon was appointed a catechist and schoolmaster, and Mrs. Bacon a schoolmistress, for that coast. Mr. and Mrs. Bacon have both been in Africa, and are so sensible of the necessities of the natives, that they have determined to go forth as labourers for their benefit. They go in the strength of the Lord of hosts, to open the sacred page to the benighted heathen. All who desire the good of their fellow-creatures must wish them God speed.

It is expected that Mr. and Mrs. Bacon will sail early in the fall. In the meantime the necessary collections are to be made for an outfit.

New York.

PLAN FOR A FREE CHURCH.

SEVERAL Episcopalians residing in the vicinity of Corlaer's hook, taking into consideration the neglected situation of the neighbourhood, in respect especially of Episcopal places of worship, or rather the entire destitution of the eastern part of the city, have resolved to endeavour to supply the want on the following plan.

The object is to build and endow a church, of which none of the pews shall be either sold or rented, but shall without reserve, be free for all who shall be induced to attend.

It shall be Episcopal in its organization, ministry, and worship.

The mode proposed for effecting the object is the following:-A certain number of individuals will procure the ground, commence and carry on the building, on their own responsibility, at least until it be enclosed. When the work is thus commenced, and the publick convinced of their determination to proceed, agents, to be appointed, will solicit contributions from their fellow citizens and fellow Christians, for the double object of completing the work and defray

ing the expenses incurred, and of providing for the establishment a permanent support.

After defraying the expenses of building, whatever money shall remain in hand, shall, upon the congregation being organized according to law, be conveyed to the vestry in legal form, conditioned that the establishment shall for ever remain sacred to the purposes for which it was commenced, that is, a free Episcopal church. It shall also be a condition, that after the expenses of building and endowment are obtained, on the first Sunday in every quarter, commencing with the new year, or, in case of necessity, on some other day to be appointed, the entire collections shall be appropriated to the purpose of establishing a fund for raising other establishments on the same plan, in succession; that is, the sums collected at such times shall be vested in the savings bank, or some other similar institution, to accumulate, and afford funds, from time to time, for build'ing and endowing additional free churches.

The above plan has received the approbation of the Right Rev. bishop and most of the clergy of New York.

EPISCOPAL ACTS.

On the festival of St. Philip and St. James the apostles, Wednesday, May 1, the Right Rev. bishop Hobart held an ordination in Trinity church, New York, and admitted Mr. Alonzo P. Potter, tutor in Union College, Schenectady, to the holy order of deacons.

On Wednesday, May 8, at the opening of the convention of the diocese of Pennsyl vania, in St. Peter's church, Philadelphia, the Rev. William Thompson, deacon, minister of Trinity church, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was admitted, by the Right Rev. bishop White, to the holy order of priests; and Mr. Richard U. Morgan to that of deacons.

On Ascension-day, May 16, the Right Rev. bishop Hobart consecrated St. Luke's church, in New York, to the service of almighty God, the Right Rev. bishop Brownell, of Connecticut, being also present, and taking a part in the consecrating ceremonies.

On the following day, Friday, May 17, bishop Hobart held an ordination in St. John's chapel, New York, and admitted Mr. Manton Eastburn to the holy order of deacons.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

The communications of M. and those of our correspondent S. will be inserted, as speedily as our limits will permit. The extracts communicated by E. J. though valua ble, are not of so high a character as to induce us to exclude (as we should be obliged to do) what we deem more important articles to insert them. The criticism of "A student of theology" is approved.

THE

GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

“ Knowing that I am set for the defence of the Gospel." Phil. i. 17.

No. 20.]

AUGUST, 1822.

[No. 8. Vol. II.

For the Gospel Advocate.

THEOLOGICAL.

ON THE RECEIVED TRANSLATION OF THE

SCRIPTURes.

CONSIDERING ourselves "set for the defence of the gospel," we deem it our duty to take notice of every circumstance among us, which has a tendency to exert an influence, favourable or unfavourable, upon the interests of our holy religion. It is equally our duty, to guard the trust, committed to our care, from effects produced by the misguided, but well-meaning; and from the daring attacks of licentious innovation. We allude to the practice, now become somewhat prevalent among many, of decrying the merit of the translation of the scriptures in common use. This practice has a tendency to diminish the confidence, particularly of the common people, in the received version. They are unacquainted with the unworthy object of many, who are calling loudly for a new trans. lation. They cannot detect the ignorance of those, who, with a smattering of the original languages of the scriptures, make grave and imposing assertions respecting those languages, and of the want of conformity in the translation to them, where they feel in no danger of encountering opposition. If we judge from what we see and hear, we shall conclude, that we have many among us, who appear, at least to themselves, perfectly qualified for translating the scriptures. This, in their view,

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ADVOCATE, VOL. II.

Let

is by no means a difficult matter. us, however, hear Dr. Campbell a minute, on this subject. "To translate," says he," has been thought, by some, a very easy matter to one who understands tolerably the language from which, and has made some progress in the language into which, the translation is to be made. To translate well is, however, in my opinion, a task of more difficulty than is commonly imagined. That we may be the better able to judge in this question, let us consider what a translator, who would do justice to his author, and his subject, has to perform. The first thing, without doubt, which claims his attention, is to give a just representation of the sense of the original. This it must be acknowledged, is the most essential of all. The second thing is, to convey into his version, as much as possible, in a consistency with the genius of the language which he writes, the author's spirit and manner, and, if I may so express myself, the very character of his style. The third and last thing is, to take care that the version have, at least, so far the quality of an original performance, as to appear natural and easy, such as shall give no handle to the critick to charge the translator with applying words improperly, or in a meaning not warranted by use, or combining them in a way which renders the sense obscure, and the construction ungrammatical, or even harsh.

"Now, to adjust matters, so as, in a

considerable degree, to attain all these objects, will be found, upon inquiry, not a little arduous, even to men who are well acquainted with the two languages, and have great command of words.

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If, then, translation is in general attended with so much difficulty, what must we think of the chance of success which a translator has, when the subject is of so great importance, that an uncommon degree of attention to all the abovementioned objects will be exacted of him; and when the difference in point of idiom, of the language from which, and of that into which the version is made, is as great, perhaps, as we have any example of." Diss. X.

How often do we hear from the sacred pulpit, discussions concerning the difference between the translation and the original? as far as we have observed, this practice prevails most among those preachers, who are least acquainted with the original scriptures. This is accounted for from the fact, re. marked by shrewd observers of human nature, that mankind are generally most solicitous to appear qualified on those points which constitute their deficiencies. We are of opinion, that in nine cases out of ten, in which our translation is attacked from the pulpit, the preacher is entirely in the wrong. One would think, from the course taken by some preachers, that our translators were the merest novices in the learned languages, and in the business of translation.

We not only hear the received translation attacked from the pulpit, but we have sometimes even heard, from the same sacred place, conjectural emendations of the original itself. A notable instance of this, we have known, in a preacher not of an inferiour class, nor of our order, who in remarking on the passage, (Matt. xix. 24.) "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God;" very gravely informed his audience, that,

without doubt, the word xaundov, i. e. camel, at present in the original, was altered by mistake of the transcribers from xaμsov, i. e. cable; and the only reason assigned for this opinion was, that nav, cable, was necessary to make out the propriety of the figure! we think, this preacher ought to contend, that in this passage, "strain at [out] a gnat, and swallow a camel, we ought to substitute fish for gnat, with a view to make out the figure, (risum teneatis amici.)

In such cases as we have noticed, seldom we presume is there any intentional injury done to the cause of truth. Such attacks, we believe, arise mostly from ignorance, vanity, thoughtlessness of consequences, or from an ostentatious parade of learning. But they tend, as has been before suggested, to diminish the confidence of the common people in the authorized version, which is to them the ultimate source of religious truth.

But there is another way of undermining the authority of the common translation in operation, by persons, of whose object we are fully aware. We refer to the efforts which have been making for several years, to introduce among us, translations of the scriptures utterly destitute of faithfulness, and covering, under the appearance of zeal for the reformation of religion, the design of subverting the fundamental principles of the Christian faith. The last attempt of this kind, was, the publication of Wakefield's version of the new testament, and the recommendation of that work, contained in the prospectus which preceded the publication. Our opinion of this work, and the reasons on which it is grounded, may be sufficiently collected from Nos. 2 and 5, of the last year's " Advocate." The only other attempt, which we think proper to notice at present, is the publication, a few years since, of what is called, "an improved version of the new testament, upon the basis of archbishop Newcome's new transla

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