- many of the preachers and of those who had been representatives of the General Biprist Churches most cordially expressed their friendship towards me and some of them declareit, that, in their opinion, the attack which had been made upon me was shateful and digraceful. It was ikewise said by persons of great respectability and judgment, and who heard the discourse delivered, that it must be paba lished; and that if it were published exactly as it had been preached, it would be a suficient vindication from the calumniatin; charge which some had endeavoured to fix upon it. This I have faithfully done, without uppre-sing, or having uppressed one single expression which was used from the pulpit. If I am not mi taken the act of the Assembly in acquitting me of the charge, will do the members of it more honour than the whole of Mr. M.'s letter. These are thirteen expressions in Mir. Marten's list of indecency. Seven of these, are not only scriptural, but are found in what we may ca!l the popular passages of the bible. Were not all these parsages of scripture publicly read in the Jewi h Church and are they not still continued to be read ? Have they not been quoted by Christ and his apostles, in their discourses, and in the epities of the apo tles, which have alway, bech publicly read in the churches of Christians? Harë they not been quoted, and that continually, in our public sermons, both ancient and modern? Yes they have. Who ever charged them, with such indecency, that they were not fit for females to hear, before Air. M.? Nobody. Well, then, let him have the honour of the discovery. The remaining six phrases are to be charged to my account. And first. “The husband of the mother must be the father of the son." Where are we to look for indecency in this sentence ? l it in the word husband, mother, father, or son, or in all ol them put together? Really I cannot tell. Next comes the word,"commerce." This is used in a quotation translated from Rabbilsaac, and was used by Dr.Priestley before me. And it is used by every other writer who has had occasion to convey the same idea ; yea, even by farmer Trueman in his advice to his daughter Mary. See his 26th di course, page 187, Unitarian Tracts. Next comes, “ His descent is traced throuzh the body of Jo.cph.” Where is the indecency in this phrase ? Is there any thing more in it ihan saying, “ jacob berat foseph." Certainly not. " An unmarried woman should conceive a ton." I am perfectly at a loss to know where the indecency of this phrase is to be found. I uppose Mr. M. never reads tie two first chapiers of Luke in public. Wonderfully modest !! Thave heard of a man who would not return thanks for a woman after childbirth in public, and I knew one who said, that a woman ought not to suckie her infant in company, and both pleaded indecency. “ An eye witness to the miraculous conception." Here Mr. M, has outrun truth. The words “ miraculous conception," are his not mine. “ The connexion between the Holy Ghost and the mother of Jesus."' The word “ connexion," in relation to marriage, is frequently used by the best of writers. As I have used it in reference to the power of God with Mary, it must be pure and innocent. Next comes,“ &c. &c." What is behind I cannot tell ; but it is to be wished that he had made his list perfect when he was about it. My opinion is still, that the charge is frivolous and vexatious. But, as Mr. Marten has we'lobserved, “ It sometimes happens that the zeal of good men leads thein into imprudence.” I now take leave of this charge, I hope for ever, and I shall make no further reply, until I see it better substantiated. I remain, as before, the sincere friend of Mr. Marten, and I hope that we shall mect as such at our next Annual Assembly. Dichling, Nov. 24, 1807. A. BENNETT. MR. B. MARTEN'S REPLY TO MR. STURCII, O, MR. BESNETI's SERMON. To the Editor of the Monthly Repository. Sir, - Your correspondent Mr. Sturch has commenced a war of recrimination against nie in a tone very much resembling some of those gentry, who, styling themse ves critics and reviewers, assume the right of whipping unnercifully all who happen to differ from them in opinion, while they are the first to be offended at the lash of others. He begins his observations with contending for that which I have never disputed, viz. the right of an Editor's inserting nothing anonymous which relates to natters of fact; but how long and how generally this has been the custom in the Repository, your correspondent has not informed me. I should hope, Sir, for your credit as an Editor, that minu is not a solitary casc. Mr. S. has thought proper to as ert that my design in writing was to fix a stigma on vir. Bennett, which decla acion ill becomes him after the frank and friendly opinion which I have expressed towa:ds chat gentleman, who I am persuaded cannot by this correspondent's mischievous insinuations be made to think that I entertain again thin any motives of personal animosity. I have, Sir, only given it as my opinion that Mr. B. was incorrect when he said that he obtained a patient hearing of his sermon, while Mr. S. most dogmatically asserts the contrary. Mr. S. appeals for the truth of his assertion to the expressions of some of his friends, who I suppose like him cil were present merely during the time of public service, and at the dinner table atterwards : while I equally appeal to a number of my friends who were present during the whole business of the day, and whose disapprobation Mr. Bennett himseif was both an eye and an ear witness to, nor would it be a dificult task to prove, that during the delivery of the sermon there were visible marks in the congregation both of impatience, interruption and disgust. If Mr. Bennett is an injured man, to what cause is it to be attributed ? Cer. tainly not to me ncr the Assembly, but to himself and those of his friends who have rashiy advised him to add one iinproper act to another : nor has Mr. Sturch's de licacy towards his friend Mr. Bennett appeared very conspicuous in agitating a subject, winch perhaps would have been much better lsid at rest. When I wrote my former letter, I was not aware that amongst your numerous readers, there could have existed a disposition so captious as to have taken an advantage of my words, while the meaning was sufficiently obvious. Was it possible for any one but Mr. S. to have understood me to mean (notwithstanding some incorrectness of expression) that cach of the passages which I quoted, was repeated thirty or forty tinies, and not that such like passages occurred so often in the dis. course! And if I had substituted the word introduction for that of repetition, I might have escaped the talons of this angry critic. Indeed, Sir, werc I in my turn to recriminate, I might charge Mr. S. with asserting that Mr. Bennett's own passages in his sermon were “ more unexioplionable" than those which he borrowed from scripture, but this would betray a spirit which every friend to truth ought to de. precate. I am as anxious as any man for the spread of pure and unadulterated christianity, and the true worship of the one supreme God, but I hope my zeal in the good cause will never betray me into errors, and especially into that great absurdity of defending the mcasures of any advocate, right or wrong, merely because I believe hins to be a good man, and much more so, when his conduct acuda to stigmatize a large body of his equally well meaning brethren. And as I have never, either directly or indirectly, charged one word of scripture language with indecency, so I think the lcvity of Mr. Suurch in the latter part of bis le:ter is ill timed; it may indeed suit the feelings of a sneering, or gratify the spleen of an angry critic, but it deserves by me only to be treated with silent contempt. I remain, Sir, your's &c. Barston, Dor. 10, 180;. “B. MARTEN, ERRATA, --- 1. 23, from the bottom, for “ in punctually obey " read mo INDEX. A. B. Austin, St. Robt. Robinson's ac- 219 count of, (note) quiry in, 47. Melancholy conse His success in conversion, and church of, its reformed liturgy 647 gory, ib. His miracles 19. Of Dr. Paley, 141. Of a 514 59 Hoadley, 643. Of Sir R., Walpole 646 Belsham, Rev. Mr. strictures of on 3 402 anism, 80, 133, 195, 253, 304, of the writer of. 248. Inpurity his evidences of Chris:ianity, 268 206, 271, 326, 384. Of his fast ; mon before General Baptists, 564. . 400, 697 same 202 Bigotry, what is not, 135, 539. Celestius, theological opinions of HII 348 343 Childhood, great importance of 298 ar institucion so called, zi. Re Christian church, a new era in 76 and means of the Government 387 virtue the sole foundation of 239 293 in Wales, from the time of Pela. gius to that of Ausein of Rume, 509 621 sing on the consciences of the prophecy, 72. Depraved and 613 Mankind Church discipline, arguments exercise of, ib. Defence of 16 572 propagation of Christianity of, 195. An example of the tera the illiberality of the Eclectic 498 Review all systems equally true 484 abolition of the slave trade 504 ing at, 125. A temptation to sin, to 126 Cobbet, William, his arguments rance, 614. With his plans for the more effectually brutalizing 648 tional, review of, 94. Remarks system of education 301 Common sense, decisions of on the Trinity 192 century 135 of marks on 283 e reflec. 479 Controversy, more beneficial to 60- , Doddridge and Watts, orthodoxy of. 1806, with King's answer 205 Duelling, 356. Proposed remedy for 65 Duncannon, E. poem by cí for by Buonaparte 288, 340, 396, 452, 508, 564, East, Sandys' contrasted account of, (note) version of N. T. p. 25. Paulus' tions on Mr. Clarke answered 68 312 gard to Mr. Stone p. 524 v 8, p. 582. Rev. i. tianity built on peculiarity of 315 Evangelical Magazine, its appeal on the late zealous exertions of the abuse of their opinions and prac- sciousness between that and the learning 575 in the pre-existence of Christ, 540, 588 605, 638 writings and character, 128. no foundation for belief of, in Letter from, to Lord Rederdale, 305 on the catholic question, 363, 423 cies and marvellous attainments F. 451 tion on the exhibition of D. ed |