And even in these days of light, But there's a part of Britain's Isle Where surplices produced confusion, The Church of ancient Scotia's land Jesus is ever on their lips, The Bible ever their profession; But truth divine is tested by Their " Standard," which is the "Confession.". Think your own thoughts, and speak them too, Nor will it serve you to appeal To ought that's written in the Bible. If from our Saviour's sacred words, You show that e'er the Kirk has wander'd, Its Orthodoxy's always proved, Not by the Bible, but the Standard! Blind leaders of a blinded race- "Synods and Councils often err, And therefore should not be the rule An absolute and blind submission, POPULAR OBJECTIONS TO TOTAL ABSTINENCE. No. II. THE following correspondence has lately taken place between Mr. Buckingham, formerly M. P. for Sheffield, and the Rev. Dr. Edgar of Belfast, formerly an advocate of the Temperance Reformation. Whether it be that that Reformation, being so ably advocated by a Catholic Priest, has stirred up Dr. Edgar's Protestant antipathies and fears, that, through Temperance, Catholicism may spread in the land, to the disparagement and condemnation of Orange inebriety, we know not; but the terms in which he has vented his pious indignation at sobriety, are curious as well as melancholy. In similar terms, Dr. Edgar lately denounced Unitarian Christianity! The two causes against which he has vainly endeavoured to do despite, are above his intemperance.—EDITOR. From Mr. Buckingham to the Rev. Dr. Edgar, enclosing a Prospectus of his Work on America, now in the Press. LONDON, April 3, 1841. DEAR SIR,-Recollections of our former intercourse induce me to hope that you will not be unwilling to know something of my wanderings in the Western World; and should this be the case, I shall be both honoured and obliged by the addition of your name to the enclosed list— in the extent and respectability of which I have the deepest interest at stake. Awaiting the favour of your reply, I remain, dear sir, yours faithfully, J. S. BUCKINGHAM. The passages of the Westminster Confession which are paraphrased in the last two stanzas are as follows:-" All Synods and Councils, since the Apostles' time, may err, and many have erred; therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith or practice, but to be used as an help in both." The requiring an implicit faith and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also." The Rev. Dr. Edgar to Mr. Buckingham. BELFAST, April 6, 1841. MY DEAR SIR,-If it were a matter of friendship, or even cold civility, I would be happy to have my name on the list of your subscribers; but as I entertain the most confirmed abhorrence of teetotalism, as insulting to God, and disgraceful to man, and as the public press attributes to you teetotalism in its worst form, it grieves me much to be compelled to say, that I could not, with my present views and feelings, give your Work my countenance.- - Yours truly, JOHN EDGAR. Mr. Buckingham to the Rev. Dr. Edgar. LONDON, April 12, 1841. MY DEAR SIR,-If I thought that by subscribing to any book of mine, descriptive of my travels in America, persons were bound to participate in all my opinions, in matters of religion, politics, or morals, I should never have ventured to issue a circular for the purpose of asking any one, either acquaintances or strangers, to favour me by placing their names on the list of its subscribers: and most certainly, if you were about to publish a book descriptive of Ireland, I should never think of being restrained from taking a copy of it, lest I should be thought to adopt your views respecting teetotalism. However, as you think differently, I have too much regard for liberty of thought and action, to complain of your shaping your own conduct to your own convictions. When you say, that you "entertain the most confirmed abhorrence of teetotalism," I can only comprehend by this, the existence in your mind of some morbid feeling of strong dislike to what millions of others as highly approve; and considering this to be an unfortunate and misdirected taste, I can only lament it, and wish it a speedy correction. But when you add, that you consider teetotalism as "insulting to God and disgraceful to man," I really do not understand you; and begin to feel compassion towards a brother who cannot be "in his right mind." As teetotalism consists only in "totally abstaining from the use of all intoxicating drinks, and using the means of advice and persuasion to induce others to do the same," I will venture to affirm, that there is no really sane person in all her Majesty's dominions, who would pronounce this to be "insulting to God and disgraceful to man!" and the very fact of your so expressing yourself is, to me at least, the clearest evidence of some unfortunate aberration of your reasoning powers. If the Deity is "insulted" by all his creatures who confine themselves to water as their usual beverage, it would lead one to infer, that the all-wise Creator had committed a great error in providing this pure and healthy fluid in such abundance everywhere for their use, while no other beverage is supplied in the natural state, by his divine wisdom, except this; as all others require the aid of manufacture by the hand of man. If it be "insulting" to the beneficent Architect of the beautiful globe we inhabit, to drink only of the limpid streams which his gushing springs and sparkling fountains yield-alas! for the myriads of innocent beings to whom this is more grateful than all the intoxicating drinks that art can produce. But though the language of a mind thus bewildered, or obscured on this subject at least-may be pitied, it cannot be reasoned with; and it is vain, therefore, to pursue the argument. You add, however, that "the public press" attributes to me "teetotalism in its worst form;" by which I presume you mean, that I am not content to abstain from the use of all intoxicating drinks myself, but that I employ whatever powers of persuasion and whatever influence Providence may permit me to enjoy, to prevail on others to follow my example. If this be your meaning, I am not ashamed to bear whatever reproach it may be supposed to convey; and while I remember with pleasure, that, during the many vears which I have now devoted to this cause, I have been the humble means of persuading thousands of my fellow-beings to adopt my views, and carry them out into practice, including ministers of the Gospel, members of the legal and medical professions, merchants, manufacturers, ship-owners, sea-captains, officers of the navy and army, sailors and soldiers, farmers, tradesmen, and labourers of all classes;-while I have personally assisted at the formation of more than a hundred new associations, juvenile as well as adult, at the raising of several thousand pounds for promoting of temperance halls and temperance asylums, erecting sailors' homes and establishing temperance journals,-I should indeed have " a fearful looking forward to the day of judgment," if I could be brought to think, with you, that this "teetotalism in its worst form" were really "insulting to God and disgraceful to man," as you pronounce it to be. But, believing, as I do, that the Deity is "honoured," and not "insulted," by the physical, moral, and intellectual improvement of his creatures-which total abstinence from all intoxicating drinks is so well calculated to produce; and believing also, that man is " elevated," and not "disgraced," by the changes thus wrought in his conduct I shall continue to persevere in the course which has obtained me the reprobation of your "anathema maranatha," and still strive to maintain "a conscience void of offence." In return, however, for the epithets by which you are pleased to characterise my labours for the benefit of my fellow-men, permit me to assure you of my sincere and earnest prayers that the mental delusion under which you appear to me to be labouring, may soon pass away; and that you may be brought to a clearer perception of what is likely to be acceptable to God and beneficial to man, than at present you seem to enjoy. With every good wish, mingled with the deepest sorrow and regret,-I remain, my very dear sir, very truly yours, J. S. BUCKINGHAM. 4, Cambden Terrace West, Cambden New Town. ON WAR. "One murder makes a villain, millions a hero."-PORTEOUS. WHEN first with youthful ardour glows Then rises to the eager eye The tented plain and banner'd host, |