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Haweis, it appears, was on the look out for Mr.Bicknell for several years, but without success; till the Missi

prevented the insubordinate dispositions of these people from breaking out into open violence during the voyage; and no sooner were they landed at Otaheite, but they gave the most striking evi-onary, weary of his single state, dence of their entire want of wisdom, by declaring, that all the property sent out by the society, was to be considered as common stock, aed even that the medicine chest was to be as much under their individual controul as that of the surgeon!

In conformity with this equalizing system, the surgeon was directed to take his turn to act as cook; and as he could not exercise the art of the black smith, he was ordered to blow the belLows. On demurring at this, the missionary Vulcan took the law into his own hands, and immediately inflicted blows or this gentleman for non-compliance with his orders! Conduct of this description could not but convince a man of sense and reflection, that he would be sacrificing his talents to no purpose, by remaining with such persons, and he consequently resolved to leave the Island on the return of the ship.

"The following anecdote is the most striking proof of the extreme ignorance of these men. This gentleman took with him from England an anatomical preparation, exhibiting the blood-vessels of the human body. This he had made himself, whilst he was studying anatomy in London, and held it in great estimation. But when his cases were unpacked at Otaheite, no sooner did these missionaries see it, but they insisted on his digging a hole and burying it in the sand; alleging as a reason, that if the natives saw it, they might take it for a god, and make it an object of religious worship!!!"

Another circumstance proves how little qualified were some of the brethren" ordained by the imposition of hands" for their work. Several of the missionaries at Otaheite, being single men, appear not to have been insensible of the charms of the Otaheitan females; but as the ladies, in their heathenish, savage state, were not the most suitable help-mates for the solemnly ordained brethren, the latter wrote home to their ordainers, requesting them to choose, that is, correctly speaking, ordain some young ladies for their wives.

Dr.

thought proper to sail for England, as Mr. Fox expresses it," on a matrimonial expedition, for himself and four other Missionaries at Otaheite." Our author makes the following observations by way of apology for zeal was not sufficient to keep up these four men, whose Missionary their spirits in their cheerless state of celibacy.

“As was stated in the Appeal, the Directors had promised to the single men, who had gone out on the Otaheitan mission, that they would look out for young women, who might be animated with a missionary spirit, and send them out as soon as they had received accounts of the settlement of the mission, that the single might have suitable wives.

"At length some young women offered themselves to join the mission; and if report be true, they sat for their miniatures, which were to have been sent out as their precursors, that the missionaries might be thus made acquainted with their brides previous to their arrival. But, whatever might be the motive, the young women, after having been kept in suspense for a considerable time, were informed, that the Directors would not send them out; and the miniatures, probably, are still in the possession of the chairman of the Otaheitan committee.

"The Directors, who perhaps were all married men, or if widowers, had the opportunity of paying their court to every widow of property in their coanection, could write to these poor outcast individuals, continually exposed to the trial of yielding to the tempting solicitations of the native women, and therethem to be patient, to mortify the affecby disgracing their profession; exhorting tions of the flesh, &c. and thus suffered these expatriated men to linger out more than twelve years, in this state of disappointed expectation. It was to represent the state of the mission that Mr. Bicknell left Otaheite, and took his voyage to England; during which, in obedience to the Directors, he offered to work his passage. The subscribers must perceive, that Mr. Bicknell came to England on the business of the society,

therefore every step of ground which he travelled, while the directors were preparing for his departure, ought to have been considered by them as connected with their business."

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Mr. B. it further appears, was successful in pitching upon, mongst a number of persons recommended to him, a Miss Adams, who shortly became his wife," and certain other ladies discovering a Missionary spirit, volunteered their services. Whether the directors paired them by contract before they set out on their voyage, or whether, like some of our lasses of scanty fortune who make a matimonial venture to the East Indies, they meant first to try the foreign Missionary market; or whether their miniatures were to precede them, we are not informed. Our readers may be apt to smile at the relation of these follies; but it is impossible to repress feelings of indignation at perceiving how much the benevolence of the religious pubic has been misapplied, in sending out men so unqualified for the important, self-denying office of a Christian Missionary, and the still greater misapplication of sending women who have so little female delicacy, as, under the pretence of possessing a Missionary spirit, to sail on matrimonial speculations to Otabeite! The ladies must have been a little perplexed respecting the place of their destination, as that most illjudged mission, has, after the many thousands wasted in its expenditure, most unsuccessfully terminated, and the disappointed, harrassed and distressed missionaries, have been compelled to seek some other place of

residence.

Mr. Fox adduces several serious charges against the acting Directors of the Society. He charges them with gross neglect of their duty in some instances, and of cruel oppression in others. He presents his readers with some most affecting details of the sufferings of the Missi

onaries, and of the unfeeling conduct of the Directors; who refused permission to their ordained brethren to come to England, unless they would act the part of common sailors- "work their passage home, and bind themselves to go back to Otaheite;" conditions, Mr. Fox remarks, which, as "would have than the convicts at Botany Bay; placed them in a worse situation settlement for life, could obtain all those who were transported to that the conveniences of domestic society, and those whose sentence was, limited, would return to England by working their passage, and were not bound to return thither again."

The Brief Statement of Facts published by the Directors in reply, is very unsatisfactory, and passes over some of the most material points. Indeed they seem to have taken a less troublesome mode than that of impartial investigation; for, enraged at Mr. Fox's exposure of their ill management and unfair proceedings, they entered into a resolution abstain from any further communication with him." Will the religious public, however, to whom they are so seriously responsible, be satisfied with this evasive conduct?

to

One of the most important charges brought against the directors is the arts practised upon the public in order to raise money. Of this there are evident proofs before the public, exclusive of Mr. Fox's pamphlets, Let any person attentively peruse the Evangelical Magazine, and there see, from month to month, the contributions levied on the congregations throughout the kingdom, the pastors of many of which are in almost a starving condition; let them attend to the enormous sums collected annually. By donations and subscriptions the society have received upwards of ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS! Not knowing what to do with a considerable part of the money, they have hoarded up be

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tween TWENTY AND THIRTY THOU SAND pounds in the public funds! Is it fair is it honest for the reverend gentlemen in the direction, or in connection with the society, to make their pathetic appeals to the public respecting the glory of God and the conversion of the heathen; and on the absolute necessity of contributing still more largely for this purpose, to encourage their missionaries to curse Meroz; to curse those bitterly who do not come to the help of the Lord," that is, who do not help to swell the funds of the society !—Is it honest for those ministers who are travelling far and wide for the purpose of collecting money, to keep those to whom they apply in ignorance of the real state of their funds? If they were to read the annual account of receipts, disbursements, and balances in hand; if they were to close their earnest solicitations by declaring The glory of God, and the conversion of the heathen require that we should increase our present fund of 20,000l. to 30,000l. or 40,0001. the collections we suspect would not be quite so liberal as they have usually been.

We cannot but recommend it to the contributors to examine the Reports and the accounts of the society: they would perceive how meagre are the statements of the missionaries, how little good has been done considering the sums raised; how enormous the expences attending the jaunts of ministers throughout the kingdom, for the purpose of making collections; and of educating, fitting out, and sending men as missionaries to foreign parts; how vast the means, and how disproportionate the end! We are persuaded that the money spent by this society might have produced infinitely greater effects nearer home, in evangelizing Europe, and indeed our own country: there is yet much ignorance to be removed, many families to be taught to read and to be provided with bibles, and

much distress to be alleviated, in various parishes in this kingdom, and which more imperiously call for the assistance of the religious world.-We do not deny that partial good may have been done by missionary societies; but should their exertions as hitherto displayed, be productive of success to any considerable degree, it will afford proof that the Almighty does, in the most literal sense, make use of the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty!

We are, after all, inclined to believe, that those societies which have made the least bustle, noise, and parade, have done the most good amongst the heathen: we mean the Moravians and the Quakers; those who with respect to men in a savage state, have endeavoured to set about the rational work of civilizing them, previously to christianizing them.* When men can read, then put a bible into their hands: translating the scriptures into foreign languages constitutes but a small part of the labours of missionary societies: this most important work appears to have been reserved for a society of infinitely greater importance than all the missionary societies united; a society which has already produced at home and abroad the happiest effects, and which, when peace shall be restored, promises fruit still more abundant: BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. Such an institution, supported by all sects and parties, a few of the established clergy excepted, who appear to deprecate the too extensive diffusion of the scrip tures, must be productive of the most important consequences, although bibles may not be accompanied by Curse Meroz commentators!

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THE

The Second Appeal of Mr. Fox * See some excellent papers on this subject in the 1st and 2d numbers of The Philanthropist; a useful work published quarterly.

contains much valuable information, and is by far the most interesting. For his veracity and the purity of his motives he thus solemnly addresses his readers.

"It was not without mature deliberation, that I determined to present an Appeal to the subscribers of the London Missionary Society, against a resolution of the directors transmitted to me by their secretary. I was fully aware that by so doing I should draw upon myself a great variety of animadversions from individuals, as well as the displeasure of that part of the directors against whose negligence of duty, the allegations in my Appeal were directed. I felt assured, that I ought to have very strong reasons for calling the attention of the subscribers, and unless I was supported by the eternal principles of truth and justice, I should deservedly be consigned to perpetual contempt."

Every one who knows Mr. Fox will give him full credit for the sincerity of this declaration.

To Mr. Fox's Appeal is subjoined -Letters from various persons in confirmation of the author's statements. One of these is from that friend to the rising generation, of the lower classes more particularly, JoSEPH LANCASTER, who writes with greater indignation than in his usual style against the neglect of some of the missionary directors of the forlorn strangers, who were the more peculiarly entitled to their support, and at their "base insult" offered to his "friend," Mr. Fox, for his taking up the cause of the destitute and friendless.-A letter from Mr. Corston concludes by a remark, which deserves the serious attention of the supporters of THE Missionary Society.

"I cannot forbear taking this opportunity of remarking, that when I coutemplate the plans that are now before the public for the education and employment of the children of the industrious

poor, that I lament that the purses of the religious community should have been drained of so large a sum as

END OF THE NINTH

100,000l. when a fifth part of that sum, prudently managed, would have been sufficient to provide education for all that class of the community who may be stiled the heathen at home, and introduce a work of industry for above 60,000 poor female children; but I trust that you and I, my dear friend, shall live to see good men of every name and denomination, more feelingly alive to the importance of this subject then they are at present."

In closing this part of our Miscellany, we beg leave to suggest to our readers one or two reflections, naturally arising from the review of the articles in our present number, In all inquiries after truth it is indispensibly requisite that we think, examine, and judge for ourselves, and that we be not unduly biassed by names or parties. That we may judge of the soundness or correct, ness of our sentiments, let us try them by that test which they will most assuredly be brought to by the Judge of all mankind hereafter, From the allusions made by the sa cred writers to the day of judgment, and the concise but important account given by our Saviour, of the proceedings of that awful day, it is evident that no one will be asked to what sect he belonged, or if he were a Trinitarian, or an Unitarian, a Calvinist or an Arminian, or of what church he was the professed member, No! The numerous millions of the human race will be then divided into two classes only-the RIGHTEOUS and the wICKED; and the only evi dence admitted to demonstrate the purity of our FAITH will be the pu rity of our wORKS. Let us then judge our own character, and that of individuals of all sects and parties, by the only safe and certain rule of our SAVIOUR, that rule by which the character of every man will be fi nally determined-BY THEIR FRUITS

YE SHALL KNOW THEM!
AND LAST VOLUME,

TO THE

POLITICAL REVIEW,

VOL. IX.

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Cobbett, Mr. his inconsistency and ig-
norance, relative to Lord Sidmouth's
bill, exposed, lxvi-recommends a
state religion, lxvii-reviles the dis-
Committees, their reports often rejected
senters, lxviii
Conscience, the rights of, lxxv
by parliament, lxx
Continent, a glance at the state of the, x
-the revolutions on the, have upon
the whole, benefitted the lower orders
of people, xxxv

Copenhagen, the sufferers at, had no
subscriptions from England, xlviii
Courier, extract from, apologizing for
the ravages of our army in Portugal,
xlii

Curtis, Sir William, a convenient tool
of all administrations, lxxviii

tion to destroy our form of govern-
ment, vi-the real object of his at-
tack on this country, ib.--should he
follow the example of our own minis-Day,
ters, eternal war must be the conse-
quence, vii

C.

Canterbury, Archbishop of, his decla-
ration in favour of religious liberty,
Iviii
Castlereagh, Lord, his character deve-
loved by Mr. Finnerty, xix
Catholic claims, Ixix-no danger to be
feared from granting them, Ixxii
Christianity, not of this world, Ixvii
Church, preferments in, manner of ob-
taining, liii.lv-the clergy of, not re-
markable for morality, Iv-the refor-
mation of, recommended, Ivi-the
zealots of the, remarkable for their
ignorance, ib.

Clergy, their unfitness for the sacred
office, lii➡lv-enter the church lying
unto God, liii

D.

newspaper, the editor of, tried
for a libel, xviii
Dissenters, an instance alluded to of
depravity in a minister among the,
liv-the welfare of the country de-
pends on their increase, Iv-the bible
the foundation of their belief, lviii-
review of their conduct on the late
attempt of Lord Sidmouth, Ixii-their
unanimity, lxiii--advice to, lv.lvi-
their loyalty, Ixviii

Donoughmore, Lord, extract from his
excellent speech relative to the ca-
tholic'claims, Ixxi

Duigenan, Dr. an infuriated bigot, lxix

E.

Eldon, Lord, panegyrizes himself, and
encourages Sir Vicary on the subject
of libel prosecutious, xxvi
Ellenborough, Lord, alarmed at Lord

Holland's motion relative to ex-officio
informations, ib.

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