doctrine definitely expressed, and clearly understood, in the Churches of the Reformation; and it is, accordingly, of injurious tendency to the faith, the peace, and the religious comfort of the Church of God.

2. The use made of the word atonement is inconsistent with its scriptural meaning. In the New Testament, Karanλayn, the word rendered Atonement, uniformly includes reconciliation, and never is indefinitely applied, in a single instance. In the Old Testament, "Atonement," uniformly signifies the effectual removal of the offence, and the establishment of reconciliation, as often as it is applied to the sins of mankind against their God. Here there is nothing indefinite. So perfectly was the Mosaic ritual adapted to the system, of reconciliation by a sacrifice for sin, which represented distinctly our Redeemer standing under the imputation of his people's guilt, that the Covenant connexion between the sinner and the substitute, was every where exemplified. In every instance in which a victim for sin was offered, the person for whose transgressions atonement was to be made, placed his hands on the victim confessing his sins*. This action distinctly marked that a transfer of guilt takes place, upon the principle of a covenant representation, in order that the sufferings of the victim should make atonement. Upon the day of annual expiation, and at the time of offering the daily sacrifice morning

* Exod. xxix. 10. 33. 36. Lev. i. 4. and iv. 13-20. Num. xv. 22-28. Lev. xvi. 21. The learned Lightfoot, on Luke i. 5. explains the Jewish practice relative to the morning and evening sacrifice. There were appointed certain persons to represent the Church, in imposing hands on the victim, and in attending while the Priest entered within the vail. These were called viri Statuarii-And are the maro andos, Luke, i. 10.

and evening, the representatives of the whole church, by this action transferred their sins to the sacrifice. Thus were the Jews constantly taught, that Jesus is our representative and surety; that all the sins of his people, and none else, are laid upon him; and that no confession of sin avails, upon the part of the sinner, which is not accompanied" with an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ." The blood of the sacrifice was accordingly called the "blood of the covenant." In this there is nothing indefinite. The atonement was instantly followed with forgiveness, and punishment was rendered inadmissible.

3. Those who represent atonement as indefinite, and so admit the justice of punishing sins, for which an infinite satisfaction has been given, commit violence on the English language. Atonement never signifies, in any English composition, except the works of those whom we, in this instance, oppose, any thing short of such satisfaction for an offence as would render further punishment unjusti fiable.

4. There is something unfair in using the term Atonement in an indefinite sense. That word has been long used as a technichal term in theology, to which a precise idea has been annexed in the standard writings of the Reformation Churches. If a new doctrine is to be taught, a new term, or name, should be formed for it. A name, too, which, in good English, would not convey a quite different meaning. Men would then be on their guard; and they should not be exposed, as at present, to the danger of embracing a total stranger under a familiar garb. An atonement, which does not render subsequent punishment unjustifiable, is no atonement; it certainly is not that in which we desire to rejoice, as received from our Lord Jesus Christ.

THE British and Foreign Bible Society has been pleased to institute a Committee of Correspondence at Calcutta, and has sent out large sums for the purpose of promoting Translations of the Holy Scriptures into the Oriental Languages, and for publishing editions of the same, I am directed by the Corresponding Committee to invite your co-operation, and to transmit to you the enclosed Minutes. We understand a Tamul edition of the Scriptures is much wanted, and also that you have at Tranquebar a Tamul press. requested you will be pleased to communicate fully on this subject: 1. respecting the need of a Tamul edition of the Holy Scriptures; 2. respecting the means for carrying it into effect; 3. respecting the probable expense and the number of copies you would advise for an edition.

It is

It is particularly requested you will be pleased to report on this subject in the beginning of December next, and to suggest whatever you think may forward the views of the British and Foreign Bible Society, the report of which will be regularly sent to you, (Signed)

1440

D. BROWN.

To the Rev. D, Brown, Calcutta.

Reverend Sir,

Tranquebar, Nov. 15, 1809.

I HAVE received your official letter of 2d ult. with highest and heart-felt pleasure, and sympathize fully with the Vol. II.-No. XII. 4 U

grand and blessed object of the Honourable British and Foreign Bible Society, and accept of the invitation of the respectable Corresponding Committee to unite with them in obtaining that great object, which I joyfully will do as my poor abilities may permit.

I have sent a copy of this letter to the Rev. Mr. Pohle at Trichinapoly, Senior to the English Missionaries, and desired him to communicate to the Rev. Mr. Kohloff, who takes care of the extensive Tanjore and Palamcottah Missions, in which he is assisted by the Rev. Mr. Horst, who was ordained about three years ago at Tanjore, with the consent of the Honourable Society for promoting Christian Knowledge.

We have in our Danish Mission a second corrected Tamul edition of the Old at 4, and fourth edition of the New Testament at 1 pagoda or 3 sicca rupees. Of these editions, together with school and religious books, we can give only a set gratis to our schools and to our Catechists and Schoolmasters in our town, and in the different small congregations in the neighbouring districts of Tanjore country. The same we have done on the request of the English Missionaries for their Missions at Tanjore, Palamcottah, Tritchinopoly, Vepery, Cuddalore, and Negapatam, depending on the Honourable Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, to whom we are greatly indebted for their generous benefits in sending us annually stores of printing and writing paper, stationary, and other valuable presents, in addition to the stores and emoluments which we annually receive from our Royal College at Copenhagen, and from the Directors of the Orphan House at Halle in Germany. Since the unhappy war between England and Denmark, our mission is in the greatest distress, being not only entirely deprived of the stores, remittances, and of all connexions from the former two countries, but also of the usual kind stores and presents from the Honourable Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, of which those for 1808 directed to Madras have been carried to Calcutta. Of those for this present year we have not yet heard, and are afraid they may have been entirely lost with all letters to us, which is a sad accumulation of our present trials. You may therefore imagine how comfortable was your information, that the worthy Mr. Udny would kindly forward the stores of the former year by one of the Honourable Company's ships to Madras.

We are now also sending the Holy Scriptures and other school books in Tamul to Travancore, where the Rev. Mr.

Ringeltaube has lately established a Mission, to which belong six little congregations. To the christian congregation at Jaffnapatam we have likewise sent transports at different times, and more are requested, which we however cannot do any more gratis, in our present poor circumstances. For the above fixed price very few and very rarely have been sold to Europeans and natives.

The pious and generous charity of the Bible Society for granting the treasures of the Holy Scriptures to the native freely as a present, comes now in the most seasonable time; 500 of the Old in quarto, and 300 of the New Testaments in Tamul in octavo, besides the sets of the New Testament, which may be had in the Vepery Mission, are still in our stock at Tranquebar, and we shall be most happy to offer them to the disposal of the Corresponding Committee, and shall also undertake with pleasure a more extensive distribution amongst the christians, heathens, and any religion in all the countries where the Tamul language prevails and is spoken. Before these are distributed, we may have time to correspond when a new edition will be wanted.

I have also inquired for Translators of the Holy Bible into the Telinga and Marattian languages. In the former our pious christian Brahmin Anunderayer, has already translated the Gospel of St. Matthew, and will probably continue the other Gospels, and he is also able to translate the Holy Scriptures into the Marattian. But as the Honourable Bible Society undoubtedly wishes that translations may be effected as soon as possible, several parts of the Holy Scriptures in the Old and New Testament may be trusted to more than one Translator. I have for my assistance in Indian literature, and in my performance of religious books for our schools and heathens, since 16 years, a very learned, and I may say in truth, a very virtuous and honest Brahmin, and a great friend of Anunderayer, who is now translating our Tamul school-books into Telinga, which I intend to send to the Rev. Mr. Desgranges at Vizagapatam. He offers to translate the Epistles, in the New Testament; meanwhile Anunderayer continues his Translation till the Acts of the Apostles, and he will also communicate his translation to the perusal and approbation of Anunderayer. An abic Marattian Brahmin is also to be had, who will translate any part of the Holy Scriptures given to him; but I beg you to inform me, if not already translators into the Telinga and Marattian have been employed by the Corresponding Committee. The Portuguese Old and New Testament would