PREFACE TO THE FIFTEENTH LONDON EDITION. The reader shall be detained only by the Author's grateful acknowledgement of the favourable reception given by the public to the "Sketch of the Denominations of the Christian World." Detailing the opinions of the various sects, it addresses the curiosity of Turk, Jew, Infidel, and Christian. This accounts for its unrivalled circulation. It enjoys the honour of a niche in the royal library, whilst it has descended down to the shelves of the cottage in the obscurest recesses of the country. Throughout the three kingdoms of the British empire it is well known, and has undergone several editions in the United States of America. By its translation into foreign languages, it has spread over the Continent: whilst it has found its way to Calcutta, to the Cape of Good Hope, and even to Rio Janeiro in South America. Thus the little volume, like a universal missionary, proceeding silently and unostentationsly on its errand of Christian love, may be said to have traversed the four quarters of the globe. Its professed purport is to enlighten and enlarge the understanding, by imparting accurate views of the tenets characterizing the several departments of Christendom. This, in many instances, it is known to have accomplished. One singular fact may be noticed. The Author entering a bookseller's shop in the country, the bookseller, taking him for a clergyman, presented him with a copy of the Sketch, and strongly reccommended its circulation among his parishoners, for the promotion of candour, peace, and charity! He had he said, sold many among the clergy; and added, that it had never failed to produce some good effect. Nor ought the Author, in justice to himself, to omit noticing the Sequel of the Sketch, which completes the plan of his work. Arresting, indeed, the career of uncharitableness and bigotry, by inculcating the spirit of Christianity, it has had a more limited circulation. In every age men have been concerned more about faith than practice. The volume is denominated The Golden Centenary! for it consists of one hundred testimonies in behalf of candour and unanimity, by divines of the Church of England, of the Kirk of Scotland and from many Protestant Dissenters, with concentrated biographies of their characters and writings. The bringing together the declarations of so many good men of every denomination cost no small pains. It was not the labour of a day; and it was no mean encomium passed on it by a venerable living divine, that "one of these testimonies, at least, should be read from the pulpit, at the close of the service every Sabbath, in every place of worship throughout the kingdom." Its contents yield offence to no party ;-it breathes kindness to all, and promotes, by anticipation, the harmony of all wise and good in heaven. Should the Sketch and Sequel have taught one individual to think more justly on the awful topic of religion, and to feel more charitably towards an erring brother, the end will be accomplished. The writer can honestly declare, that having with much bodily infirmity, attained the sixtieth year of his age,and witnessed the issuing of one hundred thousand copies of his little book from the press, the vanity of authorship natural to early life is absorbed in the sweet and heart-exhilarating consciousness of doing good to mankind. Reader, one labour more indulge." The Author having relinquished his employ of educating youth, in which he was engaged for thirty years, wishes usefully to fill up his retirement. It will be seen that all the Christians sects, delineated in the subsequent pages, appeal to the Bible as the only legitimate mode of bringing their disputes to an amicable termination. This is a truly Protestant principle, which should meet with due encouragement. Accordingly, the Author is now occupied in a work, entitled, "An Answer to the Question, What is the Bible? in Twelve Replies, illustrative of the Truth and Excellence of the Sacred Writings." It will be distributed into three parts: the first will consider it as a sacred, authentic, inspired, and translated book; the second, as an historical, devotional, moral, and prophetic book; and the third, as an evangelical, apostolic, epistolary, and prospective book. Thus it will embrace a survey of the truth and contents of the Old and New Testament. Biblical learning has, within the last few years, been much cultivated. The substance of many a learned treatise may be compressed in a small compass. He wishes to avoid making a large book, which the ancients justly pronounce a great evil. Such is the plan-simple and unaffected, nor altogether devoid of originality. Should Providence enable the Author to finish the volume in a manner agreeable to his own wishes, he is persuaded that the public will receive it candidly, and that it will shield the minds of the rising generation from the pernicious influence of the growing evil of the agean overweening and clamorous infidelity.* The longer he lives, the more he is convinced that the belief and practice of the religion of the Holy Scriptures, the last and best gift of heaven to man, is the sum of human felicity. With regard to the present edition of the Sketch, every article has been most carefully revised. The author has availed himself of the latest communications from some of the leading ministers or members of the sects. These were transmitted in reply to applications made on the subject. He has not, nor can he have, any interest in the misrepresentation of any body of Christians;-his sole object is truth and charity. The celebrated Charles Butler, Esq., of Lincoln's-Inn, (no mean authority) has, in a letter to the author, sanctioned the article on the almost endless disputed subject of Popery; and the interesting accounts of the Primitive Methodists, or Ranters, and of the Presbyterians in Ireland, who are highly patronised by government, whilst they are distinguished for talents, erudition, and piety, may be pronounced an essential improvement. The Author, by compressing certain portions of the volume which were the least necessary and important, has made room for the additional matter, without increasing its size or price. It is thus more accessible to the generality of readers, and of course perpetuates that unexampled circulation with which it has been honoured almost beyond any other publication throughout the religious world Islington, June 1, 1827. An * The fulfilment of these pleasing anticipations was denied to Dr. Evans. He had made considerable progress in his projected work, when its completion was arrested by his death, Jan. 25, 1827. Obituary Memoir of the deceased may be seen in the "Monthly Repository" for March, 1827.-EDITOR. RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES FOR THE DIFFUSION OF CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD; WITH THE DATES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE ESTABLISHMENT. There are institutions which bear the genuine stamp of Christianity, not originating in party, founded on disinterestedness: and comprehending the best interests of almost the whole habitable globe, without partiality and without hypocrisy.-HANNAH MORE. Previous to the delineation of the various sects, it is proper to remark that Christians, notwithstanding the discordancy of their opinions, are most cordially united in the diffusion of the Holy Scriptures, which constitutes the alone rule of faith and practice. 1. The British and Foreign Bible Soceity, established in 1804, disperses the Bible, both at home and abroad, without note or comment. It has distributed upwards of a million copies of the Scriptures. It is placed at the head of this list of religious Societies, because it is supported by every class of the religious community. The union of Christians in every good work must be conducive to love, to peace, and to charity. The broad Protestant pinciple of giving away the Bible, without note or comment, characterises the British and Foreign Bible Society. It is a memorable declaration of Richard Baxter's, in the "History of his Life and Times," "To every family that was poor and had not a Bible, I gave a Bible. And I had found myself the benefit of reading to be so great, that I could not but think it would be profitable to others." Thus it appears that upwards of a century ago the germ of this society lay concealed within the bosom of a man, whose liberal views, and whose devotional warmth of temper, allied him to the pious of all the de nominations of the Christian world. The income of this society has been 100,000l. per annum, but this last year it is diminished. This is partly owing to the times, and partly to a schism amongst them respecting the circulation of the Apocrypha along with the sacred writings. There has been a secession of the Scottish branch of the society, though it has resolved to make no future circulation of the obnoxious work. Mr. Haldane and Dr. Andrew Thomson have written against the parent society in a spirit utterly irreconcileable with Christianity. The "Eclectic Review" in England, and the "Pioneer" a small Unitarian periodical in Scotland, have administered merited chastisement. The pure Bible, for which these gentlemen contend, sanctions neither strife nor bigotry. Its spirit is perfect purity. The professors of Christianity have instituted other societies of a miscellaneous description. An extended account of Missionary societies will be found in Dr. W. Brown's "History of the Propagation of Christianity among the Heathen since the Reformation." As unbelievers urge the contradictory opinions of Christians against all missions, it may be remarked, that there are central points which embrace the essence of religion in which all are agreed. These are: 1. That there is one Supreme Being of infinite perfection. 2. That the Supreme Being is the object of religious worship. That Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, or the Son of God. 4. That there will be a Resurrection of the dead; and 5. That Virtue and Piety will be rewarded, whilst Vice and Impiety shall be punished. Individuals admitting these five articles, believe every thing essential in the Christian religion. Keeping in view these central points, in which all Christians coincide, the subsequent list must exhibit a pleasing picture of the zeal and activity of the religious world. A mission is recommended even to Jerusalem! 3. 2. Dr. Bray's Charity, instituted 1696, whose object is the diffusion of Christian knowledge by providing libraries for the parochial clergy, and lending libraries to the clergy in their neighbourhood, of which sixteen have |