it with his notice; but it is gratifying to me to be able to say, that except one proverbial expression, in toto cælo perhaps, improperly used, and a mistake in writing Plato for Herodotus, and Herodotus for Plato, which, in a great part of the impression, was corrected with the pen, and in all was ordered to be so corrected with it, before the book left the printer’s, and a mistake in writing παῤ εξοχην instead of κατ᾿ εξοχην, he has not found any other fault, though I think he has shewn no want of inclination. With respect to the latter error, as I certainly never discovered the gross and shocking inadvertency until a great part of this work was printed, I should not be at all surprised if somewhere, as I wrote for Greek παῤ εξοχην instead of κατ᾿ εξοχην, I should have written for French kat’ excellence instead of par excellence.
A writer in the Bishop’s review accuses me of being in a rage with priests. I flatter myself I am never in a rage with any thing; but, I never have scrupled and never shall scruple to express my detestation of an order which exists directly in opposition to the commands of Jesus Christ—which in no case is of use to mankind, but which has produced more demoralisation and misery in the world than all other causes put together. With this conviction it would be base in me to withhold my opinion, and not even the fear of the auto-da-fé shall prevent me from expressing it.
As long as the art of writing and reading was a secret confined to a few select persons, priests might be thought to be wanted to say the prayers for the ignorant; but as most persons can read now, they are no longer necessary; and the prayer which Jesus Christ taught is so very short and simple, that no person, above the class of an idiot, can be in any difficulty about it; and there can be little doubt that Jesus Christ taught that simple and short form that priests might no longer be necessary.
Matthew vi. 5, 6, 7, 9, makes Jesus say, “When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues” [they go in great form to church and have their pew made with high walls and lined with crimson cloth], “and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men;” [attend Bible and Missionary meetings;] “verily they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. After this manner, therefore, pray ye,” &c.
Here priesthoods and priests, vipers as Jesus often called them, are expressly forbidden. In giving directions what a person is to do when he prays, he directly countermands every other mode of proceeding. In strict keeping with this, not a single word of his can be pointed out in any one of the gospels, which can be construed into even a toleration of priests; and in the vain repetitions liturgies are evidently implied.
In the prayer which Jesus gave, he gave a liturgy and directions for the use of it, and no human being who has learned to repeat this prayer can ever want any priest or other apparatus.
Had Jesus considered any symbol or confession of faith necessary, he would have
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