To the Editor of the Christian Observer. ALTHOUGH the apprehension, which was entertained in the course of the last autumn, of an approaching scarcity, may be considered as removed, you will probably not deem it unseasonable to insert a few observations on the means of diminishing the sufferings which must always necessarily attend such a ca. lamity. In this country, a scarcity may arise either from the failure of foreign supplies, or from a deficiency in our own crop, or from both these causes combined. This year, from all the inquiries which I have made, I am led to conclude, that we have no deficiency in our own produce, taking the whole country together; and the scarcity, therefore, which we were led to expect, would have been wholly, or at least chiefly, the result of that situation of things which it was apprehended would put a stop to the importation of foreign grain and flour. But though our fears on this point have happily proved groundless, it may still be of use to consider in what way a scarcity, so produced, will operate, and how its pressure may be relieved. The corn brought to market being inadequate to the demand, a competition will take place among the purchasers, till the price is so far raised as either wholly or partially to exclude from the market those who are unable to pay that price. The advance of price will not, as in articles of luxury, produce retrenchment among the consumers in general: those who are able, will purchase to the same extent as formerly (that is, unless they limit their consumption from conscientious motive); those who cannot give the advanced price, will be excluded. The consequence which follows is, that those, who before had only a bare subsistence, are reduced to live on what is insufficient for their sup port. The remedy for this evil to which recourse is commonly had—a contribution for purchasing bread, and distributing it at reduced prices though right in conjunction with another measure which I am about to recommend, is injurious, or at best nugatory, if singly adopted. It introduces into the market a new set of purchasers; it increases the demand, without augmenting the supply; and thus produces one of two effects: either a larger quantity is bought and consumed, and thus the dearth converted into a famine ; or the price is raised, the consump tion remains as before, and, instead of the most poor, those who are raised one step above them, and who might, but for this interference, have been able to purchase for their me cessary consumption, suffer in their turn total or partial exclusion. Thus misery, if not increased, will only be transferred; while no one, but the holders of corn, will feel any real benefit. From these observations I would draw this conclusion: that every® measure for the relief of the poor, in times of scarcity produced by the loss of imported supplies, should be accompanied with a retrenchment of“ all unnecessary consumption. Where the supply is inadequate to the demands both of necessity and of luxury, the calls of necessity can in no other manner be answered than by denying those of luxury. The ingenuity of different persons will suggest to them different means of retrenchment: among the more obvious are the sacrifice of pastry, and the use of rice and potatoes, in various shapes, as substitutes for pastry, or in part for bread. But, I appre hend, the most extensive saving would be effected by the adoption of household bread, or of bread partly consisting of rye or potatoes, in lieu of wheaten bread. The adoption of this system would have this further beneficial effect, that the poor would be led, by the example of their superiors, to be satis fied with household bread; at least to accept it in times of scarcity, when distributed gratuitously, or at reduced prices. They have been known to refuse it; but those who really wish to diminish the effects of a scarcity should pertinaciously adhere to the determination of not giving fine wheaten bread; and this they may do with a good grace if they abstain from consuming it them selves. The effect which retrenchment, combined with charitable distribution, must necessarily produce, is evident. The buyers are changed, but the whole demand is not materially increased: the augmented consumption in one class is counteracted by the diminished consumption in another: the poor, therefore, are relieved, without increasing the pressure on those who are but just above the necessity of applying for relief; without incurring the hazard, by a premature consumption, of finally converting a dearth into a fa mine. Or, to put it in another point of view, the deficiency of the supply is met, not by the absolute starvation of the poor, but by a geBeral diminution of consumption among all ranks of society. We have spoken of the distribution of bread among the poor; this has been merely that the argument might be more distinctly perceived; for the same reason which requires the retrenchment of all superfluous consumption among the rich, points out also the necessity of introducing substitutes for fine flour among all ranks of society. Those who distri bote provisions to the poor, should give soups, potatoes, rice, with a smaller quantity of bread than would otherwise be necessary. What has been said must be confined to the case of a scarcity arising from the interruption of foreign sup plies. Where it is caused by a fuiture of our crops, while our foreign intercourse continues open, the ob vious remedy for the deficiency is importation, while charitable distribution will relieve the pressure of the high prices. Retrenchment in such a case is perhaps unnecessary, and may even be impolitic. The rise in the price, of corn is, to a certain extent, necessary to indemnify the farmer for the deficiency of s crop; and, when it exceeds what is required for that purpose, it encou rages importation, and thereby corrects itself. The superflous consumption of grain in general is a benefit to the country, by encouraging the production of a larger quantity of it than would otherwise be grown, and thus enabling us the better to meet a scarcity, and to be less dependent on foreign supplies. Φίλος. To the Editor of the Christian Observer, I was much surprised with the extract, in your number for October last, from the minutes of the Methodist Conference, respecting the right of females to dispose of themselves in marriage. Nor were my objec tions at all satisfied by Mr. Benson's answer to your remarks; for, though a woman myself, I can by no means see what circumstance can free a woman from subjection to parental authority in things lawful. Suppose a truly pious woman, the child of ungodly parents, to have an eligible offer of marriage from a truly pious man, and that his religion is the only ground on which they object to the union: she might probably, and by very plausible arguments, very readily persuade her self, if her inclination favoured it, that it was her duty to marry. But would it therefore be so? Though she may undoubtedly refuse to marry an ungodly man, because that is clearly unlawful, y, as there is no sin in continuing single, surely it is in such a case her duty to submit to the will of her parents as the disposal of Providence, leav ing the matter in his hands; be cause, if she believe the hearts of all in his keeping, and all events at his disposal, she may be certain that, if he see fit, he can alter the mind of her parents, and in many ways bring to pass her wishes; or if, on the other hand, the event should shew that it was God's will she should remain single, she may find many ways of rendering herself useful in her generation, and will certainly much more recommend the Gospel to her mistaken relatives than by an act of disobedience. I do not write this from any desire of appearing in print, but because I think the subject highly interesting, and know that those who bave tried can alone tell how far a sincere mind may be bewildered by false ideas of duty, even when inclination draws a different way. If, therefore, any of your abler correspondents will give these ideas to the public in a better dress, they will greatly oblige one who has no wish to prevent the happiness of any woman, but can say, from her own experience, that the path of duty, even when most perplexed with trial, is far, far both safer and easier, than any crooked path, how eyer specious. A CONSTANT READER. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. I AM a great lover of music, especially sacred music; but as I am not satisfied of the propriety of gratifying myself by attending musical performances in consecrated places of public worship, I request that you, or such of your correspondents as may have maturely weighed the matter, would give your opinion upon the subject. I know that this would be very acceptable to many of your readers. It is not my intention to trouble you with entering further into the question, than to ask, 1. Whether, since an habitual veneration for those places where we assemble to worship Almighty God naturally prepares the mind for the duties there to be performed, the use of these places for what is little more than the gratification of the senses does not weaken that veneration; and whether this be expedient in an age by no means characterised by superstition? 2. Whether, since mere amusement is generally the chief object in view with those who attend these musical performances, it be lawful to convert consecrated places of worship to such purposes? We have laws which forbid the sports of children even within the precincts of the temple. 3. Whether, since gain is com monly a main object on these occasions, the sentence our Saviour passed upon those who sold oxen, &c. in the temple, is not applicable to those who make use of the house of God in order to attain that ob ject? 4. Whether, though to support some charitable institution by the use to which that gain is applied, the same sentence of our Saviour is not equally applicable? The moneychangers, and they who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, in the court of the temple, occupied that place only for the accommodation of those who came from distant parts to Jerusalem, to offer sacrifice in obedience to the express commands of God. I have been led to consult you upon this subject, from considering two (I hope unusual) circumstances attending one of these musical performances in the church, at a place where I lately happened to be, and where a musical festival was then held for the purpose of contributing to the support of a very valuable establishment. One of these circumstances was, that, in order to prepare the church for the musical entertainment, the daily sacrifice, the morning and evening prayers, were suspended for three weeks. The other, that for the accommoda tion of as great a number as possible of amateurs, or, if you please, of per sons actuated by charity, a gallery was erected over the altar, which was so beset with the timbers necessary for supporting the gallery, that the regular monthly sacrament of the Lord's Supper could not be administered, and was not administered. These two circumstances, together with an observation made, that several persons of high Christian profession encouraged the performance by attending it, have determined me to write to you. Perhaps these persons may not have been fully satisfied of the propriety of their conduct; or perhaps they may not have considered the matter at all. If they have not considered it, I beg you will call their attention to it; and even if they have, on this occasion, suffered inclination to decide upon a doubtful point, I am confident, if they really be the characters represented, that they will pay due regard to your suggestions. PHILO-MUSICES. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. Ir the following has not yet appeared in your valuable miscellany, and you think it worthy of insertion, it may be interesting to your readers to hear the sentiments of a celebrated foreign bishop, of the last century, with regard to frequenting theatres. In his sermon "On the small Number of the Saved," the worthy prelate (Massillon) thus addresses his audience:-"You continually demand of us, if theatres and other places of amusement be innocent recreations for Christians? In return, I have only one question to ask you, Are they the works of Satan, or of Jesus Christ? for there can be no medium in religion. I mean not to say but what many recreations and amusements may be termed innocent: but the most innocent pleasures which religion allows, and which the weakness of our nature renders even necessary, CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 97. belong in one sense to Jesus Christ, D To the Editor of the Christian Observer. HAVING been employed for some months past in arranging and collating the Oriental Manuscripts in the public library of the university of Cambridge, brought by the Rev. Dr. Buchanan from the East, and by him presented to the university, I propose to give some account of them, or such of them as may be interesting to the readers of the Christian Observer. I presume, sir, the communication of such notices will not be remote from the design of your publication. These manuscripts are chiefly Biblical, and are written in the He. brew, Syriac, and Ethiopic languages. They were all collected by Dr. Buchanan in India. The Hebrew manuscripts were obtained from the Black Jews, who have had settlements in India from time immemorial, and are now found in numbers about Cochin. These Jews differ in many respects from those of other countries, and bear evident marks of descendants from those ancient dispersions we read of in the Sacred History: they call themselves Bene Israel. They have the Hebrew Pentateuch, but scarcely know of any other books of Scripture. A copy of the Hebrew Pen tateuch, written on goat-skins, and found in one of their synagogues, is in the Buchanan collection. The Syriac manuscripts were collected from the Syrian Christians in Travancore and Malayala, where a race of Christians has existed ever since the apostolic times: and the native Indian Christians bear the name of Christians of St. Thomas to this day. They have the whole Bible, and other books not in our canon, extant in the Syriac language, and theirs is perhaps the purest of all the versions of Scripture now known. There is, in Dr. Buchanan's collection, a copy of the Bible, containing the books of the Old and New Testament with the Apocrypha, written on large folio vellum, and in the ancient or Estrangelo character, and which was a present to Dr. Buchanan from Mar Dionysius, the Archbishop of the Indian church. But though all these MSS. were brought from India, they were not all written in India; some were written at Antioch, Mesopotamia, and other parts of Syria, Asia, and Africa. For your next number I shall transmit you some remarks on several articles of this Oriental collection. I am, &c. Cambridge, Dec. 21, 1809, T. YEATES. REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. The History of the Church of Christ. Volume the Fourth, Part II. Containing a Continuation of the Sixteenth Century. On the Plan of the late Rev. Joseph Milner. By the Rev. ISAAC MILNER, D. D. F. R. S. Dean of Carlisle, and President of Queen's College, Cambridge. London: Cadell and Co. 1809. Syo. pp. xiv. 409-1168, and 29. Or the former part of this volume, we gave an account in our own volumes for the years 1803 and 1804. At that time we considered the whole work, of which a portion only was then before us, as so important in the design, and so happy in the execution, that we felt ourselves called upon to discuss and exhibit the merits of those volumes which had made their appearance before we had assumed a critical existence. We are gratified by the opportunity now presented to us of resuming our labours on this able and interesting production, which, in the portion at this time offered to the pub |