REMARKS ON ROBERT OWEN'S ADDRESS TO THE CITIZENS OF THE

UNITED STATES.

We can no longer be silent, in regard to the project and the publications of the renowned Robert Owen, who has lately returned to this country; and who is now forming a settlement at Harmony, in the state of Indiana, with a view to exhibit in practice, the effect of his extraordinary scheme for meliorating the condition of mankind. We have not space in our present number, to combat in detail, what we consider his erroneous and pernicious principles.-This we hope to do, if spared till the coming month. In the mean time, we feel constrained to bear our unequivocal testimony against the infidel, and, as they appear to us, atheistical tenets, which he has openly avowed, in his "Address to the citizens of the United States," dated-"At sea, New York Packet, October, 1825."

Mr. Owen certainly deserves credit, for the frank and undisguised avowal of his opinions, views and purposes; as exhibited in the address to which we have referred, and also, as we are informed, in all his communications, both of a publick and private kind, which he has had occasion or opportunity to make. We are likewise willing to believe, that he really has confidence in the practicability of his plan; and in the great influence that it would have, if generally adopted, in promoting human happiness-There are hardly any bounds to which a projector, who has been dwelling for years on a favourite theory of his own devising, will set to the beneficial effects, which, as he believes, his fond device is calculated to produce. We rejoice too, that in our free and happy country, Mr. Owen will not meet with any other obstruction to the full execution of his plan, than that which shall arise from the conviction that it is

delusive and pernicious. As such we certainly regard it, and as such we shall endeavour to convince all our readers, that they ought to regard it. In doing this, we hope there will be no cry of persecution; because we surely have as good a right to advocate our opinions, as he has to plead for the correctness and importance of his: And we certainly claim to have as sincere and tender a regard, as any that he can entertain, for the happiness of our fellow men.

We can do little more, at present, than make a fair exhibition of Mr. Owen's leading notions, as they affect the all important subjects of morals and religion-that our readers may have a distinct view of his principles and aims; and thus be led to reflect seriously for themselves, whether his system is one which they can approve and favour; or whether it is not one on which they will feel themselves constrained to frown, and to discountenance, in the most decisive manner.

In Mr. Owen's printed address, he says-"You cannot enjoy to their full extent the benefits to which I refer, until these errors of the old world shall have been removed. The greatest and most lamentable of these are the notions, that human nature has been so formed as to be able to believe and disbelieve, and to love and hate, at pleasure, and that there can be merit or demerit in believing or disbelieving, and in loving and hating. These false notions are the origin of evil, and the real cause of all sin and misery among mankind; yet they are received and continued, in direct opposition to every fact known to the human race." are not going to argue with Mr. O., at present, on the justice of the positions which he here lays down, nor on the bold assertion with which he closes them.-This, as already intimated, we hope to do hereafter. We only now remark, that the ideas which he here communicates

We

are not new. They have been broached long since by infidel and atheistical writers; and time after time, they have been triumphantly confuted. They go directly to represent mankind as not acting freely or spontaneously, in any thing they do; and thus to take away all moral responsibility from every human being, and to establish a system of absolute fatalism. Mankind, according to this system, are the mere creatures of circumstances, over which they have no control, and for the influence of which they, of course, are in no degree accountable-have neither merit nor demerit, are neither to be praised nor blamed, for any of their conduct. And that this is really the system of Mr. O., is fully apparent in the sequel of his address. As to the divine authority of the Bible, he openly and unequi vocally denied it, after his publick address to the citizens of Philadelphia, when questioned on that topick by one of the audience.

Now, let our readers think for themselves, whether they are prepared to show favour to such notions as these to a system of which they are the radical principles, and on which a whole course of education, from infancy to manhood, is to be conducted. Yes, we solemnly ask of every one who peruses our pages, to reflect seriously, whether he can regard even with indifference, a proposed experiment which involves the rejection of the divine authority of the Bible, and the denial of all moral responsibility? We also solemnly ask, whether it is to be expected, that the representatives of a Christian people, will entertain with any favour, a proposition for making such an experiment as we here contemplate? We ask this, because Mr. O. has avowed his determination, to lay his plan before the Congress of the United States; manifestly with some hope of its receiving national patronage.

We have given Mr. O. credit for

his frankness, and for the truth of his professions; and we are not disposed to recal or weaken our concession. We must, notwithstanding, express our utter astonishment, that he should expect for he does seem to expect-that the sober and reflecting part of our countrymen, will give up principles which they hold most sacred, and conclusions which they believe are demonstrably true, and embrace a theory which, in the sixth thousand year of the world, professes to correct radical errors which have hitherto universally prevailed, relative to the whole training of the human mind, and to the whole fabrick of human society; and to renovate the world by means of a recent discovery, in consequence of which man is to be treated, as man was never treated before. Were it not, in our apprehension, attended by consequences, of which we cannot for a moment think without horror, we should wish the experiment to be fully and fairly tried; confident, as we are, that it would prove completely abortive. But when we recollect that this experiment, if made at all, must be made at the expense, as we verily believe, of the eternal well being of a large number of our fellow creatures, we do and must deprecate it, as among the most appalling in import, that ever entered the mind of an overweening and deluded projector and enthusiast.-EDITOR.

FOR THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.

Rev. Editor,-Will you do the favour, to admit the following questions to a place in your important publication?

1. Are there not 2,000,000 of slaves in the republick of the United States ?

2. Are not almost the whole of them denied the word of God?

3. Are not ninety-nine hundredths of them incapable of reading the Scriptures ?

4. Are they not immortal beings, who need the salvation of Christ?

5. Are they not within the full view of the American Church, and yet in a great measure overlooked by this Church?

6. Is their lot remembered in the prayers of the Church, or in the monthly concerts ?

7. Is there any good reason why they should be disregarded, especially while Greeks are remembered, and distant heathen commiserated?

It would doubtless be a work of mercy and relief to many, who may have a conscience not justly enlightened, to furnish such fair and true answers to these questions, as would take away any groundless apprehension that "all is not right," in our own church and country. Would some one of your correspondents do this, it would be very gratefully received by several whom I know; and certainly by your humble servant.

THE REV. MR. STEWART'S PRIVATE JOURNAL.

L.

(Continued from p. 558. vol. iii.) Thursday, 29th. Yesterday Captains Ebbetts and Grimes and Mr. Bruce and Mr. Halsey, of New York, called and took tea with us: and this afternoon we had the pleasure of entertaining Capt. Wilds and son, Mr. Crocker the consul, and Capt. Rogers of the ship Parthian.

Saturday, 1st of May. At 2 o'clock this afternoon, I accompanied our dear friends Mr. and Mrs. Bingham and their children, to the beach, where they embarked on board the whale ship Washington, Capt. Gardner, for Tanai.

Monday, 3d. By preaching to the English congregation yesterday morning, I commenced the discharge of the regular duties which

will devolve on me during my residence here. These duties will be, the preaching of the English sermon every Sabbath morning, and the conducting of a native service in the afternoon of the same day, at Waititi, three miles from Honoruru: another service at Waititi every Wednesday afternoon; and the instruction of about thirty young men in reading and singing three times a week-on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday afternoons. There is also a native conference meeting, every Monday evening, which I attend with Mr. Ellis: and we both make it a matter of duty to spend some part of every day in visiting the chiefs, and in superintending some one of the various schools now in operation, under native teachers in the village.

The native monthly prayer meeting was well attended and interesting this afternoon-as was the conference also. This was opened by a very spirited address, to about an hundred persons present, from the powerful chief Kaahumani: he was followed in much the same manner by Karaimoku, after which the whole company entered into a free and promiscuous inquiry, on the subject of the three regular sermons, that had been preached in the Chapel since the preceding Monday. It is indeed, my dear M. encouraging and delightful, to see the deep and tender interest with which so large a company, from the very highest to the most obscure of this people, entered on the discussion, and listened to enlargements on the things that concern their everlasting peace. To be the guides of such from the darkness and death of paganism, to the light and glory of the religion of the Cross, is a privilege doubly worth any sacrifice we have made to secure it.Yes, worth even the sacrifice of all personal intercourse hereafter, with those precious friends whose remembrance daily steals on us with a melting power, and of whom you,

my beloved sister, are one of the very foremost. The Missionary has privations, cares and sorrows, that no one can know, but by experience, and such as often prostrate him in the very dust; but when successful he has also a consolation and a joy, and, if perseveringly humble, faithful, and devoted, will doubtless meet a reward, which might make even an angel covet his office.

To see, as I have but lately seen, an interesting, intelligent, and youthful chief, who but a year ago was a drunken and debauched idolater, but who now gives good evidence of an entire change of character and of heart, come, and with an expression of benignity and ten

derness exclaim, "aroha-aroha nio-aroha nui roa," (love to you— great-very great love to you,) while the starting tears and faltering voice interrupted further utterance; and to have the full conviction, that this declaration of his affection arose simply from an overpowering sense of gratitude to the man, who had made him acquainted with the words, and brought him to the light of eternal life, would de sufficient, I do not hesitate to believe, to make the coldest Christian that ever felt an emotion of genuine piety, the supporter and advocate of missions, and the warm and zealous friend of the heathen. (To be continued.)

DISCUSSION OF UNIVERSALISM.

(Continued from p. 563. vol. iii.) The fifth argument of Mr. M'Calla, he denominates affirmation, and he divides it into two parts. In the first part he considers the view which the scriptures present of the state of the damned; and in the second, what they teach of the duration of their punishment.

In the first branch of this argument, he investigates the meaning of those important words, Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, and Tartarus, which has been so much disputed.

We were truly sorry to observe the severe animadversions which our author has passed, on the literary conduct of Dr. George Campbell, of Aberdeen. We think we are tolerably well acquainted, both with the writings, and the character of Dr. Campbell: and although we do not agree with him in some of his opinions, nor in some of his new translations of terms and passages of sacred scripture, yet we believe that he was both an honest and a

truly independent man; and as a writer, we regard him as eminently learned, sagacious, instructive and useful. No piece of controversy that we have ever perused, has appeared to us more masterly and conclusive, than that which he produced in reply to Hume, on the subject of miracles. We have carefully read over the second part of his sixth preliminary dissertation to his translation of the gospels, in which he enters on a critical inquiry into the true import of the Greek words ads and ye'evva. He differs from Mr. M'C. as to the first of these terms, and as to the import of the Hebrew term of which it is the translation in the version of the Seventy; but he assigns his reasons with great moderation and candour. In regard however to the meaning of the other term, (yε'evvα) which he says is found in the New Testament exactly twelve times, he perfectly agrees with our author; and thus gives the full sanction of his authority to the sense for which Mr. M'C. contends; and from