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fcei ^ go tlirou ^ li a complete eojJiss of religious instruction , wbicti JOfr §• himself admits compiles a re ^ ecJ&Me sketch of scripture history , 0 w v&tf reasonable peraoit then beli ^ vev Ibal of all the citizens , those devoted to
the ministry should alone be ex ^ tijdeii from religious information ? So ' iaiip ! * for Mr , Haldane . Mis statement is palpably erroneous and abanrfc ; P * Smith is greatly mistaken if lie
supposes that the religious instruction of the Genevese youth consist * in tlie common aiid inefficient mode of get ? - tin ^ a catechism by hearf . The catechism and the Bible form the
textbooks of the catechumens , which are explained by the pastors verbally , and their explanations are written down froqn memory by the youn& people
when they return home , aau are after wards examined by the pastoh 3 , and corrected if necessary . I know that in , many instances the explanations which a catechumen writes down du ?
ring the year , fill several quires of paper . After having occupied so many pages of the monthly Repository ,, it is but justice to yoijr readers to inform theoi what were my opportu ^ nities of observation at Geneva . I
will readily grant to Dr . S . that some persons may leprn more of the real state of society iu a mouth than others would do in a year , if eve » their talents and knowledge of the
btqgua # e were equal . An English family taking a house , in Geneva ,. &nd having their own servants , may reside there a long * time , and see only the surface of society at grand soirees and public assemblies .
To gain an intimate knowledge of the manners , morals and tone of feel * ing of the people , it is advisable to board with an intelligent family , where nothing but French is spoken . I ar ^ rived at Geneva , with Mrs . B ., in the * Autumn of 1820 » on our return from ,
Piedmont . When we had determined to pass the winter in that cityy we placed ourselves in the family q £ twa well-informed elderly , ladies ,, to whom we had been recommended : they were
deservedly esteemed by a great many , respectable families , who frequently visited them i ^ a friendly way , without any form . W $ thus saw their minds in their natural , cvcry-day dress , — Mrs . Bj ., who bus always felt a deep
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ifhliejSlgfQ P # . * t . Pjjtt Smith . LBTT , IV * 741
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If the amounts of Jj | r MitchelJ apd Sir Jf . "Qwr be tjrij $ ^ we ip ^ y now coiiir pare tK < 5 CaJvitusti pf Holland witlj the < yeqetfe $£ heretics , axi ^ J I think there will be Jittle difficulty in deciding their respective elaims r If we are to jjudgie w tfieir foith by their deeds , even t > r . S . must , if he be just , give the |> a ] m to that of Geneva : but , alas ! nothing tjia ^ the ^ en ^ v ^ se ican do i ^ at all pleasing in ljis sight , aad ^ e will , I am sujre , decide in the words
applied by a sa-tirist to the female sex—** We feave many faults 5 ¥ 0 * 1 have only two : 31 iere * s aotbiog good you say , There ' s nothing good you do . " . Dr . S . s ^ ys \ entirely omit all consideration of ** the increase of true
Ch » ristiaus ? " but I knew that he would not admit that a heretic , however virtuous nnd conscientious , can be a true Christian j therefore siicjh cpnsid e ^ ra ? tiou was useless , I believe the
number < af tliese meti to be * & great , i ^ proportion , in Geneva , as in any Cal- ? viuist qity whatever , if the scripture $ est tea ^ t true one , By their deeds ye sh ^ JI know them . "
It is intimated by Dr . S . that his Cajlviqib ^ friend ,, Mr . Haldane , of Edinburgh , bestowed more time and pain 3 i ^ ' ope w « ee ^ to learu the ? tate of i ; el ^ Qii , than X qo ^ df or . would be- ' stow in two winters . I am not
disposed to make any boasting of my own talents for observation ; perhaps Mr . Haldane , aided by the second sight with which bis countryn ^ eu are gi # ecU npght seie ppTO iu ope week * than I could see in a year 3 but the q > eciineu Dr . S . has given u $ of bis iuforinatiQn , is rather unfortunate , as
it proves that h ^ was totally incapa ^ dtuted by his prejudices from forming a j ^ st judgment of the Qei ^ evese . — Deeply tinctured with high , Calvinism , not to call it Antinoniiamsm , he visits the college founded by Calvin , where , finding that the theological students were not imbued with the faith of their
founder , he boldly declares that " they ttre igmorant . of the doctrines of . the gospel 1—to the Bible and its contents their stufiies had never been directed " This misrepresentation could / m ! y arise * rom the grossest ignorance or prejudice . I have before stated , that the youth , both of the rich and uoor vhU
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1824, page 741, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2531/page/37/
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