CIRCULATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. 73 



culate many copies of the Bible among the 

 colonists, in English, Gaelic, German, Danish, 

 Italian, and French. They were gratefully re- 

 ceived by them in general, and by none more 

 so than the Highlanders, one of whom on 

 receiving a Gaelic Bible well remarked, " that 

 one word in the heart was worth more than the 

 whole volume in the pocket neglected." The 

 Catholic priests, however, opposed this circula- 

 tion, and one of them called on a Catholic, to 

 whom I had given a Bible at his own particular 

 request, and after anathematizing our great 

 reformer, asked him to give it up. The man 

 refused with this pointed and pertinent ques- 

 tion, " From whence, Sir, do you get your 

 knowledge of religion ? " In this refusal, he 

 acted upon the enlightened principle, that we 

 derive all true sentiments in religious subjects 

 from the Bible, and the Bible alone ; and that 

 the exercise of private judgment in the posses- 

 sion of the Bible, was the birth-right privilege 

 of every man. Therein is contained the great 

 charter of salvation, and the awful code of 

 divine communication to the human race. 

 " A Bible then to every man in the world." 

 is the sentiment we would encourage, in 

 opposition to such a priestly objection, that 

 is contrary to the liberal conduct of more 



