Perhaps it might forward your purpose to put the printing and distributing of Bibles under some new and more definite limitation. As the members of the church of England do not exceed four fifths of the population of the country, and the chance of converting a sectary is scarcely worth the risk of supplying him with “arms against yourself,” what think you of a petition to the Legislature against uselessly and dangerously multiplying copies of the Holy Scriptures? I will suppose your application successful, and that only four Bibles are printed for every five individuals upon the records of the population. I will also suppose, which is quite as necessary, that these Bibles, when printed, are consigned to an ecclesiastical depot, of which the whole and sole custody shall be vested in the Country Clergyman; and that not a single copy of the Bible shall be issued but under his direction. And now, Sir, do you really think, that, “old as you are in the business,” you would be able to detect all _the dogs_ that, under various disguises, would be seeking _the children’s meat_? If you find in the little range of your own parish such “hard work with these crafty beasts,” how much would your work be increased, and your difficulties multiplied, by the daily care of all the churches? But you must go farther, Sir, or else you had better not have begun.—You must interdict the free circulation of all “Apologies for the Bible,” all dissertations upon its authenticity and evidence, and particularly all discourses upon its excellence and usefulness. You must prevail upon the many venerable prelates, archdeacons’, and priests, of the present day, who have done themselves so much honor by advocating the cause of Christianity, to expunge from their writings all unguarded commendations of the Holy Scriptures; or to provide for their works, if they know how, an exclusive circulation in ecclesiastical channels. Nor is this all: you must invite, solicit, and (if you can find the means) compel, all the different denominations of Christians, to deliver up forthwith the Bibles they possess into the hands of the nearest parish priest. When all this is accomplished (and until it is, your end will be very imperfectly obtained) it will only remain for those well-meaning Societies, in connexion with the established church, to ask a bill of indemnity for the degree in which they have contributed to the propagation of error, by their incautious distribution of Bibles; and to bind themselves over to commit no more such acts of ecclesiastical suicide. Your business, it shall be supposed, is now accomplished; and what is the result?—Why, you may now congratulate yourself upon having withdrawn the _antidote_ and left the _poison_ in circulation; for the different denominations of Christians are still in possession of the privilege of multiplying _tracts_ ad infinitum, and you have deprived their readers of the only means of detecting the _heresy_ they contain.