greatly indebted, a place is duly assigned to Dr. Richard Kilby. He was a native of Radcliff on the river Wreake, in Leicestershire. He went to Oxford; and, when he had been at the university three years, was chosen Fellow of Lincoln College, in 1577. He took orders, and became a noted preacher in the university. In 1590, he was chosen Rector of his College, and made prebendary of the cathedral church of Lincoln. He was considered so accurate in the Hebrew, that he was appointed the King's professor in that branch of learning. He died in the year 1620, at the age of sixty.

These are nearly all the vestiges which can be collected of this good man. There is one incident, however, related of him by "honest Izaak Walton," in his Life of the celebrated Bishop Sanderson. This incident, as related by the amiable angler, is such a fine historical picture of the times, and so apposite to our purpose, that we give it in Walton's own words.

"I must here stop my reader, and tell him that this Dr. Kilby was a man of so great learning and wisdom, and so excellent a critic in the Hebrew tongue, that he was made professor of it in this university; and was also so perfect a Grecian, that he was by King James appointed to be one of the translators of the Bible; and that this Doctor and Mr. Sanderson had frequent discourses, and loved as father and son. The Doctor was to ride a journey into Derbyshire, and took Mr. Sanderson to bear him company; and they resting on a Sunday with the Doctor's friend, and going together to that parish church where they then were, found the young preacher to have no more discretion, than to waste a great part of the hour allotted for his sermon in exceptions against the late translation. of several words, (not expecting such a hearer as Dr. Kilby,) and shewed three reasons why a particular word should have been otherwise translated. When evening prayer was ended, the preacher was invited to the Doctor's friend's house, where, after some other conference, the Doctor told him, he might have preached more useful doctrine, and not have filled his auditors' ears with needless, exceptions against the late translation; and for that word for which he offered to that poor congregation three reasons why it ought to have been translated as he said, he and others had considered all them, and found thirteen more considerable reasons why it was translated as now printed; and

told him, 'If his friend,' (then attending him,) 'should prove guilty of such indiscretion, he should forfeit his favor.' To which Mr. Sanderson said, he hoped he should not.' And the preacher was so ingenious as to say, 'he would not justify himself.' And so I return to Oxford.”

This digression of "honest Izaak's" pen may serve to illustrate the magisterial bearing of the "heads of colleges" and other great divines of those times; and also the humility and submissiveness of the younger scholars. It also furnishes an incidental proof of the considerate and patient care, with which our venerable Translators studied the verbal accuracy of their work. When we hear young licentiates, green from the seminary, displaying their smatterings of Hebrew and Greek by cavilling in their sermons with the common version, and telling how it ought to have been rendered, we cannot but wish that the apparition of Dr. Kilby's frowning ghost might haunt them. Doubtless the translation may be amended and improved in many respects; but this is not a task for every new-fledged graduate; nor can it be carried too far without shaking the confidence of the common people in our unsurpassed version, and without causing "the trumpet to give an uncertain sound."

MILES SMITH.

This person, who was largely employed in the Bible-translation, was born at Hereford. His father had made a good fortune as a fletcher, or maker of bows and arrows, which was once a prosperous trade in "merrie England." The son was entered at Corpus Christi College, in 1568; but afterwards removed to Brazen Noze College, where he took his degrees, and "proved at length an incomparable theologist." His attainments were very great, both in classical and oriental learning. He became canon residentiary of the cathedral church of Hereford. In 1594, he was created Doctor in Divinity.

He had a threefold share in the Translation. He not only served as one of this third company of Translators, but was one of the twelve selected to revise the work, after which it was further referred to. the final examination of Dr. Smith and Bishop Bilson. Last of all he was employed to write that most learned and eloquent preface, addressed by "the Translators to

the Reader," which, in many English editions, "stands as a comely gate to a glorious city." Let any one who would judge for himself, whether our Translators were masters of the science of sacred criticism, read this Address, and be satisfied.

Dr. Smith never sought promotion, being, as he pleasantly said of himself, "covetous of nothing but books." But the King rewarded him for his great labor upon the best of books, by appointing him, in the year 1612, bishop of Gloucester. In this office he conducted with the utmost meekness and benevolence, and died, much lamented, in 1624, being seventy years of age.

He went through the Greek and Latin fathers, making his annotations on them all. So expert was he in the Chaldee, Syriac and Arabic, that they were almost as familiar as his native tongue. "Hebrew he had at his fingers' ends." He was also much read in history and general literature; and was characterized by a brother bishop as a very walking library."

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In the Bible-translation, he began with the first, and put the last hand to the work. Yet he was never known to speak of it as owing more to him than to the rest of the Translators. We may sum up his excellent character in the words of one opposed to his views and principles: "He was a great scholar, yet a severe Calvinist, and hated the proceedings of Dr. Laud."

RICHARD BRETT.

This reverend clergyman was of a very respectable family, and was born at London, in 1567. He entered at Hart Hall in Oxford, where he took his first degree. He was then elected Fellow of Lincoln College, where, by unwearied industry, he became very eminent in the languages, divinity, and other branches of science. Having taken his degrees in arts, he became, in 1595, rector of Quainton in Buckinghamshire, in which benefice. he spent his days. He was made Doctor in Divinity in 1605. He was renowned in his time for his vast attainments, as well as revered for his piety. "He was skilled and versed to a criticism," in the Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee, Arabic and Ethiopic tongues. He published a number of erudite works, all in Latin. It is recorded of him, that "he was a most vigilant pastor, a diligent preacher of God's word, a liberal benefactor to the poor, a faithful friend, and a good neighbor." This studi

ous and excellent minister, having attained such a character, died in 1637, at the age of seventy years.

as

MR. FAIRCLOUGH.

There is little reason for doubting that the last person on the list of this company of the Translators, who is designated simply "Mr. Fairclough," is Daniel Fairclough, otherwise known as Featley; which, strange to say, is a corrupt pronunciation of the name Fairclough. There was no other person of the name then connected with the Oxford colleges. The only ground for questioning the identity, is the age of Daniel Fairclough, who, when the Bible-translators were nominated, was but about twenty-five years old, which is considerably less than the age of most of his associates. He was, however, an early ripe and very remarkable scholar; and, young as he was, it devolved on him to preach at the funeral of Dr. Reynolds, who died in the progress of the work, which honorary service was performed with great applause.

The birth-place of Daniel Fairclough was Charlton, in Oxfordshire, where he was born about the year 1580. He was admitted to Corpus Christi College in 1594; and was made one of the Fellows in 1602. The youthful divine stood in such high estimation, that Sir Thomas Edmands, ambassador to France, took him to Paris as his chaplain, where he spent two or three years in the ambassador's house. Here he held many "tough disputes" with the doctors of the Sorbonne, and other papists. The Sorbonnists called him "the keen and cutting Featley." On his return to England, he repaired to his college, where he remained till 1613, when he became rector of Northill, in Cornwall. Soon after, he was appointed chaplain to Dr. Abbot, archbishop of Canterbury, one of the Translators, by whom he was made rector of Lambeth in Surrey. In 1617, he held a famous debate with Dr. John Prideaux, the King's professor of divinity at Oxford. About this time, the archbishop gave him the rectory of Allhallows Church, Bread Street, London. This he soon exchanged for the rectory of Acton in Middlesex. He was also provost of Chelsea College.

Being puritanically inclined, Mr. Fairclough was appointed, in 1643, to be one of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster. As he was not one of the "root and branch" men, who were

for wholly changing the order of church government, he soon fell under the displeasure of the Long Parliament. Some of his correspondence with one of the Irish prelates was intercepted, in consequence of which he was unjustly suspected of being a spy. He was cast into prison, and his rectories taken from him. The next year on account of his failing health, he was removed, agreeably to his petition, to Chelsea College. There, after a few months spent in holy exercises, he expired, April 17th, 1645. "Though he was small of stature, yet he had a great soul, and had all learning compacted in him." He published some forty books and treatises, and left a great many manuscripts. His other labors have passed away; "but the word of the Lord," which he aided in giving to unborn millions, " abideth forever."

UNITARIANISM COMPARED WITH ITSELF.

To give a positive definition of a "system of negations," is a very perplexing business. If, wishing to speak fairly and understandingly of Unitarianism, we have recourse to its standard writers, we only increase our perplexity. We will illustrate this difficulty by presenting what are probably the extremes touching certain doctrines, between which extremes we must try to find the average point on this sliding-scale.

On the one hand, we will quote from Dr. Channing's works, which have just been issued in an eighth edition, of remarkable cheapness, in six volumes. And on the other hand, we will quote from the latest summary of Unitarianism which has come to light, published by one of its accredited preachers; to wit, the Rev. Mr. Richardson's "Discourses on Theology and Religion."* This latter authority, we presume, sinks no further

* The full title is, "Two Years in the Ministry; or Farewell Discourses, comprising, I. Views of the Nature and Sources of True Christian Theology; and II. Views of the Nature of the Christian Religion, and Salvation by Christ. Delivered, September 26, 1847, on leaving the Second Congregational Society in Southington, Conn., by James Richardson, Jr., A. M., Pastor of the First Congregational Society, Haverhill, Mass. "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call Heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers." St. Paul. Published by Request. Boston: Wm. Crosby and H. P. Nichols, 111 Washington Street. 1847.