The Rev. David Osgood, D. D. Pastor of the Congregational Church in Medford, Massachusetts. When such men as Dr. Osgood die, it is a duty which we owe to society, to preserve some memorial of their lives. Without having performed actions which fame will be busy in a0. nouncing, or occupied sta tions which will give them, a prescriptive demand on the pen of the historian, they have exhibited talents and virtoes, and exercised in Duences, which should in Some way be registered, that their names and characters may not be entire ly lost, when their foot. steps on the earth Woin out, and their friends have followed them into the grave. The example of such men is useful; much more 80, we think, than that of many who have bad volumes filled with their exploits and marbles erected to their memory. It teaches us, a mong other lessons, that there has been much genius And excellence in the world, which circumstances have are con un not brought acquainted with great opportunities, but which has been tinually exerting its celebrated, though impor tant and benignant sway, over the principles and actions of a large portion of mankind. The subject of the present notice was a man of uncom mon endowments and character. He possessed talents which enabled him both to acquire knowledge with readiness, and to impartit with advantage. His mind, if it was not uncommonly original, was uncommonly bold aad independent. His feelings, if they were sometimes too easily excited, were always generous and affectionate. Remarkably honest in his temper, and free in the expression of bis opinions, he sometimes gave of. fence by what he said, but the offence was unintentional, and when discovered, was anxiously repaired. His character was without stain, At the age of twenty-five, he graduated at Harvard Cniversity in Cambridge; and three years afterward, on the 14th of September, 1774, was ordained as colleague with the Rev. Mr. Turell, over the Church in Medford. By the death of Mr. T. in 1778, he was left sole pastor, and continued to discharge the duties of his office alone, till he was called to his eternal reward. To his pastoral care, he laboured most assiduously and usefully. A long life was devoted to it. The constaut and filial respect of his parishioners while he was with them, and their deep sorrow for his loss, testify in the most uncgniVocal manner that he was a faithful shepherd... As a preacher he very distinguished. was copious and matter sensible, and drawn, for the most part, from the moral precepts, and the undisputed doctrines of the Gospel. His style was apimated and forcible; and his manner was His one of the most striking which we ever witnessed. His looks, his gestures, and the tones of his voice, were altogether peculiar to himself. Without being at all like those which we are accustomed to find in what is called a finished speaker, they were so energetic, so fall of meaning, so truly eloquent, that they arrested and enchained the most profound and delighted atten tion. We shall never forget his patriarchal appearance in the polpit. No one who has witnessed, could ever forget it. But the most remarkable trait perhaps in Dr. 04 good's character, and that which we particularly wish to notice and preserve, was his uncommon liberality of feeling. In doctrinal opinions he ranked himself among the orthodox; but in narrowness, in exclusive, ness, in Pharisaical pride, in excommunication of those who differed from him in belief, he would join with no man. If he had been so disposed, he might have 'be. come the demagogue of party; he might have pre. sided in the meetings of the infallible, and pointed out what men should be lieve, and what they should not believe, and who should be supported, and who should be denounced, and have said, as others have said, to the advancing and irresistible tide of opiu. "Thus far shalt thou ion. corne, and no farther." His was a worthier, and more rational ambition. He directed his talents, and his strength of character, to the work of assuaging, rather than inflaming the angry passions of disputants, and of preventing, as far as possible, the assumption of undelegated, and unright. eous domination. He thought that Christians might agree in love, if they could not in doctrine; and that encour aging and assisting each other in every good work, they might leave conscience and opinion with Hun who alone can judge the heart. With these sentiments he mingled in social and Christian intercourse with the Unitarian clergymen of Boston and the neighbouring towns; took a part in their councils and ordinations; preached in their pulpits, and invited them into his own; and evinced by his conduct on every occasión, that he regarded them as disciples and servants of the same Master, whom he delighted to follow and to serve. And he was not a man who was to be taken to task for doing so. We have seen him in assemblies composed of clergymen of different denominations, and have admired the spirit and resolution with which he set his face against every attempt which Was made We say that this union of liberal feelings and orthodox opinions, in the perfection in which it existed in the character of Dr. Osgood, is rare, and deserving of all praise. We consider it as infinitely more' honourable than any mero party distinction. It in creased our reverence for him while he was in life, and it has made us anxions to pay this tribute to his memory. He died, on the 12th of December, 1822, in Med ford, Massachusetts, in the seventy-sixth year of his age, aud the forty-eighth of his ministry.-Unitarian Miscellany. APHORISM. He that never changed any of his opinions, ne. ver corrected any of his mistakes: and he who was ne ver wise enough to find out any mistakes in himself will not be charitable enough to excuse what he reckons mistakes in others.-Dr. Whichcot. ESSAYS, EXTRACTS, &c. Bishop Watson on mutual forbearance among Christians. Newion and Locke were esteemed Socinians; Lardner was an avowed one; Clarke and Whiston were declared Arians; Bull and Waterland were professed Athanasians: who will take upon him to say that these men were not equal to each other in probity and scriptural knowledge? And if that be admitted, surely we ought to Tearn no other lesson, from the diversity of their opin ions, except that of perfect moderation and good-will towards all those who happon to differ from oursel ves. We ought to entertain no other wish, but that every man may be allowed without loss of fame or fortune, et sentire quæ velit et quæ sentiat dicere. This absolute freedom of inquiry, it is apprehended,is the best way of investigating the sense of Scripture, the most probable mean of produc ing a uniformity of opia ion, and of rendering the Gospel Dispensation ас intelligible to us in the eighteenth century as We presume it was to the Chris tians in the first. Calcutta Bible Association. We have seen it remark. ed somewhere, that a good thing is liable to be abused just in proportion to its goodness; that the more important any truth, it is the more liable to be obscured by error; the purer any system, it is the more likely to be corrupted by foreign admixtures; and the more excellent any institution the greater is the probability that it will be turned from its original design. What truth, for instance, can be more important than the being of a God? And yet, as Warburton has remarked in his Divine Legation of Moses, it has been produc tive of all the mischiefs of superstition. What system can be purer than that which was taught and estab lished by Christ and bis apostles? And yet some of the corruptions to which it has given occasion almost sink below the very dregs of heathenism. What in. stitution can be more excellent thau the Bible Society? And yet we fear that proofs might be adduced that its primary object has sometimes been lost sight of; and the catholic spirit which it professes, frequently vio lated. Our attention has been forcibly drawn to this sub. bas afforded as much plea. sure mixed with some pain. We are gratified to observe the growing interest taken by the Christian inbabitants of Calcutta in the object of the Bible Society; but we are grieved to notice those indications of a sectarian spirit in its conductors of which this Report presents condemning evidence. We are aware that in thus publicly expressing our sentiments on so tender a subject, our motives will probably be misunderstood, and perhaps our object misrepresented; the task we impose on ourselves will certainly be thankless, and must appear ungracious. These considerations, however, will not deter us from performing what we conceive to be our duty to the Christian public by using our utmost endeavours to rescue this Society from being made the tool of a party, or to make it stand forth before the public in its true character. Mr. Burke bas said, I like a clamour whenever there is an abuse. The fire-bell at midnight disturbs your sleep, but it keeps you from being burned in your bed. The hue and cry alarms the county but it proserves all the property of the province,' It is not our intention to raise a clamour, to ring the fire-bell, or to send forth a hue and cry; but we do mean most solemnly to protest against the perver, sion of an Institution which should be as catholic and comprehensive in its spirit, as it is generous and phi lanthropic in its design. Before proceeding far. ther, we will briefly explain what we conceive to be the peculiar excellency of the Bible Society. The primary object of all Bible Soci. eties is no doubt the same as that stated in the Rules and Regulations of the Calcutta Association, viz. "the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, without note or comment. 93 The circulation of the Holy Scriptures,' is an object which must recommead itself to the heart and understanding of every phi lanthropist. Even if placed, in point of authority, merely on a level with human compositious, the Scriptures constantly exhibit views sa important, so just, and so salutary, of our relations to God and to each other, that they cannot but be considered a powerful means of moral and religious improvement. But when wa regard them, as they de serve to be regarded, as the only genuine and authentic |