'Ofalia

SIR,--I have the honour to inform you that, being a member and Agent of
the British and Foreign Bible Society, I some months since printed, with
permission, at Madrid, an edition of the New Testament of Jesus Christ in
the Castilian language according to the authorised version of Father
Felipe Scio, Confessor of the late King Ferdinand of happy memory.

That to effect the sale of the said work, in which the Society had
subjected itself to an expense of more than 100,000 _reals_, I
subsequently established a Despatch at Madrid, where the work was
publicly sold at a moderate price until the 12th of January last, when
the person intrusted with the management of the said Despatch received a
notice from Don Francisco Gamboa, Civil Governor of Madrid, forbidding
the further sale of the New Testament until fresh information.

As very erroneous ideas are generally entertained in Spain concerning the
constitution of the Bible Society and the views in which its proceedings
originate, I will endeavour in a few words to afford some correcting
information respecting both. I beg to state that the Bible Society is
composed of Christians attached to many and various sects and forms of
worship--for example, members of the Roman, Greek, Anglican, Calvinistic,
and Lutheran Churches, and of all ranks and grades in society, who,
though they may differ from each other in points of religious discipline,
form and ceremony, agree in the one grand and principal point: that there
is no salvation from the punishment due to original sin but through vivid
faith in Christ, manifested and proved by good works, such being the
amount of the doctrine found in those inspired writings known as the New
Testament which contain the words of the Saviour whilst resident in flesh
on earth, together with the revelations of the Holy Spirit to His
disciples after He had ascended to the throne of His heavenly glory.

Having said thus much respecting those who constitute the Bible Society
and the religious feeling which unites them, I will now devote a few
words to the explanation of their views, than which nothing can be more
simple or easily defined. They have no other wish or intention in thus
associating together than to assist, as humble instruments under Christ,
in causing His doctrine to be propagated and known in all the regions of
the vast world, the greatest part of which is still involved in
heathenism and ignorance; and looking upon their ear