Rev A Brandram
Edinburgh 24th May 1845
My Dear Friend
I send you our Defence, and hope you may be pleased with it, or at all events not much displeased. We have tried to do our best, both in matter and manner.
Yours of the 20th came duly to hand. I think your Festina Lente is better than my Guillotine. But it would be well to make an early revision of the headings of all Roman Catholic versions and perhaps too of all Protestant ones.
You will see that we have endeavoured to stop the mouth as regards the passage in Luke, should it be stumbled upon. Should you alter that heading, you have only to stop at the end of "wine", and all will do.
I have at length got hold of our accuser as to mistranslations, and send it to you. You will see who the writer is, but it was sent here I know by Mr. Thelwell himself.
It would probably be well to get our Defence into the Record where the Warning was, and should you do so, please to send me a copy. I should like also to have a copy of the Record of the 28th February to see how they have quoted there.
Mr. Jackson's note, in answer to my query of the 19th came yesterday he says "We have only published three editions of Pereira's Portuguese Test. one in 1818, and two (12mo & 24mo) in 1823." Yet we have here in our depository an Entire Portuguese Bible printed in 1828.
We purpose to throw off at least 1000 copies of our Defence from our advertisement types, and to circulate these according to circumstances.
I have been much delayed in this city contrary to my wish, and from various causes. Today I had resolved to be off, but all our printers are keeping holiday, so that are 1000 cannot be printed till Monday. On Tuesday at the latest I shall be in movement on my line of Dunfermline; Linlithgow, Falkirk, and Stirling. Letters to me at the last mentioned place might be direct to the care of the Rev. David Stewart.
We have had meetings in Leith and Portobello, where we have good friends. The Rev. Dr. Harper of the former place is a very close adherent, and ever ready to defend us. I have visited Dalkeith, where the Minister of the Established Church is on our side.
I am, My Dear Friend,
Yours Very Truly,
James Thomson.