Edinburgh, 24th May 1845

 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.                     

Edinburgh, 27th May 1845 - 1

Rev A Brandram

Edin. 27th May 1845

My Dear Friend,

            Just before leaving this city I write you a few lines.

            The Resolution of the Committee of the 23rd. and your note appended to it are before me, You say that in the Com. "There was a feeling that you should visit such friends as wish to see you, and then return to us." I thank you for giving me this little notification. The idea in it coincides exactly with my own view of our present line of action after what has occurred. My nearly sole operations henceforth will therefore be, to visit those societies now connected with us, without making attempts at forming new ones. Passing visits will be made besides to persons and places with a view to future operations, say next year, and in succeeding years. We should not yet despair of Scotland, better things may yet take place, though thus far, as Job wished it, "Thistles grow instead of wheat."[1]

            We have printed off our Defence in a separate form, but have contented ourselves with 500 copies, as we do not wish to do more than meet as a shield and defence what has been done against us.

            The Warning was no doubt all written here, it was only the little tract I sent you that came from London.

            In a late meeting of the Com. of the Edin. B.S. there were those individuals who stoutly defended us, and expressed strong disapprobation of the Warning, and had their names entered in a protesting form. There are, I believe, other members of the Com. who entertain similar views, but who were not present.

            I remain, Yours Truly,

                        James Thomson.

[1] Job 31.40 (BM).

Linlithgow, 3rd June 1845

Linlithgow 3rd June 1845

My Dear Friend,

            Your letter of the 29th ultimo has come into my hands this morning, via Edinh. and Stirling. From the latter place I wrote you a few lines on Saturday last which before this time no doubt you have. Things look better in Scotland, you perceive, and the enclosed hand bill will further prove to you this pleasing fact. We are to have a meeting here to night in order to form a Linlithgowshire B.S. in connexion with the B.F.B.S. There is no B.S. here at present of any kind, nor has there been for many years, so that the ground is quite free. On Thursday we have the Annual Meeting of the Stirlingshire B.S. and on the Friday we have a Ladies meeting. On Monday we have a meeting in Falkirk for forming a B.S. for the Eastern District of the County, and on Sunday I shall be in some place not yet fixed. On my way to Perth shall take in at least Alloa and Kinross. It will be therefore the end of the week or very near it before I get to Perth and Dundee, I mean of the week after this. If I said anything to the contrary in my last note this will cancel it & it must stand from engagements already on hand. No arrangements I think can be made in Perth and Dundee till I first be in these places.

            I am glad you are so much pleased with our advertisement. A reply was absolutely required even on the part of our friends, as I have seen in many cases. All seemed pleased with our Defence, and most of the Edinh. B.S. members I have met with seem also pleased & are dissatisfied with the attack made. The headings noticed are not to be found in any edition of the Por. T. for I wrote to London on the subject. And did you observe the fine hook we have got over them in regard to the Edinh. Contin. Asson.?Jas & Robert Haldane, Mr. Ross and Mr. Goold besides two others are members of the Com. of that Asson. We have dropped our tract. But something I have written will be published in the Stirlingshire B.S. Annual Report, and I may print some copies of it apart. 500 copies of our Defence were thrown off from the Scotsman's types, & you might have some of these from Mr. Matheson. A reply no doubt will be made, but first they will write to London about the quotations.

            Mr. Brandram said in regard to your suggestion about Prayer, that he was sorry you had then introduced it, but I think you did well. The subject was discussed in the Com., but put aside for further consideration afterwards. Mr Brandram no doubt supposed you were in Edinh. when my letter came, and that you would see it, and so did not immediately write you.

            I trust your daughter & her husband, and their child, with yourself are all well, and with kind regards to you all, believe me,

            Very Truly Yours,

                        James Thomson.