Page images
PDF
EPUB

their procession to St. Paul's, and I am always delighted with a living, practical example of their want of power. In the same manner I am elated with boyish satisfaction at the return of the fifth of November, and I can never persuade myself to turn away the young patriots who surround my door on that occasion without contributing a mite to their service. "Gun-powder plot, (and the same. I say of the Convocation,) should never be forgot."

Well, Sir, on Tuesday, the 16th of December last, the Convocation met with their usual forms, and prepared an address to the King, which was presented a fortnight afterwards. In the address, besides uttering the customary compliments, they pledge themselves "To oppose every dangerous error, and to teach every needful truth; to maintain among the people that preference to the pure and simple worship of the Reformed Church, which hath hitherto so eminently distinguished them; to recommend in all matters of conscience, mutual forbearance and forgiveness; to watch with prudent vigilance, and so far as they are able, to put down, or to mitigate with tempered zeal, those religious excesses and wild extravagances, to which the mildness of our laws, and the lenity of their execution, may Occasionally give rise."

Here is a pretty significant expression of the wish of Convocation to be employed in some crusade against heretics. As I read the last sentence for the first time, I thought of the Rector of Cold Norton, and blessed myself that Mr. Stone and I have no more to fear from the Convocation than from the Inquisition.

The King's answer to the address is liberal and digni fied, worthy of the first Magistrate of a Protestant and free country; worthy, Sir, and I cannot say more, of an administration modelled and inspired by the ever-to-be-lamented Mr. Fox: It is the echo to such parts of the address and such only as breathe a reverence for the Protestant Religion, and a wish for peace and charity; passing over, as if in silent contempt, the passages which, rigorously interpreted, seem to express a desire of the revival of intolerance and persecution!-So may the King be always advised! so wise may he be as always to follow such advice! So hopes and prays the warm and affectionate admirer of Princes, when Princes are the MINISTERS OF GOD FOR GOOD, and Your obedient servant,

London.

GOGMAGOG.

REVIEW,

STILL PLEAS'D TO PRAISE, YET NOT AFRAID TO BLAME."

POPE

ART. I. A Summary View of the Evidence and Practical Importance of the Christian Revelation, in a Series of Discourses addressed to young Persons, by Thomas Belsham, Minister of the Unitarian Chapel in Essex Street. Johnson, 1807, 8vo. pp. 204.

The view here given of the evi- of religion, that faith is sufficient. dence and practical importance of the Christian Revelation extends through six discourses, to the first of which we shall confine our at, tention in the present number.

ly firm, which actually furnishes motives to a correspondent con duct, and affords a basis of rea sonable and lively expectation. With this opinion, and with a Our author has but imperfectly strict regard to the connection in supplied the place of a table of which they are found, we are far contents, of a running-title and from being startled at the followof an index, by prefixing to each dis- ing observations of Mr. B.'s, in course a brief enumeration of the the commencement of his undersubjects on which it principally taking. treats in the first, for example, the reader is prepared, by this assistance, to expect PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS—THE QUESTION STATED-PHILOSOPHICAL ARGUMENT FOR THE CHRISTIAN

REVELATION:-the text is John vi. 68, 69-and, in remarking upon the conclusion of the latter of these verses, the preacher very properly avails himself of the reading the holy one of God."

(pp. 1, 2.)

"The utmost which the generality of sober and rational inquirers can expect, is to attain a faith, not perhaps wholly unmixed with doubt, and a hope, not entirely unclouded with fear; but at the same time, a faith so decidedly prepon derant as to lay a reasonable foundation tual and encouraging, as to fill the mind for virtuous practice, and a hope so habiwith peace and joy in believing, and to administer the best consolation under the vicissitudes of life." (p. 3).

To produce this state of mind in the young, is the writer's object in the present series of disWhile demonstration admits of courses: four of them comprize no degrees of assent, the evidence a brief recapitulation of lectures of testimony and presumption delivered after the morning-service admits of many; and the strength in Essex-street; and the merit of or weakness of belief in different the volume must, in great measure, persons will obviously depend be judged of by reference to its upon the different lights in which professed nature and design. A they perceive the arguments sub. retrospect of evidence upon such mitted to their understandings. For a subject could not but be necesall useful purposes, however, and sary and acceptable to hearers at more especially for the great ends an early age. (pp. 3, 4.)

nition of belief in Christianity will be looked upon as extremely simple and meagre by a large proportion of modern Christians:

-

"To believe in the Christian Revela

tion, is to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was a teacher commissioned by God to reveal the doctrine of a future life, in which virtue will find a correspondent reward, and vice suffer condign punishment; and that of this commission he gave satisfactory evidence, by his resurrection from the dead." (p. 5).

[ocr errors]

are now

We suspect that Mr. B.'s defi- Among the books of reference on this subject, which are enume-¡ rated in a note, (4) might have. been ranked Bishop Sherlock's, Discourses, Vol. I. Nos. 1,2. &c. "The nature, the use, and the evidence of miracles,' considered; and here, as might be expected, the writer's definitions, illustrations, and reasonings, are, for the most part, selected and abridged from those of Mr. FarmSuch is the author's correct and er, in his masterly dissertation on scriptural statement of what con- miracles; a work which, (prol stitutes a believer in Christianity; pudor !) after an interval of thir-, and this is the first of his "Preli- ty three years, at length found its minary Considerations:" the next way to a second edition, and in is Testimony, upon which, as he praise and recommendation of remarks, (p. 6.) the credibility of which, both for its design and exthe original promulgation of the ecution, it is difficult to be lavish." gospel principally rests. Mr. B. accurately represents it

:

In certain circumstances testi- as the opinion of many of the mony is a safe and infallible guide. wisest and best philosophers, that This alone supports the greater the laws of nature are not only the number of the facts which men appointment, but the actual agenbelieve in the common affairs of cy, and immediate energy, of the life it regulates their conduct: its divine Being himself, exerting competency is admitted in the itself according to certain stated Inost solemn proceedings, and on rules, which infinite wisdom has the most important occasions; and prescribed :—and to this purpose, he who should seriously refuse in he gives an excellent quotation, in all circumstances to give credit to it, a note*, from Maclaurin's acwould be justly regarded and treat count of Sir Isaac Newton's dised as a lunatic. (pp. 6, 7.) coveries. (pp. 11, 12.)

A concise discussion follows of The appearance of Samuel to the supposed IN EXPEDIENCY, Saul at Endor having been thought and, to divine wisdom, moral IM. by some persons to countenance POSSIBILITY of revelation. To the popular opinion that miracles Tindal's assertion, in his "Christi- may be performed by inferior anity as old as the creation," that agents, without the permission the law of nature is absolutely and express appointment of the perfect, Mr. B. opposes a plain Supreme, Mr. B. treats it as a and palpable fact: supposed appearance, as accord

"What has the light of nature actu- ing to the hypothesis of Dr. Sa. ally accomplished, unaided by divine muel Chandler, the artifice of a revelation? What has it discovered of the attributes of God, of the rule of duty, practised ventriloquist. (pp. 13, or of the doctrine of a future life?" 14, and note 9.) Vandale, in (p. 8.)

*

(7)

his learned dissertations "De testimony of the JEWISH SCRIP Oraculis, &c." had advanced, and TURES. (p. 19.) ingeniously supported, the same opinion*; and our author would probably have referred to this work, had it been rendered accessible to the English reader.

The philosophical argument assumes the truth of the Christian religion as a hypothesis, the admission of which is necessary to account for certain obvious and undisputed phænomena: this evi

When Mr. B. endeavours to shew that miracles are facts prove- dence the author has stated with able by human testimony, the perspicuity and force. (pp. 19far-famed and most subtle objection of Mr. Hume's falls naturally under his review. (pp. 16, 19.) "No testimony," says that ingenious writer," is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind, that the falschood of it would be more As Mr. Gibbon, in his History miraculous than the event it en- of the decline and fall of the Ro deavours to establish."" This man empire, has attempted to writer's expression," replies Mr. prove that the Christian religion B." is inaccurate. One miracle made a slow and very limited procannot be more miraculous than gress in the world, our author adanother. But instead of miracu- duces the testimony of its enemies lous, substitute incredible, and I to the contrary fact, and argues join issue with him upon his own that the natural causes assigned by principles." (pp. 17-19.) This the historian as adequate to acindeed is the question between be- count for the prevalence of the lievers and unbelievers; and the gospel are themselves effects, which Christian apologist pledges himself require a sufficient cause, and to produce evidence, which, in the which are absolutely inexplicable, estimation of a candid and impar- unless Christianity be true. (pp. tial judge, shall be decisive for the 25-31.) gospel. To the list of writers against Hume might have been added H. Taylor, who, at the conclusion of his thoughts on the grand apostacy, has discussed the objection of the sceptical philosopher with singular conciseness and success.

25.) referring, generally, upon the subject to Dr. Priestley's letters: to a Philosophical Unbeliever, part ii. -a work in which the talents: of that celebrated writer appear to particular advantage. (Note 13.)

Here the first discourse is naturally brought to its conclusion. On looking back upon it we see reason to admire that condensation of thought and argument by means of which several important topics are canvassed-and this notslightly or superficially, within a Mr. B. arranges the evidence narrow compass. If in some infor the Christian religion under stances, the transitions from one five general heads-the PHILOSO- subject to another are abrupt, this PHICAL the direct HISTORICAL defect will be excused as almost --the PROPHETIC-the INTERNAL ins parable from a recapitulatory and the evidence derived from the sermon.

[To be continued in our next.]

*Pp. 24. 25. 26. (Amst. 1700.)

ART. II.-Novum Testamentum Græce. Textum, ad fidem Codicum, Versionum & Patrum, recensuit, & lectionis varietatem adjecit, D. Jo. Jac. Griesbach. Vol. ii. Ed. 2da. Halæ. 1806. Londini apud Payne et Mackinlay. 1807.

(Continued from Page 156.)

EPISTLES OF PAUL.

Rom. i. 6. ou XPICTOU] "x- who are capable of investigating it. Romans i. 19. Οι φανερον εστ plou seu EU. Eth." Griesbach.

We have already noticed the dif- 7] Eth. Wakefield." ferent statements of our author vi. 21. The punctuation of this and Mr. Wakefield on the sub- passage seems to us to be much ject of this translation. Gries- improved in the present edition; bach is certainly not consistent the interrogation being placed afwith his own assertion; as, for ter τοτε, instead of επαισχύνεσθε instance, 1 Cor. x. 9. where vii. 25. ευχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ] χαsome read κύριον and some Θεoν, εις τῷ θεῷ stands in the inner marhe quotes Eth. for the former; gin, as of equal, perhaps of supethough, on his own principles, rior, authority. xapis Tou beou, (Acts xx. 28.) its reading must furnishes a sense apparently so be ambiguous. It is not proba- suitable to the connection, that ble in itself that a translator we wonder not at its being apshould have only one word for proved by some: critically conupios and Oos: for how could sidered, however, it cannot stand he render such a passage as this, for, 1) It is the exclusive reading without being unintelligible? ó de of the Western edition, which is θεος και τον κύριον ηγείρει κ. τ. λ. always suspicious, when its varia1 Cor. vi. 14. We perceive ma- tion removes an apparent diffiny very important readings quot- culty, or disentangles a perplexed ed by Wakefield from this ver- construction. (Griesb. Proleg. sion, which are wholly unnoticed v. 1. p. lxxvii.) 2) If it were the by Griesbach. As he read it with original reading what should tempt a particular view to his transla- any one to alter it; or what tion, we cannot suppose that all, ambiguity is there in it, which or even many, of them are erro- could lead to an involuntary misneous. We shall not scruple to take? 3) xapis (de) TW bew conquote them from his notes, where tains the germ of all the variations; they are of sufficient consequence; χαρις του θεού, ή χάρις του θεού, not for the purpose of depreciat- on one side; ευχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ ing the labours of Griesbach, who on the other. (See Symb. Crit. V. probably is not so well skilled 2. Cod. Paull. 17.) There is an in oriental learning, as in the his

tory of MSS. and the science of * When we quote in this manner, criticism ; (προς ταυτα γαρ τις ικα- we mean that the reading produced by v05;): but merely in order to point Wakefield has been neglected by Gries ont an interesting subject to those bach.

NOL. IL.

2 F

« PreviousContinue »