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other booke in my custody. I have parted with few bookes, though I have been so unwise as to purchase very many; and therefore if ever I had any of your bookes I am confident it is with me still, and if your memory doe suggest any that you doubt of, I will search for it; but I am well assured there never was any such. There are but few remaining here, I take it, of your old acquaintance; those that are, Mr. Hawkins especially, and Mr. Pulleyn, receive kindly and return your salutes. So doth

Your assured friend and humble servant,

Trin. Col. 11 March, 1664.

ISAAC BARROW.

To my worthy friend, Mr. John Mapletoft,
Northumberland House, London.

LETTER II.

HON. AND DEARE SIR,

Mr. Eusden intends, God willing, for London in the coach next Wednesday; will present himselfe to you, and obey your directions. He shall have recommendations from our Master to the Bishop of London, for receiving orders immediately. He is satisfied with the conditions you propound, and will performe what shall be required of him. I am very confident you shall find him so in all respects to answer your desires, that you shall not have cause to repent of the obligation you have putt upon him and me. Please to forward the enclosed, and to present my hearty love and service to Mr. Pomeroy; it was my unhappinesse not to see him at London. Thanking you (more than I can expresse) for all your kindnesse,

I am,

Most affectionately and obligedly your's,
IS. BARROW.

Trin. Col. March 12, 1669

P.S. Mr. Eusden desired me to present his humble service

to you.

LETTER

LETTER III.

DEARE DOCTOR,

Grates persolvere dignas

Non opis est nostræ, Doetor; nec quicquid ubique est
Gentis Dardaniæ.

1

YOU have driven me to my snipps, being de proprio insolvent of fit expression. In sooth I never find any regrett for my being a poore meane fellow, but when upon such occasions I consider myselfe to be hopelesse of getting opportunity to shew my willingnesse to be thankfull for such courtesyes. I could now even wish myselfe an Arch-Bishop, yea, almost a Pope, that I might have preferments for you to dispose of to your friends, beside that I might be able to keepe a company of crazy knaves, and allow good fees for them. My comfort is yet, although you can receive none from me, yet that you will have some requitall in the satisfaction of having obliged your friends, this good college, that worthy wag, whom I doubt not but you will find in respects correspondent to your best expectation, and to the character thought due to his deserts from

Your ever most affectionate friend,
and thankful servant,

- IS. BARROW.

P.S. I shall offer (though I know nothing) upon a kind of intimation in your's to wish you much joy; for surely you could not leave such a Lord but for a very good Lady. Trin. Coll. Jun. 23, 1669.

To the Worshipfull Dr. Mapletoft, at Northumberland House, London.

(To be continued.)

REMARKS ON A VISITATION SERMON.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURHCMAN'S

I

SIR,

MAGAZINE.

COULD not read in your Magazine for last month, without equal indignation and surprize, that a beneficed Clergyman should, in an assembly of his brethren,

others

openly and unblushingly attack (amongst other doctrines) the miraculous conception and birth of that Saviour, in whose service he had enrolled himself. If, indeed, this gentleman thought that in preaching Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph, he was conscientiously informing a mistaken people; the first step he should have taken in proof of his sincerity, would have been to have thrown up that preferment, of which his opinions prove him utterly unworthy, before he had published such proofs of error, not to call his offence by a harsher name: for the text, John ch. i. v. 45, which he insidiously chose, and perverted to so strange a purpose, will not, I think, bear him out in the assertion he deduces from it, that Jesus was the son of Joseph by natural generation. "We have found him," said Philip to Nathaniel, " of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." But a little higher up, in the same chapter, Andrew meeting his brother Simon, says of the same person," We have found the Messias, which is being interpreted, the Christ." If we look into the third chapter of St. Luke, 23, we shall see that ignorance formerly had the same effect on some people, which duplicity or infidelity have now produced in this Essex preacher : Jesus was about beginning his thirtieth year, being, as was supposed, the Son of Joseph, the Son of Eli. But nobody did, or could suppose this, who was at all acquainted with Scripture history or ancient prophecy. Those who were so, did not want any further proofs that Jesus was the Christ, as the declaration of Andrew shews; and that Christ is the Son of God, is the primary article of our belief. Besides, what does his own text say? We have found him, of whom Moses (in the Law) and the Prophets did write. And of whom did they write, but of him whose miraculous birth was taus announced from Heaven to the shepherds? Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. St. Luke indeed says, that he was supposed to be the son of Joseph; but St. Matthew, at large, refutes such a mistaken notion, and produces an angel quoting the words of an ancient prophecy, Isaiah, vii. 14, and proving its fulfilment, by the fact, that Jesus was not the son of Joseph by natural generation, but that Holy Thing which another angel had foretold was to be born of the Virgin Mary, by the influence of the Holy Ghost, and therefore to be called the Son of God. It would be easy to multiVol. XI. Churchm. Mag. Oct. 1806. M m

ply

ply arguments on this subject, but I could not avoid contributing my mite, to settle as plainly and briefly as I could, the faith of those, who may (like one of his hearers) have been led to doubt the first truths of our religion, from knowing that the divinity of Christ had been attacked by one of his own servants in God's house.

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IN

SIR,

Na Newspaper called "THE STATESMAN," which is taken in at a subscription coffee-room to which I belong, I lately read the following article: "Wednesday se'nnight the committee of delegates of the Methodist Societies commenced their meetings at the OLD CHAPEL, LEEDS, to arrange the business of the ensuing CONFER ENCE, which assembled yesterday. The town is expected to be universally thronged during the next fortnight, as numbers of the society, from various parts of the kingdom, usually attend, exclusive of the preachers, some hundreds of whom, it is supposed, will be present on this occasion!!!"-See "THE STATESMAN" for August 1, 1806.

Does not the above paragraph, Mr. Editor, very strikingly exhibit the extraordinary industry and zealof the METHODISTS to promote the advantage of the whole body, and to disseminate their principles and peculiar religious tenets throughout the world? A CONFERENCE to last no less a time than a fortnight, is held by the delegates of all the vast body of the Methodists dispersed through the whole kingdom, in one of the largest and most populous manufacturing

facturing towns in the west-riding of the extensive county of York; and, at this same CONFERENCE, "numbers' (doubtless of the lay members)" of the society from various parts of the kingdom USUALLY attend, exclusive of some hundreds of the preachers!" Does this intelligence excite no apprehension in the minds of those who have the welfare of the established religion sincerely at heart? Does it reveal to the reflecting mind no comparison on the supine and indifferent conduct of the members of that established religion with regard to the interests and wellbeing of the same, and the magnitude of the dangers to which it is exposed? In the minds of some of the sincere and able advocates of the pure faith, I know that the most lively apprehensions are awakened; in the breasts of others of the pious and learned watchmen of "this our Israel," I trust the same sentiment likewise prevails; but how, and by what specific means, these interests of the established Faith may best be confirmed and protected, and these dangers best warded off, does not at present appear. In the diocese of LINCOLN a few pious and zealous clergymen have united for the most laudable purposes, and their proceedings, which have been laid before the public, reflect the highest honour upon them; but, as far as I am acquainted, we have no public know! lege of any other diocese which has followed this good example; and my private knowlege, or the information of my friends, has not enabled me to produce another instance. Would to God that a portion of this zeal were infused into the hearts of my clerical brethren; that a similar communication were established between the Ministers at least of the national church in distant parts of the kingdom, which the above paragraph shews is organized completely amongst the society of METHODISTS! I need not take up the time or the attention of your readers with pointing out the mighty advantages which from hence would be derived.

But, Sir, I hope from the extreme importance of the thing, I may be pardoned for again naming the only efficacious and satisfactory mode of effecting these desirable. ends; the only LEGAL and CONSTITUTIONAL method of applying a remedy to the present CRISIS at which we are. arrived; which is not only by re-assembling the CONVOCATION, as must of necessity be done, should the present PARLIAMENT be dissolved very soon, (as is universally expected,) and a new one called together; but for them M m 2

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