DEAN COMBER.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE, GENTLMEN,

THE

HERE is a time when controverfy becomes tedious, and the angry combatants only disgust thofe who read their acrimonious productions. In fuch cafes, the editorial power which is vefted in you, is most fatisfactorily exerted in putting an end to unprofitable contention. The turn which the mifundestanding that fubfifted between MR. COMBER and myself has taken, has rescued our papers from the fate which awaited them; and I truft you will allow me to make my acknowledgements to that gentleman, for the very handfome way in which he notices THE LONDON CURATE in your last number. I retain, as heretofore, my Nom de Guerre in your mifcellany; MR. COMBER, however knows me, now, by my real appellation. I have read his excellent biographical work, "THE MEMOIRS OF DEAN COMBER." A kind friend made me a prefent of the book, in a way as unexpected as it was gratifying. I have been inftructed and edified, by turns, in perufing it. Dr. Comber's private character appears, at leaft, commenfurate with that, which the fanction of more than a century has conferred on him as an author. He lived at a time when the conftitution of England was fettled as we now happily find it; at the momentous crifis of the revolution. In thofe days of difficulty and diftrefs, few men conducted themselves with equal firmnefs; none with more admirable temper. The memoirs open many curious fcenes, heretofore unexpofed to the public eye; and all of them delineated from documents of undoubted authority. The dean himself made minutes of moft of the remarkable tranfactions to which he was privy; and the letters, &c. which are in the poffeffion of the family, afford abundance of original matter; out of which Mr. Comber has formed a moft interefting work. I hope they will be preferved with religious care. While they continue in the cuftody of the vicar of Creech St. Michael, they are where they should be; I believe I may truft to his zeal for hiftoric truth, and his pious regard for the memory of his great anceftor, to provide fome expedient which may prevent their difperfion.

I hope Mr. C. will favour your readers with the infertion of fome of them in your Magazine, illustrative of the ftate of religious information, and of religion itself, in the latter part of the century before the last. The letter of Dr. Gee, (1699), an extract from which appears p. 363-8, gives a melancholy picture of the deplorable ignorance of the Greek tongue on the continent. I must confefs this extract makes me very defirous of feeing the whole of the doctor's letter. Perhaps Mr. Comber will have the goodness to indulge my wishes, and furnish you with a copy of it. The entire letter of Dr. Hickes (venerabile Nomen!), relative to the reading of the declaration p. 263, will furnish another treat. The conduct of the clergy of the Church of England on that occafion deserves to be commemorated. It affords a brilliant example to after-ages.

Accept my best wishes for the fuccefs of your work; and I beg of Mr. Comber to receive my affurances of fincere regard and affectionate attachment. I am, Gentlemen, your's, &c.

Feb. 8, 1802.

A LONDON CURATE.

OB

OBSERVATIONS ON THE LITURGY AND TENETS OF WHAT IS CALLED "THE NEW JERUSALEM DISPENSATION.” TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

GENTLEMEN,

AS you have given fome loose hints in an early Number of your excel

lent Magazine, relative to a strange fect, who ftyle themselves "New Jerufalem" Chriftians, and who found their doctrines upon the principles of Emanuel Swedenborg, I expected that you would have favoured your readers with a more full and explicit account of their conduct and their creed: I doubt not but that your eyes and attention are fixed on them, as well as on the other fectaries, who difturb the harmony of the Christian church, "caufe divifions among us," and perhaps the following obfervations, while they in fome measure affift your useful researches, may tend to teach the world how much fuch a publication as yours was wanted in thefe kingdoms, in order to expose the audacious attempts of those who are the enemies of the Established Church, and to fhew the futility of those new-fangled doctrines which fpring up among us in fuch quick fucceffion.

I think I may affert, that the patrons of the " New Jerufalem" difpenfation have exceeded in audacity all that I ever heard of before, and have gone one step beyond the former daring attempts of our adverfaries: from the facts which you yourselves have expofed, one might be almost tempted to fuppofe, that the different fectaries were actually making an experiment upon the eafy good nature of the Church of England, and endeavouring to dif cover how near her toleration approaches to lethargic indifference. During the prefent year, the fect I am fpeaking of have published a liturgy of their own; which, as they tell us in their preface, they expect to be adopted not only throughout thefe kingdoms," but alfo in" foreign parts." The publication contains, 1ft. The whole form and order of their public prayers; 2dly, The right of Baptifm, and administration of the holy facrament; and Thirdly, A religious creed, comprised in seven articles of their belief. I fhall here fay nothing upon the general impropriety and evil tendency of fuch a publication; the impartial reader will fee them at once, without my mentioning them; and therefore I fhall proceed immediately to examine the contents, and point out the particular abfurdities

of them.

The first thing that prefents itself to obfervation is, "The order for reading the Pfalms;" which "order" extends only to "the Sundays," and contrives that the pfalms fhall be read through once only in the course of the year; an alteration of our method, which must be rather regretted than approved of by every one who comprehends and feels the fublime language, the beautiful images, and the pious effufions of their royal compiler.

"The Calendar" follows this order for the pfalms," pointing out proper pfalms and leffons" for Chriftmas Day, Good Friday, Afcenfion Day, and Eafter Sunday; and it is fomewhat remarkable, that no other Sunday or holy day whatever, is dignified with any fort of notice or particular fervice; the Saints' Days, Epiphany, &c. are entirely omitted, and the name of Lent not even mentioned. The Old Teftament is appropriated for the first leffons, and the four Gofpels, with the book of Revelations, for the fecond: the epiftles have obtained no place in their liturgy, but the Revelations are introduced in their stead, and are a prominent figure, not only in the lessons, but also in other parts of their fervice; nor are any of the apo

cryphal

On the Tenets, &c. of the New Jerufalem Difpenfation.

143

cryphal writings taken the least notice of. One other glaring abfurdity in this crude calendar I cannot but remark; and it is fomewhat ftrange, that it could efcape the most ignorant or inattentive compiler. In our church, it is wifely contrived, that "the Old Teftament, or the greater part thereof, thould be read over once exactly in each year, and the New Teftament (except the Apocalypfe, from which certain leffons only are felected) three times;" by which means our calendar is of unlimited use in point of time; it is not unferviceable after the expiration of a fingle year, but will continue to point out the leffons for each and every day, as long as it fhall please Heaven to uphold our establishment; but with them it is otherwife; their calendar is like an annual almanack, and one year's revolution makes it ufelefs; for the 1ft chapter of Genefis is appointed for the ift day of January; and the whole of the Old Teftament being read through by about the middle of October, Genefis recurs, and proceeding regularly on, the 31ft Day of December concludes with the 34th chapter of Numbers; fo that unless there be a manifeft deviation from regularity and order, on New Year's Day following fhould be read the 35th chapter of Numbers, and confequently the prefent calendar will then be useless; by the fame bungling contrivance, the last second leffon in the year (after the Gofpels and Revelations have been five times read over), is Mark, ch. 7th. So that here again regularity must be deferted, or a new calendar be made out for the following year. A plan fo crude' and undigested, fo manifeftly derived from our own, and yet fo defpoiled of its molt important advantages, ought to have fome very useful and important points to recommend it, and fhould carry with it some evidence of its fuperiority, before it be allowed to ufurp the place of a form fo compendious and compleat as our own and yet I must confefs, that, with all the attention I have paid to it, I am unable to discover them, and can perceive only one ufe that can be derived from it, which one arifes from its want of method and regularity, viz. that as the Pamphlet, containing their liturgy, is fold only at the different chapels under their direction, it is an excellent contrivance to prevent them from lafting too long; and will effectually draw an annual fhilling from the pocket of every New Jerufalemite.

I fhall now proceed to the body of the liturgy, which is a bare-faced extract from our own excellent form, flightly concealed by trifling deviations in the order, and filly alterations in the language; it contains only one fervice, whether for morning or evening, or equally to ferve both, is not expreffed. Its commencement is (like our own) "with one or more fentences of Scripture," it proceeds with a fimilar exhortation, confeffion, &c. has two leffons, one from the Old, the other from the New Teftament, and concludes with a few prayers copied almoft verbatim from our

own.

The moft material of its alterations are the following. "The pfalms" are read immediately before the fecond leffon, That most beautiful and moft interefting of human compofitions, "the Litany," is omitted. Inftead of the "Te Deum," 56 Magnificat," and the other hymns, are inferted two extracts from the Revelations, and one from Ifaiah; and, in place of the "Gloria Patri," the following doxology is used:

* i. e. The whole which they read, for the books of Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Efther, Job, Proverbs, and Ecclefiaftes, are totally omitted, without a fingle reafon affigned for the omiffion: why the 2 books of Chronicles are not read either by them or us, is evidently to avoid repetition.

Minifler.

144 On the Tenets, &'c. of the New Jerufalem Difpenfation.

Minifter. "To Jefus Chrift be glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Anfwer. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the firft and the laft, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Amen." As an inftance of the servility with which the fentiments of our liturgy, as well as its forms, are copied, I will here infert their exhortation; and by comparing it with our own, the abfurdity or the childishness of their alterations may be seen.

Dearly beloved brethren, the facred Scriptures teach us to acknowledge and confefs before the Lord Jefus, the only true God, and Eternal Life, our manifold fins and wickedness, with an humble, penitent, and obedient heart, to the end that we may become receptive of his divine mercy and grace. And although we ought at all times humbly to confefs our fins before the Lord, yet ought we more especially fo to do when we affemble together, to render thanks unto him for the great benefits we have received at his hands, to celebrate his most glorious name, to hear his most holy word, and to afk thofe things which are requifite and neceffary for us. Wherefore, in the name of the Lord, I exhort and intreat you, as many as are here prefent, to accompany me with a penitent heart and humble voice unto the throne of his Divine Majesty." How little this exhortation differs from our own in fubftance, or even in language, must be evident and I hope it is no partial principle, that induces me to prefer the original to the copy; the language of a liturgy certainly is but a fecondary confideration, and yet the language alone has been difguifed and altered, throughout the whole work, as well as in the inftance adduced; whilft the fentiments, except in a few particulars which interfered with their curious doctrine of the Trinity, remains the fame and it might be left to the candid judgment of the most humble critic to determine whether the alterations adopted in the New Jerufalem Liturgy do not deface, instead of amending it; they have introduced harsh periods, false grammar, and vile tranflation, in place of elegant diction, pure phrafeology, and truths faithfully deduced from Scripture.

:

It is ftrange that any perfons can be fo fenfelefs and abfurd, fo fond of novelty, and fo eafily led aftray by every wind of doctrine," as to build their faith upon fo mean and flight a foundation, as that of the performance in queftion; if they will feparate from the established church, they should at leaft have fome plaufible pretences, if they have no juft grounds for their feparation but unfortunately the favourite doctrines of Methodists, fuch as" every man's mind is his own church," &c. have paved the way for univerfal feparation, and univerfal difcord; men are no longer confcious of the evils arifing from fchifm; and feem to forget, that Religion herfelf is injured and afflicted, by the divifions and the differences of her children.

:

From its very nature this account of the New Jerufalem Liturgy must be dry; but it may intereft those who are not intimately acquainted with the fect, and may furprise fuch as know not their audacity: and as it has lengthened this letter much beyond the limits I at first intended, I must poftpone the confideration of their facraments, and the compendium of their faith, until another opportunity.

And am, Gentlemen, yours, &c.

T. T.

COMPLU

COMPLUTENSIAN EDITION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT,TO THE EDITORS,

GENTLEMEN,

I WISH to know, and poffibly Mr. MARSH, the learned tranflator of MICHAELIS, can inform your readers better than any man living, what degree of evidence from MSS. or otherwife, fhall authorize an editor to reftore to their place, fuch words of the Greek Teftament, as, appearing in the older editions, have been left out of thofe of later date? Whenfoever, by artifice, or through inattention, a word has difappeared in any of the editions of great name, fucceeding publishers become afraid of replacing it, and feem fatisfied with noting the deficiency in their margins, "inter imminutiones et ablationes." This appears a ftrange timidity and foolish cautioufnefs. Surely the appearance of any individual word in the generality of good editions and MSS. of character, ought to warrant the re-infertion of it in its ancient place. If this be denied, it must follow, that the text may be deprived of words of the greatest moment at will; nay, that, in process of time, we may look for the whole of the text in the margin; which is an abfurdity, and therefore I think my reasoning is established on folid grounds, and is founded in truth.

I have been led into this train of thinking by an obfervation of the great and good, and very learned Mr. Granville Sharpe, in his invaluable tract, called, "Remarks on the Ufes of the Definite Article in the Greek Text of the New Testament."-He fays, (I quote from recollection merely, the tract is out of print, and I was favoured by a friend with the perufal of a copy fome months ago), that, in the later editions of the New Teftament, there is an omiffion of two words at the end of 2 Cor. iv. 4. where we read ordinarily, " 78X9158, 05 851v Eixwv TX 8"; whereas, in the ancient editions, (he specifies the Complutenfian), the words, "T8 aopars" follow: So, Gentlemen, because a compofitor is drowfy, a corrector of the prefs is fleepy, or an editor is fhamefully careless, the church is to be deprived of a material portion of the facred text. Poole fays, refpecting this paffage, "legitur in tribus Codd. aogary"; i. e. I fuppofe in three MSS. which he, or the critic he follows, had feen. He very fenfibly refers us to 1 Col. xv. where it is predicated of the Son of God, that " εςιν Εικών τε Θε8 ΤΟΥ AOPATOY." I confulted the Complutenfian edition the other day at Sion College, and found that Mr. Sharpe was perfectly correct in his affertion. The words in queffion occur in the text of Montanus, printed by Plantin, at Antwerp, 1569; "cum Complutenfi & aliis correctiffimis Exemplaribus collato." Chriftopher Plantin had an exclufive privilege granted him, 1570, by the King of Spain, Charles I. ufually called the Emperor, Charles V. to print and fell another edition of the Greek Scriptures, intituled," Sacra Biblia Regia, ad Complutense Exemplar expreffa ;—fo a colophon, fubjoined to a very fmall Greek Teftament, in my poffeffion, informs me. The Parifian Polyglott, printed 1645, under the auspices of Cardinal Mazarine, retains the Complutenfian reading. It does not occur in Walton's Polyglott, in which Rob. Stevens's text is re-printed.

I think no mean fervice would be done to facred Literature, were the Complutenfian text to be printed anew. I do not mean that the form of the types, and the literal abbreviations fhould be copied; that were to incur a needlefs expence; but that the text of Cardinal Ximenes fhould be printed correctly from modern types. Suppofe three or four of the London Vol. II. Churchm. Mag. March, 1802, U

curates