the cry of difaffection, the bishops and clergy of the Scotch Epifcopal Church, befides cheerfully paying their fhare of the taxes which affected them, have to a man inculcated from the pulpit on their people, the du ties which belong to good and faithful fubjects. I cannot, therefore, help faying, that it would be highly political, especially in these times, in the government of this country to put it in the power of this loyal body of fubjects, to be of more fervice to itself, by devifing fome way of making their situation more comfortable to themselves, and more refpectable in the eyes of fuch as judge according to outward appearance, than many of them, I am forry to fay, find it at prefent. Yet, amidst all the poverty and hardships of their condition, I know they poffefs their fouls in patience, and rejoice in the hope, that their work of faith and labour of love will be richly recompenfed in another and a better world, by the great fhepherd and bishop of fouls. This account of the Scotch Epifcopal Church I fhall now conclude, by Jonathan Watfon, at Laurence Kirk, Bishop. Diocese of Breehin, John TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN, TH HE defign of your mifcellany, I take to be the maintenance of the doctrine and government of the Church of England. The defign is truly excellent; I with it all imaginable fuccefs. But for this reafon I am forry to meet with a sentence in the Memoir of Dr. Mayo, which I cannot help confidering against its fuccefs. The fentence is, the proper Prefbyterian, who differs from our Church only in matters of discipline, he, Dr. Mayo, knew how to value juftly. Here it appears to me to be implied, that a proper Prefbyterian differs from the Church of England only in matters of difcipline. After reading Calvin's Inftitutes and the Confeffion of Faith, I understand a proper Prefbyterian, as there faithfully defcribed, to be one who believes that God has eternally decreed the damnation of all mankind, except a chofen few, called the elect-that till the moment of converfion arrives, the elect are abfolutely incapable of every good thought and action--that the grace by which their converfion is accomplished, is overpoweringly irrefistible that when they are once brought into a state of falvation, they cannot finally fall from it-and that epifcopacy is anti-chriftian ufurpation, which ought to be rooted out in the church of God. Are these the fentiments of the Church of England? if they be, then Sir Richard Hill deferves the warmeft thanks of all her true members, for the spirit with which he has defended her against the mifreprefentations of the Guide to the Church. The above fentence appears to me to imply alfo, that epifcopacy, as à matter of difcipline, is of inferior confideration and importance. But is it fo? Is this the language of the Church of England, in any place where The the fpeaks on the fubject? Is it the language of thofe who are allowed to be her ableft advocates? Was it the language of Bishop Horne? Was it the language of the venerable minifter of Nayland? From these great men, on the topics in queftion, I truft the writer of the memoir alluded to does not differ. I muft, however, fay, that I fhould like much to fee his own explanation of the obnoxious fentence upon which I have troubled you with my remarks. March 22, 1802. A NORTH-BRITAIN. ORIGINAL LETTERS FROM BISHOP WARBURTON. TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. THE HE compiler of the fketch of the "Life of Bishop Warburton," began at page 118 of the Orthodox Churchman's Magazine, for March, 1802, and continued, at page 169, of the number for April, 1802,' when he gave the very flight account, which occurs pages 170, 171, 172. of that number, of the Bishop's two great works "THE ALLIANCE BETWIXT CHURCH AND STATE," and "THE DIVINE LEGATION OF MOSES, &c." had evidently before him a publication which appeared anonymously, about the middle of the laft century, bearing the following title, "A View of Lord Bolingbroke's Philofophy, &c." a work, as it's author in his title page informs us," in which his whole fyftem of INFI DELITY and NATURALISM is expofed and confuted." I think it would have been defirable, for the fake of those who may not have seen the two abovementioned works of the Bishop, (which contain matter at all times very interesting to the fons of the Church of England, but more than ufually fo in the prefent times when our venerable and excellent establishment is attacked by such an host of enemies) that a more enlarged account of thofe two valuable works had been laid before the reader, if it had fallen in with the plan of the compiler of the Bifhop's life. Thofe who are defirous of feeing fuch an enlarged account, may meet with it in the "View of Lord B.'s Philofophy, &c."* the 3d edition of which (being the one I have now before me) was published by Millar, in the Strand, in 12mo. in the M,DCC,LVI. I doubt not your correfpondent abovementioned, on being thus requested, will readily oblige your readers with the abovementioned extract: but should not that gentleman's leifure allow him so to do, I will with much pleasure transcribe it. I now proceed to make good my promife of tranfmitting you a copy of Bishop Warburton's original letter to my late father, which, as in the cafe of Dr. Edward Gee to my great grandfather, you shall have correctly and. literally.. "DEAR SIR, "I have the favour of your's without date. I have not feen the pam phlet you mention written against my JULIAN, nor fhall I ever read a line of it. Every clergyman, not to fay every believer, is equally concerned with me about the truth of that miracle. It is the common cause in which I have performed my fhare. Befides I have been long in an humour to abjure all controverfy. Whatever I fhall write hereafter will be *An account of the argument of the "Divine Legation," may be feen at pages 202, 203; of the "ALLIANCE," pages 250, 256. Vol. II. Churchm. Mag. May, 1802. LI delivered delivered freely, explained as clearly, and inforced as ftrongly as I am able. If any one can overthrow it he hath my leave; and if any one will fupport it, he hath my thanks: but to trouble myselfe further about the matter, is more, I think, than I ow to the public; is more, I am fure, than I ow either to truth or myfelfe. AMELIA, in my opinion, is neither equal to TOM JONES nor to Jos. ANDREWS; but is much better than any thing, in this fort of writing, from any other of our countrymen. The ESSAY ON SPIRIT is written by CLAYTON, Bishop of Clogher. In an English bishop it would have been called herefy; but in an Irish I fuppofe it will pafs for a blunder. It is in three parts: the middle only is properly his own. The first being little better than an extract from Lock, &c. and the laft from Clark. He is of the groffer fort of ARIANS. He holds the HOLY-GHOST to be GABRIEL, and JESUS to be MICHAEL; in defiance of the Apoftle, who fays, he took not on himselfe the nature of angels. I apprehend that the Bp. (who published it against the advise of his friends) thought that it would make a noife. But he is mistaken. The world feems difpofed to overlook and to forget it, unless fome anfwerer calls back their attention. 6 "The EPIGRAM is a pretty one. I fhall always be glad to fee any thing that has your approbation. "One HARRIS, a gentleman of fortune in Wiltshire, has published a kind of univerfal or philofophical grammar, under the title of HERMES. It has many good things in it, though not comparable to the Gram. generale et raisonnée of Port-Royal. He is fuch an idolizer of the ancients, that he is right or wrong, as it happens, and as they lead the way. "BYROM of Manchester, a fine genius, but fanatical even to madness, has published a poetical epiftle on enthufiafm: in which he has plentifully abufed Middleton and me. He is too devout to cultivate poetry, otherwife he would have excelled in it. He has hit the true epiftolary stile. There are many fine ftrokes, many obfcurities, and many negligencies in it. "I am, dear Sir, "Your very faithfull and affectionate humble fervant, "P. P. Jan. 11, 1751-2." "W. WARBURTON." (To be continued.) TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN, HA [AVING attentively perufed the first volume of your inftructive Mifcellany, I was much pleafed with the moderation and candour with which it appears to have been conducted and I do not hesitate to affirm, that the foundness and orthodoxy of the principles which you, with a truly liberal and becoming zeal, have laboured to inculcate, entitle it, in an especial manner, to the notice of the clergy, no less than to the general regard of thofe amongst the laity who remain firm in their attachment to the National Religion. The neceffity of fuch a publication has been long felt and acknowLedged. Whilft fectarians, of almoft every defcription, have, for a feries * Prior-Park. Editor. of of years paft, been indefatigable in circulating their periodical works throughout the United Kingdom, in which the doctrines and tenets peculiar to each fect have been artfully fet forth with all the warmth and fervour of a blind enthusiasm; the churchman was, in this refpect, left wholly to himself. He had no fure guide to affift him in his inquiries, but was in imminent danger of being feduced into error by the wild and delufive theories of bigotted fanatics. It is greatly to be feared, that much harm has been already done by thefe monthly publications; for it is a well known fact, that the rhapfodical and extravagant accounts of the experiences, the lives, and the deaths of fectarian faints and minifters, with which writings of this defcription do fo much abound, have contributed, in no fmall degree, to that wide spread of fanaticism and fchifim of which we have juft reafon to complain, and which, if not speedily counteracted, muft, in the end, be fubverfive of our present moft excellent ecclefiaftical polity. To check the progrefs of infidelity, to guard against future error and delufion, by a due expofure of unfcriptural and enthufiaftick doctrines, and to maintain the faith and principles of the Established Church in their original purity, appear to me to be the avowed objects of the Orthodox Churchman's Magazine. Intentions fo pure and fo friendly to the best and dearest interefts of fociety will, moft undoubtedly, enfure to you the fupport and afliftance of every one who has the profperity of this Church at heart. Willing, therefore, to contribute my mite in furtherance of fo good and neceffary a work, I have tranfcribed a few thoughts, which were drawn up fome time ago, on a very interefting paffage of the Sacred History, and which will be followed by others of a fimilar nature, fhould you think them not altogether unworthy the attention of your readers. I am, gentlemen, your fincere friend, CEPHAS LINCOLNIENSIS. March 27th, 1802. OBSERVATIONS ON THE FALL. It is much to be lamented, that any of the friends of revealed religion, fhould fo far have erred in their judgment, as to confider the Mosaick account of the fall of man in no other light than an allegorical reprefentation of the origin of Sin and Death. The many wild and fanciful conjectures to which fuch a mode of interpretation, were it once admitted, inevitably leads, moft forcibly demonftrate, that the ftrict and literal fenfe, in our expofition of the text, muft invariably be adhered to; and that the relation of Mofes confifts only of facts which pofitively took place at the riod to which he alludes. pe On this eventful hiftory, the future redemption of mankind is wholly grounded. Any attempt, therefore, to weaken its credibility must be injurious to religion. For were no other importance to be attached to it than what is ufually allowed to an eaftern apologue or fable, the glorious fuperftructure which has been raifed upon it, in which is to be included, the faith of the patriarchs, the difpenfation of Mofes, and the revelation of Jefus Chrift, would be fhaken to its very bafis, and the credit which is due to Mofes as an inspired writer would, of course, be confiderably invalidated. The advocates of infidelity have been fully aware of the advantages to be derived from the injudicious conduct of commentators who have, in this instance inftance, departed from the literal fenfe of fcripture. In confequence of which, no part of the Mofaick history has been more exposed to the cavils and cenfure of unbelievers, than that which we are now confidering. Hence they have fabricated objections against the venerable truths of religion which they now urge with unwonted and increasing virulence: and with an overweening confidence, which a fuperficial acquaintance with theological subjects usually generates, they pronounce the fall to be an excellent Mythologue, or an Egyptian Allegory, judicioufly felected by Mofes, to enable him to account for the introduction of evil, and of man's antipathy to the reptile race(1). Thus fondly conceiving that they have accomplished their purpose, they would willingly perfuade the world into a belief, that religion, originally founded on fables, was a fyftem of human invention; the work of priest-craft and fuperftition. But the fertility of their reafoning and the impotence of their raillery will, it is hoped, be made fufficiently manifeft, by a farther investigation of this most interesting narrative. Of the fidelity of Mofes as an historian, and that he was endowed with an intelligence more than human, his writings furnifh numerous and irrefragable proofs. Who, like him, could have told the things which were from the beginning, and have fhewn his people what was to befal them in diftant ages, without fome communication from the FATHER OF Light, who ordereth all things by the word of his power! Who, like him, could have given a distinct relation of facts, many of which had happened upwards of two thousand five hundred years previous to his birth, and which were intimately connected with others which were not to take place until nearly fifteen hundred years had elapfed from the time of his recording them, unless they had been dictated by the voice of infpiration! Whoever will undertake to compare the book of Genefis with the fubfequent hiftory of the Jews, or indeed with the hiftory of any other nation that has exifted under Heaven, with that ferious attention which becomes an impartial inquirer, will find their mutual correfpondence and dependence fo eminently confpicuous, the analogy between facred and profane history so visible and striking, that he will no longer hefitate to declare, that no man could write thofe things which Mofes has written, unlefs God were with him. For feldom, if ever, do they become unbelievers who have been fincere in their researches after the truth. It can hardly be fuppofed that a tranfaction, in which the whole human race was fo deeply involved, would be veiled by Mofes under the fpecious difguife of an allegory; this was not his ufual practice, and were we to allow it in this cafe, it would be difficult to determine with precision where the fable ended and the authentick narrative commenced. The whole of the book is hiftorical. Mofes wrote for the information of the people, and he wrote in that plain and fimple ftyle, which was beft adapted to their then rude and uncivilized state; fo that were we to underftand the account of the fall in any other than a literal fenfe,, the greatest violence would be offered to the truth of his hiftory, and the grofleft abfurdities would follow. To imagine, as Origen, and certain other commentators have done, that under the figure of a ferpent a reprefentation of the fenfual appetite was all that was intended, would be to impofe a meaning altogether foreign (1) See Gedde's Tranflation of the Bible, Vol. I. Pref. p. x. Bolingbroke's Workes, Vol. V. p. 350. to |