illegal manner. His conduct in the affair of Magdalen College is a very remarkable inftance of this. The illegal HIGH COMMISSION COURT was exprefsly inftituted for this very purpofe. In the year 1697 JAMES iffued a declaration of general indulgence in religious matters to all his fobjects, a step which moft reflecting men of that time confidered as preliminary to the subverfion of the Proteftant religion. In the year 1688, Mr. Hume informs us," the king published a fecond declaration of indulgence, almost in the fame terms with the former; and he fubjoined an order, that, immediately after divine fervice it fhould be read by the clergy in all the churches." The following letter contains an account of the conduct of some of the inferior clergy on that trying occafion, which account reflects immortal honour on their memory; and, as the LONDON CURATE obferves, "affords a brilliant example to after ages." Doubtless there were many naturally of a timid and weak temper, who, like the great ERAS MUS, poffeffed not the spirit of a martyr," and therefore through fear might be induced to comply with JAMES's arbitrary and illegal demand; but, for the honour of the Protectant religion, very few it will appear from the following letter were of this difpofition in the several dioceses there mentioned.

In the following copy I have thought it right to preserve Dean Hickes's orthography, that you might depend upon the faid copy being exact, but I have not, I find, been fo particular in the extract I have given in my anceftor's memoirs, p. 263, et feq. I am, Gentlemen, your very humble fervant, THOMAS COMBER.

"Dear Sir,

June 9, 1688.

"I have this 9 dayes deferred answering your letter, to see if fome difficulties, wch hinder me from meeting you at Nottingham, would, by God's good Providence, be removed. The firft was my own weaknesse after a feavour, and a moft fevere method of phyfick to pluck up the feavour by the roots (as the doctor phrased it), but this I thank God is well over, and as I am able to take the journey, fo I believe it would do me good. The fecond is the fickneffe of my wife, who hath also had the new feavour, and cannot be well enough in fo fhort a time as to justify my leaving of her (especially in this juncture) to fee any other friend. And the third thing that detains ne is the obligation that I am particularly under to be aflifting to our bishop, if he should be carried up for not diftributing the declaration, as it is probable he will be within 14 dayes; and if that should be, I would not be wanting when I fhould be most ferviceable to him and truly to take fuch a journey to fee a friend upon fuch an occafion, would I believe give fonie umbrage of jealoufy, as if I had contrived the journey, when I was expected to appear elsewhere, becaufe I had a mind to be out of the way. I pray prefent my services to Mr. MOMPESSON, and thanks for his kind invitation.

"In the neighbouring diocefes of OXFORD, LYTCHFEILD, and HEREFORD, where the DECLARATIONS were distributed, I cannot hear of above 4 or 5 minifters in each dioceffe that read them. Not one was read in OXFORD town or univerfity, but one in HEREFORD town, and the people went all out of the church. I thould be glad to hear how the declaration faired in your dioceffe, and the bishoprick of Durrham, where the newesletters tell us it was zealously recommended. I am extremely troubled I cannot meet you, I think it neceffary for every church to have its Apoftolos Vol. II. Church, Mag. June, 1802.

or

or Messengers, in thefe times, that we may communicate our councills with more conveniency and privicy to one another, for the common good. I hope we fhall all do our duty to our religion without tranfgreffing our duty to our Soveraign, it being our common principle to obey him in all things where we can in confcience,, and where we cannot, to submit to his royal displeasure patiently and meekly, after the example of the primitive confeffors that have gone before us in the faith. I hope the ROMAN CATH. will not be too fevere upon us, if they confider how their clergy would have received fuch a declaration in countryes where their religion is established, and what they would have don here if they had been commanded to read the xxxix Articles, or the “ ACT OF UNIFORMITY" to their people. Nay, as to the declaration, I am perfuaded that neither the Pope, nor any Popish Counfill, nor the College of Sorbon, would give it under their hands, that an unbouuded toleration is agreeable to the doctrine of UNITY in the Gospel, and the writings of the Fathers, or the conftitution of the Cath. Church. However, let us bear all with chriftian meekneffe, and pray day and night unto God for our gracious Sovereign and the Church." Cat. defunt.

"Ffor the Reverend Dr. Cumber,

"Precentor of the Cathedral Church in York,

"York."

THE RULE OF INTERPRETING HOLY SCRIPTURE. TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN,

ΤΗ HE judicious" Obfervations on the Fall," by your truly orthodox correfpondent CEPHAS LINCOLNIENSIS, p. p. 259-263. of your Magazine for May, 1802, are entitled to much praise. I not only agree with your correfpondent that we have great reason to regret "that any friends of revealed religion fhould fo far err in judgment as to confider the Mofaic account of the fall as only an allegorical representation of the origin of SIN and DEATH," but likewife coincide in opinion with him that "the advocates of infidelity have been fully aware of the advantages to be derived from this injudicious conduct of commentators, &c.”— Do not both the above remarks of your correfpondent fully prove the absolute neceflity of having fome certain rule of interpreting holy Scripture, in order to avoid the dangers complained of? In writings compofed in fo highly figurative a ftyle as are many parts of the facred Scriptures, and in particular the Old Teftament, from the genius of the original languages in which they were compofed, we must be liable to numberless mistakes, unless we can obtain fome rule to direct our judgment in this very weighty point; it has accordingly been confidered as a matter of the firft confequence, by all who have attempted to comment on or explain the holy Scriptures, to afcertain, if poflible, this RULE. A recent orthodox and pious writer* fays on this particular point †, "It is expedient to adjuft the RULE by which the holy Scriptures are to be interpreted. Now it has been unanimously admitted, I think, by the best critics, that, in all cafes, we must take THE LITERAL SENSE OF SCRIPTURE, except when the meaning of a passage so taken would be manifeftly abfurd, and repug

*The Rev. John Graham, Rector of St. Mary, Bishophill, York, in his "Defence of Scripture doctrines, as underflood by the Church of England, &c."

+ Defence of Sc.. doct. p. 3.

nant

nant to the analogy of Scripture." The writer proceeds to illuftrate his meaning by one or two inftances from the facred writings. "Thus," adds he, "when our Lord fays, I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world and go unto the Father,' I fee no reason why I fhould not understand him literally: I therefore fo understand him. But when he fays to his difciples, I am the vine, ye are the branches;" the abfurdity of understanding him literally is felfevident." If the above rule, which it feems hath the fanction of the " beft critics" to support it, be admitted, we have an easy mode of interpreting many difficult paffages of Scripture, which, without fome fuch direction, would be difficult to understand.

We may however err on the other fide of the queftion, by taking a manifeftly figurative paffage in a literal fenfe, unless confiderable care be taken to apply the fecond part of the rule laid down above, but when we prudently apply it there will not be much danger of our erring materially in our interpretation of holy Scripture. A remarkable inftance of not attending to this part of the rule occurs in the interpretation which the Church of Rome has put on that paffage in St. Matthew xxvi. 26. upon which misinterpreted text they have erected the doctrine of TRANSUBSTAN TIATION. Affuredly we have as much reason to understand the expreffion of our Lord, that he was the vine, &c. in a literal sense, as that the bread which he held in his hand was his own body both these pasfages taken literally are impoffible and abfurd; both of them interpreted figuratively convey much beautiful and useful information.

Having been led to mention Mr. Graham's tract above, I will add that it is, as its title declares, a "reply to a pamphlet, intituled, Scripture the only guide to religious truth," &c. which was put out by "a fociety of Baptifts in York;" and the erroneous methods they had taken of interpreting the Scripture made it "a fure guide to religious" deception. Mr. Graham's pamphlet is a masterly defence of the leading, and most important, articles of the orthodox faith, and well deferves the attention of all fincere Churchmen: the edition I have before me was published in 1800, by Mathews, in the Strand; the price then was half a crown. I am, Gentlemen, your most obedient humble fervant, June 10, 1802.

TAUNTONIENSIS.

DR. WATKINS'S SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.
GENTLEMEN,

HAVE been much delighted by a perufal of Dr. Watkins's recent publication, intituled, "SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, or the Lives and Characters of the principal Perfonages recorded in the facred Writings; practically adapted to the Inftruction of Youth, and private Families." This is a very modeft title prefixed to a very excellent book. A fcholar will read it with fatisfaction, and a youth cannot fudy it without benefit. I have not seen any work of the kind more fit for "Family inftruction on Sunday Evenings;" nor better calculated for the use of schools and academies. The younger clergy will find it a book of great utility.

Dr. Hunter's" Sacred Biography" is in the form of fermons; and the fet of volumes cofts a good deal of money;--Dr. Watkins's book may be purchased for the fmall price of 4s. 6d. The prescriptive form in which a fermon is conceived, prevents the writer from defcending to all the neceffary minutiae of dates and facts;-Dr. Watkins at the head of each life fettles

Tt2

fettles the point of chronology according to the beft authorities. Your profoundly learned correfpondent INSPECTOR, to whom all lovers of biblical criticism are under high obligation, will be glad to learn that Dr. Watkins places Job before Mofes Dr. Hunter notices the lives of Adam, Cain, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Melchizedec, Ifaac, Jacob, Jofeph, Mofes, Aaron, Balaam, Deborah, Ruth, Hannah, and Jefus Chrift; fixteen perfonages ;-Dr. Watkins gives, in elaborate detail, the lives of Adam, Cain and Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Ifaac, Jacob, Jofeph, Job, Mofes, Balaam, Joshua, Ruth, Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha,' Daniel, Ether, and Mordecai, St. John the Baptift, and Jefus Chrift; twenty-four in all. I mark with Italics thofe lives in either work which do not occur in the other-I with not to inftitute any invidious comparifon between the two works ;-I am only ftating their diftin&t charac-' ters, the peculiar form in which each is conceived, and the personages whofe lives are recorded I have read, fome time fince, Dr. Hunter's volumes with great fatisfaction, and moft willingly bear teftimony to their merit. At the fame time, it is clear that the number of lives is greater in Dr. Watkins's work than in his; and, moreover, that the felection of lives by the latter gentleman gives us a more closely connected' and a more lengthened chain of biography. Between the lives of Hannah and Chrift, we find a vaft Hiatus in Dr. Hunter's work ;-which is profitably filled up in Dr. Watkins's, with the lives of Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, Efther, and St. John the Baptift.

He that would understand the nature of Chrift, on which undoubtedly refts the doctrine of atonement, muft ftudy the Pfalms of David with attention. Our Lord himself, 24 Luke 44. refers his difciples to the teftimony of the Pfalms, as well as to the law and the prophets. Dr. Watkins notices the typical relation which David bears to Chrift, "in all refpects, as a Shepherd, Prophet, Prieft, Warrior, King, and Mediator, we can trace the lines of perfect refemblance." The doctor laments that the limits which he had fet to his book would not allow him to enlarge on that fubject so much as he wished. "The limits, fays he, of this volume will not allow me to perform what it would be a pleasure to execute. The reader, however, can easily mark the refeinblance himself, especially if he will take as his companion and his counsellor, that ineftimable work, Bishop Horne's Commentary on the Pfalms; a book which no family, nor any pious Chriftian, ought to be without."-Dr. Watkins, in his life of Chrift, gives frequent references to the Book of Pfalms; and in particular he makes admirable ufe of the 24th Pfalm in pages 483-4-5, where he treats upon the afcenfion of our Lord. But, Gentlemen, you may judge of Dr. Watkins's ORTHODOXY by the way in which he speaks of BISHOP HORNE. In the Life of Chrift the author never forgets that our REDEEMER Was GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH.

As a Parith Prieft, and a Father of a Family, I prefume publicly to thank Dr. Watkins for the work which he has executed; it already forms a part of the library of my young folks, and already has its turn in the daily routine of their leffons, in which a refolute and fyftematic attention is ever paid to religious inftruction. I am, Gentlemen, your's truly, A LONDON CURATE,

June 10, 1802.

Τα

TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.. GENTLEMEN,

PERMIT

me to say that the reply of your valuable correfpondent Infpector, to my query on the verfe in the Septuagint verfion of the Book of Job, is in the highest degree fatisfactory; to the above Gentleman and the London Curate I take occafion to return my best thanks for their polite attention, and heartily concur with the latter in trufting that the unenlightened of the Irith nation may have the clouds of papal darkness removed from their eyes by means of publishing the facred volume in their native language, and thus caufing the clear light of the Gospel to shine upon them.

It is devoutly to be wished, that the practice of catechifing was more generally adopted; many of the clergy are fully equal to the,talk, among whom no one more fo than the worthy Secretary to the Society for propagating Chriftian Knowledge. It would afford me the trueft fatisfac tion to hear of him, and all others who are capable, (and few, if any, I truft there are amongst the pastors of our Established Church who are not fo) joining with thofe of their cotemporaries who have already engaged. themselves in the labour of love; and may the Holy Spirit defcend into the hearts of ministers and people, that the good feed thus fown in the youthful mind may bring forth fruit an hundred fold.

Reading lately in an Hebrew Pfalter, I could not avoid remarking a beauty in the last verfe of the 150th Pfalm; the word our tranflation renders breath, is in the original which my only guide to the facred language, Buxtorff tranflates Nomen; the verfe then is literally, "Let every thing that hath a nume praise the Lord." To me it appears evident that the Royal Pfalmift, elevated beyond meafure by his all-glorious theme, calls upon the inanimate as well as the animate parts of creation to join in hymning forth the praises of the Almighty. In this fenfe the verse may be regarded as an epitome of that fublime compofition the Benedicite. I am, Gentlemen, your's, &c. THEODOSIUS,

London, 8th May, 1802.

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

YOUR correfpondent IoTA, V. I. p. 469, obferves, that the term Me

thodifm was originally an honourable appellation. I perfectly agree with his very fenfible remarks. But, fince you do not reject from your Mifcellany, works of fancy, and efforts of imagination, permit me to derive Methodifm from Μεθοδεία, Methodeia The efforts of Methodists, their intrigues and cabals against the established Church, and the modes by which they endeavour to gain profelytes, would, in fome measure, fanction the derivation. Efpecially when Methodeia is used in the fenfe St. Paul attaches to it, Eph. iv. v. 14. and c. vi. v. 11. The cominentators explain it in thefe pallages by μηχανήν, τεχνας η δολος, machination, arts or deceits. According to them, Mabodeva fignifies "to deceive and to overcome by artifice, which is effected by wiles both in words and actions." In the Septuagint, 2 Sam. c. xix. v. 27, it is ufed as the ren dering of ban to calumniate. Polycarp, in his Ep. to the Philippians, nfes the verb for artfully perverting. Ος αν ΜΕΘΟΔΕΥΗ, τα λόγια τε Κυριε προς τας ιδιας επιθυμιας. "Whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lufts:" Vide Suicerus, in verbum.

Your