and, to discountenance idolatry, pleaded for his perfections, yet no one of them ever pretended to explain the manner of his being. On the contrary a holy awe covered their minds, all infpired as they were, and they declared, They could not find the Almighty out. Why should we affect to be wise above what is written? "S. Epiphanius complains, Originem, qui Adamantius et συντακτικά nuncupatur, εκ συλλογισμων Αριστοτελικών και γεωμετρικων Seco walipo mapesarai, aitruere voluille, et ideo foede lapfum effe. I fear, too many have fallen by the fame mean into error. "Before we deny the divinity of Jefus Chrift, what if we were to try to deny the principles, on which the affertors of it go? We lay down one from a matter in Ifrael. 66 Certainly we do not know the effence of the fupreme being, not knowing the real effence of a pebble, or a fly, or of our own felves. We lay down a fecond in the words of a learned prelate, "Where the truth of a doctrine depends not on the evidence of the things themselves, but on the authority of him that reveals it, there the only way to prove the doctrine to be true, is to prove the testimony of him that revealed it to be infallible "+ We lay down a third from that most learned and accurate critic, Le Clerc. "Si eâ quâ par eft attentione et reverentia expendamus quæ Apoftoli habent de Jefu Chrifto, facile, intelligimus eos non putaffe merum effe hominem, quandoquidem eí mundi creationem tribuunt; eofque errare, qui fimilia fentiunt: fed de ratione, qua æternum numen cum Jefu homine conjunctum fit, tacent; quo credibile fit arcanum illud iis, in terris agentibus, nondum revelatum fuiffe. Sciverunt certe Chriftum effe Deum et bominem, atque ita de eo loquuti funt: fed MODUM rei ignoraffe videntur.t "On thefe fure grounds we go, and on thefe principles we free the doctrines of the gofpel from the charge of contradiction and abfurdity, while we retain the rational feriptural idea of mystery. We beg leave to remark the following facts, which may more fully explain our meaning. 46 1. What we call doctrines of the gospel are fo many facts propofed to our faith by credible teftimony. The divinity of Chrift is an hiftorical fact. The refurrection of the dead is a prophetical fact "2. They, who related thofe facts, never pretended to a thorough knowledge of them. We know, fays S. Paul, in part. The apostle muit either mean to affirm, we have an imperfect knowledge of the objects, or we have an imperfect knowledge of the evidence of their exiftence. He could not mean the laft, confequently he meant the fir. 3. The apostles did no more in propofing incomprehenfible objects to our belief, than the mafters of human fcience do. "We know but attie, fays one of the finest modern writers, of the nature of bodies; we difcover fome of their properties, as motion,, figure, colours, &c. but of their effence we are ignorant: we know till Locke's Effay, b. ii. c. xxiii. 35. See that whole excellent chapter. StilLingfleet's origines facræ ii. 8. Ars Crit. de notion, adæq. i Cer. xiil 9. fill much less of the foul: but of the effence or nature of God, we know nothing."§ The great Locke fets out with requiring his readers not to "let loose their thoughts into the vast ocean of being, as if all the boundless extent were the natural and undoubted poffeffion of their understanding, wherein there was nothing exempt from its decifions, or that efcaped its comprehenfion."* Aftronomers require their pupils to take care always to approach the firmament, that divine book, as they do the other book of God, with reverence and humility, not having too high an opinion of their own abilities, as if they could with the line of human reafon Fathom all the depths of divine counfels "t What thefe great mafters discovered in the fublimer works of nature, the countryman difcovers in a polype in his cottage-ditch, and all mankind are forced to believe the existence of objects, the certainty of facts, combinations of qualities, of which they have no adequate ideas, and for which they can give no account. 66 4. No man ever yet propofed a fyftem of religion free from myftery. Even thofe gentlemen, who difcard many received doctrines on account of their mysterioufnefs, are obliged to own, that "the most rational and important doctrines imply fomething beyond the narrow capacity of our comprehenfion." 5. The belief of thofe facts, which we call doctrines of the gofpel, is analogous in chriftianity to felf-love in the law of nature. God has infeparably interwoven the laws of eternal justice with the happiness of each individual. In confequence of which mutual connection of juftice and human felicity, he has not perplexed the law of nature with a multitude of abftracted rules and precepts, referring merely to the fitnefs or unfitnefs of things: but has gracioufly reduced the rule of obedience to this one paternal precept, that man fhould purfue his own happiness." This is the foundation of what we call ethics, or natural law." Thus in revelation, God hath not perplexed chriftianity with difquifitions, the understanding of which would require a long train of metaphy fical investigations: but he hath revealed a few facts, which he declares, he either hath brought to pafs, or will bring to pafs; and there facts have ever been found the most irresistable motives to conftrain men to obey the law of nature. The unity of two natures conflituting the dignity of the author of chriftianity is one of these facts. "6. To deprive chriftianity of its myfteries is to reduce it to a feeble human fcience; we get rid of mystery and motive together. The removal of, what are called by fome, corruptions of chriftianity, is to be rewarded, it feems, with the converfions of Jews and Mohammedans. But let us not too eagerly follow thefe illafory dreams. Let us confider four things. 1. It is not certain, that Jews and Turks reject christianity on account of our doctrine of Elements of unive: fal *Eflay, Introduction. difcouries, vol. ii. difc. vii. + Four's orudition by Baron Bielfeld, vol. i. c. 1. of Chrift's divinity. They do not ftudy our polemical divinity; they ftudy eafier books, our lives, and in them they read objections to christianity. 2. If it be true that Chrift's divinity is a fumbling-block to the modern Jews, nothing is feen in it but the fulfilment of prophecy. the lord of bofts is a ftone of flumbling, and u rock of offence to them, as he was to their fathers, who ftumbled at Chrift, that ftumbling-flone.* 3. The doctrine of accommodation, which is the ground of thefe pretences, is the most dangerous doctrine in the world. A mifer ftumbles at the laws of liberality, a proud man stumbles at the gofpel motives to humility, a mere rationalift ftumbles at the invifible realities of faith; and by endeavouring to accommodate the gofpel to thefe difpofitions we explain it all away. 4. Were we to diveft religion of all these offenfive credenda, and were we to reduce it to the gospel of Socrates, or to the more refined gofpel of profeffor Hutchefon, would it convert the Turks and Jews? A great authority affures us, "Science and philofophy always operate flowly; and it is long before their influence reaches the people, or can produce any fenfible effect upon them. They may perhaps gradually, and in a long courfe of years, undermine and shake an established system of falfe religion, but there is no inftance of their having overturned one." A reflection well worth the attention of those, who would reduce the gofpel to an enfeebled fyftem of mere moral philofophy." In taking leave of this truly-chriftian performance, we cannot forbear repeating our approbation of the fpirit of moderation, that prevails in it, towards perfons of a different perfuafion - How different fuch a spirit from that which has at times animated the controverfialists on both fides; fome of whom in maintaining that Jejus Chrift thought not of the impious robbery of being equal with God, having declared the doctrine of christianity to be ABSURD and IMPIOUS; while others, on the contrary, have affirmed that Chrift died both in his divine aud human nature; adding that, " they who maintain the contrary belong to the devil both body and foul " Of these methods of reafoning we may fay, with Mr. Robinson, we have difliked it ever fince we faw a book entitled Foxes and Firecrands." A Liturgy on the Univerfal Principles of Religion and Morality. 8vo. 2s. Payne. So widely do even men of candour, fenfe and ingenuity dif fent from each other in religious opinions, that we frequently fee them differs toto cælo in matters which are generally thought effential to the very existence of religion itself. The author of the liturgy before us, thus differs from the writer of the PLEA for the divinity of our Saviour; and is fo far from thinking "it had been happy for Christians that they had refted without philofophical fpeculations," * Isa. viii. 13, 14. Rom. ix, 32, 33. 1 Pet. ii. 4, &c. † Dr. Robertfon's Hift. of Charles V. book xij Mufculus, Bayle. Rem. K. tions," that he conceives religion (indeed he does not tell us what religion). highly indebted to philofophical improvements. The chief object of philofophy, fays he, is truth; the princi pal object of religion is to promote virtue; and the knowledge of truth, and the practice of virtue, conftitute the excellence and happinels of man. "To contemplate and acknowledge the power, wifdom, and goodness of the Supreme Intelligence, with attention, admiration, and gratitude, is true religion; and this religion is a principal fecurity and inducement to the practice of thofe great virtues, on which the happiness of the world depends. Public worthip is this fimple and clear principle reduced to practice; and it fecurès its ends in the fame manner that all other principles do." Public Worship, continues he, as a recital of fublime and important truths, is reasonable in itself, ufeful in its effects, and delightful in the exercife. We are fo formed, that every pleasure is multiplied on us by fociety. To fee numbers of our fellow-creatures, equally fincere with ourfelves, in acknowledging thofe truths which make us all happy, muft afford as high a pleasure as we are capable of. "Itcannot be enjoyed, however, in this country by any man who has the misfortune to difapprove of the Book of Common Prayer, and the method of worthip among the Diffenters. Men may have this misfortune, without deferving blame. It is the duty of all men to act on the principles they profefs. We apprehend, therefore, that in providing for our religious improvement, on those principles we believe to be true; while we offer no man an injury, aim at no man's interest, and profefs the warmeft attachment to the 'conftitution and laws of our country: :- we do no more than we are allowed to do, by the principles of nature and religion, the best laws of civil fociety, and that prevailing temper and difpofition of men in England, which may be called the Spirit of the times, and the ruling law of the land." "Let every man worship God according to the dictates of his confcience; let religion bé as free as philofophy; and truth will cer tainly prevail. "But as we apprehend, the chief defect of all forms of devotion, proceeds from an idea in thofe who compofed them, of the nece iity of a certain uniformity of opinion in fpeculative and doubtful doctrines, we will to try the effect of a Form of Social Werjip, com pofed on the most enlarged and general principles; in which all men may join who acknowledge the existence of a fupreme intelligence, and the univerfal obligations of morality. "We can fee no reafon why our public Forms of Devotion should be contrived to divide men into parties, while we enjoy the most valuable bleffings in common; and all acknowledge the most inportant truths. Are we not all the children of one benevolent pa rent? Do not Jews and Gentiles, Chriftians and Mahometans, own his power, his wifdem, and his goodness? Do not all men acknow ledge the eternal obligations of piety and virtue? And doth not the harmony harmony of the world, and the happiness of society, depend chiefly upon thefe great principles? Why then should any be excluded the pleasure and advantage of focial worship, who acknowledge them? If all good men, of all religions, would fometimes unite in adoring Almighty God, and acknowledging thofe great truths, which they all hold to be the mott important, it might be hoped that thofe comprehenfive principles would have a stronger tendency to harmonize and unite than doubtful and lefs important opinions have hi therto had to divide them. "It is for the ufe of those who entertain fuch generous fentiments as thefe, that the following Liturgy has been compofed; the principal object of which, is to promote Univerfa! Piety and Benevolence. And it is under the protection of a good Providence. and the huma pity of this enlightened age, that we mean to worship God, according to the best dictates of our hearts; without prefuming to prefcribe to others; or to cenfure any who, in like manner with us, affert their own moft facred rights, in the Spirit of Charity and Peace." All this is as much in the true fpirit of moderation, as we can fuppofe fo very general a spirit of diffention can poffibly be. To be sure, men may have the misfortune to diffent from the established church; for which they merit our pity. They may have alfo the additional misfortune, to diffent from all the diffenters from that church; which is a terrible misfortune, and their cafe pitiful indeed! Happy is it for fuch univerfal diffenters from chriffianity, that philofophy affords them a refuge, however degrading of divinity, not altogether dif graceful to humanity. It is, however, highly fufpicious that fuch religioutly-difpofed perfons, as can neither agree with the church nor any of the numerous diffenters from it, must be rather more nice than ufe in their religious fcruples and difcriminations. We would by all means, with our author, have, "Every man worship. God according to the dictates of his confcience." But we cannot help thinking, with the fool in the play, that it must be an unconcionable kind of confcience that, difiatisfied, with the religion of c-. very body elfe, infifts upon having a peculiar one of its own But, not to be too jocofe on fo ferious a fubject, we agree with this author, that, "Of all the projects that have ever been formed, there is not one fo abfurd, and that hath so much mifchief and wickednefs to answer for, as that of bringing mankind to an uniformity of opinion by the influence of penal laws. A genuine history of the effects of this defign, would contain the greateft part of the calamities that have afflicted the world, and rendered it a fçene of difcord, and wretchednefs." We do alfo agree that the religious moderation of the heathen philo fophers cafts an opprobrium on the intemperate zeal of fome chrif tian devotees; that, philofophical knowledge may be neceffary to temper religious zeal; but we do not think it capable of infpiring the fpirit of chriftian devotion.-Of the liturgy itfelf, we can give no fpecimen that will afford an adequate idea of it; for which we muft of confequence, refer our readers to the pamphlet itself. VOL. III. Fi A |