"heads; and in reading other books, all just "applications of natural images should be ex"tracted from them, particularly where there

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are any good divisions of an image into its

parts and heads, as much will depend on "method and regularity. For the blessing of “God on such an undertaking, without which "all will be in vain, the Fountain of all wis"dom and Father of lights is humbly and fer"vently to be implored, to enlighten the un"derstanding, and purify the heart, that it "may be counted worthy, through the merits "of the dear Redeemer, to understand the my"steries of the new creation shadowed by the "old, and explained in the S S. of eternal "truth, and be enable to declare it to the people unadulterated with any private imaginations, to the glory of God, the edification "of the church, and his own salvation."

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On the other hand, there are in this age philosophical opinions, in which infidelity triumphs and certain it is they have too plain an affinity to the atheistical doctrines of Epicurus and Democritus, if they are not the same thing; and therefore such an evil-minded wit as Voltaire caught at them with eagerness. He foresaw how, with a little of his management, they

P 4

they might be turned against all religion, and lead to the abolition of all divine worship: he therefore strained every nerve to magnify and recommend them: his industry in this respect was wonderful; and we find, by fatal experience, how far it has answered his purpose. The philosophers of France have now seated themselves upon the clouds, from whence they look down with contempt upon every degree of Christian belief;-considering even Newton himself as an example of the weakness of human nature for believing the Scripture! Where will this end.

There is another report against the name of our good Bishop, which wants explanation. The learned adversary of the amiable Bishop Hurd, and of the Reverend Mr. Curtis of Birmingham, and the friend of Dr. Priestley, a judge of all men and of all things, took occasion, soon after the death of Bishop Horne, to give us his character of him, in a note to a book he was then publishing; in which note many things are said well, and like a scholar: but there is one thing which, though well said, is not just to the Bishop's memory; who is there reported to have diffused a colouring of elegance over the wild, but not unlovely, visions of

4

enthusiasm.

enthusiasm*. Where could the gentleman find these wild visions? In the State of the Case be

tween

* The Socinian notion of enthusiasm being a curiosity which deserves to be known, I shall give it to the reader in this place. I have a book before me, published by a Mr. En in the year 1772: a man, who seems no natural fool, but has made himself much worse than one through a conceit of superior Christian wisdom. He delivers it to us as a doctrine of the orthodox, that "if our belief were not attended "with some difficulties to our reason, there would be no merit "in our believing;" and then adds, "such men I shall not "scruple to call enthusiasts; and to argue the case with "them, would be like trying to convince the poor straw"crowned monarch of Bethlehem-who is a king, because " he knows he is a king." This gentleman tells us his mind fairly and plainly; for which we are obliged to him: but now let us try by his rule the faith of our Father Abraham. He believed in his old age, that his seed should be as the stars of heaven, from a wife that was barren; and this is the belief which was accounted to him for righteousness. Here the reason and experience of all mankind were contrary: against hope he believed in hope: here were not only difficulties to reason, but an actual impossibility to reason. promise might have been given before, while Abraham was young but it pleased God to defer it till he was old, when reason could not receive it; and from this circumstance only his faith was meritorious. No, says the Socinian; this man, by my rule, was an enthusiast, no more to be argued with than the monarch of bedlam, &c.

The

What

tween Newton and Hutchinson, the author argues from the words of each, and confirms what he says by fact and reason. The whole is written with the utmost coolness of temper, and without once appealing to any ambiguous evidence. In his sermons his sense is strong, his language sweet and clear, his devotion warm, but never inflated nor affected: and, from the editions through which they pass, it is plain the world does see, and will probably see better every day, that they are not the discourses of a varnisher of visions. In his Commentary on the Psalms, he has followed the plan of the writers of the New Testament, and of the Primitive Church, in applying them as prophecies and delineations of the person of Christ and of the Christian economy. If he is judged to have betrayed any enthusiasm in so doing, it is only

because

What the mind of that man can be made of, who receives the Scripture as the word of God, and denies that faith has merit in admitting what is attended with difficulties to reason, it is as hard for me to understand, as it is for him to receive the Articles of the Church of England; and yet, if he has spoken of himself truly, I cannot deny the fact: and as this man is but a pattern of other Socinians, I do suppose it to be the opinion of them all, that the proper act of faith in a Christian is an act of enthusiasm.

because he happened to write in the eighteenth century; when Christian learning, under the notion of improving it, is greatly corrupted; the Fathers of the Church but little known*, and less relished; and the zeal and piety of the Reformation very much abated. Erasmus was just such another enthusiast in his divinity as Dr. Horne; and is frequently found to have diffused a like colouring of elegance over like interpretations of the Scripture: in which, however, he is not always either so elegant, or so successful, as the late Bishop his follower: yet for this, in the days of better divinity, when faith and piety were more in fashion, Erasmus was never reputed an enthusiast. A little warmth of devotion is very excusable in a Christian writer; and we apprehend that a very strong conviction of the wisdom and excellence

of

I was therefore pleased with a seasonable attempt to revive the reading of the Christian Fathers, by the Rev. Mr. Kett, in the Notes and Authorities subjoined to the second edition of his very useful and learned Bampton Lectures, p. iii. where he recommends to the Ecclesiastical Student a Selection from the writings of the Greek and Latin Fathers I could add other names and other pieces; but those he has mentioned are very sufficient.