possessed of talents and learn to enter until he has been coning which well fitted him for the firmed; and a certificate of his discharge of its important duties. talents and dispositions is required For several years, he was the from the minister of the parish in pupil and secretary of the late which he has resided. The period Bishop Finsson at Skalholt, after of annual study extends from the whose death he studied some time beginning of October to the end at Copenhagen; where as a clas. of May; the summer being made sical scholar, he acquired very the season of vacation to accomgreat credit. His knowledge of modate the rural occupations, in the Greek and Hebrew languages which all ranks among the Iceis said to be accurate and exten. landers are obliged to partake. It sive; and to theological studies is a part of the office of the Bishop he has given a very minute atten- to visit the school at the com tion, being intimately acquainted mencement and close of each seswith the writings of the most emi- sion; and at the latter time to nent of the German theologians. superintend the examinations of This gentleman, during our stay the scholars which then take place. in Iceland, was removed from These examinations continue dur Bessestad to the church of Oddè, ing several days, with a prescribed in Rangaavalle Syssel, one of the form of proceeding, of which a most valuable livings in the island. sketch has already been given in He was succeeded by another the narrative. person, of the same name, who is likewise reputed to be a man of learning and acquirements. After a certain degree of progress in the studies allotted to him, each scholar becomes what is termed a demissus; leaving the school and pursuing his future The two inferior masters of the school have salaries of 300 rixdollars each. The office of the studies at home. No particular second master comprehends the period is fixed for a demission. This instruction of the scholars in Latin, is determined solely by the prohistory, geography, and arithme- ficiency of the student, as ascertic; while the third is occupied tained by an examination; for in teaching the Greek, Danish, which it is required that he should and Icelandic languages. It is a be able to read and write Latin singular circumstance in the re- with accuracy, that he should gulations of the school, that each have some knowledge of Greek scholar, whether intended for the and Hebrew, and of the rules for pastoral office or not, is obliged interpreting the Old and New to study the elements of Hebrew, Testaments; and that he should and to undergo some examination be acquainted with the Danish in this language. By far the language, with history, arithmegreater number, however, of those tic and geography. The knowwho attend the school, are pre- ledge of Greek and Hebrew, paring themselves for this future though officially required, is, situation in life; and in the ad. however, in the practice of these mission of scholars, a preference examinations, by no means very is always given to the children of rigorously exacted. Where the priests. A youth is not allowed students are preparing for the VOL. VII. ע priesthood, as is generally the case, zius, Reinhard, Lowth, Gries they are farther questioned upon bach, Michaëlis, and numerous the Bible and ecclesiastical his- other authors of minor note, on tory, upon the doctrines of the ccclesiastical history and doctrine. Lutheran church, &c. If a youth It is the best theological collechas continued seven years with- tion in the island. out attaining the qualifications which entitle him to become a demissus, the Lector writes to his family, representing the matter to them, and he is not allowed to remain longer at the school. Among the young men educated at this school, there are some who afterwards go to Copenhagen, with the view of prosecuting their studies at the University there; this advantage being occasionally A library is attached to the afforded to the children of those establishment at Bessestad, con- who hold civil offices, or possess taining probably twelve or four. landed property, and to the sons teen hundred volumes; among of some of the wealthier among which are a few good editions of the clergy of the country. The the classics. The greater part of number of students, however, who the library consists of Icelandic enjoy such opportunities is very and Danish works; beside which limited; and the remainder, opthere are a considerable number pressed by poverty and the necesof volumes in the German lan. sities of their situation, are geneguage, and a few in the English rally compelled to take up their and French. The number of abode for life in solitary spots, manuscripts is very inconsiderable, and they appear to be of little value. The private library of the Lector Theologia, though smaller, is more select, and contains the works of Mosheim, Hein where their intercourse even with each other, is almost wholly suspended, and where any future progress in knowledge can only be effected by their independent and unaided exertions. MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS. Comments on Paine's " Age of I had lately put into my hands, Thomas Paine's "Age of Reason," Pt. iii.—a wretched compilation of falsehood and calumny, the dregs of a genius always coarse. For the publication of it, a bookseller [Daniel Isaac Eaton, of Ave-Maria Lane; not I presume the D. Eaton, who is known on your pages as the historian of the York Baptists:] is under prosecution by the Attorney-General; a miserable way of defending Christianity. The copy which I have is valuable, on account of some manuscript comments, by a pen, dipped as I conceive, in the very spirit of the New Testament; these I now send you for your use, if you shall judge them serviceable to your great object of promoting rational religion. On a blank page opposite to then the justness of representing the title, are the following re- these as undisputed Christian doctrines ?" marks: In some blank leaves at the end-of the work, the commentator has thus written : "What is the great gain of infidelity ?-It relieves the mind from superstition! But Voltaire was eminently superstitious; and the Parisians, in the heat of the French Revolution, bowed down before a naked harlot, as the goddess of reason.-It explodes priestcraft! But priests may be infidels; there have been infidel bishops and infidel popes; of one of the latter it is told that he once re. marked, What a profitable fable Paine concludes his work with the definition of infidelity, thus"He that believes in the story of is this of Jesus Christ!'-and if Christ is an infidel to God:" upon which the annotator re marks, men become infidels, there is no longer any reason in morals, why they should not be priests or bishops or popes, or impostors, usurpers and tyrants of any other de "He that comes to Mr. Paine's conclusion upon his premises, must be an infidel to common scription: to such, there is no sense. He attacks the corruptions of Christianity, rather than Christianity itself. Unable to distinguish between spurious and au. thentic scripture, he confounds and opposes both one might give him almost all his arguments, (his scurrilities are out of the question,) and leave Christianity, as really contained in the New Testament, untouched. rule of right but their own inter. ests; and what a rule is that for human conduct! What citizen would wish his magistrate govern ed by it! what master his servant! what parent his child!-Infidelity was, for a time, accidentally associated with free principles in government; but nothing can be more fallacious than the associa. tion. Robespierre was an infidel, “Did Mr. Paine know that and a bold, zealous and consistent Christians do not all believe in the one; so, I dare say, was H.miraculous conception, or in the D.- and possibly Thomas Paine infallibility of the Evangelists? and Bp. H. might, in secret, have This he must have known, [for he understood each other, on the was formerly usher in the school subject of religion. Hume (to of Mr. Noble, who was a Chris. whom every other infidel is a pigtian and a divine of the class of my,) was the advocate of the Dr. Foster ;] as also that the doc- despotic, wretched house of the trines of election, &c. are as Stuarts; and Bolingbroke (next much reprobated by some believers in ability perhaps to Hume, in as by any unbelievers. Where the ranks of infidelity,) was one of the framers and promoters of some expectation of reward, actthe Schism Bill, (providentially ing constantly upon their minds. smothered by the seasonable death "If a man has a vicious habit, of Queen Anne), by which no what motive to correct it, will man was to have been allowed he find in infidelity? say that he to educate his children, without is inclined to intemperance; and subscribing the 39 articles. Gib. what will be his motto, but that bon, too, hated equally Christi- of the Epicureans, rebuked by the anity and civil and religious liberty. Apostle Paul-Let us eat and -Away, then, the plea that in- drink, for to-morrow we die'-fidelity would abolish priestcraft, we perish. It is not contended -it tends directly to favour it, that infidel principles impel a man by providing a license for deceit at once into vice; but that if he and wickedness, and that it is fall into vice, they have no power not more prevalent, is owing, not to raise him from it. Who can to infidels but, to Christians, un say that Mr. Paine would not have derstanding Christianity. The New been a temperate man, if he had Testament is the Magna Charta of lived under the mfluence of the the Rights of Man-in every powers of the world to come! and age, it has inspired and embol. who but must lament that intemdened our Hampdens and Hollises, perate indulgence should have our Russels and Sydneys, our brought on, in his case, such well. Washingtons, our Palmers and our known, premature dotage,-that Priestleys, to expose and resist dotage in which this book was hypocritical churchmen and in. written, and of which it exhibits fidel ministers of state. The so many melancholy tokens. Christian has a reason, a motive for patriotism; he is called to glory. "What then is the great gain of infidelity -This: that it takes all moral excitements and restraints in life, and extinguishes all hope in death; in other words, that it enables a man to sin without fear, and rewards him with the assurance that he shall perish like a beast! "The greatest prostitution of terms-next to the foul calumnies cast upon religion-is the calling of such a wretched, debasing, corrupting system, as infidelity, a fruit of REASON." "It is not meant to be insinuated by the foregoing remarks, that unbelievers are necessarily bad men; their habits are, happily, formed before their principles; and to that religion which they despise they owe it, perhaps, that they are not pilferers or ruffians, voluptuaries or sots. But the history of mankind warrants me in saying that, there is no instance on record, of heroic virtue atchieved by an infidel. Men can- So far, Sir, the annotator: not become heroically virtuous some of his remarks may be deemby habit; or because their judged too strong, some of his allusions ment coolly approves of heroism: too particular; but it will be rethey can attain this moral height membered that he wrote for the only by the force of some great private reader of Paine's book and principle, some sense of duty, not for the public: I judged his Question relating to the Holy MR. EDITOR, An answer to this question is earnestly requested by, Sir, Your constant reader, M. H. Want of Candour towards Unbelievers. SIR, The exercise of reason and li berality, are, I think amongst the Will you favour me with a cor- more conspicuous excellencies, by ner in your excellent miscellany which that sect of Christians, callfor a question which I wish to ed Unitarians, would be thought to propose to your trinitarian rea- distinguish themselves: and there ders and correspondents, hoping certainly can be no quality more that some one of them will esteem calculated than these, to win the it worthy of serious consideration. affections, and to make a proseIf the Holy Spirit is indeed an lyte of the honest and amiable enindividual person distinct from the quirer, who may be led to doubt Father; if he is according to the the correctness of the doctrines orthodox creed, his equal; or in and principles, he has elsewhere other words, if he is the One acquired. Reason leads us to an Jehovah!" in whom we live acquaintance with the unlimited and move, and have our being!" liberality and benevolence of the "For whom, and to whom, and Deity towards all his creatures. through whom, are all things!" This benevolence, or liberality, is If he is the "High and Lofty One, not less a celestial quality, than who inhabiteth eternity!" to whom is the infinite wisdom, or the all created beings owe their exist. boundless power of the Almighty, ence, and look for their future and being more attractive and preservation !—and to be equal lovely in the eyes of his creatures with the Father he must be all and dependents, it will ever be this; why did Jesus Christ, who sought for by ingenuous minds, as spent whole night in prayers to the first feature in every system the Father, and devoutly addressed which claims the Father of all for him, on a variety of recorded oc- its author. casions, never offer up a single petition, to this equal in Omnipotence, or give the slightest hint to his disciples to do so? Why, by his own uniform and most impressive example, and by that most striking and comprehensive form of words which he delivered to us, does he exclusively teach us to pray to the Father, if there are indeed three persons equally entitled to our worship and adoration ? I have witnessed and have felt the power of this supposed liberality, in a community which I have been induced to join, chiefly from a belief that it was more largely endowed with this heavenly attribute than others; I confess I think so still; or I would instantly abandon its meetings, for the one most congenial to my sentiments in this respect. Yet I have found limits to this virtue, not before observed by me, and it is on a |