1 work, having observed, respecting unbelievers, that those who would convince them upon the common hypothesis, the schemes and systems of these latter, ages, have wanted their greatest arguments to prevail upon them," he adds: Christ (the great Shepherd) and subjection of Satan, who now had no longer power to abuse the illu minated world with his simpos. tures."Sandys' Travels, 7th ed. so P. 9. Fontenelle well proposes the "question, cui bonu? to such an application of the story. He asks, One instance I shall give, whether in the age of Plutarch it which I have been well informed was ever conjectured that Pan was of, and that is in the late Earl of Jesus Christ. Mais qu'en arriva- Rochester: in the midst of all his •Fil?~ Quelqu'un entendit-il ce mot extravagancies, both of opinion -de Pan dans son vrai sens? Plu- and practice, he was once in comstafque vivoit dans le second pany with the author of this treariecte de Peglise, et cependant per- tise, who, discoursing with him -\conne^ne"s'etoit encore avisé que about religion and the being of a Pan fút Jesus Christ mort en God, took the opportunity to disJudée. Hist. des Orac 1728. P. 20. play the goodness of God in its full I have thought that Watts might latitude, according to the scheme have the verses of Flatman in his laid down in this his present work. recollection, when he wrote, in Upon which the Earl returned him 708, in Lyric Poems, Pt. 2d.answer, that he could approve of the following lines on Lord Roch- and like such a God as he had represented. So far was he from drawing any encouragement for his loose principles from hence, that, on this supposition, he gave up the cause."ib ester: Strephon, of noble blood and mind, For ever shine his name! 'Burn, burn,' he cry'd, with sacred rage, Hell is the due of ev'ry page,' heav'n! So vile the muse, and yet the man forgiv'n!' 66 Burnet affords but scanty information on this point. Ele says, (p. 54.) that Lord R. doubted much of rewards and punishments: the one he thought too high for us to attain by our slight services; and the other was too extreme to Does the poet here refer to any be inflicted for sin." We are not circumstance then known respect- informed whether the objector were ing the last hours of Lord Roches. silenced or satisfied by Burnet's ter, or only express that desire reply, (p. 58.) that "good or il which he must have felt, to destroy dispositions accompanying the dethe remembrance of those too nu- parted souls, they must either rise merous "lines which dying he up to higher perfection, or sink to might wish to blot ?" a more depraved and miserable There is an interesting anecdote state," and that, “ in a state respecting this nobleman, in the wherein the soul shall be sepa. preface to White's Restoration of rated from sensible things, and em. all Things, 1712. The anony, ployed in a more quick and sub. mous editor of that posthumous lime way of operation, this must very much exalt the joys and improvements of the good, and as much heighten the horror and rage of the wicked." 97 Blow Another reputed unbeliever, in conduct happily distinguished from Lord Rochester, is said to have entertained the same objection to Revelation, on the ground of its alledged doctrine of endless pun. ishment. The passage is in Biog, Britt. (iv) and introduced in the 'following manner. New Testament positively asserted that doctrine; and that upon being assured that it did, he des clared himself incapable of assent ing to a system of religion which maintained a tenet so repugnant to all his views of the benignity of the great Governor of the Universe." L cannot forbear to add the accompanying remark, which may justly rank the biographer among the merciful Doctors. 2*66 If," says Dr. Kippis," his Mr. now Dr. Huntingford, the lordship had lived in the present learned Bishop of Gloucester, com- day, he would have found a nummunicated to Dr. Kippis, in 1789, ber of divines who would, chaye for his Life of Lord Shaftesbury, given him quite a different answer. some" anecdotes and ́observa. They would have informed him, tions." In these, the Preface to that, in their opinion, Christianity Whichcot's Sermons is declared to holds out no doctrine of so dread*be undoubtedly the production of ful a nature; and that at the very - of that nobleman, and a fair pre- utmost, it only denounces the final "sumption of "what Bishop But extinction of the impenitently Jer used to assert, that had Lord wicked so that such, if there be Shaftesbury lived in the present any such, who after allyoshall re. century, when Christianity is more main incorrigibly corrupt and ว perfectly understood, he would abandoned, will, at length, no chave been a good Christian." longer exist in the creation of * Mention is made of some unavail. God," ing, and now lost, fetters, in One of Dr. Kippis's predeceswhich Mr.Locke recommended sors in the service of the congreChristianity to his lordship." These gation at Princes Street, appears had been a few years before "read to have occupied his mind with by two gentlemen, who were so painful anxiety, on the subject of affected by the strong and pressing the divine dispensations as they terms in which Mr. L. expressed respect the final condition of man. *\his sentiments that they could not I refer to a letter written by Mr Say, abstain from tears. To this com- of whose papers you have given a *munication Dr. Kippis subjoins large account. [Vols, iv. & v.] This the following passage: tre letter is in the collection generally called Hughes's Correspondence.(ii. 150.) It is dated March, 1743. Mr. S. endeavoured to persuade him. self, that there never was a sensi. ble or conscious being, who, upon the whole of his existence, should not possess an overbalance of good 303 There is a tradition, that, - amidst other difficulties which bc 52curred to the Earl of Shaftesbury, * with regard to the truth of the 59 ·Christian révélation, he was star. *1tled at the idea of hits containing the doctrine of the eternity of hell - {[torments ; that he consulted some to his evil, notwithstanding the -eminent churchmen, whether the two different states of good and kem od 187ogo ko yan smil zwomudtzog tel to soubs a cherishes this generous doctrine, join with the apostle in the follow ing pathetic exclamation, O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out." bad men, which we believe here- kind, at the consummation of all after." Yet he was immediately things. With what raptures of perplexed with the case of Judas. devotion must every one, who This letter to an anonymous correspondent, is followed in the col. lection (p. 156.) by remarks dated May 27, 1743, a very few weeks after the writer's death, from the pen of his friend, Mr. W. Duncombe, a man of letters, the correspondent of Lord Corke and Archbishop Herring, and author of a tragedy entitled Lucius Junius Brutus. Mr. D. has taken a from a Sermon by Tillotson, and liberal and comprehensive view of this most interesting subject, in the following passages, which, I think, you will deem worthy of being transcribed: "Perhaps all those natural evils, or moral obliquities, of which we so grievously complain, may be no stronger an objection to the recti. tude of the whole system, than hills and mountains are to the rotundity of the globe; and may answer various excellent purposes, though we are too short-sighted to discover them. Vindictive justice in the Deity, is, I own, no article in my creed. All punishment in the hands of an infinitely wise and good Being, I think, must be medicinal, and what we call chastise. ment." Mr. D. then quotes "a passage in Milton's Mask of Comus," Virtue may be assailed, &c. as seeming "to comprise the marrow of theology," and adds: Mr. D. next sustains his opinion by quoting the well-known passage thus concludes a view of divine Providence towards man.—“They, indeed, who obstinately refuse to be converted, shall suffer punishment proportionable to their offen. ces, and such as the rules of jus. tice and equity dictate. And this the order of God's government, the reverence due to his laws, the benefit and final conversion of the offenders themselves, and the im provement of other moral agents, manifestly require.” (P. 162.) I have quoted this writer so largely, not merely on account of his literary reputation, but because, unfortunately, not a hint on the subject is given by Dr. Kippis in his life of Mr. Duncombe, (B. B. v. 504.) compiled chiefly from the communications of his son, the late Rev. John Duncombe, the editor of Hughes's Correspondence. There is a passage in that life (507, Note M.) from a MS. letter to Archbishop Herring, which, if "What St. Paul speaks more not already given, you may wish directly of the reconciliation both to add to your notices of Mr. Say. of Jews and Gentiles to God, by ❝ I never conversed," says Mr. Jesus Christ, Romans xi. 32. For Duncombe, "with a person of God hath concluded them all in more learning or modesty. He unbelief, that he might have mercy was an excellent critic, and had upon all, I am willing to under- a fine talent for poetry. But it tand in a more extensive sense, was his misfortune to have so of he general redemption of man- penetrating a judgment, that he Chalmers's General Biographical Ainsworth's Annotations are represented as containing only the Pentateuch (p. 261.); whereas they contain all his Annotations, viz, on the Pentateuch, the Psalms and Canticles. Upon the whole, the work is free from a party spirit. From this praise, however, must be excepted the whole of the article Alembert, or, as it is more commonly and properly given, D'Al embert. How could Mr. Chal French Encyclopædia upon such authority as the Abbé Barruel? A persuasion of the dangerousness of discussion is no good qualification for a general literary biographer. SIR, I am one of those who watch the periodical, and popular liteproductions of the day, with a particular view to the spirit and character of the authors who are mers revile the authors of the likely to influence the times. With some eagerness, I lately procured the 1st volume of the New General Biographical Dictionary, ed. iting by Alexander Chalmers, and a cursory examination of it has, I confess, afforded me pleasure. It seems to be more extensive in its exceptions. We may notice also two minor Richard Adams, plan than any similar work in, the one of the ejected ministers, is English language; and it is a called (p. 141.) "an Anabaptist great recommendation of it, that teacher." This term Anabaptist the works of authors are specified is not descriptive, but reproach with the titles at length, in their ful. They who practice adult proper form and language, and baptism by immersion, hold every with their respective dates. The other mode of administering the omission of scripture biography ceremony to invalidate it as a is, also, an improvement. scriptural rite, and to make it There is, however, one consi- nothing at all. The epithet is aban derable blemish in the work: doned to the small remnant of when the lives of several persons of the same name are given, they are huddled together without chro. nological arrangement. I perceive, indeed, that they are in the alphabetical order of their Christian or first names; but this is the poorest and meanest of all modes of classification. theological bigots.-In the ac count of John Alexander, a dissenting teacher, mention is made of his posthumous work on the xv. chap. of Corinth. 1. published by John Palmer, and it is added (p. 415.) "Mr. Palmer has be stowed high praise on the critical sagacity and learning displayed in Some inaccuracies are retained this work. It is some deduction from the old edition. Bishop Al from its merit, however, that in drick is said (p. 381.) to have the preliminary dissertation, he "died March 25, 1555, at Horn-favours the opinion of there being castle, in Lincolnshire, which was no state of consciousness between a house belonging to the Bishops death and the resurrection. Of of Carlisle." The folio éditions of his talents, in another respect, a VOL. VII. 3 s much more favourable opinion may form no essential part of religion, be formed from the papers he properly so called, they are ap. wrote in The Library," This pendages designed to answer the passage is bad enough for the ob. purpose of extrinsic evidences. scurity of the last sentence, but Miracles have ceased, but the worse for the dogmati-m and il. moral law is as immutable as God liberality which run through it Limself, and will continue the same "yesterday, to-day and for ever.” I point out these faults in Mr. Chalmers's work, not with a view I commence then, at once, with of disparaging it, but in the hope that if this letter should reach his the broad plain position, that eye, or that of any of the book. natura' and revealed religion are God is one; and sellers concerned in the publica. identical. tion, there may be more care the religion which emanates from In all its features bestowed upon the suceeeding God is one. EPISCOPUS. and qualities it resembles its Divine Parent. Like him, it is benevolent, volumes. Mr. Fordham on Natural and immortal and universal. Like Kevealed Religion. him, it is just, tolerant, sublime Sandon, July 8th, 1812. and beneficent. Christianity is SIR, adapted to the nature of man; Much has been written upon that which is suited to the nature the subject of natural and revealed of man must form a part of the religion, as if there were two parti- system of nature. This is the cular distinct religions, indepen- point at which I aimed. Can any dent of each other. For my part, thing be more evident? The writI am of opinion, that there is but ten law of God forbids gluttony one simple, indivisible, cternal and drunkenness, so does the unThe religion, which is founded in the written law of Nature. immutable order of things, of drunkard and the glutton do not which God is the sublime author. act in compliance with the simple Natural and revealed religion dictates of Nature, which renders mean one and the same thing, it absolutely impossible for either God, who is the God of all things, of them, even to enjoy the physi and ever consistent with him. cal and moral beauty of a healthy self, can never be the author of organization. It is as impossible two distinct religions, because, this would be to make him at variance with himself. The God of nature, is the God of Christianity. Christianity is the religion of Nature, or the religion of Nature is the religion of Jesus Christ. I do not intend here to include miraculous operations, but to confine the interpretation of the word religion or Christianity, to the Moral Code, which is religion, properly so called. Miracles that they should experience the sweet and noble tranquillity of pure and perfect health, the divinest blessing that can, emanate from the mercy of God, as that water should flow from a lower to a higher situation, or that we should swallow poison and not destroy ourselves. The written law of God inculcates chastity, so does the unwritten law of Nature. It teaches us that it is necessary to our health and strength, that it |