522 On Mr. Rutt's Edition of Priestley's Works. of the Repository, I experienced the genuine pleasure which results from the contemplation of the noble and dignified character of Dr. Priestley, and the probability that by this additional means the world would become still better acquainted with his excellencies, and still more enlightened by his serious and sagacious investigation into true religion. From that period to the present I have had little opportunity of learning what progress might be made towards the accomplishment of the design, except by the occasional hints which have been given in the Repository. Confiding in the high sense which is so generally and deservedly maintained among us of Dr. Priestley's religious and theological character, I had continued to cherish the expectation that the plan would ere long be in actual preparation, and had on various occasions contributed, I venture to say, to excite the interest I felt myself in the minds of others.Let it not be supposed that I am induced to occupy your present attention by the selfish feeling of disappointment in my individual and anxious hope. I have no doubt whatever that the information which your last Number contained has produced similar regret in the breasts of many of your readers; and whether they adopt the same plan as myself, are ready to pronounce sentence upon that indifference to which alone the possible failure of such an object among us can be owing. Happy should I be if by any thing which I can offer, in conjunction with the appropriate suggestions of your worthy Correspondent in your last Number, such feelings may be inspired into the breasts of our young laymen, as may place the projected plan beyond the probability of failure. There are four classes of persons to whom we might appeal for assistance in the publication of the new edition of Dr. Priestley's Works.-The respect able laymen in our connexion, who duly prize the importance of rational information on religious subjects; the ministers of some standing, who have had much experience in the prevalent opinion, and have learned duly to estimate these Works, which have been so great a means in the hands of Providence of contributing to the reformation which is going on; the young ministers, who have been taught indeed to make the Bible their chief book of theology, but are aware how much they are indebted to Dr. Priestley for the present improved principles of theolo gical education; and lastly, the sons of our respectable laymen, many of whom, I doubt not, have the cause of rational religion at heart, and who are from time to time collecting those books by which they will store their minds with the most valuable materials for future reflection and meditation. With respect to the first class, many have Dr. Priestley's Works already in their possession; and though probably a fair proportion of the hundred subscribers which have hitherto been procured, are from this class, yet it is not perhaps from them that the prosecution of the object may be expected. The second class have probably nearly all the Theological and Miscellaneous Works of Dr. Priestley in their present collection; and as a superfluity of money can seldom fall to their lot, their personal contribution would hardly secure the plan under consideration. The third class, or young ministers, no doubt feel peculiar interest in the object under consideration; but of these, the greater proportion, having it may be but recently surmounted the difficulties of an expensive education, however they could wish it, are not in a condition to spare the ten or eleven guineas out of their scanty salaries. The object devolves then pretty much upon the fourth class, consisting of the sons of respectable and wealthy laymen, to whom the expense, divided probably into two or three years, can be no hinderance whatever, and who would by their assistance, have a most excellent opportunity of testifying their concern for the religious welfare of their fellow men. This appeal is not made to those young men, who, attracted by the false glare of fashion, are, to the unspeakable regret of their families, in danger of forsaking those principles and that cause, which their fathers after much patient investigation, and severe sacrifices of family consideration, have nobly supported: such can hardly be expected to lend their helping hand to the cause of virtue and truth-the appeal is more to the truly interesting (and it is hoped numerous) class of young persons, who, blessed with the means of benevolent exertion and with the inestimable blessing of a liberal education, have conceived a deep interest in the religion of Jesus, soberly and On Mr. Rutt's Edition of Priestley's Works. rationally explained-who have derived from the perusal of the Bible, and the works which are calculated to illustrate and authenticate its contents, the utmost improvement and delight, and who have resolved to devote a part of their leisure time in extending their acquaintance with such productions:-to these the appeal is made in favour of the proposed edition of Dr. Priestley's Works, and it is ardently hoped it will not be made in vain. Two or three trivial objections have been made to the Proposal in the course of my conversation; and as these may possibly prevent some of your readers from yielding to the natural impulse of generous feeling, it may be well to bestow upon each a passing consideration. 1. There may be and probably are some copies of the larger Theological Works on hand; but this is no real objection to the proposed edition. This must have been the case with Dr. Lardner's Works, which consist almost entirely of two or three principal works; and yet happily for the celebrity of that useful critic, and for the progress of theological science in general, this was considered no sufficient obstacle to Dr. Kippis's edition. The fact is, that a great proportion of the eighteen volumes which it is computed Dr. Priestley's Works will occupy, would be made up of the smaller publications, many of which are little if any thing inferior in importance to the larger works; and many of these are almost inaccessible :-this is particularly the case with one of the most valuable, "The Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever." The consequence of the new edition will be a reduction in the price of the former ones, which will thus become accessible to that interesting class of the community-men who, amid the daily toils for their subsistence, find time to ruminate on the grand truths of religion, and whose minds are often more enlightened on these subjects, than many of those who are favoured with a higher place in the scale of society. Every suitable exertion should certainly be made to secure the efforts of such persons who labour to convey to those of their own rank a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. 2. Are there not some of Dr. Priestley's theological writings which partake 528 rather of the nature of ingenious conjecture, than of sound and mature investigation? And would it be advisable, when the Christian world is so extensively combined in warfare against our little (but daily increasing) band, to place in their way any of those parts of the Doctor's writings, which may have already afforded occasion for our opponents to cavil? If the objection had not been actually made, it would not have been deemed deserving of consideration in this connexion. Your present Correspondent, Sir, has learned too highly to prize Dr. Priestley's excellencies both of heart and head, to entertain any apprehensions of the general effect that would arise from a perusal of his works. Let a man of ordinary understanding do this with candour and seriousness, and I pronounce is impossible that he should rise from the employment without being a much wiser and better man than he was before. The state of the case is indeed this: occasion has been taken to revile Dr. Priestley's character, and to shudder at the thought of giving him a place in company with others of considerable name, (but in reality vastly inferior to him*), from a very partial acquaintance with his writings, and the unjustifiable selection (according to the too common practice of orthodox men) of a few passages out of their connection, upon which they found their erroneous and unjust conclusions. Present the whole of the Doctor's gigantic labours in morals and religion before the eyes of the discerning public, and no other refutation will be needed of the vile clamours so industriously circulated. The candid will be struck with the piety and intelligence evinced in his numerous productions; the bigot will be suffused with shame from a comparison of his own littleness; and the fair fame of Priestley burst from the ignoble chains in which she is at present confined, and soar aloft amidst the general shout of admiration and gratitude. "Who, that was not bent on giving his system popularity and eclat, would ever have thought of classing together in the same theological list the names of Dr. Isaac Watts and Dr. Joseph Priestley? Have there existed two men antipodes in religious sentiment and religious feeling, these are the two."-Wardlaw's Unitarianism incapable of Vindication. 524 Singular Account of the Gipsies. The only remaining objection that I know of, arises from the depression to which trade is at present subject. If the appeal in this letter had been made to the lower classes of the community, it is admitted the objection would have had its force. If it had been made solely to our laymen of easy fortunes, but who have themselves families to provide for, and whose benevolent hearts deeply commiserate the sad condition of the poor around them, there would still perhaps be some appearance of reason:-but the appeal is made, as before stated, to the young men of fortune either in or out of trade who have yet little of the cares of the world, who have just passed through their elementary education, whose minds are deeply impressed with the value and efficacy of truth, and who can easily spare a small portion of their spending money, to the promotion of the noble object which is now contemplated. To such of our body, all who feel interested in the progress of our plans for improvement in knowledge and religion, must look with the utmost confidence. The preachers who are successively educated in our seminaries, may raise their voices in the support of truth, they may contribute by their labours in public and private to the respectability of the cause; but after all, their success will very much depend upon their lay brethren who possess wealth to strengthen the hands of their ministers, and give them their sanction and asIf any such, influenced by these friendly and well-intended suggestions, should come forwards to raise this monument to the memory of one who laboured incessantly for the young in particular, to contribute their individual efforts to rescue eminent talents from abuse and calumny, to dissipate the mists of prejudice, bigotry and superstition which envelope the religious atmosphere, happy will the writer of this letter deem himself to be, and fully compensated for the little trouble which it has occasioned him; though this has been already sufficiently rewarded by the mere prospect of the disinterested efforts which he has now contemplated. sistance. I am, Sir, with best wishes for the success of your very useful Repository, A SUBSCRIBER OF THE THIRD CLASS. The Gipsies. [From the Liverpool Freeman; or Weekly Magazine. Price 6d. No. 6. Aug 6, 1816.] O F late years some attempts have been made to reduce the numbers or at any rate to civilize the habits, of the that vagabond and useless race, Gipsies. In pursuance of such purpose, a society of gentlemen have been making all the preliminary inquiries requisite to a proper understanding of the subject. A series of questions have been proposed to competent persons in the different counties of England and Scotland; and answers have been received. Our readers will, we think, be amused with the following specimen of these answers :— 1. All Gipsies suppose the first of them came from Egypt. 2. They cannot form any idea of the number in England. 3. The Gipsies of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, parts of Buckinghamshire, Cambridge and Huntingdonshire, are continually making revolutions within the ranges of those counties. 4. They are either ignorant of the number of Gipsies in the counties through which they travel, or unwilling to disclose their knowledge. 5. The most common names are Smith, Cooper, Draper, Taylor, Boswell, Lee, Lovell, Loversedge, Allen, Mansfield, Glover, Williams, Carew, Martin, Stanley, Buckley, Plunkett, and Corrie. 6 and 7. The gangs in different towns have not any regular connexion or organization; but those who take up their winter quarters in the same city or town appear to have some knowledge of the different routes each horde will pursue; probably with a desire to prevent interference. are not 8. In the county of Herts it is computed there may be sixty families having many children. Whether they are quite so numerous in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Northamptonshire, the answers sufficiently definite to determine. In Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, and Dorsetshire, greater numbers are calculated upon. In various counties, the attention has not been competent to the procuring data for any estimate of families or individuals, Rejoinder to Mr. Rult on Count Zinzendorf. 9. More than half their number follow no business: others are dealers in horses and asses: farriers, smiths, tinkers, braziers, grinders of cutlery, basket-makers, chair-bottomers, and musicians. 19. Children are brought up in the habits of their parents, particularly to music and dancing, and are of dissolute conduct. 11. The women mostly carry baskets with trinkets and small wares; and tell fortunes. 12. Too ignorant to have acquired accounts of genealogy, and perhaps indisposed by the irregularity of their habits. 13. In most counties there are particular situations to which they are partial. In Berkshire is a marsh, near Newbury, much frequented by them; and Dr. Clarke states, that in Cambridgeshire, their principal rendezvous is near the western villages. 14. It cannot be ascertained whether, from their first coming into the nation, attachment to particular places has prevailed. 15, 16, and 17. When among strangers, they elude inquiries respecting their peculiar language, calling it gibberish.. Don't know of any person that can write it, or of any written specimen of it. 18. Their habits and customs in all places are peculiar. 19. Those who profess any religion represent it to be that of the country in which they reside: but their description of it seldom goes beyond repeating the Lord's Prayer; and only few of them are capable of that. Instances of their attending any place for worship are very rare. 20. They marry for the most part by pledging to each other, without any ceremony. A few exceptions have occurred when money was plentiful. 21. They do not teach their children religion. 22 and 23. Not one in a thousand can read. 525 taking notice of some of his statements; in doing which I shall endea vour to be as brief as the subject admits. To expose to the world the failings of a fellow-creature, must necessarily prove a painful task to a benevolent mind; but publicly to advance, or even insinuate, a charge of immorality against an individual unable to defend himself, without substantiating such allegation, appears to me a procedure altogether unwarrantable. Your Correspondent, however, scems to me placed in this awkward predicament, by his unnecessary and unproved insinuation against the Count. The injurious reflection he threw out in his first paper, I am sorry to find reiterated by him, after what had been advanced by myself. Since what he regards as evidence is not produceable in a work designed for general readers, why advert to so ungrateful a topic at all? Christian charity, not to mention justice, would in my opinion have here dictated silence. But your Correspondent assigns the following reason for his insinuation to the prejudice of the Count. "I considered it my duty, to guard the memories of such men as Watts and Doddridge, from the imputation of an unqualified approbation of Count Zinzendorf." A strange mode of acting this, to exalt one character by depreciating another! But whoever regarded the Count with unqualified admiration? That he was a great and good man I have no doubt, but he had his defects and weaknesses; and in persons of his ardent cast of mind they are always most prominent. In reference to the religious poems to which your Correspondent alludes, (for they were not used as hymns,) let me inform him that scarcely any had the Count for their author; and, as already noticed, as soon as he perceived that they were open to misrepresentation, he checked their further circulation. Yet even these poems, objectionable as their original phrascology is, become far inore so in Rimius's hands; and I affirm cannot be justly appreciated from his exhibition of them: his illegitimate renderings, and utter neglect of the connexion in which the passages quoted by him stand, necessarily preclude his work from implicit credit. Permit me, Sir, to add, that the only clue to a just exposition of such phraseology, is to be found in an intimate acquaintance with the theological and moral views of Count Zinzendorf and the brethren of that day. Such phraseology, though open to abuse, was, however, I am warranted in affirming, only employed in a spiritual sense by the brethren themselves, and I am satisfied, from experience and observation, gave rise amongst them to no other than the purest ideas and emotions. Had the excellent Jortiu been aware of this circumstance, however he might reprehend such language, he would have refrained from implicating in his censure the character of the Count. Your Correspondent tells his readers, that my appeal to the case of Dr. Gill" has very little, if any connexion with the subject;" but let me, notwithstanding, still adduce it as well calculated to confirm my position, viz. that there is no necessary connexion between impropriety of language and impropriety of thought and feeling; though I would decidedly protest against the use of any such language myself. On this account I cannot approve of your Correspondent's use of the word amatory, where divine love is the subject, because that word being usually expressive of sensual attachment, will be thus associated in the mind. The compliment paid by your Cotrespondent, to the brethren of the present day, at the expense of their esteemed predecessors, will I apprehend scarcely be accepted by them." It remains for me only to apologize for the length of this paper, and in conclusion (to avail myself once more of your Correspondent's words) will say that "I am not aware that I ought to trouble him, or any of your readers, further on the disagreeable subject which has very unexpectedly been forced on my attention," but which a sense of duty prompted me to undertake, in behalf of an esteemed individual, whose character I consider unjustly aspersed. With every sentiment of regard, But I am blamed by your Correspondent for not having verified my allegations against Rimius; in answer permit me to adopt his own words: "I did not conceive such a discussion adapted to a work designed for general readers." Your Correspondent and myself are here placed in similar circumstances; however with one material difference: my estimate of Rimius's work appeared necessary, whereas your Correspondent's attack on the Count's character may be considered optional. That I may not however be thought to have advanced charges wholly without foundation, I shall take the liberty of adverting to one instance amongst others of Rimius's unfairness, would I could say incapacity, as a translator: the example I select is his unjustifiable rendering of the German termination lein by little, instead of dear or precious; as in the words laemlein, wund-FEAR that I do not fully underlein; the literal rendering of these words is I admit little lamb, little wound; but the connexion in which they stand, plainly pointed out to Rimius that they ought to be translated precious lamb, precious wound; Christ and his sufferings being the theme, and the brethren of that time being in the habit of using that termination to express holy endearment. Thus a translator, deficient in ability, or in rectitude, may pervert an author's meaning without infringing any grammatical rules.* * In my last paper I noticed the line of conduct the brethren thought proper to adopt, with regard to Rimius's publication; though your Correspondent seems SIR, On the Divine Government. stand your Correspondent, An Old Inquirer, in the Repository for June, (p. 322,) who animadverts upon the first scheme of Divine Providence to have overlooked what I there said, for he observes, "Crantz and La Trobe have left it unimpeached." As historians, an answer to that work did not fall within their province, had they been so inclined; full, and I think according to the Count's but I will inform him that he may find a view of Bible truth, a satisfactory reply, to all the charges brought against him, in a quarto volume published in the German language about the year 1754. It will have been seen that this Correspondent has ceased from his labours, and fallen into his place in our Obituary, p. 487. ED. |