Harriot Noel. 13. But it is time to tell my The ftory of reader the ftory of the beautiful Harriot Noel, which I pro mised in my third memorandum. let us know that they mean by it, not thefe facred original writings themfelves, but the interpretations, or fenfe, put upon them by our fpiritual superiors, tơ which we are bound to fubmit, and put under an obligation to find that to be the truth which is taught by thefe leaders. But to this we reply with reafon, that though we ought to pay a regard of ferious attention to thofe whole bufinefs it is to find out and difpenfe the truth, and fhew the refpect of a due examination of what they affirm; yet we must not yield the fubmiffion due only to infallibility. It is our glory not to fubmit to the voice of any man. We must reserve that regard, for God, and for Chrift, in matters of faith once delivered to the faints Others, again, of the reformed, tell us, that the furer way of knowing what was delivered near eigh teen hundred years ago, is to take the original faith from the Councils and Fathers, grave and good men, who met and writ for the fettling of the faith.-And to this we answer, that these wife and good men cannot give fo good an account of the faith contained in the original books as the books themselves which con tain it. To give an example to the purpose. If we would know the doctrine of the Church of England at the reformation, it is not the writings of any particular divines many years after that period, that we must confult On the glorious first of Auguft, before the beafts were roufed from their lodges, or the birds had foared upwards, to pour forth, their morning harmony; while the mountains and the groves were overshadowed by a dun obfcurity, and the dawn ftill dappled the drowsy Eaft with fpots of grey; in short, before the fun was up, or, with his aufpicious prefence, began to animate inferior nature, I left my chamber, and with my gun and dog, went out to wander over, a pleafant country. The different afpects : confult; or any affembly of them but the authentic acts, and declarations, and fermons, made and recorded at the time; for many of the doctrines thought effential at the reformation, have been fincè changed by gradual alterations;-by explainers ufing their own ftile and manner of expreffion, and introducing their own scheme of philofophy, and judgment in commenting, into the fcheme of doctrine to be explained. This produces great variation from what was once fettled. What was once esteemed fundamental is thereby altered.-Let this be applied to. the first Christian writers, after the Apostles were departed, and as their language and philofophy were various, and they differed from one another, great. variations muft creep into the doctrines delivered by them. It follows then, that nothing but what is recorded in the first original books themfelves can be firm and ftable to us in points of faith. In the original books only we can find the faith, without that. confufion and darkness, which human explications and additions have brought in by way of light. C 4 and and the various points of view were charming, as the light in fleecy rings increafed; and when the whole flood of day defcended, the imbellished early scene was a fine entertainment. Delighted with the beauties of this morning, I climbed up the mountains, and travelled through many a valley. The game was plenty, and for full five hours, I journeyed onward, without knowing where I was going, or thinking of a return to college. About nine o'clock however I began to grow very hungry, and was looking round to fee if I could discover any proper habitation to my purpofe, when I obferved in a valley, at fome diftance, fomething that looked like a manfion. That way therefore I moved, and with no little difficulty, as I had a precipice to defcend, or must go a mile round, to arrive at the place I wanted: 'down therefore I marched, got a fall by the way that had like to have destroyed me, and, after all, found it to be a fhed for cattle. The bottom however was very beautiful, and the fides of the hills fweetly copfed with little woods. The valley is fo divided, that the rifing fun gilds it on the right hand, and when declining, warms it on the left. -Veniens -Veniens dextrum latus afpiciat Sol, Lævum difcedens curru fugiente vaporet. A pretty brook here likewise babbles along, and even Hebrus ftrays not around Thrace with a purer and cooler ftream. Fons etiam rivo dare nomen idoneus, ut nec Frigidior Thracam nec purior ambiat Hebrus, A Country In this sweet and delicious folitude, I crept on for fome time, by the fide of the murmuring ftream, and followed as it winded thro' the vale, till I came to a little harmonic building, that had every charm and proportion architecture could give it. It was fituated on a rifing ground in a broad part of the fruitful valley, and furrounded with a garden, that invited a pensive wanderer to roam in its delightful retreats, and walks amazingly beautiful. Every fide of this fine spot was planted thick with underwood, and kept fo low, as not to prevent a profpect to every pleasing remote object. Finding one of the garden doors left open, I entered immediately, and to screen myfelf from the fcorching beams of the fun, got into an imbowered way, that led me to a large C 5 a large fountain, in a ring or circular opening, and from thence, by a gradual, easy, fhady ascent, to a femicircular amphitheatre of ever-greens, that was quite charming. In this were feveral feats for ease, repast, or retirement; and at either end of it a rotunda or temple of the Ionic order. One of them was converted into a grotto or fhell-house, in which a politenefs of fancy had produced and blended the greatest beauties of nature and decoration. The other was a library, filled with the finest books, and a vaft variety of mathematical inftruments. Here I faw Mifs Noel fitting, and fo intent at writing, that fhe did not take any notice of me, as. I ftood at the window, in aftonishment looking at the things before me, and especially at the amazing beauties of her. face, and the fplendor of her eyes; as 'fhe raised them now and then from the paper fhe writ on, to look into a Hebrew Bible that lay open upon a small defk before her. The whole fcene was fo very uncommon, and fo vaftly amazing, that I thought myfelf for a while on fome fpot of magic ground, and almost doubted the reality of what my eyes beheld; till Mifs Noel, by accident, looked full at me, and then came forward to the open window, to know who I wanted. Before |