Imatges de pàgina
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can scarcely believe that their national festivals were celebrated with such a high-wrought enthusiasm, and such a renunciation of all selfishness and animosity as are here ascribed to them. But we must allow an author to ennoble what he finds a delight in describing; and we can readily forgive an error on the side of praise, in respect to a people whom it has sometimes been deemed a point of duty by Christians to paint in the blackest colours. Great taste and devotional feeling has been shewn in the manner in which quotations from Scripture, especially from the Psalms, are introduced, and the best modern versions have been every where followed. Should the book ever be rendered accessible to English readers, it will be found a very pleasing medium of conveying historical, geographical and antiquarian knowledge, and will gratify the taste while it improves the heart.

SIR,

K.

WHAT can account for the pre

sincerely believing themselves the dis-
ciples of Christ, can honestly so so-
phisticate almost every word they
admit him to have uttered on the sub-
ject of his relation to God, as to fasten
upon him the blasphemy of his being
the COMPEER of God?" But my mo-
mentary bigotry brought a blush into
my cheek, and with sincere compunc-
tion and shame let me now record my
"wonder" at the almost unanimous
faith of Christendom. It is indeed
true, that prescription, establishment,
fashion, will, to multitudes, in every
age, make black white, and white
black but even among the w
of believers are there not to be found
thousands and tens of thousands who
attach all the credit and conclusive-
ness that the most devoted inquirers
after divine truth alone can attach to
every insulated asseveration of the
"Teacher come from God," as well
as to the whole tenour of his doctrine,
and yet, upon his own supposed shew-
ing, coequalize, not identify, him with
his Father and his God? In the opi-
nion of such disciples at his feet as
these, he must, somewhere or other,

WHAT can account forent day, have either explained away these cate

amongst Protestants of that most marvellous modification of the Christian faith yclept Trinitarianism? "Thinks I to myself," the other day, as I sat revolving in my mind the unvaried, uniform and iterated averments of its Divine "Author and Finisher." "Why callest thou me good? None is good but one, that is God." "I ascend to my God." "The words I speak unto you, I speak not of myself." "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." "The Son can do nothing of himself." "I live by the Father." "My Father is greater than I." "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." "To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give."

But I might, literally speaking, transcribe, as every reader of his Bible well knows, a considerable proportion of our blessed Saviour's discourses into your pages, before I had exhausted THE SON's attestations to his inferiority to THE FATHER, his nothingness without HIM, and but for HIM. As fully impressed with the divinity he claimed as with that he disclaimed, "Is it possible," I caught myself vociferating, "is it possible, that men,

gorical depositions of unqualified subjection to, of absolute dependance on, "the only true God," or have taught also some antagonistical doctrines, so utterly irreconcileable with their naked meaning, as to warrant any possible evasion of it. For any such direct contradictory elucidations I look, however, in vain: indeed, I am not aware that the stoutest-hearted champions of creed and article-theology have gone so far as to assert, that what he who " spake as none other man spake," said at one time, he directly unsaid at another. We must, therefore, have recourse to the remaining member of the alternative for the solution of our problem. And here, let me avow, however little creditable to my judgment the avowal may be deemed, that in a solitary, quite anomalous text, I, for one, do recognize an apology for almost any but a perverse or ludicrous interpretation of our Saviour's assertions in the passages enumerated, and in others of a like import. The Baptismal text I never

I have never read the admirable dissertation of Tyrrwhitt on this text,

can but consider as an impregnable hold of Anti-Unitarian doctrine. So decisive a voucher am I forward to admit it be of a mλкорan in heaven, that if I entertained the slightest notion of its being possibly authentic, I should feel myself as much constrained as any Athanasian can feel, to accommodate my conviction of the Unity of God to any hypothesis by which it could be decently modified. Now if this, or any thing like it, can be the expression (well or ill founded) which this supposed command of our Saviour's makes upon a mind convinced that Paganism is as much the doctrine of Christianity as Trinitarianism is, what must be its effect on those who identify Trinitarianism with Christianity ? Will they not believe any thing rather than offer violence to its more obvious import? Will any Procrustean process seem illegitimate to them, that ean torture Scripture into a seeming harmony with this extraordinary but decisive text? Is it not, indeed, matter of fact, that this great vital organ of the orthodox system generates rather than merely fills all the arteries and veins which flow to and from it? What vagary of the human brain could less assimilate with the whole or any part of Scripture, than does the grave and idolized dogma extracted from this singular anomaly in the sacred page? And yet in the opinion of those who deem it treason to divine truth to question the evidence by which this solitary testimony to Tritheism, under another name, is supported, is there one in a thousand who does not, with Postellus, trace its ramifications in almost every volume of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures? Shall I be contradicted when I say, that the minutest degree of scepticism, as to the authenticity of the Baptismal text, would do more to disenchant Athanasianism of its charms, than whole folios of demonstration opposed to the tenet which this text seems to involve will be able to do in a long succession of ages? Will my assertion be disproved, if I

without being reminded of the notable hoax practised by our facetious monarch on the literati of his day. His argument all along disproves the assumption, on which it is founded.

roundly affirm, that, amongst the now many dilapidated fortresses of orthodoxy, there is not one which offers to "the sword of the spirit" a more vulnerable track than does this its vaunted and hitherto all but unscarred citadel?

SIR,

BASANISTES DEUTEROS.

AS you sometimes allot a corner

of your Repository to bookworms, allow me to occupy a small space with a brief account of two small tracts, printed together, in a volume which though figured as an octavo is not larger than an octodecimo.

The whole title is as follows: "Precepts, or, Directions for the well-ordering and Carriage of a Man's Life, through the whole Course thereof: left by William, Lord Burghly, to his Sonne at his death, who was sometimes Lord Treasurer of this Kingdome. Also, some other Precepts and Advertisements added, which sometimes was the Jewell and Delight of the right Honourable Lord and Father to his Country, Francis, Earle of Bedford, deceased. In two Bookes. London, printed for Thomas Jones, and are to be sold at his Shop in the Strand, neare Yorke House, 1637."

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This "Thomas Jones," the bookseller, was a smart tradesman. He has dedicated the volume, which he describes as a new edition, to Richard, Lord Buckhurst, to express part of his thankfulness for the "goodnesse" he had received from this nobleman and from "the noble Earle" his father, and "the right vertuous Countesse," his mother. There is a vein of mirth in this writer from "his shop in the Strand, neare Yorke House." "Multiplicity of words,' he tells Lord Buckhurst, begets multiplicity of errors: especially in those whose tongues were never polished by art. It is true" (he waggishly adds), "I have much learning, but that is in my shop, and it is as true that I am ignorant, having not the happinesse to bee bred a scholar." He then quotes a Latin sentence to excuse his want of education, and that, without saying, as honest John Bunyan did, in the like case, "the Latin I borrow," viz., Non cuivis homini licet adire Corinthum.

I was somewhat curious to look into the paternal counsels of such a man as Cecil, Lord Burleigh, Eliza beth's far-famed minister, especially as he admonishes his son that they will "season his youth like the deaw (dew) of age." They are moral and pious, but displaying withal a good deal of that worldly wisdom by which the author made his way through so many difficulties, and preserved his standing amidst so many mutations and perils.

Precept 1. is headed, rather oddly, "For the choice of your Wives." The wary politician here calls upon his son to 66 use great providence and circumspection, for," says he, "it is in the choice of a wife, as in a project of warre, wherein to erre but once is to be undone for ever." He exhorts with regard to a wife, "Let her not be poore," and assigns the thrifty man's reason, "Because a man can buy nothing in the market without money." Amongst other advice on this point, he enjoins, "make not choice of a Dwarfe or a Foole, for from the one you may beget a race of Pigmeyes, as the other will be your daily griefe and vexation: for it will irke you so oft as you shall heare her talke, and you shall continually finde to your sorrow, that feele that crosse, that There is nothing so fulsome as a she-foole." And, after counselling against "drunkennesse," he lays down the following rule of husbanding: "Beware thou spend not above three of the four parts of thy revenue, nor above one-third part thereof in your house for the other two parts will but defray extraordinaries, which will always surmount your ordinaries by much for otherwise you shall live like beggars in continuall wants, and the needy man can never live happily, nor contented, being broken and distracted with worldly cares: for then every least disaster makes him ready to mortgage or sell: and that Gentleman that sels an acre of Land, looseth an ounce of Credit: for Gentilitie is nothing but antient riches: so that if the Foundation do sinke, the Building must needs consequently fall."

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Alpes," alleging that by foreign travel they would learn "pride, blasphemy and Atheisme." One of his counsels is extraordinary, and may cause him to be ranked amongst the enemies of war upon Christian principles: if in the latter part of the sentence a little secular policy peeps out, it may well be forgiven for the sake of the rare "meekness of wisdom" that comes before. "Neither by my advice," says he, "shall you train them (sons) up to warres for hee that sets up his rest to live by that profession, in mine opinion, can hardly be an honest man, or a good Christian; for, Every warre of itselfe is unjust, the (tho'?) good cause may make it lawful: besides it is a science no longer in request then use: for souldiers in peace, are like chimneyes in summer, like Dogges past hunting, or women, when their beauty is done."

Precept 5, "adviseth to keepe some great man to your friend, and how to complement him."

At p. 25, is " An Addition of some Short Precepts and Sentences, not impertinent to the former," I suppose by Lord Burleigh, though the following, numbered 21, is not quite such as would have been expected from his eminent wisdom. "Though I thinke no day amisse to undertake any good enterprise, or businesse in hand; yet have I observed some, and no meane clerks, very cautionarie, to forbeare these three mundayes in the yeare, which I leave to thine own consideration, either to use or refuse, viz. 1. The first Munday in April, which day Caine was born, and his brother Abel slaine. 2. The second Munday in August, which day Sodome and Gomorrah were destroyed. 3. Last Munday in December, which day Judas was born, that betrayed our Saviour Christ."

We have, at p. 52, "A handfull of short questions, with their Resolutions," some of which are mere conundrums: e. g. "Q. What waters of all others ascend highest? A. The tears of the faithfull, which God gathers into his bottle." Similar to this is the Joe Millar conceit which has often crept into very grave pulpits: Qu. Why cannot the heart of a man bee filled, although hee should enjoy the whole world? Ans. Because the whole Globe of the World

66

is round, and Man's heart a Triangle fond of it, and used it as a manual, receptacle for the Trinitie."

The last paper in these Miscellanies, all purporting to come from the pen of Cecil, is "The genealogy, offspring, progeny and kindred, the houshold, the family, the servants and retinue of Pride, cum tota sequela sua, with all her trayne and follow ers," in which goodly company are placed 10thly, "Error, heresie, superstition, schisme, sects, pharisaisme, Puritanisme, idolatry."

*

Could this lynx-eyed statesman discover no other sentiment than pride as the motive of those men of irreproachable and saintly lives, that would not bow to the authority of a vain, loose-living and profane-talking woman, who succeeded her father, the Nero of his age, as "Head of the Church of Christ upon earth," or that questioned the spiritual lordship of bishops who had played fast and loose with religion, and were frocked or unfrocked at the pleasure of “Queen Bess"?

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The whole title of the second tract in the volume runs as follows: "A Glasse, wherein those enormities and foule abuses may most evidently bee seen, which are the destruction and overthrow of every Christian Common wealth. Likewise the only means how to prevent such dangers: by imitating the wholesome advertisements contained in this Booke. Which sometimes was the Jewell and delight of the right honourable Lord, and Father to his Country, FRANCIS, Earle of Bedford, deceased." At first, I thought that the "Glasse" was composed by the "Earle of Bedford," but I believe Mr. "Thomas Jones" means only to represent that the Earle was

VOL. XVIII.

E

his "Jewell and delight." Yet there is little in it to entitle it to this high distinction. Unlike Cecil's treatise, it is slightly tinged with Puritanism: but it is sober, even to dulness. Coming to it from the smart, sagacious, proverb-like sentences of that adept in human nature, we find nothing scarcely that takes hold of the imagination. Now and then there is a grotesque description. "Shamefastnesse (shamefacedness) is a goodly ornament of noble persons. It exalteth those which be humble, making them noble. It is the beauty of them that are feeble and weak, the prosperity of them which be sicke, the comfort of them that are in heavinesse, the increase of all beauty, the flower of religion, the defence and buckler against sinne, a multiplier of good deeds and, to be short, it is the onely paramour and durling of God, the Creator

of all."

;

The "Contents" of this little book are summed up in the following chapters, designed to picture so many 66 abuses." "1. A wise man without workes. 2. An old man without devotion. obedience. 3. A young man without 4. A rich man without charity. 5. A woman without shamefastnesse. 6. A master or ruler without virtue. 7. A Christian man full of contention. 8. A poore man proud. 9. A wicked and an unjust king. 10. A negligent bishop. 11. A people without discipline. 12. A people without law."

“The ninth abuse" the writer justly calls "a capital abuse indeed." To display it by contrast, he describes royal excellence in a passage not without strength, and containing a summary of patriotic principles: "The righteousnesse and justice of a king, is to oppresse no man wrongfully by power: to judge and give sentence betweene man and man indifferently, without affection of any person: to defend strangers, orphane children and widdowes: to see that robbery and theft raigne not in his realme: to punish straitly adulterous and fornicating persons: not to promote and exalt such as are wicked: to give no living to such as are unchaste persons, and makers of vicious pastimes: to destroy out of his land all that are wicked against God and their parents :

to suffer no murtherer or man-queller to live, much lesse such as doe kill

either father or mother; to defend the church: to comfort the poore with deeds of charity to take heed that his officers under him bee just and good men to have of his counsell, ancient, wise and sober men: to give no eare to sooth-sayers, witches or enchanters: not to keepe anger in his stomacke to defend his country justly and valiantly against adversaries: to put his whole trust and confidence for all things in God: not to be the prouder in heart if things doe succeed after his minde, and to beare the contrary patiently to keepe steadfastly the Catholike or universall Faith: not to suffer his children to doe wickedly: to bestowe certaine houres daily in prayer: not to eate and drinke out of season. For woe be to that land, (as the prophet saith,) whose king is a childe, and whose great men doe rise up early to eate and drinke.”

The honest moralist dwells upon "many and sundry sores” which "doe infect a realme and hinder the prosperous weale thereof," "but above all things," he says, "the unrighte ousnesse of a King, doth make darke and clowdie the face of his whole realme;" and he concludes with this warning to the possessors of thrones : "But yet let every King take this lesson with him, and marke it well,that as among men he is set highest in his throne, so if he minister not justice, hee shall be deepest in paine. For in this life as many transgressors and offenders as hee had under him, so many in the time to come shall he have above him, to his extreame sorrow and paine remedilesse."

The spirit, at least, of this and a few other passages is worthy of one of the founders of the house of Russell, a "father to his country," whether as the author or the admirer. Had this little compendium of duty been the "jewell and delight" also of the Charleses and the Jameses, it might have saved one from decapitation, another from discrowning, and all four from indelible historie infamy.

CANTABRIGIENSIS.

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HYMN xxxiii.

Methodist Hymn.

The Saviour's name I'll gladly sing,
He is my Saviour and my king!
Where'er I go his name I'll bless,
And shout among the Methodists.
To the Devil's camp I'll bid adieu,
And Zion's peaceful ways pursue;
Ye sons of men come turn and list,
And fight like valiant Methodists.

It is religion makes the man,
The world may try to prove it vain,
But I will give the world for this,
To be in heart a Methodist.

Come sinners, turn unto the Lord,
And closely search his precious word,
And when you do his truth possess,
You may become a Methodist.
Come now with me, and you shall

know

What a great Saviour can bestow ;
His love to me I can't express,
Although I'am call'd a Methodist.

I am a soldier of the cross,

All earthly things I count but loss,
My soul is bound for endless bliss,
To praise thee with the Methodist.
They preach and pray, and sing their
best,

They labour much for endless rest;
I hope the Lord will them increase,
And turn the world to Methodists.

We shout too loud for sinners here, But when in Heaven we shall appear, So faithful then our souls shall rest, And shout among the Methodists.

And when that happy day is come, When all the Christians are brought

home,

We'll shout in high enraptured bliss, With all the blood-wash'd Methodists.

The following account "Of the Origin of the English Camp-Meetings," &c., forms the Introduction to the Collection.

"A large Religious Meeting in the

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