652 Mr. Cornish's Communication of a curious Ecclesiastical Document, rest, filled with hearers anxious to learn the way to heaven, though that way might be pointed out with another finger than your own, than to preach to a few individuals in your own meeting-house, while you knew that another in the same town was thronged. To impart the greatest good to the greatest number of their fellow-creatures, is the high motive which has aperated with those who are interested in the support of the infant cause at Colyton. Private feelings as well as private interests must give way to the public good. We hope this sentiment will be adopted and acted on by all concerned, and trust you are so much interested in the general welfare of man, especially in the salvation of his soul, that whatever will contribute most effectually to this end, and depends on you, you will not withhold. You will readily believe we can have no other interest to serve than that of the cause of God and truth, and to support and promote that we stand pledged. We beg leave therefore to make this friendly proposal for your consideration, trusting you will see how much public good may arise from acceding to it, as well as how probably you may expect therein the Divine approbation. Your reply may be addressed if you please to either of the undersigned." Wishing you health and prosperity under the Divine blessing, We are, Rev. and Dear Sir, Your's respectfully, To Mr. A. B. C. D. Colyton, May 1814. TO prevent my being troubled again with such a letter as came by post, signed by yourself and Messrs. B. C. D. is my only reason for sending any reply. Mr. — may possibly blush hereafter at recollecting that his name appeared. Of Mr. I entertain less hope. At Mr.— (if it be Mr. the elder and not his son) and yourself I am astonished. Those of my little flock to whom the letter has been shewn, feel most indignant. I am persuaded that four ministers could not be found in the kingdom amongst those disposed to exchange pulpits with me, who could have made so unjust (for you desire me of myself and as my own personal act to give up the place where my hearers assemble), so unfeeling and insulting a proposal. Could four such lost to every feeling becoming men and Christians have done it, to a minister of an approved character for more than forty years, and to whom the Almighty graciously continues decent abilities for public service; a large majority of their people and I believe many open-hearted laymen of your connection would have joined in saying, "Fie upon them, fie upon them." I found the society at Colyton very small; for some years it increased; by deaths and removals it is again lessened. Should you and your friends think the cause of religion will be served by erecting a new place here, any real good done will rejoice the heart of your sincere well-wisher, JOSEPH CORNISH. P.S. I was much impressed in early life with a remark of good Mr. Lavington's, in his Charge to Mr. Stephens, at Axminster, 1772. "Should the number of your hearers lessen, do not be discouraged so as to grow remiss in your endeavours; remember Jesus Christ preached an excellent sermon to one woman." Extracts by Joseph Cornish. Mr. Lavington being deservedly a favourite author with his party, 1 directed my correspondents to a pas sage, Vol. 1. p. 320, of his Discourses addressed to a Minister. "Suppose you have been unusually earnest for many sabbaths following, in exhorting sinners, and beseeching. them by the mercies of God to be reconciled, you find yourself so assisted in your preparations, and so animated in the delivery of these discourses, that you are strongly persuaded of being remarkably successful; and every time you let down the net, you seem assured of inclosing a mulutude of fishes: now, if after alt you catch nothing; if you cannot perceive that one soul has been couverted by all your prayers and preaching, and, in short, that for aught that appears, you have laboured in vain, and spent your strength for nought; do you not think it possible that pride may suggest what sig-. nifies my toiling, if God give not his blessing? No man could exert With his Reply and Remarks, and of Two Letters of the late Dr. Toulmin's. 053 himself more. But I might as well have sat still and done nothing. Let God send some other messenger, whose labours he may think fit to bless: I see I am no longer worthy of being employed.' No, my dear Sir, this must not be: this is not the proper language from a servant to his inaster; Christ has taught you better, and you must learn to say after him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and any God shall be my strength.'" A pious minister saying that he thought of not preaching on a particular day, because very few would attend: Oh! preach, said a pious friend, no one can tell what good may be done till the day of judgment. The pious Dr. Stonehouse was so discouraged by his want of apparent success, though well attended, that in a letter to Mr. Orton, he observed, "that to preach was his duty, but he was become almost indifferent whether his audience consisted of eighteen hundred or only eighteen." Taunton, Nov. 24, 1770. MY DEAR FRIEND, . I WAS rather surprised at the contents of your's, though I must regard it as a proof of your integrity. It induced me to look into Mr. Boyse's Answer to Emlyn; and by what I saw from a slight inspection, his reasonings appear to me only calculated to puzzle a plain thing, and to cloud a matter with chicanery, which common sense would easily determine: and notwithstanding all he appeared to advance, on his principles I see not how our Master can be cleared from the suspicion of equivocation, in Matt. xiii. 32, and I suppose Mr. Emlyn's Reply has obviated his specious reasonings. But surely you do not rest the controversy on one text. The point to me appears, What is the idea the Scriptures in their general strain and language afford us of the Divine Being. The most exact and precise definition of the One Supreme God, is a Being consisting of Father, Son and Holy Ghost, i. e. on the Trinitarian principles: but where is this idea and definition to be met with in the Scriptures? Ou the contrary, it appears that the word God occurs 1288 times, and there are several hun dred texts wherein the Father is styled Taunton, April 10, 1771. 654 Mr. Flower in Reply to A. F. on Dr. Bekker. tical strain and Scripture language? I imagined you would not long re- • Near Taunton. tention, The Scripture Doctrine of Jesus SIR, Ic Dear Friend, Your's very affectionately, Harlow Mills, Nov. 9, 1816. answer to the inquiries of your Correspondent, A. F. in your last Number, (p. 594,) respecting Dr. Bekker, I have no doubt but he will find ample information by referring to almost any of the larger biographical Dictionaries, and more particularly the French-Bayle, Moreri, Chauffepie, &c. but being absent from my late residence near the metropolis, the only work of the kind I have now an opportunity of referring to in the Kbrary of a friend, is the Dictionnaire Historique, Litteraire, et Critique, a work in 6 vols. 8vo. and which, allowing for the prejudices of a Roman Catholic, appears to be written with fairness and impartiality. The following is a translation of the article respecting the above-mentioned divine. “ BEKKER (Balthasar,) a famous Dutch Theologian, born in Friesland, 1634, who, after having commenced his studies under his father, and pursued them in the Academies of Groningen and Franker, was employed in different churches, and died minister of that at Amsterdam, in 1698. He was suspended from his functions for a certain period on account of his work entitled, Le Monde Enchanté, 2 vols. 12mo. in which he denied the doctrine of possessions and of witchcraft by any compact with the devil, and affirmed that the evil spirit had no power over men. The system of Bekker was refuted by various writers, but they could never persuade him to retract, nor could they prevent him from defending himself: he was therefore deprived of his functions by the ecclesiastical sy nod, although they continued his sar lary as minister. He was the author of various other works, Recherches Reply to A. F. respecting Dr. Bekker. ster les Cometés, in 8vo. La Saine Theologie; Explicatio Prophetiæ Danielis, in 4to. &c.' In the volume of Robinson's Works, quoted by your Correspondent, there is another allusion to Dr. Bekker, by which it appears that one of the charges brought against him, was that which I fear may be brought against almost every thinking, serious divine, who is so unfortunate as to be a member of any of those Anti-Christian communities, the handy-work of kingcraft, priestcraft and statecraft civil establishments of religion. The Dutch synod condemned the Doctor, "because he had explained the Holy Scriptures so as to make them contrary to the Catechism, and particularly to the articles of faith, which he had himself subscribed." Mr. Robinson, however, finishes the paragraph quoted by your Correspondent, by giving it as his opinion, that " although Dr. B. was reputed a Deist, he was a fast friend of revelation, and all his crime lay in expounding some literal passages allegorically. Not the book, ut the received meaning of it he denied." When I was in Holland about twenty-five years since, I turned over Dr. Bekker's Heretical Work alluded to, and which passed through several editions. Notwithstanding it abounds with singular opinions and fancies, it displays much learning, ingenuity and 653 Robinson's Remarks. Mosheim, in his Ecclesiastical History, (C. xvii. S. 1, No. xxxv) from that neglect of discrimination, too common, and not always undesigned, classes Bekker with Spinosa, and imputes to him a design of using "the principles of Des Caries, to overturn some doctrines of Christianity, and to pervert others." A larger account of Bekker and his World Bewitched, published in 161, will be found in Part II. S. 2, No. xxxv. of the same History. But the fullest satisfaction can offer your Correspondent, is by quoting some. passages, and especially the concluding paragraph, from the Article Balthasar Bekker, Biog. Dict. 1784. He was born in 1634," at Warthnisen, in the province of Groningen," in whose university he was educated. In 1665, while minister at Oosterlingen, " he took his degree of Doctor of Divinity, at Francker, and the next year was chosen one of the ministers of that city." He had published "A Short Catechism for Children, and another for Persons of more advanced Age." The latter was censured as containing 66 strange expressions, unscriptural positions, and dangerous opinions," for which "the author was prosecuted before the ecclesiastical assemblies," and for four years endured "much trouble and vexation." "In 1679 he was chosen minister at Amsterdam. The comet which appeared in 1680 and 1681 gave him an opportunity of publishing a small book, in Low Dutch, entitled, Ondersoch over de Kometei, that is, An Inquiry concerning Comets, wherein he endeavoured to shew that comets are not the presages or forerunners of any evil. This piece gained him great reputation, as did likewise his Exposition on the Prophet Daniel, wherein he gave many proofs of his learning and sound judgment. But the Work which rendered him most famous, is his De Betoner Wereld, or The World Bewitched. He enters into an inquiry of the common opinion concerning spirits, their nature and power, authority and actions; as also what men can do by their power and assistance. He tells us in his preface, that it grieved him to see the great honours, powers, and miracles which are ascribed to the devil. It is come to that pass,' says he, that men think it piety and godliness to ascribe a great many wonders to the devil, and im 656 Reply to A. F. respecting Dr. Bekker. piety and heresy if a man will not believe that the devil can do what a thousand persons say he does. It is now reckoned godliness, if a man who fears God, fear also the devil. If he be not afraid of the devil, he passes for an Atheist, who does not believe in God, because he cannot think that there are two Gods, the one good, the other bad. But these, I think, with inuch inore reason may be called Ditheists. For my part, if on account of my opinion they will give me a new name, let them call me Monotheist, a believer of but one God.', This work raised a great clamour against Bekker. The consistory at Ainsterdam, the classes and synods, proceeded against him, and after having suspended him from the holy communion, deposed him at last from the office of a minister. The magistrates of Amsterdam were so generous, however, as to pay him his salary as long as he lived. A very odd medal was struck in Holland, on his deposition: it represented a devil, cloathed like a minister, riding upon an ass, and holding a banner in his hand, as a proof of the victory which he gained in the synods. With the medal was published a small piece, in Dutch, to explain it, in which was an account of what had been done in the consistory classes and synods. Bekker died of a pleurisy, June 11, 1698." In the Nouveau Dictionnaire Historique, Paris, 1772, is a short article of Bekker, whose design in the work for which he was persecuted is thus described: "Le livre est fait pour prouver, qu'il n'y u jamais eu, ni possedé, ni sorcier, que les diables ne se mélent pas des affaires des hommes, et ne peuvent rien sur leur personnes. et The article closes in the following terms, contrasting the disadvantageous form of Bekker with his agreeable character and accomplishments: "BEKKER étoit horriblement laid; mais il avoit l'esprit assez juste. Ses mœurs etoient pures, et son ume ferme et incapable de plier."+ * That book is designed to prove that there never was really a professed sorcerer, and that devils have no influence in the concerns of men nor power over their persons. + Bekker was shockingly deformed, but he possessed a correct understanding. His manners were pure, with a strength of mind incapable of unworthy ❤mpliance. This contrast of the biographer tominds me of the following lines which I have somewhere read as written in compliment to Pope : "What to thy outward form all-righteous theav'n Deny'd, to thy more perfect mind was gir'n; So nicely pois'd great Nature's scale we see, So just thou uniform deformity.” The case of this persecuted theologian, attracted the attention of Mr. Locke, who during his exile in Holland, from 1682 to 1689, had probably met with Bekker at Amsterdam, in the society of Professor Limborch, to whom he thus writes from London, 14th November, 1691: "Quid tandem factum est cum doctore isto theologo qui tam mira docuit de angelis, in libro suo, de spirituum existentia? An non expertus est fratrum suorum pro religione, pro veritate, pro orthodoxiá zelum? Mirum si impunè evadat." In the margin of the Familiar Letters (1708, p. 535), is printed Balthasar Bekker I recollect also to have once seen a respectful reference to Bekker and his opinion, in the preface to a French translation of Dr. Sykes's Inquiry into the Meaning of Demoniacs, &c. printed, I think, at Leyden, in 1738. But it would be unjust to the meto shew how Dr. Bentley has avoided mory of this innovating theologian, not the fault of Dr. Mosheim, and even left Bekker in orthodox company. I refer to his Remarks on the Discourse of Free-thinking, in which he has been severe enough against Collins, and, occasionally, more severe than just. The latter, in the Discourse (pp. 28-30), had attributed the prevalence of a belief in diabolical agency to the influence of priests, and its decline to a freedom of thinking encouraged at the Revolution. Bentley, under the character of Phileleutherus Lipsiensis, or a Lover of Truth, at Leipsic, thus replies to his professed correspondent in England: "What then has lessened, in En • What has been done, at last, with that learned divine who has broached such strange opinions concerning angels in his book on the existence of spirits? Will he not prove the zeal of his brethren for religion, for the truth, for orthodoxy? It will be strange indeed if he escape with impunity. |