On the Bishop of Lincoln's Elements of Chriftian Theology- 273 but in the late increased price of paper, fixteen fhillings was more than many people could conveniently fpare. It was therefore highly benevolent in the pious Author, to put out a cheap edition of his invaluable Work. The cheap edition, which I have now before me, was printed in 1801; how many impreffions have been ftruck off fince that time, I am not able to fay, but affuredly not more than the intrinfic excellence of the Work juftly deferves. Whether we confider the want of a concife and well-arranged book of this kind, which had till now been felt in the Chriftian world; -the expenfive and voluminous authors which the student was compelled to wade through to collect any proper and well-connected fyftem of Divinity -or the clearnefs, concifenefs, excellent arrangement and elegant language of the "Elements of Chriftian Theology," it may juftly be confidered as a Work truly deferving the warm eulogium it has obtained, as well as the affectionate regard of Christians of every denomination. No theological student should, on any account, be ignorant of any part of the contents of both Volumes; no Chriftian of any rank, who is able to perufe the infpired Writings in his mother tongue, fhould be without at leaft the first Volume, which he fhould perufe over and over again with the utmost seriousness and attention of mind. In the First Chapter of the Firft Part, which treats of the " Authority and Infpiration of the Books of the Old Teftament," we are prefented with fuch a body of evidence to establish these two important points, that none but the most malicious and determined oppofers of our Holy Faith, can avoid being thereby fully convinced of the truth of those facts. For this alone, the Work is invaluable. But there is not wanting an abundance of other important matter to make it deferving of our utmost regard. What is faid on the fubject of allegorizing the plain hiftorical parts of the Old Teftament, is fingularly deferving of attention; as this engine, for a long time patt, has been employed by commentators, and other enemies of Christianity, to fubvert the very foundation of our Religion. The Mofaic account of the Creation, Fall, Deluge, and Dispersion of Mankind, which has fo frequently been afferted to be allegorical, is proved by the Bishop in p. 44, et feq. to be inconteftibly literal; and fuch a body of evidence, fuch ftrong reasoning, and fuch remarkable facts are produced to establish it, as muft needs be highly gratifying to every lover of the Bible, and of Truth. The attempt to analize the Contents of this excellent Work would furpafs the bounds of a letter, neither indeed does it seem to be neceffary; for those who are defirous of being further acquainted with it, may now purchase it at a very reasonable rate, and those who will not put themselves to this flight expence, do not deserve it. Of late years the inundation of infidel writings, the produce of the Infane Philofophy of the times in which we live, has been very great. The vigilance of our Lawgivers, the writings of our venerable Bithops, and the well-timed exertions of our lay Brethren, have, however, under God's Providence, put a check to them. The labours of a WATSON, PRETYMAN, and PORTEUS, have done incalculable service to the cause of that Pure and Holy Religion of which they are the diftinguished ornaments and · fupports and thofe of Mr. Cumberland, Mr. Wilberforce, Mrs. Hannah More, and Mrs. Weft will confecrate their memory to the latest pofterity. All thefe diftinguished characters, I believe, are yet living, may they. kindly accept this tribute of juft refpe&t from one who will be content to be confidered as the humbleft, if he may also be ranked amongst the Vol. III. Churchm. Mag. Nov. 1802. M m. warmest : warmest of their admirers. Herein does the peculiar Providence of the Almighty, and his grand prerogative of extracting good from evil, most eminently appear, that while he hath been pleased to blunt the point of the sharpeft arrows which infidelity ever caft against his Holy Religion, he was pleafed alfo to call forth the exertions of his faithful fervants, and by thofe exertions to fhow to all mankind the truth and beauty of his Moft Holy Word. Had the blafphemous "AGE OF REASON" never appeared, we should not have been gratified with "THE APOLOGY FOR THE BIBLE;" and if the errors and falfe principles of "Modern Philofophers" had not attempted to poifon the minds of Chriftians, "THE ELEMENTS OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY," and "LECTURES ON SAINT MATTHEW," would most likely ftill have been unpublished. Thanks be to God and thofe true fervants of his who have defended his Holy Word, we are still in poffeffion of the bright and glorious light of the everlasting Gospel in its greatest purity, whilft, in a very near country, that light was firft darkened partially, and then for a time altogether put out: may that fame Divine Providence ftill preferve to us this invaluable bleffing in all its purity, and in all its glory: may pious and learned men ftill continue to put to filence the blafphemies of foolish and wicked men and may the Gofpel of Truth bless us and our children till things temporal fhall be fucceeded by things fpiritual, and the fashion of this world be changed, and we pafs from the fleeting and imperfect things of Time, to the glorious and perfect fruition of Life and Immortality. Q&. 22, 1802. I am, gentlemen, Your's, &c. OBSERVATOR. INQUIRY CONCERNING THE INTERMEDIATE STATE. TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN, AS I have for a confiderable time thought very seriously on the follow ing fubject, from which I have derived great pleasure and confolation, and am defirous of investigating it as far as the question will admit, I should be greatly obliged to your learned and judicious correfpondent THE LONDON CURATE, for his fentiments concerning it. The Bishop of Lincoln, in his " Elements of Chriftian Theology," Vol. II. p. 156, in treating of the third Article of our Church," of the going down of CHRIST into HELL," confiders the expreffion of "HELL" to fignify "the common receptacle for departed fouls, in the intermediate time between DEATH and the General Refurrection." This is certainly the fame opinion as all the Orthodox Members of the Chriftian Church entertain concerning that Article. Now I am defirous of obtaining what light I can concerning this "common receptacle for departed Souls," and "the intermediate State between Death and the General Resurrection." Highly as I value the abilities of the LONDON CURATE, I am defirous to obtain his sentiments on these two points, and likewise a reference to such authors as may have written on the subject. One of Bishop Pretyman's predeceffors in the See of Lincoln, I think Dr. Green, wrote "Four Difcourfes on the Four Laft Things-Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell;" in which he hazards fome conjectures on this fubject, but, not having the book now by me, I forget the exact par ticulars. ticulars. I think the Soul-fleeping Controversy is now laid afide, and, if you will forgive a play upon words, is itself gone to deep; for it appears to be pretty generally agreed, that the ftate of feparation of the foul and body, is a ftate of consciousness, though the negative to this was long maintained. I meet with continual allufions to this conscious fate of ex fence of separated human fouls, in modern authors of elegance and fuperior li terary powers, who feem fond of confidering the feparated fpirits of their friends, as fenfible of the things which are tranfacted upon earth; as Seeing, yet not themselves being feen by, their furviving relations. In POETRY we meet with continual inftances of this, but, as this art is chiefly converfant in the regions of imagination, little ftrength can be added to the argument from thence; but when PKOSE-WRITERS coolly and frequently introduce the fubject, without the least neceflity for fo doing, we are led to conclude 'tis the refult of their difpaflionate judgment. For my own part, I fee nothing repugnant to any doctrine of Scripture, in the notion of our departed friends being conscious of terrene transactions, and I think 'tis very confolatory to the feelings of furviving relatives, under the preffure of fevere affliction for the loss of friends! It is MILTON, I think, who, on this fubject, beautifully obferves" Thousands of Spiritual Creatures walk the Earth unfeen," &c. Dr. DRAKE, in his " Literary Hours," hath many allufions to this opinion; and many others, whofe names I cannot at prefent recollect. Mr. Rowe's beautiful "Letters from the Dead to the Living" are built upon this idea, and are justly and univerfally admired by every lover of chafte and elegant writing. I am, gentlemen, September 4, 1802. Your's, &c. BISHOP HORNE'S LETTERS ON INFIDELITY. LETTER VIII. SINCE the appearance of the unbelieving fraternity among us, in these latter days, they have been celebrated for many extraordinary qualities; but their characteristic virtue, I think, has been modesty. A remarkable inftance of this virtue has manifested itself in their conduct respecting the publication of a certain edifying pamphlet, entitled Doubts of the Infidels: ur Queries relative to Seriptural Înconfiftences and Contradictions--Submitted to the Confideration of the Bench of Bishops-By a weak Christian. It ftole abroad in fo humble and referved a manner, without the name of printer, or vender, that it was a long time before I heard there was such a pamphlet in being. Informed, however, by a friend, that there certainly was such a thing, and that he had actually feen it, I made application to feveral bookfellers of note in town; but they declared, they knew nothing of the matter. As I am one of those who love to learn what is stirring, I was not to be easily put by; and therefore refted not, till I had made my felf mafter of a copy. Happy in my prize, with my hand upon my pock et, I betook myself immediately home, and having provided the implement neceffary for the purpose, began to open the leaves. * Our correfpondent will find fome curious remarks on this fubject in a treatise by Dr. Burnet (of the Charter House) De Statu Mortuorum et Refurgentium; and in one ftill more elaborate and learned, written by the Honourable and Reverend Mr. Campbell," On the State of Souls after Death," folio, 1724; of which, we believe, a new edition is about to be published. M m 3 In In the process of this operation, the first words that caught my eye were the following in P. v. of the epiftle dedicatory to my lords the biflops"Inner chambers of the holy Inquifition-Whips, cords, pullies, fcrews, wheels, iron crows; and red hot pincers." Having no predilection for good things of this particular kind, I refumed my work, determining not to peep any more, till I came to the top of P. 20. where my attention was again forcibly arrefted by the expreffions" Ripping women with child, dafhing infants to pieces against the rocks, and broiling men to death with flow fires." I now laid down the pamphlet, and confidered with myself, what had happened lately among us, to occafion this lamentable yelping. Sometimes I thought the Archbishop of York in the courfe of his laft vifitation, must have wedged fome northern herefiarch under the fcrew, and with one turn of the machine, to the great diverfion of the company, cracked all the bones in his fkin, like the claws of a lobfter. At other times I concluded (though no mention had been made of it in the Morning Chronicle) that his grace of Canterbury had invited the bifhops to dine with him upon a roafted infidel, whipped to death by his chaplains. That one of these events had taken place, there feems to be little doubt, though it was impoffible to fay which. I finished, however, my talk of leaf opening, and began to read regularly; when I found that a deed had been done still more atrocious and petrifying than either of the above; for that, by an act of parliament procured by these fame bloody-minded prelates of ours, the infidels are now obliged, on a Sunday evening, to blafpheme in PRIVATE! This is a falling off, to which my memory furnishes me with nothing fimilar, unless it be the ftory of a man, much given to the ufe of the long bow, who afferted, one morning, to his family, that he had just seen forty couple of dogs running through the yard. It being denied that fo many were kept in the country, Nay," cried he, I am fure there were twenty." The audience ftill continuing fceptical," Why, then," faid he, with perfect gravity, "it was our little brown cur!" 66 For fuch cruel, barbarous, and inhuman," ufage, thefe gentlemen are determined, it feems, to have their revenge upon the church, and really think themselves able, at this time of day, to write revelation out of the world, in a twelve-penny pamphlet !-Take this whole bufiness together, and it is enough to make the weeping philofopher laugh. In the thirty fections of their pamphlet, they have produced a lift of difficulties to be met with in reading the Old and New Teftament. Had I been aware of their defign, I could have enriched the collection with many more, at least as good, if not a little better. But they have compiled, I dare fay, what they deemed the best, and in their own opinion prefented us with the effence of infidelity in a thumb-phial, the very fumes of which, on drawing the cork, are to ftrike the bench of bishops dead at once. Let not the unlearned Christian be alarmed," as though fome strange "thing had happened to him," and modern philofophy had difcovered arguments to demolish religion, never heard of before. The old ornaments of deifm have been "broken off," upon the occafion," and caft into the fire, and there came out this calf." Thefe fame difficulties have been again and again urged and difcuffed in public; again and again weighed and confidered by learned and fenfible men, of the laity as well as of the clergy, clergy, who have by no means been induced by them to renounce their faith. Indeed, why should they? For is any man furprized, that difficulties fhould occur in the books of Scripture, thofe more especially of the Old Teftament? Let him reflect upon the variety of matter on which they treat; the distance of the times to which they refer; the wide difference of ancient manners and customs from thofe of the age in which we live ; the very imperfect knowledge we have of thefe, as well as of the language in which they are defcribed; the concifenefs of the narratives, fufficient for the purpose intended, but not for gratifying a restless curiofity; above all, the errors and defects of tranflations, Many and painful are the refearches fometimes neceffary to be made, for fettling points of this kind. Pertnefs and ignorance may afk a queftion in three lines, which it will ceft learning and ingenuity thirty pages to answer. When this is done, the fame question fhall be triumphantly atked again, the next year, as if nothing had ever been written upon the fubject. And as people in general, for one reafon or another, like short objections better than long anfwers, in this mode of difputation, (if it can be ftyled fuch) the odds muft ever be against us; and we must be content with thofe for our friends, who have honefty and erudition, candour and patience, to study both fides of the queftion-Be it fo. In the mean time, if we are called upon ferioufly for fatisfaction on any point, it is our duty to give the best in our power. But our adverfaries will permit us to obferve, that the way they are pleased to take (the way, I mean, of doubts and difficulties) is the longeft way about; and I much fear, they will never find it the fhortest way home. For if they really have determined with themselves, not to become Chriftians, till every difficulty that may be ftarted concerning the revealed difpenfations of God, or any part of them, be fully cleared up, I will fairly tell them, that, I I apprehend, they muft die Deifts. I will likewife farther tell them, that if they fhould refolve not to believe in the existence of God, till every objection can be folved, relative to the works of creation, and the course of his providence, I verily believe they muft die Atheists. At least, I will not undertake their converfion, in either cafe. For in the first place, whether the folution be fatisfactory to themselves, none but themfelves can be the judges; and their prejudices will not suffer them to judge fairly. In the fecond place, if they produce an hundred objections, and we can folve ninety-nine of them, that which remains unfolved will be deemed a plea fufficient to juftify their continuing in incredulity. In the third place, it is impoffible in the nature of things, that we should be equal to the folution of every difficulty, unless we were well acquainted with many points of which it has pleafed God to keep us in ignorance, till the last day fhall open and unfold them. Nay, in fome inftances, it is impoffible, unless we could fee and know, as God himself fees and knows. But it is an axiom in science, that difficulties are of no weight against demonstrations. The exiftence of God once proved, we are not, in reason, to fet that proof afide, because we cannot at prefent account for all his proceedings. The divine legation of Mofes, and that of Jefus Chrift, ftand upon their proper evidence, which cannot be fuperfeded and nullified by any pretended or real difficulties occurring in the Jewish and Christian difpenfations. If we can folve the difficulties, fo much the better; but if we cannot, the evidence is exactly where it was. Upon that evidence is Qur |