I confess, no particular force in this objection. Peter, it should be recollected, had made a boast on a former occasion, that, whatever others might do, nothing should induce him to deny or betray his Master. "Although all should be offended," says he, (Mark xiv. 29,) "yet will not " thus placing his own attachment to Christ on higher grounds than that of his fellowdisciples. In this view our Lord's question to Peter might have had some allusion to his former professions of attachment, and might thus have been intended to convey an indirect rebuke grounded on his late fickleness and miscarriage. Of the above interpretations, the first and third have been most generally adopted. The second appears to me to be the only one which suits both the context and the grammatical construction of the passage. Different minds, however, will of course be differently affected by them; and it is possible that many arguments in favour of the first and third interpretations may have been overlooked by me in the course of the preceding remarks. If any of your learned readers, Sir, are in possession of such arguments, by stating them in some future Number of the Monthly Repository they will oblige your occasional correspondent, SIR, O. P. Q. the Books of Daniel and Esther seem probable? In the Hebrew copies of those books we find, that under the Persian monarchy, the king could not revoke a decree which he had once signed. This seemed very strange to the inhabitants of Alexandria, living under a very different government, and very ignorant of the ancient Persian customs. Some of them, therefore, boldly wrote another account of the circumstances of Daniel's being thrown into the lion's den, in order to evade the difficulty. This appears to me to furnish a very strong internal proof, that the Books of Daniel and Esther were written during the continuance of the Persian monarchy, as otherwise this very remarkable custom would probably not have been mentioned in them. It strengthens this argument to observe, that Josephus in his history of Esther, and Racine in his play, have both committed the error of making the king revoke his decree, which shews the high probability that an historian who has given a correct history of these transactions, must have lived while the custom was still in existence, that is, before the destruction of the Persian empire. This is of importance, because, as the Book of Daniel certainly contains prophecies of events long after the destruction of the Persian empire; if it were written before that time, the divine authority of its prophecies, T the conclusion of the Book of from which the truth of the Jewish Atat conclusion of taint is the and Christian revelations may very following: "This Psalm was written by David, when he fought with Goliath, and is out of the number: 'I was the least among my brethren, the youngest in the house of my father. I fed father's sheep. My hand January 12, 1822. you have inserted account made the pipe, and my fingers formed A of a conference of the Emperor the viol. And who told it to my Lord? He is the Lord, he heareth. He sent his messenger, and took me from my father's sheep, and anointed me with the oil of his anointing. My brethren were fair and great, yet the Lord did not take pleasure in them. I went out to meet the Philistine, and he cursed me by his idols. But I, having seized his sword from him, cut off his head, and took away reproach from the sons of Israel.'" How is it that this has not been put in the Apocrypha? Does the following account of the additions in the Apocrypha to Alexander with three Quakers, Vol. XVI. p. 701, I send you what I take to be an equally authentic narrative of a less formal conference between Peter the Great, the founder of the Russian Empire, and two respectable members of that Society, in the words of one of them. If you think fit to accept it, your readers will see that this ancestor of Alexander was so far from affecting to adopt the peaceable principles of the Friends, that he inquired of what use they could be in any kingdom, seeing they would not bear arins and fight? Yet this conference seems Conference of Peter the Great with two English Quakers. to have induced the Czar to attend the Friends' Meeting, at Gracechurch Street, with his suite and interpreter, the next Sunday morning. And while he was at Deptford, afterwards, acquiring a practical knowledge of shipbuilding, he occasionally attended their meeting at that place, and behaved not only with great propriety, but with the condescension of a truly great man, by changing seats, or standing up to accommodate others. His conduct also towards the Quakers in so promptly ordering his soldiers out of their Meeting-house at Frederickstadt, going himself to their meeting, and acting as an interpreter to his attendants, who did not understand the language of the preacher, was to give an impressive, practical lesson of toleration, and almost of religious liberty, which many monarchs have yet to learn, or want the virtue or the wisdom to act upon. There seems, indeed, to have been in his intercourse with the Friends, an entire consonance between his actions and his professions, which is more than I can say of Alexander's. His I confess rather remind me of the saying of Napoleon, who was personally acquainted with hin, and a shrewd discerner of the real character of others, (whatever might be the defects of his own,) when he described Alexander, as delightful in conversution, but as false und treacherous as a Greek," alluding, I suppose, not to the modern Greeks, but to the well-known line in Virgil— "timeo Danaos et dona ferentes." F. "At this time," (1697,) says Thomas Story, (Journal of his Life, fol. Vol. I. p. 123,) "Peter the Great, Czar of Muscovy, being in London incog., and Gilbert Mollyson (Robert Barclay's wife's brother) having heard that a kinsman of his was in the Czar's service, and being desirous to increase the knowledge of the truth, requested me to go with him in quest of his kinsman to the Czar's residence, a large house at the bottom of York Buildings, in order to present him with some of Robert Barclay's Apologies in Latin, hoping they might fall under the Czar's notice. When we came to the place, Gilbert inquired of the porter after his cousin. 79 "Being invited up stairs, we observed two tall men walking in a large room, and being directed to the Czar's interpreter, he told us, that such a person had been in the Czar's service, but was dead. "In the mean time, the Czar and Prince Menzicoff, his general, came to us, and upon the Czar saying something to his interpreter which we did not understand; he asked us, as we had our hats on, Why do you not pay respect to great persons when you are in their presence?' I answered, (says Thomas Story,)' So we do when we are fully sensible of it, especially to kings and princes; for, though we decline all vain and empty shows of respect and duty, and flattering titles, whereby they are generally deceived by insincere and designing men; yet we yield all due and sincere respect to such, and all in authority under them, by ready obedience to all their lawful commands. But when, at any time, any of them, either through tyranny or ignorance, or ill counsel, happen to command any thing contrary to our duty to the Almighty, or his Son, Christ our Lord, then we offer our prayers to God, and humble addresses unto such rulers, that their understandings may be opened, and their minds changed towards us.' 66 The Czar made no reply to this, but talked with his interpreter again, who then asked, 'Of what use can you be in any kingdom or government, seeing you will not bear arms and fight?' "To this I replied, "That many of us had borne arms in times past; but when it pleased God to reveal in our hearts the life and power of Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord, whose commandment is love, we were then reconciled unto God, one unto another, unto our enemies, and unto all men. Yet we are of use in any kingdom or government. For the principle of our religion forbids idleness and incites to industry; as it is written, They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks.' And we being concerned in all manner of husbandry, as likewise in manufactories and merchandizing, with the blessing of heaven upon our labours, do not want, but rather abound. "And though we are prohibited arms, and fighting in person, as inconsistent (we think) with the rules of the gospel of Christ, yet we can, and do by his example, readily and cheerfully pay unto every government where we happen to be subject, such sums and assessments as are required of us, by the respective laws under which we live. For when a general tax was laid by the Roman Czar upon his extensive empire, and the time of payment came, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is not of this world, demanded of Peter,- Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money; that take, and give unto them (the tribute-gatherers) for me and thee' thus working a miracle to pay a tax, where it was not strictly due. We, by so great an example, do freely pay our taxes to Cæsar, who, of right, hath the direction and application of them, to the various ends of government, to peace or to war, as it pleaseth him, or as need may be, according to the constitution or laws of his kingdom; and in which we, as subjects, have no direction or share. For it is Caesar's part to rule in justice and in truth; but ours to be subject, and mind our own business, and not to meddle with his.' "After this I said to the interpreter, that we understood there was a person of great dignity and distinction in that place, a stranger very inspectious into the state of affairs and things in general; and might be also inquisitive into the state of religion; and we, lest that great prince should be misinformed concerning us and our religion, had brought him some books dedicated to the sovereign of our own country; by which he might please to see a full account of our principles. We then produced two of the Apoloies in Latin. "The Czar then talked again with the interpreter, who asked us, Were not these books writ by a Jesuit? It is said there are Jesuits among you.' To which Gilbert Mollyson replied, That is a calumny, and proves the necessity of our endeavours in that respect at this time. We have no Jesuits among us. Our religion and theirs differ very widely. "This book was writ by a near relation of mine who was not a Jesuit, but sincerely of those principles asserted and maintained in the book, as our whole community is.' "Then the Czar and interpreter talked together again; after which, the latter offered us some gold for the books; but I told them, they were a present to that great prince; all we desired was, that they might be acceptable; and that in case any of our Friends should come into his country and preach those principles, and meet with opposition, and be persecuted by any officers or persons in power under him for the same, he would please to afford them protection and relief. Then they talked together again, the interpreter kept the books, and the Czar and Prince Menzicoff retired into the room from whence they came. "The interpreter afterwards told us, the Czar did not understand the Latin tongue, but only his own language and high Dutch. This was about the beginning of the week, and the next first day (Sunday) the Czar, the prince, and a great company of his other attendants, came in the morning to our meeting in Grace-church Street, all in English habits, like English gentlemen, and the same interpreter with him. I happened to be there in the [preachers'] gallery, and the first I knew was Prince Menzicoff. Robert Haddock had begun to preach a little before they came in, upon the subject of Naaman, the captain-general of the host of the Assyrians, going to the prophet for cure of his leprosy; who directing him to dip himself seven times in the river Jordan, the general, despising the means, was about to return without a cure, till being persuaded, by his own servant, to make a trial of the means prescribed, he found the end accomplished by happy experience. "The nations of this world,' said the preacher, being defiled and distempered, as with a leprosy of sin and uncleanness, no cure or help could be found until the Almighty, in his infinite goodness, sent his Son Jesus Conference of Peter the Great with two English Quakers. Christ into the world to die for man, as a propitiation for sin; through whom also he hath sent forth his divine light, spirit and grace upon all mankind, in order for the completing of that cure; which nothing less can do, and to which all mankind are directed by the servants of Christ; and as many as have believed, and made trial of this excellent means, have found the blessed effects thereof; they have been healed, cured and cleansed.' "Now,' said he, if thou wert the greatest king, emperor or potentate upon earth, thou art not too great to make use of the means offered by the Almighty for thy healing and restoration, if ever thou expect to enter his kingdom, into which no unclean thing can come.' "The Czar and his interpreter were often whispering together, though Robert Haddock knew nothing of his being in the meeting; and thus he staid very sociably, till observing the people crowd up before him to gaze, (which he could not endure,) he retired on a sudden, along with his company, before the meeting was quite over. Some people in the streets had seen him as he came, and, discovering who he was, crowded after him to see him more perfectly. "After this he went incognito to Deptford, to improve himself in the art of ship-building, and there wrought at it with his own hands. Gilbert Mollyson and I acquainting some Friends how we happened to see him, and had given him some books, and that he understood High Dutch, William Penn, George Whitehead and some other Friends went to Deptford, and waited on him privately, and presented him with more of the same books in that language, which he accepted; and, afterwards, was sometimes at our meeting there, behaving as a private person, and very social; changing seats, standing or sitting as occasion might be, to accommodate others as well as himself. "When this great prince had, in a good degree, furnished himself with useful knowledge in natural things, necessary for the civilizing and improving the barbarous people of his kingdom and nation, he returned thither, accomplished with experience in 81 many particulars, to the great advancement thereof in general. "In the year 1712, the Czar of Muscovy, being in the city of Frederickstadt, with 5000 soldiers to assist the Danes against the Swedes, after he had quartered his men, inquired of one of the Burgomasters, whether there were any of the people called Quakers there. The officer told him there were a few. The Czar asked him if they had a meeting in the place. The officer told him they had. Then the Czar bid the officer let the Friends know that if they would appoint their meeting that forenoon, being first day, he would be at it. The officer replied, that there were thirty of his soldiers in the meeting place, so that there could not be any meeting in it. "When the Czar heard this, he was angry that they had put soldiers there, and sent an order by one of his own captains, that they should all be put out forthwith, and that notice should be given to the Friends by the captain, that if they would appoint the meeting, he would come to it; and accordingly the officer gave notice to Jacob Hagen, then at Frederickstadt, and Philip Defair, a public Friend [or minister] who lived there; and not only ordered the soldiers out of the room, but made them take away all that they had brought thither. And the place being made ready, they had their meeting at the second hour afternoon; to which the Czar came, and brought with him Prince Menzicoff, of Muscovy, the General Dolgoruchez, and several others of his dukes, generals, and secretaries of state, and other great men. A great crowd following, he ordered the door to be shut, as soon as a competent number were in to sit comfortably, and many more came to the windows and all about. "After some time of silence, Philip Defair preached the doctrine of truth among them, and all sat very quiet, but especially the Czar; who sat very gravely all the time of silence, and all the others, being awed by his example and presence, did so likewise. But the Muscovite lords and generals not understanding the language, and the Czar himself understanding it pretty well, interpreted to them what was declared, with much gravity and seri ousness; commending what he heard, saying, that whoever could live according to that doctrine would be happy. A Friend, after this, presenting him with Robert Barclay's Catechism and Apology in High Dutch, he said he would have them translated and printed in his own language." SIR, F I have, as your correspondent They dare not call in our Bibles and substitute the Prayer-Book for them; but they take infinite and unwearied pains to prove that it is dangerous to trust the Bible alone. "A Bible," says one of these worthies, “given away by a Papist will be productive of Popery; the Socinian will make his Bible speak Socinianism; while the Calvinist, the Baptist and the Quaker, will teach the opinions peculiar to I'John Buncle their men with been guilty of an "uncharitable imputation of want of charity," in the case of Dr. Marsh and Co., I am sincerely sorry for it: and gladly should I acknowledge my error could I find, on an attentive re-consideration of the subject, any reasons for so doing. In John Buncle's letter I see, indeed, a very brisk retort on the Evangelical party, which, as I provoked it, I suppose it behoves me to bear patiently. At the same time, as I am neither Evangelical nor High Church, but a lover of conscientious honesty whereever I can meet with it, I hope not to be considered a friend to orthodox faith or practice any farther than as this appears in connexion with ingeguousness, and that with charity. Nor do I presume to attack the High Church party upon other ground than that of disingenuousness, in retaining and upholding a system of faith, by which it yet refuses to abide: and of illiberality in hunting out of the Church men whose greater conformity of belief gives them a superior claim to be considered as its real members. But it is to the expression of "Protestant spirit," as applied to them, that John Buncle chiefly objects. I do not know what ideas the word "Protestant" may suggest to his mind. Sure I am that though to me it brings many cheering and delightful images, I cannot connect the past history of those who have borne it with any extended views of religious toleration. I regard its chief and peculiar gift to have been the Holy Scriptures; and its great boon to man, the substitution of the words of our Lord and his followers, for the traditions of a church. Now it does seem to me very clear, that if in the English Church there be any agency at work to counteract this blessed effect of Protestantism, it is that of the High Church party. Bibles, (I speak as a true Churchman,) and you will supply them with arins against yourself." "What God has joined together," says Dr. Wordsworth, speaking of the circulation of Church tracts with the Bible, "let not man put asunder." "For though," says Dr. Marsh," without the Bible, the Liturgy has no support, yet, without the Liturgy, men are left in doubt, whether the principles of our faith should be embraced by them or not. Without the Liturgy, they want a guide, to lead them to the Established Church. Without the Liturgy, the Bible may be made to lead them into doctrine and discipline most discordant with our own.” ↑ In a better and, with leave from John Bunele, in a more "Protestant spirit," exclaims Dealtry, (an Evangelical Churchman,) "And this is common sense and reason and charity and sound Churchmanship! Eternal God! hast thou provided thy blessed Word to be a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path'? Hast thou indeed enjoined it upon us all, as a sacred duty, to search the Scriptures; to read them by day; to meditate upon them by night; to teach them diligently to our children; to talk of them when we sit in the house, when we lie down and when we rise up; to receive them with all reverence, as the record of truth, as the guide to everlasting life? And shall creatures like us attempt to impede the free course of thy mercy, and to defeat thy providential designs? Shall we interpose Lord Teignmouth. + National Religion the Foundation of National Education, a Sermon preached in St. Paul's, June 13, 1811. By Herbert Marsh, D. D. F. R. S. |