would convey the idea that Hermeias committed suicide, instead of the fact that he was most perfidiously betrayed and cruelly put to death. The former reading not only gives a more regular and natural construction, but it also preserves the consistency of the imagery. To be dear to Apollo and the Muses was a common classical compliment and in conformity with it, the murdered protector of science and its votaries is described as, by his untimely and disastrous death, causing "the rays," the offspring, "of the sun," to mourn as widows for him; while the Muses, the children of Memory, do their part to perpetuate his honour. Xnpow properly signifies, to reduce to the condition of widowhood.] I now submit it to the judgment of candid and competent scholars, whether the interpretation of Phil. ii. 6-8, proposed in the Scripture Testimony, has been overthrown by the learned, ingenious and able, but I humbly think untenable, animadversions of Dr. Jones. A single observation more you will indulge me briefly to make. (7.) The Doctor, in his conclusion, says, "The above passage is justly regarded as one of the strongest in favour of this doctrine;" that is, the doctrine of a divine nature in the person of the Christ: and he represents it as "that fortress which he [Paul] is said to have erected in support of the orthodox faith." Now, I beg leave to rejoin that I have by no means represented this passage as supplying the strongest, or one of the strongest, arguments in favour of the doctrine which appears to me to be contained in the Scriptures. It appears to me to recognize that doctrine in a very sufficient and decided manner; but I should not hold it forth as ranking among the most cogent of detached evidences. Indeed the great strength of the proof in favour of that sentiment lies, to my apprehension, in the variety, frequency and constancy of the modes by which it is involved, implied and incidentally assumed, as well as directly asserted in the great and only rule of faith. It seems to me to be rather an idle inquiry whether this argument or that, in a given case, is separately the strongest. The question for a rational man is whether the arguments, whatever may be their Clapton, HE learned author of "The Scripture Testimony" will, I hope, excuse me if I hazard a remark on the representations in his letter (p. 37). Benevolus, to whom, so far as I know, I am an entire stranger, must, I think, have received more satisfaction, could it have been shewn that his "citations" would not merely be by painful and offensive" to a guarded polemic like Dr. Owen, (p. 38,) or to a modern liberal scholar, such as my justly-respected acquaintance, in whose hands a Trinity, as Burke profligately said of courtly vice, may at length become almost harmless, losing all its grossness;" but that those "citations" had pained and offended the contemporaries and in other respects the admirers of the writers and preachers from whom Benevolus made his selections. A Protestant would not be con tented to represent Transubstantiation as described by such a Roman Catholic as the late Dr. Geddes. Thus my friend Mr. Belsham had, I conceive, a clear right to turn from the qualified language of cautious disputants, and to assume, as "the orthodox doctrine," the popular representations; among which appears prominent "the incarceration of the Creator of the world, in the body of a helpless, puling infant." Proceeding downwards from the pious father, whose marvellous faith produced the exclamation, credo quia impossibile est, we find "the infant-deity" (which, according to Watts, the reason, but, as I should say, the religion of Locke could not bear) adored for ages by the people, as a mystery, without such worship appearing to have excited any censure from their more learned instructors, whether Papal or Protestant, who would, indeed, have hazarded their own reputation for orthodoxy, had they ventured to teach the people that their mystery was an absurdity, and especially to be rejected as painful and offensive to a very high degree." Mr. Rutt on the "Scripture Testimony." The author of "the Scripture Testimony" has very justly characterized some of Dr. Watts's Hymns, with which, indeed, there is reason to believe, no one was, at length, less satisfied than the pious poet himself. Yet those hymns, connected with their repeated republication for general use, even down to the present day, form a host in support of Mr. Belsham's representation of "the orthodox doctrine." Nor should it be forgotten that the Psalms, a later composition of the pious author, and containing, comparatively, few passages offensive to any Christian, were, as is well known, slowly admitted to a competition with the Hymns, which in some orthodox congregations still maintain their ascendancy. But the principal, though a very large use of those pious compositions, has not been, I apprehend, in public worship. With a most laudable design of worthily occupying intervals of leisure, and forming a devout Christian temper, the Hymn-book of Watts, always republished in an uncastigated form, has been recommended, as a daily manual, to children and servants, in the most unqualified terms. At least, the exemplary Christians by whom I had the unspeakable happiness of being led into life, and who were by no means ultra-orthodox, never directed me to pass over a page or even a line in the whole volume, as containing "language" calculated to "wound a thinking and pious mind," or in the least opposed to the language of the Assembly's Catechism, in which, like other infants, I had been taught to dogmatize on the nature of Deity, the supposed complex person of the Saviour, and the Divine decrees. No; I was left, with the thousands of my contemporaries, by parents little inclined to neglect the highest interests of their children, either to hymn an "infant of days" as 157 "Jesus, we bless thy Father's name ; Thy God and ours are both the same." In consistency with this method of early orthodox institution, when about 10 years of age, in a school-exercise for turning English into Latin, which has escaped the accidents of half a century, I was taught, with my classfellows, in the manner of Lord Bacon's Christian Paradoxes, to regard these among the "unparalleled opposites" in the person of the Savi our: "The eternal God once an infant of an hour old; "The immense God, once a child of a span long." My schoolmaster was a highly popular Calvinistic preacher, who riveted the attention of crowded congregations, as I have often witnessed. To his manners were attributed some innocent eccentricities, but his orthodoxy was never questioned. Such, then, are the authorities which occur to me, and they may be easily multiplied, for believing that Mr. Belsham has been inaccurately charged "with misrepresenting and stigmatizing the orthodox doctrine." My friend's language is, as he designed it, highly disgusting. The disgust, however, is chargeable on a system, by which, according to the general understanding of its professors, whatever may be the guarded representations of its more learned advocates, that language is authorized, and not on those who, regarding such a system as a misrepresentation of Christianity, will, if they are conscientious and consistent, seize every fair occasion to develope and to expose it. Such, I am persuaded, will be the conduct of the learned author of "the Scripture Testimony," should he ever discover that the faith for which he ably contends, is not "the faith once delivered to the saints." I scarcely need to add, that disapprobation of any system, and even contempt for some representations which it appears to authorize, are both perfectly consistent with a high respect for the virtues and talents of those by whom that system is maintained. Protestants, amidst all their differences, have agreed to assail, with to say in the words of truth and so- unsparing ridicule, the breaden deity berness, of the Romish Church. Yet they justly eulogize her Pascals and Fenelons, "of whom the world was not worthy," though, by precept and example, they instructed the multitude devoutly to "eat their God," or, in more plausible language, to "receive their Maker." SIR, J. T. RUTT. February, 1822. THE Monthly Repository is now able publication; and it owes its reputation, in a great degree, to the attention, assiduity and impartiality that have been exercised on your part, as its principal conductor. It is of little or no consequence what my opinion may be of the peculiar doctrines which it inclines to favour. These are fit subjects of fair and candid examination; and as long as every writer or reader is left at liberty to form his own judgment of their truth and importance, the inquiry and discussion, which are not only allowed but invited and encouraged, cannot fail, upon the whole, and in the final issue, to be highly advantageous. Although, after mature reflection and long experience, I have not thought that controversial preaching on subjects of mere speculation, indirectly and remotely connected with practice, is calculated to do much good, and I have had occasion to observe, in the course of many years, that it has irritated the passions more than it has enlightened the understanding; yet subjects of this kind, discussed with judgment and candour, form an useful part of our periodical publications. With this view I am anxious to promote the more general diffusion of the Monthly Repository, as it is at present conducted; which, with regard to the importance and utility of its disquisitions, and the liberal plan that is adopted and pursued by those who have the principal direction of it, seems to me to be daily improving, and to merit public patronage and encouragement. After these preliminary remarks, the view in which I now wish to regard the Monthly Repository is that of a correct and impartial detail of historical facts, relating to Protestant Dissenters. Persons of this description, notwithstanding the disadvan tages under which they still labour, and of which they may justly complain, as members of the civil community, constitute a numerous and respectable class of his Majesty's loyal subjects, in various parts of the British empire. In making this assertion, I fear no contradiction from any who are acquainted with the population of the country. I am ready persons to allow, that they, as well as per hoch, and may still have, their prejudices and errors; but I am happy to find, as far as my observation has extended, that liberality of sentiment and just notions of religious liberty are cherished and promoted among them, however they may differ from one another, and from others of their fellow-subjects, with respect to theology or politics, in a greater degree than those who knew them some years ago had reason to expect. I wish there were no limitations to this general remark. The excepted cases, however, are few in number, and, from mistake or malignity, exaggerated in aggravation. To the former cause, with total exclusion of the latter, I ascribe a paragraph, which I was surprised to find in a letter of the late Mr. Howe, of Bridport, published in your last number (pp. 28, 29). Dr. Toulmin is reported to have received a letter from London, informing him that, in order to obstruct and defeat a proposed application of the Catholics for a repeal of the Test laws, the Dissenters, of several classes, wished to waive their petition for redress of this grievance, lest the Catholics should succeed in their endeavours to obtain emancipation. Less enlightened as the Dissenters then were on the subject of religious liberty than they are now, I will venture to affirm, that this report was founded on mistake or misrepresentation. Dr. T., whom I well knew, was too honest and liberal to fabricate such a tale; but he was an industrious collector of anecdotes, and too ready to receive and record as facts, unauthenticated reports, which his correspondent, depending, perhaps, on a newspaper of the day, transmitted to him, as the intelligence of the passing moment. It is possible, indeed, that some few unenlightened Dissenters might be hostile to the Rev. J. Brettell on "The Country Minister." liberty of the Catholics, and express a wish that they might not succeed; and this circumstance might pass from one to another with aggravation, in the gossip of the day, till at length a considerable number of Dissenters were set in array against the Catholics, The fact itself is very improbable; for it must be well known, that the interference of the Dissenters for or against them would be of little avail. My much-esteemed friend, Dr. T., was credulous, and, with regard to some other circumstances, not always very correct. But he never erred intentionally and wilfully. Mr. Howe, indeed, was much less excusable; for he seems to intimate, that the distributors of his Majesty's bounty to the Protestant Dissenting Ministers, then called the regium donum, but since, from an alteration in the mode of its communication, denominated the Par. liamentary Grant, were in the secret; and that they moved the springs of government in opposition to the Catholics. In this insinuation there is a degree of illiberality which does no honour to the memory of a man whom I esteemed, and with whom I was always on terms of intimate acquaintance. He knew where to have applied, if he had thought proper, for more correct information. Over this censurable part of his conduct I wish to throw a veil; and I regret that the letter to which I refer found its way into the Repository. I am much misinformed if those persons to whom he directed his correspondent for information could have gratified his curiosity; and if they were not as totally ignorant of the fact as the two country correspondents. I have sufficient reason for believing, that no intercourse on political measures, private or public, subsisted between the persons above calumniated and any members of his Majesty's administration, for the last fifty years. I have been assured, on an authority which I have no reason to question, that they have, on other occasions, asserted and maintained their independence. Ministers of state may easily find more pliant materials on which to exert their influence than the minds of persons who derived no benefit from any money which they received or imparted, besides the pleasure of relieving indigent 159 merit; and this they considered as an ample recompence for their trouble in the transaction of this business. But it has been the fate of these men, nor is their case singular, to be most calumniated by those to whom they have been most communicative. I take the liberty of mentioning these particulars in order to render the collectors of anecdotes more cautious, in their record and detail of supposed facts, founded on conjecture and presumption, without a tittle of authentic evidence to support them; and to prevent their imposing, under the sanction of your valuable Repository, on the credulity of any of your readers. What is the number or what is the rank of Dissenters that are now adverse to Catholic emancipation, I cannot undertake to pronounce; but I am happy to say, that in my connexion there are very few, if any, of this description; and as for others, I can only wish that they were more enlightened and more liberal. It has been said, without sufficient evidence, that if the Catholics succeed in their application, they would be hostile to Protestant Dissenters. However this may be, it furnishes no reason why we should not wish them success, and thus by our greater liberality triumph over their more contracted and selfish principles. At all events, I beg leave to suggest my own opinion, that the case of Protestant Dissenters and that of Catholics are perfectly distinct; and whatever may be our secret or declared wishes in their favour, the repeal of the Test laws, as a subject of parliamentary consideration, should be separately argued, as they respectively affect the Catholics and the Protestant Dissenters; nor should we blend our case with theirs, lest we should injure instead of aiding and supporting one another. time cannot be far distant when both must succeed, and those disgraceful laws be expunged from the StatuteBook of the British empire. The AN OLD DISSENTER. Rotherham, I am particularly obliged to you for the observation, expressing your opinion that the poem does not contain "the history of any individual," since I am informed it has given offence to some who have erroneously considered it as a history of myself. : Amongst these a report has reached me, that I have been condemned by some gentlemen connected with the York College, for a supposed reflection upon the impartiality and justice of the able and excellent superintendants of that important and valuable institution and I am not sure whether others, less candid, have not attributed to me a design of thus attempting to injure it in the estimation of the public. Had such, however, been my design, the unworthy attempt could only have injured myself; for whilst the York College continues to send forth so respectable and useful a succession of ministers as those who have already, for many years, proceeded from it, and who now hold some of the most respectable situations, nothing that its enemies (if such there be) may insidiously throw out against its character, can injure it in the opinion of so enlightened a body of Christians as the Unitarian Dissenters of this kingdom. It would, therefore, have argued a want of common sense and prudence in me to have so openly attacked its character, and thus exposed myself to censure, especially as I myself was an élève of the institution, lived for five years under its fostering shade, and owe to it, in a great measure, whatever little talent I may possess. When young and fatherless, the York College was to me a nursing mother: how then can any one suppose me so destitute of common gratitude as to aim an unnatural blow at the reputation of my Alma Mater? It has, however, been supposed, and I, therefore, deem it a duty which I owe to my own character, as well as to that of the institution, thus publicly to acknowledge my obligations to it, and to express my high opinion both of the talents and virtues of the gentlemen connected with it, either as superintendants or tutors, whilst I, at the same time, most positively disavow the intention so unjustly imputed to me. In addition to this disavowal, I beg leave to add a few words in explana tion of my object, in the passage which has unfortunately been misunderstood. In that passage, as in the rest of the poem, I wished to describe the feelings of a young man of sanguine temperament and acute sensibility, with little perseverance or industry, and deeming it natural for such a youth, when disappointed at College in the hopes which his ardent mind had conceived, to imagine that the prizes which his ambition prompted him to covet, but which neither his attainments nor exertions enabled him to gain, were partially and unjustly distributed, I represented him as entertaining "some mistrust Of those who dealt the prize," &c. without reference to the sentiments of any particular person, or the character of any particular institution. That I had no intention whatever to throw the least blame on the conduct of the gentlemen engaged as tutors in the York College, (who were always kinder to me than I deserved, and who, I am persuaded, are guided by the best of motives in their behaviour to the students under their care,) will be evident to the candid reader from the following lines, containing Alfred's reflections on his departure from college, upon the manner in which he had spent his time there, and his inattention to the good advice which had been addressed to him by his tutors: "Now, too, for when from aught belov'd A we part, thousand fond regrets will swell the Remembrance sigh'd o'er hours too idly heart, past In trifling studies; and yet fled too fast : O'er wilful faults, and careless, proud neglect Of those whose wisdom most deserv'd respect, The mild preceptors, who, in language kind, Reprov'd his faults," &c. Before I conclude this communication, permit me, Mr. Editor, to make one general observation naturally suggested by it; that it is a very unfair mode of criticism which identifies the author with the hero of his work, and refers every sentiment that may occur in it to the actual feelings of his own |