Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

tion must be bad; and those who prescribe | churchman is bound to consider it as such. such enquiries have their own interest and selfishness more at heart than the subject itself, or the good of mankind. We live in an age, in which we daily hear and see many efforts to promote learning. Far be it from me to discourage those who really have in view the benefits that may arise from such laudable pursuits. But learning, without the ability and disposition to detect and expose error, appears to me useless. If, as I am fearful is often the case, we engage in any study to overawe and bewilder the multitude, it is highly

criminal.

In the year 1811, Sir W. Drummond wrote a book, entitled CDIPUS JUDAICUS, and had printed about 250 copies for private circulation among his friends. He throws some ridicule upon the literal interpretation of the Scriptures, and sncers at the bigots of the present times. He says, that by the allegorical interpretation, the Scriptures are exalted, as containing a fund of science as well as being of divine origin; and, holding that opinion, he laughs at the literal interpretation, because it must happen that to him who believed the one mode of interpretation to be true, the other must appear not only false but ridiculons. The rest of the work is occupied in discussing the nature and objects of the allegories introduced by the sacred writers for the wisest purposes. The work is written with great labour, and displays a fand of prodigious erudition. It has been attacked by the Rev. G. D'Oyly, B. D. Christian Advocate in the University of Cambridge, and Chaplain to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, who says it is the production of a crazy dream, and treats.the author as an infil, a blusphemer, a lunatic. Three anonymous writers have started up in its favour, who shew, by sound argument and much learning, the utility of the work, and the ignorance and malice of the accuser.-Vindex | tells the Reverend Advocate, that a person who does not exercise the reason which God has given him in the guidance of his faith, will be a Pagan, a Mahometan, a Christian, a Lutheran, or a Calvanist, as chance may direct, or as example may determine. One party hold that the book of Joshua is not a true history, but a collection of traditions. The second party devote the first to the infernal abodes, and maintain that the book in question is a true and authentic history, and that every

The third, and smallest party, deny that a Christian is bound to receive the book as an authentic history; admit that some of the narrative is absurd and incredible if literally understood, but assert it to be chiefly allegorical, and should not be interpreted according to the letter. Vindex says, "you contrived (you best know how) to get possession of a copy of the CEDIPUS JUDAICUS, and your selfish policy soon pointed out to you the advantages which you might obtain for your own private views as a priest, by raising the howl of bigotry against a man who possessed some share of reputation in the literary world. You accuse the author of libelling the clergy, and teaching the same doctrines as Dupuis and Volney, who deny that Jesus Christ ever existed. Your object was to destroy the character of Sir W. Drummond, as a man who possessed no principle either of religion or of common honesty; and in so doing to obtain credit to yourself in bringing so heinous an individual before the bar of the public. But happily for him and some others, the power in you is not waiting the will to do mischief. I, therefore, deem it expedient to rebuke the spirit of malice which lies lurking under the bypocritical cant of the Christian Advocate. For philosophy, you and many others seem to have an innate abhorrence; and, therefore, no man who knows you will expect you to discourse with him upon gencral principles of reason. Your views are all partial and limited. You see the little world about you, and you are satisfied with your own knowledge. You sway the opinions of the vulgar, and proscription awaits the rash man who dares to call philosophy his counsellor, and reason his guide. With respect to the sciences, no bigot ever really loved them. To school learning you render due homage. It keeps the mind off from speculation, which you fear and abhor. I see in your writings abundant evidence of an overbearing dogmatism, and priestly pride, but little of the candour which might influence, or the justice which ought to guide, the pen of a Christian Advocate. You would be a persecutor like Gardner, if you possessed his power; and a high priest, like Laud, if you could obtain his dignity. You have all the intemperance of Warburton without his genius, and all the intolerance of Horsley without his learning."

Biblicus tells the Archbishop's Chaplain,

those who sincerely ask it, the Bible may be spiritually understood; therefore a cobler may be as good a teacher as a Doctor of Divinity. The Doctor has shewn us, that an establishment is requisite to make Christianity seem a rational system of belief; and Mr. Cunningham has shewn us there is no such necessity, inasmuch as Christianity cannot be comprehended merely by human reason, but requires the aid of inspiration. The Doctor seems to place the whole merit of Christianity in its moral precepts, and uses the name of God very sparingly. Mr. Cunningham says, that

trines, and talks of God as familiarly as if he were his next door neighbour. The Rev. Richard Warner, in one of his sermons, observes, "Whatever wild enthusiasts, on the one hand, or wordly Divines on the other, may assert, conceit, or write to the contrary, this I must continue to think, as long as my faculty of ratiocination remains unclouded, that Christianity, according to the spirit and letter of the Gospel, is a system neither veiled in mystery, nor involved in difficulty, as the for

that his book does him no credit either as a gentleman, a scholar, or a christian; that if he had either grace in his heart, or the manners of a gentleman, "shame would "burn his cheeks to a cinder" for his unparalleled assurance; for while he accuses his adversary of heretical opinion, he is guilty of the same crime himself. Thus, in the character of a supporter, he denies the prophecies, and is sapping the foundation of the Christian religion. Candidus, who appears still to prefer the old version, and writes the most like a mild, moral man, thus observes :-"I abhor persecution in all its shapes. The Romish Inqui-moral precepts are nothing without docsition tortures its victims. Is it less than torture to an enlightened man, who has acquired a reputation for learning and talents, to hear himself charged with gross stupidity and ignorance, while such a clamour is raised against him that he cannot be heard in his own defence? Is it no torture to be driven from the Republic of Letters by an accuser, who is scarcely ever in the right through the long catalogue of his specific charges? Our holy religion wants no such auxiliary as persecution; and it is persecution, cruel perse-mer would lead mankind to imagine; nor cution, unjustly to take away the moral and literary reputation even of an infidel. But the author of the CEDIPUS JUDAICUS is no infidel; and if he were, I should be slow to accuse a man of being an infidel because his method of understanding the books of Moses and Joshua were not mine. Archbishop Tillotson, and other excellent divines, have ridiculed the interpretation the Roman Catholics have given of some most important texts in the New Testament, which the Romanists have chosen to understand according to the letter. These Romanists accuse the Protestants of blasphemy; but we reply that, in ridiculing their interpretation of the Scriptures, we respect the word of God as well as they do."

I find that two Gentlemen, I believe both members of the Church of England, a Dr. Maltby, and a Mr. Cunningham, have also been busily engaged upon this subject. The Doctor contends, that the use of an established Church consists in expounding those passages of the Bible which require the aid of human learning and good sense to understand. Now his opponent says, there can be no use for any Church at all, because the aid of the Spirit is vouchsafed to all

is it essentially and exclusively associated
with any particular form of liturgy, sys-
tem of establishment, or modification of
government, as the latter would suggest
Its real doctrines display, in language level.
to the lowest intellect, mercy to the con-
trite, aid to the humble, and cternal hap-
piness to all good Christians, whether they
be of Paul, or Apollos, of Luther, Cal-
vin, or Arminius, of the Romish pale, or
the Reformed Church, followers of Pres-
byterianism, or advocates of Episcopacy.
To place these simple, but interesting,
doctrines in an affecting and impressive
mankind
point of view, and to urge upon
the steady observance of them, is, if I do
not greatly err, genuine evangelical preach-
ing and the teacher who leads his hearers
into the mazes of mystery, bewildering
them with irresistible gruce, imputed
righteousness, positive predestination, par-
ticular redemption, the perseverance of the
saints, or such like incomprehensible jar-
gon, and the divine who deludes them by
accommodating his discourses to the popu
lar errors, the reigning prejudices, or the
fashionable habits of thinking, which cha-
racterise these times, the spirit of party,
or the suggestions of secular interest, ap

pear to be alike unworthy of the office they assume, and traitors to the cause they profess."

I shall leave your readers to form their own opinions, on the different points of controversy here introduced. But I cannot help observing, that though the promulgation of these opinions may be considered by many as the proof of too much liberty of the press being now allowed, and that by the generality of your admirers it may appear to them quite enough, it seems to me no proof at all upon the subject. It is too often the case, that it is the man who falls the victin, instead of his measures or opinions, and it always will be so while we have a corrupt press, shackled without a previous censorship. A free press can do harm only to those who wish to live like drones, by any means that craft and villainy can devise, on the industry of others. It ought always to be borne in mind, that in America they have a press really free, a population of 7,000,000 of human beings, generous, brave, and free, without either a superstitions, or a despotic establishment. If ever there was a cause worthy of martyrdom, and a victim could do good to so noble a cause, in that cause, and no other, might my countrymen demand the life of VARRO.

66

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD.

who have the immediate superintendance of the prison, were informed of this circumistance; and, as it appeared to the writer, that no time was to be lost in obtaining some relief to these prisoners, he addressed the following letter to the Rev. Dr. Lee, the Vice-Chancellor :

"This letter is most respectfully addressed to the Vice-Chancellor by one who entertains hopes that it will be received with his usual condescension, and not be hastily thrown aside or disregarded. The Vice-Chancellor is acquainted with the structure, as well as the management of the city-prison, to which he has the power of commitment. He must know the damp state of the walls of that prison, arising from the nature of the stone with which it is built; and that there are merely slidingboards, and no glass, to the windows of the cells in which the prisoners sleep; a severity which, as it was never in the contemplation of the law, will, it is hoped, be speedily obviated; for, under these circumstances, imprisonment, in the winter, is a punishment of the severest kind, and most destructive to the health and constitution of those who are not very robest, and more particularly of females. The ViceChancellor, however, may possibly not be aware (as he may never have been informed of the fact) that two of the females, whom he committed a short time ago, were

their commitment, they have been under a course of medicine for that disease, administered by the apothecary of the establishment; and that these females have always been obliged to sleep in the common cells, though they might have been accommodated with a warmer apartment in the prison. The Vice-Chancellor is humbly requested to make some inquiry into the circumstances of this case; and always to ask those women who are likely to be ill of this disease when brought before him, whether they are so or not; and to issue his orders, or adopt some method, by which women so diseased, may not be obliged to pass the long winter nights in the abovementioned cold and damp cells, then taking a medicine that requires particular care and attention.-The writer of this appeals to the humanity of the Vice-Chancellor, most sincerely hopes that it will not have been made in vain !”

SIR,-In the letter which lately appear-ill of the venereal discase, and that since ed in your REGISTER, on the severity that has been frequently exercised by the Proctors of the University of Oxford on certain unfortunate females, it is stated that, in the city-prison to which they are generally committed, "in damp weather, the cells in which they sleep literally "run down with water; that there is no glass in the windows, and only a sliding “board to exclude the wind and rain."To the truth of this statement, any person seeing them at the present season can fully testify; to which might have been added, that were the sliding board well adapted for the purpose of excluding the wind and rain, which is by no means the case, it must recessarily at the same time exclude the light. The writer of this letter, together with some friends, lately saw almost every part of this prison. Amongst the female prisoners, there were two ill of the venereal disease, who, during the whole time of their confinement (and it had then been for many days), slept in The writer of the above letter to the these wretched cells. The city magistrates, | Vice-Chancellor has reason to think that

Oxford, Dec. 5, 1814.

it was favourab'y received. The Vice- offer their services to the Government of Chancellor's interference, however, in the the United States."

present case was quite unnecessary, as it Mr. Troup also reported a bill "to prowas anticipated by the kindness and libe-vide for the further defence of the frontiers rality of the Mayor and City Magistrates, of the United States, by authorising the to whom application had been previously President to augment the present military made on the subject. The sick-rooms establishment." (which have not been used for a long time) [This bill proposes to provide," that, in are to be immediately repaired, and fur- addition to the present military establishnished with beds for the accommodation of ment of the United States, there be immethose prisoners who are ill; and the writer diately raised forty regiments, in sech prois convinced, that the humanity of the Ma- portions of infantry, artillery, riflemen, and gistrates will induce them to order that the cavalry, as the President of the United windows in the cells be glazed, which, by States may deem proper, to be enlisted to being made to open, will sufficiently venti-serve during the war, unless sooner dislate the prison; and if wire-lattices be charged, and limited as to service to the placed on the outside, there will be no defence of the frontiers of the United States, danger of the glass being broken. This &c. &c."]

whole.

will be an example worthy to be followed The three bills were severally twice by all who have the management of pri-read, and referred to a Committee of the sons; for confinement, labour, and spare diet are surely all that the law requires; Mr. Troup also laid before the House and these are sufliciently distressing with- the following letter from the Secretary at out the addition of cough and rheumatism. War to the Military Committee :It is cruel, unjustifiable, and presumptuous Department of War, Oct. 17. in man to convert the inclemency of the SIR,-The great importance of the subject, seasons into the means of punishment. It and the other duties of the Department which must be observed too, that the prison is could not fail to be very sensibly felt, at so inteused, not merely as a house of correction, resting a period, by a person who had just taken but as the place of confinement of those charge of it, are my apology for not answering who are committed for trial at the City your letter of the 24th of September, at an earQuarter Sessions, and who, till convicted, lier day, on the defects of the present military are legally to be considered as innocent. establishment.-Due consideration has been beTo these prisoners every moderate and rea-stowed on the subject matter of that letter, and sonable indulgence, consistent with the se- I have now the honour to submit to the Commitcurity of their persons, should be granted. tee the following Report: 1. That the present Every magistrate, who has the power of military establishment, amounting to 62,448 inen, committing persons, should occasionally be preserved and made complete, and that the visit the prison to which they are commit-most efficient means authorised by the Constituted. By making proper inquiries concerning the health and management of the prisoners, and taking care that they have good medical assistance, many unnecessary hardships might be prevented, and much misery alleviated.

Oxford, Dec. 12, 1814.

IMPORTANT AMERICAN DOCUMENTS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Washington, Oct. 27.

tion, and consistent with the general rights of our fellow-citizens be adopted, to fill the ranks, and with the least possible delay.-2. That a permanent force, consisting of at least 40,000 men, in addition to the present military esta

blishment, be raised for the defence of our cities and frontiers, under an engagement by the executive with such corps that it shall be employed in that service within certain specified limits, and that a proportionate augmentation of General Officers of each grade and other staff be proMr. Troup, of Georgia, from the Mili-vided for.-3. That the corps of Engineers he tary Committee, reported a bill, making enlarged.-4. That the ordnance department be further provision for filling the ranks of amended. Respecting the Enlargement of the the regular army, by classifying the free Corps of Engineers, I shall submit hereafter a male population of the United States.

more detailed communication. For the proMr. Troup also reported a bill" to an-posed Amendment of the Ordnance, I submit a thorise the President of the United States Report of the Senior Officer of that Department, to accept the services of volunteers, who in this City, which is approved. I shall be ready may associate and organize themselves, and and happy to communicate such further remarks

and details on these subjects as the Committee sume, that it is his intention to press the war may desire, and shall request permission to sug- from Canada, on the adjoining States, while at gest the result of further attention to, and reflec-tempts are made on the City of New York, and tion on, our Military Establishment generally, should any thing occur which may be deemed worthy its attention. I have the honour to be, &c. JAMES MONROE. Hon. G. M. Troup, Chairman, Military Committee, House of Representatives.

Explanatory Observations, accompanying the Letter from the Secretary of War to the Chairman of the Military Committee of the House of the Representatives.

other important points, with a view to the vain project of dismemberment or subjugation. It may be inferred likewise to be a part of the scheme to continue to invade this part of the Union, while a separate force attacks the State of Louisiana, in the hope of taking possession of the City of New Orleans, and of the mouth of the Mississippi, that great inlet and key to the commerce of all that portion of the United States lying westward of the Alleghany mountains.→ The peace in Europe, having given to the enemy In providing a force necessary to bring this war a large disposable force, bas essentially favoured to a happy termination, the nature of the crisis in | these objects. The advantage which a great which we are involved, and the extent of its naval superiority gives to the enemy, by enabling dangers, claim particular attention. If the him to move troops from one quarter to another, means are not fully adequate to the end, discom- from Maine to the Mississippi, a coast of 2000 fiture must inevitably ensue. It is confidently miles extent, is very considerable. Even a small presumed, that it is the intention of the British force, moved in this manner for the purposes Government, by striking at the principal sources avowed by the British commanders, cannot fail of our prosperity to diminish the importance, to be sensibly felt, more especially by those who if not to destroy the political existence, of the are exposed to it. It is obvious, if the militia United States. If any doubt remained on this are to be relied on principally for the defence of subject, it has been completely removed by the our cities and coasts against their predatory and dispatches from our Ministers at Ghent, which desolating incursions, wherever they may be were lately laid before Congress. A nation con-made, that, by interfering with their ordinary tending for its existence against an enemy pow-pursuits of industry, it must be attended with seerful by land and sea, favoured in a peculiar manner by extraordinary events, must make great exertions, and suffer great sacrifices. Forced to contend again for our liberties and in-vide a regular force, with the means of transdependence, we are called on for a display of porting it from one quarter to another along all the patriotism, which distinguished our fel our coast, thereby following the movements of low-citizens in the first great struggle. It may the enemy with the greatest possible rapidity, and be fairly concluded, that if the United States sa-repelling the attack wherever it may be thade. crifice any right, or make any dishonourable These remarks are equally true as to the militia concession to the demands of the British Govern-service generally under the present organization ment, the spirit of the nation will be broken, of the militia, and the short term of service preand the foundations of their union and independ-scribed by law. It may be stated with confi◄ ence shaken. The United States must relinquish dence, that at least three times the force in no right, or perish in the struggle. There is no in- militia has been employed at our principal cities termedis ground to rest on. A concession on one along the coast, and on the frontier in marching point, leads directly to the surrender of every other. to and returning thence, that would have been The result of the contest cannot be doubtful. ¦ necessary in regular troops; and that the exThe highest confidence is entertained that the pence attending it has been more than proporstronger the pressure, and the greater the dan- tionably augmented, from the difficulty, if not ger, the more firm and vigorous will be the rethe impossibility, of preserving the same degree sistance, and the more successful and glorious of system in the militia as in the regular service. the result. It is the avowed purpose of the eneBut it will not be able to repel these predatory my to lay waste and destroy our cities and vil- and desolating incursions. To bring the war to lages, and to desolate our coast, of which examan honourable termination, we must not be ples have already been afforded. It is evidently content with defending ourselves. Different his infention to press the war along the whole ex- feelings must be touched and apprehensions extent of our seaboard, in the hope of exhausting cited in the British Government. By pushing equally the spirits of the people, and the nathe war into Canada, we secure the friendship tional resources. There is also reason to pre- of the Indian tribes, and command their ser

|

rious interruption and loss to them, and injury to the public, while it increases the expence.It is an object of the highest importance, to pro

« ZurückWeiter »