Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

not fo much owing to any error of the understanding, as to a malignity of heart and here he mentions, particularly, the Author of the Effay on Spirit, as chargeable with this crime; probably → with no other view than that of gaining an opportunity of paying a compliment to Dr. Randolph, whofe Anfwer to the Effay on Spirit, indifferent as it is, he highly commends. "Tis unneceffary, we apprehend, to take up any more of our Readers time with an account of this performance; the fmall fpecimen we have already given, being fully fufficient to fhew the difcerning Reader what is to be expected from this Author, on the fubject of Fundamentals; a fubject which, in our opinion, may be difcuffed in a very narrow compafs. The fundamental doctrines of ChriftiSanity, it fhould feem, can be no other than what are expressly required to be believed, in order to our obtaining the Chriftian Salvation. Now of this kind we find nothing in the whole New Teftament but that fingle article, that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God. Whosoever shall confefs that Jefus is the Son of God, lays the Apostle John, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. So that every one that affents to this fundamental truth, and fincerely endeavours to understand the revelation, and act according to it, * must be a true Christian, and entitled to all the privileges of Chriftian communion.

3

2. Preached at Chrift Church in Newgate-ftreet, on Tuesday the 21ft of September, 1756, before the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, and Governors of the feveral Hofpitals in this City. By the Rev. James Penn, Under-grammar Master of Chrift's Hofpital. 4to. 6d. Say, in Newgate-street.

[ocr errors]

The words from which Mr. Penn here difcourfes, are thefeAnd when Ahitophel faw that bis counsel was not followed, he faddled his afs and arofe, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his houfhold in order; and banged himself.From fo uncommon a text, we expected fomething uncommon in the fermon; upon reading it, however, we found only fome trite obfervations on the efficacy of religion, to procure the divine protection against our enemies interlarded with some scraps of hiftory, and arguments in favour of a Militia; a fubject not very properly introduced in a pulpit. But this GentleIman, from the choice of his text, and, indeed, from the whole of his fermon, feems to have little regard to connexion or propriety for had he felected any other paffage in the Old Teftament, it could fcarcely have proved much less fuitable to his difcourfe. What has the fuicide of Ahitophel to do with national Reformation, or the establishment of a National Militia ?

3. Frugality the Support of Charity-At the anniversary meeting of the Governors of the Infirmary for the counties of Durham, Newcastle, and Northumberland, June 23, 1756. By Edm. Tew, D.D. Rector of Boldon, in the county of Durham. To which is annexed, a ftate of the charity, lift of fubfcribers, &c. 4to. 6d. Hitch, &c. 4. Preached

4. Preached at the ordination of the Rev. Mr. William Porter, July 7, 1756, at Miles's Lane, London. By John Conder. Together with an introductory Difcourfe, by Timothy Jollie; Mr. Porter's Confeffion of Faith; and an exhortation to him, by Thomas Hall. 8vo. 1s. Buckland.

5. The Character of faithful Minifters, and the Respect due to their Memory, confidered,On the death of the Rev. Mr. William Notcutt. Preached at Ipfwich, July 25, 1756. By Ebenezer Cornel. 8vo. 6d. Field.

6. The Character and Death of Abraham-Occafioned by the death of the Rev. Mr. Culcheth. Preached at Stockport, in Chefhire, June 3, 1756. By John Milne. 8vo. 6d. Griffiths.

7. On the Decrease of the Chriftian Faith. By Jofeph Greenbill, Rector of Eaft-Horley, and Eaft Clandon, in Surry. Crowder.

4to.

I S.

8. Morality and Religion effential to Society. At Leicester-affizes, Aug. 12, 1756. By Ralph Heathcote, A. M. 8vo. 6d. Payne. 9. The odious Nature of Unfaithfulness in general, with fome particular aggravations of its guilt, and prefervatives from it. At Stafford Affizes, Aug. 22, 1756. By Jofeph Crewe, D. D. Rector of Maxon, Saffordshire. 4to .6 d. Whiston.

10. Grace confidered in its Operations on the Understanding, the Will, and the Affections; before the Univerfity of Oxford. At St. Mary's, Oct. 5, 1755. By John Bilftone, M. A. Chaplain of All-fouls 8vo. 6d. Rivington.

11. The Good Man's Character and Reward. At the Charter, houfe Chapel, Dec. 12, 1755. at the anniverfary commemoration of the Founder, Thomas Sutton, Efq; By Robert Norton, M. A. Rector of Southwick, in the county of Suffex, and Chaplain to the Duke of Richmond. 4to. 6d. Bathurst.

1.126 On Benevolence; with a fummary of the life and character of Dean Collet. In the cathedral church of St. Paul, June 29, 1756, before the gentlemen educated at St. Paul's School. By D. Bellamy, Chaplain of Peterfham and Kew, in Surry, and Vicar of St. Stephen's, in St. Alban's. 4to. 6d. Davis.

13. Religion and its temporal promifes confidered. Before the University of Oxford, at St. Mary's, on Act funday, July 11, 1756. By Edward Blake, D. D. Fellow of Oriel College, Vicar of St. Mary's, and Chaplain to the Bishop of Sarum. 8vo. 6d. Rivington.

14. In Lambeth Chapel, at the confecration of the Right Rev. Fathers in God, John, Lord Bishop of Brittol, and John, Lord Bifhop of Bangor, July 4, 1756. By John Spry, B. D. Archdeacon of Berks. 8vo. 6d. Rivington.

Errata in our fast.

P. 241, 1. 18. for, fixed the ftars, r. the fixed ftars. P. 274, 1. §. for, he, r. they. P. 285, 1. 11. for, Virgil, read Horace. P. 290, 1. S. for, Gotto, r. Gyotto.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]
[graphic]

Three Tracts. 1. Remarks upon this Question: Whether the Appearances under the Old Teftament were Appearances of the true God himself, or only of fome other Spiritual Being, reprefenting the true God, and acting in his Name. 2. An Efay on the Schechinah. Or, Confiderations on the divine Appearances mentioned in the Scriptures. 3. Texts of Scripture, relating to the Logos, confidered. By the late Reverend and Learned Mofes Lowman. 8vo. 3s. Noon. to soubo

TH

THIS Author is well known, and his former writings have been well received by the public, particularly his Differtation on the Civil Government of the Hebrews; and, therefore, it is not to be doubted that due regard, and attention, will be fhewn to thefe Tracts. But had Mr. Lowman been an obfcure writer, the recommendation of thofe learned Gentlemen, who have ufhered this pofthumous piece into the world, with a Preface figned with their names, would have been fufficient to have procured it a favourable reception.

Before we proceed to give an account of the Tracts, it may not be improper to obferve, that the reverend and learned Editors, tho' they recommend the book, and think "fome late "favourite opinions will be nearly affected hereby, do not "think themselves accountable for any particular fentiments "of the Author's, or explications of texts of Scripture which

Samuel Chandler, Nath. Lardner, Edward Saundercock. VOL XV.

Ff

<he

he hath given; but judge the performance highly deferving "the public perufal." But, pity it is, that when they took the pains to amend "fome incorrectnesses that arife from the hafte

of writing, or the want of a revifal," they did not allo affift the Reader with fome obfervations, to fecure him from error. The more learned and ingenious Mr. Lowman was, the more likely this book to propagate errors, if his opinions were wrong and no men more proper than his learned Editors, to have guarded against thofe errors. If fome late fa"vourite opinions" are wrong, why not openly declare them to be fo? If right, why this infintion against them?

[ocr errors]

The firft Tract contains Reman upon this question: Whether the Appearances under the Old Teftament were Appearances of the true God himfelf, only of fome other Spiritual Being, reprefenting the true God, and acting in his Name.'

[ocr errors]

They who apprehend thefe appearances to have been the proper and real appearances of God'-only mean, that God did, on fome particular occafions, manifeft himself to others by fome fpecial and particular actions, which he defigned fhould be taken as the marks and evidence of fome fpecial and particular prefence.

of

There are feveral characters given to thefe appearances, that belong only to the true God. An acknowlegement the Unity of God, and that this one God was the God of Ifrael, who appeared to the Jewish church in the Schechinah, ⚫ and dwelt among them as his people, in his temple, feems the first principle, and fundamental doctrine of religion, in the Jewith Difpenfation: Page 5.-We may further obferve, that the forms of expreffion ufed in the defcriptions of thefe appearances, are fuch, that none of them oblige us to admit any reprefentation, or even any ways fo much as intimate to us; or lead us to fuppofe, that the perfon appearing did not fpeak, and act in his own name; or that he spake and acted only in the name of another: Page 8.-The reafons commonly given for fuppofing fome inferior Spirit or Angel, perfonating God in these appearances, will, be found, on a clofer examination, very infufficient to fupport it."As to the opinion of the fathers in this cafe, our Author thinks it differs very much from that of the moderns. For they firmly maintained, that the ftyle, the titles, the characters of thefe appearances, did all of them properly belong to the Logos himfelf; not that they belonged to the Father only, and were made ufe of by the Logos, as acting in the Father's name. "" In fupport of this affertion, Tertul8 lian,

[ocr errors]

bare

lian, and Irenæus, and Augustin, are quoted.

The form

er certainly confirms all that our Author afferts; but then it is not as being properly in the Son, but as communicated to him, for if all things that the Father hath are mine, why not the names? Omnia, inquit, Patris mea funt. Cur non et nomina? But, it is faid, over and over again, that the Father hath appointed, or committed, or given, all things into his hands! It thould therefore feem to be no other than a delegated power. Juftin, one of the earliest of the Fathers, alfo diftinguifhes the fupreme God and Father of all, by perpetually naming him the one and only unbegotten Deity; Movos nas ayevonlos. Chrift, according to him, is the only Son properly so called, as being the Logos, and Firft-born, and Power: and in another part of his firft Apology he fays, no other Power or Spirit, Πνευμα και δύναμις, are to be fuppofed, εδεν αλλο vonoa, it is not lawful to understand any other from God, wapa r8 Jex than the Logos, the Firft-born of God, as the prophet Mofes has fignified. What was the notion of this Father concerning the appearances under the Old Difpenfa tion, may be feen page 129, of the Eflay on the Schechinah, where it is intimated-That it feems to have been Juftin's real opinion (Dial. cum Tryphone, p. 283, 284) that the Angel fpake in the name of God, as not really prefent at all, any otherwife than by the prefence of the Logos, as his Angel, and Meflenger.

It may not be amifs to obferve here, that if, together with the Lives of thefe Fathers, as they are called, we had an Hiftory of their Opinions, it would be of great fervice. They certainly differed from one another, and, as Chillingworth fays, not feldom from themselves. They efpoufed opinions that were not in the Creeds of their days, and blended Chriftianity with the philofophy of their fects; which was one great fource of corruptions. Van Dale, in one of his books, mentions a defign he had of writing a Hiftory of the Opinions or Docmen, in different ages of the Church; but he did not live to execute it. To return, from this fhort digreffon, to our Author.

trines of Chrifti w

The truth of the cafe," fays he, feems to be this: That properly fpeaking, nothing was vifible but what could be vifible, viz. the Cloud, the Fire, and the other material parts of the Schechinah: No Spiritual Being at all was properly feen, or heard. It was only the voice of the Oracle, or an articulate found, that was heard; and only the Cloud and the Fire that were feen; that is, the fymbols of the appearance only, not the Spiritual Being itfelf, whofe prefence was manifefted in the appearance, of

Ff 2

‹ what

« AnteriorContinuar »