directions are given to procure a fixed alcaline falt from falt petre by deflagration with charcoal.' After the description of the procefs, we are prefented with the following

OBSERVATIO N.

Though it is true that this fixed alcaline falt arifes partly from the coals burnt off with it; yet when [it is] confidered what a fmall part of afhes can but arife from thefe few coals, and how little fixed falt these few afhes could produce; it is not very plain from whence fo great a quantity of fixed falt can arise as is obtained by this operation.'

From this obfervation, it fhould feem, that either the Author; or his Tranflator, or both, were ignorant of what has been perfectly well known for at least half a century paft; that a fixed alcaline falt is one of the two neceffarily conftituent principles of faltpetre, or nitre. And yet, on turning over a few pages, we find (procefs 7) in the directions given to obtain nitre, that, in order to procure this fubftance a fixed alcaline falt must be added to the nitrous earth, if it is not contained already therein.' Here the wonder, excited in the preceding obfervation, ceases at once; and we now find that the fixed alcali, which appears after this operation, actually exifted in the faltpetre, and was probably added to it, before the process commenced. We could produce other inftances; but these, we think, are fufficient. B.y.

ART. III. Mr. Lindley's Sequel to his Apology concluded. See Review for October, p. 269.

IN

N the fixth chapter of the fequel, Mr. Lindfey enters into a free difcuffion of the opinion of those Chriftians, who maintain, that Jefus was the miniftring angel, or agent of the Almighty, from the beginning of things; and, confequently conducted the Jewish economy, as well as the gofpel difpenfation. This opinion has lately been well fupported by the very ingenious and learned Benjamin Ben Mordecai *. ́ Our Author, whofe primary defign is (if we miftake not) to maintain that Jefus was, with regard to his nature, in all respects like unto his brethren, and confequently had no existence before the time of his conception, controverts with decent and manly freedom, mixed with the utmoft refpect and good-will to the perfon of his opponent, the various arguments of this celebrated writer. He exhibits a remarkable example of Chriftian charity as well as an illuftrious proof, that the liberty claimed by the true Proteftant, of abiding by his own sense of scripture, may be exercised in its fulleft latitude, without in the least endangering

Of his work, fee our accounts in the Review, vols. xlvii. 1. and li. The last part was lately published, and will foon be farther noiced in our Journal.

Chriftian

Chriftian peace. When learned men engage in the pursuit of fcripture knowledge, with a determined purpose that neither the emoluments annexed by the establishment to a particular profeffion of faith, nor the penalties incurred by a defection from it, fhall influence their conduct, it is next to impoffible that their controverfies can be hurtful; the love of truth alone directs their pens,-the fame love of truth will calm and correct every unworthy paffion of their hearts; while the ferene and peaceful temper of the writer will infenfibly infinuate itself into the breafts of his readers. On this account we review with pleasure the productions of a Ben Mordecai and a Lindley; not only on account of the fatisfaction we receive from the perufal of their learned works, but also because the charitable Ipirit with which they exprefs themfelves with respect to the perfons whofe opinions they controvert, tends to confirm us in our favourite principle, that religious liberty, enjoyed in its fullest extent, is the true and proper parent of religious peaceand, that the impofition of articles and fubfcriptions the appendage of emoluments to a favourite fyftem-the denial of a toleration-and the infliction of pains and penalties on account of religious opinions, are neceffarily productive of mutual jealoufies,-furious controverfies, and commotions, which not only difturb and difgrace the religion of the peaceful Jefus, but have been also known to threaten diforder and confufion to the ftate..

To which of the prefent difputants the fuperiority of argu ment is to be allowed, our Readers must determine for themfelves. We fhall only introduce one quotation from this chapter, wherein our author affigns his reafons for controverting the opinion of a perfon, with whom, in many important points, he profeffes to agree.

• I confefs, from the first, I was concerned to differ from a writer fo truly learned, abie, and worthy; and I hesitated a long time, whether I fhould not pafs by his work entirely. For it is compofed with fo much accuracy and judgment, and fo vaft a compafs of learning introduced upon the subject, that although I thought I faw his error through the whole, I might be doubtful of being able to develop ic in fuch a manner as that others might fee it. How far this has been done, my readers will judge. But affuredly I fhould have been far from engaging in an oppofition to one who is fo noble an advocate for the strict unity of God in his first letter; and in his latt letter gives fuch a juft and rational view of fome of the principal doctrines of Christianity, if I had not believed, that the fentiment concerning Christ, which he defends, would, if it fhould prevail, retard the progrefs of the gofpel, which I faw him to have equally at heart with myfelf. For I am perfuaded, that his arguments, however plaufible, will never bring the Jews to approve a fyftem, which condemns all their ancestors as guilty, during the Mofaic difpenfation, of directing their worship to an object contrary to the very defign of their law, and to the primary article of their faith; viz. That Jehovah, the

one

one fupreme God, was to be worshipped, and no other. And a new object of worship, and fubftitute of deity, found out by Christians for the Jews, which their fathers of the circumcifion never owned, and their fons now univerfally deny, will not be likely to remove the prejudices of unbelievers against the bible.

It must alfo appear very extraordinary and unaccountable, that this great fuper-angelic fpirit, by whom all things are fuppofed to have been made, fhould have been honoured and worshipped as God during the times of the law, and yet after his condefcention and fufferings for the benefit of mankind, this divine honour which had been paid him fhould be in a good measure withdrawn: for our Author, in letter the third, page 105, with his ufual candour, owns, "That it is certain, that Chrift is no where directly commanded to be prayed to, through the whole New Teftament; and that many of those who allow it to be defenfible, do not confider it as a duty; and very feldom if ever practise it.'

The aim of the seventh chapter is to favour the humanity of Jefus in the most obvious meaning of the term; and our Author introduces a great variety of arguments and teftimonies to fhew "That Chrift was not the fupreme God, nor a great angel or fpiritual being animating a human body; but a man like ourfelves, faving thofe extraordinary gifts of a divine wisdom and power, by which he was diftinguished from the rest of mankind."

For these arguments and teftimonies, the former of which are urged with great acuteness, and the conclufions drawn from the latter maintained with an equal degree of learning, we must of neceffity refer our Readers to the SEQUEL itfelf. We cannot, however, difmifs this interefting chapter without fubjoining some of our Author's remarks, and his general conclufion from the portions of scripture appealed to in fupport of his plea.

The four Evangelifts, who have recorded the foregoing particulars of Chrift's birth, childhood, his gradual improvements in mind and body, and all the other marks of his being truly a man as themselves, thereby fufficiently difcover their own fentiments concerning him. And the accounts which they have preserved in their hiftories, of the converfation and intercourfe that they and his Apoftles had with him, plainly indicates, that they all along took him to be a man, their countryman, a fuperior prophet of God, and not God, or a great angel in an human form. To transcribe from them all that relates to this point is unneceffary. In the other books of the New Teftament we have the following teftimonies concerning him.' After reciting thefe teftimonies, Mr. Lindsey proceeds as follows:

• Such is the doctrine of the fcriptures throughout, concerning the nature and perfon of Chrift; which when generally received and acknowledged, and the day feems now approaching, will remove the great offence which turns many from the gofpel, and conciliate Jews, Mahometans, and unbelievers to it.

The

The permiffion and long continuance of an error fo very confi. derable us this, is very humbling: but it should not startle or disturb us. We should not view it as a matter peculiar to Christianity, or as affecting the evidence which we have for it. We fee that the divine government over mankind, admits of great and lasting moral darkness and depravity. In what a proftrate ftate of ignorance of the Being that made them, are by far the largeft part of the human race now, and have been for ages; and yet they are alfo the children of God, his rational offspring. Among Chriftians, the idolatrous worship of faints and images has lafted near fourteen hundred years, and the adoration of a God of paste, Dei panarii, not much fhort of a thousand; and both are still maintained with great pomp, and fupported by the fupreme authority throughout France, Italy, Spain, Germany, &c. And yet thefe corruptions of the truth are not by Proteftants fuppofed to argue any defect in the gospel, as if it were not fufficiently plain on those points, and exprefs against them.

• Those who have objected to the fentiment here maintained, that it is contrary to and inconfiftent with other declarations of the New Teftament concerning Chrift, will do well to confider the solution abovegiven of those fuppofed contrary declarations. But ftill more should they attend to the infuperable difficulties in which their own schemes are involved: namely, How the fupreme God, or the first created Spirit could become an infant, and from a state of childish ignorance and imbecillity, by flow degrees, acquire powers and knowledge: How the temptations of worldly things could be any allurement, any trial of virtue to God, or to the firft created Spirit. Affuredly thefe triking human appearances, thefe facts joined to the prophetic predictions concerning Chrift, to his own. to his Apoftles declarations, that he was a man; feem utterly inexplicable on any other fuppofition but that of his being really fuch.

After a gentle reprehenfion of a groundless charge brought by the dean of Gloucester against the maintainers of the Soci nian fyftem, Mr. Lindley proceeds:

Is not the example of Jefus, the fon of Mary, a man like ourfelves in all things, but of unfpotted purity, benevolence the most active and difinterested, an integrity and fortitude fuperior to every trial and temptation, with the most profound humility and piety towards God; is not this more level and fuited to mortals, more useful and encouraging than the example of the incomprehenfible God, or of the first of beings created by him, and creator of all things under him, transformed into a human creature, if so astonishing a transformation was in either cafe poffible? And is it not a more just and worthy idea of the parent of the univerfe, that out of his love to his frail degenerate offspring, he should by an exprefs messenger invite them to return to their duty and true happiness, with an affurance of pardon and his favour, rather than to paint him inexorable, unforgiving, determined to punish to the uttermoft, had not another Being, more merciful than himself, interpofed, and appeased, and fatisfied him by fubmitting to bear the whole load of his wrath and difpleasure due to wretched men, the intended victims of it? Suchmifreprefentation of the doctrine of revelation brings undeserved reproach upon it. One is forry to read the following account in an REV. Jan. 1777.

C

able

기

able modern writer, who fpeaking of man's "repentance, forrow, humiliation, contrition at the thought of his bad conduct;" goes on to fay, "He even diftrufts the efficacy of all these, and naturally fears, left the wisdom of God, should not, like the weakness of man. be vailed upon to fpare the crime, by the most importunate lamentations preof the criminal. Some other interceffion, fome other facrifice, some other atonement, he imagines must be made for him, beyond what himself is capable of making, before the purity of the divine juftice can be reconciled to his manifold offences. The doctrines of revelation coincide in every respect, with thofe original anticipations of nature; and, as they teach us, how little we can depend upon the imperfection of our own virtue, fo they fhew us, at the fame time, that the muft powerful interceffion has been made, and that the most dreadful atonement has been paid for our manifold tranfgreffions and iniquities Had this Author confulted the Bible itself, he would have found it to speak a very different language. For Almighty God there declares, that he wants no foreign interceffion, no fatisfaction, no dreadful atonement to be paid, but is entirely fatisfied with the fincere repentance of the finner himself, and requires no more to reftore him to his favour. When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, be fhall fave his foul alive, Ezek. xviii. 27. And Christ himfeif informs us, that it was purely out of his benignity to the human race, that God appointed him to be the inftrument of his mercy to them. John iii. 16. God so loved the world, that he gave his beloved Son. to the end that every one that believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlafting life.

Chapter VIII. of the Sequel contains the teftimony of the apoftolical fathers concerning the nature and perfon of Chrift.

In the IX. Mr. Lindley, after fhewing that creation is the proper work of God himself and that this is the uniform doctrine of fcripture, proceeds to examine thofe paffages in St. Paul's epiftles, in which creation has been fuppofed to be afcribed to Chrift. Upon this fubje&t he obferves,

That if there be any one doctrine clearly laid down in the facred writings, it is this, that God made the world, by himself, without any affiftant or underworker; that there are not more creators than one.

• Mofes, who treats of the first origin of all things, delivers the doctrine with great folemnity, and grounds an important religious ordinance upon it: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, Gen. i. 1. See ii. 3. vi. 6, 7. In fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, the fea and all that in them is, and refted the seventh day, wherefore the LORD blessed the seventh day and hallowed it. Exod. xx. 11. See xxxi. 17.

The fubfequent prophets repeat and inculcate the fame great truth, but incidentally only, without fufpecting that any Ifraelite could ever imagine that there were more creators than one: O Lord God of bofts, God of Ifrael, that dwelleft between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou haft made

• Theory of Moral Sentiments, by Dr. Adam Smith, p. 160.

heaven