!

have been to every other perfon of the Godhead as well as to bimfelf; nothing but the common concern of holiness could have made fuch a measure acceptable to either, and fince it was unanimously ordained the means whereby alone depravity fhould be endured, we cannot but conclude the extremity of divine averfion to this from the heavy charge annexed to the toleration of it. The honour of God must be fecure from all imputation of partiality or indifference to fin, when it appears that he did not fuffer it without fuffering himself and being made an extraordinary facrifice on its account.' (vol. i. P. 391, 2.)

Upon principles equally agreeable to REVELATION and REA SON, are words which form part of the title. Surely the author muft have forgotten them in this part of his work: reason never yet perceived the fitnefs of a prince fuffering death himself, in order to appeafe rebellion in his fubjects, and to evince his abhorrence of it; much lefs can it difcern any propriety in God's fuffering for the fins of his creatures. Reafon can form no idea of the Deity becoming a facrifice. It is a notion by much too fublime for its conceptions. On this gentleman's principles, we repeat it, we cannot perceive why he should become a facrifice; for in his 2d vol. p. 153, he farther tells us, that not only the fall of angels and mankind, but the expedition with which the latter happened, and the depravity of the whole fpecies by it, are the moft aufpicious circumstances to the final triumph and fuccefs of the moral fcheme that could have ever happened.There is not a circumftance among them, but what was neceffary for Chrift to enter into his glory, and his creatures into their eternal fafety.'

We expected, after reading fuch fentiments as thefe, delivered in a variety of forms, to find the theorist contending at laft for univerfal reflitution: but this is not the refult of his theory. All linners are not to reap the final benefits of fin. They are allowed to fink into the utmoft depths of depravity, to infpire the bleed with the greateft deteftation of fin in heaven : but all, as we hoped to find by this theory, are not to arrive at this bleffed abode. The gift of immortality, or deliverance from future condemnation, (we learn from vol. ii. p. 425,) will be the portion of the faints only, who will fall confiderably fort in number of the univerfal body of mankind."

Where obtaineft thou this information? Who knoweth the mind of the Lord on this fubject? The queftion Are there few that be faved? was not answered,

Our limits forbid our noticing what this writer obferves on the changes introduced at the fall, on the increase of iffue, on the obligation of labour entailed on man, on the fubjection and natural inferiority of the woman, on pain, and on death. We muft refer fuch as are defirous of acquainting themfelves with

his fentiments on these fubjects, to the work itself. On the merit of this theory we cannot beftow much commendation. The author appears to have taken great pains; and his intention, no doubt, was laudable: but he is too verbose and diffuse; and inftead of affording a clear and rational view of redemption, he leaves it encompaffed with all the difficulties which have long prefented themselves to the reflecting mind. Moo-y.

ART. V. Letters to Mr. Archdeacon Travis, in Anfwer to his Defence of the Three Heavenly Witneffes. 1 John v. 7. By R. Porfon. 8vo. pp. 405. 5s. Boards. Egertons. 1790.

As s Christianity is a religion established on a divine rock, it must be proof against the moft fearching torrents of human inquiry; we cannot, therefore, reftrain our aftonifhment at the timid zeal of its advocates, who betray an extreme anxiety to preferve even the loofe fands, weeds, and heterogeneous fubftances, which the waves of time have left on its fides; as if thefe could in any degree add to its ftability, or the removal of them weaken its foundation. Truth, we are confident, can never fuffer by inveftigation. The more it is fifted and winnowed, the purer it will appear. Friction will not wear away its fubftance: but only remove thofe fpots and incruftations, which are apt, in this world, to form on it, and to obfcure its native luftre. Let not, therefore, the private Chriftian fear the refearches of learned critics into the genuinenefs of the facred text; nor cenfure thofe, as falfe friends to the gofpel, who point out the additions which either the careleffnefs or the iniquity of paft ages have made to the authentic writings of the New Teftament. There was a period, when that feurvey knack of lying and forging for the truth was very prevalent among Chriftians; and on the ground of this fact, it may be prefumed that the MSS. and copies of the N. T. are not univerfally free from interpolations. To detect these, is to restore the facred text to its original purity; nor can we conceive any thing more defirable than this, to thofe who wish truth to reft entirely on its own bafis. We rejoice in having the doubtful paffages of the facred volume feverely fcrutinized: becaufe this mult tend to convince us in what light we ought to regard them; whether as genuine or fpurious. If inquiry, inftead of difperfing, only thickens our fufpicions, let us, without hefitation, ftab them with the obelus: nor fuffer them to ob tain equal honours with the real offspring of evangelifts and apoftles. We have often, and lately, made remarks fimilar to thefe; and we wish to repeat and widely diffeminate them. Juftly is it obferved by Mr. Porfon, that he does the beft

fervice

fervice to truth who hinders it from being fupported by falfe-hood;' for fuch a fupport can only ferve to injure it.

There is little neceffity for being tenacious of those texts which are fufpected, on folid evidence, of being interpolations; fince none of the doctrines of revelation reft on the teftimony of a fingle paffage. Still, however, the text of scripture, as it ftands at prefent in our copies, is not to be cut and frittered away rafhly and unadvifedly. Nothing ought to be expunged, excepting on good and fufficient authority. Refpecting the paffage which has been the fubject of controversy between Mr. Travis and Mr. Porfon, much has been urged pro and con: but after what the latter gentleman has advanced against the genuineness of John v. 7. it is impoffible to regard it as entitled to the appellation of holy fcripture. The volume before us is decifive on the fubject; and had we not long ago made up our minds on it, this must have fettled our faith.

We cannot help confidering Mr. Travis as having been doubly unfortunate; firft in undertaking the defence of fo untenable a poft; and then in provoking fuch a champion in biblical learning and criticism, as Mr. Porfon, to come out with fword and fpear against him. Confcious of his fuperior ground and fuperior abilities, he treats Mr. Travis with very little ceremony or politenefs. He does not, indeed, as Goliah did, with respect to David, curse him by his gods: but he looks down on him with full as much contempt, as this gi* motto gave gantic Philistine did on the tiny Ifraelite. The us to understand that Mr. Porfon did not purpose to approach. his adverfary with the urbanity of a chivalrous knight, but We rather to fall on him as one maftiff does on another. cannot fay that we approve of the canina fucundia, especially in theological controverfy. It is beneath the dignity of the fubject, and it is no aid to argument.

In fpite of this circumftance, which moft of his readers will probably deem a blemish, Mr. Porfon's letters have great merit. He has gone to the bottom of the subject, has furnished a critical repaft for the biblical fcholar, and has exhibited a cloud of witneffes against the three heavenly witnesses.

The ticklers for the genuinenels of this paffage magnify its Among thefe, Kettner importance to a ridiculous extreme.

genere

principes

adlatres, *Tun' ut omnes in omni do&trinæ liberalis et cenfeas fore, ut offum laudis tibi objiciamus, que te nobis tranquilliorem faciat, potius quam rationibus te verberemus, et fi opus fuerit, etiam de canina tua facundia mutuemur aliquid, quo tanquam fufte probe dedelatus, incipias velle muffare, et moderationis, modeftia, verecundia limites non migrare ?"

Mufambertius Commoniterio ad Ramirefium de Prado.

is

is the most diftinguifhed; and as his rapturous expreffions on the value of this difputed text may amufe our learned readers, we extract them from Mr. Porfon's preface, p. 4.

"Nihil enim mihi gratius quam bene mereri de boc illuftri dico, quod eft Theologia Johannea in nuce, eft inftar ftellæ prima magnitu dinis in fcriptura, eft margarita Biblica pretiofiffima, et flos Novi Teftamenti pulcherrimus, eft compendium analogiæ fidei de Trinitate, ut alia elogia in dedicatione adducta taceamus.

"Latet inexhauftus fcientiarum Thefaurus in hoc excellentiffimo dio. Hic enim theologi tres articulos fidei, Jurifconfulti tres advocatos cæleftes et teftes fummos, Medici tres animarum medicos inveniunt. Siftitur nobis in hoc diao Philofophia et Panfophia quædam fublimior. Metaphyfici ens unum verum, bonum, Logici prædicationes inufitatas consemplari poffunt. Ethicus cernit in hoc loco fummum bonum, Phyficus iridem trium colorum, et Aftrologus concurfum trium planetarum five tres foles obfervat. Mathematicus difcit, quomodo tres fint unum in Arithmetica Divina. Muficus Muficam fuaviffimam trium vocum in textu concentumque harmonicum audire poteft. Opricus, fi quid videt, videt feculum Deitatis et in fuo intellectu ob hujus myfterii altitudinem invenit Cameram quandam obfcuram. Pneumatici fpiritualitatem Dei cognofcere poffunt. Rhetores hoc dictum confiderantes, affectum admirationis movere coguntur et exclamare, O profunditas fapientiæ Dei! Aulici tres gratiofiffimos Monarchas cæleftes erga fubditos in regno gratie venerari poffunt."

Unfortunately, while Kettner finds, in this marvellous text, the fum and fubftance of all science, human and divine, Mr. Porfon difcovers that all the most ancient manufcripts now extant, omit it.

The letters before us treat of the Dublin MSS ;-of Valla's Greek MSS. fuppofed to contain this difputed verfe;-of the Complutentian Edition;-of the MSS. by R. Stephens and Beza;· of thofe fuppofed to be feen by the Louvain divines;-of the Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, Arabic, Ethiopic, and Sclavonic, verfions; - of the Greek writers quoted in favour of the verfe; of the Latin writers before and fince Ferom's time, quoted for the fame purpose; and laftly, of the Greek and Latin writers, who, though they had fufficient occafion, have not quoted the verfe.

In thefe letters, Mr. Porfon gives us repeated opportunities to obferve his intimate acquaintance with the Fathers: but their citations from fcripture are too loofe to avail any thing in fettling its genuine reading. The canons of criticism, prefixed to Wetstein's Greek Teftament, here deserve attention : "Citationes Patrum textus Novi Teftamenti raro facere debent variantem lectionem. Patres ex lapfu memoriæ uni afcribunt que apud alium leguntur. Citant aliquoties quæ nullibi reperiuntur.' Notwithstanding, however, that we must not appeal to the quotations made by the Fathers from the N. T. as afcertaining the real text, it is very pertinently remarked by our author,

that

that the frequent allegorical interpretations of the 8th verfe of 1 John v. to be found in the Fathers, are very strong prefumptions that the 7th was not in their copies. I appeal (fays he, p. 311.) to any orthodox reader, whether he would force an indirect confeffion of his favourite doctrine, from one text by torture, when he might have a clear, full, and voluntary evidence from its next neighbour?'

Mr. Griefbach adds, that Eucherius, in his questions, afks, "from what text the Trinity is proved ?" He anfwers, "From the beginning of Genefis, Let us make man, &c. from Pfalm xxxvi. 2. By the word of the Lord, &c. from Matthew, xxviii. 19. (thẻ form of baptifm); and from Romans, xi. 36. From him and by bim," &c. But not a word of the difputed verfe, which would have been an excellent corollary; and would have presented us (as Kettner finely expreffes it) with St. John's divinity in a nuthell. p. 312.

The defenders of the difputed verfe catch greedily at every place where the Fathers ufe the expreffion of "Three are one," as if fuch expreffions could not but proceed from this verfe, whereas the contrary fuppofition is infinitely more probable, that the verfe proceeded from fuch expreffions of the Fathers."

p. 221.

From the whole of this learned inveftigation, it appears that the only genuine words of 1 John, v. 7, 8. are thefe: "OT τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες, τὸ πνεύμα, καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸ ἄιμα καὶ οἱ τρεῖς τὸ ἕν εἰσιν. This is the reading of all the Greek MSS. above an hundred and ten; of near thirty of the oldest Latin, of the two Syriac verfions, of the Coptic, Arabic, Ethiopic, and Sclavonic.' Surely nothing needs farther to be added, to prove that the feventh verfe fhould at least be included in crotchets, as Doddridge has done in his new tranflation, or printed in Italics, or in a fmaller type, as in fome of our old English Bibles.

The papers to which thefe letters are an answer, were publifhed in the Gentleman's Magazine; as was likewise a great part of these letters, with the fignature Cantabrigienfis. In a fenfible and manly preface, Mr. Porfon engages to make a public recantation of whatever errors may be pointed out in his work, fhould it come to a fecond edition. Of this he does not cherish any very fanguine expectations; nor can we say what reception thefe letters will receive from the public: but we will pronounce them the fruit of much learning; and we can venture to affure their author, that they will be delivered, though he may not address them, to pofterity.

Moo-y.

ART.