Parker, D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty, Rector of St. James's, Weftminster, and F. R. S. 8vo. 2 Vols. pp. 246 and 279. 95. Boards. Rivingtons. Many years have paffed fince the name of Dr. Parker first api peared in our journal. At the time when it was thought neceflary to defend the ftrong holds of religion in general, or revealed religion in particular, against the attacks of Bolingbroke, Morgan, and other infide! writers; and when it was apprehended that the pillars of orthodoxy were in fome danger of being fhaken by the heretical writings of Middleton, and others; Dr. Parker was one among a numerous train of able champions, who stood forth in defence of the established fyftem. The difcourfes, which he published on thefe occafions, and of which we gave an account at the time of their appearance, make a confiderable part of the contents of thefe volumes. They confift of Two Difcourfes on the Expediency of fome Divine Interpofition in the firit Ages of the Chriftian Church, and the Inexpediency of those that are claimed by the Church of Rome, in reply to the leading argument in Middleton's Free Enquiry * ;Two Difcourfes on the Mofaic History of the Fall, in refutation of the hypothefis advanced in a work entitled An Examination of a Difcourfe on Prophecy, &c t. Two Difcourfes on the Nature, Evidence, and Importance of Truth, intended to provide an antidote against the poifon of Bolingbroke's Pyrrhonifm ;-Two Difcourfes on the Scripture Doctrine of Predeftination, the defign of which is to prove, against the infinuations of Bolingbroke and others, that the Church of England does not teach the doctrine of abfolute election §. Befide thefe difcourfes, which may be read with advantage, as to the general questions to which they relate, the volumes contain several fermons on particular fubjects and occafions, viz. On the Nature and Calling of the facred Miniftry; on the Improvement of Extraordinary Divine Judgments; on the Grounds of Submiffion to Government; on the Danger of Civil Strife; on Church Mufic; on Academic Education; on the Authority of the Paftoral Office; on Mercy to the diftreffed Children of Clergy; on promoting Chriftian Knowledge; and on the Sympathetic Affections; an account of each of which may be found by confulting our Review . In these volumes, are alfo reprinted an Explanation of the Difference between the Old and New Style, and a Familiar Dialogue on the fame subject between a Clergyman and one of his Parishioners. E. Art. 40. The Scripture Doctrine concerning the Coming of Chrift unfolded on Principles which are allowed to be common to the Jews, both in ancient and modern Times: in Anfwer to the Objections of Mr. Gibbon and Dr. Edwards upon this Subject. To which is added an Appendix, containing fome Remarks upon the Miracles of the Gospel, in Reply to an Objection of the latter of * See Rev. vol. ii. p. 84. I Vol. xii. p. 37. See the General Index, Parker. + Vol. iv. p. 9. thefe thefe Writers. Part I. By N. Nibett, M. A. 2s. 6d. Johnson. 8vo. pp. 140. Dr. Edwards *, after Mr. Gibbon, has ftated a difficulty refpecing Chriftianity, which he laments has hitherto remained without any fatisfactory folution. It is, that, in confequence of our Lord's prediction that the generation then exifting fhould not be totally extinguished, till it had witneffed his fecond appearance, it was univerfally believed, in the time of the apostles, that the end of the world and the kingdom of heaven were at hand: but that the records of hiftory do not authorize us to conclude, that the prediction has yet been accomplished. Mr. Nisbett, a very intelligent and candid critic on feripture, here undertakes to obviate this objection. The method which he purfues for this purpofe is, to prove that the prediction (which was repeatedly made during our Saviour's miniftry, and the fuppofed failure of which was never noticed either by the difappointed friends, or by the enemies, of Chriftianity,) referred folely to the establishment of his religion after the destruction of Jerufalem, and was completely fulfilled in that event. The feveral expreffions, in which the coming of Chrift is defcribed, fo exacly agree with the language in which the prophet Daniel defcribed the Meffiah's kingdom, and were fo well calculated to fupport the fpirits of the apofties under the profpect of their approaching trial, that Mr.Nisbett apprehends that they cannot with propriety be referred to a more diftant event. The entire 24th chapter of Matthew, with the 25th as far as the 31ft verfe, he confiders as one continued prediction of the deftruction of Jerufalem exclufively of the day of judgment. This interpretation is fupported with much ingenuity, and, we are of opinion, is very fatisfactorily fhewn to be the only interpretation, which will relieve the embarraffment arifing from the fuppofition that they have a double reference to two remote and diffimilar events. Mr. N. then proceeds to confirm his hypothefis, by fhewing its agreement with other paffages of fcripture relative to the fubject. To give a full ftatement of the reafoning in this work, would neceffarily require us to copy a courfe of critical obfervations much too extenfive for our plan: but we recommend the work to the diligent attention of every inquirer after theological truth; and particularly to thofe who may have been difpofed to think that the real interefts of Chriflianity would be more effentially promoted by conceding this objection to the adverfary, than by vainly attempt ing to remove it.' E. Art. 41. An Address to Dr. Priestley, containing Defultory Obfervations on the general Inutility of religious Controverfies, and on fome Affertions of the Doctor's, contained in his Letters to Mr. Burke. By William Pettman, 8vo. pp. 66. 25. Law. 1792. The late Mr. John Wesley, toward the clofe of his life, made the following public declaration: "In my younger days I was fond of controversy, but I have now lived long enough in the world to See Review, New Series, vol. iv. p. 116. know 0 know better, than to quarrel or difpute with any man about religion." The writer of the pamphlet before us mentions this declaration with applaufe; and he remarks that fuch a conceffion, from a man who had employed much of his time in controverfial writing, must have proceeded from a conviction of its general inutility. To maintain this point is the chief object of the present publication; and if nothing is to be confidered, but the ill effect which religious difputation commonly produces on the temper of the combatants, much may be urged in favour of the author's pofition. There may be fome reason to complain that the animofity, excited by the prefent theological controverfy, has led the advocates for Unitarianifm to caft illiberal cenfures and reflections on the Trinitarians; and this pamphlet itfelf affords proofs, if fuch were wanting, that Trinitarians, in their turn, can be acrimonious:-but, after all, what is this but an inconvenience neceffarily refulting from that free inquiry, which, we make no fcruple to affert, notwithstanding all that bigotry or prieftcraft has ever advanced to the contrary, is the only road to knowlege. If, indeed, our author's affertion be admitted, that, whether the Unitarians or Trinitarians be wrong is a point which can never be determined by controverfy,' it is very certain that it can never be determined at all; and then, unquestionably, the fooner the difpute is laid afide, the better:-but it is equally evident that, on all questions which lie within the compafs of human investigation, the best way to detect error, and to discover truth, is to encourage and exercife freedom of debate. We difapprove, as heartily as does this writer, the practice of treating with ridicule or contempt the party whofe opinions we oppofe: but we cannot think that the world would be benefited by that blind acquiefcence in prefent fyftems, which the entire difmiffion of religious controverfy fuppofes. E. Art. 42. Jefus Chrift the only God. Being a Defence of that fundamental Do&rine of the Chriftian Religion, against Arianism and Socinianifm. Addreffed to the Rev. Dr. Priestley. With fome Obfervations on his Letters to the Members of the New Church, fignified by the New Jerufalem in the Revelations. By J. Bellamy. 8vo. pp. 119. 28. Sibly, Gofwell-ftreet. 1792. Mr. Bellamy is a difciple of Swedenborg, whom he afferts to have been a divinely inspired writer, and to whom he confeffes himfelf indebted for all his knowlege of the fcriptures. It will not be thought furprising, that the difciple partakes of the myftical obfcurity of the mafter; nor, till the teachers of this new mystery chufe to express them felves in language more accommodated to the common conceptions of mankind, will it be expected that unenlightened reviewers, who are accustomed to judge of books by the ordinary rules of criticism, fhould be able to communicate to their unenlightened readers any very clear idea of the nature and merit of their writings. While Mr. Bellamy is going over the historical ground of the rife and progrefs of Socinianifm, he is fufficiently intelligible: but as foon as he enters the Swedenborgian regions, he lofes himself in a thick fog of mystical notions, into which we scarcely dare APP. REV. VOL. VIII. Rr venture venture to follow him. His creed (we give it in his own words,) is, that there is one God, who is Jehovah in human form, being love, wisdom, and life itfelf; that this divine love, is called the FATHER; being the inmoft principle of the eternal, hidden, unmanifefled Deity; the effe; origin of all effences! unknown! that of which Angels and men can form no idea! unfearchable! incomprehenfible! Divine Wisdom, called the Son, being the exterior of the divine love, or Father, the manifeflation or outgoings of the inmost principle, the Father, in all his glorious attributes of light, life, glory, power, goodnefs, communicable and incommunicable; the index of the interior of the Deity, and the effence of all beings; in -which two were contained in power, the ultimate form or exiftence, called the Divine human. Now when the Lord (by whom I mean the divine human) made him felf vifible in human form, which was, when he affumed the human nature, he brought over his divine human a covering, called the maternal human, or a body like our own, fo that the divine human, (which was eternal and infinite) dwelt in the maternal human, which was finite, as the foul dwells in the body. At the refurrection, he caft off all materiality, the maternal human, or material body, which he had from the virgin, and the divine human, by its conjunction with the maternal human, appeared glorified in its ultimate form, being that of man. Therefore, it is evident, that when this efflux of power, which in its primæval flate was the embryo of the divine human, affumed the human nature, and by temptation combats, and victories, had -performed the grand work of redemption, he returned in a perfect -visible form, where he was before eternally in power; which now is the visible and moft exterior of Deity.' This fyftem, Mr. Bellamy fays, is easily comprehended and explained; there is nothing intricate or myfterious in it.' It may be fo to the illuminated; to us, we own, it is totally unintelligible. On the subject of Christ's second coming, we are informed, that when the Scriptures teach, that the Son of Man fhall come in the clouds of heaven with the power and glory of God, we are not to imagine that they fpeak of a visible appearance to the material eye, nor of the clouds and fky over our heads: but that by earth in Scripture is meant the church; by fun, moon, and ftars, are meant charity, faith, and the knowlege of the internal fenfe of the word; that by the fun being darkened, the moon turned into blood, the ftars falling, earthquakes, &c. is fignified the end of that church which is deftitute of charity, faith, and heavenly knowlege. When the wall of the New Jerufalem is faid to be 144, or twelve times twelve cubits in height, we are to understand that the inhabitants of the New Jerufalem are united in goodness and truth; for the number twelve, wherever it is used in the Bible, fignifies a complete ftate of goodness and truth, charity and faith. This, and much more of the fame kind, Mr. Bellamy teaches the brethren of the New Jerufalem, concerning the fenfe of Scripture according to the Icience of correspondences, which is the key to open the door of the facred facred temple of the word of God. Before the Swedenborgian. Art. 43. A candid and impartial Reply to the Rev. Dr. Prielley's It is impoffible for Dr. Priestley himself to make a more explicit appeal to reafon and feripture, than is here made, in general terms, by Mr. Proud, one of the minifters of the New Jerufalem church. In the preface, he profeffes great refpect for Dr. Pricftley's learning, ability, and character; and he calls on all Chriftians to make a candid, imparcial, and fcriptural judgment on the point in difpute; to accede to truth wherever they find it; and, at all events, to exercife mutual candour and charity. Nevertheless, we do not find that he ftrictly adheres to the principles of reafon, and to the dictates of common understanding, in the fequel. On the queftion of Swedenborg's divine miffion, Mr. Proud is of opinion, that neither miracles nor prophefies are neceffary to authenticate a pretenfion of this kind, but that it is fufficiently eftablished on the divine truth of God. The proper and fole divinity of Christ he endeavours to citablish by numerous quotations from fcripture. To vindicate the peculiar doctrine of the Swedenborgians concerning the fecond coming of Chrift, which they fuppofe to be already palt, Mr. P. has recourfe to the fpiritual interpretation of the fcriptures, according to the fure rule of the Science of correSpendences. By an equal knowlege of this fcience, it is afferted, that any two, or twenty perfons, will interpret any given part of the bible exactly alike, as to fenfe and fubftance. As we know nothing of the principles of this fcience, nor confequently of Mr. Proud's method of interpreting fcripture, it is impoffible that we should judge of the propriety of the Swedenborgian fentiments; and we muft ftill content ourselves with the old rule, of understanding fcripture in a literal fenfe, where there is not evident reafon for the contrary; and of interpreting that which is figurative and obfcure. by what is clear and exprefs. From want of the neceffary previous information, we cannot follow Mr. Proud through his explanation of his matter's doctrine; and can only therefore give it as a general opinion, that, as far as we are able to understand the fubject, we fee little profpect that the Swedenborgians and Unitarians will meet on common ground; the one party making their ultimate appeal to reafon, the other refting their faith on vifionary flights of imagination, and on my flical interpretations of fcripture. E. Art. |