Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

and had power, not general and indefinite, but determinate and special, in the regions of the dead; literally, that they were burial-gods; whose office was to receive the mutter or substance of the forms, when dissolved by death into the infernal regions; and there to vivify and detach the same back again into other forms on the earth.

Thus Orpheus calls Proserpine, Zwǹ xal dàvaros, both Life and Death, So he stiles Pluto,

- αφανῶν ἔργων, φανερῶντε βραβεύτης,

The Dispenser of things visible and invisible. And these, according to Bochart, were two of these Cabiri; the other two being Ceres, and Camillus, or Mercury Cabiria was certainly an epithet of Ceres, and Riland thought the Cabiri were the gods of the dead; for which hẹ had reason; for the mysteries of these Cabiri were celebrated in a cave, and by night, when they sacrificed dogs to Hecate, or the Infernal Diana. They also tell us, that in the above group of figures to which, I suppose, the three headed Hecate was also joined, that of Mercury was a most obscene image; by this, therefore, they intended to represent as aforesaid, that the power which dissolves the forms by death, and conducts them as it was Mercury's pretended part to do, to Pluto and Proserpine in the infernal regions, propagates them anew by other generations in succession. But the Cabiri were the gods of the dead; and therefore to shew that among other abominations, in the Cabirian mysteries, they slew and sacrificed a man, and, as I remember, one of the initiated. What havock does idolatry make of miserable mankind! And how will infidelity, at any time, fool and confound them? and lead them into perdition, not less certain, though not quite so visible and apparent ?

BIBLICAL CRITICISM,

TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE,

GENTLEMAN,

I AGREE with your modest and diffident correspondent, a young Hebraist (Orth. Mag. for May, p, 288,) in thinking, that our English translation of the 14th verse of the 22nd chapter of Genesis, does not give the right sense of the original; and, though I do not entirely agree with him as to what the right sense is, I do not differ much from him. He will not, I trust, be offended at my informing him, in the first place, that he is mistaken in supposing the original of the expression referred to, as it occurs in the 8th and 14th verses, to be exactly the sante; for, though the difference may not affect his principal argument, it is evidently proper, in matters of this kind, to be as accurate as possible in every step. He quotes Jehovah will provide, as being part of the Sth verse, as well as of the 14th; wherea the words of the original in the 8th verse are, n's Elohim will provide. As this is noticed by Bishop Patrick, whom your correspond

enţ

ent seems to have consulted, I the more wonder at the oversight. That learned commentator, speaking of the 14th verse, says, "A double variation is observed from what was said before. For here is Jehovah instead of Elohim, and jerach instead of jirch, i. e. the passive instead of the active.

Perhaps the young Hebraist will have a satisfaction in knowing, that the learned and judicious Dr. Wall, author of the History of Infunt Baptism, in his "Critical Notes on the Old Testament," speaking of the two verses in question, says, "The English translators should have worded either see at both places, as the Septuagint does, or else provide at both places; for it was a remarkable proverb and prophecy, that at that place (and Jerusalem was built at that place) God would see or provide himself a Lamb, even his own beloved son, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world." Accordingly, instead of the words, "In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen," as in our received translation, he proposes to read, "Provision shall be made.”

After the most mature consideration of the passage itself, and of all I have seen written upon it, I feel a confidence in rendering the 14th verse thus: "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh, the Lord will provide; whence it is said to this day, The Lord will provide in the mountain." According to this rendering, which seems as literal as possible, the latter part of the verse, agreeably to the notion of Grotius and others, is a proverbial expression, derived from this memorable transaction, by which trust in God under circumstances of difficulty was intended to be encouraged; as if it had been said, Even where, to human eyes, there seems no possibility of escape, God will find out a way of deliverance.

I do not mean, by this interpretation, to interfere with your correspondent's observation, that a providential intimation was intended to be given of the place, where the Messiah was to suffer. It is, no doubt, a circumstance worthy of attention, and the evident result of divine appointment, that Abraham should be directed to offer his son, the type of the great expiatory sacrifice, which was hereafter to be offered for all men, on the same mountain, on which Jerusalem was afterwards built, on which, in the time of David, an expiatory sacrifice was accepted by God in a visible manner, and the hand of the destroying angel stayed, on which the tabernacle and the temple of Solomon, where the service of the daily sacrifice was performed for a long series of years, were erected, and on which, in the fullness of time, the great expiatory sacrifice, of which all other sacrifices were but types; and by virtue of which alone they were of any efficacy, was itself offered. For, though the particular spot, on which all these events took place, was not exactly the same, yet they all took place on parts of the same mountain (Moriah) and at a very inconsiderable distance from each other.

June 20, 1803.

E. PEARSON.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

GENTLEMEN,

THE

HE importance of our Lord's prophecy contained in Matt. xxiv. appears to me so great, that I feel desirous to offer to the consideration of Inspector, the conclusions which I have been led to draw from the premises contained in the letter, which you did me the honour of inserting in your last number. The conclusion is shortly this. The prophecy before us seems to contain, 1. A History of the Church of Christ, from beginning to end considered as one age. 2. A History of the same from its commencement until the Millennium. 3. The period of the Church until the end of the 1260 years of Papal tyranny. 4. The Age of the Church till the Reformation by Luther. 5. The Age of the same to several previous Republications of the Gospel as by Waldo, Wickliff, &c. 6. The Age to the Fall of Heathenism, first under Constantine, and, secondly, under Jovian. 7. The Age until the Dissolution of the Old Jerusalem, and the Descent of the New, first, on the calling of the Gentiles; secondly, on the Destruction of Jerusalem. 8. The Prophecy may be considered as relating in portions to three subjects, first, to the Destruction of Jerusalem; secondly, to the End of the Jewish Dispersion; thirdly, to the Day of Judgment.

In a word, it is a complete history of the true Church, as well as a history of each particular age of it, the chief of which have been mentioned. Allow the letter and the figure their full scope, which the analogy of scripture allows, and you will easily apply this prediction to all the ages above-mentioned. For instance, at ver. 23, we have the expression & xpisos, a word of great latitude, and signifying the Anointed, and applicable to the Pope or Illuminè, &c. The common characters of each age, and the general character of the whole Christian dispensation are, 1. A departure from the faith and the birth of an Antichristian power, preceded by political pains and calamities. 2. A period of persecution and dissolution to the true Church, upon the birth of the said Antichristian power, and lasting for 1260 days literal or figurative, or both. 3. A period of political resurrection and deliverance to the true Church, at the time of the end of the age treated of, accompanied with a republication of the Gospel, and a time of trouble and dissolution to the Antichristian's, analogous to that brought by them on the Church.

This hypothesis, I apprehend, will explain not only the prophecy before us, but every prophecy relating to the last times, and especially those mentioned in the former letter. "No prophecy is of private (or confined) interpretation." It is the great and inimitable perfection of Scripture, that it is never particular without being generally applicable; . and, indeed, the word of God is always particularly and generally ap plicable. It is now the fashion for heretics to mutilate scripture by pretending that parts of it are merely of private interpretation. Even the laudable Mr. Nisbett has fallen into this error as well as the dangerous author of Christian Philosophy displayed. Mr. Nisbett has suc ceeded in proving, that all the prophecies relating to the end of the world, relate to the end of the Jewish age, and he thence argues, that

they

they can relate to nothing else. Happily for the world, St. John wrote long after the destruction of Jerusalem. In the Revelation we find almost every prophecy and history in the Old and New Testament incorporated with that prophecy, and applied figuratively to events subsequent to the destruction of Jerusalem; and what is still more striking, the same prophecies of the Old Testament applied more than once to similar, but remote events. The prophecy of Gog and Magog is plied by St. John both to the commencement and end of the Millennium. Compare John xix. 37. Rev. i. 7. Luke xxi. 27.

ap

It remains to offer a few remarks on particular passages in the prophecy before us. At verse 14 we are informed that the publication of the Gospel and the time of the end are synchronal. Compare Rev. x. 6. &c. xi. 19. xv. 5. Dan. xii. 1. At v. 20 we have the word weak, relating to the seven years of the Jewish war, the horrors of which lasted for only three and a half years, which abridgment may be designed at verse 22. Com. B. Newton on Rev. xi. 11. In the choice of this period, i. e. of three and a half times, there seems to be a reference to the duration of Christ's death, as if Christ's body, the church and temple treated of, were to be made perfect by similar sufferings, Col. i. 24. How often have some of the circumstances foretold at verse 26 been accomplished! Have not Christians been told that the Anointed was in the wilderness (an Eremita); in the secret chambers (the Pope in his palace and conclave, the Illuminè in his occult lodge.) The parable of the fig-tree at verse 32 is remarkable. The fig-tree is the emblem of Jerusalem, or the Church. Its greenness denotes the period of its spiritual life; the heat denotes its being dried up and forsaken of the Author and Giver of Life. "If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?" Luke xxiii. 31. If they crucify their Saviour while God has not wholly forsaken them, what will their children do when abandoned wholly by God?-The two Women, at verse 41, are the Christian and Antichristian communities. Rev. xvii. 1. xxi. 9. The Mill may be the Church, which prepares the spiritual bread of life.

If these remarks, Sir, appear worthy your attention, and that of Inspector, you will oblige me by accepting them.

[blocks in formation]

N the body of every Brief the following words are inserted :

-fourth year of the late Queen Anne, intituled, An Act for the better collecting Charity-Money on Briefs by Letters Patent, and preventing Abuses in relation to such Charities, our will and pleasure is, and we

do

do hereby, for the better advancement of these our pious intentions, require and command all Ministers, Teachers and Preachers, Churchwardens and Chapelwardens, and the Collectors of this Brief, and all others concerned, that they, and every of them, observe the directions in the said Act contained, and do in all things conform themselves thereto; and that when printed copies of these presents shall be tendered unto you the respective Ministers and Curates, Churchwardens and Chapelwardens, and to the respective Teachers and Preachers of every separate Congregation, and to any person who teaches or preaches in any meeting of the people called Quakers, that you, and every of you, under the penalties of the said Act, do receive the same.”

I wish to know whether any Briefs be sent to the Teachers and Preachers of separate Congregations, and whether any be sent to the Quakers?

The number of Briefs printed in behalf of Ravenstonedale was 10,489; much about the reputed number of parishes in England; and therefore I suppose the practice of transmitting them to the Dissenters and Quakers has long since surceased.

I shall be much obliged to any of your Correspondents who will condescend to give information on this subject to an humble Tradesman, strongly attached to his Church, and

Your most obedient humble servant,

July 11, 1803.

JONATHAN DRAPIER.

ENFORD SUNDAY SCHOOL.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

GENTLEMEN,

HAVING been favoured with a copy of the Rules and Regulations

of a Sunday School, I deem them so well calculated for the purpose for which they were drawn up, that I think I shall do our church and our country no small service by making them public; and I trust you will give them a place in your next Magazine.

Sunday Schools may do much good, and certainly have done good; they may also be made an engine of subverting both Church and State; but these Rules are drawn up with so much wisdom, and the checks. against perversion are so well devised, that I think any school adopting them may be secured from mischief, and, through God's blessing, cannot fail of bettering the condition of the children of the poor.

I have no authority to publish the name of the worthy Vicar of Enford, to whom we are obliged for these Rules; and yet I would not willingly deprive them of the weight and authority which his name must ever carry with it; for surely there is not a Clergyman in the country of higher character as a man of piety and most exemplary conduct, as a genuine son of the Church of England, as a friend of virtue, and a Vol. V. Churchm. Mag. July 1803.

E

reclaimer

« FöregåendeFortsätt »