kind in the connection in which they stood to the promised seed, the law would have been unnecessary. But the promise was forgotten, and the rites were neglected or corrupted by Jews and Gentiles, who, with a few exceptions, walked according to their foolish imaginations. Hence the importance of committing the promise, or covenant, and ritual, to writing, and enlarging that ritual according as the exigencies of the church, and the state of the world, required;-1 say the state of the world, because the whole conduct of God to the Jews had unquestionably a merciful aspect to the rest of mankind. God has in every age chosen his people to be witnesses to the world, that he may gather from among the nations those whom he has ordained to eternal life. BENOBER.

In the last two numbers of your Magazine, I observe a review of a small pamphlet, entitled, "A Word to the Wise," &c. Had I not learned by a cotemporary journal, that its author is to be considered the regularly backed champion of Presbyterianism in this country, I should have thought it rather a degradation to take any notice of such a production. But as the friends of that system have put him forward as its accredited defender,—and as you, and your coadjutor, the Editor of the London Christian Instructor, have shewn how well a regularly backed champion of Presbyterianism can reason; I hope you will allow me to prove, by a few specimens, how well he

can write.

a

I am more disposed to do this, because the author of " Word to the Wise" is very careful to inform us that he is a regularly bred, appointed, and ordained clergyman,-and censures some trifling inaccuracies in the language of Mr Orme, with the air of a man who deems it totally impossible that he should commit similar mistakes himself. Now, Sir, when a regularly bred clergyman talks of grammatical frailties in another, I hold it perfectly fair to shew your readers how far he himself is free from them. "Our ancestors," says this infallible grammarian," were too judicious,-than to mar their noble cause." "What is there to be commended, or is desirable, in Independency?" &c. "But I am not done with this." It has been generally understood to be a rule in grammar, that every verb should have a nominative case; and, conversely, that every nominative should have a verb either expressed or

understood: but, it seems that this is a mistake, for the author of "a Word to the Wise," who must of course be right, says, "Upon this the church settled, as the only form of church-government appointed by Jesus Christ in his Word, is (what is?) of consequence acknowledged to be of divine right:" "Such," again says our author, "is the doctrine maintained by our catechist; in confirmation of which he adduces three passages of Scripture, wHICH it will require the extraordinary acumen of a tabernacle lay preacher to make it evident that any or all of them were ever designed to be a warrant or rule of admission into church fellowship." Whether it be competent to this task, we do not stop to inquire; but, we apprehend, it must be extraordinary indeed to discover any verb to which the pronoun can stand as a nominative.

So much for the grammar of this composition. We pass on to its general correctness, perspicuity and elegance. Our author talks about the usurpations, the bloody proscriptions and persecutions of a sink, about a form being hatched, about rebutting merits, about receding from a nostrum, &c. He tells us of the occurrences of the kingdom of heaven, instead of the phrase the kingdom of heaven, in the 13th chapter of Matthew. He assures us that Presbyterians possess an energy in the constitution of their government by the constitution of their government; that they enjoy the power of preserving the whole lump of New Testament privileges; yea, that they possess this power with a power of control, &c.; that they are as much satisfied of the necessity of regeneration as any Independent of them can be. Does he mean a Presbyterian Independent? or can it be that there is a Saul also among the prophets? He further most seriously assures us, that the knowledge of Dr John Owen was more profound than the most learned Tabernacle divine ;—the first time, 1 dare say, that any of your readers ever heard of a comparison, and a comparison of opposition too, being instituted between knowledge and a divine. Perhaps he meant to say, "than that of the most learned," &c. In the same style of correctness, he proceeds to declare, that since the 3320 communicants in Jerusalem could not assemble in one house to eat the Lord's supper, "every intelligent inquirer is forced upon the simple expedient of separating into various companies." Verily, Mr Editor, it is no very simple expedient to force an intelligent inquirer into various companies; and I am rather disposed to think, that the intelligent inquirer himself would beg that such a force might not be exerted upon him. "What is there excellent in Independency, which we Presbyterians do not enjoy? And if so, what, I should be be glad to know, is the need of Independents?" Here our author, with an adroitness which might afford a hint to the disciples of Loyola, mistakes a ques

tion for a proof; and so, and what is more easy, jumps to the conclusion. And now for a few specimens of elegance.

"We Presbyterians," says this Perth Presbyterian," are first in hand with the people north of the Tweed, for their instruction in righteousness." "The omniscient. Redeemer,"

he assures us, 66 was infallibly up to every man's state." His mode of telling us that the disciples in Jerusalem withdrew from the society of the rest of its inhabitants, affords an example of most captivating simplicity;" they kept themselves by themselves." He thinks that 8000 communicants could not be mustered out of all the congregations in Perth. He advises Mr Orme to clap Rom. x. 15. not to the foot of the page, which would be sense, to say nothing of its elegance, but to the foot of his next edition. And he imagines that the disciples at Corinth got into the persuasion that there was nothing more solemn in going about the service of the Lord's supper, than in any other act of religious devotion. I have only three more inaccuracies to lay at this time before your readers: the first I call a blunder as to fact, the second as to piety, and of what description the last is they may judge for themselves." The Scots Presbyterians," says our author, "have from the beginning been most pointed and particular in the article of ordination, and of the scriptural way of laying hands suddenly on no man,-of committing the things which we have heard to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." Does the Rev. Mr really believe this?

In page 54. he tells us that Constantine the Great was kind enough to take the church of God under his protection. A sinful impotent and perishing mortal protecting the church of God!! It would be infinitely less absurd (to pass over the impiety of the language) to say, that a fly protected St Paul's Cathedral.

And though last not least, our author is very careful to inform us that Presbyterians possess and enjoy the spiritual censures of reproof, rebuke, admonition, excommunication, and restoration!! on evidences of penitence, &c.-As it is pretty manifest, I think, by this time, that the writer of this pamphlet deserves the spiritual censure of reproof, I dare say your readers will be glad to learn that he enjoys it also. Whether the spiritual censure of restoration to our confidence, as a good reasoner, and a good writer, can be awarded him, must depend upon the evidences of penitence he may give for violations of the laws of grammar and common sense, so gross, that even a school-boy, to say nothing of a regularly bred clergyman, might blush for having been guilty of them. IOTA.

*** Our Juvenile Article must be omitted, in order to make room for the Intelligence of this Month.

217

Review.