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explains that himfelf. I fay, St. Paul does not explain it at all. He fays, the body is raifed in incorruption---in glory---in power, and a spiritual body; all which expreffions point at the ftate of the body after it is raised, rather than the manner in which it is raifed. St. Paul might perhaps think fuch a needlefs queftion foolish; but we cannot fuppofe that he confidered every one a fool who did not know what perhaps he himself was ignorant of Men as wife as S. T., and much more attentive, differ in their opinion about the manner of the refurrection. Some think that the atoms of the prefent body will be collected together by a miraculous power, and be united, fo as to form the body that fhall be raifed. Others think, that the effence of the prefent body will be folded up in fo fmall a compafs as to be indivifible, and that at the refurrection it will expand, and become the fpiritual body that St. Paul speaks of. Others differ from thefe, thinking it will be only a fpiritual refurrection; and there may be other opinions different from thefe ftill, and yet, after all, no man can be certain in any of

them.

I would juft further remark, that no one need be afraid to look S. T.'s arguments in the face; for I think he has taken up a fubject which he knows not how to argue upon, every thing which he hath faid may be fet afide in fix or feven words, which he himself hath helped us to, viz. We understand it in a different way. If the fubject was of no more confequence than merely yea and nay, we might let the blind lead the blind; but when we confider that all experimental religion is fo connected with the divinity of Jefus Chrift, that the one muft ftand or fall with the other, the point becomes of importance, and ought to be carefully defended. To fay, that it cannot be defended according to reafon as well as Scripture, is not true. There has been more given up to these pretenders to reafon than there is need for. I can fee nothing necefiary to be believed concerning it, that is above reafon, nor yet contrary to reafon, provided we reason agreeable to the nature of the fubject. I grant there has been many abfurd expreffions and notions maintained in defending the doctrine; but furely the doctrine itself cannot be lefs interefting on that account. Some will fay, Away with your carnal reatoning; give me the Scripture; the Scripture is the religion for proteftants. I believe neither proteftants nor papifts can be benefitted by the Scriptures without the ufe of their reafon; and yet fome things in the Scriptures cannot be reafoned upon in the fame manner as the building of houfes or the ploughing of fields: things invifible

are

are not, nor can they be, apprehended in the fame manner as things feen. I wifh S. T. had ftudied this point more.

If you fhould think proper to give this a place in your Mifcellany, it is probable I may addrefs you again, at fome future period, on the impoffibility of worshipping God in any other way than in, through, and by Jefus Chrift. I remain,

Yours, &c.

J. S.

LEX TALIONIS.

To the Editor of the UNIVERSALIST'S MISCELLANY.

MR. EDITOR,

It view

appears to me, that the perfon who begins a controverfy,

public nature) but that of elucidating the subject he attempts to contend about, in fuch a manner as either to correct what be conceives errors in his antagonist, or to communicate to the public what he thinks to be neceffary as well as ufeful information. Under the influence of expectations of this kind. I began with pleasure to read your correfpondent W. Burton's animadverfions on a few friendly hints given in p. 60, for February laft, in your laft Mifcellany, p. 91. Hoping that, however my ignorance might be expofed, fuch light would be thrown upon the fubject as might equally tend both to the advancement of truth and the improvement of your readers in ufeful knowledge. But how great was my difappointment when I found that the whole confifted of charges, without one of them being properly ftated, the principal of which I find to be misrepresentation! owing to my ignorance in giving a quotation of Montanus's verfion. of Pfalm xlix. 19. as the verfion of Pagninus, which he very wifely accounts for by my seeing the name of the latter in the title-page of the former. On which he very fhrewdly makes the following remarks, "Thus we fee, Sir, that it is not only neceflary to read the author we quote from, but alfo that we know how to read him." Now, Sir, as your correfpondent would by no means leave us to doubt of his own great learning and abilities, how uncandid is he not to inform us (if he is capable) why Pagninus's name fhould be in the title-page of Montanus's Hebrew Bible. In60. my quotation of Pagninus's verfion of my in Pfalm xlix. 19. was ufque in æternum, inftead of which your correfpondent's

p.

refpondent's quotation is qui ufque in feculum; by which rendering he charges Pagninus with a motive "only to decieve." And to vindicate his rendering against my correction, he introduces the following unintelligible obfervation, "I again affirm the verfion of Pagninus to be as I have quoted it. The edition I ufe is Leufden's, printed by Bowyer, London, 1758." Now, Sir, I in my turn affirm, that his quotation is not to be found in the text of any of Pagninus's Hebrew Pfalters; and I also affirm that Leufden never did publish an edition of that author, his extracts being only from an incorrect copy, the errors of which are now placed in the margin of the prefent editions. Befides, the difference between Pagninus's edition of the Hebrew Pfalter and Leufden's is fo very confpicuous, that it is impoffible they can be mistaken the one for the other by any one who knows any thing of the fubject, the former being printed having the text and the words correfponding therewith in the Latin verfion placed over it, by which means the Latin scholar is enabled to read and conftrue the Hebrew language with great facility in a very fhort time: the latter with the text in one page, and the verfion in the following one oppofite. Therefore, however unable I may be to read authors I quote, when I look into the title- page of Pagninus's Hebrew Bible, with his interlineary verfion, I read in fuch a manner as to understand he was the original author of that verfion, and the fame title-page alfo informs me, that Arias Montanus was the revifor, corrector, and editor of all the fubfequent editions thereof. For theie reafons I conclude, that it is fometimes called Pagninus's and at other times Montanus's Hebrew Bible.

Laftly, your correfpondent's very fevere cenfure, occafioned by my friendly correction of his error in his Hebrew of Pfalm x. 16. I think is rather unjustifiable, as I only faid, I would recommend for the future a more careful correction of the proof Theets. Surely fuch a gentle hint could not juftly provoke him to drag the great Alexander Pope, Efq. forward to compare me to a crow, who is content to feed on carrion!What ftate would the Hebrew copies of the Bible have been in at the prefent time, if they had been exposed to the fame negligence? If we hear him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge declaring, that "till heaven and earth pass, not one jot or one tittle fhould pafs from the Scriptures till all were fulfilled," how can we think of the paffing away of a pronoun in the plural number and mafculine gender as a matter of no confequence. Had I taken notice of his English in the fame manner, there might be fome appearance

of

of juftice in his cenfure, but every Hebrew fcholar will not only vindicate the propriety of fuch a caution, but will also defend the neceffity of it. I remain, Sir, yours for the truth's fake, as well as

A Lover of the Lex Talionis.

SIR,

M

ON OTHER WORLDS.

To the Editor of the UNIVERSALIST'S MISCELLANY.

AN is a haughty animal; he fuppofes the great Creator had no defign but his gratification in all the works of his hand.

"Afk for what end the heav'nly bodies fhine?

Earth, for whofe ufe? Pride anfwers, " 'Tis for mine.
For me kind nature wakes her genial pow'r,

Suckles each herb, and spreads out ev'ry flow'r."

As he supposes himself greater than all his accommodations, fo he supposes himfelf placed in that part of the works of his Maker, which is more excellent than thofe he beholds at a diftance: the fun, and all the bright luminaries of heaven, he looks upon as a prodigious large fire, and a great multitude of candles, to ferve him both day and night. The higher himself appears to his own view, the more groveling muft his ideas of the Creator be.

But if the planets and fixed ftars answer no other purpose than this, would it not be (I speak with reverence) like fo much of the divine wisdom and power thrown away, when we confider that we derive more light and advantage from one moon than from all the fixed ftars? And would it not have appeared wifer (fpeaking after the manner of men) to have made another moon to fucceed this, than fuch a multiplicity of bodies for the fame purpose only, and to place them at fuch a vaft diftance, that they could be of very little ufe to us.

Again, why fome of them fhould be hid in obfcurity for ages, and not be discovered until late years, will not well correfpond with the ideas entertained by fuch men: and indeed, when we confider how long mankind was ignorant of what appears the most likely to be the true fyftem of the world, fuch ideas muft vanifh as a morning dream.

It is not to be wondered at, when we find a man making all to centre and terminate in himself, that he should be surprised

when

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when philofophers talk of the inhabitants of other worlds; and though we might expect better things from the more intelligent part of mankind, yet we find the Luciferian principle is fo deeply rooted in the human mind, few are difpofed to give up the privilege of fuperiority, which they fendly imagine belongs to them, and their habitation, this earth.

It is neceflary that we fhould connect, with our belief in the existence of a God, proper views of his character and intentions: the study of nature will be of very little use to us if it does not lead us to him, not barely as a being capable of producing all things, but as one who made all things to answer an end worthy of himfelf. How comfortless to contemplate abfolute power in any or all of its exertions, unconnected with wifdom. What would it accomplish? Even wifdom and power, combined, unattended with goodness, might produce all that is beautiful, but would be forbidding to us; we fhould be rather frightened than encouraged thereby. We may, then, adopt the language of Scripture, and fay, "The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works ;" not only in this earth, and to the inhabitants thereof, but to the inhabitants of other worlds, through every period of their exiftence; for they must ceafe to be before it be poffible they fhould be in a fituation not capable to derive advantage and happiness from the manifeftations of the divine goodnels.

If wherever the power and wisdom of God are manifeftly difplayed, his goodness accompanies, why fhould it be thought an abfurdity to fuppofe the planets are inhabited by an order of beings, who are capable of beholding the exertions of divine power, and tracing out the defigns of divine wisdom, and alfo of rejoicing in the manifeftations of divine goodness? But this cannot poffibly be, if they are bodies made for no other purpose than to roll through space, and be gazed at by intoxi

cated mortals.

God has made nothing in vain; for what purpose, we might afk, then, are the moons of Jupiter, Saturn, and the Georgium Sidus? We well know the ufe of our own moon; but if this globe had no inhabitants, the moon might very well be difpensed with: it would fhine, not to the exciting its Maker's praise in the bofoms of men, but would appear to be made in vain. Why, then, fhould we deny that to others, which we find fo fuited to ourfelves? The other planets are like to our own, in almost every refpect. Let us grant, then, all that this earth has; and if the whole of our folar system, why not to other fyftems of planets, revolving round other funs, all having one Father, and all connected in one great whole by VOL. III.

R

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