as this is a term of human invention, I cannot see that I am chargeable with blasphemy for shrinking from assuming to be wise above what is written. I may be in error, but blasphemy is more than error, and my soul abhors it. The last charge, "Socinian," has been so bandied about, and applied so indiscriminately, that it is hardly possible to open a page of high-church writing without finding myself written down as one. The inapplicable use of the word reminds one of the expression of the party who declared the refusal to take a hand at cards was downright Calvinism. Dr. Hook, however, in a note to his sermon, "A Call to Union," the notes and appendix to which hardly answer to the name, has explained the use of this term, much to his own satisfaction, but certainly not to mine-namely, that if we are not Socinians, we ought to be; and that we are only saved from the God-denying heresy because we are a mixture of fools and knaves. In his own words, every logical and unsophisticated mind holding such opinions as mine must end in Socinianism. A very pleasant horn of a dilemma to be placed on by a brother. I will select one instance of the exaggerated use of this term of reproach which appeared in your pages, in an extract from a work under review-"A Voice from the Font." The writer calls it a Socinian practice to exclude the Apocrypha from the Bible. I never would unite in the same volume for general distribution books which in one instance disavow inspiration, with those which bear internal evidence of it, and to which the catholic church has conceded this claim. Am I therefore a Socinian? God forbid. Is not this to make a man an offender for a word? I remain, Sir, with great respect, your humble servant, G.D. Southampton, March 12, 1839. PROOFS OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT; FROM AN ANCIENT MS. SIR,-The accompanying paper is an extract from a large folio MS. volume belonging to the Stackhouse Library, Bridgnorth. The volume contains a variety of treatises on subjects of a theological nature, the greater part of which it is exceedingly difficult to decipher. The date of this MS. can very nearly be ascertained by internal evidence. It was written certainly after the final dissolution of the council of Trent (1563), and probably before the use of the version of the bible authorized by James in 1611, as the writer appears to quote from a version which bears date 1589. I have preserved the original spelling, &c., and have submitted it to you for insertion in the British Magazine, hoping that it may prove interesting from the circumstances of the age in which it was written, and useful as a compendious and logical statement of the proofs by which we establish the authority of the books of the Old Testament. I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, EDWARD BICKERSTETH. Chetton near Bridgnorth. "The first marke to know the holy scripture is the very letter and character wherein the scriptures were written. I mean not the woords or sentences, but the very letter. For although all letters and characters are alike unto God; yet it pleased the Lord to choose out the Hebrew letter, wherein the woord shoold be kept unto the end of the world. For although there be some chapters in Daniell wch were written in the Chaldæan tongue, yet they alsoe were written in the Hebrew tongue; soe that whatsoever bookes come not unto us in the Hebrew letter, we may justly reproove them as unprofitable. This is then the first note or marke whereby we may be assured, that ye scriptures are the woord of God, and those bookes wh are to be the rule of our whole life, bycause they are written in ye Hebrew letter; not that every booke which is written in ye Hebrew letter is to be received as the woorde of God, and the rule of our life; but God woold hereby sever them from all other kinds of writings of men. So that we may therefore well refuse the Greeke and ye Assyrian translation not coming from ye Hebrewes. And this is the reason why, with Hierome, we refuse ye bookes of Apocrypha; as Toby and the history of Bele and ye Dragon, wch of som are counted fables, but although they are joyned with the canonicall scriptures, yet are they called Apocrypha-yt is to say, hid and secrete bookes, to be read in corners, and not openly in the church. So that then the whole scripture written in the Hebrew tongue is profytable to teach to correct, and to instruct in righteousnes; that ye man of God may be absolute, being made perfect to all good workes. Soe that all the scriptures of man are to be refused, not that they are altogeather untrueth, but bycause they doe not proceed from the meere motion of God's holy Spirit. * The second marke to discerne these bookes is the very delivery of them by God himselfe to holy men. This marke is touched often in ye Oulde Testament, and sometimes in ye New Testament Read xii. 24 of Exods, whereast it is sayd yt the Lord comanded Moses to com up unto ye mountayne unto him, and he gave him tables of stone, and the law, and the comandement, wch he had written for to teach them. And in Exodus, xxxiv. 1, it is sayd the Lord comanded Moses to hew him two tables of stone like unto ye first, and the Lord himselfe wrote upon the tables the woordes y' were in the first table. So y this is an evident and a peculiar note to discerne the bookes of God by. For onely the bookes of the lawe, ye psalmes, and the prophets, were delivered by God unto holy men, and none other. Read Deu. x. 12, where it is sayd that God comanded Moses to receive the bookes of the law, not onely for his owne purpose, but that ye people shoold be instructed, and to lay it up in the arke of God. Soe wee read in ye chronnicles, yt sometimes ye booke was lost, and sometimes found in ye arke of God, and ye people rejoyced in it. Paule sheweth that this was the difference, yt unto them ye Lord had comitted ye * This is the reading in the edition of 1589, published by Barker. Whereas for where. Continually used in the formularies drawn up in the reigns of Henry VIII. and Edward VI. The meanings of the two words seem to have changed places. oracles. This then is a marke to know the bookes of God by, bycause they are delivered unto holy men, y' the people thereby might be taught in all relligion, and synceritie of life. Examine the bookes of Apocrypha, and yee shall see y' they were never found in the arke of ye testamente, nor receaved into ye church of God as canonicall. In them are many unhonest and unchaste speeches, and many thinges very weake, &c. That I say no more, this I say, not to discredite y authors and writers of them; but onely I say this, yt wee shoold not give such honour and credite unto them as unto the woorde of the æternall God, wh is given unto us, yt thereby we may be instructed to all synceritie and holines of life. Let this then be the 2nd note, yt these bookes were delivered by God himselfe to holy men, as Moses, Joshua, Solomon, David, yt they might be kept perpetually. The 3rd marke to know God's worde is the continuall consent and agreement of the bookes of ye Oulde Testament. There is no contradiction in them, and if there appeare some little shew of any contradiction or disagreement, it may easily be reconciled of them wh will consider of it. But in Apocrypha wee shall see expresse contradic tions, errors, varieties, and repugnances of the wrighters one wth another, and they cannot possibly be reconciled togeather amonge theselves, and much less can they be reconciled unto ye woorde of God. But seeing in the woorde of God there is no varietie or contradiction, but such a pleasant harmonie and consent and heavenly agreement togeather, as the like cannot be found in any other writings of men, therefore let us confesse and receave them as ye rules of our whole life, and soe it shall come to passe y we shall be conformed unto ye image of God, The 4th marke to know the woorde of God by, is ye unspeakable and ye exceeding great majestie of ye woorde yt appeareth to every man's harte and conscience, when as they doe heare or read it. For I appeale unto every man's conscience, if it doe not move ye heart yea of ye wicked in some sort to cause him to hate and mislike sin. And it hath a marvellouse force in some sort to encline the hart unto wisedom and goodnesse. There is nothing in it too moove a man unto sinne, but to stirre him up to all virtue and honesty. Let the adulterer, or fornicator, or any other unclean pson, speake if this be not soe; he dares not reade it, for if he shoold, it woold rebuke him of sinne, condemne him, and terrify him; and therefore he letteth it alone, and readeth som history, som tale, som toy and som songe, or such like, bycause those reproove him not. So if so be y' we read the woord of God any reverence at all it straightway mooveth us; and whence cometh it? bycause it was indighted of God, wrighten and delivered to holy men, and ye Spirit of God conveieth such a strong savour unto it as that it mooveth men in some sate, whether they will or noe to hate sinne; and therefore this necessarily argueth that ye scriptures be the canons and rules of righteousnes wherein all our life long we ought to walke. But if wee read ye bookes of Apocrypha or other wrightings they are nothing soe; for these are they by which we shall be judged. wth The fift marke to know the woorde of God from other writings is the playnenesse and simplicitie of ye stile; whether ye wrighters as Moses and David wright of themselves or of others. David as well setteth downe his owne simplicitie and sinne as he doth any others; he dealeth not parcially concealing his owne iniquitie & bloody sinne; so yt finding these bookes to be voyd of all hypocrisie, voyd of all prayse seeking in men, voyd of all vayne glory & ambition, seeking onely ye glory of God, finding (I say) such playneness and simplicitie in them; this is a sure marke and infallable token and argument to discerne them from all prophane wrightings of men, and to shew that they be written by the finger of God. Other wrightings do crave pardone if they have done amisse, wch is a thing very comendable.+ The sixt marke and note to know them by is, ye allegation of them by our S. Christ Jesus and his apostles; wch argueth yt they are able and sufficient to disside all doubts and controversies, or else it had been a vayne and foolish thing to alleage them to proove his doctryne, if so be y' they had not byn of as full authority as his owne wrightings. Therefore in yt our S. Ch. alledgeth them many times in his sermons, many times to his apostles and unto ye people; hereby we are warranted yt they are ye woorde of God, and full of all heavenly authority, and authenticall to make us wise unto salvation, and too instruct us in all wisedom to reproove to correct and instruct in all righteousnes; yt the man of God may be absolute, being made perfect unto all good woorkes. But least yt any shoold say yt all (for ye most parte) of these bookes of yt Ould Testament are not alledged by Christe Jesus and his apostles; therefore I have taken som paynes to shew how many are cited, and how many are not. First then to begine. Genesis is cited Matth. xix. 4; Exodus in John, xix. 36; Levit. in Luke, ii. 24; Numbers in Luke, ii. 23; Deut. in Matth. iv. 4; Joshua in Hebrews, xiii. 5; Judges in Heb. xi. 32; Ruth in Matth. ii. 5, in Luke, iii. 32; 1 Samuell in Matth. xii. 3; 2 Samuell in Actes, vii. 46; 1 Kinges in Matth. xii. 42; 2 Kinges in Luke, iv. 27; 1 Chronicles, Luke, i. 73;* 2 Chronicles in ye 1 John, 18,* Acts, x. 34, 1 Pet. i. 17; Ezra is not expressly cited, yet it is written in ye Hebrew tongue; and it was receyved of the Jewes as canonicall, the prophet Haggey sayth it; Nehemias is expressed in Rom. xix.* 5; Ester in Daniel,* vi. 16; Job in James, ix. 11; Psalmes in Luke, xxiv. 44; Prov. in Rom. xii. 17, Heb. xii. 5; Ecclesiastes in 2 Timothy,* vi. 7; Canticu. Canticoru., Math. xxii.‡ doth allude unto it; Esay in Math. xv.; Jeremie, Erechiell, Nathaniell and ye rest of ye prophets are cited in Luke, xxiv. 44, and in many other places in particular. Of this note I reason thus: All these bookes are alledged by ye Holy Ghost, therefore they are all canonicall scriptures and most authenticall, certayne, true and unfallable; and therefor may safely be used as rules of our life and relligion, and never to + Vide 2 Maccabees, xv. 38: "And I have done well and as is fitting the story, it is that which I desired; but if slenderly and meanly it is that which I could attain unto." Those quotations marked with an I have been unable to verify. + Perhaps Matt. x. 22, alluding to Canticles, i. 6—“My mother's children were angry with me.' be doubted of. And though y Ester and som others be not alleaged it mattereth not, seing that there is no doctrine in them wch is not agreeing unto ye other, and there never have byn controversy in ye church of God about these bookes; so that as the ould Jewes beleeved, wee hope in them to have æternall life. But neither did our S. Christ nor his apostles alleadge any testimonies to proove theire doctrine out of the bookes called ye Apocrypha. And therefore in yt he alleadgeth ye one, ye same allegation of them is a confirmation of ye authoritie of them. And the not alleadging of ye other is a disallowing of them. For if soe be that they had byn authenticall and necessary to proove good and wholesom doctrine, then Christ Jesus and his apostles woold have used them as well as they did ye other. So that then there was a most miserable errour comitted in ye counsell of Trente, when as they comanded ye people under payne of æternall damnation to receive ye bookes of Apocrypha wth equal reverence and authority as they did the other, to be as rules of theire life and religion. There be other markes most unfallable to know the woorde of God by, testifying unto our spirits yt it is ye woorde of God." RIGHTS OF PERPETUAL CURATES. SIR,-If the opinion lately given by Sir F. Pollock be correct-" That the soil and freehold of the church and churchyard belong to the parson, and that the parson is the rector, vicar, or perpetual curate;" how is it, allow me to ask, that perpetual curates, who exercise control over the tombstones, &c., and receive the fees, are not, in some cases, allowed the right of herbage in the churchyard, and that the repairs of the chancel devolve upon the lay impropriator? Moreover, in perpetual curacies, should there always be a parson's churchwarden, as well as one chosen by the parish? and who appoints him? obedient servant, A PERPETUAL CURATE. Your NOTICES AND REVIEWS. Thoughts on Religion and Philosophy, by Blaise Pascal. A New Translation, with an original Memoir of the Author, and an Introductory Essay. By Isaac Taylor, Esq., Author of "Natural History of Enthusiasm," &c. Glasgow Collins. 12mo. pp. 451. 1838. THE editor says, "it is proper to state that the translation now offered to the public is not a garbled one. Pascal, in former instances, has been given to the English reader by those who have thought themselves at liberty to suppress many of the thoughts, in fact, whatever did not meet the translator's theological taste. No such outrage is attempted in the present edition." This is very right. The turn which public opinion has taken in this matter is a good symptom. The VOL. XV.-April, 1839. 3 к |