But nothing numbers more, detected and exposed his falsehoods. Is this statement true? If it be, I ask, to what purpose did he remember the whole contents of the sacred volume? and what good purpose can be answered by holding up such a thorough-paced sinner to the admiration of British youth? What a church must that be of which he was the pride and glory! W. B. REV. T. BOYS, IN REPLY TO THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE. To the Editor of the Scripture Magazine. "Key to SIR-AS you have been pleased to notice favourably my the Psalms," I feel disposed to hope that you will oblige me by inserting the following letter, which was addressed by me to the editor of the Monthly Magazine (new series,) in consequence of some strictures conAs it is not inserted in his numtained in his number for March last. ber for April, I am compelled, the charges being somewhat of a personal character, to seek some other mode of bringing my reply before the public. Should you give it a place, I shall probably be contented, when I see it in your work, with advertising in one or two periodicals and newspapers, that my defence is there to be found; otherwise, I must pursue some other plan. My letter was as follows: "SIR-In the last number of the Monthly Magazine, (new series,) your reviewer, speaking of my Key to the Psalms,' charges me with not having properly acknowledged the assistance which I have derived from the bishop of Lime-. rick's valuable work, entitled Sacred Literature.' The fact is, that the terms of the acknowledgment, in my ' Advertisement' at the beginning of my former publication,' Tactica Sacra,' were suggested by the bishop himself; first, through a friend; secondly, in a personal interview. And, shortly after, I had the satisfaction of understanding from the same friend, that the acknowledgment fully met both his Lordship's views and his own. True, I have said but little respecting my obligations in the Key;' but certain feelings of propriety now came into consideration; and it did appear to me, that, a debt of this kind once paid, the less the curate said of the bishop the better. Add to this, that my system, as presented to the public in my first work, became very unpopular, and excited much obloquy. Might not his Lordship, therefore, justly have complained, had I, in my second, fathered my views upon him? Now that the tide of public opinion is turned, indeed, bis Lordship's admirers step forward, and claim them for him. But the bishop himself expressed his approbation of my first work, only in very qualified terms; nor have I yet learnt his sentiments respecting the Key;' so that, in defending his Lordship's supposed rights, more may be given to him than he is inclined, after all, to own. Be assured, Sir, that though I am so fully convinced of the truth of my views, that I am quite willing to continue standing, as I have stood hitherto, alone and unsupported; yet I should deeply regret even the semblance of withholding from any man his own. "If, however, my acknowledgments to Sacred Literature' have not hitherto been sufficiently explicit, let them be so now. I willingly admit, then, 1. That what I have offered is only an extended view' of the doctrine contained in that work. 2. That I am chiefly indebted to the same source for the mode of exhibiting my arrangements. 3. That I am wholly indebted to it (which is a much more important point) for my first correct ideas upon the subject; and, 4. That had it not been for what his Lordship has published, my works would, in all probability, never have seen the light. "The reviewer also complains, that he does not find any acknowledgment of the obligation due from me to Rabbi Azarias. The fact is, there is no debt of direct obligation whatever. I, indeed, have taken up from more recent writers, the principles which they, in part, derive from him; but that is all. And therefore, in mentioning him, and more explicitly owning my obligations to those who came after him, I think I have done what was requisite. At the same time, what the Rabbi is supposed to say, in anticipation of my views, respecting the arrangement of sentences,' is a mistranslation. I can but be struck, however, with the change which has of late taken place in the public mind. Not long ago, my views ⚫ of the structure of Scripture were by many regarded as visionary, if not pernicious: now, all at once, people turn round upon me, and deem them so excellent, as to put in claims, on behalf of all, except myself, who have written on the subject, to the discovery of them: claims on behalf of right reverend divines; claims on behalf of learned rabbins; claims on behalf of poets and professors of poetry; claims on behalf of eminent critics, expert linguists, and profound orientalists. One friend writes me that he has pointed out some things of mine, in a work which he is going to publish. Felix faustumque sit, say I. Let truth prevail; and take the xudos, who will. Only I hope that those who conceive themselves to have been robbed by me of the credit of discovery, will produce examples of their own, (and I mean examples like those which I give, of whole psalms, and whole epistles, exhibited as ONE arrangement or parallelism,) and not think it sufficient to say they thought of mine. "Let me conclude by saying, that I make no claim to discovery, strictly so called; and am quite ready to abide by the reviewer's own representations, namely, that what I have offered may be termed an extended view,' and that I have only laboured with some degree of success in establishing the truth of the conjectures of Dr. Jebb.' "Hoping that these explanations will be deemed satisfactory by yourself, the reviewer, and the public, "I remain, Sir, "Your's, &c. "THOMAS BOYS." Such was my letter to the editor of the Monthly Magazine. If I have really wronged the bishop of Limerick, it is a pity that it was not inserted in that work, even in justice to his Lordship. All that I can claim for myself is, the having been the first to maintain distinctly, that the form of a single parallelism, alternate or inverted, belongs to integral portions of the sacred Scriptures, such as whole Epistles, and whole Psalms. This claim cannot be shaken by mere expressions which others have used, and which, largely interpreted, may seem possibly to intimate such a thing. I have not only asserted the fact, and that roundly, in defiance of scorn, of obloquy, and, I fear I may almost add, of persecution (and the very offence which my work excited, and which preceding works did not excite, proves a difference;) but I have also given examples, and am prepared to give more. Let others, if they can, do the same. But, after all, they will be too late. They ought to have done this first, otherwise my claim will still hold good. In this respect, I know at present but of two persons who can in any degree, or in any sense, be said to precede me; namely, the composer, whoever he was, of the Athanasian creed, and the acute and learned author of "The Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity." That great bulwark of the Christian faith, against which the floods of infidelity lift themselves up and roar in vain, the Athanasian creed, does certainly possess, in a limited degree, but AS A WHOLE, the character of a scriptural parallelism; and the writer to whom I refer, and who is so well known to the religious world by the aid which he has afforded to the "critical study" of the Bible, had certainly discovered this fact, and laid it before the public in his work on the Trinity, previous to the appearance of any work of mine on the subject of parallelism, though without reference to the doctrine. If there be any others who have anticipated me, either in a less or greater degree, I shall be happy to acknowledge this upon evidence adduced. With best wishes, I remain, Sir, Your faithful Servant, THOMAS BOYS. 34, Bouverie Street, Fleet Street, April 5th, 1826. RELIGIOUS PECULIARITIES OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. The Editor of the Scripture Magazine is requested to give insertion to the following selections on an interesting topic, and it is presumed, in perfect accordance with the principles of his useful periodical. They are taken from a highly judicious and excellent publication, by Joseph John Gurney, entitled "Observations on the Religious Peculiarities of the Society of Friends." Third edition, London, 1824.—a work which demands to be better known in the religious world. Though not myself a member of this class of Christians, I have read the above 12mo. with peculiar pleasure, and I trust with personal improvement; and cannot refrain from recommending it to a general perusal. The numerous valuable criticisms with which it aboundsthe candid and uncompromising exposition of certain principles which it so intelligently comprises-and the catholic spirit which breathes throughout the whole, are, in every respect, honourable to the worthy and wellknown character of the author; while they are especially calculated for the best improvement of his own particular denomination, and will contribute, I doubt not, to the common welfare of Christianity in the world, I am the more induced to give these extracts, and to recommend the present volume, because I believe that there is, among a great many Christians, a considerable want of information respecting the "Peculiarities of the Friends;" and I know not the writer, to whom we can look for so enlightened and satisfactory a declaration of these, as to Mr. Gurney. Manchester. "CATHOLIC is my name, CHRISTIAN my surname." "The present volume is intended not so much for the information of the public in general, as for the use of the junior members of that society. I am persuaded that there are not a few of our young men and women, who, although brought up in the society, are nevertheless not sufficiently informed respecting the religious principles by which it is distinguished, and who, perhaps, have seldom reflected, with accuracy, on the Christian and scriptural grounds of our several peculiarities. "Although, however, these essays are addressed principally to the junior members of our own body, I confess that I have also had in view a number of individuals who do not actually belong to us, but who have some intimate connexion with us, and appear to be brought, in various degrees, under the same peculiar religious administration. "Since the views which I have attempted to unfold, are of a nature entirely religious, it has of course been necessary for me largely to refer to that sacred book, to the text of which all religious opinions are rightly brought, since it was given by inspiration of God, and contains a divinely authorized record, both of the doctrines we ought to believe, and of the duties which we are required to practise. In thus referring 1 As this estimable gentleman resides in the neighbourhood of Norwich, where this Magazine is, I believe, now circulated, I would hope that his attention may hereby be excited to the work; and most happy, I am sure, will many readers be, to be favoured with any communications from one, whose critical competencies and Catholic disposition are so much suited to the "Scripture Magazine.” to the holy Scriptures, I have often found occasion, on critical points, to appeal to the decisions of various commentators, both ancient and modern. While, however, I have not hesitated thus to avail myself of the well applied and useful researches of these writers, I wish to take the present opportunity of expressing my conviction, that, for the most important practical purposes, the common English version of the Bible may be understood with sufficient precision, without the aid of the critic or the annotator. Above all, may it ever be remembered, that if the Sciptures of truth are to make us wise unto salvation, through faith, which is in Christ Jesus,' that spiritual eye must be open in us, which alone is capable of a just and efficacious perception of their Divine contents; for it remains to be an incontrovertible truth, that as 'no man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him, even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.' "CHAP. I. On the grounds of Religious Union which subsist among mankind in general, and more especially among true Christians. "Such a survey will, I trust, produce the effect of animating our hearts with the love of our neighbour, and will prepare us for a calm and charitable discussion of those particulars which appertain more or less exclusively to our own religious situation in the world, and in the church. "I. Let us endeavour to form some estimate of the breadth of that foundation in religion, on which we are standing in common with mankind in general. "1. God is the Creator and merciful Father of us all.' iv. 8. Exod. xxxiv. 6. Acts xvii. 24-28. 2 Pet. iii. 9. 1 John, “2. Christ died for us all.' See 1 John, ii. 1, 2. Heb. ii. 9. Rom. v. 18. “3. ' A measure of the influence of the Holy Spirit enlightens, and if obeyed, would save us all.' Job xxxii. 8. Acts x. 22. "II. A brief view of those religious advantages which are not bestowed upon the world in general, but are nevertheless common to all Christians. At some of the principal of them we may now glance. "1. They are brought out of darkness into marvellous light'. 1 Pet. ii. 9. 1 John ii. 8. "2. The religion, respecting the truths of which Christians are thus enlightened, is a powerful religion. Rom. i. 16. Eph. i. 19, 20. "3. They are animated during the varied course of their pilgrimage, with the clear hope of immortal joy. 1 Pet. i. 4. "4. They are, in a preeminent manner, baptized by one Spirit into one body.' "May the love, which cements together the varied members of this mystical body of Christ, more and more abound: may the barriers which ignorance or prejudice has reared among them, be broken through and demolished: may Christians be enabled increasingly to strive together for the hope of the gospel; and while they individually draw L |