Are not these the fentiments of even moderate Calvinifts?-And do they not lead to the conclufion which I have stated above, (i.e.) that Calvinian Repròbation makes the deftruction of the wicked to refult from God's decrees? Reprobation has been fuppofed to illuftrate and difplay, in the most glorious light, the riches of God's grace to the elect, the veffels of mercy. As if eternal love would not be fufficiently confpicuous, unless it had eternal hatred for a foil to fet it off! As if fovereign grace could not excite enough, admiration without being contrafted with implacable wrath! As if divine mercy muft derive its chief luftre from a destitution of mercy to millions of creatures! As if the eternal happiness of the elect would lose half its charms, if they had not the endlefs mifery of the reprobate to brood over! Muft a good man have dark fhades in his character to make his goodness confpicuous! Rather do not the dark fhades tend to obfcure his goodness? Must he needs do fome things which are injurious, or omit doing all the good in his power, left the good he does fhould not be enough feen? Muft he be implacable in his refentment to his enemies, that his friends may believe he loves them? Muft he fhut up his bowels of compaffion to many wretched objects, in order that it may be evident that he is compaffionate to fome? No, men do not reason thus refpecting each other---then why will they reason thus refpecting God? Why will they fuppofe that there must be fome dark fhades in the picture of his defigns and difpenfations, in order to the light difplayed therein being rendered gloriously vifible? O my God! thine adorable character---thy nature, which is love---thy defigns and difpenfations, which all originate in and proceed from love---thy declarations of univerfal love, un.. bounded goodness, never-failing compaffion, and mercy which endureth for ever---what thou haft done in creating, preferving, giving thy fon to die for, and directing the gospel of thy grace to, all mankind-....what thou haft declared in thy word concerning what thou wilt do for thy creatures in the ages to come---all, all excite in my mind an abhorrence of the black decree which men have imputed to thee, and convince me, that their representation is unjust. The foregoing remarks are an introduction to what I have to communicate on the subjection of Reprobation. I remain, dear Sir, fincerely yours in the bonds of truth and love, WISBEACH, MARCH 20, 1799. R. W. LEX LEX TALIONIS. To the Editor of the UNIVERSALIST'S MISCELLANY. MR. EDITOR, TH HE defire of appearing witty, and the failure in the attempt of being fo, often fubjects men to thofe feelings which the man of fenfe is a stranger to. A correfpondent, who calls himself a Lover of the Lex Talionis, has met with fuch failure in applying an expreffion which I used on another occafion to the criticifm inferted in January's Mifcellany, on Pfalm xlix. 19. In oppofition to that gentleman's misreprefentation, (see p. 60.) 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. It is probable your correfpondent, finding Pagninus's name in the title page of Montanus's Hebrew Bible, took it for. granted, that the interlineary verfion was that of Pagninus; for, upon comparing his ftatement of the reading therewith, I found them exactly to agree. But had he referred to the margin of that book, he would have found Pagninus's verfion just as I have reprefented it: for where there is any material difference in the verfions, that of the latter author is generally inferted in the margin. Thus we fee, Sir, that it is not only neceffary to read the author we quote from, but also that we know how to read him. With refpect to your correfpondent's remark on the reading of the Hebrew in Pfalm x. 16. I obferve, that, if he were an Hebrew scholar, he must have known, that that is a typographical error: for no one could poffibly mistake the sense of the word he refers to, as it is accompanied with a tranflation----it is nothing more than the tranfpofition of a letter! Those who criticife on fuch things Mr. Pope compares to crows, who are content to feed on carrion. I remain, A Lover of the Lex Talionis, W. BURTON. N3 QUERIES. SIR, A$ QUERIES. QUERY I. To the Editor of the UNIVERSALIST'S MISCELLANY. S the Miscellany of which you are the Editor is a medium by which you may give that information to the public which you could not communicate an other way, I wish to propofe two or three questions, if you think them worthy of infertion.-Firft, How the apoftles practifed laying on of hands, and on whom? Secondly, For what purpose they practifed the fame? Thirdly, Whether the laying on of hands the apoftles used, was peculiar to them as apoftles, or whether their practifing it is a fufficient ground for the Chriftian church to follow as an example, feeing there is no pofitive command for fuch a practice? By receiving an answer to those questions from yourself or fome of your correfpondents, from the New Teftament, I fhall find myself encouraged to propose questions of a fimilar nature. I remain, I DEAR SIR, SHOULD thank you or any of your correfpondents for an explanation of Acts, ii. 3. " And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire," through the medium of your valuable Miscellany; and in fo doing, you will oblige, at leaft, yours, &c. A Conftant Reader. POETRY. POETRY. TO YOUNG WOMEN, "Beauty is vain, but the woman that feareth the Lord, fhe fhall be praised." Prov. xxxi. 30. I. VIII. United, fee illuftrious thines The tender prudent wife; Humility her foul refines, Grace governs all her life. IX. HOW oft doth beauty lead to fin, What undiffembled love the bears And tempt the heart to ftray; It charms awhile, then hides again, And foon it fades away! II. Not all the art, and pains, and care Nor can the fairest of the fair III. Sickness and pain may foon difgrace The most admired charms; Soon must they fleep in death's embrace, And lofe their lovely forms. IV How vain is beauty, then, my mufe! V. How wife is fhe, whose constant care VI. She ever huns the fnares of vice; How circumfpect her ways! Wife in fimplicity fhe is; Unfought her gen'ral praife. VII. If fhe is call'd to mingle fouls, How cautious is her choice! No vain pretence her love controuls; She fcorns the flatt'rer's voice. To him who has her hand! How does fhe foften all his cares, And all his woes attend! X. Is fhe a friend? How kind and true! That paffes in an hour. XI. She shall be prais'd when beauty fails, And end her days in peace. ODE TO JESUS. ESUS! O thou love divine! When thou upon me deign'ft to fhine With thy enliv'ning ray, Thy near approach with joy 1 hail! Thou only art my joy, my reft; Why Why did I grieve thee to depart, But whatfoe'er I elfe enjoy'd, "The world could never fill." Compell'd at laft to feek for thee, Dear Saviour! may I wisdom know, J. H. PRINCE. LINES Written extempore by the Rev. W. COLLINS, Rector of Slapton, Bucks. BEHOLD yon fun in radiant glory fhine, Beft image here below of light divine. Great without meafure, gen'rous without bound, Diffufing light, and life, and joy around: Emblem exprefsive of the great Supreme, Who lighted up his everlasting beam. Contracted views of nature's fov'reign Lord. MONTHLY OCCURRENCES. March 1. been imprisoned in the Temple, to answer for any atrocities that may be committed against the French in Algiers. 2. A confpiracy (at the head of which there was a Monk) to deliver up Malta to the English, has been difcovered by the French, who have contrived, in confequence of the winds preventing the blockade of that harbour by the English, to provision it for a confiderable time. The motion of Mr. Wilberforce, in the House of Commons, lalt night, for the abolition of the Slave Trade, was again loft by a majority of 30. 4. Yelterday arrived in town Capt. Bridges, of the Prince of Orange Packet, who brought intelligence of the fafety of Mr. Grenville and fuit. The following are fome of the particulars.---The Proferpine, in attempting |