ourselves in not having more direct dealings with the Saviour, or not addressing him now in the same spirit in which he was applied to for the relief of bodily disease. He is exalted at the right-hand of God, for the express purpose of dispensing pardon, peace, and eternal life to all that humbly seek his aid; and, wonderful condescension! he has declared he "will in nowise cast out whomsoever cometh unto him." If I had not been particularly occupied with my answer to Mr. Kinghorn, which is now in the press, I should probably have been at Cambridge before this. Mrs. H. has suspended all thoughts of coming under present circumstances; but if it would be any particular gratification to you to see me, I will give up every engagement in order to see you; though it can be but for a few days. I desire to bless and adore the grace of God, in the signal change which has been wrought in the mind of Mr. N., to whom, as well as your daughter, Mrs. H. unites with me in affectionate remembrances. I am, dear Sir, Your affectionate and sympathizing Friend, ROBERT HALL. LVIII. EXTRACT FROM A LETTER TO THE REV. W. BUTTON. Jan. 5, 1818. I am much surprised at the rapid sale of my sermon; which I impute not so much to its intrinsic merit (for I think I have printed better), as to the occasion. Mr. Combe proposes to publish two editions more, making seven in the whole, as speedily as possible. I am afraid he will overdo it: if you are of that opinion, do stop him.* You will have an opportunity of judging while the fifth and sixth are selling. Mr. The sermon here alluded to was that on the death of the Princess Charlotte of Wales. Combe's anticipations as to its sale seem to have been more accurate than those of the author, for it has gone through sixteen editions.-ED. LIX. TO THE REV. JAMES PHILLIPS. : (EXTRACT.) Leicester, March 6, 1818. What a loss would dear Mr. Hughes be to the Bible Society, and to the religious world in general! I beg to be most affectionately and respectfully remembered to him. Please to inform him when you see him how ardent is my desire, and that of thousands, that his most valuable life may be spared and protracted to a distant period. I rejoice to hear he is better, and hope he will be spared to the prayers of the religious public. I am quite of opinion, with you, that the admirable temper and prudence of Mr. Hughes have been as serviceable as the more brilliant talents of Mr. Owen: both admirable men,-par nobile fratrum. LX. TO THE REV. THOMAS GRINFIELD, CLIFTON. WHAT DOCTRINES ARE FUNDAMENTAL? Dear Sir, Leicester, Aug. 5, 1818. In reply to your favour of July 2d, which ought to have been answered sooner, you will not expect me to enter deeply into the subject in the compass of a letter. A very few, and possibly very superficial, remarks must suffice. 1. Whatever opinion may be formed about fundamentals, it cannot affect the solidity of my reasoning, which is directed to this :—that no church has a right (in foro conscientia) to demand more, as a term of communion, than that church deems essential to salvation. The evidence of this proposition is quite independent of the question, what is essential to salvation? 2. That some truths are fundamental besides those you have enumerated appears to me sufficiently manifest from the word of God. If Christ is set forth as a propitiation (or mercy-seat-iλaorýpiov), through faith in his blood, then, faith in his blood is fundamental; and as the apostle is speaking of him as a propitiation, faith in his blood must mean a trust in him, under that character. But how can this consist with his being a mere prophet or martyr, or with the denial of his atonement? Again-"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness," &c. Every orthodox interpreter supposes this is intended to represent Christ crucified, or lifted up on the cross, as a divinelyappointed source of cure to our spiritual maladies, and consequently an expectation of spiritual benefit from him, as crucified. But how does this consist with the idea of his death, as a mere circumstance confirming his doctrine, exclusive of any proper influence it is supposed to exert in the pardon of sin? He is said to be "the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth;" then justification, or acceptance with God, is the consequence of faith in him as the great antitype and completion of the legal sacrifices and ceremonies. We are everywhere affirmed to be justified by that faith of which he is the object; and if the conceptions entertained by the Socinians of that object are essentially different from ours, then must their faith in that object be equally so, and one or other of them essentially defective or erroneous. I am aware I have transgressed the canon you have laid down, which excludes a reference to particular texts. I have done so, because I am by no means satisfied respecting the justness of that canon. I am at a loss how general reasoning can ascertain the point in question, exclusive of an immediate appeal to the words of Scripture. It is with God to determine what is essential to be believed in order to salvation; and his determinations on this subject can only be ascertained by attentively weighing the sense of Scripture. It is true, different parties interpret particular passages differently: to quote these or similar passages to a Socinian would, it is confessed, be to little purpose. But you, my dear sir, profess not to be a Socinian: with you, therefore, the only question ought to be, Is the proposition which affirms faith in the atonement to be fundamental to salvation a legitimate inference from the commonly-received or orthodox interpretation of these passages? If it is, we must either renounce our orthodoxy or admit (however painful it may be) that inference. If the revealed method of salvation-revealed (I say) fully after the completion of the canon-is a cordial acceptance of Christ as the propitiation for the sins of the world, they who reject, deliberately and habitually, every idea of vicarious atonement, cannot be in that way. The belief of the messiahship of Christ was unquestionably held by the ancient heretics, or they could have made no pretension to be considered as Christians in any sense; yet we know in what light they were regarded by the primitive Christians: and why should they who deny the miraculous conception, the incarnation, and the atonement of the Son of God be considered in a more favourable light? You yourself, not satisfied with the general proposition-the messiahship of Christ, descend to particular doctrines, e. g. the resurrection of the dead. But to me it appears that the collective moment of the doctrines I have mentioned is far more than that of the resurrection of the body, considered apart from the doctrine of immortality or a future life. In short, I can see no possible medium between giving up the doctrines already [mentioned,] and asserting their fundamental importance; since, supposing us to interpret aright the passages on which we found them, their belief is everywhere conjoined with saving benefits. Whether we interpret these passages aright, is in no degree the question before us; but solely, supposing our interpretation correct, whether the fundamental nature of the doctrines in question is not a necessary consequence. I return you my most sincere thanks for the favourable opinion you express of my performance; and that you may be guided into the midst of the paths of judgment is the sincere prayer of Your obliged Friend and Servant, LXI. ROBERT HALL. TO THE REV. JOSEPH IVIMEY, LONDON. My dear Sir, Leicester, Feb. 20, 1819. I had intended long since to thank you very sincerely for your very valuable present of your two volumes of the History of the Baptists. I think it is highly creditable to yourself, and to the denomination to which you belong. I read them both with much interest and delight, and have seldom derived equal information and pleasure from any similar work. It will be a permanent monument of your talent and devotedness to the cause of religious truth and liberty. You have brought forward a great deal of curious information, with which the public were little, if at all, previously acquainted. I was much pleased with your style of narration: it is perspicuous, lively, and perfectly unaffected. With respect to reviewing it in the Baptist Magazine, I am sorry to be obliged to put a negative on your wishes. I have the utmost aversion to the whole business of reviewing, which I have long considered, in the manner in which it is conducted, a nefarious and unprincipled proceeding, and one of the greatest plagues of modern times. It was infinitely better for the interests of religion and literature when books had fair play, and were left to the unbiassed suffrages of the public. As it is, we are now doomed to receive our first impression and opinion of books from some of the wickedest, and others of the stupidest of men,―men, some of whom have not sense to write on any subject, nor others honesty to read what they pretend to criticise, yet sit in judgment upon all performances, and issue their insolent and foolish oracles to the public. To abolish the power of reviewing would be the greatest benefit a single man could confer on the public. At the same time, while such things are, the support of one like the Eclectic, upon sound principles, becomes a necessary evil. Your work wants no such artificial props. Earnestly wishing your valuable life and labour may long be spared, I remain, with much esteem, dear Sir, Your obliged Friend and Brother, ROBERT HALL. LXII. TO MRS. TUCKER. Dear Madam, Leicester, April 16, 1819. I feel myself much gratified and honoured by your kind and affectionate expressions of remembrance of an old friend, who, though long detained by circumstances from personal intercourse and correspondence, will never hear the name of Mrs. Tucker with indifference. I am delighted to hear from you, and to learn that, with all the changes effected by time, to which you so affectingly allude, the ardour of mind and warmth of sensibility by which you were formerly distinguished remain unimpaired. How wonderful, how complicated the mazes of providence through which we are conducted in our pilgrimage to eternity! Could we foresee the trials which await us, the agonies and vicissitudes we are called to pass through, life would be insupportable; but we are led, like the blind, by a way that we know not, and strength is dealt out just in proportion to our day. Let us, my dear friend, look forward, and remember that our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Let us hope that the fiercest part of our mortal warfare is passed, and that the evening of life will be more tranquil than the morning and the noon. May our deep experience of the mutability and vanity of the present shadowy state be improved into a perpetual motive for cultivating that heavenly-mindedness which is the only effectual antidote to the miseries of life. With respect to my visiting Plymouth, I have heard nothing of it from any quarter; and should I be invited on the occasion you mention, it will be utterly out of my power this summer to comply with it. My engagements are already too numerous. But of this, my dear madam, be assured, that should my steps be directed to Plymouth at any time during your life, I shall never for a moment think of taking my abode but at your house, with your permission, should I be invited by a prince. You little know me if you suppose that rank and fashion would have the smallest influence in inducing a forgetfulness of ancient friendship. My chief inducement to visit Plymouth would be the pleasure of once more seeing and conversing with Mrs. Tucker. With my kindest remembrances to Mr. Tucker, I remain, Dear Madam, Your affectionate Friend, |