pofe I have omitted the Latin original, and given only the English tranflation. From the notes, I have extracted those paffages which appeared to me the most important and interefting, and have occafionally inferted fome remarks of my own. I fhall now conclude a preface, in which I have perhaps detained the reader too long, by obferving that few men are capable of enlightening mankind by the difcovery of any important truth, or enlarging the general ftock of knowledge; and that it is fufficient honour for perfons of moderate talents to admire and reverence those great and exalted fpirits, to whofe comprehenfive views we are indebted for the knowledge we poffefs in religion, morals, and politics; and by whofe example we are encouraged to purfue a line of conduct, which can alone fecure to us comfort in this world, and happiness in the next. And if by rendering the writings of such illuftrious men more known we fhould rectify falfe opinions, and render any of our countrymen more loyal, wife, and religious, we fhall not much lament the want of those fuperior talents by which fame is acquired. For the chief, if not the only, ufe of knowledge is to regulate our own conduct, and communicate the means of happinefs to ourfellow-creatures. Bath, October, 1799. TO THE EDITOR. SIR, O man was ever more able to appreciate the merits of deferving, wicked, authors than Dr. Samuel Johnson; a name ever dear to the friends of religion and learning; and a writer whofe works, while thefe hand-maids to human wants are held in veneration among men, will never ceafe to convey admonition to the profligate, and knowledge to the ignorant. Thefe reflections were excited in my breaft, by obferving the noble stand which Mr. W. Gifford has made against the blafphemous and feditious career of an author, known by a name, to which (ever fince he has affumed it) every thing infamous has been annexed; I mean the name of PETER PINDAR; a man (if fuch he can be called) that has proftituted what talents were committed to his charge, to the purposes of that Evil Spirit-that Prince of Darkness-that Demon of Destruction, whofe endeavours are invariably exerted to effect (if poffible) the damnation of every immortal foul. To a thinking Chriftian, Mr. Editor, what can be a more awful confideration than that which arifes from beholding the state of a fellow creature fo circumstanced. If the Gofpel of our Saviour be (as it undoubtedly is) the Gospel of truth, what does it threaten for fuch enormous tranfgreffions of its precepts unrepented of? the very thought is fufficient to terrify the most hardened, and convert the most abandoned. That this fame Peter Pindar, who has, in his various writings, palpably and shame fully fully violated the laws of God and man, may be fo terrified and con. verted, every good Chriftian muft earnestly hope and pray. But re pentance, Mr. Editor, can never be looked for from any finner, till his mind is duly impreffed with a fenfe of his wickedness. In the hope of producing this effect upon the mind of this wretched man, 1 fhall beg you to infert the following paffage from the works of that author, whofe name I have above mentioned. It is a paffage peculiarly worthy the attention of every author, but of none more than Peter Pindar. "The wickedness of a loafe or profane author, in his writings, is more atrocious than that of the giddy libertine, or drunken ravisher; not only because it extends its effects wider (as a peftilence that taints the air is more deftructive than poison infused in a draught) but becaufe it is committed with cool deliberation. By the inftantaneous violence of defire, a good man may fometimes be furprized before reЯection can come to his refcue. When the appetites have ftrengthened their influence by habit, they are not early refifted or fuppreffed; but for the frigid villainy of ftudious lewdness, (Oh Peter!!!) for the calm malignity of laboured impiety, (Oh Peter!!!). what apology can be invented? What punishment can be adequate to the erime of him who retires to folitude for the refinement of debauchery, (Oh Peter!!!) who tortures his fancy and ranfacks his memory only that he may leave the world lefs virtuous than he found it; that he may intercept the hopes of the rifing generation, and fpread fnares for the foul with more dexterity." O! for Heaven's fake, for one mpment pause and confider, Peter, reflect: examine your own writings, as you regard your own foul; in them you will find that frigid villainy of ftudious lewdnefs; in them you will find that calm malignity of laboured impiety, for which no apology can be invented; and you , will be compelled to allow, that no punishment can be adequate to the crime of him, who retires to folitude for the refinements of debauchery, who tortures his fancy, and ranfacks his memory, only that he may leave the world lefs virtuous than he found it; that he may intercept the hopes of the rifing generation, and spread fnares for the foul with more dexterity. This may lead you to repentance, to amendment, to comfort when death approaches, to pardon when the trumpet founds to judgement. That it may do fo, none more earnestly defires than Mr. Editor, Your humble fervant, JUVENIS. I SIR, INTERNAL FEELING. TO THE EDITOR. WAS much pleafed to fee in a late Nunber of your very excellent publication, fome remarks on the very delufive and dangerous sendency of being guided by Internal Feeling. I could have wished your your correfpondent had faid more, and as I have feen fome of its fatal effects myfelf, I was induced to give you a few obfervations on that fubject, hoping they may claim a corner in your far-extended Mifcellany. A perfon who gives way to every vifionary allufion which is raifed in his mind; whether the effect of a great nervous irritability, or of an early prejudice, or prepoffeffion, ftrongly fixed to his ideas, when fenfation, and not reafon, was his guide, must be led away into the moft abfurd extravagancies; and if he do not call in reafon to his aid, and endeavour to repel the illufion, he will be immediately hurried down the stream of enthusiasm. "Internal Feeling," as your correfpondent very juftly observes, is the corner-ftone of Quakerifm. Any ignorant perfon (for, Mr. Editor, had he even common fenfe, he muft fee through the illufion), being more than ufually ftricken by fomething spoken at Meeting, which may happen to be analogous to his "Internal Feelings," immediately hails the tumultuons tranfport of his nerves as divine communications; and, inftead of calling in reafon to his aid, he is led by this delufive shadow, this visionary rapture, to fancy himself infpired. He becomes an enthufialt, and fets himself up as a man infpired by God to fpeak to the people. Enthufiafm and fuperftition are the Scylla and Charybdis of religion; and happy, thrice happy! are they who can fteer clear of thofe dangerous rocks and whirlpools! Enthufiafm always covers the countenances of its votaries with me_ lancholy, and a kind of fullen aufterity; at the fame time it wears a very fpecious appearance in the eyes of the ignorant multitude. What can be more vague and indeterminate than thofe Internal Feelings?" Examine well your hearts, ye, who credit the poffeffion of those delufive, vifionary, raptures, as fervors breathed from heaven! Examine well, and you will foon fee the origin from whence they fprung, from pride, vanity, and felf.conceit! Can you deny it, ye votaries of enthusiasm? what! is it not the groffeft vanity to believe your felves the favoured children of God? To dare to tell a multitude of your fellow-creatures, whom you have invited to hear you preach, that you are the agents of God, that you dare not proceed one word farther in your difcourfe; did not the fpirit of God give you utterance!!! Such is the "flaming language," I have repeatedly heard from the humble and lowly hearted Quakers. Thank God! they make no converts, except amongst the ignoránt. A cultivated mind, an understanding of the pureft fort, would be fhocked at fuch, I was almoft going to fay, blafphemy. Their re ligion is one mafs of enthufiafm; they give way to every rapturous nonfenfe that fuggefts itself to their minds. Give me leave to clofe these remarks by an oppofite quotation from Dr. Blaire, after fhewing "that it is of the utmost importance to guard against enthufiafm on the one hand, and fuperftition on the other," he concludes with this excellent advice, which I particularly recommend to be well confidered by the fociety of Quakers Let us fhew the world that a religious temper, is a temper fedate, not fad; that a religious be haviour haviour is a behaviour regulated not fiff and formal." "Thos ⚫ we shall use the world as not abufing it ;" we shall pass through its various changes with the leaft difcompofure, and we shall vindicate religion from the reproaches of those who would attribute to it enthufiaftic joys, or flavish terrors. We fhall fhew that it is a retional rule of life, worthy of the perfection of God, and fuited to the nature, and state of man." March 19, 1800. I am, Sir, your fincere well-wisher, A "CONSTANT READER." "I THE CHRISTIAN AND THE INFIDEL. TROUBLE not myself about the manner of my future exift ence. I content myself with believing, even to pofitive conviction, that the power that gave me exiftence is able to continue it in any form and manner he pleafes either with or without this body; and it appears more probable to me that I fhall continue to exift hereafter than that I should have had existence as I now have before that existence began." THOMAS PAINE. "I look beyond the bounds of human life for the reward of our facrifices and the felicity of our re-union, how? in what manner? I am ignorant. I only feel that it ought to be fo." MADAM ROLAND. "Buffoon faid that an immortal renown was the most powerful of death-bed confolations." MONTHLY REVIEW. To answer fuch flimfy attacks as thefe upon our faith, by a regular train of argument, would be to pay an extravagant compliment to the vanity and arrogance of human folly; a.divine of the northern fchool has done it better in the beautiful story of La Roche; and, perhaps, the following fragment will be found calculated to have a fimilar effect. He was delighted with the work of his own hands,he faw it beautiful. He made it good, and took it to himself.. I had a daughter fweetly fair And cherry lips; she could not speak And this, forfooth, would cause her woe 4 But But then it went fo foon away And fo did I; the day was come My little infant now is gone; |