and set him afloat on the tide, which, "taken at the flood leads on to fortune;" but whether the ulterior plan of operations of the aspirant was to convert the Mahometan world to the faith, or to try his hand at an expurgated edition of the Koran, as he sometimes seem to hint,* or only to play the part of the more illustrious Gaul of later days, the Egyptian Imaum Buonaparte, we confess we know not. If it was to signalize his ingenuity by pointing out some resemblance between the christian doctrine, as he understood it, and the doctrine of the prophet, hard though the task might be, he would have in undertaking it the sympathy of Dr. Feltus; for (contrary, we own, to what we thought the design of his work) that gentleman seems to think this a point to be maintained by his own friends, and insists that the doctrine of the prophet bears a nearer resemblance to orthodoxy than to unitarianism. † Or if he designed to conciliate Mahometans, by shewing them that in one important point, the unity of God, they agreed with some Christians, it was but repeating the unprofitable attempt which Trinitarians have again and again made with all zeal, (insudantes operi, as Griesbach has it,) to conciliate the eastern idolaters, by persuading them that in the doctrine of the trinity, there is á coincidence between the Christian system and the Hindu mythology. Whatever his purpose was, he certainly kept it with uncommon care to himself, rejecting the Latin language, which he could write, and his excellency might have got some mufti to interpret,-the French, which was his own expressive mother-tongue, and which the Mahometan, by means of his knowledge of Lingua Franca, might have spelt out, and the Arabic, in which it is not to be doubted he had taken care to accomplish himself,-rejecting these, to vent his heresies in English, as if consulting the exclusive and special convenience of the objects of his terror and aversion, the orthodox authorities of church and state. But whatever his plan or expectations might be, it is certain that he might flatter himself with the prospect of monopolizing the advantage contemplated. He kept his secret as carefully as the late Stonington discoverer of a continent of tame seals. He signed no letter, called no names, appropriated not even his dedicatory oblation in any less equivo * Do. p. 9. Those contradictions were foisted into the scattered papers found after Mabomet's death, of which in truth the Alcoran was made up," et al.h.m. "Mahometanism, in many respects has much stronger claims (meaning probably, a much closer resemblance) to orthodox Christianity, than Unitarianism." Do. p. 21. cal way than that which writers use, when they put beneath their dedications"the author,"--a phrase which carries meaning to the reader far seldomer than they think,--and succeeded even in keeping his associate so wholly in the back ground, that even the name of that most philosophic person has not struggled down to our times. As to having had an understanding with Unitarians, if this were not disproved by the trouble he takes to account for his coming alone, the idea would be put at rest by the reply made to Leslie by Emlyn, the principal Unitarian of the time, who must, if any man, have been privy to such a measure, and whose veracity no one will venture to call in question. "Forasmuch," says he, (Tracts vol. II. p. 98.)" as I can learn nothing of any Unitarians of any such address from them, nor do you produce any subscribers' names, I conclude no such address was ever made by any deputed from them."* It will be seen from what we have said, that, except as we are friends to the truth of history, we are as indifferent as possible, whether the paper, which some call with the author an epistle dedicatory, and others call a diplomatick note, was in solemn earnest designed to be presented to the Mauritanian or not. Yet forasmuch as we are animated by that same disinterested and ingenuous regard to historical verity, which induced Dr. Feltus to put the story in the paper, as an historical document " new and rare,' we will go on to say in the second place, that we believe it to be all a fraud. There are many thoughts and expressions such as very obviously no one would be likely to select in conveying his own sentiments, but which yet a writer would very naturally use concerning sentiments of which he himself thought ill, while assuming the character of an advocate for them. If such a paper were really designed for a Moorish ambassador, there is no reason why it should be written in English, but all reasons against it. If it were expected to fall into the hands of the English master of ceremonies, this would be the language chosen. If a real bona fide dedication were intended, it would not be likely to go at such length into dangerous subjects. But if a forgery, the form of a dedication would be likely to be chosen as having enough of probability to make the fraud pass-a thing which the shape of a formal proposition would forbid. Into this, great care would be taken to press obnoxious sentiments, and between the two, dedica * For an account of the character and sufferings of this excellent confessor, See Christian Disciple, vol. I. "In publishing the documents above referred to, I had no intention whatever, to enter into any doctrinal discussion. It was a simple comDunication of historical fact, known indeed to the learned, but with which the public were little acquainted." p. 4. tion, and projet of a treaty, we might expect a non-descript production, like that which we find. If all this could be got over, it is quite too much for belief, that there should be given up without compulsion to an English officer, a paper declaring opinions, the very suspicion of which, the authors say, exposed them to all sorts of persecutions. And to this internal evidence against the authenticity of this paper, and much more, which we have not room to remark on, but which will be manifest to every reader, there is no unsuspicious external evidence to oppose. No proof has been given that the memorandum of Tenison is genuine ;-no proof that this paper was in the Lambeth library, one month before Horsly examined it in 1789. A presumption against its being there at the time pretended, is afforded in the fact that it was not cited, except by Leslie, at a time, when religious controversy ran very high, and with proper management, it might have been made to do excellent service. But waving this, and granting that, according to the memorandum, it was given to the archbishop of Canterbury, by a person who himself received it from a Frenchman, which Frenchman had first offered it in his presence to the Moroccan envoy; we still have, not to say no proof that this man was an Unitarian agent, but no proof that in any sense he was an Unitarian himself. We believe that (if a real personage) he was neither; but an agent of enemies of Unitarians. The treasonable dedicatory epistle was first made public in a work of Leslie. He offered no proof that it was authentic. He introduced it with these words only, "I will here present the reader with a rarity, which I take to be so, because of the difficulty I had to obtain it." He does not insist on the inferences which he pretends to draw from it, by any means with such urgency as we should expect from one entertaining his views, if he believed it genuine. We suppose no one has patience to read his six dialogues, but we have turned them over, and have not observed that he recurs to this letter any where after the remarks made on producing it. He seems to avail himself of it timidly, as if he feared to make it of consequence enough to expose it to the chance of detection; and when its genuineness had been called in question by Emlyn, he passes this over in his " answer to the examination," though he goes fully into the other points in dispute. We believe that he knew more of its history than it would have been for his credit to acknowledge. To say nothing of Bishop Burnet's testimony to his character, (Burnet's Hist. vol. iv. pp. 278, 279,) his treatment of Tillotson, in publishing extracts from the sermons of that prelate, pretending them to be the work of a Socinian, shows him to be a man capable of almost any dishonesty. He was a bigot in an age when sound New Series-vol. II. 52 doctrine was thought an omnipotent dispenser from fair dealing, -an intriguing spirit, in an age of unprincipled intrigue,-attached to a political cause which never flourished by any thing else, -connected with persons to whom a talent for it would above all things recommend him. He was capable of a plot like this; and if he were so happy as to find a suitable instrument among those of whom Johnson says, "All sciences a fasting Monsieur knows," the opportunity would not have been lost on him. In every view we take of it, it seems to us far less probable, that this was an emissary of Unitarians, of any sort, to get them into repute abroad, than an orthodox emissary to bring them into discredit at home. This attack has caused us no uneasiness for the prosperity of the Church in New-York. Reproach so very obviously unmerited, commonly serves the party assailed. Truth has scarcely a better ally than the dislike which would injure, but knows not how; and to a society which has members that can reason and write like Mr. Sewall, it may confidently be said, in the words of his motto, Fear not, little flock. If the author of the other pamphlet would take our advice, he would forthwith discard the argumentum ad invidiam, if he knows what that means, from his controversial armoury. It always prejudices a good cause, and commonly betrays a bad one. The more that is said in this way, with the worse grace will it by and by be retracted. He perfectly well knows, that it can be said with no more truth, that the Unitarians of New-York are disposed to become or advocate Mahometans, than that he regularly officiates every Saturday with a sash over his shoulders, in the synagogue in Mill-street. We beg him to remember, that if Unitarianism could be destroyed with such weapons, it would have been long ago defunct; and if he is not aware of it, we inform him, that an opinion that Unitarians are not wholly excluded from a share in that charity which" thinketh no evil," has of late been gaining ground, at least in this vicinity. We recommend it to his adoption. ARTICLE XIV. Tracts designed to inculcate moral conduct on Christian principles. Published by the Christian Tract Society in England. 5 vols. 18mo. Boston. Wells & Lilly. THE religious community have cause to feel much indebted to our publishers, for putting them in possession of this admirable collection of moral and religious tracts. A work of this nature has hitherto been a desideratum. Some of the religious tracts in circulation are of decidedly injurious tendency, and, if there were no antidote in their stupidity, we should fear might exert a pernicious effect on the public sentiment. In others, as in some of the publications of Miss More, erroneous opinions are so intimately blended with just, and such a charm thrown over them by the power of the writer, as not unfrequently to leave us doubtful whether the impression likely to be produced is such as we could conscientiously encourage; whether most good is likely to be done by the just views, or evil by the wrong. The republication of the Christian Tract Society's collection takes away all excuse for circulating bad tracts for want of better. This collection makes a work very near to perfect in its kind. It consists of dialogues, essays, addresses, and in great part of fictitious narratives, which, besides the merit they possess as specimens in that kind of composition, which is not small, have that of enforcing with great felicity and power, each of them some important religious truth. The stories of William's Return, and of Good Luck and Good Conduct, for example, are in the very best style of works of this nature. We recommend it with perfect confidence to heads of families, who wish to put into the hands of children and dependants a work suited at once to interest, and in the most important respects to profit them. INTELLIGENCE. The Evangelical Missionary Society in Massachusetts.-The annual meeting of this institution was holden on Thursday, 5th October, in the vestry of the West Church, Boston. The discourse was delivered by the Rev. Abiel Abbot, of Beverly, from Gal. iv. 10. It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing. The collection after the discourse, was $83 25. The following donations have been made within the last half year, exclusive of a large number of smaller sums from individual contributors, for which we have not room Through the Rev. Wm. E. Channing, donation of a parishoner, $20 19 44 24 95 97 143 Through Rev. A. Abbot, collection from ladies in his parish, in Beverly, 35 52 15 The officers of the Society were rechosen, except that the Rev. F. Parkman is secretary, in place of Rev. S. Ripley, who declined, and Benjamin Guild, Esq. is treasurer. |