thefe Writers. Part I. By N. Nifbett, M. A. 8vo. pp. 146. 2s. 6d. Johnfon.

Dr. Edwards*, after Mr. Gibbon, has ftated a difficulty respec ing Chriftianity, which he laments has hitherto remained without any fatisfactory folution. It is, that, in confequence of our Lord's prediction that the generation then exifting fhould not be totally extinguished, till it had witneffed his fecond appearance, it was univerfally believed, in the time of the apoftles, that the end of the world and the kingdom of heaven were at hand: but that the records of history do not authorize us to conclude, that the prediction has yet been accomplished. Mr. Nifbett, a very intelligent and candid critic on fcripture, here undertakes to obviate this objection. The method which he purfues for this purpofe is, to prove that the prediction (which was repeatedly made during our Saviour's miniftry, and the fuppofed failure of which was never noticed either by the difappointed friends, or by the enemies, of Christianity,) referred folely to the establishment of his religion after the deftruction of Jerufalem, and was completely fulfilled in that event. The feveral expreffions, in which the coming of Chrift is defcribed, so exactly agree with the language in which the prophet Daniel defcribed the Meffiah's kingdom, and were fo well calculated to fupport the spirits of the apoftles under the profpect of their approaching trial, that Mr.Nifbett apprehends that they cannot with propriety be referred to a more diftant event. The entire 24th chapter of Matthew, with the 25th as far as the 31ft verfe, he confiders as one continued prediction of the deftruction of Jerufalem exclufively of the day of judgment. This interpretation is fupported with much ingenuity, and, we are of opinion, is very fatisfactorily fhewn to be the only interpretation, which will relieve the embarraflment arifing from the fuppofition that they have a double reference to two remote and diffimilar events. Mr. N. then proceeds to confirm his hypothefis, by fhewing its agreement with other paffages of fcripture relative to the fubject.

To give a full ftatement of the reafoning in this work, would neceffarily require us to copy a courfe of critical obfervations much too extenfive for our plan: but we recommend the work to the diligent attention of every inquirer after theological truth; and particularly to those who may have been difpofed to think that the real interefts of Chriftianity would be more effentially promoted by conceding this objection to the adverfary, than by vainly attempt ing to remove it.'

Art. 41. An Address to Dr. Priestley, containing Defultory Obfervations on the general Inutility of religious Controverfies, and on fome Affertions of the Doctor's, contained in his Letters to Mr. Burke. By William Pettman, Svo. pp. 66. 2s. Law.

1792.

The late Mr. John Wesley, toward the close of his life, made the following public declaration: "In my younger days I was fond of controverfy, but I have now lived long enough in the world to

*See Review, New Series, vol. iv. p. 116.

know

know better, than to quarrel or difpute with any man about religion." The writer of the pamphlet before us mentions this declaration with applaufe; and he remarks that fuch a conceffion, from a man who had employed much of his time in controverfial, writing, must have proceeded from a conviction of its general inutility. To maintain this point is the chief object of the prefent publication; and if nothing is to be confidered, but the ill effect which religious difputation commonly produces on the temper of the combatants, much may be urged in favour of the author's pofition. There may be some reason to complain that the animofity, excited by the prefent theological controverfy, has led the advocates for Unitarianifm to caft illiberal cenfures and reflections on the Trinitarians; and this pamphlet itself affords proofs, if fuch were wanting, that Trinitarians, in their turn, can be acrimonious:-but, after all, what is this but an inconvenience neceffarily refulting from that free inquiry, which, we make no fcruple to affert, notwithstanding all that bigotry or prieftcraft has ever advanced to the contrary, is the only road to knowlege. If, indeed, our author's affertion be admitted, that, whether the Unitarians or Trinitarians be wrong is a point which can never be determined by controverfy,' it is very certain that it can never be determined at all; and then, unquestionably, the fooner the difpute is laid afide, the better:-but it is equally evident that, on all questions which lie within the compafs of human investigation, the best way to detect error, and to difcover truth, is to encourage and exercife freedom of debate. We disapprove, as heartily as does this writer, the practice of treating with ridicule or contempt the party whofe opinions we oppofe: but we cannot think that the world would be benefited by that blind acquiefcence in prefent fyftems, which the entire difmiffion of religious controverfy fuppofes.

Art. 42. Jefus Chrift the only God. Being a Defence of that fundamental Doctrine of the Christian Religion, against Arianifm and Socinianifm. Addreffed to the Rev. Dr. Priestley. With fome Obfervations on his Letters to the Members of the New Church, fignified by the New Jerufalem in the Revelations. By J. Bellamy. 8vo. pp. 119. 28. Sibly, Gofwell-street. 1792. Mr. Bellamy is a difciple of Swedenborg, whom he afferts to have been a divinely inspired writer, and to whom he confeffes himfelf indebted for all his knowlege of the fcriptures. It will not be thought furprising, that the difciple partakes of the mystical obfcurity of the mafter; nor, till the teachers of this new myftery chtfe to express themfelves in language more accommodated to the common conceptions of mankind, will it be expected that unenlightened reviewers, who are accustomed to judge of books by the ordinary rules of criticism, fhould be able to communicate to their unenlightened readers any very clear idea of the nature and merit of their writings.

While Mr. Bellamy is going over the hiftorical ground of the rife and progrefs of Socinianifm, he is fufficiently intelligible: but as foon as he enters the Swedenborgian regions, he lofes himself in a thick fog of myftical notions, into which we fcarcely dare APP. REV. VOL. VIII,

Rr

venture

venture to follow him. His creed (we give it in his own words,) is, that there is one God, who is Jehovah in homan form, being love, wisdom, and life itself; that this divine love, is called the FATHER; being the ir noft principle of the eternal, hidden, unmanifefted Deity; the effe; origin of all effences! unknown! that of which Angels and men can form no idea! unfearchable! incomprehenfible!

• Divine Wisdom, called the Son, being the exterior of the divine love, or Father, the manifeftation or outgoings of the inmoft principle, the Father, in all his glorious attributes of light, life, glory, power, goodness, communicable and incommunicable; the index of the interior of the Deity, and the effence of all beings; in which two were contained in power, the ultimate form or exiftence, called the Divine human. Now when the Lord (by whom I mean the divine human) made himself visible in human form, which was, when he affoined the human nature, he brought over his divine human a covering, called the maternal human, or a body like our own, fo that the divine human, (which was eternal and infinite) dwelt in the maternal human, which was finite, as the foul dwells in the body.

At the refurrection, he caft off all materiality, the maternal humap, or material body, which he had from the virgin, and the divine human, by its conjunction with the maternal human, appeared glorified in its ultimate form, being that of man.

Therefore, it is evident, that when this efflux of power, which in its primæval flate was the embryo of the divine human, affumed the human nature, and by temptation combats, and victories, had performed the grand work of redemption, he returned in a perfect vifible form, where he was before eternally in power; which now is the visible and most exterior of Deity.'

This fyltem, Mr. Bellamy fays, is eafily comprehended and explained; there is nothing intricate or myfterious in it.' It may be fo to the illuminated; to us, we own, it is totally unintelligible.

On the fubject of Christ's fecond coming, we are informed, that when the Scriptures teach, that the Son of Man fhall come in the clouds of heaven with the power and glory of God, we are not to imagine that they speak of a visible appearance to the material eye, nor of the clouds and fky over our heads: but that by earth in Scripture is meant the church; by fun, moon, and stars, are meant charity, faith, and the knowlege of the internal fense of the word; that by the fun being darkened, the moon turned into blood, the ftars falling, earthquakes, &c. is fignified the end of that church which is deftitute of charity, faith, and heavenly knowlege. When the wall of the New Jerufalem is faid to be 144, or twelve times twelve cubits in height, we are to understand that the inhabitants of the New Jerufalem are united in goodness and truth; for the number twelve, wherever it is ufed in the Bible, fignifies a complete ftate of goodness and truth, charity and faith. This, and much more of the fame kind, Mr. Bellamy teaches the brethren of the New Jerufalem, concerning the fenfe of Scripture according to the Icience of correfpondences, which is the key to open the door of the

facred

facred temple of the word of God. Before the Swedenborgian. commentary on Scripture can be of any ue to the benighted world, this wonderful feience of correfpondences must be intelligibly explained, and a New Jerufalem dictionary, with a clear exhibition of the -principles on which it is formed, muft be published. Till then, we must be contented to confefs our total ignorance of the nature of Baron Swedenborg's fpiritual world.

Art. 43. A candid and impartial Reply to the Rev. Dr. Priefiley's Letters, addreffed by him to the Members of the New Jerufalem. In which his Objections are fairly confidered, and the Doctrines contained in the theological Writings of the Hon. Emanuel Swedenborg vindicated from Reafon and Scripture. By J. Proud, N. H. M. 8vo. pp. 82 1s. 6d. Scatcherd and Co.

It is impoffible for Dr. Priestley himself to make a more explicit appeal to reafon and feripture, than is here made, in general terms, by Mr. Proud, one of the minifters of the New Jerufalem church. In the preface, he profeffes great refpect for Dr. Priestley's. learning, ability, and character; and he calls on all Chriftians to make a candid, impartial, and fcriptural judgment on the point in difpute; to accede to truth wherever they find it; and, at all events, to exercife mutual candour and charity. Nevertheless, we do not find that be strictly adheres to the principles of reason, and to the dictates of common understanding, in the fequel.

On the question of Swedenborg's divine miffion, Mr. Proud is of opinion, that neither miracles nor prophefies are neceffary to authenticate a pretenfion of this kind, but that it is fufficiently eftablished on the divine truth of God. The proper and fole divinity of Chrift he endeavours to establish by numerous quotations from fcripture. To vindicate the peculiar doctrine of the Swedenborgians concerning the fecond coming of Chrift, which they fuppofe to be already paft, Mr. P. has recourfe to the fpiritual interpretation of the fcriptures, according to the fure rule of the Science of correSpondences. By an equal knowlege of this fcience, it is afferted, that any two, or twenty perfons, will interpret any given part of the bible exactly alike, as to fenfe and fubftance. As we know nothing of the principles of this fcience, nor confequently of Mr. Proud's method of interpreting fcripture, it is impoffible that we should judge of the propriety of the Swedenborgian fentiments; and we must fill content ourfelves with the old rule, of understanding fcripture in a literal fenfe, where there is not evident reafon for the contrary; and of interpreting that which is figurative and obfcure by what is clear and exprefs.

From want of the neceffary previous information, we cannot follow Mr. Proud through his explanation of his master's doctrine; and can only therefore give it as a general opinion, that, as far as we are able to understand the fubject, we fee little profpect that the Swedenborgians and Unitarians will meet on common ground; the one party making their ultimate appeal to reafon, the other retting their faith on vifionary flights of imagination, and on myftical interpretations of fcripture.

Art. 44. Three Difcourfes delivered in Argyle Chapel, Bath, 30th Jan. 1791. I. By the Rev. William Jay; II. By the Rev. Cornelius Winter; III. By the Rev. John Adams. 8vo. pp. 116. 1s. 6d. Matthews.

Though not exprefsly told, we conclude that thefe difcourfes formed part of an ordination fervice: the firft fupplied the place of what has been generally termed a confeffion of faith; the second is a charge; the third, and in our opinion the beft part of the performance, is addreffed more directly to the people. The whole is introduced with a preface written by Mr. Jay, who expreffes a reluctance to publish what he had before delivered; which, he says, nothing has conquered, but the confideration that the remainder of the pamphlet would otherwife have been withheld from the public. While reading his (extempore) harangue, we were almost inclined to fay, whatever diflike this gentleman may have to an appearance in print, be has not fo much objection to talking: fince, though rot very long, and generally well expreffed, it contains declamatory observations which, at fuch a feafon, could not be necessary, however fuitable they might be on fome other occafions. His faith is of the Calviniftical kind, to his choice of which we have no right to object; for although it becomes no man to dogmatize on topics that are and must be difputable, yet every one is at liberty to embrace thofe opinions which, in his view, on impartial inquiry, approach nearest to the truth: but when this writer infinuates, that no other doctrines can advance the interefts of piety and virtue, which fome paffages feem to imply, attentive obfervers will certainly deem him rather too confident.

Art. 45. Converfations on Chriftian Idolatry, in the Year 1791. Published by Theophilus Lindsey, M. A. 8vo. pp. 169. 39. fewed. Johnfon. 1792.

It is much to be regretted that religious controverfy cannot be conducted without the interchange of harfh cenfure, and opprobrious appellations. If thofe who have departed from the orthodox faith complain of illiberality when they are branded with the names of heretics and infidels; the orthodox, who, while they profefs their faith in the Trinity, acknowlege but one God, think the Unitarians in their turn illiberal, in charging with idolatry thofe who worship the divine nature in Chrift. Mr. Lindfey, in whose productions mildness and benevolence are prominent features, feems to have written this pamphlet chiefly with the defign of removing the unfavourable impreffion which this charge may have made on the minds of Trinitarians. He undertakes to fhew, that the application of the term idolatry to those who worship Chrift, is no violation of candour, fince idolatry among Chriftians, leading to no immoral practices, may be an innocent error. Though he feems to question the innocence of thofe who, believing Jefus Chrift to be a creature, join with others in the worship of him as the fupreme God; he allows, with refpect to those who believe Chrift to be God, and worfhip him as fuch, that though they perform an idolatrous worship, in paying religious homage to one who is in fact a mere man, yet,