On Field-preaching. beach, where, as his friends had ex- It is important to Unitarians, and particularly so to Unitarian Missionaries, to ascertain how far this decision is correct; and it becomes the more important, since, if preaching abroad be illegal, I am extremely doubtful whether a prosecution might not be instituted under the statutes of Elizabeth and James I. which do not appear to be repealed, but merely suspended, by the act of William and Mary, as well as under the late Tole ration Act. At the time of the Revolution, Popish recusants were viewed with a very jealous eye; their principles were deemed subversive of the laws of civil society, and their attachment to the expelled family rendered them just objects of suspicion and alarm to the new dynasty. The Protestant recusants, as friends to liberty, were warm in their approbation of the change; and such was the opinion which the new government entertained of their loyalty, that, but for the danger which might have resulted to it in its then infant state, from the grant of unrestrained religious liberty, in consequence of the avowed hostility of the 641 Papists, and the ease with which they might have availed themselves of that grant to effectuate their machinations, it is highly probable that no qualifications would have been required from Dissenting Protestants, nor any restrictions imposed upon them, save such as were common to Established Protestants. The meetings of the former might, in that event, have been of the most private kind; and under colour of Dissenting Protestant_religious assemblies, the most seditious and dangerous meetings might have been held by the friends of the old dynasty, and these might have terminated in the subversion of the new order of things. Hence the necessity for registration, which renders the meeting public, and enables the agents of government to resort to it without difficulty, to ascertain the cast of its character. If then publicity be the sole object of registration, can it be necessary to register a field? Is not a meeting in a field necessarily public? of that public nature, that no plans dangerous to the government can be there entered into, or even projected, without immediate detection? Publicity is certainly the only object of registration; and as a field is necessarily public, the registration of it cannot be requisite. The words of the statutes are place of meeting," which would certainly comprehend a field, if the object of the acts required that construction; but the object of these statutes appears to be answered by the nature of a field; and, moreover, this term, "place of meeting," is defined, in the eleventh section of the late act, to be a place with a door capable of being locked, bolted, or barred. field cannot come within this description; it is necessarily excluded. building may have a door, and it is a place of this kind only, where meetings may be secretly held, which was contemplated by the legislature at the time the Toleration Acts were passed. A A Agreeably to this view of the subject, wherever the legislature have deemed the registration of a field necessary in order to effectuate the object of a law, the term has been used. Thus in Pitt's notorious acts of 1796 and 1799, for suppressing popular ashonse, room, semblies, the terms are " Letter to the late Rev. T. Lindsey, from Paris, 1801. Communicated by Mr. Rutt. SIR, Clapton, Oct. 12, 1816. THE com HE following letter was municated to me by my excellent friend, to whom it was addressed, with liberty to copy it. Should you wish to preserve the letter as a record of some appearances and expectations, at the time when it was written, described by an intelligent person well situated for observation, it is at your service. I was acquainted with the gentleman who wrote this letter, when he lived in England, which he left in 1791, and has since resided constantly at Paris. He is yet living there, or at least, was so, subsequent to the restoration, or rather the imposition of the Bourbons. J. T. RUTT. To the Rev. Theophilus Lindsey. "DEAR SIR, "I know not whether I ought to make any apologies for writing to you, but I have been in the habit of doing, or at least supposed to be doing so many strange things for these ten years past, that I seem to myself as privileged beyond the ordinary routine of society. My letter, however, will be of a very harmless nature, compared with others which I am accused of having written, and will commit neither of us, if it should fall into other hands than your own. The business is as follows. "About two or three months since, a letter from a society in London, calling itself a missionary society, was sent me; the writers of which requested information on divers subjects, particularly with respect to the state of religion in France, and the best modes of propagating the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. The society proposed at the same time the printing and distributing ten thousand copies of the New Testament, with a prologomenon of about one hundred pages, containing proofs of the truth of the Sacred Writings. I collected from the style of the letter that the writers and the society they represented were of the Calvinistic persua sion, and I presume belonging to the class called in England Methodists. As the inquiry appeared to me to come from good and somewhat intelligent men, I answered their letter at some length, I believe in eight or ten sheets. I gave them an account of the present state of religion and irreligion in the republic of the different sects, both Catholic and Protestant, which at present divide it. I gave them a sketch of what had been done by the government for the restoration of worship, and what were likely to be the effects of its interposition. My letter in short was so couched as to apply to Christians of every denomination; and I was careful not to prevent by the explanation of my sentiments the good which I might in future do by furthering the views of the society, since their views appeared to me be nevolent and praise worthy. "An answer has been received to that letter, in which the society at large to whom my letter has been read, return me their thanks and request a continuance of the correspondence. Now as the continuance of this correspondence will necessarily draw me into further measures, for this is meant by the letter, I am very desirous of knowing what this society is, and with what propriety I can hold intercourse with it. The society knows nothing farther of my religious opinions than that I am a Dissenter. Of this thought it right to inform them. It appears that they are also of this class. This is a point of contact which gives me some confidence. As Christians, Protestants and Dissenters, we are agreed, but I presume that in all other points we are very diversant. I have mentioned this plan of religious revolutionizing to some Italian prelates, and have taken measures for settling a correspondence with a Benedictine Monk of considerable abilities, who is at present in a convent at Rome. The society from a hint I gave them are anxious to make a proselyting excur Sir John Dodderidge. sion into the Cisalpine and Ligurian Republics. I think there would be a plentiful harvest, but the disposition in these countries to reform is much more liberal than they are aware of. My ecclesiastical acquaintance on that side, those who are believers, are in general Unitarians, which is a kind of prosely tism the society would not perhaps wish to promote. I have conversed, also, with M. Gregoire, the late bishop of Blois, on the subject. He will support it so far as the general interests of Christianity are concerned: but though he has quitted his ecclesiastical functions, having been just named a senator, I do not hope that he will enter into all the projects of religious reform, though he will go pretty far. "You know that we are on the eve of great religious changes in this country; what they will be I know not yet, for the opposition is great and various. I am about to publish a translation of The Corruptions of Christianity, and Priestley's Answer to Folacy, or rather Dupuis, of which I have acquainted those gentlemen. I should like, also, to publish the Comparison, which the Dr. has had the attention to send me; but I must wait for assistance. I am convinced these Works would be very seasonable at this moment: there are many yet who have not bowed the knce to Baal, and many also who want only a little assistance to put themselves in an erect posture. "As our house is the general rendezvous of strangers, I have pretty good opportunities of knowing the progress of religious opinion on the Continent. I am assured that Unitarianism is making very rapid progress in Germany; and that there is scarcely a church, of which the pastor, if he be at all intelligent, is not a convert to this faith. With the state of the church of Geneva you are no doubt acquainted. "I do not enter on any political topic, except to offer you my congratulations on the restoration of peace between the two countries. I say nothing respecting myself except to observe, that whatever my former friends in England (for I do not presume I have any now left) think of my conduct, there are very few points, and those points of prudence, in which I do not feel the most perfect self approbation.-I have laboured, not against England, but for the establishment of rational liberty in 643 France without which it would have "Dear Sir, "Your affectionate & faithful Servant, "Rue Varennes, 667." SIR, Pullin's Row, Islington, Oct. 11, 1816. YOUR readers will, probably, be pleased with the following particulars of Sir John Dodderidge, ances tor of the pious and amiable Dr. Philip Dodderidge, and noticed by Job Orton at the commencement of his excellent Life of Dodderidge, in terms of high commendation. According to Orton, he died at Forsters, near Egham, Surrey, though he was buried at Exeter, in the cathedral, where a superb monument is erected to his memory. Such a truly estimable character is at once an ornament to human nature and a bless ing to his country. "Sir John Dodderidge, Knight, was born in this county (Devon) bred in Exeter College, Oxford, where he became so general a scholar that it is hard to say whether he was better artist, divine, civil or common lawyer, though he fixed on the last for his public pro fession, and became second justice of the king's bench. His soul consisted of two essentials, ability and integrity, holding the scale of justice with so steady an hand, that neither love nor lucre, fear nor flattery, could bow him on either side. It was vehemently suspected in his time, that some gave large sums of money to purchase places of judicature; and Sir John is famous for the expression that as old and infirm as he was, he would go to Tyburn to see such a man hanged that should proffer money for a place of that ua ture;' for certainly those who buy such offices by wholesale, must sell justice by retail, to make themselves savers. He was commonly called the sleeping judge, because he would sit on the bench with his eyes shut; which was only a posture of attention to sequester his sight from distracting objects, the better to listen to what was alleged and proved. Though he had three wives successively, out of the respectful families of Germin, Bamfield, and Culme, yet he left no issue behind him. He kept a hospital at Mount Radford, near Exeter, and dying 1628, the 13th of September (after he had been seventeen years a judge), in the 73d year of his age, was interred under a stately tomb, in our Lady's Chapel, in Exeter."- -Nicholls's Edition of Fuller's Worthies of England. SIR, IN J. EVANS. October 10th, 1816. N the following passages amongst many others, the Article is found with the word 20705, used merely in the sense of Revelation, or the Gospel. Mark vii. 13, The Word of God, Toy Ayoν TO Oε8. Luke iv. 32, His Word, ο λόγος αυτού. Luke xi. 28, Blessed are they that hear the Word, τον λόγον το Θεό. John xv. 3, Now are ye clean through the Word, dia TOY λoyov. John xvii. 17, Thy Word, • λoyos o sos. V. 20, Through their Word, δια του λογο αυτών. Acts vi. 2, The Word of God, Tov 20yo T8 28. Acts xii. 24, The Word of God grew, o λoyos T8 88. Acts xiii. 7, He desired to hear the Word of God, TOY MOYON TO DEB. V. 44, To hear the Word, τον λόγον. Acts xiv. 3, Testimony to the Word, Tw λoyw. Acts xix. 20, The Word of God increased, ο λογος. In the following passages among others, the Article is omitted before the word ɛ05, used to express the true God. Matt. vi. 24, Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. ου δύνασθε ΘΕΩ δουλευ It was in the 80th year of his age that the antiquary Stowe at length received a public acknowledgment of his services, which appear to us of a very extraordinary nature. He was so reduced in his circumstances that he petitioned James I. for a licence to collect alms for himself! as a recompense for his labour and travel of forty-five years, in setting forth the chronicles of England and eight years taken up in the survey of the cities of London and Westminster, towards his relief now in his old age; having left his former means of living, and and good of his country.' Letters paonly employing himself for the service tent under the great seal were granted. After no penurious commendation of Stowe's labours, he is permitted gather the benevolence of well-disposed people within this realm of England: to ask, gather, and take the alms of all our loving subjects." These letters patent were to be published by the clergy from the pulpit; they produced so little that they were renewed for another twelve months; one entire parish in the city contributed seven shillings and sixpence! Such was the public remuneration of a man who had been useful to his nation, but not to himself!" SIR, J. F. Higham Hill, Nov. 11, 1816. to Twho may be disposed to inquire into the evidences of Christianity, the following remarks on Mr. Hume's objection to miracles may not be useless. I have considered this celebrated some of your younger reader Mr. Cogan on Mr. Hume's Argument against Miracles. objection, and I think impartially, at different times for more than thirty years, and I have never had but one opinion concerning it, which is, that it has no force whatever. The objection, indeed, has been ably answered again and again, and by some more elaborately than it required. To meet the conceptions of the multitude it may indeed be desirable that error should be exposed in many words; but it is a maxin with me, that false reasoning always admits a short refutation, when it is once clearly discerned in what the fallacy consists. Mr. Hume's objection amounts to this, that a miracle being a violation of the order of nature, can never be rendered credible by testimony, as the falsehood of testimony can in no case be deemed miraculous. It would perhaps have been more correct to define a miracle to be a deviation from the order of nature; but let this pass. It is to be observed that Mr. Hume does not object to the evidence which is produced in favour of the Christian iniracles as being deficient in quantity, but denies in toto that this species of evidence can confirm a miracle. This makes it necessary to inquire a little into the force of this evidence. It will suit Mr. Hume's purpose that we should consider testimony in the gross, in which view of it, it must be confessed that it not unfrequently deceives. But testimony differs from testimony as much as error does from truth, and it may be so circumstanced and so accumulated in force that its falsehood will be deemed impossible. Let the actions and the fate of the late Emperor of France be for a moment called to mind. These are admitted by thousands, upon the evidence of testimony alone, and admitted with as full conviction as can be produced by mathematical or ocular demonstration. And will any one presume to say that this evidence may be false? Is it not to suppose a violation of the order of nature to suppose it false ?* It has just been intimated 64.5 that testimony of a certain kind produces a conviction equal to what is produced by ocular demonstration. And whence does this arise? It is the spontaneous and necessary result of experience. That kind and degree of testimony which we have never known to deceive us, we rest assured cannot deceive us; and such is the confidence which we place in it, that the supposed improbability of the fact to which it bears witness, usually detracts nothing from the strength of the conviction which is effected by it. It is true enough that according to Mr. Hume's observation we cannot rationally admit any fact, till we conceive it to be more improbable that the evidence should be false than that the fact should be true. But in order to a just judgment, it is necessary that we consider on what ground we pronounce any fact to be antecedently improbable; and it is certain that when our notions of their improbability arise, as they often do, from a nere defect of knowledge, they instantly yield to certain testimony. Such being the force of testimony and such the nature of the faith which we place in it, I ask what fact cannot be supported by testimony, the falsehood of which would be deemed impossible, except that which should itself appear to involve an impossibility. But the Christian miracles do not come under this predicament, nor does Mr. Hume's argument proceed upon such a supposition. What then is it which renders them incapable of being supported by testimony? Their antecedent improbability. And of this improbability how are we to judge? Were they not referred to a superior power; were they supposed to be effected by some hidden law of nature which was never in action before nor since; were it necessary to maintain that they took place without any assignable cause and to acknowledge that they produced no important effect, their antecedent improbability would certainly be great. But from what data are we to conclude that God would never interfere miraculously in shewn to be false, it remains with every one to consider for himself whether the antecedent improbability of the Christian miracles appears to him to be surmounted by the testimony which is brought forward in their behalf. |