yet aware of it and if I have not already refuted the opinion of any perfon who fhall maintain the integrity of the printed Hebrew text, I do not defire to do it at the expence of Mr. Bate.

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As to the particular paffage which you, Sir, are pleased to cen fure, I have, I hope, impartially re-examined it, yet find no cause to alter my opinions or expreffions: for I fill think "the manner of quoting, I object to, is different to that of our Saviour and his "Apoftles, in all the other parts of the New Teftament.”—And excufe me, Sir, if I am mistaken in thinking, that the inftances you bring to prove the contrary, are infufficient. Matt, xxi. 5. is a quotation from Zech. But why it must be faid to be compofed of another paffage alfo, I fee not. That paffage, indeed, is referred to in the margin, as containing fome fimilar expreffion. The firft part of Luke xix. 46. is a quotation; and on the latter there is reference to a fimilar paffage. Pleafe to confider, that the marginal references will be infufficient to fupport your argument; or to prove, that the latter texts you refer to, are to be confidered at all as quotations from the Old Testament. And when you have again looked upon the texts in this view, you may not think my affertion so rash and ill grounded as you have haftily pronounced it.

In page 292, you feem inclinable to banter, which was probably the reafon why you omitted to take notice of the words immediately fubfequent to thofe to which you refer; and which may require a lerious anfwer; especially as you have, no doubt, been well converfant in the English Polyglott; and could not well help obferving the variations in every page between the Alexandrian and Vatican copies,

I should be very glad, Sir, to fee the Heathen Mythology more largely treated upon, on the plan you have laid down, which, I think, must be fatisfactory to every perfon who seriously confiders the foundation and the end of facrifices.

On the whole, Sir, I think, the public obliged to you for your last publication, and I am, with great esteem, Your very humble Servant,

Stanton (near Nottingham)

May 7, 1760.

M. PILKINGTON.

To the AUTHORS of the MONTHLY REVIEW,

GENTLEMEN,"

THE

HE general approbation which your work has met with—its univerfal circulation-and the courfe of volumes it has run through, are the cleareft proofs of the judgment, candour, and impartiality wherewith the plan of it is conducted.

I fubmit the inclofed to your fuperior judgments, which, if you fhall count worthy of a place, it will be efteemed as a fingular favour, and the obligation gratefully acknowleged.

I apprehend what is advanced will meet with the joint concurrence of every impartial Reader; and as the points difcuffed are fúch as merit attention, I prefume there can be no exception taken againit admitting them into a Literary Journal.

From what I have, obferved in the course of your work, I flatter myself this will not be found more foreign to your plan than what you have already occafionally inferted of a fimilar nature.

However, it is entirely left to your candid decifion, and as the animadverfions therein contained, are offered, with due deference, to the opinion of the public in general, fo are they, in a more particular manner, referred to your approbation.

GENTLEMEN,

T

HE Archdeacon of Wilts' Letter to the Dean of Bristol, in 8vo, printed for Davis, I have perufed with care and attention more than once. It is a laboured piece, wrote with great fpirit, and he appears thereby to have confidered every argument which he has advanced.

Nevertheless, there are two particulars wherein the Chancellor is, by no means, defenfible. One is the great acrimony and severity wherewith he treats his Opponent ;

Sacerdotal Combatants shauld avoid Rancour.

The other-fhall be mentioned in its proper place.

Invectives, wit, and fatyr, may, perhaps, give pleasure to fome fort of Readers, but contribute very little to the eftablishment of Truth.

Abuse and fcurrility are unbecoming the Gentleman, and fit with a ftill worfe grace on the Chriftian. Perfonal reflections can have no connection with any kind of literary controverfies, least of all in religious difputes, where the wrath of man cannot work the righte"oufnels of God."

It is pity, one of fuch acknowleged abilities, as the deep and truly learned Dr. Stebbing fhould defcend fo far beneath his dignity as to make ufe of any arms against his Opponent, but the weapons of Truth, which he is always able to manage with dexterity, and feldom without fuccefs.

...When men of eminent parts and talents forget to preferve in their writings the importance of their own character, and defcend to perfonal altercations-to interfperfe farcafms and lahes, it, in a great meafure, defeats that one great end of science, which is to enlarge and improve the mind, and to remove all contracted views.

When thofe, from whofe exalted genius, one naturally expects better things, are guilty of thefe little flips and inadvertencies of the pen, and rife into improper warmths, it gives a fanction to what is wrong (and ought, on that account, to be more particularly taken notice of) at the fame time that it gives occafion to the world (always ready to form that judgment which has leaft good nature, and fondeft to be fevere against the most diftinguished) to fay that the man, and not the opinion, is attacked, imputing all to envy, malevolence, and an illiberal mind, unbecoming a man of letters, but more especially indecent in a Divine.

We lament it as an unhappiness attendant upon the Clergy, that instead of meeting with double honour from the world, on account of their function (as the Apoftle expreffes it) they are, by the generality of mankind, lightly regarded. Shall I affign a reafon for it it is plainly this. The Clergy ufe one another very fcandalously; and what elfe but these perfonal altercations can be affigned as a principal fource of that contempt of the order, fo loudly, and so long complained of?

Certainly the way to be fereened from the blaft of obloquy is-for themselves to walk in the horse of God as friends, in the still smail voice of harmony and union; but if within are schisms and divisions, there neceffarily must be fcoffs and contempt without

Shall the fons of Belial fet themfelve: to decry the Order?

The greater is the obligation that lies on the fins of Levi to express themselves in a manner becoming thofe who reverence that worthy name by which they are cutied-to fmite friendly when obliged to reprove; never fuffering themselves to be fo far transported, as to forget what manner of Spirit they are of; as Ambassadors of Chrift, ever preferving decency and decorúm.

One diftinguishing characteriflic of the man of God is, to be meek, in every thing, adorning the doctrine of him, whose he is, and whom be ferves, fhining as a light in the world, fetting himself as a pattern, and in nothing more than in marks of candour and moderation, towards fuch as may happen ro differ in opinion and fentiment—to admonish as a brother; looking on perfonal invectives as alike beneath the religion he explains, and the faith he profeffeth.

Seeing what an inclination and natural propenfity there is to rejoice greatly at every flip'they make, bould (I am fure, ought to) teach them caution and circumfpection; and the united and vigorous efforts of & their enemies infpire them with a spirit of union and zeal in the support of one another, cutting off occafion, if poffible, from the feekers

at

of

of it, and, by acting up to the dignity of their character, fo confute calumny, by their conduct, as to let zo man defife them.

It has always been obferved, (and very much does it redound to the honour) of the Bishop of Winchefer, that in all the controverfial writings which he has held with his brethren (and no man has had more) he ever maintained an equanimity of temper the meek and candid Chriftian never loft in the Difputer of this world-never betrayed into any afperity of expreffion-any railing accufations-any mitbecoming flight or fallies of paffion.

The other particular, wherein I obferved the Doctor was not defenfible, is this

There is an ambition which is laudable, and this the Chancellor difcountenances. The paffion which the mind of man has for glory, though it may be faulty in excefs, ought, by no means, to be dif};couraged.

It is an argument of a magnanimous difpofition, to be moved by the confideration of tranfmitting their name to futurity; and it is no lefs a fign of pufillanimity, of a low and bafe fpirit, to neglect it: he that hath no regard to his fame, is loft to all purposes of virtue and goodness; when a man is once come to this—not to care what others fay of him—the next step is to have no care what himself does.

Thofe of the most shining parts and abilities, are marked by the great Roman Orator to be moit actuated and fired by ambition; and it is, doubtless, a ftrong indication of magnanimity, to be very defirous of a good name, and very careful to do every thing that we innocently or prudently may-Famam tueri illafam-to perpetuate our name-a principle which, as the foul of man is an a&ive Being, feems to be a spring implanted by Nature to give motion to all the latent powers of the foul, and is obferved to exift itfelf with the greatest force in the moft generous difpofitions.

The men whofe characters have fhone the brightest among the ancient Romans, appear to have been ftrongly animated by this pallion.

The renowned Pliny confeffes "nothing employed his thoughts "more, than the defire he had of perpetuating his name;" which, in his opinion, was a defign worthy of a man, at least such aone, who, being conscious of no guilt, is not afraid to be remembered by pollerity.

What fhall I do to be for ever known, "And make the age to come my own?"

fays the celebrated Cowley.

: Would Dr. Stebbing then, after deccafe, be clean forgotten, as a dead man out of mind; was it not the greatest curfe David wished might befal his bittereft enemy, that in the next generation his name might be clean put out?

In the close of the Letter, the Chancellor expreffes himself to the Dean in this manner.

"You cannot bear the thought, that when you die, your name "fhould perish, or that your memorial fould perish with you.

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"Nothing will fatisfy you, but to go down to pofterity, and to "live in the voice and memory of men.'

What is there blame-worthy in this? How is the Dean culpable?

Does not every good man with and defire to perpetuate his name? It is a paffion which, for the benefit of mankind, ought not to be extinguished; fo far from being a fault, that on all hands it is allowed to be a great and indifpenfible duty.

What, indeed, can be a stronger incentive to great and glorious actions, and, at the fame time a reftraint from doing what is mean and contemptible?

Tentanda via eft, quá me quoque paffim

Tollere humo, victorque virum volitare per ora.

VIRG.

For a fuller and more explicit confirmation of this point, and to fet in a still clearer light, I will refer my Reader to what Bishop Hoadley fays at large, in his preface to Dr. Clarke's Sermons.

"As the works of Dr. Clarke muft laft as long as any language "remains to convey them to future times, perhaps I may flatter my"felf, that this faint and imperfect account of him may be tranf"mitted down with them; and I hope it will be thought a pardon"able piece of ambition and felf-intereftednefs, if, fearful left every

thing elfe fhould prove too weak to keep the remembrance of my "felf in being, I lay hold of his fame to prop and support my own, " and I shall think myfelf greatly recompenced for the want of any "other memorial, if my name may go down to pofterity thus closely joined to his, and 1 myfelf be thought of,, and fpoke of, in ages to come, under the character of the friend of Dr. Clarke." Thus did the Bishop think, and does he write.

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The world fees in him, (I had almost said) an inimitable pattern, that,

1. Sacerdotal Combatants may write without rancour; and that, 2. To defire to "go down to pofterity, and to live in the voice "and memory of men" is not culpable.

Which were the two points I undertook to prove.