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but to their posterity; and it will be generally found, by examining the historic or prophetic parts of Scripture, that when their names are mentioned, it always is with reference to their posterity; and the most certain way of coming at the Apostle's meaning, will be by referring to those very passages he quotes. Thus then, by turning to Gen. xxv. 23, we shall find, that the words, "It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger," refer to their issue, and not the men : so by refering to Malachi i. 2, it relates to the people. But I proceed to consider the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th verses, which are supposed to demonstrate, in the fullest manner, the absolute sovereignty of the decrees of God, as well as the appointment of every circumstance respecting the conduct of his creatures. That God does act sovereignly in all his dispensations, cannot be denied, and that he has guarded against every contingent circumstance that might frustrate the designs of his love, must be certain; especially, if we admit that he sees the end from the beginning; but it does not follow, because he says "he will have mercy on whom he will," &c. that therefore his mercy is confined to a few of the human race; that the rest are consigned to everlasting misery, for then indeed how could there be righteousness with God? Nor ought we to confine our ideas in a similar manner to what is said in the 16th verse-“So then it is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy?" Both which passages must relate to those who receive the gospel, and by so doing become the leaven, that will leaven the whole lump, and do not relate in the smallest degree to a future state. By referring to Exod. xxxiii. 19, we shall find that these expressions were used when the glory or goodness of the Lord passed before Moses in the mount, and when his name was proclaimed; and though Calvinists may think that the appointment of Pharoah was for the only purpose of exhibiting the just wrath and indignation of God against obstinate opposers of his will, and a proof that his power cannot be withstood, this is by no means analogous to the Apostle's meaning; for it is added, "that my name ought to be declared throughout all the earth." (Exod. ix. 16). Let us then refer to the passage itself, and we shall find that it was in relation to the deliverance of Israel, and in conformity to the promise to Abraham respecting that deliverance made in Gen. xv. 13, 14, to which I think the Apostle peculiarly refers, as the means of rendering happy all the families of the earth; and it is not a little remarkable, what is noted by the historian (Exod. xii. 41), that the deliverance of Israel happened at the end of the 430 years from their going down into Egypt. Here however it is possible some may say this period does not agree with the account given in Gen. xv. 14, as 400 years are only mentioned. Let it, however, be recollected, that the latter

period refers to their being in a state of affliction, not habitation; the former part of which being during Joseph's life may be supposed a time of tranquillity, which lasted, as the historian remarks (Exod. i. 8) till a new king rose up, who knew not Joseph.

Under this view of the faithfulness of God to his promise, we have a much better solution of the Apostle's meaning, than confining it to the raising up of Pharoah, on purpose to exhi bit the power of Jehovah, and of his punitive justice, which, however promiment they appear, and the effects of which, however sensibly felt by the same surrounding nations, cannot be considered as the means of making known the name of the Lord to all the earth, as at this time it could only be declared to a very small portion of the habitable globe; but if we extend our view to the effects to be produced by this event, effects that are yet to be extended far and wide, we shall see with what reason it was said "that his name might be declared throughout all the earth," not as a vengeful and direful being, but as a God of infinite goodness and mercy; but which cannot be completely fulfilled until all the families of the earth are blessed in Abraham,

being united together under that king who shall reign in righteousness, and to whose sceptre every knee shall bow. But, it is added," therefore hath he mercy on whom he will; and whom he will he hardeneth," which possibly may refer to Exod. vii. 13.

As the magicians, by their juggling, performed some acts like Moses, it is possible Pharoah was not convinced that Moses acted under the divine command; but it is further said (ix. 12) that God hardened the heart of Pharoah. This, though so positively expressed, may be applicable to their own act primarily, and is so denominated (1 Sam. vi. 6); therefore may be considered rather permissively than decretively, agreeable to Amos. iii. 6, "there shall be evil in the city and the Lord hath not done it ;"or judicially, for certain it is men may go on in a course of evil till their consciences become seared. Even those who have known the truth may become so lost to all feeling as not to be renewed again to repentance (Heb. vi. 6).

In the 19th and four following verses, he takes up the objector's argument by asserting the right of Jehovah to act in the manner he has done; not however viewing his conduct in the contracted way of the Calvinist, but in shewing that even in the exercise of his sovereign power it is to promote the best interests of his creatures, and that all the distinctions he makes and every appointment he ordained, are subservient to that glorious end; for it ought to be remembered, the Apostle confines his views entirely to the grand scheme of salvation made known by the gospel, not to the conduct of God in provi

dence to his creatures generally; to which he has no reference, any farther than what may conduce to the promotion of their best interests and ultimate felicity.-That he exercises the greatest long-suffering to the hardened and impenitent must be admitted; and if the Apostle refers to God's dealing with Pharoah, which is highly probable, he therein exhibits the fullest proof of his long-suffering goodness; for although his obstinacy brought much evil upon his people, it seems almost certain he personally suffered only partially, till he foolishly attempted to follow Israel through the Red Sea, for which he and his people were destroyed. The judgment, therefore, thus executed upon the kingdom of Egypt, stands as a monument of the divine power, and his punitive justice; at the same time it strikingly exhibits the faithfulness of Jehovah to his promises, thereby affording encouragement to the weakest of his creatures to confide in him, and is a beacon to which all future ages may look.

Thus, Sir, have I attempted to solve some of the difficulties attending this chapter; which, however defective, will not, I hope, be altogether useless. I remain, &c.

AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT,

www.

ON THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

To the Editor of the Freethinking Christians' Magazine.

SIR,

BY Y free discussion truth is obtained; and as your Magazine is established on this principle, I expect as a favour from you, or from some of your correspondents, satisfactory answers to the following queries, which are the consequence of some scruples that have occupied my mind for several years. respecting Christianity.

But, before I proceed, you must know that I have been brought up in the bosom of the church of England, and tutored into her rites and ceremonies, till I became of years to think for myself, and then I could not associate with her superstition, though I have not since formed any connection with any other religious society; but still I feel the same love and pleasure for Christian principles, and for the simple mode of Christian worship.

In consequence of the bigotry and superstition ofthe church, 1 was led to think of the first establishment of Christianity. In this research, many scruples possessed my mind, and they have remained, ever since, unanswered to my satisfaction. In every number of your Magazine, from the first to the eleventh, Ĩ have anxiously looked for that solution which my scruples

require; but I am sorry to say, that hitherto not even Christophilus's arguments have solved them.

I am no advocate for Mr. Paine; but I think that Christophilus (in the tenth number) has not fairly answered him; for notwithstanding these books militated against the then corruptions of the church and her priests, they (the priests) could do no otherwise than adopt them, as they had been long before received by the churches; and as all churches contain some good men, and as all religions are endeavoured to be founded on the best moral principles, consequently the (then) priests could not declare against the general wILL of the churches; though these books were not congenial to the practices of the (then) priests. But Christophilus does not inform us when these books were written, or by whom; for which I have been anxiously waiting to know.

Now, Sir, by what we know of the founder of Christianity, he was the son of Joseph the carpenter (Matthew xiii. 55), and himself a carpenter (Mark vi. 3), till he was about thirty years of age, when he entered on his mission to preach the gospel; in which he continued for about three years, before he was put to death; but in that time he wrote nothing concerning his mission, nor of any of those things that are held so interesting to the world.

As the founder of Christianity wrote nothing respecting these things, to be handed down to posterity; and as there is not any official national records of them, either Jewish or Roman; nor any original manuscript of the books that we have, neither historical accounts of these books, till the second century, by what means are we to ascertain the truth of them?

All the historians of the church assert that the original manuscripts of these books were written in the Greek language; but we are naturally to conclude, from the situation of these men (evangelists) in life (poor fishermen on the sea of Gennesareth in Galilee, a northern province of Palestine), that they could not have the means of obtaining literary knowledge in those days, as printing was not known, and but few schools amongst the great and wealthy, and those confined to their own language: this is evident from Josephus, who relates that at the siege of Jerusalem, the leading men of the Jews were ignoraat of the Greek language.

Therefore, if the evangelists did write, they must have written in their mother tongue (Hebrew); for it is very unlikely that poor fishermen's children were sent from Galilee to Greece, to learn the Greek tongue; besides, the Jews were too bigotted to their own customs and religion, to have any connection with an idolatrous nation. Hence, if the immediate disciples of Jesus wrote any of these books, what became of the as history is entirely silent on the subject?

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But I suspect that neither Jesus nor his disciples wrote any of them, but men in after time. If I am wrong, I wish that you or some of your correspondents may set me right, by informing me of the time when they were written, by whom, and in what language originally; and when they were collected into the form we have them now, and by whose authority. shali expect a historical and rational answer to the above, for any other will maintain and prove all kinds of religion; but as 1 wish to worship God as a rational being, I likewise wish to be convinced as such, as my object is TRUTH, and to be in the love and fear of God.

I expected that these premises would have been established in your first numbers, before any inferences or conclusions were drawn; as all do not take them for granted.

By inserting these few lines in your valuable work, you will much oblige Your's, &c.

Bristol, Nov. 26, 1811.

J. R-s.

THE

For the Freethinking Christian's Magazine.

THE REFLECTOR.-No. VI.

HE man who writes for profit, is seldom tenacious of his own opinions; his principles must at all times be subservient to the caprice, the folly, or the prejudices of his patron. On the contrary, he who enters the field of literature or controversy, from disinterested motives, seldom writes in opposition to the dictates of his heart: he propagates his opinions without reserve, and believing them himself to be fundamentally true, cares but little for the criticisms of the learned, or the misrepresentations of the ignorant. Perhaps no writer, of any degree of respectability, has wholly escaped the censures of some who think themselves wiser than himself. No matter how perfect his system, or conclusive his reasoning, multitudes, though actuated by different motives, will strenuously oppose it. One will accuse him of ignorance, another of eccentricity, a third of folly, of error, of falsehood, or in fact of any thing. But will even these accusations united be competent to shake his opinions? Will his opponents, by such ineffectual methods as these, compel him to think like themselves? As well might they attempt to impart an invigorating ray of hope to the bosom long inured to despair, or speak comfort to the ill-fated mariner, whose frail bark, assailed by some tremendous whirlwind, appears elevated, shattered, and leaky, on the highest wave, and waiting only the destructive approach of another, to overwhelm it in the ocean's bottomless trough. The man alone who seeks by fair argument, established on the basis of

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