CHRISTIAN'S MAGAZINE: BEING An Universal Repository of Divine Knowledge. FOR NOVEMBER, 1783. BEAUTIFULLY EMBELLISHED with the following truly ELEGANT COPPER-PLATE ENGRAVINGS: [1. An excellent PORTRAIT and STRIKING LIKENESS of the Right Reverend Dr. BUTLER, the prefent LORD BISHOP of OXFORD, engraved and drawn from an original Painting. 2. A North West PROSPECT of the Cathedral Church of LANDAFF.] A greater Variety of important and interefting Subjects, conveyed in a delightful Manner, than was ever given in any fimilar Publication whatever, viz. The Whole intended to promote the Caufe of PIETY and VIRTUE, and undertaken By a SOCIETY of CLERGYMEN, of the Diocese of LONDON, Who are honoured with Communications for the proper Accomplishment of their Design, from the CLERGY and others in different Parts of the Kingdom. Printed for the EDITORS; and Published by ALEX. HOGG, at the King's Arins, No. 16, Paternoster-Row, by whom Letters to the EDITORS, Post paid, are received. TH HE Editors of this Magazine, being at prefent particularly favoured with communica tions from their friendly correfpondents, they are under the neceffity of requesting their indulgence for time, and, on their parts, an unavoidable delay. It was impoffible for them to notice a tenth part of the favours they received during the course of laft month, and, in this, the tide of literary pieces has rofe much higher. From a variety of articles, which even only to enumerate would far exceed the limits of this fingle page, we have felected W. W. on the benefits of Industry; An Epitaph from William Williams; Lines by Adolefeens; A Candidate on the pleajures of Religion; A Contributor; Polybius; Hiftorical account of Bethlem Hofpital; Zeno; An elegant poem figned Robertfon; A Depofit; and, The poor man's friend; all which thall have a place in our Magazine, either for this or the enfuing month. We are obliged to avail ourselves of the above plea, in not having as yet complied with the request of the Rev. Mr. Evans, of Cardigarhire; but, according to the old proverb, "Omittance is no quittance;" and that gentleman may reft affured, it is our intention to give, when time will permit, a chearful compliancewith his juft fentiments. W. W. having promifed a continuation of his Thoughts on various fubje&s, his pursuing the fame will be an acceptable favour. His Effay on Life, &c. will be duly noticed. We are at a lofs to determine upon the feveral Latin lines which have poured in from va rious quarters. It is our earneft inclination to oblige every one; but the Utile, "the one thing needful," is what we chiefly regard. The challenge of Mofkcai cannot be accepted. By a flight recollection he will perceive, feveral candidates have entered the lift before him, and the combat for fame has been fufficiently decided. The clue from W. H. is not fufficient to deliver us from the labyrinth of uncertainty in which we are at prefent, with refpect to his withes. If that gentleman will draw up his fentiments, which may be a fufficient ground for us to form an opinion, he will find we are ready to do him justice. Longinus is quite fingular in his opinion; different fentiments prevailed long before the council of Nice; and his ideas on the fubject of his pen are entirely without foundation. The Differtation of Parmenio abounds with matter, and is very prolix, but it is neither original, nor placed in any new point of light. Antiquarius has favoured us with a curiofity for our department of Chriftian antiquities, which, we are perfuaded, would not afford the leaft entertainment to the bulk of our rea ders, who cannot have time to examine into "The mouldy records of their forefathers." It is our fixed determination to have nothing to do with Mr. Madan, nor his principles of feduction; our fole ambition is, to do as much good as we can, with as little buftle as poffible. There is, we confefs, much ingenuity in the arguments of Inquifitor, in fupport of an Ar minian doctrine; but they are not strong enough to convince; and we have openly profeffed ourfelves to be no friends to the romantic votaries of fingularity and loote principles. We defire to be excufed engaging in the controverfy between the Reviewers and Dr. Priestley; the former are able to maintain their ground, and the latter, in our opinion, has been much more noticed than his abfurd criticisms, and corruptions of Christianity deferve. In our next a Portrait and Memoirs of the Bishop of Chichester; and a celebrated Hyma from the Oratorio of Saul, composed by Mr. Handel. CHRISTIAN BIOGRAPHY. AUTHENTIC MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF THE REV. MR. JAMES ABBADIE, DEAN OF KILALO, IN IRELAND. HOUGH this philofopher en TH joyed a great reputation, we know but little of his manner of living. His life must have been very obfcure and quiet, a circumftance which does honour to his character. The authors of the memoirs of illuftrious men, have faid but very little refpecting him, however they esteem his merit. They were, doubtlefs, unable to get better information, and we are not more happy than they; no great events therefore are to be expected, or additions to the memoirs already given refpecting him; but the most authentic are here chofen, as history of this fort ought not only to con tribute to the reader's tranfient amufement, but alfo to his real in ftruction. Mr. James Abbadie was born in the year 1654, at Nai, a town in France, about four leagues from Pau in the territory of Bern. His, parents are unknown; but we are affured that the famous M. de Placette, minifter of Nai, took care. of his education, and himself directed his firft ftudies; after which he fent him fucceffively to PuyLaurens, Saumur, and Sedan, to ftudy philofophy and divinity. He was admitted a doctor in the academy of this laft city. Some writers tell us that his firit voyage was to Holland. But father Niceron, on the contrary, fays that he went to Paris, where he became acquainted. with the count d'Efpence, mafter of the horse to the elector of Brandenburgh, who engaged him to follow Cc.2 him him to Berlin, and on his arrival, procured him the place of minister to the elector in the French church of Berlin, which he held for fome years. During his ftay in this city, he went feveral times to Holland, as well to get printed the works he had compofed, as on other affairs. The firft of his works appeared in 1680: confifting of Sermons on diverfe texts of Scripture, and a Panegyric upon the Elector. Four years after he published a "Treatife of the truth of the Chriftian Religion," in two volumes, which gained univerfal approbation. Emboldened by this fuccefs, in the year 1685, he gave out fome "Reflexions upon the real prefence of the body of Jefus Chrift in the Eucharift:" This production had not the fame fate with the foregoing, and feveral divines found it hardly intelligible. This, however did not prevent his reputation from gaining new luftre from it. His name reached the marfhal de Schomberg, who on being informed of his great fagacity, refolved to omit nothing to attach him to him; and at length his foHicitations and his learning determined ou philofopher to follow him to Ireland, towards the latter end of the fummer of 1689; but the marfhal being killed at the battle of Boyne, July 22, 1690, Mr. Abbadie quitted Ireland, and came to London. Here he was received fuitably to his merit, At first he officiated at the French church in the Savoy, as minifter; and foon after, the deanery of Killalo in Ireland being vacant, he was promoted to that dignity, which he enjoyed till his death. in 1692, he went to Holland, and published an edition of his works, which appeared in the following order: I. *The art of knowing one's felf, or an inquiry into the fource of morality," in two parts, 12mo, This book met with univerfal ef teem; and has been frequently reprinted, and translated into various languages II. "The defence of the British nature, wherein the laws of God, of nature, and of fo. ciety are clearly established, with refpect to the revolution in England, against the author of The important advice to refugees,” London, 1692. III. "A panegyric on the queen of England," Hague, 1695. IV. An hiftory of the laft confpiracy in England, &c." London, 1695. This hiftory was compofed by order of king William, from the original papers communicated to him by the fecretary of state. V." The truth of the reformed religion:" Rotterdam, 1718. And VI." The triumph of providence and religion, with avery evident demonftration of the Chri flian religion." Amfterdam, 1723. His voyages and travelling greatly affected his health, already enfeebled by age: he died of ficknefs, at Mary bone, September 25, 1727, aged feventy-three years. No one, perhaps, ever had fo prodigious a memory as Mr. Abbadie. He compofed his works from his own ideas and memory, and wrote them only as he printed them off. This extraordinary advantage of retaining the whole plan of a compofition, has deprived us of two important books; namely, "A new method of proving the immortality of the foul;" and, "Notes upon Mr. Bayle's philofophical commentary," This celebrated metaphyfician was entirely mafter of the learned languages, and the claffics; well skilled in his. tory, both ecclefiaftical and profane; and had particularly a very piercing wit, vaft elevation of foul, and a manly eloquence. 1 Our materials for the life of this great man are fo fhort, that we doubt not it will be agreeable to fee more closely his character, as it appears in his Syftem on the art of felf-knowledge. "The first principle fays he, of felf-knowledge, is, that man is a very : very little thing; all his ages bring with them fome peculiar weakness or misery. Childhood is only a forgetfulness and ignorance of itfelf, youth a mere tranfport, and age but a languifhing death, with the appearances of life; fo clofely is it attended with infirmities. The body of man is the centre of infirmities his mind is filled with errors, and his heart with unruly affections. He fuffers by the confideration of the paft, which cannot be recalled, and by that of the future, which is unavoidable. His mind continually wishes to know, and his heart is inceffantly craving. When in poverty, his prayers are only to have the neceffary: when that neceffary to nature is enjoyed, he requires the neceffary to rank and condition. Does he' reach this ftate? He then feeks what may gratify his appetites: and when he has obtained all that his heart feems able to defire: contrary to reafon, he then forms new defires. Such is the man in general. To know him particularly we must know what are his natural duties and obligations. This knowledge is founded upon two principles. The firft is, that we naturally love ourfelves, being fenfible of pleafure, defirous of good, and taking çare for our prefervation. The second, that together with this propenfity to love ourselves, we have alfo reafon to conduct us. That we naturally love ourselves is a truth of fentiment: that we are capable of reafon, is a truth of fact. Nature inclines us to make ufe of reason to direct this love of felf, because we cannot truly love Qurfelves, without employing our understanding in the fearch after that which is fuitable to us. This natural law, or law of nature, is divided into four others, which are particular fpecies, The first is the law of Temperance, caufing us to fhun excefs and debauchery, which ruin our bodies, and injure our fouls. The fecond is the law of Juftice, which engages us to render to every one his own, and to treat him as he would wish him to treat us. The law of Moderation is the third, which forbids us to revenge, by convincing us, that we cannot do this but at our own expence; and that, in this particular, to refpect the laws of God, is to take care of ourselves. The laft is called the law of Beneficence, and leads us to do good to our neighbours. All this may be reduced to thefe two faculties in man, fenfation and reafon. Reafon is the foul's counfellor Senfation is, as it were, the force or weight which determines it. In our actions we compare one with the other. The foul confiders not only what gives it pleafure at the inftant, but alfo what may give it in future. It compares pleasure with pain; prefent good with remote good; the advantage which it hopes, with the dangers it is to run; and determines itself agreeably to the inftruction it receives in it's different refearches: its liberty being only the extension of its knowledge, and the obligation which it lies under not to chufe till after' having fully examined. Thus we are not avaritious, when afraid of injuring our honour by the meanneffes of intereft. We are not prodigal if afraid of ruining our affairs, though we shouldafpire to make ourselves efteemed of others for our liberality. The fear of difeafes makes us refift the temptations to voluptuoufnefs; felf-love renders us moderate and circumpect; and we appear modeft and humble out of pride. Pleafure and glory are the two gene ral advantages, which give a zeft to" all others. They are, as it were, their fpirit and falt. There is this dif ference, however, between them, that the understanding makes itself beloved and defired, out of love to itfelf; whereas glory makes itfelf felt, |