every

work, among that large body of readers, to whom every rentnant of Puritanism is valuable. With refpect to reputation, the Editor will probably be much difappointed, if he expect any addition to the stock which he has already acquired, except it be for the increase of his zeal in the cause of nonconformity. From the additions which he has made to the original work, we have received no other material information, than that the Editor is poffeffed of a comfortable share of credulity, as we infer from the credit which he gives to feveral extraordinary relations.

The utility of the work has, we fuppofe, been Mr. Palmer's chief motive for undertaking it, and is that which he confiders as the principal reward of his labours. But even, on this head, we must beg leave to express our doubts. For, if it be confidered, how much fournefs of temper, as well as narrownefs of opinion, appears in the controverfial writings of these Nonconformifts, how exceedingly confined and partial they generally were, both in the principles and practice of toleration; how much myfticifm and extravagance were blended with their devotions; and what a heavy cloud the feverity of their manners caft over their religious profeffion; it may, we apprehend, be fairly questioned, notwithstanding all the faults which a cenforious eye may difcover in the clergy of the prefent age, whether it would be, on the whole, defirable to exchange their prefent spirit and character, for that of the Puritans and Nonconformifts of the laft century.

We cannot furely take a fairer method to judge of the effect which the exhibition of thefe characters may be expected to have upon others, than to obferve the influence which the long and attentive study of them feems to have had upon our Memorialist. Now it fufficiently appears from his preface, that his great veneration for his favourite characters, has left him little inclination to allow any merit to the present race of divines, and has rendered him fevere and illiberal in his reflections upon them. In his remarks upon Dr. Burn (who, in his fen-' fible account of the changes which have taken place in the mode of preaching, had ventured to call the divines who came in upon the fall of Epifcopacy, during the civil wars, in general terms

*

doubtlefs without meaning to include any individual-an unlettered tribe), Mr. Palmer mistakes, or mifrepresents the Doctor's meaning, by fuppofing his obfervation to extend to the Epifcopal minifters, who afterwards made fuch a distinguished figure in the church of England; whereas, it is most evident, from the main drift of the paragraph, that he is speaking of the Puritan minifters in oppofition to the Epifcopalian, and could

See Review for Dec. 1773.

not

not mean to include them. The writings of the Puritans and Nonconformists, at the fame time that they prove, that many of them poffeffed a confiderable fhare of claffical learning, fhow that literature was not an object of general attention among them; for though the number of writers was great, fcarcely any of them contributed to the improvement of general learning and science. Out of the line of controverfial divinity we find no names worthy of notice, except Tallent's, the author of Chronological Tables; Gale, the author of the Court of the Gentiles, and other learned works, and the celebrated Naturalift Mr. Ray: And with refpect to Mr. Ray, it is well known, that after he refigned his fellowship, he laid afide the clerical profeffion and Dr. Derham, in his Life of Mr. Ray, fays, that Archbishop Tenifon told him, that he was much celebrated at Cambridge for preaching folid and useful divinity, instead of that enthufiaftic ftuff which the fermons of that time were generally filled with.'

Our Memorialist is very angry with Dr. Burn, for faying, that, fo far as one can judge from the printed difcourfes of thofe times, the twelve years of ufurpation did not produce one rational preacher.' But he ought to have remembered, that different perfons often affix different ideas to the fame words, and that the term rational preacher may not perhaps convey the fame meaning to him as to Dr. Burn. If he thinks, that this term has of late been used in an irrational fenfe;' if he is of opinion that the fermons of the Puritans were far more worthy of the pulpit,' that is, more rational, than thofe of Clagett, Sherlock, Wilkins, Tillotson, Smallridge, Clarke, Balguy, Orr, Fofter, &c. it is poffible that Dr. Burn may be of a different opinion: if so, before the dispute can be decided, it must be determined, whofe opinion is moft rational.

The Editor's polite remark upon thofe modern preachers who occafionally introduce quotations from ancient moralifts or modern poets, and the candid conftruction which he puts upon the practice, must not be overlooked. The Puritans, fays he, in ranfacking their Bibles for proofs and illuftrations of what they advanced, acted at least as much in character as those modern preachers who ranfack Heathen moralists, or more commonly, and with far lefs pains, English poets and flageplays, for quotations, to amufe their audience, and difplay their taste, and have nothing to denominate their harangues fermons but the text.'

If a moral difcourfe, with pertinent quotations, must not be honoured with the appellation of a fermon, with the leave of Mr. Palmer and the rest of the zealous advocates for Puritanical preaching, we will be contented with harangues.

In perufing this Work, we have, for the amufement of our Readers, gathered up the following fingular titles of booksA Pearl in an Oyller Shell-The Saint's Triangles of Duties, Deliverances, and Dangers-Chriftian Geography and ArithmeticA Triplicity of fupendous Prodigies; the Eclipfe, Comet, and Conjunction-Orthodox Paradoxes-A Treatise against Long HairAnother against May Poles-All ufeful Sciences and profitable s in one Book of Jehovah.

ART. X. Abort State of the eafons for a late Refignation. To which are added, ccational Observations. And a Letter to the Right Reverend the Bishop of Norwich. By John Jebb, A. M. 8vo. d. Crowder, &c. 1775.

TH

HE refignation of the learned and worthy Mr. Lindsey, has been followed by that of another gentleman, of diftinguished character and merit, Mr. Jebb, a man of eminent abilities and literature, who has long been known at Cambridge by his excellent lectures, and his zeal to promote knowledge and good order in the university; and who hath recommended himself to the public by feveral valuable works,-has refigned into the hands of the bishop of Norwich, his diocefan, the livings of which he was poffeffed. His opinion, respecting the particular point of doctrine, which gave occafion to that meafure, is ftated by him as follows:

I fubmit my fentiments on thefe fubjects to the candour of the Public. I would not willingly fhock the feelings of any pious Chriftian. Let fuch reflect, that if I have embraced an opinion refpecting the Perfon of our Saviour, which is chargeable with heterodoxy, my declaration of fuch opinion cannot have the remoteft tendency to the imposition of it on his confcience. It is in the option of every Reader to reject it, if in his own apprehenfion it is abhorrent from the doctrines of the gofpel.

It has been for fome time paft my firm perfuafion, that the doctrine of the TRINITY as explained in the Creed of Athanafius-as propounded in the thirty-nine Articles of the church of England-as established in the Liturgy, and further guarded by penal fanctions in the reign of William the Illd. is equally contrary to found reafon and the holy fcriptures. I am fully fatisfied, that in the Divine Nature there is no PLURALITY of Perfons; but that the Almighty Author of the universe is in the ftricteft fenfe of the expreffion ONE. And I think I have. reafon to believe, that the present openly avowed adherence of most established churches to a doctrine, which does not appear to have been the fentiment of Chriftians in the earliest and the pureft ages of the church, is not only one of the most.

powerful

powerful obstructions to the converfion of the Mahometans and the Jews; but is alfo an almoft invincible objection to the cordial reception of the gospel by many ferious well-difpofed perfons, in every rank of life, and in every flate in Christendom.

Many worthy perfons, who hold the foregoing opinion respecting the Deity, are yet induced to believe that the prayers of Chriftians may with propriety be directed to Jefus Chrift, and imagine that they may be vindicated in this practice by the command of their Saviour, and the example of his apoftles.

"With the utmost charity for those who entertain these sentiments, I profefs myself to be of a different opinion. I am ftedfaftly perfuaded, that the Creator of the world-the God of Abraham, of Ifaac, and of Jacob, who is in the New Teftament alfo filed the God and father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, is therein reprefented as the only proper Object of religious adoration.

"I nevertheless acknowledge that a very high degree of refpect and veneration is due to the character of Jefus, as the anointed Prophet of the Moft High; far excelling in dignity and power every prophet who preceded him. I honour him as the SON OF GOD in what appears to me the fcripture acceptation of that term-as the common Lord of Christians-as the appointed Judge of the living and the dead. But at the fame time I am

convinced, that the distance between him and Deity is INFINITE-that prayer to him is no where commanded in the scriptures and, confequently, that the addreffes of Chriftians may with the fame propriety be directed to the Virgin Mary, as to the perfon of our Lord.

Many of the clauses of the Litany, and fome other prayers and invocations in the eftablifhed Liturgy of the church of England are immediately addreffed to our Saviour-and honour and glory are frequently afcribed to the HOLY SPIRIT, whose perfonal existence in my idea is justly questionable.

While I held Preferment, it certainly was my duty to officiate in the service of the church. But conscious that my fentiments were diametrically oppofed to her doctrines, refpecting the object of devotion, the reading of thele addreffes was attended with very great difquiet. I therefore embraced that measure which alone feemed to promife me tranquillity. I am happy in finding it has anfwered my expectation. Having refigned my preferment, and with it having divefted myfelf of the character of a Minifter of the Church of England, I have recovered that ferenity of mind, to which I had been long a ftranger.'

The Author has added fome masterly remarks concerning the fpirit of Proteftantifm, and the study of the Scriptures, from which we should have made a few extracts, if we had not been obliged to omit them, for the fake of inferting Mr. Jebb's let

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ter to the bishop of Norwich; the perufal of which will be peculiarly agreeable to many of our Readers.

"My Lord,

"I think it proper to give you this previous information, that I propofe to reign the rectory of Homersfield and vicarage of Flixton into your lordship's hands, upon the 29th, or 30th of the prefent month (September.)

"As the motives which induce me to embrace this refolution may poffibly be mifconftrued, it will not I trust be thought impertinent if i ftate them to your Lordship.

"In the first place I think it neceffary to affure your Lordship, that, although I cfteemed it to be my duty to take an active part in the late petition of the clergy, the principles maintained in that juft remonftrance do not, in my apprehenfion, appear to lay me under any obligation to relinquish my prefent ftation.

"The Author of the CONFESSIONAL, my lord, had convinced me of the unlawfulness and inexpediency of requiring a fubfcription to fyftematic articles of faith and doctrine, from the teachers of the gospel in a Proteftant church.

"My own obfervation in the univerfity of Cambridge further tended to fatisfy me with respect to the impropriety of such a requifition and the vifible neglect of the study of the fcriptures in this age and country feemed in a great measure to be derived from that restraint of the exercise of private judgment, which is the unavoidable confequence of this unedifying impofition

"With thefe convictions it was impoffible for me to decline engaging with thofe diftinguifhed friends of religious liberty, who affociated for the purpose of foliciting, for themselves and their brethren of the church of England, an exemption from the obligation of declaring, or fubfcribing their affent to any formulary of doctrine, which should be propofed as explanatory of the Word of God.

It appeared to me to be a fufficient reafon for fuch application, that the doctrines, contained in the 39 articles, being the deductions of frail and fallible men, and expreffed in unfcriptural terms, were effentially differenced, in point of authority, from thofe holy fcriptures, to which we have professed an abfolute and unreferved fubmiffion as the only rule of religious faith and practice-and that the requifition of affent to them was eventually fubverfive of the right of private judgment, a right, on which every Proteftant church was founded, and the exercise of which our own church in particular, in one of her forms of ordination, not only allows us, but enjoins.

"It also appeared evident to me, that the inquiry, whether or no the 39 articles exprefs the genuine fenfe of fcripture, was a queftion of a very different nature from that, to which the petitioners,

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