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fcheme you have drawn for yourfelf; and I particularly ap prove the defign of intermixing fome of the old pictures, for the reafons mentioned.

I have long wished for an accurate tranflation of Cædmon; and Mr. Dean* only is able (glad am I to hear that he is willing) to undertake that part. Honeft Mr. Junius told me there were three or four words in that poem which he did not understand. This perhaps hindered him from attempting a complete tranflation; though I believe most of it is rendered piece-meal in the quotations he has made thence in his Saxon Dictionary. I hope your tranflator will oblige us with the reasons of his opinion (if he ftill continues in it), that a good part of Milton's Paradife was borrowed from Cadmon's. I can hardly think these two poets under the direction of the fame spirit; and I never could find, (I think his introduction to our English History rather evinces the contrary) that Oliver's Secretary was fo great a master of the Saxon language as to be able to make Cædmon's Paraphrase his own.

'Tis a misfortune we have loft fo many of thofe parts of the Old Teftament as were tranflated by Eltric. May not those homilies on the Maccabees (and other portions of Scripture) which are fill extant, in a good measure, fupply this defect? This, in my opinion, would be better than making up the lacunæ (as you propose) by the most ancient English translations: for fuch a verfion coming any thing near the time of the Conqueft, will very well bear an entire edition by itfelf; efpecially after a while when the taste of fuch curiofities is grown more general.

You will also allow me (with fubmiffion) to enter my dif fent to your publishing your chapters according to the divifion of the vulgar Latin Bibles. Twill be a greater ease to the English reader to have them put into the modern form; and this reafon will be your juft apology with Foreigners.

Specimens of the hands wherein your feveral manuscripts are penned, where the variety is confiderable by the great difference of their age, will be undoubtedly very useful and entertaining; fince you are most able to afcertain the proper times of each of 'em. A fheet of this kind is reckoned a very valuable ornament to Mr. Madox's Formulare Angli.

canum.

I am, Sir,

Your very affectionate friend

To ferve you,
W. CARLIOL.

* Dr. Hickes, Dean of Worcester.

FOR THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMan's magazine

ON SELECT PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH.

I.

On CHRIST being born of a Virgin: vii. 14, fupported by MAT. i. 22, 23, 25. LUKE i. 31, 33.

I

NFIDELS object to this application; firft, that the origi nal fignifies a young woman though no virgin; fecondly. that no other place fpeaks of any perfon to be born of a virgin; and thirdly, the Jews neither at nor after Jesus Chrift's time expected their Meffiah to be thus born; fourthly, that this account went on the teftimony of Mary, an inconfiderable perfon; that nothing of it was mentioned before Chrift's death; and if he furvived Jofeph, the account of the angel's vision to him must be from hearsay; that neither Jefus afferts, nor do his enemies inquire, if he was born of a virgin; confequently, the miracle of his concep tion feems to answer no valuable end; and is not agreeable to wisdom.

Anfwer. First, The word does fometimes fignify a young woman, though no virgin, but more properly a virgin; as texts of the New Teftament fhew it to fignify here. Secondly, No other places speak of any person to be born of a virgin, because this was to be the glorious peculiarity of the Meffiah. Thirdly, Jews did not expect Meffiah to be thus born, because they could not have then believed him to be the King of Ifrael, without knowing him alfo to be the Son of God, a mystery which was wifely concealed to try their faith. Afterwards their prejudices against Jefus Chrift prevented their owning him born of a virgin. Fourthly, Whether or no Jofeph was dead before Chrift, the teftimony of Mary, and even of Jofeph, about their vifions cannot be reasonably difputed; the Holy Spirit, which directed the writers of the New-Teftament, having afferted the facts. Fifthly, Chrift's enemies inquired not whether he was born of a virgin, because they esteemed not this a note of the Meffiah, and Chrift had therefore no occafion to affert the fact, especially as he generally concealed that character. Sixthly,

Sixthly. It is no fair conclufion hence, that this miraculous conception answered no valuable end; for 1ft. It fhewed the ftrict and full completion of this prophecy in him alone; 2ndly, It fhewed alfo his fuperior dignity to the rest of the fons of men; 3dly, It has contributed, no doubt, to convert many to Chriftianity after though not before Chrift's death.

A ftrong argument for the truth of the miraculous conception arifes from hence, that it was not an expected fign of the Meffiah, therefore not likely to be forged, as being unneceffary to the conviction of the Jews.

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On ISAIAH'S prophecy of CHRIST's being a Light to the · Gentiles, ix. 1, 2. fupported by Matt. iv. 12, 14, 16.

TO elude the force of this prophecy, infidels reprefent it as not improbable that Ifaiah's text here refers to Benhadad's invafion, &c. and that he comforts them that the approaching invasion from Affyria fhall not be fo bad as the former ones have been.

Anfwer. What infidels affert they own only not improbable; and others, who are good judges, may not own even this. But if we fhould allow that this was the primary_completion, it cannot exclude an ultimate and more exact one, which cannot be found except in Chrift's preaching to the Gentiles in the neighbourhood of Judæa. The character of a people walking in darkness, and dwelling in the fhadow of death, fignifies, in propriety of fpeech, the Gentiles without revelation of God's will, and affurance of a future ftate; and the light shining upon them, properly fignifies the Gofpel's being known to them by Chrift's preaching; which Matt. affures us it was by Jesus's dwelling in Galilee of the nations.

III.

On ISAIAH'S prophecy of the various names of CHRIST, ix. 6, 7. fupported by LUKE i. 32, 33. ii, 11. EPHES. ii. 14.

TO evade this illuftrious prophecy, infidels pretend, it may relate to Hezekiah then about eleven years old, and might be fulfilled in him with proper abatements for rhetorical and prophetical licence. But history fhews us that Hezekiah was very far from coming up to the character here' given to Christ, either in Wisdom, Goodness, or Happiness. Indeed, thefe extraordinary words cannot with any tolerable propriety be applied to any one but Chrift. Infidels are fo

fenfible

fenfible of this want of agreement to Hezekiah in any tole rable fenfe, that they endeavour to perfuade us that the fure and everlasting mercies of David were very far from being exactly fulfilled in temporal matters. Now this obfervation is fo far from aiding the cause of infidelity, that, on the contrary, it destroys it; for fince the promises are very exprefs, and proved to come from God who cannot deceive, the right conclufion is, that if they are not fulfilled in temporal bleffings, they will in fpiritual.

The like anfwer is to be given to the infidel's pretence that the Rod from Jeffe's ftem, &c. Ifaiah xi. 1. fupported by Acts xiii. 23. and Rom. xv. 12. is to be meant some temporal deliverer, whom yet they own the Jews never to have received.

(To be continued.)

Excellent Character of Mr. WILLIAM ALLEN, from the funeral Sermon preached at St. Martin's Outwich, in Auguft 1686, by Dr. Richard Kidder, afterwards bishop of Bath and Wells.

I'

DO not intend to borrow any topicks for his praise from his country, or defcent from his quality or rank, as he was a citizen of this great city; I need not go fo far out of the way. He was valuable upon greater accounts than these; he was a citizen of a better city, that of GOD; he was an old and faithful difciple of Jefus, a great lover of God and of righteousness. This is more than all his other properties. Our dear friend was a great lover, and a moft devout worfhipper of God. He did it in public, he did it in his family, he did it in his clofet. He did with great reverence attend upon the public prayers, hearing of the word, and frequently received the Holy Sacrament. He taught his children and fervants to ferve God: a true child of Abraham, the friend of God, he kept up a fenfe of God in his family, and had his retirements and holy privacies.

He spent great portions of his time in retirement; he was a moft diligent inquirer after truth; he fought wisdom as filver, and fearched for her as for hid treasures; nor did his

labour

labour prove in vain, for he did understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God: God had given him a great and clear understanding, a folid judgment and ability, and he improved his talent to a very great purpofse.

He read the holy fcriptures with wonderful care and diligence, attained to great understanding of the more abftruse parts of them; and though he had not the advantage of the learned languages to direct him, yet by acquainting himself with those who had, and by indefatigable diligence, he did arrive to fo great a measure of knowledge of thofe things which they do contain, as would be very commendable in a well-ftudied divine. He wrote feveral excellent books, that need no recommendation to the world:* they are well known, and well efteemed, and the greatest clerk will have no cause to be afhamed to have them placed among the other authors with which he is furnished.

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The arguments he chose were weighty, and of great use to the world: he defigned to detect iniquity, enthufiafm, and fuperftition, which had corrupted the religion of Jesus: he perfuaded men to unity and peace, and to fhun all fchifm and faction: he endeavoured to reduce those who were gone aftray, and to mind them of the divine affiftance, and to perfuade them to the profoundeft humility; and to comfort. good men with a juft expectation of the Church's emerging from its ftate of fin and mifery, into a better condition. Such were the arguments which this wife and good man chose. I may truly fay of him, what one of the ancients fays of Socrates, that he did not apply himself to trifling and lefs ufeful things; "He promoted that knowledge which was like to have the greateft efficacy upon men."

He managed his arguments with great judgment and charity he fpake the truth in love. He did not contend for victory, but truth. His writings speak a right Christian temper all along. He was no gladiator in theology, no lover of theological contentions: he had beaten his fword into a ploughfhare, and his fpear into a pruning hook. The inftruments he ufed, ferved to cultivate and improve, and to pare away what was fuperfluous, and what was hurtful; he had no skill to hurt and destroy in the mountain of the Lord, His

* His works practical and controversial, were collected and published in one volume folio, in 1707, and they fully merit the encomium bestowed upon them by the learned prelate who preached the funeral sermon of Mr. Allen.

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