tendency to reconcile the two but that he was under a necessity accounts of Matthew and John.

of condemning them. Again, in 1 Thes. v. 12, when the apostle advises them to know them who laboured among them, this cannot apply to mere knowledge; for this would have been trifling with them; but that they were to have them in just estimation, and if necessary, to bear testimony to them and to their cause. he immediately added what more fully explained his meaning, that they were to esteem them very highly in love for their work's

Thus

This appears very much to depend upon what the harbinger of Jesus intended when he said that he knew him not till he was baptized. Here then it is to be observed, that the terms to know or not to know a person, in Jewish phraseology, were designed to express, not a mere knowledge or ignorance of the person, but the opinion of, or testimony given to him. Of this you have various instances in the Old and New Testament. Ps. i. 6," The Lord sake. knoweth the way of the righteous," When, therefore, the Baptist plainly means, he approveth of asserts that he knew him not, may their way; will bear testimony to he not be considered as only it in judgment; and is prepared meaning, that he had not given to to reward it. When Jesus was. Jesus any decisive or public peron trial for his life, the apostle sonal testimony; and thus the Peter is found saying, “I know two evangelists be found in agreenot the man." By this he could ment? Will not this also agree not mean to assert that he knew with the first preaching of John? not the person or pretensions of Thus he only announced that there Jesus; for this knowledge, if he was one among them to whom he had not possessed it before, he should bear testimony, as greatly must have acquired at the trial; his superior, or as the Messiah; and it was a knowledge which all and with evident propriety did not present possessed. He plainly in- point him out personally until tended to assert that he had no his baptism, when his public connexion with him; was not of ministry properly began. Then his followers; that he neither had it was that he said to two of his borne or would bear testimony disciples," behold the Lamb of to his cause; and in this denial God;" when they immediately his guilt consisted. Again, in our left the Baptist, whose ministry Lord and Master's representation was then concluding, and followof the last judgment, the judge ed Jesus, whose ministry was is represented as saying to the about to commence. wicked, "Verily I say unto you, I know you not."--Know them and their true character, he as suredly must; on no other ground could he be qualified to pass sentence on them as workers of ini quity. Not to know them, therefore, was not to approve of them;

Hoping that the above, if not satisfactory, may lead to a more able and full reply, and sincerely wishing every possible success to your useful Repository, I am, Sir,

Yours, &c.

L. H.

SIR,

CRITICISM ON JUDGES XV. 4, 5.

To the Editor of the Monthly Repository.

brands on fire;" it will not lie open to the scoffs of infidels; nor will the friends of Divine Revelation need to take any farther pains in answering such objections ashow did Sampson collect so many

Permit me to solicit the attention of your readers to a remark long ago made on a part of the Old Testament history, which has been repeatedly held up to ridicule by unbelievers, and which is indeed as three hundred foxes in the liable to very serious objections, course of a night ?—or, how did viz. Judges xv. 4, 5. It is that the he secure them till he had fixed word we render "foxes," if one and lighted his fire-brands?-or, letter only be left out, signifies how did he guide them, circum“handfuls.” (As in Ezek. xiii. 19, stanced as they were, to the stand"handfuls of barley.") If then ing corn of the Philistines? Perthe proper meaning of the passage haps, Sir, to some of your numer. is, that "Sampson went and took ous readers these thoughts may three hundred handfuls (or sheaves) be new, and may be serviceable of corn, and laid them end to end, in obviating difficulties which it and put a firebrand in the midst may not otherwise be casy to between two sheaf-ends, and resolve. (having placed them in such di rections as to reach the standing corn of the Philistines) set the

I am, Sir,

A CONSTANT READER.

CORRECTED TRANSLATION OF ACTS VIII. I. XXII. 20.

For the Monthly Repository.

The utility of the Syriac version of the New Testament, in an examination of the received text and translation, has frequently been noticed, and, in some instances, pointed out. I do not recollect, however, that any commentator or critic has adduced the following example, which occurred to me lately, in the course of my reading.

Acts viii. 1." And Saul was consenting unto his death. " King James's translators.

But in the Syriac translation (in Schaaf's edition of which, by the way, the verse is placed, as it should be, at the end of the preceding chapter,) the word avaiσEL is appropriately rendered by one to which the Latin cædes corresponds. Since, therefore, the historian, by his selection of this term, plainly meant to stigmatize the death of Stephen as a violent, if not an unlawful act, I would propose to translate the clause thus:

"Now Saul was gladly con- Now Saul willingly concurred senting unto his death." Wake- in putting him to death; or “in

field.

And the same

"Now Saul consented to his correction should be made in death." Newcome.

killing him."

Acts xxii. 20.

REVIEW.

"STILL PLEAS'D TO PRAISE, YET NOT AFRAID TO BLAME."

POPE.

ART. I. An Essay on the Miraculous Conception of Jesus Christ. By R. Wright. 12mo. pp. 34. 6d. Eaton. 1808.

We are happy to have to add The Essay is divided into fivethis Essay to those by the same chapters. Chap. i. treats of the author, which we have already relative importance of the subject, reviewed. (M. Repos. vol. 1. p. and shews, 1st, That the miracu47, vol. 11. p. 436.) Mr. Wright's lous conception, if true, is no Unitarian tracts are judicious, part of the genuine gospel, being persuasive, candid, and serious, never taught either by Jesus or and well adapted for popularity: his apostles. 2d, That it adds we trust he will go on increasing nothing to the dignity of the pertheir number till he shall have son, nor to the authority of the supplied us with a complete body of rational divinity.

mission of Jesus. 3d, That it is of no use in Christianity, but a Public attention has of late mere matter of speculation, the been drawn to the doctrine of the belief of which can neither save miraculous conception, and just the soul nor reform the conduct. views on the subject are prevail- 4th, That the continuing to maining. The sermons of Messrs. tain the miraculous conception, Stone and Bennett, preached be- if not a real fact, cannot fail to be fore their respective ministerial injurious to Christianity. brethren, have been much read, In chap. ii. the author states and the outcry that has been reasons for doubting the reality raised concerning them has served of the miraculous conception, as to increase their popularity. This follow; 1st, That it would be a Essay of Mr. Wright's condenses useless miracle, for it is not perthe subject, and presents the ceivable that it answered any reader with a complete view of valuable end. 2d, That it is not the argument, at a small expense, supported by the same authority and with little labour. It is we as the real facts recorded in the think decisive, and must convince gospel. 3d, That it remained every one who does not hold the unknown in the age in which it principle that man is to be a is supposed to have taken place. reasonable being in every thing 4th, That it is an event of such but religion. an extraordinary nature that the

strongest proof is necessary to ral things incredible. 4th, The render it credible. 5th, That giving of them up, by no means the silence of Jesus and his apos- weakens the credibility of any tles, and of two of the evangelists, other part of the gospel history. on the subject, renders the reality of the fact doubtful.

In chap. v. are remarks on the invention of the story of the miA view is given, chap. iii. of the raculous conception, shewing that general arguments against the its rise may be accounted for, miraculous conception. The 1st that it probably sprung up among argument is founded on the Jewish Gentile Christians, and that it prophecies. The 2d, on the ge- originated in the desire of avoidnealogies in Matthew and Luke. ing reproach, and the weak design The 3d, on Christ's calling him- of honouring Christ by extolling self" the son of man." The 4th, his nature and person. The conon the general opinion of the men clusion of this chapter shall conof the age of the gospel history. clude this review. The 5th, on the language used concerning Christ after his exaltation.

Chap. iv. is an examination of the passages of scripture on the authority of which the miraculous conception rests, viz. The two introductory chapters in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. They are suspected to be interpolations because, 1st, Passages from the Old Testament are misinterpreted and misapplied in them. 2d, They contain accounts of useless miracles. 3d, They relate seve

"Those who wish still to maintain the reality of the miraculous conception ought to remember, that it is not to be done by outcry and clamour, by their declaiming against, and censuring their opponents; that it is incumbent on them to reconcile it with the Jewish prophecies, with the unquestionable facts and plain declarations of the New Testament at large; to shew that it rests on credible authority, and that the with genuine history. They ought also chapters to prove its utility, and to account for the silence of Jesus and his apostles on the subject. May every inquiry be conducted with candour, and may truth bear away the victory!" P. 34.

where it is stated are consistent

ART. II. An Examination of the Passages contained in the Gospels and other Books of the New Testament, respecting the Person of Jesus, with Observations arising from them. By John Smith, gentleman. 8vo. pp. 144. Johnson. 1807.

JOHN SMITH was a respect- reprinted by the Unitarian Book able Unitarian writer, of the 17th Society*. It is a rational and century. His "Designed End to perspicuous tract. The author of the Socinian Controversy, was the work before us, partly follows published in 1695, and has been his plan, and from that circum

To the edition of the "Designed End, printed by the Unitarian Society, is prefixed a " Preface" by Dr. Disney, who states that he has inquired without success into the personal history of the author. The tract itself provoked the notice of the civil power; by order of parliament (under the reign of William III !) it was burnt, and the author prosecuted. Dr. Hicks (the well known nonjuror) ascribed this measure to the vigilance of Archbishop Tillotson; but this appears to have been mere calumny.

tarian must thank him for it, since it has drawn forth two such valuable pieces as this" Examination," and Mr. Evanson's "Second Thoughts."

stance, we suppose, borrows his on the Trinity," and is dedicated name. John Smith, gentleman, to him. Whatever may be thought is, we understand, a highly re- of the Bishop's tract, every Unispectable layman. We cannot help wishing that he had published his "Examination" under his own proper name; this is not the time for the friends of truth to hide themselves from the world. In With all its merits, however, exact proportion to the erroneous- the work before us is not wholly ness and injuriousness of the unexceptionable. We do not Athanasian doctrine is the duty of think more highly of the author's Unitarians to avow the Christian judgment-though the circumtruth, in its purity. A layman stance may weigh, as was intended, might be listened to by such as with the Bishop of Gloucesterturn a deaf car to our ministers, for his declaring himself an unbe their criticisms ever so just, willing Dissenter, and avowing his their arguments ever so conclusive. respect for the Episcopal order, The four Gospels and the Acts and his preference of a liturgy of the apostles are the proper Uni- and a national establishment. The tarian ground; in vain would an concessions he makes to Arianism orthodox advocate attempt to are unnecessary and inconsistent; prove the Trinity, the divinity of and he evidently uses words withChrist and the atonement from out meaning when he represents these books. They are ably ex- the intimate union of divinity with amined by this writer, and shewn humanity in the person of Christ, to contain only plain Unitarianism. as a Christian doctrine. This, We earnestly wish our brethren to we are constrained to say in conadhere principally to this mode of tradiction to him, is NOT the argument. "belief of the Unitarian Christian."

The Epistles (as our author observes) must be explained by the The author styles himself "an historical books: so interpreted, unlearned layman." If this be they inculcate forcibly the unity not a more humble description of and unpurchased mercy of God, himself than he needed to have and the humanity of Jesus Christ. adopted, he deserves the more The latter part of the pamphlet praise for the ability and clearness consists of" Incidental Thoughts," with which (abating the exceptions which are strictly pertinent to before noticed) he has handled the subject, judicious, and some- his argument. His pamphlet is times ingenious. peculiarly suited to unlearned,

The work was suggested by yet intelligent, Christians. Bishop Huntingford's "Thoughts