66 66 66 86 ་་ rine concerning the Holy Spirit; "The Quakers' believe," fays Mr. Clarkson, "that when the Almighty created the univerfe, he effected it by means of the life, or vital or vi'vifying energy that was in his own Spirit." "And the Earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Upon this Upon this you observe, "that before this paffage in Genefis was thus confpicuously "produced, it became the author to prove that the word "in that place meant exactly what the Quakers mean by "the word Spirit." I here agree with you that what is meant in that paffage in Genefis by Spirit, is not exactly what the Quakers mean, as they feem to confider the Holy Spirit only as the operative energy of God, if indeed we can tell what they do mean. But you go on to observe "that Mr. "Clarkfon fhould have told us what reafon there is for, preferring the word "Spirit" to the word "Wind" in the "translation of this text." If the original fignifies oftentimes Spirit, it as often denotes Wind, and it could not otherwise "be rendered, without making nonfenfe of the paffage in "which it ftands.", It is certainly correct, that very often fignifies Wind, and that it would make nonfenfe oftentimes to tranflate it otherwife; but furely in this paffage of Genefis, there is fufficient reafon to render it Spirit. I always thought that the best orthodox commentators confidered, and juftly, the two. firit verfes of the first chapter of Genefis, as a very strong evidence of the doctrine of the Trinity; the two firft perfons being marked out by the word ps in the first verfe, and the third perfon designated by that Spirit which is defcribed in the fecond verfe to have moved on the face of the deep. There is one translator indeed, who has rendered it "the Wind of God," but can I imagine for a moment, that the Orthodox Churchman would follow the authority of Dr. Geddes, efpecially in the rendering of a paffage, where the doctor's prejudices would be certain to blind and millead his judgment. It is not improbable that "Wind" was one of the agents of the Almighty in the creation of the world, yet in this paffage, there appears evidently a defign to mark one of the Divine Perfons of the Trinity, and that the third, as the two firft Perfons, were as dearly pointed out in the firft verfe. I truft you will excufe this liberty, and believe that a love of truth alone actuates 1 YOUR OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT.* Our Correspondent has very much mistaken us, if he thinks we intended to give a preference to Dr. Geddes's version, over Y Y 2 the FOR THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. Letter from ARCHBISHOP TILLOTSON to DR. MAPLETOFT Canterbury, Sept. 8, 1681. DEARE SIR, Thath grieved me extremely for the lofs of that worthy man beft. None fhould be more glad than myfelfe to fee Dr. Mapletoft well placed in the Church, becaufe I know he will be both of great use and an ornament to it; but I believe the Deane is already engaged, though I know not to whom : for he wrote to me the very day Dr. Burton dyed, to defire me not to engage myfelfe to any, in which I could not refuse to comply with him, fince he was pleafed the laft time to beflow it at my request. However I have propofed Dr. Mapletoft to him, as a perfon whom I fhould be glad to have brought into the Church. My wife and daughter prefent their hearty fervice to yourfelfe and Mrs. Blomer, to whom I intreat you to give mine. I am, Your most faithful Friend JO. TILLOTSON. the common translation of the bible. We are of opinon that the doctrine of the Trinity is plainly marked in the Mosaic History of the Creation; but we do not think that the orthodox doctrine of the personality and divinity of the Holy Spirit is at all affected by rendering "a mighty wind." So it is in the Samaritan version, and in the Chaldee paraphrase, and so it has been read by many orthodox expositors, antient and modern. רוח אלהים Dr. Hezekiah Burton, chaplain to Sir Orlando Bridgman, lord-keeper, by whom he was presented to a prebend of Norwich in 1667, and to the rectory of St. George's Southwark, which he resigned after being presented to that of Barnes, in Surrey. It was this last living for which application was made in behalf of Dr. Mapletoft, to Dr. Stillingfleet, then dean of St. Paul's. Archbishop Tillotson published the sermons of his friend Dr. Burton, of whom in the preface he gives a high, and deserved character for his eminent piety and prudence in difficult times, ANECDOTE written by BISHOP ATTERBURY, in a blank leaf of FATHER PAUL's Hiftory of the Council of Trent. W WHEN Dr. Duncomb was fick at Venice, father Fulgentio, with whom he was in the ftriéteft intimacy, vifited him, and finding him under great uneafiness of mind as well as body, preffed him to disclose the reafon of it, afking him amongst other things, whether any nobleman under his care had mifcarried, or his bills of return had failed him, offering him in this latter cafe, what credit he pleafed at Venice. After many fuch queftions and negative answers, Dr. Duncomb was at last prevailed with to own his uneafiness, and give this true account of it to the father. He faid, he had often begged of God, that he might end his life where he might have opportunity of receiving the bleffed facrament according to the rites and ufages of the Church of England; that confidering he spent his life in travelling chiefly through popish countries, this was a happiness he could never reafonably promise himself, and that his present despair of it in the dangerous condition he was in, was the true occafion of that dejection which father Fulgentio obferved in him. Upon this the father bid him be of good cheer; told him he had an Italian tranflation of the English liturgy, and would come the next day with one or two more of his convent, and adminifter it to him in both kinds, and exactly according to the English ufage: and what he promised he performed. The next day Dr. Duncomb received it from his hands, who outliving his diftemper and returning into England, told this ftory often to my lord Hatton (captain Hatton's father) about the year 1660-61, 62. This I had from captain Hatton's mouth in the year 1696. Oct. 21, 1709. FR. ATTERBURY. In March 1708-9, I met captain Hatton again, and put him in mind of this ftory, which I defired hin to repeat, and he did it without varying in any circumstance but one only, viz. that Fulgentio did not actually adminifter the facrament to Dr. Duncomb, the doctor refusing to accept a kindness of that that dangerous nature, which might involve Fulgentio in trouble, unless he was in the utmost neceffity; but recovering, from that time he made no ufe of Fulgentio's proffer. He added, that the father told Dr. Duncomb, that there were ftill in the convent feven or eight of father Paul's difciples, who met fometimes privately to receive the facrament in both kinds. ON SKELTON'S WORKS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S, SIR, BEG to offer to an old Correfpondent my fenfe of his kindness, and my acknowledgments for his advice. With respect to the republication of SKELTON's works, I am fomewhat like the old man with his afs; ftudious to please all, I fhall, unavoidably, difpleafe fome. I am inexpreffibly folicitous to diffeminate SKELTON's utility; but if I thould be directed by your old Correfpondent, I fhould, I fear, be, in the end, greatly difappointed. He wishes me, it fhould feem, to republifh SKELTON's Sermons, his Deism Revealed, and a volume of his Tracts, making, at the leaft, fix volumes. No bookfeller would, I believe, undertake fuch a publi cation; I therefore conclude the plan to be impracticable. I am aware that I fhall have a great deal of trouble in compreffing the fubftance of Deifm Revealed, without weaken. ing fome of the arguments; but it muft, I think, be univer faily allowed, that many parts of the Dialogues are merely introductory, often irrelevant, to the fubject propofed; and in publishing the substance of it, I am acting by the advice of a prelate pre-eminently diftinguifhed by learning and knowledge. I venture, with great deference and due respect, fo far to oppose my own judgment to that of your old Corref pondent, as to exprefs my perfuafion that fome Effays in the Senilia will be efteemed peculiarly interefling; and for their republication, which, with the third volume of his Sermons, is now in the prefs, I anticipate with confidence the An Effay on our Saviour's Entry into Jerufalem. 351 the approbation of the learned, and the thanks of the good. The fame may be faid of his Hylmena. I may, probably, give more fatisfaction to your Correfpondent by a private letter, which I fhall be happy to do, if he will honor me with his addrefs. Will you permit me, Mr. Editor, through the medium of your Magazine, to make my acknowledgments to one of your readers, who addreffed me fome time ago, in private letters, under the fignature of EBORACENSIS; and to fignify to him that I fhall write to him, and explain the cause of my apparent neglect, directing to him at the office from which his firft Letter was fent? Vicarage, Chrift-Church, Hants, Nov. 11, 1807. I am Mr. Editor, SAMUEL CLAPHAM. A ESSAY on the feveral PROPHECIES concerning our blessed Saviour's triumphal Entry into Jerufalem. TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S SIR, MAGAZINE. AS you have done me the honor to infert feveral Essays of my late father Dr. Thos. Comber, in your Magazine, which I hope have not been unacceptable to your readers, and in particular, An Effay on the Prophecy concerning. Judah, in your Magazine for June, 1807, I have taken the liberty of fending you another Effay, by the fame hand, in further illuftration of a part of that prophecy, which I hope will meet the approbation of your numerous readers. I am, Sir, with the warmest wishes for the fuccefs of your Mifcellany, Your faithful and obedient Servant, Creach, Nov. 7, 1807. MATT. |