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of the cardinal doctrines of the "credal infidel" creed. whether there are no practical heretics-nay even speculative-with regard to this tenet, and the mysterious but "ascertained facts" it contains. "SILENCE WILL NOT RETARD ITS PROGRESS; AND OPPOSITION WILL GIVE INCREASED CELERITY TO ITS MOVEMENTS," that is, to the movements of the modern "credal infidel" system. The faithful part of the "credal infidel" sect may receive as "ascertained facts" whatever mysteries their High Priest may propound; but to plain, “ignorant" men it would appear, that, if the latter part of this sublime prophecy is true, or an "ascertained fact," the former part must be false, for in that case silence will negatively retard its progress by not changing itself into opposition. To such plain, "ignorant people, therefore, it will appear not improbable that the leader of these "rationalists" is not always quite sure of his own meaning, and that he has to trust to the good natured credulity of his disciples to receive as" ascertained facts" propositions so "incongruous" as to be "real" mysteries. Before we show a picture of heresy to hang opposite this picture, we will just remark, that, may we presume to suggest a better motto, we would recommend " Cæcus iter monstrare vult ;" or, if this is too "Chesterfieldian for their taste,"-too scholarlike, or scholarly," as the more correct "credal infidels" would say, and as they are great quoters of Scripture, in their own peculiar "fair" way, the motto might run thus:-"Let us alone; we be blind, leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."* We have lately read a publication by a prominent "credal infidel," which received the direct sanction of the motto mystery people, in which the writer professes so strong faith in "the truth of our great principles," as to "call upon the Government and the Church, and should they refuse, upon the aristocracy and great landowners, capitalists, manufacturers, the middling and the working classes, to immediately adopt them," and as to call his High Priest "great and benevolent,"-yet, with all this apparent firm faith in his creed, the writer is downright heretical with regard to the motto mystery; for, so far from imbibing the "pap of doctrine" that "silence will not retard the progress of his system, and opposition will give increased celerity to its movements," he is dreadfully alarmed at the idea of passive " opposition"—"silence"-and prophecies accordingly,-"Something effectual must be done speedily, or a bloody revolution may drive us all back into our original barbarism.” The prophet adds, that "the only effectual remedy (or something') is the adoption, in practice (we suppose without the motto), of the credal infidel principles," which, he adds, "would be, when effected, the greatest and best of all reforms." "6 Ignorant" persons are sometimes right by accident; therevanity, and many other things; and that the exceptions are only apparent, as when the world (if it can do so, indeed, now it is "growing a man,") goes back to some formerly discarded thing, and we can, with regard to the dates of the two changes, call it retrogression, because even then, though relatively it is retrogression, abstractedly it is progression, seeing that men turn round in preference to walking backwards. For our parts, we expect to see critical acumen arrive at such an acme of perfection one day, as for "credal infidels" to adopt the phrase, "new natural world."

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Matthew, xv. 14.

fore we venture to humbly suggest (as the prophecy is to be re-published) that some of the phraseology, if adopted, "would not be the greatest and best of all [grammatical] reforms," but would rather "drive us all back into our original barbarism," such as "would have required," instead of "will require," and similar "misty and extraordinary" expressions, nearly twenty in thirty-four lines.

Another contemporary prophet beats to nothing the preceding example of a believer in a creed of "ascertained facts" descending to the supererogatory practice of prophesying (we suppose the "authenticity" of "credal infidel" prophecies is, till they are accomplished, to be taken for granted upon a principle of "faith"), for, under the not very appropriate head of "ANTI-SUPERNATURALISM," he propounds, as an ascertained fact," the following introductory mystery, even a beginning before the beginning: "To Strauss and Hennell must be attributed the origin of the controversy to which we have alluded, and which had its commencement in the delivery of a lecture in Brixton Unitarian Chapel, on the 18th of October, 1840, by the Rev. Thomas Wood, on the Mission of Jesus Christ.'

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Little conversant as we are with the mysteries of the "credal infidel" school, we may, in our "ignorance," take for blunders, such as a parish school-boy would be ashamed of, what are merely sublime mysteries, or the quintessences of doctrines of the purest charity, or irresistible evidences of knowledge even of words, and much more so of things." We are, therefore, puzzled in trying to interpret the two following specimens of "credal infidel" phraseology.-The first is in an article on the "Medical and Surgical Professions," to which we shall have to again advert, in which the writer, who appears to be a most enthusiastic "credal infidel," says, "If the patient died in China, his bewailing family could not be sued as in England for the physician's fee;" and, in the very same paragraph, we are told by a quotation, that in England these litigious physicians take "their fees before they have performed the cure, and of course before they attempt to perform a cure which is not effected, unless it is meant that English physicians are equal, and yet inferior, to the Chinese physicians in the capability to "tell, and judge of, the nature, the cause, the durability, and the fatalness of the malady."-The second specimen does not proceed from any writer in particular, but seems common to all modern "credal infidel" authors, viz. the frequent use of the word "religionists." Is it meant that the zeal of every man professing belief in the tenets of any religion (or, not to strain the matter, suppose we say any form of Christianity) is necessarily blind? Or is it that "credal infidel" writers are so 66 ignorant, even of words, and much more so of things, that they are, of course, incongruous?" We confess that it appears to us that both questions may be answered in the affirmative, for they talk of "rational religionists" sometimes, and praise some American Christians who profess to agree with much of their polity, as if the possibility of a man being religious without being a religionist was admitted, while "modern saints," evidently meaning all Christians who attend public prayers, are called "hypocrites, who go to church, confess their sins, and straightway (that is immediately afterwards) go and make a repetition of their former deeds." We were so "igno

rant" as to think it possible that sometimes sins are not repeated by individuals, as intoxication, duelling, and many other things; but perhaps those initiated into the mysteries of the "credal infidel" system have a way of their own of reconciling their antagonist "ascertained facts;" for is it not a system of attraction?"

There will be other instances of practical infidelity to the "credal infidel" creed embodied in our remaining observations, which we more especially address to any readers of the Monthly who feel a leaning towards being convinced by the many sceptical arguments with which the present age abounds, that is to say, to those open to conviction, to those honestly in search of truth. To bigots, or to those pretending to be bigots, it is useless to say a word: it is more hopeless than trying to reason with a drunken man. There are, however, some men (and we hope of some sceptics the same may be said), whose real objects are truth and the promotion of the good of their fellow creatures; who, if they are wrong, are more so from placing too implicit confidence in their leaders, and not confidence enough in their own powers of reflection. We fear, however, we must class among the number of those, of whom there is little hope, those who profess to imagine that certain essentially anti-Christian tenets and the profession of the Christian religion are compatible with each other; for one would think that the 15th chapter of Deuteronomy, and the 11th verse of the 26th chapter of St. Matthew, would be sufficient to show such men, that, though it is our bounden duty to endeavour to relieve the poor, and to diminish the numbers of the poor, yet that it is a practical disbelief of the revealed plan of Providence to suppose that, in this state of probation, any scheme can be devised which has a chance of wholly exterminating what, it is so expressly said, shall always exist to some extent,— said, too, for wise reasons, as the true Christian will have the humility to believe, although he may not be able to fathom them all. "There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand."* But is poverty an evil without much countervailing good? There is one reason for the decree that poverty shall always exist, most obvious to Christian readers of the Bible, which is, that the misfortunes of the poor shall be the trials of the rich. Another reason may be, that we shall not be too much wedded to this life, as, even with all the ills we are liable to, we see too many unphilosophical enough to be (and mortality, which none can escape, has necessarily a peculiar sting for the man whose only treasure is upon earth). And, as a mere worldly matter, we are inclined to think that many of those qualities we call amiable, would wither out of the world, for want of sufficient exercise, were there no wretched objects of sympathy besides those arising from the infirmities and accidents which are independent of poverty; for, though we may feel, to a great degree of acuteness, sympathy with the sufferings of a rich friend, it is a feeling so mixed with the consciousness, though also the consolation, that he has the command of everything necessary in his case, that, if it does not end in indifference, it is contrary to all experience to conclude that those rich, who know only the sorrows of the rich, arrive at that

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degree of kindly disposition which generally those attain who "condescend to men of low estate;" who, if the case ought to be private, will not "let their left hand know what their right hand doeth ;"+ but who, in a case like that of a public charity (and here publicity is essential to accomplish the object), will not let the idle charge of ostentation (a charge sometimes made by persons whose manners give little indication that they are in the habit of doing much private good), -will not let the charge of ostentation deter them from "letting their light so shine before men, that they may see their good works [as well as know their profession of faith], and thus glorify their Heavenly Father." Lastly, is it not an "ascertained fact" that the reformation of the most immoral does frequently, under divine grace (which à priori instigation we may mention in addressing professed Christians), originate in reflection induced by sickness, severe accident, tragical death of a much loved relation or friend, or dreadful reverse of fortune in a pecuniary way? "Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word." "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes."§ And it is contrary to all the experience of men of observation to say, that uninterrupted prosperity has no tendency to harden the heart,-difficile est plurimum virtutem revereri qui semper secundá fortuná sit usus. Then how can the "credal infidel" doctrine, "Nor is any thing essentially evil, as evil has no original essence of its own; it being the mere unfulfilment of good the undevelopement of ourselves,"-how can this "ascertained fact," said to be ascertained (we suppose) because it has been "proved so that none can possibly doubt,"-how can it be reconciled with the 21st verse of the 8th chapter of Genesis, the 9th verse of the 17th chapter of Jeremiah, the 11th verse of the 7th chapter, and the 34th and 35th verses of the 12th chapter of St. Matthew, the 13th verse of the 11th chapter of St. Luke, and many other passages of Scripture? Contrast, again, the Christian and the "credal infidel" marriage doctrines, Christian humility concerning some points of faith, and (what is, if Christianity be true) infidel presumption! In fine, though there might be a theory, composed partly of some few of their social doctrines, so drawn up as not to be condemned by the Gospel, the polity "credal infidels " invite Christians to embrace, is so essentially so diametrically in several respects-opposed to Christianity, that the Roman orator's derivation of lucus, viz. a non lucendo, seems emblematical of minds so impervious to obvious truth-to "ascertained facts"-as to be capable of sincerely doubting it.

* Romans. xii. 16.
† Matthew, vi. 1—4.

Matthew, v. 16.

§ Psalm v. 67 and 71.

ERRATA IN "REVIVALS, No. IV."

Page 280, line 34, for "that is," read "that it is."

283,

5, for "brace," read "trace;" and line 20 of ditto, for "or trade," read "a trade."

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FITZROY PIKE.

CHAPTER IV.

Though short, comprises in itself the Essence of an ordinary Novel; it contains several important Disclosures, and lays a Foundation for Matrimonial Happiness.

ADAM was in the habit of observing, that when once a woman's tongue is set in rapid motion, no power on earth can stop it: the remark of this very respectable authority has been adopted and confirmed by the experience of succeeding ages, until the present time, when it has grown into a moral axiom. But accident, the mighty mother of invention, she to whom we owe the invention of gunpowder and the application of steam,-she it is, who has conferred on the world an eternal benefit by disclosing the power of brimstone. Hitherto, if we would escape from the plague of words (that plague of plagues), two ways only were open,-one through the gates of self-destruction, the other through justifiable homicide of the vessel whence the voice proceeded, I forget in what country it was that a husband, being accused of the murder of his wife, pleaded in justification temporary insanity, and proved it by inference, bringing witnesses to show that his wife was an incessant talker. Poor man! a little brimstone, a box of lucifers, properly used, would to him have been invaluable !

My Aunt Tabitha's voice was loud and striking; she spoke in a rapid series of gunpowder explosions; while Aunt Dorothy kept up a simultaneous hiss, like the escape of steam from a safety valve: this combination of sweet sounds ceased not as sulphury vapour encircled the irate beauties: so intent were they upon their unfortunate victim, that they observed not the mysterious appearance mentioned at the close of the last chapter, and, choking involuntarily, were at last suffocated to silence.

"You willin!" cried Tabitha, shaking her fist at my father, who gazed in terror at the satanic apparition, and was unconscious of all else. "You're a-(hiccup)-ottermus;" chimed Dorothy, half choked by the increasing fumes.

"A born fiend!" thundered Aunt Tabitha, and turned her back in disgust towards my father, by which action she fronted Tom Briton, still supporting my grandmother, whose vision, truly horrible through the suffocating and characteristic vapour, realized the idea of fiend with more disagreeable accuracy than my aunt's nerves were able to sustain: she screamed and fainted. Dorothy, more courageous, no sooner became aware of the intruder who 'loomed in the growing darkness,' than she prepared for a furious assault: rushing upon Tom Briton like some mad bull, she poked her head, with undutiful force, (accidentally, alas!) into my grandmother's stomach; and while that venerable lady was yet gasping for breath, my aunt's fist, descending at random, came crashing through the crown of her bonnet, which was knocked in by the blow, while the rest, bent to a most peculiar shape, was forced down over her dear old eyes. This feat accomplished, sweet Dorothy felt the fainting fit draw near, and, having retired to where Tabitha reposed, stretched herself discreetly by her side, and fainted in comfort.

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