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depofit them in its own little granary. Whether, though an avowed enemy to Machiavelian principles, the uniform and diftinct appropriation of his fympathetic affections and antipathies ought to excite any fufpicion of his fincerity, we shall not determine: but it is obfervable that while he devotes all his honey to the present, he invariably aims his fting at the laft administration.

The Life of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. By William Gilpin, M. A. 8vo. 35. 6d. in Boards. Blamire.

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'HE character of archbishop Cranmer has been equally the fubject of exaggerated praife, and undeferved cenfure. At the time in which he lived, party- fpirit was furious and inexorable. The Papifts looked upon the Proteftants with a malevolent afpect; and the Proteftants, on the other hand, dreaded and detefted the Papifts. Cranmer, as archbishop of Canterbury, occupied a ftation, which expofed him to every ftorm; and, in that fituation, it was not in the power of human forefight or prudence to avoid the odium of contending zealots. His rigour and his lenity were to the one party or to the other equally obnoxious. And if he temporized on fome occafions, as he certainly did, he was accufed of a criminal flexibility. He had undoubtedly his frailties; but they were frequently caufed, and more frequently aggravated, by the malignity of his opponents. If we view him with that candour, which is due to human nature, we shall not eafily find a more respectable character. His virtues fo far outweigh his failings that, on the whole, we may esteem him one of the first perfons of the age in which he lived.

The excellent author of thefe memoirs feems to have difcriminated the lights and fhades of his character with great accuracy and judgment. He very properly cenfures his indelicacies and improprieties of conduct, and particularly his intolerant principles.

His reflections on the ftory of Joan Becher and George Paris, are liberal and manly, becoming the character of an hiftorian in this more civilized and enlightened age.

Joan Bocher and George Paris were accufed, though at different times, one for denying the humanity of Chrift; the other for denying his divinity. They were both tried, and condemned to the ftake: and the archbishop not only confented to these acts of blood, but even persuaded the averfion of the young king into a compliance. Your majefty muft diftinguish (faid he, informing his royal pupii's confcience) between common opinions, and fuch as are the effential articles of

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faith.

faith. Thefe latter we must on no account fuffer to be oppofed."

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It is true, thefe doctrines, especially the latter, in the opinion of the generality of Chriftians, are fubverfive of the fundamentals of Christianity. To deny the divinity of Chrift seems to oppose the general idea, which the fcriptures hold out of our redemption. On the other hand, many particular paffages, which defcribe the humanity of Chrift, seem to favour the doctrine and fome there are, who hold it even in this enlightened age. At-worft, therefore, we must confider it as an erroneous opinion. To call it herefy, when attended with a good life, is certainly a great breach of Christian charity. Is it not then aftonishing, that a man of the archbishop's candour could not give it a little more indulgence? If any opinions can demand the fecular arm, it must be fuch only as lead to actions, which injure the peace of society. We are surprised also at feeing the archbishop fo far depreciate his own cause, as to fuppofe that one man incurred guilt by acting on the fame principles which entitled another to applaufe: and that he who in the opinion of one church, was the greatest of fchifmatics himself, fhould not even in common juftice indulge, in all the more fpeculative points of religion, toleration to others. Nothing even plaufible can be fuggefted in defence of the archbishop on this occafion; except only that the spirit of popery was not yet wholly repressed.

There are, however, among Proteftant writers at this day, fome who have undertaken his vindication. But I spare their indiscretion. Let the horrid act be univerfally difclaimed. To palliate, is to participate. With indignation let it be recorded, as what above all other things has difgraced that religious liberty, which our ancestors in most other respects fo nobly purchased.'

The execution of this celebrated reformer filled up the meafure of the enormities practifed during the reign of queen Mary. His biographer gives this account of his behaviour at

the stake.

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Having concluded his prayer, he rofe from his knees and taking a paper from his bofom, continued his speech to this effect.

"It is now, my brethren, no time to diffemble. I ftand upon the verge of life-a vaft eternity is before me.-What my fears are, or what my hopes, it matters not here to unfold. For one action of my life at least I am accountable to the world-my late fhameful fubfcription to opinions, which are wholly oppofite to my real fentiments. Before this congrega

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1ion I folemnly declare, that the fear of death alone induced ́me to this ignominious action—that it hath coft me many bitter tears that in my heart I totally reject the pope, and doctrines of the church of Rome-and that".

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As he was continuing his fpeech, the whole affembly was in an uproar. Lord Williams gave the first impulse to the tumult; crying aloud, "Stop the audacious heretic." On which several priests and friars, rufhing from different parts of the church, with great eagerness feized him; pulled him from his feat; dragged him into the ftreet; and with much indecent precipitation, hurried him to the stake, which was already prepared. Executioners were on the fpot, who fecuring him with a chain, piled the faggots in order round him.

As he stood thus, with all the horrid apparatus of death about him, midft taunts, revilings, and execrations, he alone maintained a difpaffionate behaviour. Having now discharged his confcience, his mind grew lighter; and he seemed to feel, even in these circumftances, an inward fatisfaction, to which he had long been a stranger: his countenance was not fixed as before, in abject forrow, on the ground; he looked round him with eyes full of fweetnefs and benignity, as if at peace with all the world.

A torch being put to the pile, he was presently involved in a burst of smoke, and crackling flame: but on the fide next the wind, he was diftinctly feen, before the fire reached him, to thrust his right hand into it, and to hold it there with aftonishing firmnefs; crying out, "this hand hath offended! this hand hath offended!"-When we fee human nature ftruggling fo nobly with fuch uncommon fufferings, it is a pleafing reflection that, through the affistance of God, there is a firmness in the mind of man, which will fupport him under trials, in appearance beyond his ftrength.

His fufferings were foon over. The fire rifing intenfely around him, and a thick fmoke involving him, it was fuppofed he was prefently dead.

The ftory of his heart's remaining unconfumed in the midst of the fire, feems to be an inftance of that credulous zeal, which we have often feen lighted at the flames of dying martyrs.'

The word feems, in the last sentence, is too great a conces. fion to vulgar fuperftition.

The author informs us, that the works of Mr. Strype, an hiftorian of great integrity, have been his principal guide. As there are fome points which are taken from other writers, we must confefs we should have been better pleased, if he had conftantly referred us to original authorities. This appears to

be

be abfolutely neceffary in all hiftorical and biographical narratives, and is generally expected by every learned and inquifitive reader.

The Mystery bid from Ages and Generations, made manifeft by the Gofpel-Revelation: or, the Salvation of all Men the grand Thing aimed at in the Scheme of God, as opened in the NewTeftament Writings, and entrusted with Jefus Chrift to bring into Effect. 8vo. 55. in Boards. Dilly.

As the Creator of all things is infinitely benevolent, it is

not easy to conceive, that he should bring mankind into exiftence, unless he intended to make them finally happy. And if this was his intention, it cannot be supposed, as he is infinitely wife and powerful, that he fhould be unable to project, or carry into execution, a fcheme, which would be effectual to fecure, fooner or later, its full accomplishment. From fuch principles as these it seems natural to infer, that all men will be finally happy. This is the great point, which the author of the treatise now before us labours to establish, on the authority of Scripture. He fuppofes, however, that this benevolent purpose may not be speedily fulfilled; that there may be other ftates of being befides the next, before the scheme of God will be perfected, and mankind univerfally cured of their moral disorders, and, in this way, qualified for his favour, and admitted into eternal happiness.

The feveral texts, which are fuppofed to contain this important doctrine, our author brings into view under the following propofitions:

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Prop. I. From the time that fin entered into the world by the first man Adam, Jefus Chrift is the perfon through whom, and upon whofe account, happiness is attainable by any of the human race.

II. The obedience of Chrift, and eminently his obedience to death, when he had assumed our flesh, in the fulness of time, is the ground or reafon upon which it hath pleased God to make happiness attainable by any of the race of Adam.

III. Chrift died, not for a felect number of men only, but for mankind univerfally, and without exception or limitation.

IV. It is the purpofe of God, according to his good pleafure, that mankind univerfally, in confequence of the death of his fon Jefus Chrift, fhall certainly and finally be faved.

V. As a mean in order to men's being made meet for falvation, God, by Jefus Chrift, will, fooner or later, in this ftate or another, reduce them all under a willing and obedient fubjection to his moral government. K 3

• VI. The

VI. The Scripture language, concerning the reduced or reftored, in confequence of the mediatory interpofition of Jefus Chrift, is fuch, as to lead us into the thought, that they are comprehenfive of mankind universally.'

It would carry us beyond our limits to mention those pasfages of Scripture, by which he endeavours to prove thefe propofitions; and he himself defires, that they may be confidered not fingly, but in connection. We must therefore refer the inquifitive reader to his work at large.

However, notwithstanding all that he has offered, in proof that the final falvation of all men is a doctrine of the Bible, it ought not to be received as fuch, unless the contrary evidence can be fairly invalidated. He has therefore examined and answered all the objections which lie against the truth of the foregoing scheme.

The first and principal objection is derived from the words everlasting, eternal, and other fimilar terms, which are used in Scripture to point out the duration of future torments. This our author eafily removes by demonftrating, that these words are often used by the facred writers to denote a dura tion which is longer or fhorter, definite or indefinite, according to the nature of the subject to which they are applied.

The Scriptures, as our author obferves, exprefsly declare, that the wicked fhall reap corruption; that they fhall be deftroyed; that they fhall perish; that they shall undergo death; and that this death which they fhall fuffer, is faid to be the fecond death. • And it is remarkable that this fecond death is fpoken of as that which fhall be effected by the fire of hell.'

His notion of the fecond death is this: The fouls of wicked men will, at the refurrection, be again related or united to particular systems of matter, adapted by the wisdom of God, to render them capable of communication with the world, in which they fhall then be placed. They will become fitted for fenfations of pain, more various in kind, and greater in degree, than at prefent; which yet they will be able to endure for a much longer continuance. But in time, the torments they muft fuffer will end in their death; that is, the diffolution of union between their fouls and bodies; upon which they will have no more concern with that world, than they have with this, upon the coming on of the first death. Afterwards their fouls, in God's time, fhall be united again to their respective bodies, and thus be put into another state of difcipline, till they are prepared for final and everlasting happiness.'

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