Curious Biblical Question fully discussed.

man, and therefore I will endeavour to fhew him where the tumbling-block lies; or Bishop Sherlock fhall do it for me. "The great difficulty in this cafe is to know what is meant by fornication, which feems to be an offence of a moral kind, and in which the Jews had no particular concern. How it fell under the direction of the council is hard to fay. It is certain that, if we understand fornication in the common fenfe of the word, and as it is vulgarly ufed with us, it can have no meaning in this place, it expreffing a thing that had no relation to the matter under confideration of the council." Serm. vol. IV. p. 333. This, with what the learned Bishop had faid in the preceding page, that the words feemed to refer to what might be met with at the table of a Gentile convert, will, I doubt not, convince him, and any reafonable person, that there is a real difficulty, or, as I expreffed myself, a ftumbling-block in the way of commentators; and fuch an one as, with fubmiffion to his fuperior learning and authority, I think the Bishop himself has tripped at for which opinion I fhall humbly offer the following confiderations.

The Bishop, as before obferved, fupposes the other three articles to have refation to meats, that might commonly be found at the tables of the Gentile converts, of which one is, things offered to idols. Now we know, that the whole of the facrifice offered to idols was not always confumed on the fpot, but only fome particular parts, and the reft referved for their private tables, or expofed to fale in the public markets: confequently the Jews, who were very particular with respect to meats, and retained this prejudice even after their converfion to Chriftianity, could not be fecured from meeting with fomething of that kind at the tables, not only of their heathen acquaintance, but even of the Gentile converts. St. Paul, who attended the council at Jerufalem, and was no inconfiderable actor in it, will fet this matter in a clear light in his directions to his difciples how to behave on fuch occafions, Cor. x. 25. "Whatfoever is fold in the fhambles, that eat, afking no • question for confcience fake; for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. If any of them, that believe not, bid you to a feaft, and ye be difpofed to go; whatsoever is fet before you, eat, afking no question for confcience fake. But if any man fay unto you, this is of

481 fered in facrifice to idols, eat not, for his fake that fhewed it, and for confcience fake." We fee then, that by things offered to idols, is meant what might be found at private tables, and that it has not the leaft relation to partaking of the feafts at the idolatrous facrifices, which would have been, as St. Paul expreffes it, partaking with the idols; a practice fo abfolutely contrary to Chriftianity, that we cannot fuppofe the council to have had fuch a thing in their thoughts, or to have admitted the least debate upon it.

Nor can I suppose the word, tranflated fornication, can have any view to the impurities committed at the idol enter tainments, because it cannot be imagined that any fincere Christian would be prefent at them; and because all impurities, of every kind, are directly contrary to the precepts of the Gofpel, and therefore" inadmiffible by Chriftians. The whole debate was upon certain points of the Mofaic law (of which the Jewish converts were still very tenacious), whether they were at all obligatory upon the Gentile converts; and the council determined to the contrary: but, at the same time, thought it neceffary to recommend four particulars to be avoided by them, as expedient in the prefent circumstances of their infant religion, and to prevent any fchifm amongst them by giving offence to their Jewish brethren. They muft of confequence then be all four indifferent in their own nature, and not of moral obligation; for otherwife they could not be difpenfed with, becaufe Chriftianity allows of no deviation whatfoever from moral ctitude, and is fo far from allowing the least impure act, that it condemns even impurity of thought.

There is then a great difficulty, as the Bishop admits, and which he has not removed to my fatisfaction; and the ftrained and forced comments on the word opvera fhew only the embarrassment of the commentators.

I with O. P. Q. had been, or would be, fo kind to give us the reading of Beza's Cambridge manufcript: for could

grea be fubfituted, and fupported by any authority of MSS. it would remove all difficulties, and render the whole paffage clear and confiftent.

As to L. L. in the fame Mag. I fhall only fay, that he favours of pedantry; and differs very widely from a gentleman of no inconfiderable rank in learning aad the church, who was fo well pleafed

with

404 unique on a rajage in virgu. with the conjecture, that he promised to examine all the MSS. in his power. Yours, &c. R. B. P. S. Plautus ufes bubula and porcina, words of a fimilar derivation with ga, adjectives ufed fubftantively, or with a fubftantive understood. And Ainfworth takes vitulinum, a ftranger word, from Corn. Nepos; but I think be mistakes the conftruction.

Strictures on the Non-observance of the Sabbath-day.

illegal or offenfive. The butcher receives his orders the preceding day: bat our feelings are hurt by the indeceut fight of his boy running or riding about the streets with his tray on a Sunday morning to deliver out the meats. This is furely a needlefs and wanton encroachment on the Sabbath, and an evil that might be fuppreffed by ourfelves, if we would only give ourfelves the trouble to forbid it.

The hair-dreffer may, perhaps, plead fomething in his excufe when we meet him pofting from houfe to houfe with all the hurry and bustle of another day. Not but that his cuftomers might forego the pleasure of a fmart toupee, and be content with adorning their own exterior in the best manner that they can, rather than deprive fo large a body of men of the only opportunity of devotion and improvement that they have; remembering, that the beft trim of the head will be no covering for the defects of the heart; that the odours and perfumes bestowed upon the outfide are no part of the incenfe which the Almighty expects from within; and that it will be no more enquired, whether they have ferved him with a well-dreffed head or not, than "whether," as Uncle Toby observed, " they have

done it in a red coat or a black one.'

But admitting that Fashion, at whose fhrine more votaries are feen than at the altar of their God, will not difpenfe with the important fervices of the frizeur, what poffible plea can the butcher, and other fuch gentry, make for fo grofs and unneceffary a violation of the Jaws of decency and order?

The taylor, forfooth, cannot bring home your cloaths till the Sunday morning. He thinks, perhaps, it adds fomething to his confequence to be, like his fuperiors, above the flavish reftrictions of religion and law: but furely it would not be difficult to put a stop to this needlefs encroachment upon the Sabbath, if we could only fummon up refolution enough to poftpone the pleafure of appearing in our finery another week, or, if that be too great a facrifice to make, if we would only take the trouble to apprize our taylor what our refolutions and expectations are.

In the higher ranks of life, it is not te be expected that they will fubmit to be-counfelled or reftrained by religion or law. Statefmen, and men of fashion, profeffors of phyfic and the law, would in vain poffefs the privileges of their

483

rank or profeffion, if they did not avail themfelves of the pretext it gives them to abfent themelves from the duties of religion, that they may attend to the greater concerns of their ftation, that they may receive thofe vifits, or vifit thofe patients, or tranfact that business, which it would not be poflible to find any other time fo fit for as this day, and that particular part of the day which is occupied by humbler folks in the fervice of their God.

Inftances indeed do now and then occur in which men, priviledged by their ftation or profeffion, do generously forego the plea it gives them, and, putting themfelves upon a level with the reft of their neighbours, condefcend to appear in the humble character of pious and proftrate worshipers of their God. Rare indeed fuch inftances! and never failed to be duly honoured whenever they occur. In that faculty which has the best claim to exemption, I have known a phyfician, whole practice was fufficiently extenfive to give him a plea for his abfence, regular in his attendance at church, while he neglected no part of the duties of his profeffion. The little hour of devotion was not a greater difadvantage to his patients on this day, than the time he spent in lounging over the papers, or goffiping with his neighbours, on another. The hop of the apothecary too I have known to be thut, claiming no other exemption from the restrictions of law, than the ncceffary privilege of fupplying, without any external indecency or offence, the wants of the fick and needy within. Nay, I have feen, with admiration and delight, the privileges of profeffion give way to the dictates of duty, and the church adorned with the prefence of himself, without the leaft difadvantage to his patients, or the fmalleft fufpicion that his practice was lefs than those whole abfence, though they had not yet bulinefs to make their pretext to their God, was an innocent deception and decoy to their neighbours.

Though I mention fuch inftances as rare within the reach of my own obfervation, I would not be understood to mean, that they may not more frequently occur to the notice and fatisfaction of others: nor would I be fo uncandid as to fuppofe, that whenever the duties of their profeffion oblige them to forego the pleasures and duties of religion, they do not partake of the dif appointment and pain that we feel;—

that

484 Obfervance of the Sabbath recommended.-Statue of Mr. Howard.

that they do not equally feel and lament the peculiar difadvantages of their ftation, which will not admit, by any poffible œconomy or contrivance, of a fingle hour for the worship of their God, or the care of their fouls.

But whatever may be the reafons or pretexts of thofe in higher life, their inferiors can have no fuch caufes to require or excufe the neglect of theirs. They cannot plead the privileges of fa fhion or rank, the neceffities of state, the health of their patients, or the cause of their clients; and therefore, if they do throw away their fouls, they do it without pretext, or any thing like an adequate advantage in exchange: And as there are laws exifting to compel them to pay fome regard to the duties which thofe in fuperior ftations are obliged to neglect, would it not be fome alleviation of their own unhappy fare, if they, who cannot enjoy the benefit themfelves, would take the pains to enforce thofe laws, and convoy it to others?

A very laudable zeal for the morals and falvation of the lower clafs hath lately fhewn itfelf in every part of the kingdom. Sunday fchools are every where encouraged and promoted with a liberality of fentiment and affiftance, that does peculiar honour to thofe patrons and fupporters who, however in different or unconcerned for their own falvation, retain an anxious folicitude for the falvation of others.

The fame generous care, extended to the various abufes of the Sabbath, would be very likely to conduce to the advantage of many who now wholly difregard the defign of the day, and to the fatisfaction of others, to whom their carelefs and indecent conduct is the caufe of great uneafinefs and offence. By only not giving encouragement or opportunity, fo far as relates to our felves, to any practice that interferes with the defign and duties of the day; by having no intercourfe or dealings with them that will require them to do it; by admonition and perfuafion, and, if there be no other way to effect it, by. 'putting the laws in force against them; we may put a stop to every fuch indecency of external behaviour, and lead 'them to obferve the day at leaft with greater reverence and fatisfaction to others, if not with greater advantage to themselves

Yours, &c. ·J. E.

MR. URBAN,

June 14. SEEING in your laft Magazine a propofal for erecting a ftatue to the honour of Mr. Howard, I cannot help requesting you to infert in your next Magazine part of a letter written fome time ago by Sir Thomas Beevor, bart. of Hethell in Norfolk, as a further proof of the good effects resulting from the labours of that worthy Philanthropist.

THE LETTER.

"Having read Mr. Howard's book defcribing the ftate and condition of our prifons, it naturally led my thoughts to that fubject, the idea that as many prifoners died yearly in England by the gaol-diftemper as by all the executions put together; the accounts of the diffolutenefs and profligacy which, by the intermixture of them, were learnt and practifed in thofe plates of confinement, determined me to attempt a reformation of thofe crying evils in this county. Happily my wishes fully met the ideas of the other gentlemen acting in the commiffion of the peace here, and to their great honour, by their unanimous concurrence and affiftance, I have been able to get erected a new bridewell and penitentiary houfe at Wymondham, built upon fuch a plan as enables the governor to keep the fexes and degrees of offenders entirely separate froth each other, and under fuch regulation and difcipline as promife, with God's bleffing, to work a thorough reformation of their manners, whereby they may, and many probably will, again become use. ful members of fociety. The house is conftructed agreeably to the directions of the late act of parliament, and fo contrived, that there are feparate cells for each prifoner, airy, neat, and heatthy, in which they fleep, and, when neceflary, work the whole day alone. This folitude is found to affect the most unfeeling and hardened amongst them beyond either fetters or fripes, and is that part of their punishment from which reformation is chiefly expected. By this attention to the lives and mó"rals of thofe unhappy members of fociety, you will fee effected what Mt. Howard defpaired of, viz. that the prifoners earnings in the house have uniformly exceeded the fums expended for their maintenance. I with and hope this example may excite a like attedtion in other counties."

Ma.

I

Thickneffe's animated Character of Mr. Howard.

MR. URBAN, June 15. AM wonderfully pleafed with the propofal in your last month's Magazine, to raise a statue by fubfcription to that best of men, John Howard, efq. If ever mortal man merited such a mark of diftinction, it is due to that great and good man. Nor can I with-hold my pen till I have given you an extract from one of Mr. Thickneffe's letters, in the fecond edition, just publifhed, of his Pais Bás Tour, on the fame fubject. "I have seen," says Mr. Thickneffe, both at home and abroad, monuments erected to perpetuate the memory of men who have waded through human blood, or treacherous difguife, to fame; but I have not feen a ftatue erected to the memory of John Howard, efq.!! a gentleman of ample fortune in Bedford. fhire, who has employed it to the most noble and GOD-LIKE purposes-that of gladdening the hearts of the wretched. Read, my dear Sir, the travels of Mr. Howard. I know the goodness of your heart, and of your head too; but I affure you his works will improve both, and that they have taught me to be afbamed of every page in mine, except this fingle one, which I hope he will excufe. I am fure you will thank me for making, in foine inftances, known to you one of the best men `on earth, and the only man I believe, of any country, who has employed his fortune, and expofed his perfon to the most imminent dangers, with a view of relieving and amending the condition of the. moft unfortunate inen of ALL nations, and to point out to those, whose duty it is, what they ought to do, to remedy the evils, and redrefs the intolerable grievances, of the most miferable of all mortals; to many of whom their fentence, though it be death, is not fo dreadful as the paffage is to meet it!! Shut out from the light of the fun, to breathe the most impure air, and at the mercy of the adamantine-hearted gaoler (as many of those men are), they are often glad to meet the hand of juice; nor can I haigh this letter without informing you, that this excellent and EXTRAORDINARY MAN conftantly builds a cottage every year on his own eftate, and puts a poor family in poffeffion of it, on exprefs condition, however, that they attend divine fervice every Sunday at CHURCH, at MASS, MEETING, or SYNAGOGUE. Thus you fee his expanded and venevolent GERT. MAG. June, 1786.

485

A MAN.

difpofition is confined to no fect, nor any particular notion: but it is an honour to the isle of Britain, that fuch a fpeck as it is in the universe thould have have produced SUCH Whatever difgrace it may bring on other individuals, that he should find no other diftinction to point out his virtues, than being known by the name of Prifon Howard; yet fo diftinguifbed I heard a great man characterife him!!!" And, in another place, fays Mr. Thicknesse, "I vifited PALACES and PLACES; he, prifons and dungeons. He travelled to adminifter comfort to the unfortunate debtor, and the wretched criminal; I, to gratify an idle curiofity: he penetrated into the interior parts of the inquifition; I trembled at the sight only of the exteriors," &c. &a

MR. URBAN, THE infcription, of which you reJune 16. ceive a fac fimile (fee plate 1. fig. 10.) has been lately fent from Ireland; and perhaps may be thus explained: Hic jacet in tumuli fundo fublatus a mundo

Galfridos Arthur vice Thefaurarius quondam iftius ecclefie

16 luce Maii anima requievit in pace per

petua

anno crucifixi Domini Mvxlx.

MR. URBAN,

Frome, May 7.

READING in the laft Monthly Review a critique on the VIIth volume of the Archæologia, I met with Mr. Barrington's account of Cole's pits in Berkshire, with an intimation of others of like kind in this county. Having, on a particular occafion, lately visited the most remarkable pits of that kind hereabout, I am induced to give you my obfervations thereon, to be inferted, when convenient, in your entertaining mifcellany.

Thefe excavations, which are called pen pits, are fituated about a quarter of a mile fouth-eaft of the parish church of Penfelwood in this county, ja a common, or waste piece of land, of about 200 acres, the foil of which feems uniformly to be a gravelly clay; its vege table produce, a little grafs, much mofs, fern, furze, and a few thorns. Thefe pits are in general of the form which mathematicians call the fruftum of a cone, inverted: not of like fize one with another, but from 10 to 50 feet over at top, and from to zo in the bottom, the lant depth from 5 to io

feet;