penalty. By the words employed in the denunciation of that penalty we have elsewhere proved, that the depravity of the whole human race cannot poffibly be meant; and the paffages commonly cited from the other books of Holy Scripture in-fupport of that innate depravity, we lately had occafion to examine, when we think it appeared that, rightly interpreted, they have no fuch meaning +: Why then infift upon this hereditary and innate corruption as the only foundation, on which to build the doctrine of Divine aid, when nothing can be more evident than that the Divine aid was neceffary, and actually bestowed on Adam and Eve in their primæval state, before this fuppofed corruption was infufed into their nature? Mofes reprefents them as taught every thing-even the elements of language; the inftitution and nature of marriage; the fanctification of the Sabbath day; and, we may fafely infer, the kind of adoration to be paid to their gracious Creator in their ftate of innocence. They are indeed defcribed by him as receiving all this inftruction by orally converfing with their Creator; but as we are allured that "no man hath feen God at any time," is it not reasonable to conclude that it was in reality by the internal teaching of the Holy Ghoft? Bishop Bull, with whofe works Mr. Spry feems to be well acquainted, has completely proved that it was the doctrine of the primitive Church, that the gifts of the Holy Ghost were bestowed on Adam and Eve, to enable them to acquire thofe holy and heavenly difpofitions which were neceffary to fit them for that more exalted state of happiness for which they were originally intended; and there are feveral texts both in the Old Teftament and in the New, which feem to give countenance to this primitive doctrine. By the firft covenant, had the terms of it been obferved by our first parents, man was not to tafle of death; but it is an obvious truth, that the race could not have exifted for ever on this earth, multiplying and increafing to infinity. If fo, it follows that the firft covenant, as well as the fecond, was a covenant of grace, by which mankind were to be tranflated, as Enoch and Elias, were to fome fuperior flate or heaven. That fuperior state we muft conclude to be fuper-natural, to the progreffive being man, in the firft frage of his existence; otherwife he would not have been previously fent to this earth as * See our 21ft vol. p. 592, &c. + See our 34th vol. pp. 348–356. St. John i. 18. to a fchool of probation; and he was endowed with the gifts of the Holy Ghoft, that he might be enabled to acquire the difpofitions and habits neceffary for the enjoyment of his heavenly inheritance. When immortality was forfeited, thofe gifts were forfeited with it, as no longer neceffary; and when it was restored, they were reftored likewife. In this view of the fall and reftoration of man, as folid a foundation is laid for the doctrine of grace or Divine aid as in the other view of that ftupendous fcheme; we are not encumbered with the innate corruption of human nature, which it is certainly difficult, if at all poflible, to reconcile with the moral attributes of God, as they are generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture; we are under no temptation to repine even inwardly at the conduct of our first parents; and it is obvious that mankind are on the whole gainers, as St. Paul describes them to be, by the fall of Adam combined with the redemption wrought by Chrift:-a doctrine not eafily reconciled with Calvinifm, and indeed not generally admitted by Calvinifts. In this view of the fall and redemp tion of man, the whole appears to be a scheme of mercy and benevolence, calculated to excite in every human breaft humility and gratitude;--humility, becaufe in no ftate in which man was ever placed, could he have merited any thing from his Maker, or even have made himself meet to be partaker of that inheritance which his Maker of his own free-will defigned to confer on him; and gratitude to that all-gracious God, who hath fent his Son into the world, to be the propitiation for our fins; and his Holy Spirit into our hearts to help our infirmities, and make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light. But though we think that this primitive view of the fall,. renders Chriflianity more eafily comprehended, as a scheme of which the feveral parts are confiftent with one another; though we are certain that it gives no encouragement to pride, which was not made for man in any flate in, which he was ever placed; and though it unquestionably fhows the neceffity of divine grace, on principles which are more easily understood than the innate corruption of human nature; far be it from us to pafs any cenfure on thofe who hold that opinion, as it feems to be held by Mr. Spry. We have indeed had fo many occafions of late to ftate our own notions of the conféquences of the first tranfgreffion, that we should not probably have flated them on this occafion, had we not a very ftrong defire to draw to the fubject the attention of a man fo well qualified as Mr. Spry feems to be, to discuss it with candour and ability. We can venture to affure him, that though he should adopt our opinion (or rather the opinion of the prefent writer,) he would be under no neceffity of abandoning his very correct notions of regeneration; and that no man can give a more cordial affent than we all do to the doctrine of the following paffage : "They (the Clergymen of the established Church) would have ftated that good works are indifpenfably neceffary, as being one condition of our falvation, but that they are not the meritorious cause of it. That though no man fhall be faved without perfonal holiness, yet no man fhall be faved by it; and that therefore there is no fafe ground of reliance upon good works, abstractedly confidered, as a ground of acceptance. They would have taught that there is none other name under heaven given to man whereby he can be faved, but that of Christ Jesus; that reliance upon him, therefore, and upon his merits, is man's only fecurity.-They would have remembered his caution to his disciples, to confider themselves after they had done all, to be unprofitable fervants; and would have had reference in their preaching to the doctrine of the Apostle, that the reward is not reckoned to us of debt, (as it must be if our good works be our ground of acceptance,) but of grace or favour, being after all our labours, the free-gift of God in Chrift." P. 21. The author defends this truly Chriftian doctrine, against the plaufible reafonings of the Barrifter, with great ability; fhows the fallacy of the diftinction which he wishes to make between the four gofpels and the epiftles of St. Paul, St. Peter, St. James, and St. John; proves that the epiftles are of equal authority with the gafpels; and then examines the objections of his antagonist to the doctrines of the Atonement and Trinity. Our limits will not admit of any abftract of his reafonings on thefe fubjects; but we beg leave to obferve, that to hold faft our faith in the Holy Trinity, it is by no means neceffary, as he seems to suppose, to understand Christ as speaking only of his human nature, when he faid, "My Father is greater than I." It is indeed very little probable that any Jew required to be gravely told that JEHOVAH, the God of their Fathers, was greater than a man; or that our blessed Lord deemed it neceffary, on fuch an occafion as that on which thefe words were fpoken, folemnly to declare a truth fo incontrovertible, and which indeed had never been controverted. According to the doctrine of the Trinity, as held by the primitive Church, and fo ably defended by Bishop Bull*, there is a sense in which Chrift, even in his divine * See our 34th vol. p. 259, &c. nature, nature, may be confidered as inferior to the Father, inasmuch as he that is begotten is inferior to him who begot; and he that is fent, to him who sent him. It is thus that Dr. Whitby has explained the text, and reafoned from it, with the force of demonstration, against the herefy of the Unitarians. Mr. Spry, however, is by no means fingular in his opinion; and though we really cannot adopt it, we can with great fincerity recommend his Reflections on this, as on every other subject of which he treats, as extremely valuable, ART. IV. Tunbridge Wells, and its Neighbourhood, illuftrated by a Series of Etchings, and hiftorical Defcriptions. By Paul Amfinck, Efq. The Etchings executed by Lætitia Byrne. 4to. 183 pp. 41. 14s. 6. Miller. 1810. UNBRIDGE Wells, like other places of the fame ftamp, the refort of thofe who labour under the embarras de richeffes, as well as other more corporeal maladies, might reasonably be expected to take off an impreffion of a work like this, notwithstanding its high price. Nevertheless it has not been thought advifeable to leave this refult to chance, and a fubfcription lift of near two hundred names ftands forward in the first pages, as a fhield against all dangers *. The original defign of Mr. Amfinck, who though not a regular artift appears to be an able draughtfman, was to give Hittle more than a collection of views, taken in general within the diftance of ten miles from Tunbridge Wells, "the probable extent of a morning's ride." Further researches and the voluntary affiftance of friends, he fays, have extended it to a book: and he has endeavoured, he fays, " to bring into more prominent notice places connected with the hiftory of our country, or interefting either from local circumftances, or peculiar beauty." All this appears extremely proper and laudable; and though we could have wifhed for our own advantage, that the whole could have been more within the reach of moderate purchafers, yet we are willing to give all due credit, to the parties concerned, whether their exertions have been made with the pen, the pencil, or the graver. The plates in this work are thirty-one, containing views of a variety of places within the compafs above ftated. The The Subfcription price was three guineas, but it has been fince raifed, vignettes vignettes are twelve, and reprefent fmaller fketches, but, in freedom of ftyle are fo fuperior to the entire plates, that it is hardly poffible not to wish that all the views had been given in that manner. To the fidelity of Mr. A's pencil we can bear the ftrongeft teftimony, nor are his defigns apparently deficient in picturefque effect; but we confefs that the name of his engraver railed higher expectations, as to the plates, than we have in general found realized. Our bufinefs, however, is rather with the information given by words than by delineations. In an early paffage, we find the author correcting a common error refpecting the fituation of the Chapel at Tunbridge Wells. "An erroneous idea has long prevailed that this chapel is placed in the fingular fituation of occupying in its feite [fite] portions of three parishes and two counties, viz. Speldhurft and Tunbridge in Kent, and Frant in Suffex. Had fuch been the object, it might certainly have been the cafe; for thefe parishes are actually in contact at a very small diftance from the chapel *. But the idea is altogether unfounded; and has probably arifen and been cherished from fome motives of intereit. The original deed of gift specifies the land, given by the Earl of Buckingham, to be all in Tunbridge parish: and indeed it could not well have been otherwife, for it is a gift of the lord of the manor of South Frith, of a portion of his manor, which on this fide was coextenfive with the parish of Tunbridge, and is stated to abut on WaterDown Foreft, which is the boundary of Speldhurit." P. 7. The general account of the place contains alfo fome not unentertaining notices of Beau Nafh, the firft regulator of its amufements; with biographical anecdotes of other inhabitants, or regular vifitors of the Weils, and their immediate. vicinity. Among these the most remarkable are first, Lord Mansfield, Mifs Boone, John, Duke of Leeds, and the late Lord Guildford, known during the most active part of his life, by the title of Lord North. The picture of the latter nobleman is evidently drawn by one who must have witneffed his placid declenfion in the end of life. It is full of charac teriftic truth. "The conduct of this nobleman, during his refidence at the Wells, was more adapted to its general interefts; and confequently calculated for a more extended notice in this work. He may indeed be claffed among the number of those friends to the *The buildings of the place at large are actually dispersed in thofe three parishes. See p. 2. Rev. R 4 place |