Journal some time, but I have not yet seen it. In this respect I work and write to great disadvantage. It is much to be wished that some able advocate for the old doctrine might arise in England or France. They would engage more attention than any person situated as I am. Some time ago I sent Mr. Phillips, for his Magazine,* a general answer to all the objections that I had heard of to the argument attacked by Mr. Cruikshank; and it appears to me that of three principles on which that argument has been assailed, that adopted by him is the most unfortunate, directly militating against the system that he endeavours to support. You surprise me with your account of the effect of the new apparatus for the Galvanic experiment. I have the very apparatus you describe, and have not been able to make it answer so well as the old one, and I find it exceedingly difficult to make so many cells quite separate by means of cement. Your account, however, encourages me to try again. I thank you for your hints of politics. How different is our situation from yours! Our debt is trifling, and will to appearance soon be discharged, though almost all our taxes are done away. Our particular state has a fund, out of which all the expenses of government are defrayed; so that we hear of nothing but county taxes for the repair of roads, &c. We in this place have only been called upon to pay a poor's rate, and in both cases on account of single insane persons, and we hardly ever see a beggar, except for accidental fires, &c., and these are soon relieved, every body contributing with great cheerfulness. There being no church establishment, we have no tithe, or any expenses beside voluntary ones, on account of * See Mon. Mag. (1799) VII. 261, 353; (1800) IX. 469; (1802) XIV. 2. ↑ See supra, p. 260, note. The President, in his late message (1832) to the Congress, declared the public debt to be entirely discharged. Another important difference the Times has thus remarked: "The United States are far better served than England, in the average of their negociations with foreign states; yet the whole expense of their foreign department does not much exceed that of one of our embassies to one of the principal continental courts." Examiner, No. 1270, p. 355. See supra, p. 256. * religion, and yet there is full as much attention given to it as with you. I do not think that any country in the world was ever in a state of greater improvement, in all respects, or had fairer prospects, than this has at present. It is a great pleasure to look round and see this and yet we have many grumblers and discontented persons. : I rejoice to hear of the good state of your family, and hope that this will continue a source of happiness to you, when you cannot derive any from the state of public affairs; for which, however, we cannot but have a feeling. I have, though at this distance, and am a sincere well-wisher to Old England. All the friends of liberty must have been disappointed with respect to France. But, perhaps, a state of less political liberty may suit that nation. If they do not complain, why should we? though it is unpleasant to see public liberty make a retrograde motion in any part of the world.† DEAR SIR, TO REV. T. BELSHAM. Northumberland, Oct. 30, 1802. I THANK YOU for procuring me the account of the Child of Hale, and have given an abstract of it in my Notes on the passage relating to Goliath. I wish we had authentic accounts of the longevity of particular persons. Not that there is any reasonable objection to the Scripture account of the long lives of the patriarchs,|| but it would take something from the cavils of unbelievers, shewing, that even within the course of nature, there are occasionally considerable deviations from what is common. There lately died in Philadelphia a woman, from whose "In the United States," says Joel Barlow, "there is, strictly speaking, "no such thing as a Church; and yet in no country are the people more religious. All sorts of religious opinions are entertained there, and yet no heresy among them all. All modes of worship are practised, and yet there is no schism. Men frequently change their creed and their worship, and yet there is no apostacy. They have ministers of religion, but no priests. In short, religion is there a personal, and not a corporate concern. See "Advice to the Privileged Orders," (1792,) p. 49, note. ↑ Orig. MS. § See supra, p. 449. VOL. II. 2 к Hackney. || See W. XI. 53. account of herself and the testimony of others, I have no doubt of her having been more than one hundred and fifty. She was brought by the Buccaneers, after she had several children, and remembered the first coming of William Penn to Philadelphia, and the first house that was built in the place.* Women of fourscore said she was an old woman when they were young. She was an odd character, lived by herself in a miserable hole of a place, but would not receive any thing as charity. She sold fruit and herbs in the public market when I was at Philadelphia last. I went to see her several times, on the pretence of buying some of her herbs. I hope you have received the copy I sent of Mr. Jefferson's letter. I fear the Dedication will not suit England, but you may do what you please with it. Few besides our friends, and the friends of liberty, will see it, and to myself the conse quence is nothing.‡ TO REV. T. LINDSEY.S DEAR FRIEND, Northumberland, Dec. 11, 1802. I AM now putting the last hand to the Notes on the Scriptures, many of which, I am sure, you will like, as they are particularly calculated to point out the evidence and the value of revelation, especially that of the Old Testament, which is most objected to by unbelievers, and has been strangely given up by some Christians like Dr. Geddes. But this shews great ignorance of the state of things in early times, and gross inattention to the circumstances of the revelation, and of the people to whom it was made. That Moses should either have himself invented his institutions, or have imposed them on his nation, is, on many accounts, absolutely incredible. Pray what has Dr. Geddes left, of his Translations or Re * In 1682. Amer. Ann. I. 384-386. +"Being of a political and local nature," says Mr. Belsham, "it was not thought advisable to prefix it to those copies which were sent to England. The author of this Memoir, therefore, has had no opportunity of seeing it." Mem of Lindsey, p. 442. I was more fortunate. See W. IX. 5, note *. + Orig. MS. § Essex Street. See his distinction between Moses and Christ, W. II. 120, note. marks, unpublished? I find his work very useful, notwithstanding this capital objection to it. I have, however, in general, obviated his objections without mentioning his name. Indeed, I had done it before I saw his work. I wish, if my life be spared, to print a volume of theological tracts, chiefly those in the Repository, with additions and improvements, and also one of philosophy. I am much obliged to you for Mr. Wywill's publication, and think myself greatly flattered by his note respecting me.* But I have now given over all thoughts of visiting Europe. No serious good would be answered by it, and the satisfaction, from seeing the very few for whom I feel an attachment, would be transient. Our meeting, I hope, in more favourable circumstances than any in this world, cannot be far distant. P. S. I thank you for Mr. Cappe's two volumes; but have not yet had time to look into them.† TO REV. T. BELSHAM.+ DEAR SIR, THE last post I received by a private hand, No. 5. cation, I fear I must, at this season of the year, be a long time without any; and it may be a long time after its date that you will receive this. Northumberland, Dec. 18, 1802. your Nos. 8 and 10, and yesterday, After so considerable a communi The last winter was peculiarly mild, and our rivers never shut up; but this is likely to be a pretty severe one. Our river is closed already, which it has not been, of the four preceding years. The night before last, the thermometer was -1. This is a degree of cold seldom known in England, but is often much exceeded here. I have known it-13, but the air is so dry, that we do not complain of it. owing to the cold, or something else, I am health than I have been, of a long time. Indeed, at present, I seem to be as well in all respects as I ever was; and I have * Anticipating Dr. Priestley's return. See I. 357, note. Whether it be much better in + Orig. MS. Hackney. great reason to be thankful that I have, generally, enjoyed as good a state of health as most men, so as hardly ever to have been incapacitated for my pursuits of any kind. I received your Thanksgiving Sermon, and I like it much. I am pleased with its moderation, and think with you, that we ought to be satisfied and thankful when there has been so great a change for the better as has unquestionably taken place, as you have very well shewn. I think, too, that as Christians we should be less violent politicians, having our minds chiefly occupied with better things; though we should not forget that we are citizens of this world as well as of another. Our affairs here seem to be in an excellent train; I wish your prospects were as good. If your brother were here, he would, I am persuaded, think better than he does of the fundamental principles of our government; though he reprobates them with respect to England. In the Jerseys, not only do all the men, but women who are householders, have votes, in all elections of magistrates. As to Buonaparte, I imagine my opinion does not now differ from yours. He will have a check at St. Domingo. According to present appearances, the French will hardly recover the possession of that island. I am pleased with your approbation of my small tract on Baptism. What will Dr. Toulmin say to it? TO REV. T. LINDSEY.§ DEAR FRIEND, Northumberland, Jan. 1, 1803. THE last that I received from you and Mrs. Lindsey came to hand Oct. 9, so that I cannot help being a little anxious to hear from you again; but patience is well exercised in this country to those who have any connexions with Europe; and, long as I have been here, my attachments are chiefly to England, and are not likely to change. * See supra, pp. 491, 492. ተ "A Letter to an Antipædobaptist." W. XX. 465. |