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  • Feb. 1, 1798
  • Page 57
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The Freemasons' Magazine, Feb. 1, 1798: Page 57

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    Article REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS: ← Page 8 of 8
Page 57

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Review Of New Publications:

From the following specimen , the reader will , we think , form no unfavourable judgment of the merits of the work . ' Observe , my countrymen , I set out with deprecating the erroneous notion , that this is a time for considering whether the war were originally well or illfounded ; whether it were a matter of choice , or necessity -, whether it were ,, or were not , misconducted . If it were commenced in error , and misconducted in its progress , your duty to yourselves requires that , now you are

acting on the defensive , you should exert your utmost vigour . You are now at war , on the defensive , ir . very disadvantageous circumstances ; and this stake not less than existence . It is now your business to consider , not howit began , but how it shall end ; not to debate whether , in 179 a , you committed an act of aggression on Prance , or she on you ; but whether , in 1798 , you will tamely suffer yourselves to be destroyed by France : not to brood with fruitless lamentation and vindictive malignity over the calamities you have sustained , but to search for means to secure your future successes . '

A Sermon preached at Monkivell-street Meeting-house , OBoher 16 th , 179 6 , on Occasion of the Death of Dr . James Pordyce , formerly Pastor of that Congregation , by James Lindsay . Johnson , is . ( id . THE subject of this sermon is the general character of a christian pastot , ¦ with a particular account of the ministry of that able and good man on whose death it was preacheJ . It is the produ ' & ion of a well-informed ,

comprehensive understanding , inspired by liberal sentiments . He considers Christianity as a most excellent system of practical p iety and morality ; and the end of the christian ministry to be the explanation of its doctrines , and tbe impression of its precepts , motives , and sentiments , for the promotion of the temporal ancl eternal happiness of mankind : he estimates the constitution , and the individual chara . l ' ers of its members , by their tendency to the attainment of these important objects .

' What , ' says he , ' is the end of the Christian ministry , according to the design of the office on its first appointment ? Is it not to spread the knowledge of its doctrines among the people , and to insure , as far as human means can ensure , its reception and effeQ : ? Is it not to remove , by candid appeal , the causes which obstruct its progress , and to open the hearts of men to

embrace ir , in the love thereof ? Is it not to present , from time to time , such views of this high dispensation of divine grace to a sinful world , as may inspire them with love to God , and to one another ; as may render them more active in the discharge of duty , more impregnable against the assaults of temptation-, more independent of the world , in respect of happiness , and more resigned , in all circumstances , to the appointments of infinite Wisdom ? Is it not , in short , to lead the weary and heavy-laden to those sources of

never-failing consolation , which mitigate the evils of mortality ; and to make them triumph in the thought , that they shall quit ere long this vale of tears ; to follow those good men , who have been their guides in the way of wisdom , and are their fore-runners to the mansions of g lory ? ' The author avows himself inimical to all civil establishments of reli g ion ; and . though we by no means concur in this conclusion-, candour obliges us to declare , that we think the arguments which he adduces to establish itcombine moderation

and'in-, genuity . On the whole , though we do not approve of his antimonarchical notions , we think the sermon displays habits of accurate composition , knowledge , ability , and liberality , and recommend itto the perusal of all those readers , 'who can beai- piety , morality , and reasoning , though not squared exactly by die rule of St . Athanasius .

“The Freemasons' Magazine: 1798-02-01, Page 57” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 11 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fmm/issues/fmm_01021798/page/57/.
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Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
Untitled Article 2
LONDON: Article 2
TO CORRESPONDENTS, &c. Article 3
ACCOUNT OF KIEN-LONG, EMPEROR OF CHINA. Article 4
NOTICE OF SIR ANDREW DOUGLAS. Article 6
A RETROSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE LITERATURE OF 1797. Article 7
WISDOM AND FOLLY: A VISION. Article 12
THE LIFE OF XIMENES, ARCHBISHOP OF TOLEDO. Article 18
COMPARISON BETWEEN THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS IN SCIENCE AND LITERATURE. Article 30
A COLLECTION OF CHINESE PROVERBS AND APOTHEGMS, Article 36
AN HISTORICAL ESSAY ON LONGEVITY. Article 41
COLONEL TITUS's LETTER TO OLIVER CROMWELL. Article 43
THE COLLECTOR. Article 45
REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS: Article 50
POETRY. Article 58
PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 62
MONTHLY CHRONICLE. Article 66
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Page 57

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Review Of New Publications:

From the following specimen , the reader will , we think , form no unfavourable judgment of the merits of the work . ' Observe , my countrymen , I set out with deprecating the erroneous notion , that this is a time for considering whether the war were originally well or illfounded ; whether it were a matter of choice , or necessity -, whether it were ,, or were not , misconducted . If it were commenced in error , and misconducted in its progress , your duty to yourselves requires that , now you are

acting on the defensive , you should exert your utmost vigour . You are now at war , on the defensive , ir . very disadvantageous circumstances ; and this stake not less than existence . It is now your business to consider , not howit began , but how it shall end ; not to debate whether , in 179 a , you committed an act of aggression on Prance , or she on you ; but whether , in 1798 , you will tamely suffer yourselves to be destroyed by France : not to brood with fruitless lamentation and vindictive malignity over the calamities you have sustained , but to search for means to secure your future successes . '

A Sermon preached at Monkivell-street Meeting-house , OBoher 16 th , 179 6 , on Occasion of the Death of Dr . James Pordyce , formerly Pastor of that Congregation , by James Lindsay . Johnson , is . ( id . THE subject of this sermon is the general character of a christian pastot , ¦ with a particular account of the ministry of that able and good man on whose death it was preacheJ . It is the produ ' & ion of a well-informed ,

comprehensive understanding , inspired by liberal sentiments . He considers Christianity as a most excellent system of practical p iety and morality ; and the end of the christian ministry to be the explanation of its doctrines , and tbe impression of its precepts , motives , and sentiments , for the promotion of the temporal ancl eternal happiness of mankind : he estimates the constitution , and the individual chara . l ' ers of its members , by their tendency to the attainment of these important objects .

' What , ' says he , ' is the end of the Christian ministry , according to the design of the office on its first appointment ? Is it not to spread the knowledge of its doctrines among the people , and to insure , as far as human means can ensure , its reception and effeQ : ? Is it not to remove , by candid appeal , the causes which obstruct its progress , and to open the hearts of men to

embrace ir , in the love thereof ? Is it not to present , from time to time , such views of this high dispensation of divine grace to a sinful world , as may inspire them with love to God , and to one another ; as may render them more active in the discharge of duty , more impregnable against the assaults of temptation-, more independent of the world , in respect of happiness , and more resigned , in all circumstances , to the appointments of infinite Wisdom ? Is it not , in short , to lead the weary and heavy-laden to those sources of

never-failing consolation , which mitigate the evils of mortality ; and to make them triumph in the thought , that they shall quit ere long this vale of tears ; to follow those good men , who have been their guides in the way of wisdom , and are their fore-runners to the mansions of g lory ? ' The author avows himself inimical to all civil establishments of reli g ion ; and . though we by no means concur in this conclusion-, candour obliges us to declare , that we think the arguments which he adduces to establish itcombine moderation

and'in-, genuity . On the whole , though we do not approve of his antimonarchical notions , we think the sermon displays habits of accurate composition , knowledge , ability , and liberality , and recommend itto the perusal of all those readers , 'who can beai- piety , morality , and reasoning , though not squared exactly by die rule of St . Athanasius .

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