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To draw off the allegorical veil from the early history of Greece, and thus reprefent objects in their true light, is the main defign of the prefent work; and, "in order to difcover the certainty of things, it was neceffary to reduce the Greek language to its clements, and to divest it of its ornaments." But there was no hope of effecting much by the Greek language alone; Mr. Allwood, therefore, had recourfe to other and more ancient tongues. In the courfe of this difquifition, the author feems to have made pretty confiderable deductions from the political confequence of the Greeks in remote antiquity. There was never, he thinks, a fucceffion of monarchs over Argos, commencing with Inachus; over Athens, commencing with Cecrops; or over Thebes in Boeotia, taking its rife with Cadmus. Thefe lifts of fo vereigns, he is perfuaded, are fictitious, and their very names artificial; being compounds of Egyptian terms, and allufive chiefly to the rites of Sabianifm and the history of the firft Poft-diluvian patriarchs. From thefe, and a variety of other circumftances, he is of opinion, that the Helladians were not the original inhabitants of Greece; but ftrangers who came principally from Egypt. This opinion feems to be confirmed by the much greater affinity of the Greek Tongue with the Oriental than the European languages, excepting where the latter had their immediate origin in the East.

"It is aftonishing (fays Mr. Allwood, from whom we shall now quote a paragraph entire) how great an evidence, in behalf of the truth of Revelation, refults from every part of this production. The primitive innocence and fall of man; the number of descents from Adam to Noah; the number of generations before the flood; the flood itself; the divifion of the earth in the days of Peleg; the first peopling of the ifles of the Gentiles; the difperfion of the Ammonians, and their adherents from Babel, and the confufion of their lip; as, alfo the univerfal famine which took place in the time of Jofeph; are facts which strongly appear upon the face of many hiftories here detailed: and the proofs of these facts are, I believe, either entirely new, or placed in a light in which they have never yet appeared. Thus far, then, I hope, that my folitary labours may be productive of fome utility to my country, in this day of blafphemy and infidelity, inafmuch as they certainly furnith fome fresh evidences of the credibility and divine authenticity of the facred writings."

In the first fection of this elaborate performance, the author fets forth the defects of traditional hiftory-produces inftances, in which they may be corrected by the facred writings; having propofed col lateral hiftory as the firft ground of analyfis. He then mentions, as the fecond ground of analyfis, the monuments, religion, and language of the Cuthites in Egypt, as the third ground of analyfis, the Greek Tongue; and, as the fourth ground of analyfis, the means by which ancient history became obfcured.

The fecond fection refpects the Helladians and the original inhabitants of Greece, as far as their history is neceflary to furnish hints for an analysis of the Greek Tongue.

The third fection contains an illuftration of the plan of analysis for the Greek Tongue, according to the principles already laid down; in which is alfo confidered, in a great variety of infances, how far an

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accurate knowledge of the import of terms may become fubfervient to the developement of fuch paffages in the ancient history of Greece, as have never hitherto met with any fatisfactory explanation.

In the fourth fection, we are prefented with fome further obfervations concerning the Greek Language, in relation, chiefly, to the analogy it bears to fome European and Oriental Tongues.

In the fifth fection, the author enquires into the manners of the Mizraim, or native Egyptians, at the most remarkable periods of their history; to fhew, how far they might have been concerned in the introduction of Arts and Literature into Greece.

In the last three fections, the Titan hiftory is difplayed on a most extenfive canvas.

The appendix contains fome curious matter; particularly what relates to the Cadmians, the importers of letters into Greece.

We shall conclude our prefent article with an excerpt from that part of the first fection which relates to the ambiguities of history; referring us, in particular, to Mr. Bryant's Differtation concerning the Siege of Troy.

"I agree with the learned writer (fays Mr. Allwood) in expreffing my belief, that the grounds which gave rife to the Trojan war-the extenfive confederacy of the Grecian States, and the powerful armament they equipped in order to carry it on-the delay of nine years after the landing of the Grecians before Troy, during which both fides appear to have remained idle fpectators of each others force-the prefervation of the lives of the Grecian commanders for near ten years, and amidst the fweeping deftruction of peftilence and famine-as alfo, the very names and ancestry of many of thefe commanders-are circumstances incredible in themselves, and only introduced by the illuftrious writer to ferve as embellishments, or to complete the plan of his Poem. But it does by no means follow, from these premifes, that the history might not have taken its rife from fome tradition exifting in Greece in the time of Homer, of a war carried on by fome of its maritime states against the people of Troy at a former period."-" Neither because the name of Troas or Troja was not taken notice of by Herodotus, Arrian, or Plutarch, have we any reason to infer, that it was not known amongst the Ilienfes till the Greeks introduced it. It might have been the most ancient name of their city. It was certainly a term of high antiquity; for there was a very old city of the fame name in Egypt; and if, by any particular accident, a partiality had been excited in the minds of the natives, in favour of the term Ilium, it is little probable, that they would afterwards retain that of Troja. For the fottifhnefs, the ignorance, and ftupidity of the Phrygians, are literally proverbial."-"In order to pay as high a compliment as poffible to the prowess of the Grecians, the poet has certainly magnified the ftrength and fplendour of the city they captured. He has probably described it after the ftyle of fome of the finest cities of Greece in his own time, making little allowance for the greater fimplicity of an earlier age, and particularly among the Phrygians. It is on this account, that the ruins of Troy have, hitherto, been looked for in vain; for surely if these circumstances are taken into confideration, there can remain little wonder, that "etiam periere ruinæ.”

[To be concluded in our next.]

Benfon's

Benfon's Vindication of the Methodists.
(Concluded from P. 160.)

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AVING, in juftice to the reverend reporters, eftablished the correctneis of their statement relative to the Clafs-Meetings of the Methodifis, (which is affailed with a tone of triumph and confident affertion, fufficient to impofe on readers lefs intimately acquainted with their proceedings) we refume the examination of Mr. Benfon's book. In this, however, we fhall endeavour to be as concife as our conviction of the great points at iffue between the Church and these felf-willed fchifmatics will allow us; more efpecially, as we have been already drawn into much greater length than the article before us, either from its fize, or any merit of its own, may feem to deferve. We much doubt whether the mode of refutation, by which Mr. B. labours to repel the ferious charge of immorality brought against his brethren, will be fatisfactory to all his readers. He appeals to the rules of their Society, as containing "evident demonftrative proof," in their favour, because, forfooth, they forbid drunkenness, lewdness, difhonefty, and the like. By the fame argument, there could not exift a crime in Chriftendom; for the Divine Author of our Religionen joins his difciples to abstain from the very appearance of evil: yet we know there are many who live in as continual violation of his commands, as if they were strangers to their enactment, or unconcerned in their obfervance. But, iays Mr. Benfon, fuch an objection will not have any force against the cicct. They not only are conftantly inculcating religious duties, but do not fo much as receive into, or keep in, their focieties, any perfon who lives in the neglect of them. "They have been doing for thefe fifty years, what the Established Clergy are only beginning to do now; viz. tettifying againft, and oppofing all profane vicious practices wherever they come." Were it neceffary to pollute our pages by the difproof of fo impudent a falfhood, we might eafily refer to many well attefted fpecimens of Methodist morality. We might inftance more immediately the unchafte enormities, and the blafphemous impieties of their teachers in the neighbourhood of Middlcham*. We might appeal, without fear of confutation, to the fcandalous exceffes at Langham Row, where Mr. B. boasts of fuch a numerous attendance of the godly, who, no doubt, must have been greatly cdified by the devout gefticulations of the Yorkshire colliers, and their very impreffive mode of "inculcating religious duties." But we retrain from trefpaffing further on the feelings of our readers, because we understand, that a ftrong and connected chain of evidence will fhortly be produced, for the information of thofe who may be inclined to think with Mr. B. that "this can only be faid ad movendam invidiam, there being certainly no ground for it," and which will abunGandy thew, whether this champion of Methodifm, or his accufers, have most reason to "fear being confronted by facts." Before we

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* Authenticated by the Dean of Middleham, in a letter, addreffed about a twelvemonth ago, to the moft refpectable fociety in London.

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wholly difmifs, however, this part of our fubject, we will give Mr. Benfon an opportunity of speaking for himself, left we thould be fufpected of mireprefenting to the public this preacher of piety, this pattern of perfection, this model of morality and meekness.

"I do not pretend (fays he, in allufion to fome yery heavy charges of the wildeft enthusiasm brought against his fect) to juftify fuch proceedings, as every thing in the worship of God, particularly, fhould be done decently and in order. But there certainly was an apparent irregularity, when, on the day of Pentecoft, three thoufand being pricked in their hearts, faid to the Apofiles, Men and brethren, what fhall we do?"

So much for Mr. Benton's piety; which, for the evide ntpurpose o endeavouring to vindicate what the moment before "he pretends not to juftify," can calmly contraft the ravings of Methodifm with the defcent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecoft.-But he proceeds, "Be this as it may, I know of no Methodists who pretend to exorcifms, and practife capricious forms and modes of it, utterly inconfiftent with morality and decency-that rafhly pronounce on the falvation and damnation of particular perfons; frequently of whole villages-and publicly execrate the churches, as being nothing but a heap of ftones, &c." So much for his veracity! We will now indulge our readers with fome proofs of the charity and candour of this lamb-like Methodist, who arrogates to himfelf and his brethren the praife of apoftolic meekneis and forbearance. "For being reviled, (faith he we blefs; being defamed, we intreat; being perfecuted, we fuffer it." In proof of which he acquaints us, p. 10 and 11, that “ many of the clergy, in various parts of the kingdom, are openly wicked and many that are not fo, inftead of preaching the great doctrines of the Gospel, of the Reformation, and of our* Church, do openly and continually contradict them; while others are immerfed in fecular concerns, and are hunting after preferment, or are in continual purfuit of amufements and pleafure." "If (again in p. 12,) the clergy preach repentance, while they themselves remain impenitent-if they preach juftification by faith and a new birth, while they themfelves are neither JUSTIFIED, nor born again, &c." It is clear, from this paffage, that Mr. B. did not underland what our reformers meant by the word juftified," and that his ignorance of the doctrines of the Church is at leaft equal to his malignity against its minifters, But to proceed with one or two more inftances:

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"If," he fays, (and his if feldom feem to fpeak doubtingly.) the rector, or vicar, or curate, appointed by authority as a firitual phyfician, to cure their fpiritual difeafes, be as much difordered as the people themfelves, ̧ (which is too often the cafe,) the meaning of thefe clergymen feems to be, that no Methodist Preacher, nor Diffenting Minifter, nor any pious and intelligent perfon, thould be permitte to fhew any compa out thefe fouls, thus perifhing for lack of knowledge fave their parith minifter, who is, perhaps, little difpofed as he is prepared, for fuch an office. In other words, the infernal wolf has got poffe son of all the theep, (having taken advantage of the infenfibi ity, carelessness, or indolence, of their appointed Jhepherd,) and to attempt to rescue any of them from his power would be n'anifeft For Church, read Conventiole.

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robbery-fo I doubt not Apollyon thinks and fays." "WE cannot approve (fays this fpiritual cenfor, in another part of his libel against the clergy) of the conduct of perfons, who, profeffing to be minifters of Chrift, meet together at vifitations, or on other occafions, to fettle ecclefiaftical matters, and remedy disorders, and yet intoxicate themfelves before they feparate, &c." Laftly (though it is to be feared we have already fufficiently tried the patience of our readers by the extracts which we have made) speaking of a fuggeftion of the reporters, that, if it fhould be thought defirable to encourage meetings, fimilar to the clafs meetings of the Methodists, they fhould, in every parish where they are inftituted, be made subject to the infpection and fuper-intendance of the regular minister, Mr. B. infultingly infinuates a doubt on the part of the people of the zeal and ability of fuch an one to direct them, and the probability that he would more frequently lead them into error and fin, than into the ways of truth and righteoufnefs;" obferving, with a fneer, "that if the parish minifter fhould enter one of thefe meetings at a time when his mind has been diffipated by pleasure, or his body heated by wine, his conduct as prefident might poffibly neither be to his own credit nor to the people's edification." It seems, however, that the clergy have free permiffion given them by Mr. B. in another part of this pamphlet, to attend thefe clafs meetings; where they may, if they pleafe, fpeak their own experience in the grace of God, and tell what God has done for their fouls; or if they rather defire it, the leader of the clafs will let them pafs, and neither examine nor fay any thing to them; although if they be permitted to hear the characters of others, it would be but juft that their's alfo fhould come under fcrutiny." The clergy will doubtless exprefs all proper acknowledgments for this indulgence, though we fufpect they will feldom ufe their privilege, and not fhew much eagerness to confult thefe father-confeffors who have follies and experiences enough of their own to amufe or terrify (as may beft answer their purpose) an ignorant affemblage, and to affift them in creeping into houses, and leading captive filly women laden with fins, and lea away by divers lufts.

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Mr. Benfon next blows aloud the trumpet of loyalty, and oftentatiously proclaims the large and liberal contributions of the Methodifts towards any charitable inftitution; and among other inftances he mentions thofe of Sunday fchools, and what are termed their benevolent funds. With regard to the first he fhall be allowed to produce his own cafe of the town of Manchefer, where he fays, few years ago the collection for the Sunday fchools amounted to 1141. But of late the collections at our chapels in fome places have been much larger, especially where we have schools of this kind entirely under our own management.' This is the great end which they propofe. This is also the object of their benevolent fund which might more properly be called a fund for profelytifm. For we fpeak from perfonal knowledge of the fact. It is compofed of weekly, monthly, or quarterly contributions of all their members in proportion to their means; and placed at the difpofal of certain elders of the fociety who vifit the fick poor, and invariably measure the quantum of relief, by

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