(making three Letters out of the two first), published them, in 1739, in a small volume, under the title of "A Vindication of Mr. Pope's Essay on Man, from the Misrepresentations of M. de Crousaz, Professor of Philosophy and Mathematicks in the University of Lausanne. By the Author of the Divine Legation. In Six Letters *." In the month of May 1739 he addressed the following letter to Mr. Birch: "I hope you received * To which, in a new Edition, 1740, was added “A Seventh Letter; to be had separately." + This letter will be illustrated by the following Correspondence, preserved in "The Works of the Learned," for August 1739. I do not go out of my province," says the Editor of that work, "when I take notice of any extraordinary phænomenon in the Republick of Letters; and as such I look upon the two following pieces, signed Romaine. The first of them is an odd composition; but the latter merits an other-guess epithet, which I leave the Reader to apply. They have been already published in one of the Evening Papers; but, being desired by an acquaintance of one of the parties concerned to insert them in this Work, whereby he imagined they would come under the notice of some persons whom they might otherwise escape, and having obtained Mr. Warburton's consent, I was willing to comply with so reasonable a request; especially as I thought it my duty to concur both with the said Mr. Warburton and Mr. Romaine, in displaying to the world, as far as I am able, so rare an example of sincerity, candour, and politeness, as appcars in these epistles. The first of them was written, as we see, from Epsom, and addressed to the Author of The Divine Legation of Moses demonstrated, under this superscription, To the Rev. Mr. Warburton, at Bruton, near Newark-upon-Trent, Nottinghamshire, by London.' Here is a copy of it : 'REVEREND SIR, Surrey, Epsom, Oct. 4, 1738. I happened lately to meet in company with some Clergymen, where your last excellent book, "The Divine Legation of Moses," was the subject of their discourse. As I had read it more than once, with a great deal of pleasure, and had ever admired your elegant style, great learning, and strength of argument, and had been used to hear the same praises from others, I was very much surprised to hear those whom I imagined from their character to be men of good sense, and that ought to commend and encourage whatever tended to promote true Religion, speak with great disrespect of your performance. I thought myself concerned to defend the truth; and, to my great satisfaction, I found, upon a short enquiry, that what they advanced affected nothing which you had already writ, but what you had promised. Here was large room for mirth; and one could not but laugh at the oddness one from me by the last post, and that we shall ferret out the Epsom Letter-writer... oddness of some men's tempers, who are so ridiculous as to censure what they have never seen, and to condemn what it is impossible they should yet judge of. When they saw how unjust their reflections were, that they might not (like true disputants) seem to give up the point, they attacked even the proposition which you have promised to demonstrate, and I must ingenuously confess, that they put some queries to me, which I, being no great proficient in Divinity, was not able to answer, This, and the opportunity of returning my grateful acknowledg ments for what you have wrote, was the occasion of the trouble I now give you; and as you are the only person I have heard of, who has thoroughly considered this subject; as your character is concerned in the affair, and as I would (if it was in my power) hinder the least fault from entering your finished performances, and could wish that Envy itself might be dumb, I hope you will favourably interpret my sending you these (which are to me, though not to you) difficulties, and oblige me with an answer to them, if ever an idle half-hour should lie heavy on your hands. -They first mentioned the Parable of Dives and Lazarus; Dives desired Abraham to send Lazarus to his brethren, lest they should come into that place of torments, and to assure them that there was such a state. The answer is, That if they believe not Moses and the Prophets, that neither would they believe though one rose from the dead. Then there is greater evidence for this truth in Moses and the Prophets, than a message from the other world would be.-John v. 39. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. All the Scriptures testify of Christ and Moses, ver. 46, 47, in a particular manner; so they had, or thought they had, eternal life in his writings. St. Paul preached a resurrection of the dead, and future state, on Moses's authority, as Acts xxvi. 22, 23. Witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should (which implies that others were to) rise from the dead. And what, adds one of the company, did Moses affirm that Christ should suffer, and rise from the dead, and that others after him should arise? And doth St. Paul affirm he doth say so? And will the learned Warburton censure the Christian Writer? All I could answer was to this effect, that those objections proved nothing, unless they could produce a passage from Moses himself, where he mentioned a future state. To this it was answered, that these texts suppose it was, or ought to be, there: that the Law was spiritual, Rom. vii. 14. That they (Jews) had Prophets continually to teach them the spiritual meaning of it; that Angels often appeared; that God himself very often spoke to them; that the Gospel was preached to them, Heb. iv. 2; that Heb. It is the sport, to see the Ingeneer Heb. ix. supposes all the types spiritual, and that this was signified to the Jews, as chap. viii. 5, and x. i. They asked me in what the image of God in Adam consisted? What was the meaning of the Tree of Life? The reason given for the prohibition of murder? What is Abel's sacrifice, was it not in faith he offered Faith in what? What is Enoch's translation? What means, they were gathered to their fathers, slept with their fathers, &c. so often used? What means the whole 11th chapter of Hebrews, and ver. 35 in particular, where St. Paul,, having mentioned those who actually did see the promises afar off, says, that they expected a better resurrection And lastly, does Christ argue fairly, Matt. xxii. 31, concerning the resurrection? If he does, it follows by a logical inference, that Moses enforces the observance of the law by the hopes of a future state. There' are to me many difficulties in these points, which I confess I could not answer, having neither learning nor acquaintance enough in the antient languages; but I hope to see them all cleared up by you, and flatter myself that you will not think you act out of character, when you inform the ignorant, confirm the wavering, and oblige a sincere admirer. If you would be. so good as to think any thing I have said worthy your notice, and would condescend to write one word to fix my doubts, you will lay the greatest obligation on your constant reader, and most humble servant, W. ROMAINE.' "After this Letter, we find in the General Evening-Post (May 24-26, 1739), where it is printed, the following paragraphs relating to it. N.B. Mr. Warburton, on the receipt of this letter, not being able, by all the enquiry he could make, to find out who this W. Romaine was, returned him a very short, but very civil answer; in which, however, he gave him to understand, that it was a necessary part of the argument of the "Divinę Legation, &c." to prove that the Fathers, Patriarchs, and Prophets, of the Jewish line, had a knowledge of a future state, and the redemption of mankind by the Messiah. But, unluckily, Mr. Romaine's Letter was wrote after, and transcribed from his Sermon, as should seem from several similar periods. For instance, speaking of the Parable of Dives (as he calls him, both in the Sermon and Letter) and Lazarus, p. 25, he has these words, to be found likewise in the Letter, Then there is greater evidence for this truth in the writings of Moses and the Prophets than even a message from the other world would be. Again, p. 26. Doth Moses then say that Christ was to suffer, and to arise from the Dead? And doth St. Paul affirm that he doth say so? And can any Christian, after this, doubt whether such Doctrines are really taught by Moses? And again, p. 6. Many strong and unanswerable arguments which suppose that it (a future says Shakspeare. If it was he, never was there a more execrable scoundrel, who calls down the secu Future state) is, and prove that it ought to be there (in the Law of Moses). So that, it appears, the end of writing his Letter was to avoid the imputation of being so ridiculous (as he well expresses it) as to censure what he had never seen, and to condemn what it is impossible he should yet judge of. This, he hoped, a reply to his difficulties would in some measure prevent. Accordingly, two or three hints given him in the answer to his Letter (which might have kept him from making himself ridiculous) have served this purpose, and he has produced them as common objections to his notions. P.36 he introduces one of them in this manner, But if it should be said, as it often has been, &c. Lastly, Mr. Warburton, in justice to his reverend brethren, thinks fit to declare, that he does not believe one word of what the said Mr. Romaine writes of a conversation with them on the subject of his book. He is too well acquainted with their candour and learning, to think they could ever afford an opportu nity to this benevolent gentleman to laugh at the oddness of their tempers, &c.; but takes it for granted, that this worthy man had no other meaning than to conceal his own kind intentions, under a false accusation of his brethren.' "The foregoing letter, in the hand-writing of Mr. Romaine, is to be seen at Mr. Fletcher Gyles's, bookseller, in Holborn." "The publication of the preceding epistle by Mr. Warburton, and the ensuing remarks, happened, it seems, to offend Mr. Romaine; who, a few days after, notified his resentment to the world, by a letter in the General Evening-Post for June 2-5 This is a performance that can hardly be paralleled amongst the productions of any other Clergyman; and is the properest supplement that can be to the celebrated Oxford Sermon, preached some time ago by the same Reverend Gentleman. I am persuaded, there is not one of my readers who will be of a different opinion, when he has perused it as here ensuing: To the Author of the General Evening-Post. 'SIR, As Mr. Warburton hath violated the rules of decency, by publishing, in your Paper of May 26, a private letter of mine without my leave; I think it necessary to say, that the notes upon the Letter cannot be allowed to be an answer to any thing advanced, either in the Letter or the Sermon; but were designed to take off people's attention from the points in dispute, to a personal quarrel. I have no bad opinion either of Mr. Warbur ton's capacity or learning; but he night have made a better use of them, than to think he deserved, or that I meant in earnest, those compliments in the Letter, as he did, or at least says he did. He says, he gave me some hints in his Letter, which might have hindered me from making myself ridiculous; I suppose he means by publishing my Sermon. If I should be provoked to publish his Letter to me, and my Answer to it, it would then suf lar arm upon me. Can I outlive it? If I do, it will be in mere spight, to rub another volume of the Divine Legation* in the noses of bigots and zealots." sufficiently appear who is ridiculous; but, unless necessity forces me, I shall not answer him any more in that low way which he and his Bookseller have chosen to dispute in. Whether I have answered any thing which he hath not published, may be seen from his title-page, 'The Divine Legation of Moses demonstrated from the Omission of a Future State,' and his Abridgement of the Second Volume in the Appendix to the 'Alliance.' He supposes the conversation was false: if he pleases to answer the Sermon, or to advance any thing new upon the subject, he will find that it was not false; but that there are numbers of Clergymen who understand the subject, and are ready to defend it against him.-Query, hath not Mr. Warburton recanted his whole scheme, as delivered in the Appendix to the Alliance,' and in the second proposition of the Divine Legation, in the first Paragraph of his N. B.-where he says, 'It was a necessary part of the argument of the Divine Legation, &c. to prove that the Fathers, Patriarchs, and Prophets of the Jewish Line, had a knowledge of a future state, and the redemption of mankind by the Messiah?' W. ROMAINE.' This Letter would bear a very curious and entertaining comment: nay, I doubt not but an edition of it by itself, cum notis variorum, which might fill a moderate volume, would do the Editor a great deal of honour, and abundantly recompense his trouble. He will find a noble scope for the exercise of his own genius. He may leave to others, grammatical niceties, and employ himself in descanting upon the logic of the first period; the probity and candour that shine so conspicuously in the second; the bravery and generosity that appear so eminently in the third; the sagacity and subtilty of the rest; and the uncommon modesty, notwithstanding the elegance and graces, of the whole. Much do I wish, that I had leisure and ability for so laudable an undertaking; but, as indeed I have not, I must content myself with being in a lower degree instrumental, for conveying to the world an idea of Mr. Romaine's most excellent moral as well as natural accomplishments." Mr. Jones, in his Life of Bp. Horne, says, "When the first volume of the Divine Legation was shewn to Dr. Bentley (as his son-in-law the late Bp. Cumberland told me), he looked it over, and then observed of the author to his friend, This man has a monstrous appetite, with a very bad digestion." And adds, in a note, "This was written before I had a sight of the learned Bp. Hurd's Life of Bp. Warburton, lately published, in which such sublime praises are bestowed on the Alliance,' the Divine Legation, and other works of that fanciful but very ingenious projector of unfounded theories. Though I honour the charac Mr. Cumberland, who repeats the anecdote, reads voracious. ter |