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faave treen n sincere Ouristiaa ( jr ^ 145 , B 0 te > : it might mend his charity if he would condescend to read tki * wri ^ tor ' s eloquent letter to Mr . Venn , on €€ - evangelical * defamation . ( Works , S * o . I . ^ 21 , &e . ) With very censurable neglect , to say the least , this anonymous eritie quotes a passage from
one of MkfcUefcon ' s ** private letters /' ttt order to disgrace him , without referring to any publication , or in any other manner authenticating the quotation . Supposing it to be genuine ,
it does reflect discredit upon Middleto ** , but bow many other dignified clergymen Have there been * and are there , at whose Christian integrity it virtually glances ! The Editor ' s remark is as follows :
* Lady Hervey would probably not have thought so highly of him if she had known that he had subscribed the Thirtynine Articles politically , merely to obtain the Jiring of Hascombe * although he was if * affluent circumstances , whieh ought to
have put him abore such deplorable meanness . His avowal , too , of this act In one of his private letters is almost as shameless as the act itself : ' Though there are many thiugs in the Church which I wholly dislike , yet , while I am
content to acquiesce in the ill , I should be glad to taste a little of the good , and to Save ^ scrmc amends for the ugly assent and consent , which no man of sense can approve * ' The spirit of a philosopher , forsooth r—P . 60 , 61 , Note ,
Mr . Morris appears , from one of the Letters , to have recommended to his distinguished correspondent , one qf the works of Dr . Jnines Foster . She replies , that she has not so great an opinion of him as . Mr . Morris
ex-Brasses ; and adds , most unwarraetabAy , " 1 believe he is a man of parts , bat , with © 11 life Preshyterian sanctity , as mttcsh a man of the world as any o » e . " ( Pp . 151 , 152 . ) Never was e&aracter more mistaken , for if there
weiytt any two features of " modest FoaterV' character more striking than toy others ^ t ^ ey were his fre edom firttra aty professional u and sectarian affectation * and his disinterestedness .
, 0 H * a Dift&guting minister is , we ap * prehtfid * always regarded by persons m high life , aa a person to be either JMUUftpfteted w pitied . The orthodox Editor rays , "has workfi are nomrnear ly forgotten /'—this , » somewhat . tod
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much , for we aj ^ rehend , iln ^ ml the exception of the Calvinratic p ^ the clergy have not yet left off pt ^ hag Foster . His Sertfcons , ^ ve » fearlessly , are entitled to a perma ^ place in that class of English litera ture ; and will , we predict , keep it , notwithstanding his having been " a Oissentins rmnister /*
Lady Herver * s own religion vra » of a very doubtful khuL Sfee explaaft it thus : " I will think as I can , fo . iieve as I must , do as little hurt ^ j « J as much good as I nm able , and take my chance for the consequences . " ( P , 5 / . ) On this subject , she writes from Paris , Jan . 5 , 1751 , a characteristic
anecdote : < c I was , a few days ago , agreeably entertained by meeting , at a third place , a very deep , acute , determined Defet , who undertook me aod a very sensible , cautious Abbe ; after arguing , twisting
and turning about our several arguments very cleverly , and shewing what he called our different , but continued inconsistencies , he very dexterously turned us upon one another ; ridiculed both our tenets ; and ended by saying , my antagonist the Abb £ was determined to belietfe more than
he could ; and that I was ready to giw up as much as I dared - I wish you had been there to have heard it all , and to have assisted me ; for I own I sometimes it
wanted it . Altog ^ tfyer * very agreeable and very entertaining , as there was warmth enough on all sides to keep up . a spirit , and not beat enough to produce any ill-humour . "—P . 184 .
The uncertainty of Lady Herref * mind upon religion , left her a frequent gre y to apprehension ajid melancuoljr . he grows sad as she grows old . fa 1748 , she writes , "There is , nothiag wanting to ray present happiness but the thoughts of it * continuance ; but the knowing how short it « duratten will be , is * ( the italics are copied )
"the cruel something * tfhat corrvd ** and leaven * all the rest / 3 ( P . 138 . ) In 1767 , —* I find a feffe after ataf but a burthensome affair , &c . W one can do is to suffer life ; to # 4 V it is impossible . This ia a * bad If * pect , " &c . ( P . 327 . ) Again , —" '" ** w a cruel difference befr&eea fw * and age /' fioc . ( P . 328 /) Andi » j » £ Ak « letter , daied JWtot 82 , 1 T ^ MR dial tM ^ 4 ti € S ^ ember fottov&M she speaks miserabl y coneerm »| f * *'
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104 Revidte ^ L&ters of Murp htpei , IA £ y Hervty
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1822, page 104, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2509/page/40/
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