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him with being a Poly gamut and a Materialist : As tfy Voljgtrtxy he shotild have remembered that in these latter tmtes it has had for its chief and mbst zealous advocate an evangelical clergyman , th ^ f- Re v * . Martin Mad an , of the Lock Hospital , who , however , unwis@ifss * proposed it as a remedy for what he deemed the worse
evil of prostitution . Materialism has been maintained with ability by the father of the late Lord Ellenborough , Div Edmund Law , Bishop of Carlisle , and by Archdeapon Blackburne , ike brightest ornaments of the Church of England . Apart from revelation , Ma terialism is the cheerless tenet of
infidelity . But eminent writers , including even Luther , have contended for it with the sole view of giving its full value to the resurrection , which fe the great doctrine of the New
Testament , and thus enhancing * our obligations to Jesus Christ who hath brought life and immortality to light i It is , however , a grievous thing that a Christian brother cannot differ from
another without having disparaging motives imputed to him . On reviewing the work of Milton , the Congregational critic intimates a defect of nature , averring , that he was fallen into his dotage ; whilst the Evangelical animadverter , acknowledging that
the work fell from his pen at a period when " his judgment must have reached its utmost maturity , " will have it that it is a defect of grace , the want of humility . Coupled with a laudatory concluding paragraph , the whole shall be transcribed : it is a theological curiosity :
€€ We conclude our present remarks by informing our readers , that although there is a host of errors in the volume before us , it has nevertheless some claims on the lovers of biblical knowledge . It is marked throughout , and where the reasoning is perverse ,
by a very decided appeal to the Sacred Oracles . If the proofs selected from the Holy Scriptures are not always pertinent , they are at least exceedingly numerous , and shew that the distinguished author had not relinquished in the progress of his speculation a profound deference for the word of God !
In some parts of the work , too , we have discovered passages of transcendant energy and pathos which would
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bear comparison with the very richest of his cmnipositibns . ' Ih dtising / lhe voluro 6 ' , however , out prevaii& giiB . pressiona are those of Jbittersqfctiavv and regret . Would that Milton had felt more hum bly , and then doubtless would h& have thought and \ yWt&m
more correctly . " The commendatory parts qi this paragraph respecting the scriptural comj ) leetibn of Ihe woA , have been wrung from the ' witer In spite of Ms own narrow system qf faith , which , dictatirlff tlie last sentence , shews howavyfully it has blinded his understanding , ana indurated Ins heart with bigotry ! The best reply
to the truly antichristian insinuation qfthe j £ sviewer , is tlie closing paragraph of the incomparable Prefatory Address of Ms work , entitled , " John Milton , to all the churches of Christ , and to all who profess the Christian faith throughout the world , peace and the recognition of the truth , and eternal salvation in God the Father and in
our Lord . Jesus Christ . ' His words are these : For my own part 1 adhere to the Holy Scriptures alone . I follow no other heresy or sect . I had not even read any of the works of heretics , so called , when the mistakes of those who are reckoned orthodox and their
incautious handling of Scripture first taught me to agree with their opponents whenever those opponents agreed with Scripture . If thjs be heresy , I confess with St . Paul , Acts xxiv . 14 , that after the way which they call heresy so worship I the . God of my
fathers , believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets , to which I add , whatever is written in the New Testament . Any other judges or chief interpreters of the Christian belief , together with all implicit faith as it is called , I in common with the whole Protestant
Church refuse to recognize . For the rest , brethren , cultivate truth with brotherly love . Judge of my present undertaking according to the admonishing of the Spirit of God , and
neither adopt my sentiments nor reject them unless every doubt has been . removed from your belief by the clear testimony of revelation . Finally , Hve in the faith of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ . Farewell . " A few words more respecting this work of the author of Paradise Lv ^ r
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7 * 3 On Milton ' s New Wovk ,
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1825, page 712, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2543/page/8/
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