solved by the context accompanying the same expression in another. I shall beg permission, first, to ascer tain the meaning of the 3d of Ephes. v. 5; and I think we shall derive from it a light sufficient to dispel all the obscurity which envelopes the 2d of Ephes. v. 20. The apostle speaks of " the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it is Now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets." The argument here, in my view of the passage, turns upon the word Now; which plainly shews that the prophets here spoken of, could not be the prophets of the Old Testament. These are Whitby's observations on the word "prophets" in this text: "That the apostle here understands the PROPHETS of the NEW TESTAMENT, or those who in the first ages of the church received the prophetical grace, and by it understood "all mysteries," the words we uv, as it is Now revealed under the gospel to the prophets, will not suffer us to doubt." You will please to couple this with Parkhurst's instances of the second use of the words Προφητεια, Προφητεύω, Προφητης : by which it plainly appears, that persons speaking by divine inspiration, whether they foretell futurities or not, are denominated prophets in the language of scripture. The meaning of the text then will be this "As it is now revealed to his holy apostles (who are) also prophets;" and therefore the terms apostles and prophets are here referable to the same persons; and Mr. Sharp's rule holds good. Respecting the 2d Ephes. 20. " Built upon the apostles and prophets;" Whitby interprets it thus:-"the apostles (of the new) and the prophets (of the old covenant.") Here I think the venerable commentator is mistaken. The expression is nearly similar, (only a change in the case, the genitive instead of the dative) to that in the 3d Ephes. which he himself determines to relate to the same persons; it is an expression used by St. Paul, in one and the same epistle; and, moreover, if the Apostle's meaning had been what Whitby supposes it, he had in all probability written των Προφητών και Αποςohwy, placing the words more in correspondence withthe order of time. I conclude, therefore, that the meaning of the text is this," built upon the foundation of the apostles, (who are) also prophets;" and consequently Mr. Sharp's rule is strictly applicable to this as well as to the former instance. Mr. Pearson and you, Gentlemen, make allowance for some aukwardnesses in this letter, which I assure you I have not time to transcribe. June 9th, 1806. I am, Gentlemen, Yours most faithfully, A LONDON CURATE. P. S. If the meaning of the definitive article be clearly established, that of the various texts where its operation occurs will be unquestionably ascertained; and if those texts shall be adduced in favour of the Catholic doctrine of the Trinity; that doctrine will be as irrefragably supported by them, although their sense may depend upon a word of two or three letters, an article, as by a polysyllable. The meaning, not the length, of the words will settle the question. I EO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S GENTLEMEN, OBSERVED in the Morning Post of May 26th. an advertisement, from which the following is an extract: "SocIETY FOR MISSIONS TO AFRICA AND THE EAST. This society was instituted in the year 1800, by members of the ESTABLISHED CHURCH, and is conducted in strict conformity to her doctrines and discipline. Ten persons are now wholly dependent upon it, three of whom are in Africa, on a mission to the Susco nation, and three on their voyage thither, and three are under preparations at Berlin."-This accounts for nine out of the ten missionaries. I should be glad to know the names of these gentlemen, and also the places where they were educated; what proofs they have exhibited of strict conformity with the church; and, if ordained, the names of the prelates who gave them authority to preach. Is there any school connected with the established church. at Berlin? June 7, 1806. I am, Gentlemen, yours, &c. A LONDON CURATE, SCRIPTURAL FOR THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. SCRIPTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS.-No. III. Napthali is a hind let loose; he giveth goodly words. Co YOMMENTATORS have made strange work of this passage. Ainsworth and some others pretend, that the prediction relates to Barak, who was of the tribe of Napthali, and though he was destitute of courage, yet "gave goodly words," in the song which he sung after the victory, Judges, v. 1, 2, 3. This is to make things darker by interpretation with a witness; for the fact is, the song was not composed by Barak, but by Deborah, who was of the tribe of Ephraim. Besides, what has a hind to do with goodly words? The Septuagint has this translation. Napthali is like a tree, shooting out young and beautiful branches. This version is also adopted in the Chaldee paraphrase and the Arabic version. The learned Bochart, to whose authority more than ordinary respect is due, gives his assent to this reading, though he is opposed herein by Le Clerc. Our Bishop Patrick says, "As he (Jacob) had compared Judah to a lion, Issachar to an ass, and Dan to a serpent; so he compares Napthali to a hind, which is not confined within pales or walls, but runs at large whither it pleaseth; whereby is signified, that this tribe would be great lovers of liberty. He giveth goodly or pleasing words, which denotes their address to win the favour of others, and thereby preserve their peace and liberty." In support of this explanation, the learned prelate quotes the opinion of Mercer. But with all due reference to such great names, nothing can be weaker or more forced than what they have said upon the subject. It does not appear that the Napthalites were greater wanderers, or lovers of liberty, than their brethren of the other tribes; neither have we the slightest evidence of their peculiar subtilty and eloquence. All this then must be treated as assumption without proof, and the text, for any thing these writers have said upon it, is still involved in confusion. Let Let us see then whether the reading of the LXX. can be borne out by the original. The word ', here rendered a hind, signifies also an oak, plenty of which grew in the Holy Land. The verb nb signifies to shoot forth, or send out, (whence comes the literally שפרארסי,producing הנתן (;plants שלוחות word branches of spreading, i. e. wide spreading branches (Parkhurst in Voc.) so that the whole passage may be thus rendered, Napthali is a fruitful tree, producing luxuriant branches." The prediction then is no more than this, that Naphthali, though then insignificant, should be abundantly fruitful, and not only encrease into a populous tribe, but obtain a distinguished situation. This was actually the case; for though at the death of Jacob, Napthali had but four sons, yet at the Exodus, this tribe had above 50,000 men capable of bearing arms. The blessing of the same tribe by Moses, is little different in words, and nothing in sentiment from that of Jacob, Napthali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the Lord, possess thou the West and the South. Deut. xxxiii. 23. The region possessed by Naphthali was remarkably rich in corn and oil; and extended into Upper and Lower Galilee, leaving Jordan East, Asher and Zebulon West, Libanus North, and Issachar South. PSALM lviii. 4, 5. They are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely. ECCLESIASTES X. 11. Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better. The effect of music on serpents was not unknown to the antients. Virgil directly mentions it. Frigidus in pratis cantando rumpitur anguis. Edog. 8, And Silius Italicus more plainly, in his account of an Ad quorum cantus serpens oblita veneni, It is still a practice in common vogue in the East, as appears appears from the following testimonies. The author of The Conformity of the East Indians with the Jews and other antient Nations, 8vo. 1715, speaks thus: "Their inchantments, or at least such as I have had any knowlege of, have not very much in them, and extend no farther than to taking of adders, and making them dance to the music of a flute. They have several kinds of adders which they keep in baskets; these they carry from house to house, and make them dance whenever any body will give them money. When any of these reptiles get into the houses or gardens, they get these Indians to drive them out: these have the art to bring them to their feet by the sound of their flutes, and by singing certain songs, after which they take them by handfulls without receiving the least hurt." But the most particular and entertaining account of this practice is contained in the following letter written by a gentleman in the East India Company's service, dated Patna, in Bengal, September 24, 1788. One "The travelling Faquirs in this country, are a kind of superstitious devotees, who pretend to great zeal in religion, but are in fact the most vicious and profligate wretches in the world. They wander about the country here, as the gypsies do with you; and having some little smattering of physic, music, or other arts, they introduce themselves by these means wherever they go. of them called a few days ago at my house, who had a beautiful large snake in a basket, which he made rise up and dance about to the tune of a pipe on which he played. It happened, that my out-houses and farmyard had for some time been infested with snakes, which had killed several turkies, geese, ducks, fowls, and even a cow and a bullock. My servants asked this man whether he could pipe these snakes out of their holes, and catch them? He answered in the affirmative; and they carried him instantly to the place where one of the snakes had been seen. He began piping, and in a short time the snake came dancing to him: the fellow caught him by the nape of his neck, and brought him to me. As I was incredulous, I did not go to see this first operation; but as he took this reptile so expeditiously, and I still suspected some trick, I desired him to go and catch another, and went with him myself to observe his motions. He began by abusing the snake, and ordering him to come out of his hole instantly, and not be angry, other |