tion to Newton, and afterwards Sir, Bofton, Sept. 14, 1804. ANTHOLOGY. to Leibnitz. Name occafionally To THE EDITOR OF THE MONTHLY the authors of all new discoveries. Let your journal be a faithful register of the glory of great men. In expofing opinions, in fupporting, in combating them, carefully avoid injurious expreffions, which irritate an author, and frequently a whole nation, without enlightening any Nothing of animofity, nothing of irony. What would you fay of an advocate-general, who, in fumming up a caufe, fhould outrage, by poignant expreffions, the party whom he condemns? The office one. of a journaliit is not fo refpectable, but his duty is almoft the fame. You do not believe in preestablished harmony, muft you, on that account, decry Leibnitz ? Will you infult Locke, becaufe he believes God fufficiently power ful to communicate, if he will, thought to matter? Do you not believe that God, who has created all things, can render this matter and this faculty of think ing eternal? That if he has created our fouls, he has alfo the power to create millions of beings different from matter and from foul? That thus the fentiment of Locke is relpectful to the Divinity, without being dangerous to men? If Bayle, who knew much, has doubted much, remember that he has never doubted of the neceflity of being an honeit man. Be alfo honeft, and imitate not thofe little minds, who, by vile abufe, outrage an illuftrious fhade, whom they would not have dared to attack, during his life. IN looking over the Gentleman's Magazine for June 1791, I found the following dialogue, faid to have happened between the memorable Dr. Johnfon and Mrs Knowles. I believe it has appeared of late in some of the weekly papers in the Commonwealth; but I have a particular with that you would preferve it in your pleafing collection, and publish it with the introductory remarks, as made in the abovementioned Magazine. Yours, &c. Mr. Urban, BOOK-WORM. Knowles, with the perufal of the AN INTERESTING DIALOGUE BE- Mrs. K. Thy friend Jenny Hd fends her kinds refpects to thee, Doctor. Dr. J. To me !--tell me not of her! I hate the odious wench for her apoftacy and it is you, madam, who have feduced her from the Chriftian religion. Mrs. K. This is a heavy charge, indeed. I muft beg leave to be heard in my own defence : and I entreat the attention of the prefent learned and candid company, defiring they will judge how far I am able to clear myself of fo cruel an accufation. Dr. J. (much diflurbed at this unexpected challenge faid,) You are a woman, and I give you quar ter. Mrs. K. I will not take quarter. There is no fex in fouls; and in the prefent caufe I fear not even Dr. Johnson himself, ("Bravo!" was repeated by the company, and filence enfued.) Dr. J. Well then, madam, I perfift in my charge, that you have feduced Mifs H---- from the christian religion. Mrs. K. If thou really knewest what were the principles of the Friends, thou wouldst not fay fhe had departed from chriftianity. But, waving that difcuffion for the prefent, I will take the liberty to obferve, that fhe had an undoubted right to examine and to change her educational tenets whenever he fuppofed fhe had found them erroneous: as an accountable creature, it was her duty fo to do. Dr. J. Phaw! pfhaw-an accountable creature !-girls accountable creatures!-It was her duty to remain with the Church wherein he was educated; fhe had no bufinefs to leave it. Mrs. K. What! not for that which he apprehended to be better ? According to this rule, Doctor, hadst thou been born in Turkey, it had been thy duty to have remained a Mahometan, notwithstanding Chriftian evidence might have wrought in thy mind. the cleareft conviction; and, if fo, then, let me afk, how would thy confcience have answered for great and fuch obftinacy at the laft tribunal ? Dr. 7. My confcience would not have been anfwerable. Mrs. K. Whofe then would? Dr. J. Why the State, to be fure. In adhering to the religion of the ftate, as by law eftablished, our implicit obedience therein becomes our duty. Mrs. K. A nation, or flate, having a confcience, is a doctrine entirely new to me, and, indeed, a very curious piece of intelligence; for I have always undertood that a government, or state, is a creature of time only; beyond which it diffolves, and becomes a nonentity. Now, gentlemen, can your imaginations body forth this monftrous individual, or being, called a state, compofed of millions of people? Can you behold it stalking forth into the next world, loaded with its mighty conscience, there to be rewarded, or punifhed, for the faith, opinions, and conduct of its conftituent machines called men? Surely the teeming brain of poetry never held up to the fancy fo wondrous a perfonage! (When the laugh occafioned by this perfonification was fubfided, the Doctor very angrily replied,) I regard not what you fay as to that matter. I hate the arrogance of the wench, in fuppofing herfelf a more competent judge of religion than thofe who educated her. She imitated you, no doubt; but fhe ought not to have prefumed to determine for herself in fo important an affair. Mrs. K. True, Doctor, I grant it, if, as thou feemeft to imply, a wench of 20 years be not a moral agent. Dr. J. I doubt it would be difficult to prove thofe deferve that character who turn Quakers. Mrs. K. This fevere retort, Doctor, induces me charitably to hope that thou must be totally unacquainted with the principles of the people against whom thou art fo exceedingly prejudiced, and that thou fuppofeft us a fet of Infidels or Deifts. Dr. 7. Certainly I do think you little better than Deifts. Mrs. K. This is indeed flrange; 'tis paffing ftrange, that a man of fuch univerfal reading and refearch has not thought it at leaft expedient to look into the caufe of diffent of a fociety fo long eftablifhed, and fo confpicuously fingular! Dr. 7. Not I, indeed! I have not read your Barclay's Apology; and for this plain reafon-I never thought it worth my while. You are upstart fectaries, perhaps the beft fubdued by a filent contempt. Mrs. K. This reminds me of the language of the Rabbies of old, when their hierachy was alarmed by the increafing influence, force, and fimplicity of dawning truth,in their high day of worldly dominion. We meekly truft, our principles ftand on the fame folid foundation of fimple truth, and we invite the acuteft investigation. The reafon thou giveft for not having read Barclay's Apology is furely a very improper one for a man whom the world looks up to as a moral philofopher of the first rank; a teacher from whom they think they have a right to expect much information. To this expecting, inquiring world, how can Dr. Johnfon acquit himself for remaining un acquainted with a book tranflated into five or fix different languages, and which has been admitted into the libraries of almost every Court and Univerfity in Chriftendom! (Here the Dodor grew very angry, ftill more fo at the space of time the gentlemen infifted on allowing his antagonist wherein to make her defence, and his impatience excited one of the company, in a whisper, to fay, "I never faw this mighty lion fo chafed before !") The Dodor again repeated, that he did not think the Quakers deferved the name of christians. Mrs. K. Give me leave then to endeavour to convince thee of thy error, which I will do by making before thee, and this refpectable company, a confeffion of our faith. Creeds, or confeffions of faith, are admitted by all to be the ftandard whereby we judge of every denomination of profeffors. (To this, every one prefent agreed; and even the Doctor grumbled out his affent.) Mrs. K. Well then, I take upon me to declare, that the people called Quakers do verily believe in the Holy Scriptures, and rejoice with the most full and reverential acceptance of the divine hiftory of facts, as recorded in the New Teftament. That we, confequently, fully believe thofe historical articles fummed up in what is called The Apoftle's Creed, with these two exceptions only, to wit, our Saviour's defcent into hell, and the refurrection of the body. Thefe mysteries we humbly leave juft as they ftand in the holy text, there being, from that ground, no authority for fuch affertion as is drawn up THE MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY. in the Creed. And now, Doctor, Dr. J. Well!-I must own I Mrs. K. I hope, Doctor, thou wilt not remain unforgiving; and that you will renew your friendship, and joyfully meet at Dr. J. Meet her! I never (This farcaftick turn of wit was fo pleasantly received, that the Doctor joined in the laugh; his Spleen was diffipated; he took his coffee, and became, for the remainder of the evening, very cheerful and entertaining.) BIOGRAPHIA AMERICANA ; OR MEMOIRS OF PROFESSIONAL, LEARNED, OR DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS IN [Continued from p. 460.] Communications for this article will be extremely acceptable to the Editor. III. "PATRICK HENRY, of Virginia," (see Month. Anth. Vol. I. p. 459. art. 3. Biog. Amer.)" oppofed, with the utmoft of his abilities, the conftitution of the United States, as fubmitted to the ftate convention, because he thought it defective in Some parts. The moment however it was adopted by a majority of his countrymen, he, like a good citizen, and a man of a great and magnanimous mind, most peaceably, and quietly acquiefced. At the then enfuing affembly, he propofed, and readily carried, certain amendments to be added to the constitution: they were added, being approved by a majority of the ftates, as provided for by the conftitution. Soon after this he took, in the circuit court of the · United States, the oath to fupport the constitution thereof. His liberal and noble deportment, on that important day, which gave VOL. I. No. 11. Ooo the affent of Virginia to the con- IV. THOMAS CHITTENDEN. "TO preserve from oblivion fuch characters as have been eminently useful to fociety, ought to be the bufiness of a biographer. And we fhould be happy if the limits we are reftricted to in the prefent effay, did not too narrowly circumfcribe us in our attempt to draw the outlines of the character of our late governour-we hope fome abler pencil will add all the fine ftrokes to the portrait which it juftly merits; and when newfpaper-paragraphs fhall be forgotten, the impartial page of hiftory fhall place his honoured name among the lift of heroes, philofophers, and ftatefmen, who adorned the American revolution, and dignified human nature. eafy for us to keep clear of the rocks and quickfands to which fhe may be expofed; or to preferve her fafe, in tempeftuous feafons. Let us not, then, add to our danger, by bickerings or jealoufies among ourselves; but join hand in hand with our brethren of the other states, to keep the national veffel right, and to use our utmost endeavours to make her more perfect, in the way pointed out by the workmen, from whofe hands we have received her. But to drop the allegory, my friends, 1 have oppofed the conftitution from a confcious fenfe of duty, I may be wrong in thinking it, too defective for our happiness and welfare. I hope and truft in God, it will be proved that I am wrong. Men whom I know to poffefs great Thomas Chittenden defcended talents and publick virtue, have from a refpectable family, who differed from me on this import- were among the first settlers in ant occafion. It has been ably, the then colony of New-Haven. fully, and fairly difcuffed. A His mother was fifter to the majority of our countrymen, late Rev. Dr. Johnson, father to having equal interefts and equal prefident Johnfon, of Columbia ftakes with ourfelves, have thought College, New-York. it their duty to accept of the inftrument. It therefore becomes our duty, as we value the characters of orderly, good citizens, and as true republicans, to acquiefce and fubmit to a decifion fo legally and so fairly taken.For my part, I mean not to complain of the defeat we have fuftained; but on the contrary, I will go home, and ufe my poor influence in fupprefling every thing like difcontent, whenfoever I fhall fee it appear: truiting that thofe amendments which I deem neceffary to the inflrument, will be obtained." N.H. Ora. He was born at East Guilford, ftate of Connecticut, in the year 1730, and received a common fchool education in his nativė town, which in thofe times was but indifferent. Agreeably to the custom of New-England, he married early in life, viz. when in his 20th year, into a reputable family by the name of Meigs, and removed with his young fpoufe to Salisbury, in the county of Litchfield. Here, as he advanced in years his opening worth attracted publick attention, and by a regular advance he paffed through the feveral grades in the militia, t● |