NOTICES.

PROSECUTION FOR LIBEL.-Our Readers have collected, from a former Notice, the fact of actions having been commenced by Mr. Rice, curate of St. Luke's, against the Printer of this Work, and the Author of the article entitled "Dissenters'

Marriages," for an imputed Libel contained in that article. When the information was made to us that some portion of the article, as far as regarded Dr. Rice, was deemed by him to be false and unfounded, the Solicitors of the parties made an immediate offer to insert any contradiction signed by Dr. Rice, of any imputation, but which Dr. Rice declined to write; and requiring that it should be explained by the Author or the Printer of the Article.

The declarations in the cause, from which a knowledge of the passage or passages eharged as libelous could alone be collected, having been delivered since the publication of our last Number, we learn that the proceedings are directed against some observations in a note affixed to the Article entitled Dissenters' Marriages; in which allusion is made to the neglect of certain canons of the church, as the common practice of clergymen. Dr. Rice, we are sorry to find by his declarations, considered that the article in question imputed to him that he "had given himself to drink and riotspending his time idly by day and by night-playing at dice, cards, tables, and "other unlawful games," and that " he had been guilty of resorting to a tavern or "ale-house." A love of truth and sense of duty, however, lead the Author and Printer of the article to declare most unequivocally their conviction that the construction put by Dr. Rice, upon the remarks in question, is not borne out by the actual circumstances of the case; as the Author never meant to attribute to Dr. Rice, and, in fact, never did attribute to him, that he gave himself to drinking, to playing at dice, cards, &c. and he has found upon inquiry that Dr. Rice is certainly not in the habit of frequenting any house of public entertainment, and, therefore, he has no hesitation in availing himself of the first opportunity offered him of utterly disavowing the application of the observation to Dr. Rice, and in such sentiments the Printer and ourselves most cordially concur.

The COMMUNICATION on the subject of the QUAKERS has been received-any farther facts from the same writer, who appears well versed in the operations of the Inward light on the other side of the Atlantic, will be useful, provided they are well authenticated.

The CHRISTIAN MORALIST is highly creditable to the feelings of the writer -our apprehension is, that we cannot devote sufficient room to the effusions of his Muse-it is at present under consideration.

"OBSERVATOR's" proposal, however well meant, does not accord with our views of duty or utility.

THE following Subjects are appointed by the Church of God, for the instruction of the Public on the Sunday Mornings, at their Meeting-house, Crescent, Jewin Street, Aldersgate Street.Time of commencing 11 o'Clock PRECISELY.

1824

Jan. 4.-Christianity-its power and simplicity.

Jan. 11.-An Exposure of the Work entitled-" Not Paul but Jesus."

Jan. 18.—Same subject continued.

Jan. 25.-The Characters of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Paul; with a view to shew the fitness of each for the office he had to fulfil, and the uniformity of plan which prevailed in the dispensations of the Deity, of which they were the appointed

instruments.

Feb. 1.-The character and attributes of Deity-the doctrines of the scriptures on this subject compared with the works

of nature.

Feb. 8.-An inquiry into the truth of the position — that Christianity is part and parcel of the law of the land.”

Feb. 15.-The doctrine of the Atonement in connectionfirstly, with the alleged Fall of Man-secondly, with the nature of Sacrifice.

Feb. 22.-Unitarianism not Christianity.

Feb. 29.-An address to Youth-founded upon the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Mar. 7.-The Priesthood of modern times-(established and dissenting)—an inquiry into its authority from the institution of the Jewish Priesthood, and from the example of Jesus and his Apostles.

Mar. 14.—Deism and Atheism-their causes and tendency. Mar. 21.-"The Lord's Supper."

Mar. 28. The Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England and the Eighty-two Questions of the Bishop of Peterborough examined.

II. Hetherington, Printer, 13, Kingsgate Street, Holborn.

THE

FREETHINKING

CHRISTIANS'

QUARTERLY REGISTER.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE FALL OF MAN
DISPROVED,

By an Explanation of the early part of the Book of Genesis

IN

ESSAY III.

N the former Essay (p. 1) we have seen our first parents dismissed from their school of instruction, called paradise, and placed in that world which was to be peopled and cultivated by an innumerable race descending from this one pair; and where all those lessons which that pair had learned in the garden of Eden were to be called into action, and all their powers and faculties matured by difficulties and experience. Let us now take a retrospective view of the short-the simple, but beautiful and instructive narrative which we have been explaining; a narrative which, in the brief space of three chapters, comprises, with respect to our globe and all that inhabit, or belong to it (man excepted), most probably the history of ages; and which, with regard to man himself, evidently embraces many years, But, in order to have a clear conception of the interest and beauty of this narrative, it will be, first, necessary to characterize the two being s that form the leading features of the story,

viz. God the creator, and man the creature; of each of whom we may, indeed, say with the Poet

"And first of God above, or man below,

What can we reason but from what we know?"

Or rather, from what our senses and experience teachor Deity condescends to communicate to us.

First, then, of God-all his works all our experience— all his communications to mankind-proclaim him to be infinitely wise, powerful, and good; they teach us that he is "the Lord, gracious and merciful;" that "he is good to all;" that "his tender mercies are over all his works;" that he is the bountiful protector and preserver of man, of the brute tribe, and of all the creatures that he has made; that he is a being who has left nothing to chance or contingency; that, at once in the physical and the moral world, every event, whether we call it good or evil, is the result of foreknowledge on his part, of design and pre-ordination; that every thing is so arranged, and bound round with proper circumstances, as to fulfil all his pleasure and accomplish all his purposes; and that all his plans and dispensations are marked by wisdom, mercy, and benevolence. With these exalted and just views of the character of our beneficent Creator, we have a solid ground to rest upon; a criterion by which to try a clue by which to trace out and solve every apparent difficulty; and however, to us short-sighted mortals, any thing may appear obscure or difficult, we may rest assured that it must and will all correspond with the attributes thus ascribed to Deity; redound to his glory, and promote, either immediately or ultimately, the good and happiness of the creatures he has formed. Impressed with these sublime views, the apostle Paul, when contemplating the weakness, the sinfulness, and the sufferings of mankind, consoles himself and others by telling us (Rom. viii. 20) that the whole creation was made subject to vanity," (imperfection) not willingly," (or of choice on the part of the creature)" but by reason of Him," (the creator) who" (for wise and gracious purposes) hath subjected the same in HOPE; that the whole creation also" (as well as the first fruits) shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption" (and be brought) "into the glorious liberty of the children of God." And when he would encourage those who believed in Jesus, and who were exposed to suffering and death on that account, reasoning

from the previous conduct of God towards his creatures, and especially towards those whom he had selected for his especial purpose, as instruments to bring about his great design of good to all-such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the Jewish People, and others, recorded in the sacred scriptures-reasoning from these cases, he concludes -and "we know" (by this history) "that all things work "together for good to those that love God, to THOSE WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE; for "whom he did foreknow," (or fore-acknowledge in times that are past) "he also did predestinate;" (bind round with circumstances)" and moreover, whom he did predestinate, "them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." That is to say, those whom he foreknew, as fitted for his purpose, he so placed them-arranged, ordered, and surrounded them with circumstances that they should, in spite of all difficulties, be fitted for and accomplish the purposes for which he had originally selected them.

This great and glorious view of the character of Deity it is which must form the clue to our inquiry as to his conduct toward our first parents; and, in every respect, we shall find that it precisely accords and corresponds therewith, This wise, this gracious Being it was that formed this beauteous world-that brought it out from a dark and desolate mass of matter, clothed it with verdure, adorned it with trees and fruits and flowers, and made it a fit habitation for the creatures he intended to form and place upon it. Well may we adopt the language of one of our early poets

"I love (I have some cause to love) the earth;
She is my Maker's creature-therefore good:
She is my mother-for she gave me birth;

She is my tender nurse-she gives me food."

Of birds, beasts, fishes, reptiles, and every creeping thing-perfect with an unerring instinct from the firstneeding no culture, improvement, or moral discipline, but amply furnished with every means necessary for enjoyment of existence, self-preservation, and the perpetuation of their species; of these we hear no more; that we should do so was not necessary; they were a finished work, for them their creator had done all which their nature required; man alone seemed now the object of his providence; and why? because he alone, of all the creatures God had made, stood

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