the unwary ought not to be expofed to the mifchievous effects of fuch publications *."-No man had a greater regard for fober and rational liberty: but he reflected with forrow; that the children of this world are often in their generation not only wifer than the children of light, but alfo more active and induftrious:-He faw that the wicked and defigning laid fuccefsful fnares for young, inexperienced and artlefs minds, and that the enemy was affiduous in fowing tares,-from the pulpit,-from the prefs,-and in converfation; whilft thofe, who were commiffioned to watch, were frequently either afleep, or neglectful, or even maintaining that the adverfary had a natural right to do all the mischief he could.-But, however defperate may appear the cure of certain difeafed individuals, it will not thence follow that we ought not to warn the public of the contagious nature of the malady. For, the romantic and vifionary theories of modern difcontented demagogues, refpecting the authority of the multitude or of majorities,-particularly, when the feditious and inflammatory drefs, in which they are often prefented to the public eye, is taken into the account,-ought, really, both in civil and in religious concerns, to be confidered as the irrational, infectious, productions of diftempered intellect. A CONFUTATION of them is by far too refpectable a term: They are to be expofed: Their mifchievous tendency is to be exhibited: The public caution is to be excited. A contagion is spreading; and falutary preventives are called for.-On fuch occafions recourfe fhould be had to the very beft expedients for preferving the intellectual health of the community; and in this view, perhaps, no expedient will be found more effectual than to direct the labours • Milner's Hiftory, Vol. ii. p. 234. ↑ Luke xvi. 8. labours of the closet to the detection of the detestable arts of pofitive and unequivocal mifreprefentation;-which, in feafons of this kind, abound much more than is ufually imagined.This expedient, as it is moft honourable in its principle, and powerful in its operative confequences, will have large claims on the gratitude of the public, who, doubtlefs, in future will mark the prefumptuous zealots, who have impofed on their credulity: and, furely, it may also be added, that this fame expedient will be moft likely to reclaim young profelytes in Jacobinism, whether in civil or in religious politics, when they have been inftructed to perceive that their judg ments were warped, or their paffions heated by abfolute impofitions. §14. It is not without defign, that the Editor, in the preceding paragraph, ufes the words pofitive and unequivocal mifreprefentation;-for first, they are the mildeft and the leaft offenfive terms, that occur to him, to denote the criminality of a writer, who dares to mifquote his adverfary, both in the words, and in the meaning of particular fentences: -And, fecondly, they diftinguish the fingle, welldefined offence of quoting exprefsly words, which were never fo used, either literally or fubftantially, from all others, which may be included under the vague and general term of mifrepresentation. -It is mifreprefentation in this precife way and degree, that forms the complaint of the Editor. §15. The diftinction between the two species of mifrepresentation is important, and ought to be well impreffed on the memory. In vague and general mifreprefentations of perfons or things a reader of any caution or experience, C 3 before before he furrenders his affent, reflects whether the reafons adduced by his author, juftify the ftrong. conclufions he has drawn; and if they be found deficient for the purpose, he, at least, fufpends his judgment, and, perhaps, harbours fufpicions of heat, of party or of prejudice, which lead to a nicer investigation of the truth:-But when the mifreprefentation is fpecific, and pofitive; as, for example, when it is affirmed that an adverfary has ufed certain individual words, or, that he has advanced a particular determinate propofition; and thefe affèrtions prove not to be true, there are few readers indeed who may not be impofed on by fuch controverfial intrepidity as this; there are few indeed, who will fufpect, that fuch pofitive declarations do really conceal and imply a want of veracity. In this way much error and delufion may be propagated without fufpicion; and much mifchief done before detection can take place: Few people will take the trouble to look at originals, fo long as it is thought impoffible that they fhould be miftated. Thus, many profelytes may owe their converfion to proceedings of this fort; and men may become vehement advocates, or intemperate opponents all their lives after; and they may die without ever knowing that the magic fentences, which firft biafled their judgments, or inflamed their paffions, were, in the ftricteft fenfe, pofitive and unequivocal mifreprefentations. 16. The force of the Editor's accufation confifts in this, that whenever fentences or paragraphs are produced from any writer in the way in which Dr. H. has produced them from Mr. M., the Reader expects that the lines marked with inverted commas fhould be precifely the words, which are used in the place referred to. -It is a very infufficient defence of mifquotation to urge, that the MEANING of the paffages will, on examination, be found fubftantially the fame; and it is no defence at all to endeavour to fhew that fuch MUST be an author's meaning from his context, or from other parts of his writings. This laft is a very good rule in the interpretation of ambiguous or mifconftrued paffages; when, to find out and fix fome meaning is the declared object of the writer; but it is totally inadmiffible in direct and pofitive citations.-In thefe, the very words fhould be ftrictly adhered to; as it is no uncommon thing for fentences or paragraphs, which on the first reading were thought intelligible and plain, to become doubtful and obfcure, by being conftrued differently by different perfons, and even by the fame perfons at different times.-By thefe and fimilar reafons, the Editor is convinced that his friends reafoned wifely in advifing him to place upon its true footing the credit and reputation of Dr. H. as a controverfial writer.-On no foundation whatever, folid or fandy, can he build an excufe for his mifquotations.-They are not the words of the author: They are not the meaning of the fentences in point: Nor, laftly, are they the author's general fentiments;-though if they were, that circumftance would be no apology for erroneous citations. This charge is the heavier, because the subject is important, the publication recent-and Dr. H. made the attack. § 17. In the opinion of the Editor Dr. H.'s book abounds with GROSS mifreprefentations of the GENERAL and indeterminate fpecies, as well as with those which have been called pofitive and unequivocal, becaufe limited to the particular words and meanings as quoted from authors; but he by no means indulges the vain hope that any thing he could urge would produce in that writer's mind a conviction either of intemperate expreffion or of erroneous judgment.-There are no scales or measures to adjuft and fettle fuch queftions as thefe: and as nothing but fcales or measures can be effective, where there is not fomething of a difpaffionate fpirit, which investigates prudently, concedes candidly, and determines impartially, the difputed pofitions would, doubtless, remain exactly where they were, as far as Dr. H. and Mr. M. and the Editor are concerned. Dr. H. would ftill truft that he had left them "no longer involved in difficulties:" and the Editor would expect to hear the fame clamour and outcry concerning perfecution and the right of private judgment: In all fuch cafes, therefore, it must be left to a judicious public to decide from the refpective characters of the authors, and from a collective view of their performances,-who has moft deserved their praife,-who has most laboured in the cause of truth and piety,-who has most displayed the mild tempers and graces of the Christian;-and laftly, who has taken by the hand the diligent enquiring ftudent, and conducted him through thorny and pathless regions with honefty, ability, and difcretion; and who has bewildered and confounded the fame, by defpifing faithful guides, encouraging rafh projects, and furnishing treacherous information. The Editor is well aware that mifreprefentations, in the loofe, indeterminate and extended ufe of that term, are both hard to avoid and hard to prove: Charges alfo of this nature are eafily made, and eafily defended: on all fides See Dr. H.'s Vol. i. p. 378. there |