Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on behalf of his Majesty, has been graciously extended to these Officers, and has prevented their suffering an ignominious death. The offence of which they have been guilty, cannot, however, in a military point of view remain unnoticed. On a due consideration of all the circumstances attending this transaction, the Commander in Chief is induced to think that of all the parties concerned, the unfortunate officer who lost his life, and the yet more unfortunate one by whose hand his comrade fell, are the least culpable; they appear not to have been actuated by any personal animosity, but to have been instigated and governed by the advice of others. The Commander in Chief is greatly concerned to observe, that no such palliation can be adduced in the cases of Lieut. Dillon, Ensign Gilchrist, and Ensign O'Brien. Their interference was equally uncalled for and unnecessary, and tended not as might have been expected, to settle the trivial difference which existed between their brother officers, but to magnify its importance, and to instigate them to the measure which had led to so fatal a result. The Commander in Chief, therefore, has it in command to convey to all these officers the highest displeasure of the Prince Regent, for conduct so unmilitary and disgraceful; and to notify to them, that they are no longer officers in his Majesty's service; but his Royal Highness being disposed in this decision to attend to the distinction which appears in their conduct, and observing that Lieutenant Dillon, who, from his rank and standing in the army, ought to have set a different example, has throughout taken the most prominent part in these outrageous proceedings, and greatly influenced the conduct of Ensigns Gilchrist and O'Brien, is pleased to limit the declaration of being incapable of ever serving his Majesty in any military capacity, to Anthony Dillon, late Lieutenant in the 101st regiment. The Commander in Chief directs, that this order shall be entered in the Orderly Books, and read at the head of every regiment and corps in the service. He hopes it will prove an useful and impressive lesson to the young officers of the army, and a warning to them of the fatal consequences of allowing themselves to be misled by erroneous notions and false principles of honor; which, when rightly understood and leading to its legitimate object, is the brightest gem in the character of a soldier. By his Royal Highness the Commander in Chief's command. H. CALVERT, Adj. Gen. A GOOD SYMPTOM. WALTER FOLGER, Esq. having been found guilty of sending a challenge to Mr. A. Nesbit his son-in-law to fight a duel, the Constitutional Court at Columbia, (S. C.) lately sentenced him to pay a fine of $300, to be imprisoned two months, and to enter into a recognizance in the sum of $1,000 to keep the peace for six years. He deduces therefore, from the preceding data, and from the present price of the quartern loaf, in 1812, a rate of 7.16, 452,656 and 2,079, 432 paupers, exclusive of beggars, &c.; being an increase, since 1688, of fifteen millions seven hundred and eighty-seven thousand two hundred and ninety pounds on our Poor Rates; and, on our Paupers, of two millions sixty thousand eight hundred and four. Mr. Patrick, in his Chart of Ten Numerals in Two Hundred Languages, adds the following observations:-"Melancholy is the fact, that, if the population of Christian Europe be 180 millions; that of Christian America be 20; that of Christian Africa 3; and of Christian Asia and Tartary 10; the total is merely 213: while Pagan China, Japan, Cochin-china, and Chinese Tartary, boast of 400 millions of souls; India of 100,000,000 Heathens; and Siam, Ava, Aracan, Asam, and Nepaul, of an additional 50,000,000.” Didot, the famous French printer, lately published "a Memoir on the propererties of a new diving-machine called a Triton," by which a person may, 1. Remain in the water as long as he pleases. 2. He may descend into the water to as great a depth as the column of water displaced by his bulk permits. 3. He may use his arms and legs and body at pleasure: he may walk or labor with ease, at that depth to which he has descended. 4. He runs no hazard: he may give notice when he thinks proper to those who, on the surface attends his operations. 5. He is not enclosed in the machine, which is but small, and does not prevent his entering into fissures, or narrow clefts. 6. The sea being often dark, as Halley informs us, he may carry a lantern down with him to the depths of the sea, to enlighten the sub-marine grottoes, or the holds of vessels, into which he may have penetrated. 7. The machine is not costly. The principal novelty in this na chine is the adoption of artificial lungs, by which the difficulty hitherto found of breathing in the sea is remedied. LITERARY NOTICES. FOREIGN WORKS. EAGLAND Safe and Triumphant, or Researches into the Apocalyptic Little Book and Prophecies, connected and sychrononical; by the Rev. Frederick Thurston, M. A. 1 vol. 8vo. 17. 18. A few plain Reasons why we should believe in Christ, and adhere to his Religion; by R. Cumberland, 2s. 6d. The Wilderness and Solitary Place Glad for the Light of the Gospel; a Sermon preached at St. John's, York, for the benefit of the Bible Society; by the Rev. J. Richardson, M. A. 2s. A French Translation of Bogue's Essay on the New Testament, 2d edition. 12mo. 3s. 6d. The Savior honored in his People; Sermon before the Bedford Union; by W. Jav. 8vo. 1s. A Sketch of the Sikhs, a singular Nation, who inhabit the Provinces of the Penjah, situated between the Rivers Jumna and Indus; by Sir W. Malcolm. 8vo. 8s. 6d. An Account of the Inquisition at Goa; by S. Dellon. 8vo. 6s. The Second Annual Report of the Society for the Support of Gaelic Schools, With an Appendix respecting the present state of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, the Operations of the Committee, &c. 8vo. 1s. The Two Great Instruments appointed for the Propagation of the Gospel, and the Duty of the Christian Public to keep them both in vigorous operation. A sermon preached before the Dundee Missionary Society, on Monday, the 26th of October 1812. By the Rev. Thomas Chalmers, Kilmany. 1s. Reflections on the Unitarian and Trinitarian Doctrines; pointing out the errors of both, and explaining the true nature of the Divine Trinity; by Robert Hindmarsh, author of Letters to the late Dr. Priestly. 2s. Remarks on the 68th Psalm. Addressed more particularly to the Consideration of the House of Israel; by G. Sharp. 1s. Reasons for supporting the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, in pre Dren, at Norfolk, (Con.) the Rev. Axi R. ROBBINS, in the 52nd year of his ministry, aged 73. At Columbia, (S. C.) S. C. HAILY, Esq. late Treasurer of that state, Near Baltimore, Capt. Wм. Tona, burnt to death in the conflagration of his house. At Angelica, (N. Y.) from the fall of a tree, as he was passing along the road, JOHN MULLENDER, Esq. At Nantucket, on the 25th ult. Miss LYDIA CARTER. She was that day 18 years old, and the same evening was ap pointed for her marriage. On their passage from Hallowell to Boston, Mr. THOMAS NORRIS, aged 43, and four other persons, perished in conse quence of the packet's being overset. TO CORRESPONDENTS. A. Z. would irritate Armitiens, we fear rather than convince them. THE PANOPLIST, AND MISSIONARY MAGAZINE. No. 12. DECEMBER, (PART II.) 1813. VOL. IX. LECTURES RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS. ON THE EVIDENCES No. XVIII. For the Panoplist. ents, would be more certainly attributed to their true authors, than those of an inferior nature: It would have been more difficult for the writers of the Iliad, and the poems of Hesiod, or the books of Zoroaster and Confucius, to be concealed, than for those of an ordinary charac ter. But the Pentateuch is a work, which, throughout, discovers talents, inferior to none, hith erto found in the world. HAVING finished the observations, which I proposed to make on the several parts of Mosaic history; I will now make a few others concerning the Writer of this history; premising, however, that I shall not attempt to give a complete view of this subject. 1. It is incredible, that thuse, among whom the Pentateuch was written, and to whom, immediately, it was published, should not have known by whom it was written. For First; Books in the period of the world, to which the Pentateuch must certainly be referred, were extremely uncommon; and were, therefore, almost of necessity attributed to their true authors. There is, perhaps, not a single instance, in which a writing, sufficiently important to obtain general currency, was not ascribed to the real author. Productions of this nature were so few, and so valuable, were objects of so much distinction, and so much curiosity, as to render it almost absolutely certain, that the author would be discovered, even if he should wish to be unknown. Secondly; Books, of a very extraordinary character for talVOL. IX. Thirdly; The case would be rendered more difficult, I think I may say, impossible, when writings became peculiarly interesting to those, among whom they were published, by their nature and tendency. The Pentateuch was more interesting to the Israelites than any other work ever was to any other nation. It contained the whole history of their nation, and their municipal and ecclesiastical laws. On each of these accounts it was of importance to that people; on all of them united, of the highest conceivable importance. It ought to be observed, that each particular was preeminently interesting in its own nature. The laws were incomparably superior in their wisdom to any others, which existed; and are, even now, extensively the substance of every enlightened code. The religion was in a still higher degree distin 67 guished; both because the religions of all other nations were more weak, and wicked, than their laws; because that of the Pentateuch was believed by the Israelites to be a revelation of the will of God; and because, in the moral nature of its doctrines, and precepts, it is unquestionably the truth. The history was more flattering to this people, than any other history to any other people. It exhibited their ancestors as the friends and favorites of Jehovah; and themselves, as his chosen and peculiar people; his, in a solemn and everlasting cove nant; which, they were assured, would never be forgotten. the same time it furnished ample reasons why all this should be believed. Accordingly it was believed and without a question. Fourthly; It is impossible, that the founder of religion and of the civil society, in which it exists; and the former, and promulgator of the laws, by which that society is governed; should not be known, and remembered. At .The names of Minos, Lycargus, Draco, Solon, and Zoroaster, could not have been unknown, or forgotten, because these men sustained the characters, which I have mentioned. Accordingly, they were distinctly known b every man of common sense, who lived under the laws, by which they were framed. What was true of these men must with the same absolute necessity be known, and remembered, concerning Moses by his nation. The facts, which distinguished him as a lawgiver, the nature of the laws, and the circumstances, in which they were made, placed him, to the eyes of his country men, and of mankind, in a point of view entirely singular. The nation had been led by him out of Egypt from a state of deplorable bondage. They were conducted by a circuitous, and most difficult, route to the land of Canaan. It will be observed, that I am not now to insist upon the miracles, which professedly accompanied their journey. During their Exodus, i. e. between their escape from Egypt, and their arrival at Canaan, their laws, both civil and religious, were given, and established; because they certainly were in full operation, when they were in Canaan. The laws, also, were their only laws; the very laws, which have been recognized by the people, to whom they were given, from that period down to the present hour. Their polity, and their religion, separated them, absolutely, from all the nations of the earth; and plainly induced them to believe themselves superior to every other nation. The man, by whose wisdom, contrivance, and influence, they were thus distinguished, could neither be unknown, or forgotten. The book, in which these regulations were found, could not fail of being attributed to its true author. Fifthly; There is nothing, contained in these books, which could induce the author to conceal his man; and the manner, in which he discharged the duties of it, was such, as would gratify the highest demands of ambition, and in a singular degree fulfil those of virtue. On what possible grounds, then, can he be supposed to have concealed his name: particularly, when the composition of the book was not less favorable to his character, than the actions, which it records? 2. The Fentateuch cannot have been a forgery, written after the time of Moses, and attributed to him. Concerning this subject I ob serve First; That the books themselves are, to a great extent, especially the last of them, a direct address to those, for whom they were written, as being eye and ear witnesses of a great part of the facts, which they record. These persons are declared to have been present at the miracles, wrought in Egypt; in the Red Sea, in the wilderness, particularly at Mount Sinai; and at the entrance of Canaan. Secondly; The books declare, that the laws were given to them, and all the civil and religious institutions, which they contain. These laws and institutions were, beyond denial, the laws and institutions by which the Israelitish nation was actually governed. Of course they were introduced at some time, or other. Had the books been written after the time of Moses; the generation, during whose existence they were published, would certain ly know, that they had never been governed by such laws, and never known such institutions. The language of the books, therefore, would at every period, subsequent to the declar ed period of their introduction, bely itself, and preclude the possibility of its reception as a genuine work of Moses. Among these institutions, there were several of so obvious and extraordinary, a nature, that all men must have known whether they had been observed by them, or not. Such are circumcision, the passover, the Sabbath, the national fast and thanksgiving, and various others. It is impossible, that the time, when these were instituted, should not be known. But they are all declared in the Pentateuch to have been in existence, antecedently to the entrance of the Israelites into Canaan. That the book, which, at any date after this event, first declared their institution, particularly a book, written in this manner, should be received, as the work of Mo ses, is impossible. Thirdly; The respect, in which Moses was uniformly held by his nation, would make any attempt to foist upon them a work, as his, particularly, a work of such public, and supreme, importance, in the highest degree difficult; not to say impracticable. Whatever was claimed to be the work of Moses would certainly awaken the most thorough investigation, and for its reception demand the highest supposable evidence. Most men, to say the least, would have been unsatisfied, and incredulous, without such evidence. Their disbelief could not but be known; and would descend to those, who came after them. But the truth is, all would have disbelieved them. Fourthly; These laws, whenever introduced, must have been contrary to those, which were in existence previously to their ing |