2799.) _ 
patience to the repofe of the Deity after 
fix days labour, to the rib of Adam, the 
garden of Eden, the trees of life and of 
knowledge, the {peaking ferpent, the for- 
Bidden fruit, and the condemnation pro- 
nounced againft human kind, for the ve- 
nial offence of their firft progenitors. The + 
god of Iirael was impioutly reprefented by 
the Gnoftics, as a being liable to paffion 
and to error, capricious in his favour, im- 
placable in his refentment, mean'y jealous 
of his fuperftitious worfhip, and confining 
is partial providence to a fingle people, 
and to this tranfitory life. 
raster they could difcover none. of thofe 
features of the wife and omnipotent Father 
of the univerfe. - They allowed that the 
religion of the fews was fomewhat lef{s cri- 
minal than the idolatry of the Gentiles ; 
but it was their fundamental doétrine, that 
the Chrift, whom they adored as the firft 
and brighteft emanation of the Deity, ap- 
peared on earth to refcue mankind from 
their various errors, and to reveal a weau 
fyftem of truth and perfection. The moft 
learned of the Fathers, by a very fingular 
condefcenfion, have imprudently admitted 
the fophiftry of the Gnoftics.”” 
In all this account, no charge occurs. of 
immoral opinions; on the contrary, the 
puritanic features of a primitive {ect ~are 
exprefily noticed. The writings of Crifp, 
Eaton, Saltmarfh, and other Englifh Anti- 
nomians being unknown to me, I cannot 
afiim that they have no where treated of 
the moral law with licentious laxity. Yet 
I think it poffible, that a miftake on this 
head may have gained credit from the fim- 
ple circumftances that in the revifed Arti- 
cles of the Church of England, agreed on 
by the Affembly of Divines, at Weftmin- 
fter, in 1643, the feventh article is under- 
ftood to be dire&ted againft the Antino- 
mians ; and this article, after afferting the 
law of Mofes to have been given from 
God, proceeds guaintly to denominate the 
ten commaridments the moral law, and to 
maintain their divine authority. The An- 
_ tinomians, by denying the miraculous ori- 
gin of the ten commandments, do not deny 
their perpetual obligation, or even dimi- 
mith their fanétion, if they admit Jefus 
Mark xii. 29.) to have re-enaéted them. 
senerally {peaking, the Antinomian teach- 
ers do not appear to have advifed or 
prattifed the formality of feparating from 
the feveral feéts within which they have 
refpectively originated : indeed, they can- 
not but confider Jefus as paying this very 
tribute of exterior acquiefcence and com- 
placent tolerance fo the habitual rites and 
dympathies of his fellow- countrymen. 
MONTHLY Mags Nea dae 
Remarks on the Public Finances 
In fucha cha- | 
797 
Hence their difciples. have every where 
fubfifted in filent {chifm, not in diftinét he- 
rely ; and have formed in the different 
churches an, interior gnoftic or illuminated 
order, rather than independent congrega. 
tions. Itis not, however, with the evi- 
dence or tendency of any religious doc- 
trinesthat I wifhed tooccupy your readers, 
but merely to preferve a name of feft, which 
ought to be fimply definit.ve, from fliding 
into a term of reproach. 
Ts it too much to claim from the appa- 
rent fairnefs of Mr. Evans? that in a-fu- 
ture edjtion of his convenient and ufeful 
work, he will expunge the word moral, and _- 
content himielf with defining the Antino- 
mians to be againft the law of Mofes. 
Thofe who receive that law as of divine 
authority, the zomiaw chriftians, as they 
might be called, have in all ages of the 
caurch found it difficult to juftify their 
ceafing to judaize. 
CHARICLO. 

For the Monthly Magazine. 
REMARKS ON CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS 
LATELY PASSED CONCERNING THE 
PUBLIC FINANCES. 
MONG the many circumftances 
2-\, which diftinguifh the ruinous ex- 
pence of the prefent war, there is none 
more remarkable than the minifterial 
triumph with which it is accompanied. 
Though ourdebts have been doubled within 
the laft fix years, and the ordinary means 
of providing for the public exigencies 
have failed ;—-though the profpeét of peace 
is as diftant as when hoftilities firftt com- 
menced, and no limit is feen to new loans 
and requifitions ; we are amufed by Mr. 
George Rofe, and other writers of the fame 
clafs, with the affurance that our profpe- 
rity increales as our difficulties multiply, 
and that the only effect of the war is to 
render us a wealthier and more powerful 
nation.—If this be true, it is certainly a 
new difcovery, in the fcience of Finance, 
and the Minifter is entitled to all the praife 
of it, as well as to the merit of giving the 
ulleft effe&t to his own invention.—At 
prefent, however, the doctrine derives no 
fupport from the general experience of the 
country; for, with a few exceptions of 
loan-jobbers and contractors, the great 
ma(s of its inhabitants feems to feel, as in 
all former times, that their comforts are 
reduced as their burthens are accumulated. 
But the feelings of the multitude are falla- 
cious—Minitterial triumph is founded on 
the more fatisfactory documents of the 
Cuftom-Houle and Excife-Office, which 
sK prove 

