error:' and the Apoftle exprefsly adds, that while they promife them liberty, they themselves are the fervants of corruption.'

"I muft draw two confequences from this citation. It prefents a ftrong argument for what it is the subject of this difcourfe to recommend, our vigilance over the progrefs of all errors of doctrine. If the primitive Chriftians, even when under the rule of the Apoles, were liable to be feduced by evil principles, what must be the hazard of the prefent church, and how ought it to call forth all the vigilance of its ministers?

“And, in the next place, it appears, that the principles, here condemned by the Apoftle, were identically the fame as those which have, for fome late years, involved fo many parts of the Chriftian world in defolation. To fhow this the time in which the epiftle was written muft be pointed out-then the principles in full action at that time."

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"That this was the fact, we learn from the Jewish hiftorian Jofephus, himself a great agent in this miferable period. He informs us, that fome time preceding it, there had arifen what he exprefsly calls a school of philosophy, then new to mankind, in the country of Judea, the leaders of which firft broached the doctrines of the free and the equal.' He mentions, alfo, in other places, an enthusiastic attachment to democracy.'* And to the difciples

of

"The learned and pious Bifhop Newton has written a differtation on our Saviour's prophecy of the deftruction of Jerufalem, in four parts; comparing the prediction with the hiftory Jofephus has left us of its accomplishment. The firft of thefe parts he concludes with reflections on parts of this hiftory; the last of which is on the evident fignals of the approaching ruin of a state. And here he dilates on thofe, which, at the time of his writing, he discerned to be common to this country, and the clofing period of the national existence of the Jews, as recorded in his author. In the enumeration of them he mentions factions and divifions,' but in general terms only. (On Prophets, edit. 9th, v. .ii p. 25.)

"Factions vary as to their principles or objects; either of which may, in the lapfe of time, become unimportant in the eyes of the moralift: when their tragical effects have once terminated, he may hope they will trouble the world no more. Hence it probably was that the Bishop did not lay down, from Jofephus, the principles of the faction which led to thofe crimes, which fcattered his nation over the whole face of the earth; and if he were now to write, he would not content himself, in this part, with a general warning from Jofephus, on the ruinous effects of faction to a state; he would go nto particulars, after his great authority; and probably enter upon fome reflections of the following nature:

"What has not this country to apprehend from what is called the new philofophy? Such was the very name of that spirit of delufion God fuffered to go forth to punish the accumulated guilt of

the

of this new íchool, he affirms are to be ascribed all the miseries all the Jews fuffered in their ferocious civil wars; and, from the invafion

the Jews; for Jofephus informs us, that the Jews had anciently three schools of philofophy-Judas and Saddoc inventing and adding a fourth, and gaining many zealous adherents, firft filled the ftate with commotions, and planted the roots of those miseries in which we were afterwards involved by this novelty in philosophy---Tw asunder #gotegov piñosoPixs Tox5de.' Jos. Hud. 792. And of their leading principle, and the length they carried it, the historian says, they were poffeffed with an immoveable love of liberty, admitting God alone as their ruler and king.'-dusul de TH TREUDERY EGWS ES δεσποτην τον θεον υπειληφοςι. Ib. 794. αυτοίς, μόνον ηγεμόνα και "It is obferved, by Grotius, that by the Latins, the term libertas, liberty; and by the Greeks, το ελεύθερον οι ελευθερια, is always oppofed to the state of fubjection under a king, and that with powers either modified or abfolute; as he is to be understood. His words are as perfonal liberty excludes the idea of a master, so civil liberty excludes the idea of any king; and, in his notes, he shows that Jofephus himself adopted that oppofition. De. Jur. 1. 1. c. 3. 12. It may be curforily hence observed, that a subject of a modified monarchy, who fhould endeavour to form a practical notion of civil liberty, from what he finds in the Greek and Roman writers, may imbibe fome very dangerous principles from them.

"But the identity of the principles which defolated Judea, and now menace all Christendom, receive their fulleft illuftration from the conclufion of the character of Ananus, the high-prieft, as given by the Jewish hiftorians. He made a refolute stand against the infurgents, the anarchifts, and Sicarians, or Dagger-men. This intrepid champion of public order, venerable in his life, dignified by family and by office, contentedly fubmitted to the equality of rights of the loweft, loved liberty beyond measure; and was paffonately attached to democracy'Ηγάπηκως ΤΟ ΙΣΟΤΙΜΟΝ προς τις ταπεινότατος, ΦΙΛΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΟΣ δε εκτόπως, και ΔΕΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑΣ εραςης. Hud. Jos. 1183. The punctuation of Hudson is erroneous and corrected here; but the fenfe of Jofephus is the fame either way pointed.

"This fuffices to establish what is faid in the paffage here to be confirmed; but I add two collateral points: as the factious dema gogues of Judea had the fame ends as thofe of this day, they pur fued them by the fame means; many of the Jews, it is affirmed in this hiftory, delivered their eulogies of [anti-regal] liberty with the declamation of tragedians. Our language is not fo happy as the Greek in expreffing this: διδα μεν εν, οτι πολλοι ΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΕΘΡΙΑΣ ΕΓΚΩΜΙΑ ΤΡΑΓΩΔΟΥΣΙΝ. Ibid. 1085.

"And as the arts by which this miferable people were excited to involve themselves in utter ruin were the fame, fo were the crimes they were inflamed to perpetrate. At the conclufion of the * last of Bishop Newton's four differtations, mentioned above, he fays, that

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vafion of the Romans, which put an end to their existence as nation."

From thefe fpecimens it will be feen that Mr. Brand has confidered his fubject with attention, and difcuffed it with ability.

ART. XVII. A Sermon on the Excellence of British Jurifprudence: preached on the 10th of March, 1799, in the Cathedral Church of Salisbury, before the Judges of Affize. By William Coxe, A. M. F. R. S. A. S. Rector of Bemerton, and domeftic Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Salisbury. 8vo. Pp. 28. 15. Cadell. 1799.

MR. COXE here delineates, with an accurate pencil, the manifold bleffings which the people of England derive from the matchlefs conftitution of their government, and more efpecially from the admirable wisdom and impartiality which mark the adminiftration of justice.

"Where fhall we look for a parallel to this admirable, this blessed conftitution? Not in the records of ancient times, which rather excite wonder, that fyftems fo imperfect fhould ever have exifted, than that they should have decayed.. Not in the delirious dreams of modern philofophy, the effects of which it is impoffible to contemplate,

that, the flagrant crimes of the Jews, and the principle sources of their calamities, in the opinion of Jofephus, were' their trampling upon all human LAWS, deriding divine things, &c. Kalamelto μεν εν πας αυτοις ΘΕΣΜΟΣ ανθρώπων, εγέλατο δε τα θεια, και τας των προφήτων χρης μας ωςπες αγυρτίκας λογοποιϊας εχλευαζον. Ib. 1188. Newton, v. ii. p. 81.

“I must observe, that as no circumftance of the times drew the attention of the Bishop when writing to the peculiar force of the word Es, he has tranflated it by the general term, law: Now bespoS by Ulpian, is interpreted, Νομος παρακελευόμενος πως δει νομοθέλειν ; 2 law giving a precept how to make a law.' Archool: Att. Rous and Bogan, 1. 3. c. 1. whence by the so we are to understand conftitutions of legiflation, not municipal laws. The paffage there is more accurately thus rendered: All human legislative conftitutions were trampled under foot; holy things derided; and the prophetic oracles ridiculed as the forgeries of common impoftures."

"One confequence is to be drawn from this important history: that God, to punish the Jews for the violation of one covenant, the rejection of another, and the total of their crimes, permitted a national fpirit of delufion to go forth, to lead them to a destruction, the feverity of which no history has yet paralleled. And of this, that fpirit of delufion, or the fanaticifm of liberty, was the proximate caufe: and, from its effect, we may pronounce it to be, the most terrible known scourge of Providence, to make a guilty nation the executors of his judgments upon themselves; the unrelenting ministers of his anger.'

without

without horror, or to speak of in a language fuited to this place and

Occafion."

May all those who enjoy learn to appreciate thefe bleffings, and if there be any incapable of receiving confolation from pofitive gratification, let them at least endeavour to derive comfort from comparison.

ART. XVIII. A Sermon preached before John Sayer, Efq. Commiary for the Parts of Surrey, and the Clergy of the Deaneries of Southwark, and Ewell, in Surrey, at the Annual Vifitation bolden at Kingston-upon-Thames, on the 29th of May, 1800; and published by their Defire: By William Fofter, D. D. Fellow of Eton College, Vicar of Kew and Petersham, and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majefty. 4to. Pr. 20. Payne. 1800.

THE four excellent precepts of the apoftle St. Peter, which the preacher has chosen for his text, " HONOUR ALL MEN: LOVE THE BROTHERHOOD: FEAR GOD: HONOUR THE KING" are truly faid to" connect, when fully understood, all our focial, our religious, and our civil duties." They are here briefly but ably expounded; placed in a clear and strong point of view; and enforced with energy, in fach language as was to be expected from the pen of an accomplifhed fcholar, and as was well fuited to a learned congregation, though, from its perfpicuity and eafe, intelligible by the plaineft understanding. The general tendency of the precepts contained in the text is well explained in the following paffage :

"All the precepts delivered by our Lord himself to his faithful dif ciples; to the multitudes at large, and to particular perfons till fol lowing him, and afking him queftions (all which precepts are tranf mitted to us by thofe holy minifters, who were appointed by him to 'go and teach all nations,') were clearly intended, first, to establish the peace of mankind in this world; and through that to secure their everlafting happiness in another. Without this peace, established as occafions require in the affairs of the world, fuch general diftraction would prevail, as is totally incompatible with that ferene frame of mind, which alone is fuited to religious purposes. That proofs are not wanting in the world to evince the truth of this affertion, muft give unfpeakable concern to every serious and thinking mind. We have long feen the attempts of a fpecious, but falfe philofophy, at one time, by argument to invalidate the truths; at another, by ridicule to depreciate the bleffings of the Christian revelation. We may

prove too from its effects, that the minds of men, once fet free from the ties of religion, foon reconcile to themselves the violation of every focial duty. When, therefore, we are exhorted by the Apostle to 'honour all men,' to love the brotherhood;' we readily fee, how well thefe precepts agree with all the acknowledged obligations of christian charity. When he exhorts us to fear God,' from a fenfe of his power in the fupreme government of the universe; it seems neceffarily to follow, that fome general direction fhould be added, of obedience to the fubordinate governments conftituted among men.

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For

For by thefe alone is the peace of fociety fecured, and the worst kinds of confufion prevented. So that when in the laft clause of the text we are exhorted to honour the King' the precept itself applies to, and recommends that heavenly principle of moderation and peace, originating in a due fubordination to legal authority, which pervades the whole gospel system."

The preacher's fentiments, on the freedom of religious difcuffion with a view to the establishment of religious truth, are fuch as do honour to his mind; and his application of the text to the immediate object of commemoration, and to the dreadful events by which it was preceded, with his reflections and comments on the fubject, fet his principles, religious and political, in a very favourable point of view. With his juft obfervations on the writings of modern philofophifts, we fhall conclude our account of a fermon the perufal of which has afforded us particular pleasure.

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It is clear from the writings of thofe who, in the present times, have the hardiness to deny the truths of revealed religion, and to question the expediency of fupporting eftablished forms of government; that by bold affertion, and fuperficial argument, they have failed in the attempt to conceal their own ignorance of the proofs, whilft they have avowed an audacious contempt for the benefits, of revelation; and that from a rejection of all religious reftraint, the tranfition is easy to a difregard of human laws, and the reciprocal claims of focial duty. For certain it is, if you could once efface from the minds of men the impreffion, and detach from their actions the influence of religion; if you could once relieve the wicked from his fears of punishment, and wreft from the good man his hopes of immortality, you would find, that morality, independent of religion, and fupported only by human laws, would foon become a dead letter; the focial compact would be diffolved; and those scenes of confusion enfue, which terminate in the fubverfion of all order, and of all happiness."

POLITICS.

ART. XIX. Narrative of the Deportation to Cayenne, and Shipwreck on the Coaft of Scotland, of J. J. Job Aimé. Written by himself. With Obfervations on the prejent State of that Colony, and of the Negroes; and an Account of the Situation of the deported Perfons at the Time of his Efcape. 8vo. PP. 300. 5s. Wright. London. 1800.

THE

HE three former publications on the interefting fubject of the, memorable revolution of Septemper 1797, were reviewed by us at the different periods at which they were publifhed; and the Narrative now before us completes the account of the fyftematic atroci ousness of the directorial tyranny, in their treatment of those who hwarted their views and oppofed their attempts to perpetuate their

abfolute