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Ir an English Tranflation be gone on with, we hope these Inconveniences will be remov'd; otherwife its Readers may deferve to be pitied.. We hope alfo, as the Work was intended to give only the Elements of Chemistry, and is no more than an ordinary Collection froni other Writers, that the learned Profeffor will according to his repeated Intimations, publifh fomething of his own, of a higher kind, to put his Admirers in countenance, make his Rea-. ders fome fort of Amends, and farther inftruct those who have already made fome littler Proficiency in the Art; tho' they are not arrived to that Perfection therein, of which he is or ought to be Mafter.

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ARTICLE II.

Nicolai Holtii, V. D: M. Apophoreta Sacra; five Differtationum Theologicarum Varii Argumenti Fafciculus.

That is,

Theological Differtations upon divers Subjects, by the Reverend Mr. Nicho las Holtius. Leyden 1732. 8vo. p. 272.

P.

R. Holtius has not thought fit to tell us,

M in the Title-page of his Book, where he

exercises his paftoral Functions; but as he has dated his Dedication from Coudekerk, a little Village near Leyden, we have reafon to believe he is a Minifter of that Place. But where ever be his Flock, they are not in the fame danger,as was lately a certain Congregation in England, of having, as 'twas faid, Poifon adminiftred to

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them

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them inftead of wholefome Food: for immediately after the Title, we meet here with a Declaration, that thefe Differtations have been found Orthodox, by the Profeffors of Divinity at Leyden. How far fuch a Certificate may recommend a Book to fome of our English Readers, we shall not take upon us to determine; but we must observe in behalf of our Author, that being a Minifter of the National Church in Holland, he is fubject to the Dutch Synod, and is not at Liberty to publish any Book, without having firft obtained from the Ministers appointed to examine all the Writings of their Fellow-Clergymen, or from the Profeffors of Divinity, a Certificate that the Book is found and Orthodox: And if a Minifter of the Eftablish'd Church publishes any thing without his Name, he is liable, if difcover'd, to be profecuted, for having broken through the Conftitutions of the Synod; and in fuch a Cafe the Penalty is, to be fufpended from his Functions for fome time, nay, he is often in danger of being depriv'd of his Living. It is therefore no wonder, if under fuch Difficulties and Difcou ragements the Dutch Divines publish nothing, but what is common and trivial, or what runs in an odd myftical Train. They must not go out of the beaten Road, or if they dare venture out of it, it must be only in Matters of little or no moment. It is true, they that are not of the Establish'd Church, as the Remonftrants, enjoy more Liberty; which is the Reason, why generally speaking, their theological Performances abound with Senfe, and come nearer to those of our English Divines: But this only by the way, we shall now give an Account of

Mr.

Mr. Holtius's Book, which contains five Differ tations.

He has intitled the firft Mackpelah, and Hakel-dama; Or, of the Privilege of being bury'd in the Land of Canaan. Every body, fays our Author, will grant, that the Cuftom of burying the Dead, is not only very ancient, but likewise more fuitable to the Dignity of human Nature, and more proper to teftify our Hope of a future Refurrection, than the burning or any other ancient Method of difpofing of them, I will not dispute Mr. Holtius's Obfervation concerning the Decency of hiding dead Bodies under ground, especially if they be cover'd with Earth deeply enough to prevent all dangerous and noisome Exhalations. But then, I queftion very much, whether a Man of Sense can approve of the Cuftom now generally prevailing over all Christendom, of burying the dead in Cities nay in the very Churches. Among the ancient Romans, it was forbidden by the Laws of the twelve Tables, to bury or to burn the dead in Rome. Hominem mortuum, inquit Lex in XII. Tabulis, in Urbe ne fepelito neve urito, fays Tully. And here I fhall obferve, after Mr. Bernard, the late Author of the Nouvelles de la Republique des Lettres, that "whatever might have been

the Reasons of that Law, the Chriftians who have borrowed fo many fuperftitious Customs "from the Heathens, fhould have done well, "if they had imitated them in this Law. E. "very body knows, that the invifible Particles, "which are continually exhaling from putre"fied bodies, may corrupt the Air, and caufe "a great many Diftempers 4" Verheyen, a famous Phyfician, fignified in his Epitaph, which he

See Gen. xxiii. 17. Acts i. 19. De Leg, Lib. II
Nouv. de la Rep, des Let. 1703. P. 138.

he made himself, how much he diflik'd theCuftom of burying the Dead in Churches. Philippus Verbeyen, Medicine Doctor & Profeffor, partem fui materialem bic in Cemeterio condi voluit, ne Templum dehoneftaret, aut nocivis hali tibus inficeret requiefcat in pace. And I haveheard of another Phyfician, who défired to be bury'd fomewhere in an open Field, far off from any inhabited Place, that he, who had been useful to his Countrymen during his lifetime, might not be hurtful to them after his death. But a Notion has prevailed, that there is a certain Holinefs belonging to Churches, or confécrated Places, as if one could more easily go to Heaven from thence, than from any unconfecrated Place. True. Chriftians however fhould not mind how their Body is difpos'd of after death, tho' for Decency's fake, and in compliance with other People's weak! and miftaken Notions, it is fit they fhould take care to have their Friends and Relations bury'd as ufual. Fame tantum & confuetudini tribuendæ funebres pompa & exequice; contemnende idcirco in nobis funt, fed in noftris non negligenda.

IT is true, the ancient Patriarchs have not been indifferent as to the Place where their Remains fhould be depofited; and, as our Author obferves it, they look'd upon it as a Privilege, to be bury'd in the Land of Canaan, as appears from Jacob and Jofeph's Wishes, who both dy-" ing in a ftrange Land, defir'd their Bones fhould be carried into the Land of Canaan; for which purpose they took an Oath, the former of his Son, the other of his Relations. Mr. Holtius fay's the Reafon of this Defire of the Patriarchs

was

Journal des Sçav. Fevr. 1710.p. 227. Gen. vii, 29-2 and 1. 25.

was their Faith; and he adds, that a Chriftian cannot deny it, fince St. Paul tells us of Jofeph, that by Faith, when he dy'd, he gave Commandment concerning his Bones.

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BUT, it may further be ask'd, what the Fas thers did especially look for, in the Land of Canaan, which could not be found in any other Country? Why, they had a regard, anfwers our Author, to the Benefits of the Covenant of Grace, which God had entered into with them. The being bury'd in the Land of Promife, was to them a Sign and a Pledge, that Jehovah would be their God, even after their Death: For this reason, Abraham altho he had no Inheritance in that Land, nay, not Jo much as to fet his Foot on, and altho' he would not buy an Eftate there, but rather wait patiently, 'till God fhould grant the whole Land to his Seed, yet he bought for himself and Family a Burying-ground: Thereby he teftified his Hope, that tho' God did not give him during his Life-time the promis'd Land, yet he would not forfake him after his Death, but would perform whatever he had promifed him, viz. that he would be his God, and of his Offspring, and grant them all the Benefits of Grace, and among thofe a Delive rance from Death, and Life everlasting. Thus, according to Mr. Holtius, the Fathers of the Old Teftament did expect another Life hereaf ter, and this Expectation was the only Reason of their defiring to be bury'd (in the Cave of Mackpelah) in the Land of Canaan. What fhews further, that the Fathers could have no other Reason for wishing to be bury'd in that partir

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