Encroachments, proclaimed War against Carthage, and immediately fitted out a great Armament, with a full purpose to deftroy it utterly. Terrified at this proceedure, the Carthaginians fent their Deputies to offer fresh submiffion, and implore their Pity; but the only Anfwer, which they receiv'd, was, that if they expected any Favour from Rome, they fhou'd, in thirty days time, deliver up Three hundred Youths of their beft Quality by way of Hoftage, and, as foon as the Conful was come with his Army into Afric, his demand was, that they fhou'd immediately bring in all the Arms they had, of what kind foever.

BOTH these Orders, tho' hard to be digefted, were immediately put in execution, that by their ready Obedience they might move the Enemy to compaffion: but their Obedience was fo far from having this effect, that, after the Conful had thus difarmed the whole Nation, he told their Deputies plainly, "That "the Will of the Roman Senate was, that "Carthage was utterly to be deftroyed, and

that therefore they were inftantly to leave it, "and remove their Habitation to any other "part of the Country, provided it was four Leagues diftant from Sea."

WITH what Sorrow and Lamentation this Sentence was received, our Author was very eloquent in defcribing. But after their first Confternation was over, they refolved to ftand a Siege; and accordingly, having, with incredible expedition, provided themselves with fresh Arms, they defended their City with fuch bravery, that the Romans began to be doubtful of the fuccefs of the War.

HERE

HERE Our Hiftorian gives us a curious Description of the Strength and Situation of the Place, which, under all these Advantages, was able to maintain a Siege for above three years, 'till Scipio (who was afterwards call'd Africanus, and whofe Character our Author gives us at large) came with a fresh Army, and took it at length by storm: which, when it was known at Rome, occafion'd an univerfal Joy, and made the Senate fend Commiffioners to Afric, with Instructions to deftroy utterly all the Remains of the Place, and to denounce horrid Imprecations against any one, who, in future Ages, fhou'd attempt to rebuild it.

AFTER the defeat of Pompey, however, Julius Cæfar when he came into Afric, was admonifh'd by a Dream to rebuild Corinth and Carthage, which he intended to do; but, he being prevented by an untimely Death, his adopted Son Auguftus Cæfar did it; but not exactly in the fame Place, to prevent the fall of the Imprecations upon him: and thus it continu'd, under the fucceeding Emperors, in a very flourishing Condition, and the Capital of all Afric, till in the beginning of the feventh Century, it was quite demolished by the Sarazins, infomuch, that not only the Remains, but the very Name of it is loft to all Pofterity.

ARTICLE VI.

Christianity as old as the Creation: Or, the Gafpel a Re-publication of the Religion of Nature. Vol. I. in Quarto. Pag. 432.

TH

HE long Expectation which the World has had of this Work, the Oddness of its Title (which at firft View looks like a Paradox) and the plaufible Design which its Author pretends to purfue, viz. the fettling Religion upon a true Bafis, and freeing Mens Minds from the Perturbations of Superftition; may plead our Excufe, for giving the Publick a fhort Abftract of this firft Volume, before any more be extant, together with fome account of the feasonable Prefervative which a Learned and Right Reverend Prelate may be faid to have provided against it, in fo fhort a time after its Publication.

To juftify in fome measure the Singularity of the Title, as well as to give us a general Plan of the Work, our Author promises to fhew,

1. THE Reality of the Law of Nature or
Reafon, and of what Branches it confifts.
2. THAT this Law, like its Author, is ab-
folutely perfect, eternal, and unchange-
able.

3. THAT the Defign of the Gofpel was not
to add to, or to take from, this Law,
but only to free Men from that Load of
Superftition, which had been mix'd with

it; and confequently, That true Christianity is not a Religion of yefterday, but what God, at the beginning, dictated, and ftill continues to dictate, to Chriftians, as well as others.

1. To prove the Reality of the Law of Nature or Reason, our Author takes his Arguments from the Government and Attributes of God, as well as the general Confent of Mankind: For fince all, that believe there is a God who governs the World, believe, at the fame time, that he has given them a Law for the Regulation of their Actions, and that this is imply'd in the very Notion of Governor and Governed; it must neceffarily follow, that the Law, by which he governs Men, and his Government commenced together, and extend alike to all Mankind. "For can it be imagined, fays he, that the fame God, who has been "fo good to other Animals, as to give them, "not in one Country only, but in all places "whatever, fufficient means to act for their "own Preservation, has had lefs Care for the

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immortal Souls of Men made after his own

Image, and has not given them, at one time "as well as another, and at one place as well "as another, fufficient Means to provide for "their eternal Happinefs? Or, can it be fup"pofed, that an infinitely good and gracious

Being, which gives Men notice, by their "Senfes, of what does good or hurt to their "Bodies, fhould have lefs regard to their "immortal parts; not give them at all times, "by the Light of their Understanding, fuffi

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cient Means to discover what makes for the Good of their Souls, but neceffitate fome

❝ of

"of them at leaft to continue, from Age to « Age, in destructive Ignorance and Error?"

.

THIS, as our Author tells us, is no way compatible with the facred Attributes of God: and therefore he obferves farther, That how great foever the number of religious Sects have been, and how much foever they have differ'd even in the fundamental Points of Religion; yet they have all agreed in acknowledging a Law of Nature, and their own indifpenfible Obligation to obey all its Dictates: whereupon he concludes, "That this Light of Nature, like

that of the Sun, is univerfal; and, did not "Men fhut the Eyes of their Understanding, "or fuffer others to blind them, wou'd foon "disperse all the Mifts and Fogs which arife "from falfe Traditions, or falfe Interpretations "of the true Tradition.'

WHEREIN this Religion of Nature confifts, our Author has endeavoured to fhew us, by enumerating the feveral Duties and Offices we owe to God, to ourselves, and to our Neighbour; and by explaining, how our Love and Admiration, our Praife and Thanksgiving, our Obedience and Imitation of God, &c. are the genuine Refult of the Divine Perfections; how our Sobriety, Temperance, and Moderation of all fenfual Appetites, arife from a natural Inclination to pursue what tends to our Good; and how the Actions of Juftice, Compaffion, Beneficence, &c. fpring from the inbred Senfe of our own Infirmity; that Love of his Species which God has implanted in every Man, that Pleasure and Satisfaction which attends all good and virtuous Actions, and that Shame and Selfreproach which every one feels upon the commiffion of the contrary: and hereupon he concludes,