places omitted, fo there are few names of perfons paffed unobferved; but if fome have been purpofely left out, it is because the fcripture has tranfmitted us nothing concerning them, but their names.

Upon the natural hiftory of the Bible we may boaft of being more fyftematical and accurate in our defcriptions, than perhaps any who have gone before us; our materials upon this subject having been collected from the writings of Linnæus, Ray, Willoughby, Hill, &c. But with relation to this fubject, it may be proper to acquaint the reader, that there is nothing more uncertain than the fignification of the Hebrew terms, which denote the animals, plants, precious ftones, &c. mentioned in the fcripture; there being few of them that have not been differently understood by different expofitors.

In defcribing the weights, measures, and monies of the antient Jews, and in reducing them to our ftandard, Dr. Arbuthnet's Treatife upon thefe fubjects has been our only guide; and under the articles WEIGHTS, MEASURES, and MONEY, we have given that author's tables of each subject.

In treating of the feftivals, fafts, laws, ceremonies, and folemnities of the antient Hebrews, it was neceffary not only to exhibit what was to be met with in fcripture; but to illuftrate thefe fubjects more fully, we were obliged to have recourse to the writings of Jofephus, the Rabbins, and the Fathers; as well as to the customs of the modern Jews, as they are represented to us by Leo of Modena, Buxtorf, Herbelot, &c.

In all literal, verbal, and critical articles of the facred writings, the fentiments of the moft eminent expofitors, critics, and commentators are propofed; without entering into the depths of controverfies, otherwife than by giving a fummary of the arguments, pointing out the moft general opinions, and declaring in favour of what to us appeared to be the most natural conclufions. Upon thefe fubjects, the fathers are frequently quoted; as are alfo Bochart, Grotius, Hammond, Spencer, Le Clerc, Calmet, Pool, &c.

The fignifications of Appellatives, or common words, have been generally extracted from concordances, particularly that of Cruden; and in all quotations from the Bible, the English verfion has been literally copied, and all the references adjusted thereby.'

This work, though much wanted, by common Readers efpecially, on account of the fcarcity or bulk of the beft writings of this kind, would, however, we think, have proved of more extenfive advantage to the public, had it been comprehended in a

ftill fmaller compafs, and freed from many explications and opinions of various writers, which are of no ufe for throwing light upon the hiftory: for thefe, at beft, can only amuse the reader, and are fometimes quite tedious, and deftitute either of utility, or entertainment.

The Doctrine of irresistible Grace proved to have no foundation in the writings of the New Teftament. By Thomas Edwards *; A. M. Fellow of Clare-Hall, Cambridge. 8vo. 5s. Millar.

IT

Tis juftly obferved, in the preface to this work, that as fome of the strongest arguments, and most confiderable objections, which have been urged by unbelievers against the truth and authenticity of the chriftian religion, are founded upon the more abfurd and uncouth doctrines of calvinifm, it would be of great service to the chriftian cause, and productive of very beneficial confequences, to fhew thefe doctrines to be entirely unfcriptural as well as irrational, and thereby prevent any bad use being made of them, to the prejudice and difparagement of divine revelation. To the efficacy of fuch powerful motives we owe the performanee now before us, wherein the Author endeavours to prove the particular tenet of irresistible grace, that favourite dogma, fo ftrongly contended for by the Calviniftical party, to be entirely deftitute of foundation in the word of God; nay, to be as irreconcileable with the whole tenor of the evangelical and apoftolical writings, as it is with the nature and conftitution of man, and the moral attributes of the Deity. The method he obferves in the profecution of his defign is this: he divides his work into five chapters; in the firft of which he lays before his readers the feveral fcriptural notions of the word grace, which obliges him to confider all the paffages in the New Testament, in which Χαρις occurs. In the fecond chapter he particularly examines all thofe texts, where mention is made of the Holy Ghoft, the Spirit of God, the Spirit, &c. which either really bear, or may feem to bear relation to his fubject. In the third chapter he endeavours briefly to fhew, that, as the Calviniftical tenet of irrefiftible grace does not receive the leaft countenance from, or is so much as hinted at in any of the texts confidered under the two preceding heads, fo neither is it poffible, that it should be countenannanced either by thefe, or any other paffages in the evangelical

Author of a new tranflation of the Ffalms from the original Hebrew, reduced to metre by the late bishop Hare. See Appendix to the Review, Vol. XII. p. 485.

writings,

writings, fince it moft evidently makes them contradict, and be inconfiftent with themselves.

He confiders, in the fourth chapter, the principal of those paffages in the New Teftament, which are ufually alleged as irrefragable proofs of the above doctrine, and endeavours to refute the arguments deduced from them, by fhewing them, when rightly interpreted, to be quite foreign to the purpose for which they are quoted. After proving the doctrine of irresistible grace to have no foundation in the word of God, and confequently the fupernatural affiftance, afforded to Chriftians, to be confiftent with the nature and conftitution of man, confidered as a rational creature and moral agent, he briefly points out, by way of conclufion, in what manner, and upon what perfons, it feems moft probable for the spirit of God to act.

Such is our Author's method of treating his fubject. In regard to the merit of his work, it is but juftice to him to obferve, that he is well acquainted with the original languages of the Old and New Teftament; that he is poffeffed of very confiderable abilities as a critic; fhews great candour and moderation, and feems fincerely defirous of difcovering the truth, without any bigotted attachment to party, or party-notions.

Our readers will not expect that we fhould give them a regular abstract of such a performance; which will fcarce indeed admit of it: we fhall therefore content ourselves with inferting the last chapter, wherein Mr. Edwards endeavours briefly to fhew in what manner, and upon what perfons, it feems moft probable to fuppofe the fpirit of God to act.

'Though I do not think, fays he, the fupernatural affiftance, in common to chriftians of all ages, is to be collected from all thofe texts in the new Teftament, which are ufually brought as proofs of the truth and reality of it, (in many of which I cannot find, that it's either exprefsly mention'd, or tacitly implied,) yet there are undoubtedly feveral paffages, which fufficiently fhew, that the operations of the Holy Spirit are not to be entirely mited and confin'd to the extraordinary and miraculous gifts and endowments peculiar to the apoftolic age, but, on the contrary, that it will, in all fucceeding times, be communicated, in a peculiar manner, to all those who may ftand in need of it *,

'I fay, who may fland in need of it; for to affirm, as fome do, that no chriftian whatever can put in practice the feveral precepts and injunctions of the gofpel, or lead a good life, without the co operation of God's holy Spirit, is, I'm afraid, to affert what is neither exprefsly declared in, nor can be fairly and rationally deduced from any paffage of the new Teftament, if rightly interpreted and explain'd

REV. Jan. 1759.

D

in

in order to the difcharge of their duty. "Altho", fays an eminent Writer †, when the Holy Ghaft, or the gifts of the Spirit, are mentioned in the epiftolary part of the new Teftament, moft commonly thereby the extraordinary effufion, and miraculous gifts peculiar to the apoftolic age are intended, yet, I make no doubt, the communication and influence of the Spirit of God in all ages to affift our fincere endeavours after wifdom, and the habits of virtue, is a bleffing spoken of, and promis'd in the the gospel." I can therefore by no means give into their opinion, who, with the witty French Jefuit §, look upon these fupernatural workings of the Spirit upon the minds of men, as entirely vifionary and chimerical, or, as he expreffed himself, a mere nefcio quid: For tho' they undoubtedly have improperly enough had the appellation of grace given them, if we have regard to the fcriptural notions of that word, which, as has been fhewn, has no fuch import in any of thofe paffages of the new Teftament, where it occurs, yet it will not follow from thence, either that they are not mention'd in other places, or that, in many cafes, they may not be neceflary and expedient, or that no rational and probable account can be given of the nature of them, and in what manner they operate upon us.

.

Taking for granted then what, I should think on one, who has duly weighed and confidered the evangelical and apoftolical writings, can poffibly deny, that the affiftances of God's holy fpirit are there promifed to fuch Chriftians of all ages as may ftand in need of them, the general manner §, in which it acts and

+ Dr. Taylor in his Script. Doct. of criginal fin, pag. 247. 248. Edit. I.

66

$"A tempore Auguftini, vix ulla vox frequentior fuit voce GRATIA, ubi fermo eft de hominis ad faniorem mentem reditu, et vi, cui is reditus debetur. Eâ tamen voce quid fignificetur, cum ab iis quæritur, qui ea utuntur, nihil refponfi perfpicui ferre licet. Hincce factum ut in Gallia, Jefuita feftivi ingenii, non inficetè dixerit, "Gratiam lam divinam, quæ tantum ftrepitum excitavit in Scholis, et tam mirabiles effectus in hominum animis edit, Gratiam illam "adeo efficacem, et fuavem fimul, quæ de duritie cordis, illæfa ar"bitrii libertate, triumphat, nihil effe tandem, præter NESCIO "QUID." Nec certè ea vox ufquam in fcriptura eo fenfu legitur, quamvis cæteroqui fit wovonos. Ubi de Deo fermo eft, xagis gratia, ejus mifericordiam, aut beneficium quodpiam fignificat, nufquam arcanum afflatum; quo fenfu eam intellexit Auguftinus, popularis fane orator, fed Criticæ imperitus." Clericus in Art Crit. P. 2. S. 1. C. 8. * Boubours in Dialogo du je ne fcai quoi.

It very evidently appearing, from what was delivered in the foregoing chapters, that the doctrine of Irrefiflible Grace is no doctrine

5

of

and operates upon men, we may, I humbly conceive, with great reafon and probability, fuppofe to be by raising fuch particular ideas in, or making fuch particular impreffions upon their minds, as may influence them (if they are to be moved and affected by any fuch impreffions at all) more feriously to confider and reflect upon, than they otherwife would do, the many and indifpenfible obligations they lie under, to put in execution the several duties of religion and virtue; and the various motives and inducements which the gospel makes use of to excite them to, and animate them in the discharge of, thefe duties, and to discourage and deter them from all finful and licentious practices. For certainly, as man is a rational creature, and moral agent, the Deity can only (confiftently with these two grand characteristics of the human nature) endeavour to engage him in the performance of his duty, by laying before him the obligations which render it incumbent upon him, corroborated and enforced by the strongest and most alarming fanctions: and if he should not duly confider and attend to thefe obligations and fanctions, or fhould be entirely neglectful and regardless of them, by internally operating upon his mind in fuch a manner, as may move and excite him to lay them ferioufly to heart, and to pay that regard and attention to them, they moft juftly deferve.

Now God, by the internal law of nature, and the external light of revelation, has fufficiently declared and notified to us both what our duty is, the obligations we lie under to practise it, and the confequences which will enfue upon the performance, or non-performance of it: it cannot, therefore, without the higheft impropriety, be imagined, and even fuppofing the Deity actum agere, that the communication of his fpirit is in order to inform us of, or make known these truths to us; and confequently it muft (be fo far as I am able to difcern) for the ends above mentioned.

"And this will appear the more probable, if it be likewife confidered, that all the fin and wickednefs committed in the world, is entirely owing to men's acting without a due fense of these very important truths upon their minds: their not regarding, as they ought to do, the strict and indifpenfible obligations they

of the Gofpel, and, by neceffary confequence, that all fupernatural affillance vouchfafed to Chriftians, in order to enable them the better to undertake or carry on the great work of religion and virtue, muft be of fuch a nature, as is compatible with the frame and conftitution of rational and moral agents, I thought it would be no improper conclufion of this work, briefly to point out in what manner, and, in confequence of that, upon what perfons it feems most probable to imagine the holy fpirit, in thefe latter days, to act.'