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utmoft Endeavours to bring all their Subjects into the Right Way of Serving God. Bur, on the other fide, if we compare the Advantages which Conftantine and Theodofius procured to the Church, with the dreadful Mischiefs occafioned by Conftantius, Valens, and even by Theodofius the Younger, and many other Emperors, we may very well doubt whether it were not better for the Church, that Princes fhould never concern themselves with Religion, and only take Care that the Laws of Juftice and Equity be punctually obferved. Mr. de Tillemont feems to approve the Conduct of Lewis IX. King of France, who left it to the Bishops to determine all Doubtful and Controverted Matters. The Author adds, That perhaps a Prince may ufe all his Authority for the Promoting of Truth, by all just and lawful Means, and without forgetting the Laws of Humanity, which ought to be obferved even towards the most Wicked Men. 'Tis obfervable that our Learned Author, tho' a Roman Catholick, and very zealous for his Religion, ex preffes himself with great Moderation upon this Head. It plainly appears that he was an Enemy to Perfecution. No Body will deny, that a Prince may use all juft and lawful Means for the Propagation of Truth, and endeavour to reclaim his Subjects from their Errors, provided he does not offend against the Laws of Humanity.

Mr. de Tillemont, confidering the great Severity,' or rather Cruelty of Valentinian, is afraid, "That "the Glory with which he governed the Empire, is the only Reward of his confeffing the Name of "Chrift". He is afraid that Emperor enjoyed "the good Things of this World, to be expofed after "this Life to the Divine Juftice, which fhews no Mercy to thofe, that are not merciful to their Brethren.

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The Author does not tell us, (according to his ufual Cuftom), what he thinks of the Salvation of Aufonius, who was a very Licentious Poet: He only fays, It were to be wifhed, for the Honour of Christianity, that Aufonius had been a Heathen.

ARTICLE

ARTICLE XXVI.

AN ACCOUNT of St. GREGORY NAZIANZEN's APOLOGETICK ORATION, mentioned above, Art.

V.

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ST. Gregory T. Gregory Nazianzen ran away as St. Chryfoftome did, for fear of being forced to accept a Bihoprick; and that Father made an Arology for it in this Difcourfe, as St. Chryfoftome undertook to justify himself upon the fame Account, in his Treatife con cerning the Chriftian Priesthood. The Refemblance of the Subject, moved Mr. Thirlby to infert, this Oration at the End of that Treatife. He acknowledges that thofe Two Fathers are equally admirabie for their Eloquence; but he adds, That their Characters are very different. I fhall not give a particular Ac count of this Oration, being contented to. obferve in general, That St. Gregory alledges many Reasons to fhew how difficult it is to discharge the Duties of Epifcopacy, that he makes several Judicious and Solid Reflections upon that Subject; and that it appears from many Paffages of the Holy Scripture quoted by him, and rightly applied, that he was very well verfed in the Sacred Writings.

There is a Paffage in this Oration, on which it will not be improper to make fome Obfervations. SE. Gregory fhews that it is no eafy Thing to teach the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity; and that whoever undertakes to do it, must be very careful not to ad

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*That Father begins his Oration thus I confefs that I am overcome: I have fubmitted to the Lord, and ins treated him. He meant, that he was at laft willing to be made a Bishop.

vance any Thing, that may countenance Sabellianifm, Arianifm, or the Opinion of those who admitted Three Eternal and Independent Beings. Whereupon he calls the Doctrine of Sabellius, who denied the Trinity, Atheism. We fhould wrong the Memory of that I luftrious Father, fhould we believe that he really took Sabellius to be an Atheift for denying the Trinity. Too great a Strefs ought not to be laid upon the Words of that Ancient Doctor: He fpeaks Rhetorically, as Mr. Thirlby obferves. "Attamen, fays he, "ut quod res eft fateamur, non tam verè Sabellium "Adeias poftulat Gregorius, quam pro fua dicendi

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Copia ac Facultate, ingeniofe: cum alibi eum re"ctius multo Judaifmi infimulet, (Sc. Orat. XXIII)”. I have observed in one of my foregoing Sheets, that Servetus called the Trinitarians Atheists: It was not a Rhetorical, but an Enthufiaftical way of Speaking.

Mr. Thirlby fays, the Latin Tranflation of the Ab bot de Billy, (Billius), tho' it be the beft, is never theless full of Mistakes; and that he has mended several Faults, and rectified the Latin Stile in many Paffages. As for what concerns the Notes of Mr. Thirlby, they difcover his Judgment and Learning in a very young Age, and are a fine Specimen of what the Publick may expect from him hereafter.

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Collection of Teftaceous Filhes, Snails, Shells, and Minerals, has been lately engraved, and publifh'd by a Virtuofo.

Thefaurus

Thefaurus Imaginum Pifcium teftaceorum, quales funt Cancri, Echini, Echinometra, Stellæ marinæ, &c. ut

Cochlearum; inter quas numerantur Lunares; Laciniata; Valvatæ, five Semilunares; Valvatæ ftriate; Caffides tuberofæ, verrucofæ, læves & Murices Globofæ; Buccina; Strombi; Volute; Alata; Porcellanæ majores & minores; Cylindri, &c. Quibus accedunt Conchylia, ut Nautilus, Cornu Ammonis, &c. Concha univalvie & bibalvia; quarum Species funt Solenes univalvii, Chamæ afpera, Chamæ læves, Pectines, Pectunculi, Tellinæ, Solenes bivalvii, Muf culi, Pinna, Oftrea, &c. Denique Mineralia; uti Metalla, Lapides & Argilla, variis in locis reperta. Quorum omnium maximam partem Georgius Everhardus Rumphius, M. D. Academie Cæfareæ Natura Curioforum Collega, dictus Plinius Indicus, collegit; jam vero Nature Amator & Curiofus quidam in hunc ordinem digeffit, & nitidiffimè æri incidi curavit. Lugduni Batavorum, 1711. in Folio. Pagg. 15. with LX CopperCuts.

This Collection contains the Figures of all the Cu riofities lodged in the Cabinet of Dr. Rumphius, befides feveral others, that have been communicated to the Publifher. Here follow fome of the moft Curious Pieces engraved in this Book. 1. A Lump of Ambergris weighing an Hundred and eighty two Pounds, which belongs to the East-India Company of Amfterdam. 2. A Figured Stone of a red tranfparent Colour, on which an Hexagone Fort, furrounded with Ramparts and Ditches, is naturally described. 3. Another Stone, which reprefents a kind of irregular Citadel. Its Circumference of a brownish rranfparent Colour, confifting of Three variegated Lines, denotes the Rampart. The Middle of it looks like frozen Water: And there is in its Centre a great Island, furrounded with many small ones, of a blue, purple, and red Colour. 4. A Piece of Egyptian Marble, on which one may plainly fee the Figure of a Pope fay ing his Prayers. That Piece was found among the Ruins of a Temple near Rome.

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PARIS.

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Genefis, has been lately published.

Differtations Hiftoriques, Chronologiques, Geographi ques, Critiques fur la Bible. Paris 1711. In 8vo. Pagg. 476.

The firft Differtation concerns the Hiftory of the Creation, and the Chronology and Defcription of the World from the Creation to the Deluge. That Differtation is divided into VIII Chapters. In the first, the Author proves that the World is not Eternal; that it was made by an Intelligent and Wife Being; and that it has not a greater Antiquity than what Mofes affigns to it. The uneven Surface of the Earth affords the Author an Argument to fhew that it is. not Eternal. It is naturally impoffible, (fays he) that there fhould be any Mountains and Valleys, if the Earth had exifted from all Eternity; for the Waters and the Rain do continually carry off fome Earth from the Mountains into the Valleys. Though that Quantity be never fo fmall, 'tis certain that Mountains would be at laft levelled, and Valleys filled up; and therefore if the Earth never had a beginning, 'tis undeniable that there would be no Mountains nor Valleys, and that the Earth would be overflowed with Water, the leaft Diminution being fufficient to deftroy the highest Mountains during the infinite Space of Eternity. Perhaps it will be faid, continues the Author, that new Mountains are formed from Time to Time; but is there any natural Caufe, that can produce Mountains, and make fuch Valleys as those that contain the Warers of the Sea? All the Hiftories that are extant, will not afford one Inftance of a new Mountain appearing upon the Earth. The Winds raise now and then fome fmall Heaps of Sand, but never to a confiderable Height; and those

Heaps

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