les meilleures livres concernant les trois Genres les plus amusans de la Littérature François; favoir, les Romans, l'Hiftoire, & la Poëfie. Par Mr. Le Jeune, Maitre-ès-Arts, dans l'Ūniverfité de Paris. 8vo. 5s. Elmfley. The public are under obligations to her Grace the Duchefs of Devonshire, for having confented to the publication of a work, which was undertaken by her orders, and compofed folely for her private use. She has by this condefcenfion done a piece of service to the youth of both fexes, who are ambitious of acquiring a correct and perfect knowledge of the French tongue, as they will not want in future a judicious guide in their choice of French books. Political Reveries, and Utopian Schemes for the welfare of Great How a man exercifing his intellectual faculties, like an author, can with propriety be called idle, we know not; unless indeed, like the prefent writer, he may be said, to have loft all his time in THINKNG. 2 Thoughts on a Fund for the Improvement of Credit in Great Britain, and the Eftablishment of a National Bank in Ireland. 8vo. Is. Murray. "Worthy cogitation." The Faft Day; a Lambeth Eclogue, 4to. Is. 6d. Bew. A low paltry abufe of the Hon. Mrs. C-w-llis lady of the prefent A---- -p of C -y. Paradife ་། Paradife Regained; or, the Battle of Adam and the Fox, an heroic Poem. 4to. 2s. Bew. The late duel between two members of the House of Commons gave rise, it seems, to this wretched production. Unanimity, a Poem, 4to. is. 6d. Cadell. How our author came to give his Poem the above title we are at a loss to determine, for fo far from tending to promote unanimity, it deals in nothing but party abuse and fcurrility. Anfavers to our Correfpondents. Mr. Anderfon's letter is come to hand, and shall have a place in our next month's Review. We are very forry it is not in our power to comply with a "Country Critic's," request. We must beg" Theatricus" to grant us a little further time to confider of his plan. W. K. S. W―, Y——, N, Z. A. R. Q. and FLORUS, are received. THE LONDON REVIEW, FOR JUNE 1780. Twelve Difcourfes on the Prophecies concerning the first Establishment and fubfequent History of Chriftianity. Preached in Lincoln's-Inn-Chapel, at the Lecture of the Right Rev. William Warburton, lage Lord Bishop of Gloucefter. By Lewis Bagot, L L. D. Dean of Christ's-Church. 8vo. 4s. Boards. Cadell. Of the inftitution of this lecture we gave an account in the fifth volume of the London Review, (page 516.) in our critique on Dr. Hallifax's Sermons, to which we refer our readers, in cafe they want information on that head. Bishop Hurd's introductory fermons are excellent, and Doctor Hallifax acquitted himself with great credit on a nice and difficult fubject. The third preacher on this lecture is Doctor Bagot; who, in the courfe of the performance before us, hath sketched out fome of the leading principles and characteristics of that wonderful difpenfation for which the fcriptures of the Old Teftament prepare us. He points out that it is a wonderful difpenfation, originating with the fall of man in paradise, and that it is connected with that great event as its real and true foundation; that it terminates in the reftoration of man, from the dreadful confequences of his rebellion; and that this reftoration is brought about by the death of the Meffiah, God and Man, King and Prieft of the reftored world, as a proper facrifice and atonement for the iniquity thereof. "Thus" fays he "were thefe great myfteries previously inculcated, when God in time paft fpake to the fathers by the prophets." VOL. XI. Ꮓ Ꮓ Prophecy Prophecy proceeds from God. Therefore, impreffed with this idea, we may be affured that all the remaining predictions of the prophets will be accomplished according to the time predicted. They fpake not by any private impulfe (eğ idius cxiavoews) or by the will of man, but as the apostle fays, as they were moved by the Holy-Ghoft. And as the things of God knoweth no man, but the fpirit of God, fo the right and proper method of acquiring true notions of prophecy, muft be a close attention to that revelation which spirit of prophecy hath made of itfelf. But where is this revelation made? In the holy fcriptures. To which we muft go to gather information refpecting the ufe and intent of prophecy. On this fubject Dr. Bagot is a fenfible and judicious writer. In his firft difcourfe he gives fome reflections on the proper evidence of a divine Revelation; and on that more particularly which arifes from the completion of the prophecies. "Purity and excellence" fays he "must adhere to every thing that proceeds from God. The want of these therefore in any fcheme where it can be certainly fhewn (whatever other proofs we may feem to have of its divine original, yea, though an angel from heaven declare it unto us) amounts to a full demonftration that God is not the author of it. But as thefe marks may exift to a certain degree in fchemes of human contrivance, and as the precise measure of that degree is not accurately defineable, it follows that a direct and pofitive proof of a divine Revelation cannot properly be concluded from fuch internal characters only; and even if it could, the argument muft, in its nature, be fo abftrufe and difficult, as not to be applicable to the general conviction of mankind. "For this reafon probably it is, that the great author of Chriftianity refts the main proof of his Religion on evidence of a very different fort. The works that I do (faith Chrift) they bear witness of me, that the father bath fent me: and he refers the Jews to Mofes and the prophets for the rectity of his pretenfions. Again, all fcripture is faid by the Apoftle to be given by inspiration of God, is therefore called the Holy Scripture, and its fen e every where afcribed to the Holy Ghoft.. "God is known to us as the Creator of the world, and as the director of all events in it. When he declares his will to men, that they may know it really fo to be, it feems fit that he 'fhould by fome means appeal to one or other of these characters. Such an appeal as this must be unequivocal, and what no impoftor can pretend to make, but at the rifque of immediate detection. When we fee the laws of nature fufpended or controuled, it is at once evident, that no lefs power is exerted than that of the Author of Nature himfelf. In like manner, when contingent events are found to have happened in exact conformity to predictions delivered ages be fore, it cannot be doubted that the minds of those prophets were informed by Him who alone can see through all contingencies. Thefe then are the two great vouchers of divine Revelation, miracles and prophecy. By miracles God appeals to himfelf as the author and fupporter of Nature; by prophecy as the great difpofer of all events in the moral world. "The argument from miracles is strong and obvious, beyond all others, to the common apprehenfions of men, They ftrike at once through the fenfes, and fo force conviction upon the eye-witnefs. Being fimple facts they are objects likewife the most easily capable of hiftorical teftimony, and fo become an evidence even to fucceeding generations. The argument from prophecy is not of a nature immediately ftriking. The fenfe of the prediction must be afcertained, and a fufficient agreement with its accomplishment made out, before any conclufion can be drawn. So that had we only one prophecy to urge, or even feveral independent ones, it would have been extremely difficult to have derived thence fuch an argument as fhould have commanded the faith of every reasonable and honest man. But we have a chain of prophecies commencing with our first parents, and carried on through subsequent oracles more and more explicit for many ages. The hiftory of mankind lays before us a correfpondent chain of events accomplishing these prophecies, brought down to a period not long fince paft. Such a fystem of prophecies as this, uniform and connected in its parts, become a continual proof forever increasing in weight and authority; and when confidered in one comprehenfive view, excludes at once all poffibility of human fagacity and contrivance. The argument from prophecy thus urged, adds a credibility to thofe miracles which once carried their own conviction with them. In former ages, while the firft defign only of prophecy was in view, (namely to raise hopes and expectations in the minds of men, without which no religion could have fublifted in the world,) then was their faith in it commonly confirmed by fome miraculous work. Of this kind was the immediate charge of the ferpent's form when our firft parents received the original promife of a future restoration; fuch the miraculous birth of Ifaac, and many other like inftances. Now in their turn, prophecies accomplished give an affurance to our faith in paft miracles; which includes one evident reason why miracles fhould ceafe to be repeated, fince the other, from their nature, must be going on to the end of the world. In this fenfe perhaps it is, that the Apostle having occafion to mention miracles and prophecy at the fame time, fays of the latter that it is BeBatolepor, fomething more durable and firm, which should laft and continue, and be as it were a root from whence new degrees of evidence fhould perpetually arife. It is impoffible to imagine that the Apostle meant to extol one to the difparagement of the other. They who have the moft ftrenuously maintained fuch a sense, have been found for the most part not very averse to give up the argument from both. The truth is, that they have each a feparate office in the fupport of our faith; and if at any rate one can be got rid of, the fortress is so far weakened. "The Z 2 |
