Such is the picture which our Author draws of the departure of Chriftians from the SIMPLICITY of found doctrine: those who are acquainted with ecclefiaftical hiftory, the blackest part of the annals of human frailty, will be ftruck with the likeness. Not content with departing from the fimplicity of found doctrine, Chriftians have fubftituted the very deviation in its place, and given it its name. Every party appropriates the name of found doctrine to thofe peculiar explications, fpeculations, and definitions which characterize itself, and difcriminate it, and fet it at the greateft diftance from all other parties: but these the Apostle exprefsly, and in terms of abhorrence, excludes from the idea of found doctrine, and urges Chriftians to avoid as repugnant to it. What the feveral fects have extolled as the foundeft doctrine is, in the Apoftle's fenfe, moft unfound. According to his fenfe of it, the only fenfe which merits the regard of Chriftians, the bigot of every denomination, the tenacious partizan of any fect, neceffarily deviates in fome degree, and generally deviates the fartheft.

Sound doctrine, our Author farther obferves, means practical doctrine. God gave a revelation of the truth for this very purpose, to purify and improve the hearts, and to direct and influence the practice of men. Every part of it is immediately and powerfully conducive to this purpofe: all the precepts of the Gofpel, and all its principles, confpire in promoting it. The former prescribe the pureft and the fublimeft virtue: the latter are even more directly fubfervient to it, they excite to that virtue.

All abftract definitions of doctrine, all abftrufe queftions about it, are in their very effence wholly fpeculative'; they are at beft fit only for informing the understanding, too often only for perplexing it: their natural effects are thorny difputes, contentions, divifions, not the active exertions of Christian virtue and holiness; the utmoft they can claim is, that they may be harmlessly amufing: they never can be profitable. If it were poffible to determine them with the greateft clearness and certainty, yet they could not influence practice; abftract ideas being too frigid to warm the heart; too weak to draw out good affections; and too dim to be kept in view in the moment of action.

We have now given a full view of what our Author has advanced upon a very important fubject, and heartily with his Sermon may produce proper effects upon the minds of those who are principally interested in attending to it: When a Professor of Divinity, eminently diftinguifhed too by his learning and abilities, delivers his fentiments with fuch freedom and boldness concerning the departure of Chriftians, of every denomination, from the fimplicity of the Gospel, 'it cannot fail of

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giving fincere pleafure to every friend to virtue and religion, and of leffening that attachment to the creeds and fyftems of fallible men, which has been fo prejudicial to the interefts of Chriftianity, and contributed, in a very high degree, to the spreading of fcepticism and infidelity.

Refignation to the will, fubjection to the authority, and regard to the judgment of God; the confidence of the righteous, and the felf-condemnation of the wicked at the day of judgment, are the fubjects of the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Sermons of this volume; which concludes with the republication of a Sermon on the Influence of the Paftoral Office on the Character, in answer to Mr. Hume; for an account of which very judicious and truly excellent difcourfe, we refer our Readers to the twentyfourth volume of our Review.

ART. III. Gibbon's Account of Chriftianity confidered; together with fome Strictures on Hume's Dialogues concerning Natural Religion. By Jofeph Milner, A. M. Master of the Grammar-fchool of Kingfton upon Hull. 8vo. 35. Cadell, &c. 1781.

W

E are forry that this performance has, from mere acci dent, fo long escaped our notice; but we flatter our felves that the Author will excuse us, when we assure him, that the omiffion did not proceed from any defigned neglect.

Mr. M.'s Work is divided into three parts: In the first, he examines, and endeavours to fet in a true light, fome facts and characters, which he thinks have been mif- ftated by Mr. Gib bon; in the second, he briefly confiders the nature (the Author's own words) of Chriftianity; and in the third, he dif courfes on a variety of fubjects, all reducible, however, to one point, the recommendation of the gofpel to the attention of the polite and the learned, and the vindication of its doctrines from the afperfions of Mr. Gibbon,-whom he allows to be a man of exquifite judgment, found claffical erudition, and every quality neceffary to form the accomplished hiftorian. His found judgment, however, Mr. Milner tells us, has not fecured him from a series of mistakes in every thing relating to Chriftianity; nay, one thing is clear, he further fays, viz. that Mr. Gibbon cordially hates Chriftianity.

We have no doubt of our Author's fincerity, nor of the uprightness of his views, and think his zeal for the honour and interefts of Chriftianity highly commendable, but cannot help obferving, that, in our opinion, his zeal is not according to knowledge. This, we apprehend, will clearly appear to moft of our Readers from the following short paffages.

Speaking of reason, and rational religion, he fays,-' Man being dark and blind with respect to God, and the beauty of

holiness,

holiness, through the fall, a very confiderable branch of that eternal life, which God gives him in his Son, lies in the gift of the mind, or Spirit of Chrift the Lord. Hence, and not from the best use of the most improved rational faculties, however useful they may be in all things elfe, he has a proper perception of real Chriftianity.' The fpiritual faculty is a perfect mystery to those who are merely poffeffed of the rational.'' The bold intrufions of reason have been a most powerful cause of our national depravity.' The true nature of gofpel truth, grace, and glory, and all the enjoyment, and all the holiness thence arifing, a natural man, fo remaining, muft continue deftitute of to eternity. The extravagant applaufes bestowed on the rational, have entirely juftled out of our religious fyftem the fpiritual powers; and fo fpecious and plaufible is the deceit, that even many good men do much impede their fpiritual' progrefs, by their exceffive leaning to what is called rational in religion."

Let Reafon be kept to her province, be refpected, cherished, and encouraged in it, by every method; but let her not pretend to incorporate with fpirituality itself, though the may judge of the circumftances that relate to it.' In a being fo corrupt as man, the most vigorous exercises of reafon are, in religion, good for little elfe than than to confound and mislead him. The intellectual faculty, the more folid and piercing it is, finks only the deeper in abfurdity, whilft it mixes itself with the mire and dirt of human depravity.' The leaven of reafon has fpread itself through all Chriftianity, and threatens to leave neither root nor branch.'-We leave our Readers to their own reflections on these extracts.

What Mr. Milner fays of the love of fame, appears to us extremely injudicious. To seek the efteem of men (says he), as a motive for our good actions, is the mafk of an hypocrite.'' How neceffary that the love of glory be eradicated, to render even heaven defirable! The moft unreftrained profligacy of temper is not more unfuitable to the temper of the heavensy world, than that paffion for glory, which is fo commonly deemed the mark of a great and generous mind. Perfons of fuch a taste may be useful and refpectable citizens, they cannot be Chriftian believers.'

Strange doctrine this! The great Author of Nature has, for the wifeft and the most benevolent purposes, implanted the love of fame in the human mind; and we know that it has operated powerfully in many perfons who have done honour to the Chriftian name and character. Chriftianity, indeed, furnishes higher and nobler motives to the practice of virtue, than the defire of fame; but when the paffion for glory is directed and regulated by Chriftian principles, when it is joined, as we are perfuaded it often is, to an earnest defire of the approbation of REV. Feb. 1783.

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OMNISCIENCE, the united influence of two fuch principles must warm and animate the foul, muft give life and energy to all its exertions, and must ever produce a fublimity of virtue.

ART. IV. A Letter to the Author of the Hiftory and Myfiery of Good Friday . By a Layman. 8vo. 1 s. Rivington. 1782.

HE objections of the Diffenters to the fafts and festivals of the Eftablifhed Church may be reduced to the following heads: "The Almighty, by a pofitive command, hath allotted one seventh part of our time to his own immediate service by the acts of public devotion: and only that part. All inftitutions which exceed this limited portion are the fuperfluous appointments of mere human authority, exerted beyond the prefcriptions of the Divine law, and therefore not obligatory on Chriftians. And especially may we difpute their propriety, when it cannot be ascertained when the events, to which fuch redundant inftitutions more immediately refer, really took place. Hence the veneration of them receives a double objection. Religion doth not authorize them: and chronology cannot determine their date."

This is the main ground of the debate. The Author of the prefent pamphlet joins iffue on the footing of these objections, and proceeds to fhew caufe why fafts and feftivals ought to be appointed by Chriftian legiflators, and for what reafons Chriftian fubjects ought to submit to their appointments.

That one day in feven was prefcribed by Divine authority, and in the very body of the moral law, he pretends not to queftion. But, though one day in feven was appointed, he ftrenuously infifts, that it was not to the exclufion of any other that particular circumftances might authorize the appropriation of to the purposes of religion. Though the law refpecting the Sabbath was given to the Jews, yet, nevertheless, we are informed from the Mofaic code, that other days were also confidered as facred by the exprefs appointment of the legiflator himself.

Hence the Feast of the Paffover, of Weeks, of Expiation, of Trumpets, of Tabernacles, of a day of Atonement, &c. &c. from which it appears, that God required more than a feventh part of time to be dedicated to his fervice; for at the appointment of thefe teftivals it is exprefsly faid, "It fhall be a holy convocation to you; ye shall oblerve it by an ordinance for ever."

From a review of the fubject refpecting the inftitution of faits and festivals, the Author concludes, that worldly powers

↑ Sce Rev. Vol. LVII. p. 330.

have a right to appoint them.' If any objection should arife from their being Jewish inftitutions, the Author obferves, that the fame liberty of departing from the exact letter of the Ten Commandments was claimed by the Apofties of our Lord alfo. They appointed fafts, they attended feafts-and that too after our Saviour's afcenfion.

With respect to the exact day on which the feveral events commemorated happened, the Author obferves, that it is an object not worth contention. The day confidered in itself is nothing but all its confequence depends on the appropriation given it. It is the thing itself that ought to be the grand object to a Chriftian. And though the chronology may not be fettled, yet there is fomething which none but infidels can dispute; and it is that which ought to be kept in mind, and therefore to appoint a particular time to commemorate it cannot be abfurd or fuperfluous. He particularly inftances in the three grand inftitutions of the Church, viz. Christmas, Good Friday, and Eafter Day. We ought undoubtedly to maintain an habitual fenfe of the importance of thofe events; but will that habitual sense be leffened by the appropriation of any particular days to the commemoration of them? Will they not rather come in aid of the general impreffion? Will not their habitual influence be ftrengthened by this particular appropriation?-With respect to the alteration of the 7th day to the 1ft, the Author obferves, that there is no pofitive command for it. The whole rests on tradition; and that tradition pretends not to any explicit abrogation of the original appointment. There is a great deal in this argument. We know not what a Diffenter can advance to evade the force of it. We fhould be glad to fee. But let him remember his ground, and adhere closely to it. Let him produce the authority for the alteration of the Sabbath: but if he doth not prove that authority to be expreísly divine, and if the evidence of it be not fomething better than traditional, he will give a Churchman an advantage over him, that he will find it very difficult to furmount.

The Author makes a good ufe of the argumentum ad hominem. The Diffenters do not object to the appropriation of fome days to commemorative purposes. They obferve the 5th of November; and keep national fafts. Thefe appointments are merely human. If we object to one inftitution, because it is not founded on better grounds, why not to another for the fame reason? Is there no will-worship among the Diffenters ?-nothing but what they can appeal for " to the Law and to the Teftimony?"

You are a Diffenter (fays this Writer), the paftor of a congregation, we will fuppofe, and you think it wrong to dedicate that time to the fervice of God which ought to be employed in fecular affairs. Suffer me to afk, Do you enforce by your prac

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