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but we think that many of the difficulties which occurred to him would have vanifhed, if he had more clofely attended to this circumftance, that most of thefe expreffions were addreffed, not to Jews as fuch, to whofe prejudices, as he justly obferves, the application of them to Chrift must have been repugnant, but to Jews already converted to Chriftianity, to whom this mode of reafoning might be neceffary in order to reconcile them to the renunciation of the Mofaical inftitutions. The writer of this article cannot help thinking, that the apofties themselves were not wholly free from the prejudices of their countrymen in this refpect, and that thefe were the real fource of their Jewish notions concerning the death of Chrift; for it appears to him, from their writings, that by whatever divine. direction they were guided, it extended only to the effential doctrines of the gofpel; and that, with refpect to their mode of teaching thefe, they were left to depend on their own good fenfe, and on the knowlege which they might have acquired by experience and obfervation. For farther particulars relative to this fubject, we refer to the review of Profeffor VAN HEMERT'S Inaugural Oration. (New Series, vol. iv. p. 536.)

In the chapter concerning the quotations from the Old Teftament, M. DE Vos allows that this expreffion, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, does not always indicate the accompliíhment of a prediction, but is often used merely to introduce the mention of an apposite fentiment, or a fimilar event. His general obfervations on the nature of prophecy deferve great praife; we confider them as the beft parts of his differtation, and are forry that our limits. will not allow us to give a more particular account of them. We muft, however, obferve, that he feems too much to difcourage free inquiry into thefe fubjects, which, provided it be conducted with modesty, and will not lead to dogmatical decifion, cannot fail to throw at leaft fome light on many paffages of fcripture.

In treating of the agency of the Devil and of Demons, our author's reafoning is far from being fatisfactory. He fays, that they who, conceiving that, on thefe fubjects, Jefus accommodated his expreffions to the popular notions of the Jews, praise his prudence and moderation, would do well to follow his example, inftead of endeavouring to prove that these notions were erroneous:-but this is furely mere fophiftry; for it fuppofes that what is prudent in one particular cafe, must be equally prudent in every other cafe, however different the circumstances. We will allow, for instance, that a country clergyman, preaching to ignorant peafants, who, impliAPP. REV. VOL. VIII. citly

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citly believing every old woman's story concerning the Devil, find no difficulty in giving their full affent to the expreffions even of our translation of the New Teftament, concerning his agency on the bodies as well as fouls of men, might be faid to act imprudently in fhocking their prejudices, and difturbing their minds, by any explanation of a matter in itself of little importance, and of none to them who never had an idea of admitting a doubt concerning it :-but were he called to preach before a congregation confifting of perfons of greater knowlege, and more cultivated understandings, who had heard thefe parts of the New Teftament reprefented as highly improbable, and made the foundation of objections against our Saviour's miracles and the truth of his gofpel, it would then become, not merely prudent, but in fact his indifpenfable duty, to obviate these objections, by giving the most rational explanation of these paffages, of which they were, in his opinion, fufceptible. The circumftances of the latter are in fome meafure applicable to the writers whom our author fo unadvisedly blames.-Concerning the Devil, M. DE Vos is far from being explicit; and, though, he feems to think, that in many places the word may mean no more than the perfonification of an abstract idea, he is evidently of opinion that it sometimes indicates an evil fpirit. With regard to the account of the temptation, he acknowleges that Mr. Farmer's explanation is the moft probable but to this he makes many objections, without offering any opinion of his own. With refpect to the demoniacs, he appears to grant that Chrift only made ufe of the common language of the Jews concerning thofe difeafes which they afcribed to poffeffion: the ideas on this fubject, which he fuppofes a Jewish phyfician to entertain, are plaufible: but we cannot imagine that the people in general thought thus rationally; as we know no reason why they fhould be fuppofed to have been more free from fuperftitious notions, than those of the fame clafs among Chriftians of the prefent age.

We are concerned to obferve, that M. DE Vos fometimes fuffers his zeal to carry him too far, and to infpire him with prejudices unworthy of his better judgment. This is remarkably the cafe with refpect to the learned and excellent Wetstein, whom he frequently mentions with indications of averfion and contempt. We cannot fuppo:e him capable of intentionally mifreprefenting the fentiments of this great and good man: but furely his diflike got the better of his judgment, when he aceufes him of want of caution and reflection, in writing a paffage which is thus quoted and tranflated: "I maintain that, in certain cafes, a useful writer not only may, but muft, make use of argumenta

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argumenta ad hominem (he certainly means here falfe conclufions); for how can be otherwife bring his readers over to his own opinions? All means therefore, without which an ufeful and lawful purpose, which is neceffary to the happiness of mankind, cannot be attained, are hence rendered ufeful, lawful, and even neceffary." The manner in which this paffage is quoted is not lefs partial and unfair, than the fuppofition, that falle conclufions are here meant, is groundlefs; for the fentence immediately preceding, which determines the author's meaning, is entirely left out. We fhall give the original paffage, and leave our readers to form their own opinion:

"Argumenta funt vel omnium, vel certorum temporum. Quædam enim ita funt evidentia, ut de illis inter omnes conveniat. Sunt alia argumenta æque vera quidem, fed non omnibus æque accommodata; et fieri poteft, ut quis talia argumenta vel non capiat, vel iis non multum mo-veatur: contra ut apud ipfum argumenta probabilia, petita aliquando ex opinionibus quas pro veris et certis habet, licet forte nec certa fint nec vera, multo plus ponderis habeant. In hoc cafu fcriptorem utilem argumentis ad hominem uti non folum poffe, verum etiam debere contendo Qua enim alia via lectorem in fuam fententiam perducet ? Omnia autem media, fine quibus finis utilis, legitimus, et ad falutem hominis neceffarius, obteneri non poteft, eo ipfo funt utilia legitima, imo et neceffaria. Ifta vero agendi ratio plane diverfa eft a methodo foo phiftarum, qui fcientes et volentes vel novis erroribus animos hominum imbuunt, vel veteribus ipforum erroribus novos fuperftruunt: qui enim receptis alicujus opinionibus utitur ad veritatem falutarem inftillandam, et fludium virtutis promovendum, tantum abeft ut illi injuriam faciat, ut potius ingens beneficium præftare fit exiftimandus."

We fhall conclude this article by obferving, that the best way of obviating the dangerous confequences which fome perfons feem to apprehend from questions of this nature, is to difcufs them with candour and franknefs. To betray a fear of inquiring after truth, and a reluctance to entrust mankind with it, can never be of service to the interests of the gospel, but may afford matter of triumph to its enemies. We allow that a propofition, in itself true, may become hurtful by being extended beyond its proper bounds: but our reluctance in granting it will not prevent its being affumed, and will rather provoke than prevent the abufe: the more it is liable to this abuse, the greater is the neceffity for inveftigating it without referve, and for marking its limits with all the precifion of which its nature is capable.

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ART. XI. Hiftoire de la Revolution de 1789, &c. i. e. Hiftory of the Revolution of 1789, and of the Establishment of a Conftitu tion in France; preceded by a concife View of the fucceffive Adminiftrations which brought on that remarkable Event. By two Friends to Liberty. 8vo. 5 Vols. About 400 Pages in each. Paris, 1790 and 1791. Imported by De Boffe, London.

IT T will immediately occur to every one who reads the title of this work, that a hiftory of the Revolution, written by a native, must have an advantage over one compofed by a foreigner, on account of the greater opportunities which the former writer has than the latter, of acquiring a more accurate knowlege of facts, and of more intimately investigating the fprings and fources of action. On the other hand, however, it may be urged with reafon, that every native, being more or lefs expofed to have his private interefts affected by those violent fhocks, which have convulfed the kingdom of France from one end to the other, and have involved the concerns of every rank and order of men, from the highest to the lowest, is more likely to have his paffions engaged, and his judgment warped from that calm and fteady impartiality, which is requifite to conftitute a good and faithful hiftorian.

In the course of the prefent work, however, as far as it goes*, we have met with nothing to authorize any charge of partiality, or undue prejudice. The author, or authors, if there be really more than one perfon concerned in the undertaking, are, it is true, friends to liberty: but they are not friends to licentioufnefs. Their language and fentiments, at times, are more free than may accord with the lofty notions of aristocratical arrogance: but they are no where fuch as will offend the feelings of a generous mind, fenfible of the value of liberty, and attached to the moderation and fobriety wherein it really confifts. They every where inculcate a love of order, a respect for the laws, a reverence for the conftitution, and a virtuous and liberal obedience to the magiftrates who act under its authority. They pay a proper tribute of praife to a king, whom the nation, at an early period of the revolution, ftyled The Reftorer of Liberty; who, on account of the actual fufferings, and alarming apprehenfions, to which he has been expofed, merits compaflion t; and who, by the perfonal facrifices which

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It is not yet finished. In an advertisement. prefixed to the fifth volume, the authors fay, that another volume, which is in the press, will complete the work,

In the report made to the king in council on the 27th Dec, 1788, by M. Necker, on the mode of electing the deputies to the States

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he has been obliged to make, has a claim to be treated with tenderness.

After haftily running through the adminiftrations of Meffrs. Necker, Joly de Fleury, d'Ormelon, Calonne, and the Archbishop of Touloufe, (afterward Archbishop of Sens,) in the years 1787 and 1788, the authors defcribe the general joy excited by the return of M. Necker, at the latter end of the laftmentioned year; and the general fermentation and intrigues. raised by the preparations for the affembling of the ftates in the beginning of the next. They then enter on the more immediate object of their hiftory, and detail the events of the revolution from the 5th of May 1789, the day on which the States General were firft opened at Verfailles, to the Federation in the Champ de Mars on the 14th of July 1790. Within this period, feveral interefting incidents, debates, decrees, &c. occur; efpecially the confolidation of the three orders of the States General, into one National Aflembly; the armed confpiracy formed for the diffolution of that aflembly; the taking of the Baftile, with fome anecdotes not commonly known; the entrance of the King into Paris on the day following; the horrid maffacres of Meflrs. Foulon and Berthier at Paris, and of the Marquis de Belzunce at Caën; the debates on the declaration of the rights of man, and on the abolition of the feudal fyftem, and of every fpecies of fervitude; the horrors of the 5th and 6th of October, and the circumftances which led to the perpetration of that fatal tragedy; the plan for the new divifion of the kingdom, and for obtaining a fair and equal reprefentation; the debates on the queftion whether the clerical poffeffions were the property of the public; the condemnation, execution, and dying depofition, of the Marquis de Favras; the General, these words occur: "Ah! Sire, encore un peu de tems, et 1out fe terminera bien; vous ne direz pas toujours, je l'efpere, ce que je vous ai entendu prononcer en parlant des affaires publiques: “ je n'ai eu (difiez vous,) je n'ai eu depuis quelques années que des inftans de bonbeur." It was recorded, in a respectable paper in this country, that on the Monday following that difgraceful day, which would harmonize better with the annals of flavery than with thofe of liberty, the 10th of Auguft laft, when the defpotic fury of a party, whofe freedom feems to confit in fuffering nobody to be free but themfelves, oyer-awed a weak and timid Aflembly, and triumphed over the conftitutional will of the nation,-it was recorded, we fay, that on the Monday following that day, the King fignified to the Affembly his defire to abdicate formally the crown. "All that he farther requested, was such a Ripend as the nation fhould not deem exceffive for the fupport of his family. Retirement was the only hope they had left!"

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