profeffion of it, this is one,-that as members of the Chriftian church, we are all independent of each other in point of authority; that we are to call no man Master on earth; but that every individual member is to examine, try, and judge for himfelf, and to be fully perfuaded in his own mind with regard to all his religious fentiments, and practices:- and this has been juftly efteemed, by all that have rightly confidered it, as a glorious privilege of the Chriftan religion.-The Gofpel, in this view of it, may be regarded as a special interpofal of the ever-bleffed God, in behalf of the moft facred rights. and liberties of mankind; in oppofition to the haughty and impious claims of covetous and proud men, that would lord it over God's heritage, and affume to themfelves to be Governors and Judges in affairs that are too important to be referred to fuch weak arbitrators. "It should be further obferved, that notwithstanding the religious liberties of mankind have been thus folemnly ratified and confirmed by a divine revelation; yet under cover of this very revelation, and a pretence of patronizing and defending it, men have established a worfe ufurpation over the confciences of their fellow fubjects, than perhaps ever prevailed in the world before. Thus the Priesthood first of all affumed, and afterwards feized upon, what is called ecclefiaftical authority in the Chriftian church; in confequence of which, civil establishments of religion have taken place in all the kingdoms of Europe; in which it is particularly defined by human laws, in what manner Chriftians fhall profefs their religion, and in what terms, and with what ceremonies, they fhall publicly worship God. "Against thefe impofitions of human authority, some have arifen in almost all ages, and borne their public teftimony, by standing faft in that liberty wherewith Chrift made them free: and, in confequence, have been obliged to fubmit, fome to cruel tortures and deaths, others to penalties and difcouragements, greater or lefs, according to the severity of the respective governments under which they lived,-but univerfally they have been branded with the names of Heretics, and Schifmatics, by those established churches from which they have taken the liberty to diffent.-And as they conftantly have, and probably always will have, a majority against them, who, in appearance at leaft, do fubmit to human authority in religious matters, fo their hardfhips must be the greater in proportion to the fmallness of their number.-Now among those who publicly conform to civil establishments of religion, and and join in public worship with those who take upon them to appoint new terms of communion, or fuch as were not appointed by our Lord and his Apoftles, it is certain there are many who in their hearts approve of that Chriftian liberty, which, in appearance, they defert ;-who openly avow, and contribute to countenance and fupport that authority which, in their real fentiments, and their private converfation, they give up as an ufurpation not to be juftified upon the principles of Christianity, which they allow to be clearly on the fide of liberty, and oppofite to all human authority in matters that are purely religious.-The conduct of fuch as thefe looks too much like being afhamed of our Lord and his words, as they have not the refolution to act openly upon the Gospel plan, when they fee great numbers and powers appearing against it and that which greatly aggravates this unjuftifiable behaviour is, that the peace and well-being of mankind are fo nearly affected by it. "That the rights of confcience, or of private judgment in religion, fhould be preserved in their utmost extent, is a matter of the greatest importance to mankind, fince this is the only effectual bar against perfecution, which has introduced fo much diforder and confufion into the world, and made fuch havock among the fons of men, as it is very, fhocking to reflect upon, much more to thofe that have feverely felt the effects of it. It is true, the fpirit of perfecution does not run fo high at prefent as it has in former ages; but if the principles from which it received ftrength and encouragement are ftill efpoufed, and vindicated, it is certainly the duty of all Chriftian Profeffors efpecially, to give their public teftimony against them, that, if poffible, there may not be the leaft foundation left to raife any future perfecution upon; that no disturbance may evermore be given to the peace of thofe who are determined to abide by their Gospel privileges, and to maintain their right of diffenting from human authority, and judging for themfelves in all religious. matters. "That this is really a privilege, and an effential part of the Gospel difpenfation, has not been fo generally and fully confidered as it ought to have been. The Gofpel, instead of fupporting the claims of human authority, advanced by covetous and ambitious men, is directly levelled against them, and tends, in the ftrongeft manner, to difappoint and defeat them. So much the more fhameful and difhonourable then is the conduct of thofe who are fenfible of this, and yet meanly" defert defert those principles of the Gofpel, which have fo generous and friendly an afpect upon the liberties of mankind;which were intended to rescue men out of the hands of their religious oppreffors, to discountenance the views of worldly ambition, and to establish the spirit of independency and freedom, which is the life and foul of religion. In what light then can we regard those who are afhamed of our Lord and his words, when we confider him as afferting, in the strongeft terms, the principles of religious liberty?-Is it not an inexcufable cowardice, to difown fo worthy and important a cause, and which, from the great original of it, we are affured muft finally prevail?" Our Author enlarges a good deal on this fubject; but fuch Readers as are defirous of feeing what he has farther advanced upon it, we refer to the Sermons themfelves. Van Swieten's Commentaries abridged. By Dr. Schamberg of Bath, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. 8vo. 6s. Johnson. HE fhort preface to this abridgment obferves, "That the prolixity of Van Swieten's Commentaries upon the Aphorifms of Boerhaave may be tedious to the experienced Practitioner, and frequently difgufting to the young Student, who is eafily frightened at the fight of voluminous writings;" adding, "that instruction is moft impreffive, where it is leaft incumbered." This, indeed, is the fenfe of the following appofite motto to this abridgment, Quicquid præcipies, efto brevis; ut citò difta Our medical Epitomifer, however, might have attempered this precept, by remembering, the fame excellent Critic alfo. fays-Brevis effe laboro, obfcurus fio-and have farther confidered, that, especially in didactic treatifes, obfcurity is by all means to be avoided. In this fingle volume Dr. Schom berg had propofed to abridge the three of Van Swieten already published in Latin, which we find were tranflated and printed here at different times, from the year 1744 to 1758, in eleven volumes 8vo. This at firft may fuppofe the different extent of the original and the abridgment to be as one to eleven ; but on a much better calculation of their conREV. Nov. 1762. tents, A 2 tents, the former is above thirty times as much as the latter. Now, as the reafon for Van Swieten's Commentaries on Boerhaave's Aphorifms, was the great concifenefs of that clofe and pregnant work, (whence, perhaps, fome unavoidable obfcurity) we fhould not expect the Abridgment of fuch a Commentary to be reduced to little more than the fize of the Aphorifms themfelves, which are alfo contained in the Commentary, as far as it is published. The general heads or titles of the Commentary are eightythree; thofe of the Aphorifms thirty-feven. Dr. Schomberg, however, has contrived to begin with Difeafes of a fimple folid, Fibre, and to end with the Empyema, which make the initial article of the firft, and the final one of the eleventh volume. But it must be obferved, that the tranflation at large fometimes treats of one disease under as many titles as there are fpecies of that generical difeafe, for inftance, of the Quincy particularly. Nevertheless, if the Baron has not been greatly, and very unneceffarily, prolix, Dr. Schomberg must have been too concife and laconic. If the latter has retained all that is effentially material, it muft imply the original to be much more generally diffuse than pertinent. It fhould have been confidered, however, for whose fervice thefe Commentaries were principally calculated? The obvious anfwer to this feems to be, - for those capacities, to which the Aphorifins feemed too obfcure, too much compreffed, as it were. This would confequently incline Baron Van Swieten rather to expatiate, than to be too concife and aphoriftical himfelf: and fuppofing this the case, Dr. Schomberg's very brief epitomè has interfered with his Author's capital intention. If the Doctor defigned it for Phyficians of experience and erudition, doubtlefs there are many fuch, who need no explanation of, no Commentary on, the Aphorifms. Such, therefore, may be willing, at their leisure, rather to perufe the Commentaries in the original; as the many cafes, the physical experiments, the phyfiological reafonings and fuggeftions, which he has interfperfed throughout them, and embellifhed with his general erudition, prevent him from appearing often dry or tedious. It feems, nevertheless, upon the whole, as if fome happy medium might be found between Van Swieten's voluminous extent, and Dr. Schomberg's diminutive, not to fay, disparaging, brevity and doubtlefs, in general, if a good Author had equal leifure and difpofition for it, he must prove the beft beft Abbreviater of his own work, of which the literary world has feen fome acceptable inftances. The production of the prefent book needed little more trouble than to mark in the margin the paragraphs which the Printer should compofe; and here and there to change a word or particle, in order to conRect them. Dr. Schomberg, however, having been modeft enough on this atchievement of his Synopfis, with his non laudem merui, it were scarcely liberal criticifm to extend thefe ftrictures farther. As he promifes to abridge the part yet unpublifhed by Van Swieten, foon after it appears, it will give him an opportunity of re-confidering what he has already done. On comparing fome part of his Abridgment with the English Tranflation, we find it verbally the fame, except the difference already mentioned. Hence it is manifeft, we have nothing to remark on the style or manner of this performance, which are not Dr. Schomberg's, but are taken from the Tranflator of Van Swieten, whofe performance does not lie properly before us. All that is strictly the Abridger's, is his Preface, which is fhort and decent. As he must be fuppofed to have perused this valuable and learned Author with more than ordinary attention, in order to this Abstract of his Commentaries, it was certainly a very pertinent employment for a practical Physician; of which, we hope, his Patients and himfelf will perceive the good confequences. The Doctrine of Grace: Or, the office and operations of the Holy Spirit vindicated from the infults of infidelity, and the abuses of fanaticifm: Concluding with fome thoughts (humbly offered to the confideration of the ESTABLISHED CLERGY) with regard to the right method of defending religion against the attacks of either party. By William Lord Bishop of Gloucefter. Small 8vo. 2 vols. 3 s. 6 d. in boards. Millar, &c. UCH Readers as are acquainted with the writings of the Singenious and learned Author of this performance, will expect to find many fhrewd and pertinent obfervations, an original and lively turn of thought, and a confiderable portion of critical fagacity, in whatever comes from his pen : nor will they be difappointed in the work now before us. abounds in digreffions, according to the new-fashioned mode of writing; many important and curious fubjects are touched A a 2 upops It |