defigned for all mankind in every age: they are fuch as a philofophical enquirer would naturally expect in a divine revelation, with the defign of which they perfectly correspond: they are fo exprefsly and repeatedly revealed, as to leave no room for doubt, and fo plainly, as to obviate all difficulties; and in these all denominations of Chriftians, however they may differ in other refpects, are perfectly agreed. This laft circumftance our Author confiders as a decifive argument in their favour, and justly obferves, that when a number of learned, wife, and good men, have differed widely from each other concerning the meaning of a propofition, it is a certain proof that it is obfcurely and ambiguously, or, at leaft, indefinitely expreffed, and therefore ought not to be numbered among the fundamental doctrines of revelation, or deemed effential to it.

Though we approve of many of the foregoing obfervations as liberal and judicious (for we will not be anfwerable for them all), we cannot help thinking, that the view here given of the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel is very defective. We are perfectly convinced that, in a general vindication of Chriftianity, every doctrine, of which the divine authority is doubted, or the sense disputed among its profeffors, ought to be left out of the queftion: but is it therefore neceffary to reprefent it as a mere republication of the religion of nature? In our opinion, the pardon offered to finners through Chrift, his exaltation to univerfal power, and his appointment as our Mediator, by whom we have accefs to the Father, are fundamental doctrines of the Gospel ; and, as fuch, deferve to be particularly mentioned; because they are the grand truths which diftinguish Chriftianity from deifm. They are doctrines which all denominations of Chriftians profefs to believe, however they may differ concerning fome circumftances relative to them; and, though they may be called myfteries in the proper and fcriptural fenfe of this word, yet if we diveft them of those abfurdities in which they have been involved by human fyftems, and content ourselves with the plain declarations of the New Teftament, they will appear to be confiftent with the dictates of found philofophy, though they were not discoverable by its inveftigations.

That philofophy has no tendency to undermine the doctrines of revelation, as our Author has here ftated them, he argues from their coincidence with the dictates of reafon; from their having been, in all ages, the objects of its enquiries; and from their never being difputed by the best and most rational even of the writers against revealed religion. His vindication of the probability of the facts by which the Gofpel is authenticated, and of the external evidence attending them, is fenfible and judicious, but contains nothing which has not been often faid by other writers on this subject.

The

The third Differtation, which is the performance of M. PETER VERSTAP of Rotterdam, has great merit. The Author introduces his fubject with a view of the general plan of Providence refpecting the improvement of mankind in knowledge and morals, and fhews that, with this, fuch an interpofition of the Deity, as the Gofpel afferts, is by no means inconfiftent. Revelation, he obferves, is to the moral, what experiments are to the natural, philofopher: it unfolds truths, which mere fpeculative investigation could not have discovered; and confirms those of which he had already entertained a prefumption. By comparing the flow progrefs of unaffifted reafon, in the acquifition of knowledge, with that fudden improvement in religion and morals which immediately attended the promulgation of Chriftianity, and this with the ftate of literature and philofophy among the Jews, together with the difadvantageous circumftances of Chrift's birth and education, he evinces the abfurdity of afcribing this aftonishing effect to any other cause than a divine revelation.

In his next chapter, M. VERSTAP confiders the perfpicuity of the Gospel. After a judicious explanation of the word myftery, as used in Scripture, we meet with the following excellent and useful obfervation. It is of importance to diftinguish between those truths which have an immediate tendency to promote the happiness of mankind, and thofe fpeculative points which are the objects of our infatiable thirft of knowledge. This diftinction will enable us to form a juft idea of the perfpicuity of the New Teftament, and will convince us that it is as great as could reasonably be expected in a revelation from God. The moral precepts of the Gospel are founded in the law of nature, and its pofitive duties are fimple and eafy: its doctrines are few, but of the highest importance; they are fo plainly and repeatedly revealed, that their meaning is obvious to the most common understanding, and their probability apparent on the leaft reflection, while their certainty muft depend on the acknowledged divine authority of the revelation in which they are found. Whatever obscurity there may be, is confined to lefs important points, or rather to fuch as are merely fpeculative. The reasons of particular difpenfations of Providence are fometimes fuppreffed: the manner in which the Deity acts is generally concealed; and, with respect to many things, our curiofity is fuffered to remain ungratified. This obfcurity, however, is a neceffary confequence of our finite nature and imperfect state, and arifes not from any deficiency in revelation, which, in this, as in every other refpect, is well fuited to our capacities, and therefore confiftent with divine wisdom.

It is juftly obferved, that, as revelation is entirely dependent on the will of the Supreme Being, and the refult of his infinite

wisdom,

wifdom, it is impoffible that we, who know fo little of his nature, fhould be able to determine, a priori, what particular difpenfation is most suitable to his attributes and object. The true philofopher, therefore, inftead of prefuming to prescribe laws to Providence, will humbly acquiefce in the divine arrangements: the grand object of his enquiry will be, whether God has, in fact, granted a revelation; and, in this enquiry, he will be convinced, that all the external evidence of fuch a fact, which reafon can poffibly require, can amount to no more than moral certainty. Thofe to whom it was immediately granted, acknowledged its divine authority upon the evidence of miracles, which, being an appeal to their fenfes, precluded every other demonftration; and their reafon had no other office than to affign a criterion by which to diftinguish miracles from thofe phenomena which occur in the common courfe of nature. But, as an immediate revelation to every individual cannot reasonably be expected, and as miracles, if frequently repeated, would lose their power to convince, it is plain that the authority of revelation muft, in general, be founded on the credible teftimony of others, and that our conviction of its truth muft depend on the preponderance of arguments in its favour.

In his chapter upon Miracles, M. VERSTAP blames the inju dicious zeal of those who afcribe every extraordinary event related in Scripture, to an immediate interpofition of the Deity; and obferves, that the liberal fpirit of Biblical criticism which now prevails, has removed many objections that were infeparable from a more contracted view of the fubject. Ignorance and fuperftition will discover miracles in thofe paffages in which found criticifm can difcern only natural events. The peculiar flyle of the Jewish hiftorians, and the nature of their language, led them to clothe plain facts in metaphorical and allegorical expreffions; their national prejudices and contracted knowledge often made them afcribe, to the immediate interpofition of Deity, thofe effects in which a more improved philofophy difcerns the intervention of a fecond caufe. For a confirmation of these obfervations, he refers us to the criticisms of Niemeyer and the Abbé Ferufalem, who, fo far from undermining the authority of revelation, have contributed greatly to eftablish it on a firmer foundation, by removing the loofe ground which did not belong to it. It is not fo much the number, as the evident reality of miracles, that deferves our attention; and a true philofopher will not acknowledge an extraordinary interpofition of the Deity, except in cafes where the effect cannot be produced by the ordinary courfe of nature.

In the remaining part of this chapter our Author fhews, that the miracles recorded in the New Teftament, are fuch as effectually obviate all objections founded in our ignorance of the ex

tent

tent of natural caufes; and obferves that a philofopher who attends to the progrefs of his own mind, and the dictates of experience, will thence be induced to require fuch miracles as the moft evident character of the divine origin of a revelation. The bulk of mankind are not to be influenced by the abstract idea of moral beauty inattentive to connected argument, and rational demonftration, they neglected the inftructions even of a Socrates; yet no fooner are they convinced that their teacher is honoured with an immediate commiffion from God, than an implicit belief takes place of their former indifference. But how can their attention be excited, and this conviction produced, except by affecting their fenfes with extraordinary and palpable proofs ? Even to a philofopher, miracles, though not fo indifpenfably requifite as to others, are yet highly ufeful: though he pursues his researches beyond the external appearance of things; though he esteems truth, wherever he may find it, as ultimately derived from God, and would therefore embrace all thofe doctrines of the Gospel, which reafon teaches, without requiring external evidence to support them; yet, when he is affured that his rational part will be raised again to life with a new and incorruptible body, and that finners, upon fincere repentance, fhall be fully juftified, upon what ground fhall he build his affent to thefe truths? Here reafon is filent; they are founded folely in the will of the Supreme Being. But how can he be affured that a teacher truly declares this divine will, except the Lord of Nature atteft the declaration by miracles, when appealed to by the meffenger whom he has appointed? Or even granting that he could convince himself of the certainty of this, and thus needed no external evidence, yet, as a true philofopher, who seeks the happiness of his fellow-creatures rather than the gratification of felfish vanity, he will look with holy reverence on thofe foundations which the hand of Providence has laid, and on which the faith of mankind is built.

The concluding part of this Differtation is intended to fhew, that revelation was not defigned to rectify the philofophical errors of mankind, and to vindicate the propriety of its being limited to moral and religious truth. The latter branch of the propofition, on which this Effay is written, is illuftrated by adducing the examples of fome of the moft eminent characters that have adorned the present age, who are not lefs diftinguished by their piety as Chriftians than by their knowledge as philofophers.

M.VERSTAP concludes his piece with a very judicious and impartial view of the causes which have given rife to the prejudice, that philofophers are the friends of infidelity; and we are forry. that our limits will not permit us to give a particular account of them.

The

The fourth and laft Differtation in this volume, was written by the Rev. M. LAURENTIUS MEYER. It certainly appears to great difadvantage after the preceding Effays, and has the merit of being rather well intended than judiciously executed.

ART. II.

Verhandelingen uitgegeeven door de Hollandfche Maatschappye der WeetenSchappen te Haarlem. Memoirs published by the Philosophical Society at Haarlem, Vols. XXIII. and XXIV *. Haarlem. 1786 and 1787.

TH

8vo.

HE chief part of the first of these two volumes is taken up with a Prize Differtation by JACOB OTTEN HUSLEY, Architect, of Amfterdam, concerning the beft Method of preventing the Encroachment of the Sea on the Dykes of the Texel and Marfdiep. This is a subject which, though of great importance to the Dutch, will not be very interefting to the generality of our philofophical Readers; and, to judge of it, a knowledge of local circumftances is required, which few except the natives of the country have an opportunity of obtaining.

The remaining articles in this volume are the following: Obfervations on the Phosphorical Light of Sea water in the Baltic, by Count GREGORIUS RAZOUMOWSKY. The Count afcribes this phenomenon to a phosphorical gas, which is difengaged by the friction of the waves against the fides of the ship.

Account of an inveterate Entero-Epiplo-Hydrocele, by G. TEN HAAFF. The patient was fixty years of age, and was completely cured in confequence of an operation. From the circumftances of the cafe, our ingenious Author has deduced fome obfervations, which he conceives may be ufeful to young practitioners. The most important of thefe is, that when, by reason of a preternatural union or adhesion of parts, especially in the bowels, the reduction cannot be effected, it is better to leave fomething to the efforts of nature, than to feparate all fuch adhefions with the knife, as many patients have fallen victims to officiousness in this refpect. In the hydrocele, M. TEN HAAFF advises the operator to open the tunica vaginalis entirely, as a more safe and certain method than those recommended by Pott and Sharp.

Account of feveral Cafes in which the Polypus Narium was completely cured: by JOH. DE URIES, Lecturer in Anatomy and Surgery at Leeuwaarden.

Remarks on an encysted Tumour on the Patella: by W. VAN LILL, M. D. at Rotterdam. This fwelling, which was of a

* For our Account of preceding Volumes of thefe Memoirs, fee Appendix to our 74th Vol. Art. I.

prodigious