tutor at the head of a refpectable feminary, and as a theological writer, procured him, during his life, a high degree of efteem and celebrity; and his writings will long remain a monument of extenfive reading, critical fagacity, an elegant tafte in compofition, and, above all the reft, an ardent zeal for the interefts of religion. The particulars of his useful life have lately been laid before the public fomewhat at large; the peculiar features of his character have been fo ably delineated, and the merit of his literary productions has been fo fairly and judiciously appreciated, by Dr. Kippis, among his valuable enlargements of the Biographica Britannica, that it is unneceffary for us to expatiate on the subject.

In our former account of Dr. Doddridge's Course of Lectures, M. Rev. vol. xxix. p. 15. we remarked fome faults in the plan of that work among which the principal, as it ftill appears to us, is the application of the mathematical form of reasoning to moral and theological difcuffions; and the giving, as demonftrations, with a Q. E. D. annexed, the arguments in fupport of propofitions on which much may fairly be faid on both fides, and which at beft admit only of a probable conclufion. Notwithstanding this objection, however, it must be acknowleged to be greatly useful to young ftudents to have before them a concife and methodical view of the leading arguments any fubject, with references to thofe books in which the arguments are pursued more at large; and perhaps there is no work extant, in which the feveral fubjects of inquiry in metaphyfics, ethics, and theology, are fo completely brought into one connected view, and fo fyftematically arranged, as in these Lectures. The series of evidence for divine revelation in particular is methodized with fo much judgment, that (except fome preliminary propofitions which fhould have been omitted, as tending to give the mind of the ftudent an unfair prepoffeffion,) it would not, perhaps, be eafy to point out a more judicious courfe of ftudy on this fubject.

on

On the whole, though we think many propofitions in the work ill fupported with proof, we entirely affent to Dr. Kippis's general remark that this courfe is well calculated to lead the tudent gradually on, from the first principles to the most important and difficult parts of theological knowledge.'

It is a circumftance which renders thefe volumes particularly ufeful to those who devote their leifure to metaphyfical and theological inquiries, that it contains a great variety of references to entire works, or to particular paffages, on the feveral fubjects of difcuffion. When thefe Lectures were first published, (in 1763,) thefe references were fufficiently numerous but fuch a variety of publications have fince appeared, that it was

become

become extremely defirable, as the prefent Editor obferves, that the lift of references fhould be enlarged, by introducing the names and productions of those writers who have treated on the several matters in queftion fince the author's decease. Dr. Kippis, who was himself a pupil of Dr. Doddridge, and whose ftudies must have led him to an extensive and minute acquaintance with the progrefs of literature in general, and particularly with the history of religious controverfies, was certainly well qualified to undertake this talk ;-and we find, on comparing the former edition with the prefent, that the value of the work is materially enhanced by many new references inferted in the text, and by numerous notes of reference, intended not only to affift theological ftudents during their academical courfe, but to point out fuch fources of information as may be serviceable to them in their future inquiries. In order to render this edition the more complete, the editor has borrowed affistance from the notes of feveral gentlemen, who, fince Dr. Doddridge's death, have as tutors regularly gone through his course; efpecially those of Dr. Savage and Mr. Merivale.

Dr. Kippis particularly wishes it to be remembered that it is no part of his defign to give general illuftrations of the fub jects difcuffed, nor either to confirm or gainsay the opinions of Dr. Doddridge. His fole aim has been to mention, with freedom and impartiality, the writers on all fides of the different queftions, that hereby the mind of the ftudent may be fully enlarged, and that he may be able, with the greater advantage, to profecute his fearches after truth. In executing this plan, the editor has rendered a valuable service to fcience, for which he is entitled to the thanks of the public.

An alphabetical catalogue of authors mentioned in the work terminates the fecond volume.

ART. VI. The Repertory of Arts and Manufactures; confifting of Original Communications, Specifications of Patent Inventions, and Selections of ufeful practical Papers from the Tranfactions of the Philofophical Societies of all Nations. Vol. I. 8vo. 9s. 6d. Boards. Wilkie, &c. 1794.

THE

'HE novelty and importance of this compilement can scarcely fail of recommending it to a nation in which the sciences and the arts are fo highly cultivated and protected as they have been in this country, especially fince the eftablishment of LIBERTY, with all her numerous train of happy confequences! -The defign of the prefent undertaking will fufficiently appear from the following abftract of the advertisement prefixed by the editors:

• Of

. Of the work now offered to the public, one of the principal objects is, to establish a vehicle, by means of which, new discoveries and improvements, in any of the ufeful arts and manufactures, may be tranfmitted to the public; particularly to artifts, manufacturers, and others, who might, otherwise, have but little chance of ever being acquainted with them.

Specifications of Patents will form a confiderable and, it is prefumed, an interefling part of the work.-They are given exactly in the words of the originals, as recorded in the Patent Office.

The Tranfactions of learned Academies and Societies form another great fource from which the editors will derive their materials. As Lome of these focieties are inftituted with views in many respects fimilar to their own, their Tranfactions will furnish a greater portion of matter than thofe of others. All of them, however, contain much fpeculative or other matter, foreign from the purpose of this publication: a felection, therefore, of the more useful practical papers will not, it is hoped, be uninterefling to the public. In the translations of those parts which are selected from the Transactions of Foreign Academies, or from any other publications in foreign languages, fuch terms will, as much as poffible, be used as are fuppofed to be moft familiar to artists and manufacturers in general.'

Befides the fources already mentioned, the editors trust that they fhall find another, no lefs valuable, in the communications of thofe who cultivate the useful arts, whether for profit or pleafure; and befides the tranfcripts of many Patents which have been obtained for new inventions, &c. the editors have collected, in this their first volume, and will, no doubt, continue to do fo in the fubfequent parts, a variety of curious papers relative to new difcoveries or improvements, from the Tranfactions and Memoirs of the following royal and other focieties: I. The Royal Society of London. II. The London Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. II. The American Philofophical Society. IV, The Royal Irish Academy. V. The Literary and Philofophical Society of Manchefter. VI. The Academy of Sciences at Turin. VII. The Academy of Sciences at Paris. VIII. Annales de Chimie, &c. To thefe are added a number of papers which appear to be originals, as they bear date in 1794; and as no references are made to any fources from which they might have been drawn, except to the name of their refpective authors or communicators: thefe relate to valuable or curious inventions or improvements in philofophy, chemistry, or mẹ

chanics.

The work appears to have been published in numbers, fix of which are included in the prefent volume.-Of the farther progrefs of this well-defigned undertaking, we fhall not fail to apprize our readers, as the volumes come fucceffively to our hands.

The

The articles contained in this volume are accompanied by 25 copper-plates, defigned to illuftrate the details given respecting mechanical improvements, patents, &c.

ART. VH. A Commentary on the Revelation of St. John. By Bryce Johnfton, D. D. Minifter of the Gofpel at Holywood. 8vo. 2 Vols. pp. 916. 10s. Boards. Cadell. 1794.

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EBULOSUM rete! is a phrafe which we may too often properly apply, (and which we lately did apply to another article,} concerning those who have devoted their attention to the ænig matical book of the Revelations: they have not unfrequently darkened and entangled both themfelves and others. It would be at the fame time faftidious and unjuft not to acknowlege that, in feveral inftances, the labour employed has difplayed great and real erudition, and may poffibly be productive of confiderable utility.-Let the prefent author speak for himfelf by fome quotations from the introduction to his work; which was first exhibited in a course of lectures to the inhabitants of the parish in which he refides: in the year 1789 he determined on delivering them to public notice.

If I had found (he fays,) a jaft and complete explanation of that book on fixed and rational principles, in the writings of a Vitringa, a Sir Ifaac Newton, a Lord Napier, a Lowman, or any other commentator, I should never have troubled the public with my opinion on this important fubject, though it is one in which we are all deeply interested. Having never met with fuch a commentary-I examined all the prophetic writings in the Old and New Teftaments, in order to discover whether or not there is any one peculiar idiom or fixed character of prophetic writings in which they all agree. I foon found that two peculiar features marked all prophecies; The first, that they are written in the fymbolical language; and the fecond, that all prophetic writings of any confiderable length are intersperfed with keys or explanatory parts, written in alphabetical language. Thefe keys are always introduced by an angel, or by a particular expreflion directing the attention of the reader to them; fuch as, " here is wifdom," Rev. xiii. 18. xvii. 9.' There are two characters in this (prophetical) language. The one is uniformly called an hieroglyphic, and the other a fymbol, in the Commentary. An hieroglyphic is a complete figure made up of the affemblage of two or more parts into one picture: an example of an hieroglyphic may be feen in chap. i. 17. to the end of verfe 16. And a fymbol is a fingle detached member; fuch, for inftance, as a candlestick, a ftar, or a two-edged fword. Every prophet, in whatever country or age he wrote, always fed the fame hieroglyphic, or the fame fymbol, to fignify the fame thing, without a fingle exception.' As an univerfal and unchangeable language, the fymbolical must be the most fit language for prophecies intended for all countries and ages. In the commentary, I have explained the meaning of every hieroglyphic or

fymbol

fymbol the first time it occurred in the book of Revelation, and whenever it appeared again, I have used it in the fame fense; taking it for granted that the reader will recollect the interpretation which was given of it in its firft appearance. Whenever the same symbol or hieroglyphic occurred, it hath always been ufed in the fame fenfe, which is a strong proof that it hath been rightly interpreted. It will allo appear in the commentary, that the fymbols and hieroglyphics are used in the fame fenfe in the prophecies of Ifaiah, of Jeremiah, of Ezekiel, of Daniel, of Paul, and of Peter, in which they are used by John in this book.'

To have quoted a great variety of hiftorians on each event, would have fwelled the work too much: therefore the reader is here referred to the following hiftorians; Eufebius Pamphilus, Socrates Scolafticus, and Evagrius Scolafticus, their church hiftories; Lewis Ellies Dupin, doctor of the Sorbonne, his church history; and Edward Gibbon, his hiftory of the decline and fall of the Roman empire. Thefe hiftorians agree with Mofheim's church history, in their account of facts and dates, as the inquifitive reader will fee, by comparing him and them together, on the refpective periods to which the events belong. Indeed Mr. Gibbon acknowledges in exprefs words his general agreement with Mofheim, and gives that hiftorian the character for learning and candor which he juftly deferves.'

Having no controversy with any commentator, and never thinking truth the lefs genuine or valuable that other perfons have feen it before me, I have never rejected or difguifed any just interpretation of any of the predictions with which I have met in any of the commentators; nor have I entered into controversy with thofe from whom I differ in opinion; but have fimply flated what appears to me the right interpretation, hoping that the candid and enlightened reader, judging for himself, will prefer truth, from its innate evidence, to the mere authority of any man.'

Unmoved by the cenfures of bigots of every church, I rely on what the voice of Scripture in general, of this book in particular, and of reafon and experience uniformly fays, that thofe individuals of every external denomination, who are wife and good men, whom the Lord who cannot err knows to be his people,—are the true worshippers of God,and fhall finally be faved by the mercy of God through the mediation of Chrift.'

Whether the author intends any kind of falvo, or limitation of his charity, by thofe words which are given in Italics, we will not stay to inquire. How far he has adhered to his profeffions must be determined by a perufal of the volumes. In general, we incline to think that he does: though fome predilections and attachments may occafionally difcover themselves. When we think of those respectable names which have preceded him in this inquiry, we are difpofed to ask whether the Doctor does not affume too much, when he intimates that not one of his predeceffors has explained on fixed and rational principles: a complete explanation was not indeed to be expected

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