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for the particular manner in which this part of the work is executed, we must refer our Readers to the effay itself.

We could have wifhed, that Mr. Aikin had devoted a few pages to the examination of Thomson's verfification and language. Though it be a fubject on which the critics are divided, we do not know that it has been, hitherto, critically diffcuffed,

As a school book, there is, perhaps, no poem that can standi in competition with Thomfon's feafons. While the richnefsi and luxuriance of his imagery captivate the imagination, the warmth and fidelity with which he copies from truth and nature, imperceptibly infuse a love of nature and truth into his readers: The variety of learning that he difplays, at the fame time that it informs, awakens curiofity: And the precepts, both moral and religious, with which his poem fupereminently. abounds, and which are fet off with all the allurements of poetry, cannot fail to have great influence on the heart. every account, therefore, this poem is excellently calculated for the ftudy of youth. To fuch Readers, whofe tafte is not yet directed and informed, the prefent Effay will be of confiderable use.

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Should this elegant edition be reprinted, we would recom mend it to the editor, to confider whether it might not be advifeable, to omit, as is done in other editions, the burlesque epifode of The Return from the Fox-chace, which he has inferted as it originally stood in the third book. Though not without its merit, yet, by being incorporated into a ferious and philofophical poem, it evidently offends against that uniformity which is expected in every regular performance.

ART. VIII. Sermons on various Subje&s. By Zachary Pearce, D. D. late Lord Bishop of Rochester. Published from the original Manufcripts, by John Derby, M. A. his Lordship's Chaplain, Rector of Southfeet and Longfield, and one of the Six Preachers in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury. In four Volumes. 8vo. 11. is. Boards. Robinson. 1778.

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HE character of the late pious and worthy Bishop Pearce, both as a divine and a general scholar, hath been too fully established by his various excellent publications, to require any fresh encomiums. His editions of Longinus, Cicero de Ora tore, and Cicero de Officiis, have clearly proved, that he was a found and judicious critic. His obfervations on Milton have manifefted, that he was not unequal to the task of repreffing the temerity of a Bentley. His vindication of fome of our Saviour's Miracles, in answer to Woolfton, have fhewn, that he was a mafterly fupporter of chriftianity against the attacks of infidelity. And his Commentary and Notes on the Four Evangelifts,

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and the Acts of the Apoftles, with the Tracts annexed, have ranked him with those capital illuftrators of scripture, whofe names and works will be tranfmitted, with peculiar honour, to pofterity.

Such being the efteem which Dr. Pearce had fo juftly acquired by his writings, it was reasonable to expect that his fermons would not be totally with-held from the public. Accordingly, a felection of them is here made; in doing which, it hath been the defign of the Editor, to arrange a competent num ber of fuch as treat of the principal objects of a Proteftant-christian's faith and practice. Of the Sermons now printed, fome were intended by the Author himself for publication; particularly, a Series of Difcourfes on natural and revealed Religion, in the first volume, and thofe on Popery in the fourth. In the Difcourfes on natural and revealed Religion, the Bishop ftates, with great perfpicuity, the evidences in favour of both; and removes, in an able manner, the objections of unbelievers. It is, however, with concern, that we find fo judicious a divine, as Dr. Pearce, ranking the opinion of eternal punishments (by which he means an eternal existence in mifery) among the doctrines of christianity. Being perfuaded that this doctrine is true, our good Prelate endeavours to folve the difficulty arifing from it, in the following manner :

'I proceed now to the fecond objection, which I mentioned as having been made by fome against the divine authority of our holy religion, viz. that eternal punishments are in the New Teftament reprefented as the wages of fin: whereas the objectors think, that there would have been more of grace and of truth too in the Chriftian scheme, if these had been wholly left out of it.

• But it hath been ufual with the enemies of Christianity to deny, that an eternity of punishments is revealed in the New Teftament. They would explain the word eternal to mean only a long space of time; and they will not allow, that it is ever to be neceffarily underflood in the ftrict and proper fenfe of the word, when applied to punishments in the fcriptures. Why then fhould they make this objection, which they affirm to have no foundation in the word of God? The objection might be made more confiftently, though not more truly by a profeffed Chriftian, who, though he would be mistaken in this point, would yet go upon a right fuppofal, that the fcriptures contain a divine revelation. But the doctrine of eternal punishments, to be inflicted upon impenitent finners, cannot be at the fame time no part of the gospel, and yet an objection against the grace and benefit of the gospel.

But the objection ought to be answered more directly, as it is oft great importance to religion, that the matter fhould be rightly un derstood; for in proportion as men's fears of what may befal them hereafter are leffened, their vices, and corruptions will improve and when we fee, that a full belief of an eternity of punishments is not able to restrain fome men, we may be fure,, that the world would be

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infinitely worse if this bridle was taken off from their paffions and appetites*. I hope therefore to be able to fhew you in the clearest manner, that (fuppofing this doctrine to be true, as I am perfuaded it is,) the revelation of the gospel through our bleffed Saviour ought not to be thought, on this account, deficient in kindness and advantage to mankind. For

This, if true at all, was true before the gospel revealed it; and therefore is not to be laid to the charge of the gospel. The New Teftament hath more fully and more forceably explained it, but it hath not made it to be the finner's portion. Under natural religion, as well as under the Chriftian, the wages of all fin was death, spiritual death, or the death of the foul, that is punishment of equal duration with the foul which is immortal. This the heathens, who Jived before Chrift came into the flesh, and who had only the light of nature to guide their steps, appear to have had a belief of, though the truth was not so clear and visible to them, as it is to us Christians, who are taught by that man, whom God hath appointed to be the judge at the last day, that the wicked shall go away into everlafting punishment t. And many paffages might be produced both from their poets and philofophers, in which they taught the fame doctrine, and allowed no period or change of fufferings to impenitent finners of the blackeft dye and the most heinous guilt 1.

Christianity therefore is not to be charged with being the author of that punishment, which it is only the proclaimer of: for furely to forewarn any man of a danger, is not the fame as to bring that danger upon him. He that gives his neighbour notice of his houfe's being on fire, may as well be charged with being the incendiary, as the New Teftament with being the caufe of eternal mifery to finners because it reveals to them in exprefs words, that there is fuch a punishment referved for the impenitent.

Again, let it be confidered, in anfwer to this objection, that, upon the whole view of the matter, it appears to be fo far from not being a grace, that it is one ftrong proof of its being a grace and favour to mankind, that God hath in this world declared himself fo fully on this important head.

If the punishment is to be eternal, the truth of which I am not endeavouring to prove at prefent, though it may be proved to be very probable from reason, and very certain from fcripture; but now I argue only upon a fuppofition, that it is true: and the confequence will be, that it is very happy for mankind, that they have fuch a clear and folemn warning given them. For this terrour of the Lord, thus forceably applied, has made many a man stop short in the ways.

Itaque ut aliqua in vitâ formido improbis effet pofita, apud inferos ejufmoai quædam illi antiqui fupplicia impiis conflituta effe, voluerant; quòd videlicet intelligebant, his remotis, non effe mortem. ipfam pertimefcendam. Cir. Or, in Catal. iv. 4.

+ Matth. xxv. 46.

Ifedit, æternumque fedebit

Infelix Thefeus. Virg. En, vi. 617.

See Warburton's Div. Leg. vol. i. p. 171, and 204. ift edition. See Hiftoire de la Philofophie Payenne, vol. i. p. 209, &c,

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of fin, and turn out of the path, which leads to bell and deftruction. Many a man, thus awfully forewarned, hath repented betimes and changed his behaviour: and thus changed he hath fteered his courfe towards heaven, where he would never have arrived, if the found of everlasting mifery had not reached his ears, and worked upon his ftubborn heart. Such a one then will have great reason, when he is a faint in happiness, to cry out, that all thofe terrors were mercies, that Chriftianity is as teader-hearted in its threatnings, as in its promifes; and, in a word, that the grace which came by Jefus Chrift, would not have difplayed itself fo effectually, if it had not driven us by our fears, as well as allured us by our hopes.

It hath been ufual indeed with thofe, who declaim against an eternity of punishment, to call in the arts of infinuation to their aid, and to reprefent the maintainers of the true doctrine, as men of no bowels and compaffion; of minds too rigid and fevere: as if, when we pleaded for what we fee fo plainly revealed in the fcriptures, we were mixing our own temper with our inftructions; and as if fome degree of ill-nature in the teacher contributed to the lefson which he was delivering. But furely no one can think, when hẹ thinks coolly of the matter, that it is owing to morofene or illnature, that any man teaches that for a doctrine, the confequences of which he fo frequently warns men of, and carneftly endeavours to deter them from.

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For fo good an effect, as a finner's amendment, which the denouncing of eternal mifery aims at, feems to be one of the bestmatured ends that the wit of man can conceive. If not only the goodness of God, but his vengeance thus declared before hand, means to lead us to repentance, and by that wholfome change of the heart to lead us to eternal happiness, welcome, may a wife man fay, welcome any doctrine which has a tendency fo much to our advantage; and welcome, Chriftianity, which, by revealing the wrath of God from beaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, bath taught us to Five foberly and righteoufly in this prefent world, looking forwards towards the high prize of our calling, which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord. •

Thefe are the reflections, my brethren, which will help us to anfwer the objection, that feme men have made to Chriftianity, as if it was no gracious inftitution, becaufe it fo often mentions, and lays fo much firefs upon eternal punishments.

Allowing that what is advanced above, by the Bishop, is ingenious, and even, in fome meafure, new, we can by no means confider it as fatisfactory. The doctrine of eternal torments-militates with every rational idea of the divine perfections. It is as contrary to the justice as it is to the mercy of God: for there is no manner of proportion between crimes and punishments, if mifery for ever is to be adjudged to offences which, though highly inexcufable and heinous, muft neceffarily be temporary and limited. This notion, as well as the horrid abfurdities of rigid Calvinifm, would long fince have been exploded by moderate divines, if men had not been afraid of thinking freely upon it, and of calling it in queftion. While it is fo contrary

contrary to every dictate of reason, and every fentiment of the human heart, we are perfuaded, that it hath no foundation in the facred writings. The ftrongeft expreffions of scripture, upon the fubject, amount to no more than this, that fuch as are finally and incorrigibly wicked fhall, at length, be punished with everlasting deftruction. The wages of fin is death; while eternal life fhall be the portion of the upright.

The fermons against Popery, in the fourth volume, which are thirteen in number, contain a very judicious difplay and refutation of the principal tenets of the church of Rome, and may be deemed particularly feasonable at the prefent juncture. In the laft of thefe fermons, Dr. Pearce confiders that defcription given by St. Paul, of a heretic, in his Epistle to Titus (Tit. iii. 10, 11.), which hath occafioned fo much controverly among divines, and the explication of which hath been found fo difficult. As our Right Reverend Author feems to have been fingularly happy in explaining who the heretic meant by the Apoftle was, and how fuch a heretic might be faid to be condemned of himself, we shall lay that part of the Sermon before our readers:

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To begin then with the firft of these heads, and to fhew you what St. Paul moft probably meant by an beretick in this place.

And for doing this we must look back to the words immediately preceding the text, which, we may fairly fuppofe, led the Apoftle to give this direction to Titus. His words are thefe, Avoid foolif queftions and genealogies, and contentions, and ftrivings about the law: for they are unprofitable and vain*. From whence we may gather, that the perfons who are charged as introducing into the Church of Chrift thefe foolish questions and frivings about the law, were fome of the Jewish converts to Chriftianity; no others, but thefe, having any fuch zeal for the law of Mofes, here called the law. And this we find confirmed by what St. Paul fays in his Epiftle to Titus; where he expressly warns him, not to give heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men that turn from the truth † and farther fays, that there were then many unruly and vain talkers, and deceivers, especially they of the circumcifion 1.

From all which laid together, it seems highly probable, that the man, whom St. Paul in the text diftinguishes by the name of Heretick, was one of thofe Judaizing Chriftians, who living in communion with the church of Chrift, taught fuch things for duties under the gofpel, as had no warrant from the doctrine of the gospel: parti cularly, that fome of the Mofaic laws and ceremonies were neceffary to be obferved and practifed by all Chriftians.

Every one who reads St. Paul's Epiftles with any attention, will find, that fome of thofe Jewish converts infifted upon it as a neceffary duty, that the Gentile converts fhould be circumcifed, that they should keep the feafts of the news moons, and should obferve the Mofaical diftinction of meats: And he will there fee, with what zeal and

Titus iii. 9.

† Ibid. i. 14.

+ Ibid. 10.

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