ward in proclaiming his moral ex- | he resisted the temptation. Worldly

honours were offered him, but he refused; and when the Jewish populace wanted to make him a king, he waved the right which he possessed as the Son of David. He underwent reproach and per

cellence, as if conscious of having robbed him of his superior honours, they were anxious by this means to propitiate the injury: let those therefore who believe in his divine glory, not be unmindful of that moral worth which not only adorn-secution; but when reviled, he ed his human character, and ren- reviled not again. When brought dered him fairer than the children before Herod and Pilate, he beof men, but which, by reflecting trayed no sense of fear; but amidst the absolute and unseen perfection, all the scorn and contempt with proclaimed him the image of the which they treated him, he maininvisible God. tained a dignified silence. When buffeted and spit upon in the palace of the high priest, he meditated no revenge; when mocked and insulted by the soldiers, and derided while hanging on the cross, he prayed for them, and made intercession for the transgressors.

The meek and lowly Lamb of God, who was far enough from boasting or causing his voice to be heard in the streets, was on some occasions constrained to bear witness of himself. When in the presence of his bitterest enemies, he could say, "Which of you conCharacter of such incomparable vinceth me of sin;" and at the excellence was never found in any time too when he was reproving of the saints, much less in any them in the most pointed manner; mere pretenders to a divine combut the challenge was not accepted. mission; and being such, it places Seasons of temptation in the the credibility of the gospel on the lives of men are generally attended highest ground. All that Jesus with darkness, and seldom fail to did and taught must be true: it is leave a blot behind them; but it impossible for him to lie, for there was far otherwise with our blessed is no unrighteousnes in him. Hence Lord. Temptations served to ex- also his mediation is available; for hibit his character to greater ad- had he himself been an offender, vantage, to display his purity rather he could not have been accepted. than obscure it. The prince of this "Such an high priest became us, world came twice to try his strength who is holy, harmless, undefiled, with him, in the wilderness and in and separate from sinners;" and the garden; but he "found nothing no one else could have had auin him" answerable to his expecta-thority to make intercession for tions or designs. Over him the transgressors. "Thou hast loved temper could have no power; in him he could find no occasion of evil. Untainted as the sunbeams, his purity and brightness are ever the same. He was subject to poverty and want; he knew what it was to be hungry, thirsty, and weary, and had not where to lay his head; yet he bore it without repining or complaint. He wrought miracles to supply the wants of others, but none for himself. After he had fasted forty days, Satan tempted him to command that the stones should be made bread, but

righteousness, and hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." The immaculate purity of his character was likewise essential to the acceptableness of his sacrifice; for it must be a lamb " without blemish, and without spot." Various other important consequences arise out of this subject, but I shall only add that, if we be followers of such a Saviour; "What manner of persons ought we to be, in all holy conversa tion and godliness!" PAULINUS.

Theological Review.

Adams's book, he has not failed to supply their places with others which are by no means of inferior importance. But as it would not be fair to confine ourselves to general censures, we proceed without further preamble to particularise some of the things which we think objectionable in the work before us.

Upon comparing the Essay on Truth, in the new edition, with that which preceded it, we were somewhat disappointed on finding the fresh matter restricted to about a

and that, in our opinion, of no great importance, for it merely respects the abuse of the terms bigotry and heresy. We cannot therefore think that the additions made to this part of the publication has much enhanced its value. But waving any further remarks on this, we proceed to the Dictionary itself.

A Dictionary of all Religions and Religious Denominations, Jewish, Heathen, Mahometan, and Christian : Ancient and Modern: including the substance of MRS. H. ADAMS's View of Religions; corrected and revised by THOMAS WILLIAMS; with an Appendix, containing a Sketch of the Present State of the World. To the whole is prefixed, An Essay on Truth, By ANDREW FULLER. A new edition with additions. pp. 340. 12mo. 7s. 6d. bds. Button and Williams. Ir has not often fallen to our lot, to experience a greater disappoint-page and half near the beginning; ment in any expected publication than in that which is now before us. With the preceding edition of Mrs. Hannah Adams's View of Religions, we were tolerably well acquainted, and though it always appeared to us liable to many objections, both in reference to its plan and execution, we were fully aware that it contained a mass of valuable materials, which, in the To render a Dictionary of the difhands of a skilful editor, whose ac- ferent denominations of Religion quaintance with the history of the really valuable, it is obvious that christian church should enable him two things are essentially requisite to discriminate between the precious to be combined in the editorship of and the vile, might be wrought up it. The first is, that the articles be into a useful book. But a regard to selected with a discriminating judg justice compels us to say, that our ment; so that while on the one hand hopes and wishes have not been re- due care be taken not to confound alized in the present instance. It may one denomination with another from be that our expectations were raised which it is really distinguishable by too high; and we can imagine several certain prominent lines that may recircumstances that may account for late either to doctrine or discipline, this. The very respectable name of equal care should be taken on the the editor of the present edition-the other, not to distract the mind of an intimation of improvements in Mr. inquirer by a needless multiplication Fuller's valuable Essay on Truth- of articles in which the same denothe length of time that our patience mination is described under different was kept in exercise, waiting for its names. To something like this meappearance, with various other things thod, the writers on the subject of that might be enumerated, may have natural history have recourse, when all contributed in their measure to they class the various tribes of anilead us astray and ensure our disap-mals and plants under their respective pointment. But be this as it may, heads of genera and species, which after an impartial examination of are now always kept distinct, and by the work, we find ourselves com- that means the study of these subpelled to say, that if there be somejects is wonderfully simplified. And respects in which the present edition such, or something akin to it, should fairly claims a prefence to the former, be the plan pursued by the compiler. there are others in which it is in- of a Dictionary of Religious Denoferior; if the editor have lopped off minations, if he would render his excrescences and corrected errors work useful. But another necessary which lessened the value of Mrs.qualification is, that, together with

suitable information, he possess an unprejudiced mind; that truth, which is the soul of history, be the basis of his narrative; and that nothing be given on insufficient authority. We may add that, if there be one subject which more than any other demands attention to this last hint, it is that of ecclesiastical history, concerning which it has been most justly remarked that, as detailed by the general run of writers, there never was a more lying story propagated in the world. Let us now examine the work before us in reference to each of these particulars, beginning with that which was last mentioned.

as an article of trade, from the materials that came first to hand, and with few opportunities of knowing how far his statements were, or were not, correct. To him, the authority. of Broughton, "a weak writer, and very credulous man," was as good as any other; and it is plain that he was not at all read in the history of the christian church. To how much credit then is his work entitled?

Mosheim is indeed an authority, in some respects, of a much higher order than those already mentioned; yet a regard to the much injured cause of truth extorts from us the remark, that there are few writers on In a short preface to the present the subject of ecclesiastical history edition, we are presented with some who require to be read with more judicious remarks on the inadequate caution, or who are less entitled, at authorities which were adduced by all times, to an implicit confidence. Mrs. Adams in the former editions, We do not mean by this to insinuate and on which she relied for her ac- that Mosheim was capable of intencount of numerous heretical sects tional misrepresentation, or that, like mentioned in her work. "On ex- many catholic historians, his mind amining my authoritirs," says Mr. was blinded by prejudice; but his Williams, "I have been induced to whole work is constructed upon prinstrike out some and moderate the cen ciples that are radically wrong; and sure upon others." He then specifies the consequence has been, that it is Broughton in particular, a writer fre- little more than a tissue of misreprequently adverted to by Mrs. Adams, sentation. This charge will no doubt and afterwards subjoins in a note,— startle many readers, but it is not "Broughton, I would observe, is hastily advanced, and we are quite a weak writer, and very credulous, prepared to justify it. Let any imat least on this subject. He was partial reader take up Mosheim's neither choice in selecting his au- volumes, in which he professes to thorities, nor careful in examining give the history of the church of them. Hence his Dictionary of Re- Christ, and if he examine them careligions, though in 2 vols. folio, is of fully, he cannot fail to perceive that, little credit or value. I have there- by the church of Christ, he invariably fore in this edition frequently super-means, the dominant party, whatever seded his authority by writers of sentiments they may have held; howbetter credit, as Lardner, Milner, &c." ever corrupt their morals; or lax After reading these judicious re- their discipline. Thus he perpetually marks, than which nothing can be confounds the church of Rome with more true, we were not a little sur-the church of Christ! But even that prised on casting an eye down the is not the worst; for the reader will pages of the Dictionary, to find the find that, in his History, all those who name of Broughton so often intro- had virtue enough to hold fast the duced as an authority for the articles doctrines of Christ and his apostles, inserted, and to satisfy ourselves, we and who contended for the simplicity began to reckon up the number, but of gospel worship, are uniformly having reached to fifty we desisted! classed in the list of heretics, and branded with opprobrious epithets, as troublers of the church!! In a protestant historian, nothing can surpass the absurdity of such conduct as this; yet the editor of the work before us has chimed in with Mosheim, and whatever the latter has thought proper to say of the different sects and parties, the former has had no hesitation to reiterate.

Another of the authorities, on which are given no inconsiderable number of articles in the work before us, is a Theological Dictionary," published a few years ago in Scotland, in one volume octavo. This work, in point of authority, is precisely upon a par with the volumes of Broughton. The author of it was a Mr. Morrison, bookseller at Perth, who compiled it

In the next page of the Dictionary, the following account is given us of the ERIANS "a denomination which arose about the year 342. They were so called from Erius, a monk, and Semi-Arian. He opposed, episcopacy, prayers for the dead, stated One thing that has greatly excited feasts, &c." This article is given on the our surprise in looking over the vothe authority of Mosheim; but what lume before us, is the very different reader would ever collect from it, measures by which the editor has that which we are persuaded would dealt out his account of various sects prove to be the truth if fairly told, and denominations. For example, let namely, that Erius was neither a us take the Church of England, which monk nor a Semi-Arian, but the pres- in our own country is unquestionably byter or pastor of a christian church the leading party. The entire article at Sebastia in Pontus; that he was a (English Church) is limited to eight person of unblemished reputation; of whole lines! We are indeed, at the great learning and extensive influence close of it, referred to the word "To! in his day, remarkably zealous for theleration," but unfortunately we find

no such article in the Dictionary! To "Mahometans," however, nearly seven pages are devoted; with four to the Manicheans," and six to the "Methodists;" no less than six pages are appropriated to the "Friends" to the Hindoos," five; and to the "Hopkinsians," nearly four; that wretched fanatic, Johanna Southcott, is honoured with a record which extends to two pages and a half; and even Richard Brothers has been thought worthy of more attention than the Church of England!

pared with the new edition of this Dictionary! Every denomination of professing Christians is so divided and subdivided in it, as, in appearance, to magnify the evil of which we have been complaining, in a tenfold ratio; and in truth to involve the whole subject in endless perplexity. The species are confounded with the genera, and the genera with the species; so that, in stead of simplifying the subject to the capacities of the young and uninformed, the whole Dictionary is little better than But there is yet another source of a jumble of names, while, by comcomplaint which we have to make to prehending in the limited compass of the plan of this Dictionary, and it is one pocket volume, the sectarists of more distressing to our own minds all ages, and raking up again the than any thing we have yet stated; ashes of the dead, which were quietly namely, the very unnecessary multi- slumbering and ought never to have plication of articles with which it been disturbed, the work exhibits to abounds. Upon a superficial view of our mind the unpleasant idea of a the work, one might be almost tempt-charnel-house, in which, however, ed to think that the editor regarded are mingled together the bones of it as a fact that "Christ is divided," the living, the dying, and the dead. and that he even rejoiced in contem- The whole is very incorrectly plating it! If such be the case, we printed. The editor has, at the end can only say, that his views of the of his preface, noticed three errors; matter are widely different from ours. we could easily extend the list to It was promised in ancient prophecy, three pages! And in proof of the that the Lord would "give his people truth of this assertion, we may menone heart and one way, that they tion the article “Glassites," which, might fear him for ever, for their though it extends to only fourteen good." Jer. xxxii. 39. And we find lines, comprises five mistakes. In the Saviour himself, in the days of page 227, at the bottom, Dr. Johnhis flesh, praying for the accomplish-son's Life of Watts is called "Johnment of this promise, as an evidence son's Life of Christ;" and we suspect to the world that he was the true a similar blunder to occur in three Messiah, John xvii. 21. It was exem-lines afterwards, with an additional plified, too, in the church at Jerusalem, where "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul," Acts iv. 32. And the duty of pressing after it, is enforced upon Chris ians by apostolic authority. 1 Cor. i. 10. Eph. iv. 3. The antichristian apostacy has indeed been the means of dividing and scattering the people of God, in a way We were interested in the short that must deeply affect every reflect-article "AMERICAN SECT,” partly being mind, because in whatever degree cause we had some personal knowit exists, it must proportionably prove ledge of Morgan Rees, its founder, a stumbling-block to inquirers after and partly because we believe his obtruth. But admitting this to be the ject was the revival of the primitive case, it must surely be the duty of church order and worship. It may Christians to strive to diminish the interest some of our readers to be told evil rather than to augment it. Yet that he is the person alluded to by the latter is so palpably the object of the late Mr. Abraham Booth, in the the work before us, that it is un- preface to his "Defence of Pædonecessary to prove it. Mr. Evans's baptism Examined," p. 3. as having Sketch" has often been the subject had the conversation with the late of regret to reflecting minds, on this Dr. Edward Williams, which led to the score, yet that publication is harm- publication just mentioned, less in this point of view, when com

error in the orthography of the name of Dr. Watts. And, upon the whole, though the introductory articles, and the Appendix, are valuable, we are compelled to enter our decided protest against both the plan and execution of that part of the volume which properly constitutes the Dictionary.