fit 
lovers of truth, however unfortunate in ~ 
their attempts to discoverit. Mr. Mend- 
ham speaks of the profane audacity of 
Dr. Geddes; on Dr. Priestley he be- 
stows the denomination of heresiarch ; 
and some opinion of Schleusner, (we 
suppose, fromthe connection, respectin 
the non-existence of a great fallen sit) 
he stigmatises with the epithet of infidel. 
However singular, erroneous, or incon- 
sistent the creed of Dr. Geddes may 
have been, all which we are disposed to 
a certain extent to admit, we are still 
persuaded that he was a sincere chris- 
tian; meaning by a christian, one who 
THEOLOGY AND ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS. 
admits the divine authority of Christ’s 
mission, and who lives in habitual obe- 
dience to the requisitions of the christian 
law. Dr. Priestley stands too high in 
the estimation of the world, whatever he 
may suffer in that of many of his coun- 
trymen, to need defence; and we are in- 
clined to hope, that a man needs not to 
be esteemed an infidel, though he should 
not believe the being of a devil to be in- 
corporated with that of a God, or though 
he should even think that the New Tes- 
tament contains no revelation respecting 
the existence of such a being. 
EVIDENCES OF REVEALED RELIGION. 
Arr. XIII. An Enquiry into the Necessity, Nature, and Evidences of Revealed Religion. 
By Tuomas Rosinson, 4. M. Rector of Ruan Minor, Cornwall, 8vo. pp. 303. 
THIS useful compilation (for it can- 
not lay claim to any higher title, nor, we 
apprehend, does the author propose that 
it should) originated in a wish to supply 
what appeared a desideratum ; a workin 
which the necessity, nature, and evidences 
of revelation should be presented in one 
view, and formed into a connected sub- 
ject of discussion. 
«« This,” the writer informs us, ‘ he has 
attempted, by exhibiting, in a plain and po- 
pular manner, the incompetency of reason as 
a religious instructor, by a brief elucidation 
of the several parts of which revelation is 
composed, and by proving the strength and 
aaflidity of the grounds on which mankind 
are expected to accept and believe it to be 
the word of God. It has been his object to 
compress much useful matter into a narrow 
compass; and to arrange it with that degree 
of order and distinctness, which will render 
it intelligible to all capacities. He has Ja- 
boured to make it of so comprehensive a na- 
ture, that whilst sufficient may be found in 
jt, to render it an instructive and explanatory 
eompanion to the Bible of the mechanic, it 
may not be wholly beneath the notice of 
ethers, whose education has been more libe- 
ral, and attainments more extensive. The 
former may, perhaps, gather from it as much 
knowledge of the subjects investigated, as he 
may have occasion to acquire ; whilst the lat- 
ter may be induced, from such a cursory 
yiew of therm, to solicit information from 
those great masters, who have brought to the 
discussion the united advantages of exalted 
talents, patient enquiry, aud profound erudi- 
tego? aed 
The author has not been unsuccess- 
ful; and the work before us, though 
not marked by much originality of 
thought, or novelty of evidence, contains 
within a moderate compass a consider- 
able portion of valuable information.— 
The volume opens with a well arranged 
view of the imperfections which marked 
the religious knowledge of the ancients ; 
from which the author deduces the ne- 
cessity of a divine revelation. The re- 
velation thus wanted, and which it was 
possible and highly probable that the 
Creator would grant, he asserts is con- 
tained in the books of the Old and New 
Testament. These books are then sepa- 
rately examined. The account of a 
Jewish dispensation is ably executed : 
the arguments for its divine original are 
selected with judgment, and the history 
of each book will be found interesting 
and useful. From the Old Testament, 
the author passes to the New. An ac- 
count of each book is here also given; 
and the volume is closed by a succinct 
view of the arguments which have been’ 
adduced to prove the credibility of the 
gospel history, and the divine origin of 
the christian religion. 
To some of our readers the following 
account of the mode in which the books 
of Moseé were read by the Jews, in their 
public services of religion, may prove 
new and instructive: 
«© The books of Moses were originally 
drawn up in one continued, undivided work, 
= pkg oe in Fy, form, in 
the public service of the Jewis e. 
They are frequently quoted by the eallage of 
the Old and New Testament, under the title 
of the Law; and are sometimes distinguished 
by the name of the Pentateuch. They were 
divided into fifty-four sections; a division’ 
