Retrofpect of Domeftic Literature—Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, Fe. 577 
a tafk much to be recommended to the 
clergy, to extract from ancient preachers 
of eminence the arguments and paf- 
fages which have more than a tempo- 
rary value. Befide the fermons from 
Doddridge, this volume contains the 
well-known and much-admired Rome 
is Fallen, and a Sermon concerning 
St. Peter, whofe life is by no means 
well underftood. It is probable that 
the Simon mentioned by Jofephus 
(XIX, Ant. vii.4.)is the Peter of Acts; 
that he was imprifoned by the zeal of 
Herod, and releafed by the tolerance of 
Agrippa; and that the narrative con- 
tained in the twelfth chapter of Acts, 
is in faét the very anecdote of Jo- 
fephus. If fo, it throws light on the 
mode of narration adopted by the 
apoftolic writers. 
“‘ Unjuftifiablenefs of Cruelty to the 
Brute Creation, 1s.” 
This fermon merits diffufion, becaufe 
it attacks a fault too common among 
the Britifh vulgar. 
*¢ Sermon preached before the Man- 
chefter Volunteers, 2s.” 
Religion cannot be better employed 
than in enforcing the civic duties. The 
fineit fermon of Maffillon accompanied 
a confecration of colours. It might 
have been confulted—-it has not been 
rivalled—by the author of this dif- 
courte... :5\\> 
‘© Differtation on the Oriental Tri- 
nities, 14s.” 
-It is furprifing that this curious and 
ingenious work fhould have drawn no 
reply from the Unitarian writers. From 
the moft eariy {criptures of the Jews, 
it is dificult to infer the doétrine of 
the unity; for they reprefent Jehovah 
rather as the exclufively rational, than 
as the exclufively real, God. About 
the time of the Babylonian captivity, 
monotheifin becomes indeed'the creedof 
their writers,and continues fountil after 
the Macedonian congueft. Then a 
Platonifm of opinion flides in, which 
may be traced in the Wifdom of Si- 
rach; a book prior, and the Wifdom of 
Solomon, a book potterior, to theChrif- 
tian era. From this Wifdom of Solomon 
{which the Apoftle James may be 
thought to. have written, as it refem- 
bles in ftyle his General Epiftle), all 
the apoftolic writers quote expreffions ; 
fo that they appear to have derived 
from it thofe religious ideas and phrafes 
which were afterwards fuppofed to af- 
fert the doctrine of the Trinity. By 
this book. their phrafeology ought to 
be explained. A creed more Platoni- 
cal than the Prieftleyan {chool of Uni- 
tarians have inferred from their imper- 
fect and redundant canon, would likel 
refult from an admiflion of the Wifdom, 
and a difmiffion of the Apocalypfe. “Tt 
is not improbable, that Plato and Si- 
rach, andthe Hindoos, all owe thofe 
opinions which they have in common 
to fome Babylonian metaphyiician. 
‘*ROBERTS SChriftianity Vindicated, 
Bees 
A fuficiently vi€torious reply to the 
wild pofitions concerning Chriftianity, 
which Volney has repeated from Du- 
puis. The anfwerers of the French 
Anti-chriftians would do well alfo to 
provide fome convenient antidote to 
that ** Examen des Apologiftes de la 
Religion Chrétienne,’’ which has been 
given to the public as a pofthumous 
work of Freret. ‘To the very early 
teftimonies concerning Jefus Chrift, 
ought furely to be added. a paffage of 
the Wifdom of Solomon, extending 
from the 12—zo0 verfe of the fecond 
chapter: Gibbon, on the authority of 
Calmet, miftakenly attributes to this 
apocryphal work an antiquity prior to 
the Chriftian era. 
“ Hurpis on the Nature of Pfaim 
and Prophecy, 5s.” 
A learned, but myftical, commentary 
on the Pfalms, which attributes to the 
earlyand thelatterrainas much influence 
on infpiration, as Milton attributed 
to the vernal and autumnal equinox. 
‘© Caumet’s Dictionary of the 
Bible.” 
This very meritorious periodical pub- 
lication continues to iffue with regula- 
rity: itis, in fome particulars, behind 
the prefent flate of exegetic know- 
ledge; but is, on that very account, 
the more convenient to men of letters, 
They can learn from it the reputed 
ftate of any biblical inveftigation, and 
thence perceive what remains for them 
to promulgate. 
‘« Dops’s View of the great Predic- 
tions in the Sacred Writings, '6s.” 
A millenarian traét, worthy of Mr, 
Halhed. 
‘© KicHArD’s Bampton Lectures, 
6s.” 
A perfpicuous, praife-worthy, and 
fpecious vindication of the prophetic 
character of the Hebrew writers. 
‘¢ HOUGHTON’s Sermon forthe Nor 
folk Hofpital, 15. 6d.” alone 
One of the moft originally conceiv- 
ed, and pathetically written, fermons 
extant 
