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he must defer vedly have been confidered, as one of the greatest among men b].'

In his general history of the church, during the fixteenth century, Dr. Mofheim gives us the following view of the public advantages arifing from the reftoration of letters.

In this century, the arts and fciences were carried to a degree of perfection unknown to preceeding ages; and from this happy renovation of learning the European churches derived the moft fignal and ineftimable advantages, which they also tranfmitted to the most remote and diftant nations. The benign influence of true fcience, and its tendency to improve both the form of religion and the inftitutions of civil policy, were perceived by many of the ftates and princes of Europe. Hence large fums were expended, and great zeal and induftry employed in promoting the progrefs of knowledge, by founding and encouraging literary focieties, by protecting and exciting a spirit of emulation among men of genius, and by annexing distinguished honours and advantages to the culture of the fciences. And it is particularly worthy of oblervation, that this was the period, when the wife and falutary law, which excludes ignorant and illiterate perfons from the facred functions of the Christian mihiftry, acquired, at length, that force which it ftill retains in the greatest part of the Christian world. There ftill remained, however, fome feeds of that ancient difcord between religion and philofophy, that had been fown and fomented by ignorance and fanaticifm; and there were found, both among the friends and enemies of the reformation, feveral well-meaning, but inconfiderate men, who, in fpite of common fenfe, maintained with more vehemence and animofity than ever, that vital religion and piety could never flourish until it was totally feparated from learning and fcience, and nourished by the holy fimplicity that reigned in the primitive ages of the church.

The firft rank in the literary world was now held by thofe, who confecrated their ftudious hours and their critical fagacity to the publication, correction, and illuftration of the most famous Greek and Latin authors of ancient times, to the ftudy of antiquity and the languages, and to the culture of eloquence and poetry. We fee by the productions of this age (that yet remain, and continue to excite the admiration of the learned) that in all the provinces of Europe these branches of literature were cultivated, with a kind of enthufiafm, by fuch as were moft diftin

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[b] We have a Life of Melanchon, written by Joachim Camerarius, which has already gone through feveral editions. But a more accurate account of this illuftrious reformer, composed by a prudent, impartial, and well-informed biographer, as alfo a complete collection of his Works, would be an inestimable prefent to the republic of letters."

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guished by their taste and genius; nay, what is still more extraordinary (and perhaps not a little extravagant) the welfare of the church and the profperity of the state was fuppofed to depend upon the improvement of thefe branches of erudition, which were confidered as the very effence of true and folid knowledge. If fuch encomiums were fwelled beyond the bounds of truth and wisdom by enthufiaftical philologifts, it is, nevertheless, certain, that the fpecies of learning, here under confideration, was of the highest importance, as it opened the way that led to the trea fures of folid wisdom, to the improvement of genius, and thus undoubtedly contributed, in a great measure, to deliver both reason and religion from the prepoffeffion of ignorance and the fervitude of fuperftition. And, therefore, we ought not to be furprized, when we meet with perfons who exaggerate the merit, and dwell beyond measure on the praises of thofe, who were our first guides from the regions of darkness and error into the Imiling fphere of evidence and truth.

Though the lovers of philology and Belles Lettres wert much fuperior in number to those who turned their principal views to the study of philofophy; yet the latter were far from being contemptible either in point of number or capacity. Thi philofophers were divided into two claffes, of which the one wa wholly abforbed in contemplation, while the other was employed in the investigation of truth, and endeavoured by experience, as well as by reasoning, to trace out the laws and operations of nature. The former were fubdivided into two fects, of which thể one followed certain leaders, while the other, unrestrained by the dictates of authority, ftruck out a new way for themselves, following freely their own inventions. Thofe, who fubmitted to the direction of certain philofophical guides, enlifted themfelves under the standards of Ariftotle, or thofe of Plato, who continued ftill to have many admirers, efpecially in Italy. Not were the followers of Ariftotle agreed among themselves; they all acknowledged the Stagirite as their chief, but they followed him through very different paths. Some were for retaining the ancient method of proceeding in philofophical pursuits, which their doctors, falfely, called the Peripatetic fyftem. Others pleaded for the pure and unmixed philosophy of Aristotle, and recommended the writings of that Grecian fage, as the fource of wisdom, and as the fyftem, which was most adapted, when properly illuftrated and explained, to the inftruction of youth. A third fort of Ariftotelicians, who differed equally from those now mentioned, and of whom the celebrated Melanthon was the chief, pursued another method. They extracted the marroW out of the lucubrations of Ariftotle, illuftrated it by the aids of genuine literature and the rules of good criticism, and corrected

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It by the dictates of right reafon and the doctrines and principles of true religion.

Of thofe, who ftruck out a path to themfelves in the regions of philofophy, without any regard to that which had been opened by ancient fages, and purfued by their followers, Cardan, Telefius, and Campanella hold, deservedly, the first rank, as they were, undoubtedly, men of fuperior genius, though too much addicted to the fuggeftions and vifions of an irregular fancy. To thefe may be added Peter Ramus, that fubtile and ingenious French philofopher, who, by attempting to fubfiitute in the place of Ariftotle's logic, a method of reafoning more adapted to the ufe of rhetoric and the improvement of eloquence, excited fuch a terrible uproar in the Gallic fchools. Nor must we omit here the mention of Theophraftus Paracelfus, who, by an affiduous obfervation of nature, by a great number of experiments indefatigably repeated, and by applying the penetrating force of fire to discover the first principles or elements of bodies, endeavoured to caft new light and evidence on the important science of natural philofophy. As the refearches of this industrious inquirer into nature excited the admiration of all, his example was confequently followed by many; and hence arofe a new fect of philofophers, who affumed the denomination of Theofophifts, and who, placing little confidence in the decifions of human reafon, or the efforts of fpeculation, attributed all to divine illumination, and repeated experience.

This revolution in philofophy and literature, together with the fpirit of emulation that animated the different fects or claffes into which the learned men of this age were divided, produced many happy effects of various kinds. It, in a more particular manner, brought into difrepute, though it could not at once utterly eradicate, that intricate, barbarous, and infipid method of teaching theology, that had univerfally prevailed hitherto in all the fchools and pulpits of Chriftendom. The facred writings, which, in the preceding ages, had been either entirely neglected, or very abfurdly explained, were now much more confulted and refpected in the debates and writings of the Chriftian doctors than they had formerly been; the fenfe and language of the inspired writers were more carefully ftudied, and more accurately unfolded; the doctrines and precepts of religion taught with more method, connexion, and perfpicuity; and that dry, barren and unaffecting language, which the ancient fchoolmen affected fo much in their theological compofitions, was wholly exploded by the wifer part of the divines of this century. It must not, however, be imagined, that this reformation of the fchools was fo perfect, as to leave no new improvements to be made by fucceeding ages; this, indeed, was far from being the cafe. Much imperfection yet remained in the method of treating theology, REV. Dec. 1764. G g

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and many things, which had great need of a correcting hand,were left untouched. It would, nevertheless, be either an inftance of ingratitude, or a mark of great ignorance, to deny this age the honour of having begun what was afterwards more happily finished, and of having laid the foundations of that ftriking fuperiority, which the divines of fucceeding ages obtained over those of ancient times.

Nor did the improvements, which have been now mentioned, as proceeding from the restoration of letters and philofophy, extend only to the method of conveying theological inftruction, but purified moreover the fcience of theology itself. For the true nature, genius, and design of the Chriftian religion, which even the most learned and pious doctors of antiquity had but imperfectly comprehended, were now unfolded with evidence and precifion, and drawn, like truth, from an abyss in which they had hitherto lain too much concealed. 'Tis true, the influence of error was far from being totally fuppreffed, and many false and abfurd doctrines are still maintained and propagated in the Chriftian world. But it may, nevertheless, be affirmed, that the Chriftian focieties, whofe errors, at this day, are the most numerous and extravagant, have much less abfurd and perverse notions of the nature and defign of the gofpel, and the duties and obligations of thofe that profefs it, than were entertained by thofe doctors of antiquity, who ruled the church with an abfolute authority, and were confidered as the chief oracles of theology. It may farther be obferved, that the reformation contributed much to foften and civilize the manners of many nations, who, before that happy period, were funk in the most favage ftupidity, and carried the most rude and unfociable afpect. It muft, indeed, be confeffed, that a variety of circumftances combined to produce that lenity of character, and that milder temperature of manners, maxims, and actions, that discovered themselves gradually, and increased, from day to day, in the greatest part of the European nations after the period that Luther rendered fo famous. It is, nevertheless, evident, beyond all contradiction, that the difputes concerning religion, and the accurate and rational inquiries into the doctrines and duties of Chriftianity, to which these difputes gave rife, had a great tendency to eradicate out of the minds of men that ferocity that had been fo long nourished by the barbarous fuggeftions of unmanly fuperftition. It is alfo certain, that at the very dawn of this happy revolution in the ftate of Chriftianity, and even before its falutary effects were manifested in all their extent, pure religion had many fincere and fervent votaries, though they were concealed from public view by the multitudes of fanatics, with which they were furrounded on all fides.'

It is now time for us to take our leave of this judicious performance, from which readers of almost every clafs may receive both inftruction and entertainment. It throws great light on the hiftory of the human mind; and those who are converfant in theological ftudies will derive peculiar advantages from an attentive perusal of it. The view which it gives of the various caufes which, in the different ages of the Chriftian church, have contributed to corrupt the morals, and pollute the faith of the gospel, will fhew them what are the most effectual means of promoting the cause of Chriftianity; and the account which is given of the many controverfies which have been carried on with the greatest warmth and violence, in former times, about matters of very inconfiderable importance, may not only convince them of the unspeakable advantages of candor and moderation, but likewife fhew them what judgment impartial pofterity will probably form of the greateft part of the religious difputes of our own times.

As the generality of our Readers may be fuppofed to be unacquainted with the character and writings of Dr. Mosheim, what Mr. Maclaine fays of him in his preface will not, we hope, be unacceptable:

The reputation of this great man is very well known. His noble birth seemed to open to his ambition a fair path to civil promotion; but his zeal for the interefts of religion, his infatiable thirst after knowledge, and more efpecially his predominant taste for facred literature, induced him to confecrate his admirable talents to the service of the church. The German universities loaded him with literary honours; the King of Denmark invited him to fettle at Copenhagen; the Duke of Brunswick called him from thence to Helmftadt, where he received the marks of distinction due to his eminent abilities. He filled, with applaufe, the academical chair of divinity; was honoured with the character of ecclefiaftical counsellor to that refpectable court; and prefided over the feminaries of learning in the dutchy of Wolfembuttle and the principality of Blakenburg. When the late king formed the defign of giving an uncommon degree of luftre to the univerfity of Gottingen, by filling it with men of the first rank in the literary world, fuch as a Haller, a Gefner, and a Michaelis, Dr. Mofheim was deemed worthy to appear at the head of that famous feat of learning in the quality of chancellor: and here he died, univerfally lamented, in the year 1755, and in the fixty-first year of his age.` In depth of judgment, in extent of learning, in the powers of a noble and mafculine eloquence, in purity of tafte, and in a laborious application to all the various branches of erudition and philofophy, he had certainly very few fuperiors. His Latin tranflation of the celebrated Dr. Cudworth's Intellectual Syftem

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