fcorn and laughter. He avers that firangers, when they first came into Egypt, were ever greatly shocked and furprized at the follies they could not but fee wherever they went. And men of better education were wont to stand amazed to fee the honours that were paid to the vileft of all creatures, nor could they forbear pitying and defpifing fuch devotees, thinking them more fenfelefs than the brutes they adored, and nothing better than beafts in fhape of men." The author of this difcourfe proceeds next to difcufs the immediate point in controverfy, the opinion which Mofes himself entertained of the Egyptian religion. But having exceeded the limits we fhould have allowed a difcourfe lefs curious or by a less celebrated writer, we muft here take leave of it: deferring the rest of the papers, contained in this volume of the Archaeologia, to a future Review. S. The Evangelical Hiftory of our Lord and Saviour fefus Chrift: Containing, in Order of Time, all the Events and Difcourfes recorded in the Four Evangelifts. With Notes for Illuftration and Improvement; and an Appendix, of the Evidences of Chriftianity, in the Genealogies, Temptations, and Refurrection of Jefus-Fulfilment of Promifes and Prophecies-Chronology, &c. To which is prefixed, A Table of the Harmony of the Four Evangelifts. By Thomas Brown. 2 vols. 8vo. 6s * fewed. Buckland. We have here a very elaborate and copious compilation of the feveral comments, that have been made by the beft fcholiafts on the Four Evangelifts; fubjoined to a text compounded of the different originals. The hiftory itfelf is divided into thirty-fix fections, and each fection fubdivided into parts according to the variety of the fubje&ts. Of the advantages of this compound text the reader will form a better idea from a fhort fpecimen than we can otherwife give him. We shall extract, therefore, the laft part of the 33d fection, containing the parable of the two fons fent to the vineyard. I Mark xii. 28 Matt. xxi. "And he began to fpeak unto them by parables. "But what think you? A certain man had two "fons, and he came to the firit, and faid, Son, go "work to-day in my vineyard. He anfwered, and 29 faid, I will not but afterwards he repented, and "L went. And he came to the fecond, and faid like- 30 *By the numbering of the pages, intended for one volume only; a form and price, which render it perhaps the cheapelt book of the kind extant: as it contains as much, or more, valuable matter than many pompous folios and quartos, that have appeared in the world.. Rev. " of Matt. xxi. 32 33 Mark xii. I Luke xxi. 9 ΙΟ Matt. xxi. 34 Mark xii. 3 4 Luke xx. 12 Mark xii. 5 Luke xx. 13 Luke xx. 13 14 39 41 * "of God before you. For John came unto you id "the way of righteoufnefs, and ye believed him not "but the publicans and harlots believed him. And 66 ye, when ye had feen it, repented not afterward, "that ye might believe him. Hear another parable: "There was a certain houfholder which planted a "vineyard, and fet a hedge about it, and digged a place for the wine-fat, and built a tower, and let it "out to hufbandmen, and went into a far country "for a long time: and at the feafon * when the "time of fruit drew near, he fent a fervant to the hufbandmen, that they fhould give him of the fruit "of the vineyard: but the hufbandmen caught him, "and beat him, and fent him away empty. And 66 * * again he fent unto them another fervant; and at "him they caft ftones, and wounded him in the head, "and fent him away* empty, fhamefully handled. "And again he fent the third; and they wounded "him alfo, and cast him out, and him they killed, "and many others; beating fome, and killing fome. "Then faid the Lord of the vineyard, What shall "I do? Having therefore yet one fon, his well"beloved, he fent him alfo laft unto them, faying, "It may be, they will reverence * my fon when "they fee him. But when the husbandmen faw him, "they reafoned among themfelves, faying, This is the Matt. xxi. 38" heir, come let us kill him, and let us feize on his "inheritance. And they caught him, and caft him 40 "out of the vineyard, and flew him. When the "Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he "do unto those hufbandmen?" They fay unto him "He will miferably deftroy thofe wicked men, and "will let out bis vineyard unto other husbandmen, " which fhall render him the fruits in their feafons." *And Jefus answered, "He fhall come and destroy "thofe husbandmen, and fhall give the vineyard to "others." And when they heard it, they faid, "God forbid." And he beheld them, and faid, "What is this then that is written; * did ye never * read it, The ftone which the builders rejected, "the fame is become the head of the corner? *This 66 was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in out 64 eyes. Therefore I fay unto you, The kingdom "of God fhall be taken from you, and given to a na"tion bringing forth the fruits thereof. And who "foever shall fall on this ftone, fhall be broken: but "on whomfoever it fhall tall, it will grind him to "powder." And when the chief priests and Pharifees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. * And the chief priests and the Scribes the fame hour fought to lay hands on him, but they Luke xx. 16 17 Mark xii. 11 Matt. xxi. 43 44 45 Luke xxi. 19 * feared feared the multitude, because they took him for a pro- Matt. xxi. 12 Mark xii. As a farther fpecimen of the manner, in which this work is executed, we fhall cite the laft part of the 25th fection, containing the Converfation in the Treasury of the Temple, upon Jefus's faying, "I am the Light of the World." "Then fpake Jefus again unto them, faying, "I 12 John viii. am the light of the world: he that followeth me, "fhall not walk in darkness, but fhall have the light 14 16 17 "of life." The Pharifees therefore faid unto him, 13 19 20 "I go ye cannot come." Then faid the Jews, " Will 22 23 24 25 27 you, that ye fhall die in your fins: for if ye believe 28 29 John viii. 30" things that please him." As he fpake these words, 31 many believed on him. Then faid Jefus to those. Jews which believed on him, "If ye continue in my 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 word, then are ye my difciples indeed. And ye "fhall know the truth, and the truth fhall make you "free." They answered him, "We be Abraham's "feed, and were never in bondage to any man: how "fayeft thou, ye fhall be made free " Jefus anfwered them, "Verily, verily I fay unto you, Whofoever. "committeth fin, is the fervant of fin. And the "fervant abideth not in the house for ever; but the "Son abideth for ever. If the Son therefore shall "make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know "that ye are Abraham's feed; but ye feek to kill me, "because my word hath no place in you. I fpeak "that which I have feen with my Father: and ye do "that which ye have feen with your father." They anfwered and faid unto him, "Abraham is our fa"ther." Jefus faith unto them, "If ye were Abra"ham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. "But now ye feek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of father." your Then faid they unto him, " We be not born of forni"cation; we have one Father, even God." Jefus faid unto them, "If God were your Father, ye would "love me: for I proceeded forth, and came from "God; neither came I of myself, but he fent me. "Why do ye not understand my fpeech? even be"caufe ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your "father the devil, and the lufts of your father ye will "do: he was a murtherer from the beginning, and "abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he fpeaketh a lie, he speaketh of his 45 own for he is a liar, and the father of it. And "becaufe, I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 "Which of you convinceth me of fin? and if I fay "the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of "God, heareth God's words; ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." Then anfwered the Jews, and faid unto him, "Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and haft a devil?" Jefus an fwered, "I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and do difhonour me. And I feek not mine own ye 51 glory; there is one that feeketh and judgeth. Ve"rily, verily I fay unto you, if a man keep my faying, 52" he shall never fee death." Then faid the Jews unto bim, "Now we know that thou hast a devil; Abra"ham is dead, and the prophets; and thou fayeft, If a man keep my faying, he shall never tafte of death. "Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which 43 44 47 48 49. 50 53 ແ 66 is dead? and the Prophets are dead; whom makeft "thou thyfelf?" Jefus anfwered, "IfI honour my- 54 "felf, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that "honoureth me, of whom ye fay that he is your God. "Yet ye have not known him, but I know him: and 55 "if I thould fay, I know him not, I fhall be a liar, like "unto you: but I know him, and keep his faying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to fee my day: and 56 ❝he faw it, and was glad.' Then faid the Jews unto 57 him, "Thou art not yet fifty years old, and haft thou “feen Abraham ?" Jefus faith unto them, "Verily, 58 "verily I fay unto you, before Abraham was, I AM." Then took they up ftones to caft at him; but Jefus 59 hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midft of them, and fo paffed by." " John viii. To the hiftory itfelf is added an appendix containing a large fund of inftructive and entertaining matter, relative to facred fubjects. It were to be wifhed, however, that the learned and laborious author had confined his reflections to fuch topics only; as he has fubjected himself to the finiles, if not the fneers, of men of science, by recommending the application of theology to philofophy. Thus he takes part with Dr. Kennedy as an aftronomer, against Sir Ifaac Newton, and Ferguson; recommending even our modern adepts in agriculture to Mofes and the prophets, for a more full and fair account of the principles of vegetation and the mechanical laws of nature, than hath been given by any philofophers whatever. "It is," fays he, "a plain matter of fact, that the greatest impediment to the improvement of barren land, has been an infatuated attachment to a fyftem of philofophy perfectly unnatural. Had our philofophers attended lefs to their own conjectural opinions, about the mode of vegetation, and more to the real agency of nature, in her vegetable gaiety; or had they, inftead of gratifying their fcientific pride, attempted to discover the phyfical caufe of vegetation; or if it had entered into their heads that Mofes and the Prophets had given a clearer account of nature and of her operations, than has been given by any, or by all other men; or that the doctrine of vegetation is delivered by them in the most plain and fimple language; or had they had humility to study nature, as directed by thofe divine philofophers, the furface of the earth had worn another form than it does. Mofes has given a full and fair account of the mechanical laws of nature; the not understanding of which hath been, and is, the true reafon why our philofophers are scarcely agreed upon any thing." But we here take leave of this induftrious writer; whofe labours, in the vineyard of Evangelical Hiftory, merit the greateft encouragement from the public in general, whatever refpect the fcientific world may think due to his philofophical reAections. |