trustees, constitutionally appointed by their popularity. Do they make laws for the ftate? They wholly poffefs, in their houfe of commons, the department which can dictate laws. Do they judge of the breaches of thofe laws? We find them in the character of jurors interpreting and fupporting what they themselves have enacted as legiflators. Are, their decifions to be fulfilled? We find the people at once obeying and executing; and that without their fervices, breaches of the laws would render laws inefficient. Are the people aggrieved? We fee them appealing to themselves in that department of the ftate in which they are purpofely ftationed to defend their liberties, to redrefs their own grievances; and by checking the popular trustees in the abuse of power, and upholding the other two eftates, as the certain means of averting oppreffion and difcontents, we behold the people preferving that conftitution which is the bafis of all. Are the people in all the public offices and departments of the state? Without them the doors of no affembly would be unlocked. Are they employed in the army and navy? Without them, there could be neither. Do they cultivate the land and employ the manufactures for their own benefit ?-Without fuch affiftance the firft would be unproductive, and the latter fall into decay.'

The author concludes with a well-written addrefs, in which his loyalty, his love of freedom, and his abilities as a writer, are equally confpicuous. It is, perhaps, unneceffary to fay more, as already (this being the fecond edition) many of our readers may have had opportunities of examining the work itself.

Remarks on Dr. Kipling's Preface to Beza. Part the First. By Thomas Edwards, LL.D. 8vo. 1s. 6d. fewed. Flower, Cambridge.

IN

1793.

N our Review for November 1793, we announced the publication of the fac-fimile of the Cambridge manufcript. We made free and copious obfervations on it, both on account of the importance of the manufcript, and the magnificence of the fac-fimile. The Latinity we did not dare to compliment; much of the reafoning we thought inconclufive; and fome defects we found in the fac-fimile. But while impartial criticifm is juft, it is alfo candid. We, therefore, did not mean to under-rate the worth or the utility of Dr. Kipling's undertak ing, though we could not beftow all the praise which we wished on his fhare of the performance.

Dr. Edwards is unquestionably a gentleman of confiderable learning; and, as well from his fituation, as the courfe of his Audies, qualified to examine the literary pretenfions of Dr.

Kipling.

Kipling. The former profeffes to have little knowledge of the latter, and to be incapable of prejudices against his perfon: in order, however, to wipe off any imputation of this kind, to which the character lately fuftained by Dr. Kipling at Cambridge might be fuppofed to give rife, Dr. Edwards thus befpeaks the attention of his readers:

Neither are these ftrictures to be attributed to petulance or forwardness. Nothing more strongly excites my indignation and contempt than an officious interference in the concerns of others. I have obferved that it conftantly proceeds-either from a childis ignorance of the fmall importance of each individual,-or from an inability to fill up leifure with a laudable and liberal purfuit,-or from a defire of acquiring an artificial confequence, which neither abilities nor learning, neither birth nor ftation have beftowed. Studious therefore to avoid the leaft appearance of fuch a character, I feldom engage in any bufinefs, which is not ftrictly my own.'

Thefe Remarks are divided into fixteen fections, in the courfe of which Dr. Edwards expreffes doubts of Dr. Kipling's authority for afferting, that Bentley had thoroughly, examined the Cambridge MS; fhews, that Dr. Kipling makes Bentley fpeak of three MSS. only, where he'cught to have mentioned four; gives a few inftances of infertions and omiffions; examples of bad Latin; and maintains, that either the writer of the Codex Bezæ used several Greek MSS. from which he selected those readings, which appeared to him beft, or that the codex is a tranfcript from a more ancient version: on either of thefe fuppofitions, Dr. Kipling's argument, from the omiffion of the doxology, would be inconclufive.

Dr. Kipling's three arguments for the antiquity of the MS. are afferted by Dr. Edwards to be vifionary :-Id quod ideo afferui, fays Dr. Kipling, quia fectiones, quæ vocantur Ammonianæ, folæ per fe in hoc noftro incedunt, in illo autem čum Eufebii canonibus fociatæ.

Dr. Edwards replies:

Our promoter feems to be fecure, that hence it naturally follow's, that the Codex Beza is older than the Codex Alexandrinus; but he is too hafty in his conclufion. Dr. Mill in his Prolegomená gives us the following information: Codices quidem vidimus, quibus ad marginem adpiéti erant numeri ifti feorfim, et abfque Canonis Eufebiani comitatu; pervetuftum Beza Cantabrigienfem, ad cujus oranı extant, manu diverfa ; et alterum quendam quadringentorum circiter annorum." I have feen two manufcripts," fays Mr. Marsh, “in the University Library at Cambridge,-a MS. in Trinity College Library, and the Cod. Gonvilli et Caii, all written in the commen fmall Greek character, and at least six hundred years after the time of Eufebius, in which the Ammonian fections are written in the margin

8

margin, without any reference to the canons of Eufebius. Their abfence therefore from the Codex Bezæ affords no abfolute proof of its antiquity."

Dr. Edwards further remarks, that Baker had infpected the Cambridge MS. with fome care, though Dr. Kipling had maintained the contrary; that he is mistaken about Dr. Mill's teftimony; that he draws a hafty and erroneous conclufion from the ufe of the particle xa; and that in one half page of the fac fimile, there are no lefs than three errors; Esiv eyouevos for πει-εναγγελλίον for ευαγγέλιον τους υιος for υιους ; and adds :

Now the doctor cannot reasonably object to be tried by the rule, which he has himself adopted to discover the number of Wetftein's blunders in noting the various readings of the Codex Beza. Let us fee then :-Three blunders in half a page will give fix in a page in the whole fac-fimile there are 828 pages: which will give 4968 errors.-This fum may perhaps appear very extravagant: but we muft remember that the doctor is fond of having enough and to fpare for in the opinion of the vice-chancellor he brought much fuperfluous evidence to prove that Mr. Frend was the author of the pamphlet: fo in the prefent cafe, if according to the doctor's calculation Beza's manufcript contains 4311 verses, 4968 errors will give one to each verfe, and 657 to fpare.-But the promoter, fuffocated and overwhelmed, will perhaps as a laft refuge cry out, that he has inferted a faving claufe in favor of Wetftein: Nifi vero in quandam Wetftenian editionis partem forfitan inciderim cæteris mendofiorem. True, fir. This exception may certainly be applied in favor of Wetftein: there was no particular reason why Wetstein hould have been more attentive in these two chapters than in any other; he may perhaps have been lefs fo: but there were two strong reafons why you, fir, fhould have been particularly attentive in your Preface: (1.) because you must have been fenfible that it is the only part of the work, which would be read by the majority of your readers; who will therefore from this part of it receive a favorable or unfavorable impreffion of the execution of the whole: and, (2.) because even to critics, who mean to confult the fac-fimile, and have not an opportunity of comparing it with the original, your accuracy or inaccuracy in the Preface must be a pledge of your accuracy or inaccuracy in the body of the work. Charity itself, therefore, which will not allow us to fuppofe you devoid of the respect due to your readers, fuffers us not to apply to yourfelf your exception in favor of Wetstein.'

The learned doctor, throughout this little series of remarks, affails the other learned doctor with confiderable severity, while he expofes his mistakes with confiderable fuccefs. Dr. Edwards obferves:

· The

The doctor here therefore does not afpire to the diftinction of chief blunderer, which Bentley has bestowed upon Collins; he is modeftly contented with the title of deputy blunderer: but the univerfity are fo unanimously of opinion, thofe only excepted who are utterly loft to all fenfe of merit, that he has an indifputable claim to the former appellation, that they will probably thruft him, whether he will or no, into that enviable fituation. For this purpose the following grace will in the enfuing term be propofed to the fenate:

• Cum vir reverendus THOMAS KIPLING in doctiffimis fuis paginibus rara fpecimina linguæ antehac inaudita ediderit, ufitatifque artis logicæ proculcatis regulis, novam ratiocinandi methodum in ufum tyronum induxerit, cumque divinum illud ingenium tales errores procuderit, quales ullo alii in mentem ne per fomnium quidem unquam venire potuiffent, tamque varios, ut de iis differere omitto; placeat vobis ut pro tantis meritis Apλamte titulto cohonestetur."

As Dr. Kipling's Preface, together with the fac-fimile, will go into foreign univerfities, it feems reafonable to with, that Dr. Edwards had published his Remarks in Latin; that the teftimony against the Preface might have gone into the fame hand as the Preface itself has. Dr. Edwards is himself admirably qualified for a work of this kind: though probably the learned doctor wifhed to expofe Dr. Kipling before the English reader, as it were, in terrorem.

The University of Cambridge, we understand, very generoufly defrayed the expence of printing and publishing the fac-fimile of the codex Beza; and the price to fubfcribers, we hear, was only two guineas. Dr. Kipling was, however, permitted to fell it for three. We are happy to hear, that he aims to carry his goods to a better market. If he fucceeds in his negociation, he may fmile at Dr. Edwards' criticisms.

A Sermon preached before the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in the Abbey Church of St. Peter, Westminster, on Friday, April 19, 1793 being the Day appointed by his Majefty's fpecial Command for a General Faft and Humiliation. By Richard, Lord Bishop of Gloucefter. 4to. Is. Walter. 1793. ·

TO

O whatever commendation this difcourfe may be entitled upon other accounts, there are fentiments in it which we think no judicious reader can forbear to condemn; and we are the more furprised at them, when confidered as proceeding from a prelate of our church.

Happy would it have been for a modern great empire to have paid fome regard to an example in this inftance fo applicable; to have derived inftruction from a precedent fo awful in its confequences, and fo memorable in the annals of mankind. . But what

wisdom, what moderation was to be expected in the wild projects of vifionary theorifts, infolently determined to overturn every fuperftructure raised on the folid foundation laid by their ancestors, and affecting to hold in contempt the experience of paft ages! What policy could be looked for in the councils of mock legislators, whofe greateft pride it is to infult and trample under foot all that is important in human fociety, all that is venerable and facred in the eftimation of man! What refpect for the laws of humanity, what regard even for common decency, was likely to dignify the conduct of ufurpers, with hands dyed in blood, and hearts steeled for oppreffion, unmoved equally at the diftrefs of innocence, and the humiliating fpectacle of fallen majefty! Infatuated and remorfelefs people! the measure of your iniquity feems at length to be full; the hour of retribution is coming faft upon you! Drunk with the blood of your fellow citizens, you have dared to spread your ravages abroad; roufing the furrounding nations, in juftice to themfelves, and the common caufe of humanity, to confederate against you, in order to execute (we hope there is no prefumption, no want of charity in the expreffion,) to execute the wrath of God on your devoted heads!'

When the learned bishop talks of the fuperftructure raised on the folid foundation laid by their ancestors, and the experience of paft ages,' one might be induced to think that abfolute power, Lettres de Cachet, and the Baftile, were the bleffings that the first reformers of the French monarchy had fubverted: bleffings which, the experience of ages fhould no doubt have taught them, were equal to thofe of our Magna Charta, Habeas Corpus, and the Bill of Rights; and should have been revered by them as equally facred.

Another paffage conveys no flight intimation that there are others who, if they would not get drunk with blood, have notwithstanding a religious hankering after it.

Let us by a ftrict obedience to the divine laws fhew ourfelves faithful in the fervice of the Almighty; we may then hope to be thought not unworthy means in his hands of avenging both the blood of a murdered fovereign, and the unexampled fufferings of his captive family, of protecting the violated rights of civil fociety, and of fecuring to religion a field of defence against the defperate and undifguifed attacks of infidelity and atheism.

Merciful Jefus is it then for the office of executioners that the practice of thy religion was intended to fit us!-And are the crimes here fet forth, most aggravated as they are, of individuals, to be revenged by us upon a nation at large; upon thoufands who abhor them as feelingly as ourselves? Should we not rather exclaim, judgment is the prerogative of God alane? Vengeance is mine, and I will repay, faith the Lord.'