fuch a spirit, they would foon find (even though in other refpects they continued ftill in their different forms) the God of holiness and peace dwelling among ft them--religion revive -the gospel-miniftry honoured and blefled. And thus, to their unfpeakable fatisfaction and comfort, and the utter confufion of the ignorance of thofe foolish men, who delight to reproach them-they would, indeed, appear to be, what they were originally defigned to be, feminaries of divine knowlege, truth, love, piety, and every virtue.- Living witnetles of the great mercy and love of God to men -The brightest ornaments of the world, and the greateft bleffings to it. The body of the book treats chiefly of the qualifications, duty, and power of church-officers and members; wherein the Author fhews, that the members which conftitute any particular church, have a right to chufe their own paftor and iubordinate officers a right agreeable both to fcripture and reafon. fpecimen of his method, we fhall produce his fifth chapter entire, which treats As a Of the Duties of particular churches, that deferve more efpecial notice. I. Towards their own members. II. Towards other churches, their members, minifters, &c. ift. Towards their own members, it is a church's duty, (I.) To admit every one of them (unless under cenfure) to an equal joint right, and title to, and fhare in, all the fpiritual and temporal privileges which they enjoy as a church. Gal. iii. 28.-Ye are all one in Chrift Jefus. Acts ii. 44. (II.) And confequently, to affemble for the difcharge of their common duties, and enjoyment of their common privileges, at fuch time, and in fuch manner, that all, if poffible, may fhare in them. ' ( 1 Cor. xl. 33. When ye come together to eat (i. e. the Lord's fupper) tarry one for another. (III.) To take care of their poor, and fupply their ne ceffities. Deut. xv. 11. I command thee faying, thou shalt open thy hand wide unto thy brother, unto thy poor, and thy needy, But however extenfive this common intereft and right might be in the apofiles days, it can now be extended no farther than the privileges and poffeffions which the church njeys as a body; and not to any one's particular perfonal propery. See chap. ii. prop. 7fett. 6. and Note there. in thy land. Gal. ii. 10. We should remember the poor. Rom. xii. 13. Diftributing to the neceffities of the faints. • 1 John iii. 17. See also chap. iv. prop. v. and texts • there. And for the better discharge of this duty, it is evident, the office of deacons was inftituted in the church. • Acts vi.. 1---7 (IV.) The whole church fhould fympathize, in the joys and forrows of every particular member. I Cor. xii. 26. And whether one member fuffer, all the members fuffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. (V.) They fhould put up their united prayers, for any one of them in distress. • Acts xii. 5.—And prayer was made without ceafing of the church unto God, for him (i. e. Peter in prifon.) (VI.) They are to exercise a godly care and difcipline over them, to their edification, without partiality. James ii. 9. If ye have a respect to perfons, ye commit fin.-1 Thef. v. 14. Brethren warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble minded, fupport the weak. Jude 16. Not having mens perfons in admiration to advantage. Heb. xii. 15. Looking diligently, left any fail of the grace of God, and any root of bitterness fpringing up, trou ble you. (VII.) To grant them letters of difmiffion and recommendation to other churches, when defired, fo far as they can, con• fiftent with the honour of Chrift, and a good conscience. 2 Cor. iii. 1. Need we epiftles of recommendation to you 2. Towards other churches, their members and ministers, it is a church's duty. (I.) To own them as churches of Chrift, and hold Chriftian ' communion with them, in all the duties and privileges of their common religion, as far as they have opportunity, and can do it with a good conscience. Rom. vi. 16. The churches of Chrift falute you. 6131 13, 20. Many members, yet but one body, whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free. 1 John i. 7. We have fellowShip one with another. 1 Cor. i. 2, 3. Unto the church of God at Corinth-with all that in every place call on our Lord Jefus Chrift, Grace be unto you. I Thef. iv. 9, 10. Ye are taught of God to love one another. And < ye do it towards all the brethren in Macedonia. (II.) To receive their members, when recommended to • them, and pay them the regard their character and condition • requires. 6 < Rom. xvi. 1, 2. I commend unto you Phebe our fifter -receive her in the Lord as becometh faints, and affift her in whatever bufinefs fhe hath need of you. Phil. ii, 29. Hold fuch in reputation. 2 Cor. viii. 23, 24. They are the melengers of the churches, fhew ye to them and before the churches the proof of your love. 3 John 8. • We ought to receive fuch, that we may be fellow-helpers of the truth. (III.) To impart to other churches, fuch affiftance as they want, and their own abilities and opportunities afford. Acts xi. 29, 30. The difciples (at Antioch) fent relief, according to their abilities, to the poor faints in Judea. I Cor. xvi. 1. Concerning the collection for the faints, as I had given orders to the churches of Galatia. Even fo do ye. Col. iv. 16, 17. And when this epiftle is read with you, caufe also that it be read in the church of the • Laodiceans. (IV.) To make use of their advice in any matters of difficulty and importance. Acts xv. 2. They (the church at Antioch) determined that Paul and Barnabas fhould go up to Jerufalem, unto the apostles and elders, about this question, i. e. of the neceffity of circumcifion.' He fums up, in a conclufion to the whole, many good arguments in defence of liberty of confcience, at the latter end of which we find the following wholesome note. Left any of my readers fhould mistake my pleas for moderation and charity, and imagine they encourage a cold indifference in religion; or that I thought it no matter what opinions we entertained, provided we were friends to liberty; I take this opportunity to affure them nothing can be farther from my in⚫tention. I would not wifh any man indifferent, even to the modes and forms of religion; but think it is his duty to endeavour to to get the best information he can concerning them, and religioufly and fteadily follow the light of his confcience, in a practical regard to what appears to him to be right. Much lefs would I be thought to countenance a Sceptical lukewarmness, in refpect of any of thofe great doctrines that enter into the effentials of Chriftian worship, and the truly gracious scheme of falvation by Chrift; an evil greatly to be lamented, as already too prevalent, and as leading the way to that apoftacy from the profeffion of Chriftianity to Deifm, which fo fhockingly distinguishes the prefent times. But what I mean is, that our zeal for God fhould be according to knowlege; propor⚫tioned to the rank and importance of its objects; and in refpect of thofe of the highest rank, and greatest importance, always governed by that gentle and benign fpirit of evangelical philanthropy, which fhines in all the doctrines and precepts, temper and conduct, of Chrift and his apoftles. And I am serioufly of opinion, and wifh all my readers would as seriously • confider it, that real Christianity will never thoroughly prevail • and flourish in the world, till the profeffors of it are brought to be upon better terms with one another; lay afide their mutual jealoufies and animofities, and live as brethren in fincere harmony and love; but which I apprehend will never be, till confcience is left entirely free; and the plain BIBLE become in FACT, as well as PROFESSION, the ONLY rule of their religious faith and practice. 6 If we cannot subscribe to Mr. Turner's opinion in every particular, yet we can truly fay, that, upon the whole, he seems to be an honest reasonable man; and by adopting this method of writing, his Compendium juftifies its title, and often difplays fome of that clearness and precifion, for which mathematical reafoning is fo juftly admired; and which, we apprehend, might be fuccessfully tried upon other fubjects. N Inferiptionum Metricarum delectus. Accedunt notulae. 4to. 2 s. Dodfley. N elegant Latin preface informs us of our anonymous Col Alector's motives for publishing this felect collection of an tient infcriptions, which are chiefly epitaphs, and generally taken from the larger collections, publifhed by other learned men, and particularly by Joannes Baptista Ferretius, in his Mufæ Lapidariae, at Verona, 1672. The prefent Compiler's prevailing tafte for poetical infcriptions, has made him reject all in profe: and his admiration of a certain fimplicity in the antique lapidary 8 ftile, ftile, has excluded fuch as he conceives to be more modern, and confiders rather as having too much point or turn. With all due fubmiffion, however, to this elegant Collector's fuperior virtù and taste on this fubject, we imagine fome good judges of Latin poetry may be apt to determine of the merit of many of thefe little pieces from other circumftances, befides that of their date, and their being wholly void of turn and point: though they may not be unable at the same time to relish the delicacies of a very elegant fimplicity, which feems better adapted to the elegiac and tumulary ftyle than wit itfelf would be, to fay nothing of witicism and conceit. But not to enter upon a formal difquifition of fo minute a fubject, we fhall produce a few fhort pieces from this collection of about fifty, for the amusement of our Readers. The twelfth in this fafciculus, or bundle, has been elegantly tranflated by Mr. Pope, as it is inferted, to the best of our recollection, in one of his profe epiftles, and applied to the supposed Naiad and Guardian of his fountain in his grotto at Twickenham. The Latin original is not lefs elegant and happy. The infcription is extant at Rome, under the image of a nymph asleep. Hujus Nympha loci, facri cuftodia fontis, Dormio, dum blandae fentio murmur aquae, Parce meum, quifquis tangis cava marmora, fomnum The nineteenth infcription, an epitaph, appears to us very tender and elegant, the thought and imagery in the four laft lines feeming new and affecting. The Compiler, in his notes, very truly terms it carmen conditiffimum, a finifhed little piece; and for the chance of entertaining the Ladies, [as it is a monument of furviving affection for a deceafed wife] and our meer English Readers, we have annexed a tolerably exact, though not an exquifieerfion of it. |