folution in the hiftory of the human mind, the paffions by which it is actuated, and the viciffitudes to which the affairs of this world are fubject.

Dr. Mofheim very candidly acknowledges that in primitive times the bishops of Rome had a kind of pre-eminence over other Chriftian prelates, but he affigns the causes of that preeminence to the feductions of pomp, riches, and external appearances; neither is he of opinion that the power of the Roman pontiff was near fo extenfive as the votaries of the fee of Rome pretend. A reader who delights in the hiftory of the Chriftian church, will find great inftruction in contemplating this period, and comparing it with that of the council of Trent, when attempts were made by the partizans of the papal power to render the epifcopal order entirely dependent upon the will and pleasure of the Roman pontiff. Parallels of that kind are the most effectual arguments to detect the Romish ufurpations, and the reflections arifing from them even ennoble the study of history in a liberal mind.

Our author has cleared the famous hiftorian Eufebius, bishop of Cæfarea, from the imputation of Arianifm, in the common acceptation of the word. We are, however, to observe, that in a note, he feems to admit that Eufebius maintained a certain disparity and fubordination between the persons of the Godhead. He has characterized the ecclefiaftical writers of the fourth century with great juftice and candour, and in a manner that must be agreeable to every unprejudiced reader. The doctor affigns the caufe of fuperftition in the Chriftian religion. to a ridiculous precipitation in receiving new opinions, a prepofterous defire of imitating the pagan rites, and of blending them with the Chriftian worship, and an idle propenfity which the generality of mankind have towards a gawdy and oftentatious religion. The reader, in this, and the fubfequent parts of the doctor's hiftory, has many opportunities of tracing the ingraftments and embroiderings of the pagan, upon the Chriftian, religion, till it was fo disfigured, that in fome periods before the Reformation its ground-work was scarcely discernible.

In the work before us, the deplorable effects of ignorance are perhaps more evident than in any that ever was published. During the long immerfion of learning and philofophy, fuperftition and papal tyranny erected their throne, which, tho' long vaccillating, was at last fettled by that apoftate Hildebrand, afterwards Gregory VII. whofe conduct and arrogance. are here described from indifputable authorities, in a manner that is fhocking to human nature. Dr. Mofheim, however, acknowledges that the defpotic views of that lordly pontiff were attended with lefs fuccefs in England than in any other country.

The doctor explains the true caufe of this pontiff's fuccefs, in Italy, to be no other than the warmth of the famous marchioness Matilda's affection for the perfon of his holiness, which induced her to make over her vaft poffeffions to the fee of Rome. But this is a fubject that has been moft profoundly treated of late, and admits of no abbreviation, Dr. Mofheim explains the caufe of the clergy's celibacy at this time, and the difpute concerning inveftitures, in a manner fo perfpicuous and learned, that it muft convince any but an enthusiast of the rotten foundations on which the papal fupremacy reft. His account of the rife and progrefs of monkery is curious and entertaining, and we have a fpecimen of it in the following paffage :

'The monks of Clugni in France furpaffed all the other religious orders in the renown they had acquired from a prevailing opinion of their eminent fanctity and virtue. Hence their difcipline was univerfally refpected, and hence alfo their rules were adopted by the founders of new monafteries, and the reformers of thofe that were in a state of decline. These famous monks arofe, by degrees, to the very highest fummit of worldly prosperity, by the prefents which they received from all quarters; and their power and credit grew, with their opulence, to fuch a height, that, towards the conclufion of the eleventh century they were formed into a separate fociety, which still fubfifts under the title of the order, or congregation of Clugni. And no fooner were they thus established than they extended their spiritual dominion on all fides, reducing, under their jurisdiction, all the monafteries which they had reformed by their counsels, and engaged to adopt their religious difcipline. The famous Hugo, fixth abbot of Clugni, who was in high credit at the court of Rome, and had acquired the peculiar protection and efteem of feveral princes, laboured, with fuch fuccefs, in extending the power and jurifdiction of his order, that, before the end of this century, he faw himself at the head of five and thirty of the principal monafteries in France, befides a confiderable number of fmaller convents that acknowledged him as their chief. Many other religious focieties, though they refufed entering into this new order, and continued to choose their respective governors, yet fhewed fuch refpect for the abbot of Clugni, or the arch abbot, as he ftyled himself, that they regarded him as their spiritual chief. This enormous augmentation of opulence and anthority was, however, fruitful of many evils; it increased the arrogance of those aspiring monks, and contributed much to the propagation of the feveral vices, that dishonoured the religious focieties of this licentious and fuperftitious age. The monks of Clugni degenerated foon from

their primitive fanctity, and, in a fhort space of time, were diftinguished by nothing but the peculiarities of their difcipline from the rest of the monastic orders.

The reader can never be ftartled at the moft extravagant relations of the force of credulity and fuperftition, after he perufes the following quotation from the hiftory of the eleventh century.

Towards the conclufion of this century, Robert, abbot of Molême in Burgundy, having employed, in vain, his most zealous efforts to revive the decaying piety and difcipline of his convent, and to oblige his monks to obferve, with more exactnefs, the rule of St. Benedict, retired, with about twenty monks, who had not been infected with the diffolute turn of their brethren, to a place called Citeaux, in the diocese of Chalons. In this retreat, which was at that time a miserable. defert, covered on all fides, with brambles and thorns, but which bears, at prefent, a quite different afpect, Robert laid the foundations of the famous order, or congregation of Ciftertians, which, like that of Clugni, made a most rapid and aftonishing progrefs, was propagated through the greatest part of Europe in the following century, and was not only enriched with the moft liberal and fplendid donations, but also acquired the form and privileges of a fpiritual republic, and exercised a fort of dominion over all the monaftic orders. The great and fundamental law of this new fraternity was the rule of St. Benedict, which was to be folemnly and rigorously obferved; to this were added several other inftitutions and injunctions, which were defigned to maintain the authority of this rule, to enfure its obfervance, and to defend it against the dangerous effects of opulence, and the reftlefs efforts of human corruption, to render the best establishments imperfe&t. These injunctions were exceffively auftere, grievous to nature, but pious and laudable in the esteem of a fuperftitious age. They did not, however, fecure the fanctity of this holy congregation, fince the feducing charms of opulence, that corrupted the monks of Clugni much fooner than was expected, produced the fame effect among the Ciftertians, whofe zeal, in the rigorous obfervance of their rule, began gradually to diminish, and who, in procefs of time, grew as negligent and diffolute as the rest of the Benedictines.'

We shall here finish our review of the first volume of this great and laborious work; nor indeed is it poffible for us, confidering the variety and compass of its contents, to do tolerable juftice to the fecond volume, without referving the review of it for a future Number.

1

[To be continued and concluded in our next. ]

I. A fhort hiftorical View of the Controverfy concerning an intermediate State and the separate Existence of the Soul between Death and the General Refurrection, deduced from the beginning of the Proteftant Reformation, to the present Times. With fome Thoughts, in a prefatory Difcourfe, on the Ufe and Importance of theological Controverfy. 8vo. Pr. 2s. 6d. Field.

S theological controverfy has occafioned many unhappy divifions in the Chriftian church, the author of this performance, in a prefatory difcourfe, endeavours to fhew that fcience and literature are indebted to it for fome of their most valuable improvements.

Mr. Hume has obferved, that, in the age of Thomas Becket, the fpirit of fuperftition was fo prevalent that it infallibly caught every careless reafoner, much more every one whofe intereft, honour, and ambition were engaged to fupport it. All the wretched literature of the times, was inlifted on that fide. Some faint glimmerings of common fenfe might fometimes pierce through the thick cloud of ignorance, or, what was worse, the illufions of perverted science, which had blotted out the fun, and envelloped the face of nature. But those who preferved themselves untainted from the general contagion, proceeded on no principles which they could pretend to juftify. They were more beholden to their total want of inftruction, than to their knowledge, if they ftill retained fome fhare of understanding. Folly was poffeffed of all the fchools, as well as all the churches, and her votaries affumed the garb of philofophers, together with the enfigns of spiritual dignities.'

To difperfe thefe clouds of folly and fuperftition, was, fays our author, the proper work of theological controversy, and this work, history informs us, theological controversy performed. Roger Bacon was one of the first who felt the incumbrance of fuperftition, and the influence it had in controuling all his endeavours to propagate learning and science in various branches. He was accordingly obliged to fight his way through many eftablished follies and abfurdities, in order to introduce thofe amazing plans, which are still doing honour to his name and memory. 'Tis true, he fo far failed, that fuperftition still kept its ground, and prevented in a great meafure, the raifing any fuperftructures of confequence upon Bacon's foundations, for full two hundred years. At length arofe Martin Luther, who, confining all his powers to theological controverfy, laid bare the fuperftition of the times to the very root, and expofed it in all its deformity, to the view of the whole world. From this period true religion and useful

learning

learning fprung up together at a thoufand openings, were cherished by the kindly heat of patronage and emulation, and plentifully watered by the free courfe of rational debate, to which the uncontrouled examination of the fcriptures gave the firft occafion.'

In the following paragraph the author expreffes a laudable. zeal for civil and religious liberty.

• While debate and examination are allowed and countenanced in matters of religion, which is of the highest concern, there will be no danger that the door fhould be shut against inquirers into matters of another nature and tendency. But if the popular religion fhould once be fettled into an uncontroulable form, confider the confequence. Syftem, whether compofed of popish or proteftant materials, is fyftem ftill; the child of pride and avarice, and the fondling of tyrants, hypocrites, and bigots. By thefe, fcience and literature of all kinds have ever been fufpected, as unfavourable to orthodox foundations. Who knows what the fons of genius may strike out in our own, or in future times? Would you put it in the power of those who patronize the fyftem in vogue, to check these efforts by the narrow bounds they are difpofed to prefcribe? Be provident therefore, if you will not be grateful. Encourage examination and rational debate for your own fakes. Keep open the door for others, that it may not be shut against yourselves.'

Having offered an apology for the zeal of Luther, and other polemical writers, he proceeds to the controverfy concerning an intermediate ftate.

The question, he fays, is whether the fcriptures afford any juft and folid grounds for the doctrine of the immortality of the foul of man, and particularly, any evidence of its exiftence, when difunited from the body, in a state of conscious perception; and whether, in confequence of this notion, there is not a certain intermediate ftate of happiness and mifery for good and wicked men refpectively, between death and the general refurrection?

They who hold the negative in these points, allege, that according to the fcriptures, life and immortality were brought to light by the Gofpel of Chrift", in a fenfe exclufive of all other

They who maintain the negative in this difpute, can derive no argument in favour of their opinion from this expreffion of St. Paul, Tim. i. 10. for Tiodνtos (way, nas do@apoiar only implies, that our Saviour, by his doctrine and

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