throw upon each other. He has given us the most striking and material particulars of the lives and doctrines of modern philofophers as well as divines; and it is only doing justice, both to the author and the tranflator to acknowledge, that they have been candid and respectful in all the accounts they have given us of the reformation, doctrine, and difcipline of the established church of England, without making any other compliments to the diffenters from it, than what the spirit of that toleration which the wisdom of our legiflature has establifhed, admits of.

We fhall close our quotations from this work with a paffage which, at this time, when the operations of jefuitifm are more than fufpected in England, we hope may be thought peculiarly feafonable. Dr. Mofheim, in treating of the doctrine of the church of Rome during the feventeenth century, fhews it to be more corrupt than in the preceding ages, in the following words.

If we take an accurate view of the religious fyftem of the Romish church, during this century, both with refpect to articles of faith and rules of practice, we shall find that, instead of being improved by being brought fomewhat nearer to that perfect model of doctrine and morals that is exhibited to us in the Holy Scriptures, it had contracted new degrees of corruption and degeneracy in moft places, partly by the negligence of the Roman pontiffs, and partly by the dangerous maxims and influence of the Jefuits. This is not only the obfervation of those who have renounced the Romish communion, and in the defpotie ftyle of that church are called heretics; it is the complaint of the wifeft and worthieft part of that communion, of all its members, who have a zeal for the advancement of true Chriftian knowledge and genuine piety.

As to the doctrinal part of the Romish religion, it is said, and not without foundation, to have fuffered extremely in the hands of the Jefuits, who, under the connivance, nay, fometimes, by the immediate affiftance of the Roman pontiffs, have perverted and corrupted fuch of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity as were left entire by the council of Trent. There are not wanting proofs fufficient to fupport this charge, inafmuch as thefe fubtle and infiduous fathers have manifeftly endeavoured to diminish the authority and importance of the Holy Scriptures, have extolled the power of human nature, changed the fentiments of many with respect to the neceffity and efficacy of divine grace, reprefented the mediation and fufferings of Chrift as less powerful and meritorious than they are said to be in the facred writings, turned the Roman pontiff into a terreftrial deity, and put him almost upon an equal footing with

the divine Saviour; and, finally, rendered, as far as in them lies, the truth of the Chriftian religion dubious, by their falJacious reasonings and their fubtile but pernicious sophistry. The teftimonies brought to fupport these accusations by men of weight and merit, particularly among the Janfenifts, are of very great authority, and it is extremely difficult to refuse our affent to them when they are impartially examined; but, on the other hand, it may be easily proved that the Jefuits, inftead of inventing these pernicious do&rines, did no more, in reality, than propagate them as they found them in that ancient form of the Romish religion that preceded the Reformation, and was directly calculated to raise the authority of the pope, and the power and prerogatives of the Romish church, to the very highest pitch of defpotic grandeur. To inculcate this form of doctrine was the direct vocation of the Jefuits, who were to derive all their credit, opulence, and influence, from their being confidered as the main fupport of the papacy, and the peculiar favourites of the Roman pontiffs. If the ultimate end and purpose of these pontiffs were to render the church more pure and holy, and to bring it as near as poffible to the resemblance of its divine founder, and if this were the commiffion they give to their favourite emiffaries and doctors, then the Jefuits would be at liberty to preach a very different doctrine from what they now inculcate. But that liberty cannot be granted to them as long as their principal orders, from the papal throne, are, to ufe all their diligence and induftry, to the end that the pontiffs may hold what they have acquired, and recover what they have loft; and that the bishops and minifters of the Romish church may daily fee their opulence increase, and the limits of their authority extended and enlarged. The chief crime then of the Jefuits is really this, that they have explained with more openness and perfpicuity thofe points, which the leading managers in the council of Trent had either entirely omitted or flightly mentioned, that they might not fhock the friends of true religion, who compofed a part of that famous affembly, And here we fee the true reafon, why the Roman pontifs, notwithstanding the ardent follicitation and remonstrances that * have been employed to arm their just severity against the Jesuits, have always maintained that artful order, and have been fo deaf to the accufations of their adverfaries, that no entreaties have been able to perfuade them to condemn their religious princi ples and tenets, however erroneous in their nature, and pernicious in their effects. On the contrary, the court of Rome has always oppofed, either in a public or clandeftine manner, all the vigorous measures that have been used to procure the condemnation and fuppreffion of the doctrine of the Loyolites; and

the

the Roman pontiffs have conftantly treated all fuch attempts, as the projects of rafh and imprudent men, who, through involuntary ignorance or obftinate prejudice, were blind to the true interefts of the church.'

We are forry that we must refer to the work itself for a most accurate diffection of Jesuitism, exhibited by the author, and founded upon the express doctrines of its votaries, and is such as must strike every member of regulated fociety and government with horror and indignation.

To conclude, we must acknowledge that our review of this excellent work is imperfect, though it has extended to an unufual length, because the variety and conciseness of its contents are fuch as put us under an abfolute incapacity to do it justice within our propofed limits. The rational truths of religion are now fo generally understood by the learned in England, of all denominations, that we cannot doubt of our receiving their approbation, in communicating from this hiftory a more general knowledge of it to the public, as being the most candid, the most comprehensive, and the most inftructive work of the kind that has yet appeared, and such as conveys more real knowledge of ecclefiaftical matters than can be found in the contents of any private library.

II. The Lives of John Wicliff, and of the most eminent of his Difciples; lord Cobham, John Hufs, Jerome of Prague, and Zifca. By William Gilpin, M. A. 8vo. Pr. 5s. 6d. bound.

Robfon.

HERE is no fpecies of writing fo entertaining as, and certainly none more inftructive than, biography, provided the fubject be chofen with tafte and judgment, and the tak executed with genius and precifion. In perufing the memoirs of a remarkable perfonage, the reader's curiofity is indulged with a perpetual gratification; his understanding is informed, his paffions are interested, his heart is warmed with emulation, and his conduct influenced by example.

Mr. Gilpin has, in our opinion, very laudably and very properly employed his talents, in tranfmitting to pofterity the lives and characters of those reformers to whose penetration, piety, and perfeverance, we in a great measure owe the purity of the religion we profefs. He is also commendable for having thus vindicated the honour of his country, in afcertaining to John Wicliff his undoubted right to the title of firft Reformer, in preference either to John Hufs or Martin Luther.

This performance is ufhered in with a fhort dedication to the bishop of Bristol, and a very elegant poem, intitled, The House

of

of Superftition; by Thomas Denton, M. A. rector of Afhted in Surry. The life of Wicliff, to which is prefixed an emble matical print of him, cannot be fuppofed to teem with inci dents that will strike the generality of readers; but they cannot fail of being very interefting to all those who have a proper idea of the fuperftition, infolence, tyranny, oppreffion, and abuses of the popish religion, from which our Wicliff endea voured to fet his countrymen free. This reformer was a great enemy to the ufurpations of the Roman fee; and gave no quar. ter in his writings and preaching to the mendicant friars, whom he justly reprefented as pernicious drones and debauchees He rejected the pope's fupremacy, as well as the merit of monaftic vows; and he denied the real prefence in the eucharist. He afferted that the fcripture alone was the rule of faith; that the church depended on the state; that the clergy ought to have no temporal poffeffions; that the mendicant orders ought to be abolished, as well as the greater part of the ceremonies of the church; that oaths were unlawful; that dominion was founded on grace; that every thing was fubject to fate and destiny; and that all men were predestined to eternal falvation or reprobation.-He inveighed againff fanctuaries,' pilgrimages, tythes, and prayers for the dead; but was a ftrenuous advocate for the marriage of the clergy. He believed in purgatory, however, and acknowledged feven facraments; even in the doctrine of tranfubftantiation he feemed to waver: he looked upon confeffion as expedient, though not abfolutely neceffary; upon penance as of no merit, unlefs followed by a reformed life; and upon abfolution as blafphemy, when practifed according to the rules of the church of Rome. H declaimed against praying to faints; but thought images might be ferviceable to give the vulgar ftrong impreffions of the po1 verty and fufferings of Chrift, his apostles, and martyrs.

After all, Wicliff, notwithstanding his eminent merit, does not seem to have been quite free of fanaticilin.-His unin telligible notions about dominion's being founded on grace, and about the devil's being let loose a thousand years after Chrift; his making fo free with the faid devil in his fermons and writings; his going about preaching barefoot in a long freeze gown; his mortified life, and a certain intemperance of zeal in his declamation, are circumftances that feem to denote that he was not a little tinctured with enthusiasm.

The life of Wicliff is followed by that of his difciple Sir John Oldcastle lord Cobham, which is alfo adorned with an allegorical frontispiece. This gentleman was in favour with Henry V. who pathetically exhorted him to retra& his errors : but he was fo far from temporizing, that he flatly told the

king, As fure as God's word is true, to me it is fully evident that the pope is the great Antichrift foretold in holy writ.' This reply gave fuch umbrage, that he loft intirely the favour of his fovereign. Indeed, lord Cobham appears to have been still a greater fanatic than his mafter, not without infolence and inconfiftence in his character. When he was cited in the king's prefence to appear before the archbishop of Canterbury, he appealed to the pope at Rome, whofe power and authority he had before disclaimed; and the king was fo incenfed, that he cried out, Thou shalt never profecute thy appeal.' When he was examined the fecond time before the archbishop and his clergy, they seemed inclined enough to deal gently with him; but his zeal hurried him into fome tranfports which in a more enlightened age might be thought a little indecent. The pope and you together (faid he) make whole the great Antichrift; he is the head, you bifhops and priests are the body, and the begging friars are the tal that covers the filthiness of you both with lies and sophistry. Every body the leaft acquainted with the hiftory of England, knows that lord Cobham, after condemnation, escaped from the Tower, and concealed himself for fome years in Wales, where he was betrayed by lord Powis. Then being brought to London, he was hung alive in chains, as a traitor, in St. Giles's fields, and fire being kindled under the gibbet, was burnt to death as an heretic.

The next article is the life of John Hufs, the famous reformer of Bohemia, whofe mind was firft illuminated by the doctrines of Wicliff, with which he became acquainted in this

manner.

In the year 1381, Richard II. of England married Ann, fifter of the king of Bohemia, This alliance opened a commerce between the two nations; and many perfons, during an interval of several years, paffed over from Bohemia into England, on the account either of expectances, curiofity, or bufinefs: fome on the account of study. With a view of this latter kind, a young Bohemian nobleman, who had finished his ftudies in the university of Prague, spent fome time at Oxford. Here he became acquainted with the opinions of Wicliff, read his books, and admired both him and them. At his return to Prague he renewed an acquaintance, which grew into an entire familiarity, with John Hufs; and put into his hands the writings of Wicliff, which he had brought over with him. They confifted chiefly of thofe warm pieces of that reformer, in which he inveighs against the corruptions of the clergy.

Thefe writings ftruck Hufs with the force of revelation. He was a man of great fancity of manners himself, and had the highest