himself had pronounced:--and in the last place, that God did often dictate to the apoles the very words which they should ufe. These five heads are enough to believe. We allow in these things the authority of the holy fcriptures, and they who affirm more are deceived (41).

The

(41) Let me recommend to you, reader, two large volumes written in an epiftolary form: the firft is, Sentimens de quelques theologiens de Hollande fur l'hiftoire critique du Vieux Teftament, et de Nouveau Teftament, par P. R. Simon, and Defenfe des Sentimens contre Bolville. Thefe are fine books: my reason for mentioning them here is, that the 11th and 12th letters, in the first volume, called Sentimens, &c. is on the inspiration of the facred writers ;-and the 10th and 11th letters of the fecond volume, called A Defence, &c. is a continuation of the fubject in a very extraordinary manner, that is, by giving a folid demonftration of the truth of our religion, without interesting it in this controverfy; that is, that the chriftian religion is true, tho' the apoftles had not been continually inspired.

Note, reader, these five letters were tranflated into English in 1690, and make a very little 12ves, that fells for five fhillings.-The two firft letters, that is, the 11th and 12th of Sentimens, were printed lately in a new translation, (I think for Cooper) a fhilling pamphlet. Le Clerc was the author of these two books. I gave an account of him, and his writings, in my Memoirs of fome Ladies of Great Britain, &c. P. 356-358.

Note, reader, the famous Father Richard Simon, a priest of the oratory, who writ L'Hiftoire Critique,

The cafe is the fame as to differences, want of exactnefs, and fmall mistakes. We may juftly celebrate the harmony or agreement of the facred writers, with regard to the

was born at Dieppe, the 13th of May, 1638, and died at the fame place, April 7, 1712. He was the author of many other learned works, which a general reader ought to be no stranger to: but I can only recommend to a friend the Lettres choifes de M. Simon -his Bibliotheque Critique Nouvelle Bibliotheque choife. There is a great deal of curious learning in thefe pieces, mixed with a great deal of prejudice. Simon was a great man, and bad (in refpect of the defign) as his Hiftoire Critique is; it is a most learned work, and of great ufe to those who have heads fit to ufe it. Note, Herman Witfius, mentioned in my Memoirs of the Ladies, p. 357. (who defended Simon in his Mifcellanea Sacra, by abufing Le Clerc), was a doctor of divinity, and profeffor of the faculty at Franeker, natus Feb. 12, 1626, denatus, Octob. 22, 1708, aged 82.

dominicum:

you .

Befide his Mifcellanea facra, he published Oeconomia fæderum, &c.-Exercitationes facræ in Orationem -And Ægyptiaca. If like me, reader, you have nothing else to do but to read, I advise to read them as curious things: there is learning, though not much good in them. See M. Mark's fu neral oration on Witfius. Simon's Eloge you will find in Journal litter. tom. 3. p. 225. And if you have a critical head, I recommend to you Father Simon's Differtation Critique, against Du Pin's nouvelle bibliotheque des auteurs ecclefiaftiques: It is an arch piece of criticism, tho' it does not hurt Du Pin's Bibliotheque.

Note,

the principal tranfactions by them mentioned, as a strong proof of the integrity of the evangelifts, and of the certainty of the fact. This evinces the truth of christianity:

but

Note, the learned and excellent Louis Ellies Du Pin, author of the valuable Bibliotheque Ecclefiaftique, was born June 17, 1657, and died at Paris, June 16, 1719, aged 62. He writ many other excellent works: but this Bibliotheque nouvelle des Auteurs Ecclefiaftiques, from Jefus Chrift to the year 1710, in 35 volumes in 8vo. is the principal labour of his life.--The beft edition in English of this fine work, is that of Grierson in Dublin, in Folio.

The other works of Du Pin are these,- -Differtation Preliminaire ou Prolegomenes fur la Bible, en trois volumes, in 8vo. De antiqua ecclefiæ difciplina, in feven Differtations.De la Puiffance ecclefiaftique et temporelle. La Dottrine chretienne et or thodoxe.-Notes on the Pentateuch.Les Pfeaumes en Latin, et des Notes, in 8vo.-Verfion François des Pfeaumes, avec des Notes. A Defence of his Notes on the Pfalms.- -A folio edition of the Works of Optatus Afer (Milevi in Numidia epifc. qui clar. an. 368.) and to this edition is prefixed Du Pin's hiftory of the Donatifts, (a very curious thing) and the Sacred Geography of Africa.- -A new edition of Gerfon's Works in five tomes folio; to which he joined a work of his own, called Gerfoniana; a very curious and valuable thing, which contains the life of Gerfon, the hiftory of his times, and the doctrines and lives of contemporary authors. d'Apollonius de Tyranne.enne Difcipline touchant la l'Excommunication.

Critique fur l'Hiftoire Une Lettre fur l'AnciMeffe.- -Un traite de Une Hiftoire de l'Eglife en abrege.

but in matters of very fmall moment, we must allow a want of accuracy, or flips of memory, or different informations. This cannot hurt the authority of the gofpels, as it proves the honefty of the writers by fhewing they did not compofe by compact: and I think, that fome of the evangelifts having been eye-witneffes of, and actors in the facts of the feveral gospels; and others

abrege.

having

-Une Hiftoire profane depuis les tems les plus reculez jufqu'a prefent.. Une analyse de l'Apocalypfe, avec de Differtations fur differentes matieres curieufes- Une Hiftoire du xvii fiecle-Un traite de l'Amour de Dieu- Bibliotheque des Hiftoriens profanes: but of this laft work he never published more than two volumes, which have been tranflated into English: and fo far as he did go, is fo well done, that it is to be lamented, he did not finish his noble defign.- As to his edition of Bafnage's Hiftoire des Juifs, without mentioning the name of Bafnage, and his making many alterations in it, contrary to its author's mind, it brought on him a fevere caftigation from Bafnage; as I mentioned in my account of Bafnage's writings in my firft volume of the Memoirs of feveral Ladies of Great Britain, p. 350; where I referred the reader to a fine piece, called, Hiftoire des Juifs reclame, par Jacqueus Bafnages.

Note: next to the Bibliotheque des auteurs ecclefiaftiques, the best books of Du Pin are, his Seven Differtatians de antiqua difciplina ecclefia: which is one Latin volume in 4to :· -and his Puiffance Ecclefiaftique et Temporelle: one volume in 8vo. In these volumes, he works the pope in a fine manner, as to Supremacy and infallibility.

having written from the information of those who had got a perfect information of all things from the very beginning, is an argument folid and rational for the credibility of the evangelical hiftory. It is fufficient. I am fure it is better to allow this, than to fay the writers of the four gofpels were mere organs, when the little omiffions and inaccuracies obfervable in their records, cannot be accounted for, if we fuppofe that God conveyed the facts and truths through them, as pipes, to the world. It must needs be a perfect work, which the fpirit of God directs.

No contra

As to St. Mark and St.

diction in St. John's accounts, I fee no contradiction in the relations. St. John fays, (reckoning as the

Mark's and St. John's account of the crucifixion.

Romans did, as he was then in Afia, and Jerufalem deftroyed) that at the fixth hour, that is fix o'clock in the morning, he brought Jefus out to them again, the last time, and ftrove to mitigate the rage of the Jews, and fave the life of Chrift: but as this was what he could not do, he washed his hands before them all, to let them know he was not the author of the innocent man's death, and after that, delivered him up to the foldiers, to be crucified, when they had fcourged him.

When

1