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the first Lord Orrery, who flourished under the reign of Charles the first. The extract is taken from The state letters and memoirs of the right Hon. Roger Boyle, page 4, 5.

Eckius being fent by the pope, legate into France, upon his return refolved to take Geneva in his way on purpose to fee Calvin; and if occafion were, to attempt reducing him to the Roman church. Therefore, when Eckius was come within a league of Geneva, he left his retinue there, and went, accompanied but with one man, to the city, in the forenoon. Setting up his horfes at an inn, he inquired where Calvin lived, whofe houfe being fhown him, he knocked at the door and Calvin himself came to open it to him. Eckius inquiring for Mr. Calvin, he was told he was the perfon. Eckius acquainted him, that he was a ftranger; and having heard much of his fame, was come to wait upon him. Calvin invited him to come in, and he entered the houfe with him; where difcourfing of many things concerning religion, Eckius perceived Calvin to be an ingenuous learned man, and defired to know if he had not a garden to walk in. To which Calvin replying he had, they both went into it; and there Eckius began to inquire of him why he left the Roman church, and offered him fome arguments to perfuade him to return; but Calvin could by no means be inclined to think of it. At laft, Eckius told him, that he would put his life in his hands; and then faid he was Eckius the Pope's legate. At this difcovery, Calvin was not a little furprifed, and begged his pardon that he had not treated him with that refpect which was due to his quality. Eckius returned the compli

ment, and told him if he would come back to the Roman church, he would certainly procure for him a Cardinal's cap. But Calvin was not to be moved by fuch an offer. Eckius then asked him what revenue he had? he told the Cardinal he had that house and garden, and fifty livres per annum, beside an annual prefent of fome wine and corn; on which he lived very contentedly. Eckius told him, that a man of his parts deserved a greater revenue; and then renewed his invitation to come over to the Romifh church, promising him a better ftipend if he would. But Calvin giving him thanks affured him he was well fatisfied with his condition. About this time dinner was ready, when he entertained his gueft as well as he could, excufed the defects of it, and paid him great refpect. Eckius after dinner defired to know, if he might not be admitted to fee the church, which anciently was the cathedral of that city. Calvin very readily anfwered that he might; accordingly, he fent to the officers to be ready with the keys, and defired fome of the fyndicts to be there prefent, not acquainting them who the ftranger was. As foon therefore as it was convenient, they both went towards the church, and as Eckius was coming out of Calvin's houfe, he drew out a purse, with about one hundred pistoles, and prefented it to Calvin. But Calvin defired to be excufed; Eckius told him, he gave it him to buy books, as well as to express his refpect for him. Calvin with much regret took the purfe, and they proceeded to the church, where the fyndicts and officers waited upon them; at the fight of whom Eckius thought he had been betrayed, and whispered his thoughts in Cal

vin's ear; but Calvin affured him to the contrary. Thereupon they went into the church; and Eckius, having seen all, told Calvin he did not expect to find things in fo decent an order, having been told to the contrary. After having taken a full view of every thing, Eckius was returning out of the church; but Calvin ftopped him a little, and calling the fyndicts and officers together, took out the purfe of gold which Eckius had given him, telling them that he had received that gold from this worthy ftranger, and that now he gave it to the poor, and fo put it all into the poor box that was kept there. The fyndicts thanked the ftranger, and Eckius admired the

charity and modefty of Calvin. When they were come out of the church, Calvin invited Eckius again to his houfe,but he replied that he muft depart; fo thanking him for all his civilities, offered to take his leave. But Calvin waited upon him to the inn, and walked with him a mile out of the territories of Geneva, where with great compliments, they took a farewell of each other.'

Eckius was a very learned divine, profeffor in the univerfity of Ingolftadt, memorable for his oppolition to Luther, Melanthon, and other reformers in Germany. He died in 1543, aged 57. See Hoffmanni Lexicon, Tom. 2, page 130, or Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. 6th, p. 296. Af. Mif. Mag.

Review of New Publications.

The Doctrine of Predeftination un o Life, explained and vindicated in Four Sermons, preached to the church of Chrift, meeting in Brattle Street, and published at their general defire: with fome additional paffages and quotations. By WILLIAM COOPER: one of the paftors of faid Church. With a Preface by the Senior Pastors of the town of Bolton. Second Edition. Boston. E. Lincoln, Water Street, 1804.

MANY, after reading the title page, prefixed to this little volume of fermons, would fhrink from the perufal of its contents. With the fubject of the discourses under review fome have connected an idea of horrour, while to others the title itfelf is a fufficient recommendation.

Reviewers of controverfial publications, whether religious, or political, ought, as much as poffible, to diveft themselves of fectarian

feelings. With reverence and impartiality then we fhall notice thefe productions of one of the fathers of our Boston churches, whofe memory is yet held in great veneration.

Thefe Sermons were first publifhed in Bofton, in the year 1740, were reprinted in London, in the year 1765, and the second Boston edition appeared during the laft year.

The Sermons are introduced by a preface, written by the funior paftors of the town of Boston, the venerable contemporaries of the author. This preface is a specimen of their brotherly love to the author, their attachment to the doctrines contained in his fermons, and their fervent zeal in the cause of Chrift. It breathes a fpirit of piety as well, as of firm, unfhaken faith, and strongly recommends the difcourfes to the reader's attention.

At the prefent day, when many pious chriftians are accufed of each

teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, when faith in doctrines above our comprehenfion is deemed fuperftition, the following obfer. vations, contained in the preface, may be feasonable and appropriate.

The doctrine of Predestination "is embraced by us, because we find it in our Bible. This it is, that makes us Predestinarians and Calvinists: For Calin, nor Augustine, nor any names whatever, are any thing to us, but as they speak from the Holy Scriptures. These are our only oracles. What we find there, we believe and profess, though incomprehensible to our weak and shallow minds, which are by no means the measure of truth, And we think we act a perfectly rational part, as well as reverent before the high God, the infinite Intelligence, in bowing our understandings to his revelations respecting truth and duty, even where we cannot answer every scruple or objection, for reconciling seeming oppositions."

The words which Mr. Cooper has felected, as a text for his difcourses, are contained in the epiftle to the Romans, viii. 29, 30. In the first sermon, after noticing the chapter preceding the one from which his fubject is taken, our author obferves, that the "words" of his text "are commonly called the golden chain of falvation," and divides it into four parts; Foreknowledge and Predeftination, Election, Juftification, and Glorification. After having made a few obfervations on each of thefe important fubjects in their order, he observes, "It is not my intention to speak of all these privileges in the order, in which they stand connected in our text; and I have but lately discoursed concerning two of them, effectual calling an l justification. My present purpose therefore is, to treat only of that, which is the end of them all, and from which they result, namely, Election, or Predestination unto Life.”

He then proceeds to expatiate on the importance and excellence of the doctrine, and to vindicate it from the objections of thofe, "who

decry and reproach it, asunworthy of God and religion; and of thofe who fpeak of it, as among thofe myfterious, controverfial, fpeculative points, which it is beft not to meddle with."

and

The author, who appears to have had correct ideas of the human heart, anticipates much oppofition from the prejudices of men, in treating fo unpopular a subject.

The modeft and humble manner in which he folicits the attention of his audience, is worthy of notice. As the direction, given to the hearers, deferves the attention of every ferious and candid inquirer after truth, we tranfcribe the author's words with pleasure.

"And now, my hearers, let me crave, and, as I speak in the name of Christ, I may demand your reverent and serilay aside prejudices, if you have enterous attention. Let me entreat you to tained any, against this doctrine, and to receive with meetness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls. Let me desire you to stop all censures, through the good hand of our God uptill I have finished the subject, if,

on us, I may be allowed to do so.

"And let me further ask you, before proceed, to lift up your heart to God in some such secret petition as this,

Lord! if this doctrine be according

to thy mind and will, suffer not my mind to be prejudiced against it; but help me to receive it in the love of it, ing purposes, for which thou hast reand to improve it to all those holy, savvealed it in thy word.' If any will not do thus, let me tell them, their minds are not rightly disposed to hear, nor can they be looked upon to be sincere inquirers after truth."

In the first discourse the author defcribes the doctrine of election in the terms of the 17th article of the church of England; which article he obferves, agrees with the affembly's catechifm. Thefe he calls "the publick ftandards," and the truths contained in them he undertakes to explain in eight diftinct propofitions. Upon fubjects fo

difputed as thofe propofitions the author endeavours to state

involve, we can only fay, that the writer has treated them with perfpicuity, and has been very happy in his corroborative quotations from scripture.

Before he enters on the fecond head of his fubject, he makes a few practical remarks, which tend to prove that the doctrine of election "is not fo difcouraging as fome would reprefent it."

In the fecond difcourfe, the point to be established is this, "That a certain great and glorious number were elected by God, in his eternal counsel and purpose from the reft of fallen mankind, to be in time effectually called and juftified, in order to their being finally brought to eternal life and glory; and this out of his mere good pleasure, and for the praise of his glorious grace." To confirm this point, the author brings many ftriking paffages from the New Teftament, which appear to us ftrong and forcible, and oblige us to conclude with him, that the doctrine treated of," is no scattered, fingle, or independent article, but runs along with the ftream of the bible."

The object of the third difcourfe is to attempt to clear the doctrine of mifreprefentations and objections. The fubject of this discourse must be highly interefting to every one; for where is the mind, which is at any time employed on ferious fubjects, that is not defirous of having its objections removed, and of being confirmed with regard to the truth or abfurdity of the abovementioned doctrines? How far Mr. C. has fucceeded in removing objections, or confirming the truth of his fubject, we must refer our readers to the work to judge for themselves.

In the fourth and last fermon,
Vol. I. No. 1.

fome of the abfurd confequences, which follow upon the denial of the doctrine; fuch as making the will of God dependent on a creature, the uncertainty of human falvation, and that the falvation of every particular man origi nates with himself.

The difcourfes are then concluded with fhewing the importance of the doctrine, and the place it holds in the fcheme of chriftianity, with a few practical remarks.

The extracts, already made from the difcourfes, will ferve as a specimen of the author's ftyle, which is plain and perfpicuous, and forms a ftriking contraft with many of the polifhed fermons of the prefent day.

We must do the author the juftice to obferve, that a fpirit of piety, and chriftian zeal pervades the whole work; and that his difcourfes are exempt from any severity, or invective against the oppofers of his fentiments. To ufe his own words, he appears to have taken "this fubject in hand, not from a love of controverfy or fondness to oppofe the fchemes of others, but from a fincere defire to fulfil the miniftry of the Lord Jefus." N.

Sermons by WILLIAM JAY, 8vo. pp. 478. Boston, printed for B. and J. Homans, by David Carlifle. First American, from the fecond London Edition. 1805.

FROM the multitude of books, which are continually iffuing from the preffes in Great Britain, it were to be wifhed, that our American bookfellers were always as judicious in their felections for reprinting in this country, as the publishers of this volume. With much fatisfaction we introduce to the American publick, a work in ne

another extreme, and to draw an unwarrantable conclusion respecting the state of religion, and the number of its adherents; and even wise men, and good men, are liable to this. "Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Eli

as? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the

answer of God unto him? I have re

who have not bowed the knee to the

common degree interesting and inftructive. It confifts of twenty four fermons on the following fubjects: Miftakes concerning the number of the righteous; The triumphs of patience; Vows called to remembrance; the nature of genuine religion; The young admonished; The gofpel demands, and deferves attention; The fufferings of our Saviour neceffary; The condemnation of felf-served to myself seven thousand men, will; The fecure alarmed; On prog- image of Baal." p. 9, 10. refs in religion; The privileges of the righteous The conditions of chrif tians in the world; Concupifcence punished; Hope; The parable of the two fons; Chriftian diligence; The abufe of divine forbearance; Allur ance; Domeftick happiness; Happinefs in death; Service done for GoD rewarded; The difappointments of life; Neutrality in religion expofed; The family of our Lord.

From the difcourfes on thefe important fubjects, we fhall felect fuch paffages as fhall at once exhibit a fair fpecimen of the fentiments and manner of the author, and furnish rich entertainment to our readers.

The first difcourfe is on the

"Miftakes concerning the number of the righteous" which is thus happily introduced.

Who can understand his errours? How numerous, how various, how opposite to each other, are the mistakes of mankind! The lives and the language of many seem to imply a full persuasion, that there is very little evil in sin; that the difficulties of religion are by no means great; that it is an easy thing to be a christian; that if there be a hell, few are wicked enough to be turned into it; and that the generality of our fellow creatures are in a fair way for heaven. This persuasion is as false as it is fatal. "Enter ye in at the strait gate for wide is the gate, and broad is the way which leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." It is possible, however, to fall into

Our author then undertakes "to

examine the opinion that reduces the number of the righteous;" to lay open thevarious fources from which it proceeds," that "by dif covering the caufe," he might the more fuccefsfully" prefcribe the cure." This opinion fometimes grows out of "the peculiar ftate of our own minds," fometimes it originates from "obferving multiplied inftances of falfe profeffion," but more frequently it is " derived from the righteous themselves." Five things, he conceives, "have influence in producing it: The obfcurity of their Stations; the diffidence of their difpofitions; the manner of their converfion; the diverfity of their opinions; and the imperfections of their character." We fe left his illuftration of the fourth of these topicks, as a fpecimen of the christian candour of our author.

The difference of opinion which prevails among christians, has frequently occasioned a diminution of their num ber. Indeed, the readiest way in the world to thin heaven, and replenish the regions of hell, is to call in the spirit of bigotry. This will immediately arraign, and condemn, and execute all. that do not bow down and worship the image of our idolatry. Possessing exclusive prerogative, it rejects every other claim; stand by, I am 'sounder' than thou." "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we !" How many of the dead has this intolerance sentenced to eternal misery, who will

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