to a fect of perfons, who made the most confiderable figure in the Jewish church, but were condemned by our Saviour, as the great corrupters of the true religion; as the authors of grofs! errors in doctrine and depravity in manners: they tranfgressed the commandment of God by their traditions. The Doctor directs the views of his readers to a fect of a fimilar character, the fcribes and pharifees of the church of Rome; the authors of many grofs corruptions of Chriftianity; who alfo tranfgrefs the commandment of God by their traditions. To them, he fays, our Saviour's cenfure and expoftulation may be directly applied; accordingly he endeavours to justify this application, and to fhew the parity of reafon, which involves them in the like condemnation.

With this view he confiders the character of the pharifees, both Jewish and Chriftian, in a comparative view; points out their agreement in principles and practices, in doctrine and worfhip; errors multiplied upon errors, and all springing from one common caufe, an authority merely human; yet obtruded on the people, as divine; and thus marked by our Saviour's cenfure they taught for doctrines the commandments of men. And, in confequence of this, they made the commandments of God of none effect through their traditions.

We shall not attempt to give an abstract of what the Doctor has advanced, but refer our Readers to the difcourfe itself. There is one curious paffage, however, which we cannot help inferting. Speaking of the ufurped titles and pompous prerogatives of the fupreme head of the church univerfal, he fays; But here I cannot omit making a remark, which to fome perhaps may feem paradoxical, viz. that popery, as fuch, is an antiepifcopal fcheme, and that prefbyterianifm is really founded in popib principles. For the affertion of the pope's fupremacy virtually annihilates the diftinction of orders in the church upon the apoftolical plan. And, upon this fuppofition, the original equality of bifhops, as fuch, no longer fubfifts: but the diftinction of orders is induftriously confounded, and the epifcopate is virtually abforbed in the prefbyterate. And that this is really fo is fufficiently apparent from a book of undeniable authority, the Catechifinus ad Parochos, where this queftion is put in form, " Quot funt ordines in ecclefia? Refp. Septem." And pray now in the enumeration of these seven, do you find that epifcopacy is named at all?-No: there is no mention at all made of it as a diftinct order, but only of the prefbyterate, in which it was fuppofed to be involved. And to what end was all this? that all fpiritual jurifdiction might appear, not inherent in the order of bishops, as fuch, but, as derived from the pope, and conveyed in the delivery of the pall. Whoever reads father Paul's hiftory of the council of Trent will plainly perceive

perceive the uneafy perplexity and distress of the court of Rome on this interesting point; and may from hence account for the variety of artifices ufed to elude or over-rule the debate on this head. I fay then, on the whole, that popery, as fuch, being a levelling or degrading scheme, and all in order to aggrandize one man above all others in the Chriftian church, is fo far antiepifcopal and virtually prefbyterian. And, on the other hand, the affertion of epifcopacy, with its inherent rights and powers, is the most effectual defence of the proteftant caufe, and bulwark against popery.'

We need make no reflections on this paffage, which, probably, will provoke fame petty hoftilities from a different quarter than that of the Roman catholics.

A Paraphrafe upon the Fifteenth Chapter of the First Epifle to the Corinthians, with critical Notes and Obfervations, and a Preliminary Differtation.-A Commentary, with critical Remarks upon the fixth, feventh, and Part of the eighth Chapters of the Romans. To which is added a Sermon on Ecclefiaftes ix. 10. compofed by the Author the Day preceding his Death. By John Alexander. 4to. 3s. 6d. Johnson.

WE

E cannot enter upon the examination of this work without dropping one tributary tear to the memory of its deceased Author; and joining our lamentations with those of many others, for the lofs which the world has fuftained in the early, we had almost faid premature, death of fo amiable and (in refpect of his literary attainments) fo accomplished a perfon, from whofe uncommon abilities, and virtues, the greatest expectations had been formed. Mr. Alexander was remarked, by all. who knew him, for clearness of perception and folidity of judgment: the intenseness of his application was equal to the native ftrength of his mind; and by the united force of both, though he had not compleated his thirtieth year, he had made fuch advances in learning, efpecially.in facred literature, as would have done honour to a more mature age-But our province is not that of a panegyrift: we therefore decline all farther encomium on the Author, and proceed to give our Readers fome account of the work before us; a work which, we apprehend, will prove a better and more lafting monument of the Writer's abilities, than any thing we could offer in his praife.

The general defign of the preliminary differtation is to afcertain the fcripture doctrine relating to the refurrection: and our ingenious Author having examined the subject with great accuacy, and much in the true fpirit of criticifm, modeftly propofes

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his own opinion as the refult of his inquiries, viz. that the fcriptures never speak of the bodies of men being raised and united again to their fouls in the day of Chrift: that they frequently and ftrongly affert the doctrine of a refurrection from the dead, yet that the appearance of their Lord and Saviour, when he shall come to be glorified in his faints, and to be admired by them that bes lieve, was the grand object which was prefented before the minds of the Chriftians and that the coming of Chrift, his raifing the dead to life, and conferring upon all the righteous the reward of immortality, are the objects to which we are continually referred for our expectation and comfort. But what his fentiments are, and what his manner of writing, will appear to greater advantage from a few paffages which we fhall now extract from the latter part of the differtation.

I think there needs little to prove, that if the refurrection of the body be a doctrine of fcripture, it is at leaft very ambiguously revealed, and expreffed in fuch a manner, as to leave room for drawing very different conclufions from the paffages which are fuppofed to affert it. And I further recommend to thofe, who confider the refurrection taught in the New Teftament, as a mere appendage to the happiness and reward of good men in another ftate, (which is indeed compleated by this, but begins many ages before) wherever a refurrection is mentioned, to add to it thefe words, "of the body;" and confider the perfons then faid to be raifed, as enjoying beforehand the blissful prefence of their Saviour, and the crown of life, which we hope and wait for here; and they will fee, how much this idea deftroys the force and beauty of fo many fublime paffages, written for the encouragement and comfort of the Chriftian world. Indeed if the refcuing an animal body from corruption and the grave, be all that is meant in the promises of fcripture, concerning a refurrection to life; and it be, as they say, at the fame time taught, that the fouls of good men enter upon happinefs long before this period, and at the inftant of death;-one would not be unthankful for any information relative to the circumftances of a future life:-yet it feems to be the least interefting part of the Chriftian doctrine; the leaft important as a fanction to its laws; and the leaft neceffary to the comfort and hope of fuch as embrace it.

I know it is generally faid, that when the body is raised and united again to the foul, the happiness of the faints is quite complete; and that for this reason, Chriftians are so often referred to this event for their encouragement and hope; and the time of imperfect beatitude, between death and the refurrection, is fo feldom mentioned. I will not be fo unreasonable as to infift upon any proof, that the re-union of a foul to its former body, is fo neceflary to its perfection and joy, that, all othe

things continuing in the fame ftate, this alone fhould be fuch a vaft acceffion of blifs, as quite to obfcure the fplendor of its former happiness, and entitle the latter only to the name of a reward, and to be the continual fubject of the gofpel-promifes. I will only remark these two things; firft, that it is a fuppofition evidently made for the purpose, " that the heavenly happiness is neither compleated at once, nor gradually increases; but is given at first in some low degrees, and afterwards arrives in an instant, at its height and perfection, when the body is raifed;" and fecondly, that it must always be a confiderable difficulty with thinking minds to conceive, why the honour and reward of a future ftate fhould be reprefented as depending more upon the revival of a body long fince mouldered away, than upon the prefence of God and of Chrift, the fociety of angels and bleffed fpirits, and the exercife and improvement of all divine and focial virtues; all which enjoyments, upon these principles, are prior to the refurrection of the flesh, and, for any thing we know, capable of rifing in infinite progreffion without it. think, that the advocates for an immediate tranflation of the And I foul into heaven, are left under a difagreeable dilemma; either of being constrained to draw very faint pictures of the enjoyment of a state preceeding the refurrection, and much below the ufual ftrain of declamation on thefe fubjects; or to part with the only plaufible argument to fhew, why the New Teftament, on a fuppofition that this scheme is true, has fixed the reward and happiness of good men to the refurrection, and fo uniformly directs them to look forward to this diftant period.

And let them fhew, if they can, fome good reason, why St. Paul, when comforting the Theffalonians concerning their departed friends, has miffed fo fair an occafion of telling them, that the dead in Chrift were now in glory, enjoying the blissful prefence of their mafter; that they were rather to be envied than lamented, because they were gone before us to the poffeffion of so much happiness; and enjoyed the pleafing expectation of being joined to us again for ever. what he has faid, and fee how well it agrees with the common Let us examine topics of confolation upon fuch mournful occafions. I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are afleep; that ye may not forrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that fefus died and rofe again, fo alfo we believe, that those who fleep in Jefus, God will bring together with him. For this we fay unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, fhall not be beforehand with them that are afleep; because when the Lord fhall defcend from heaven, the dead in Chrift fhall be raised in the first place: then they who remain shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. I had almoft faid how flat and infipid but I correct myfelf: how far fhort of the force

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and energy of modern confolations! Is the apostle fo miferable a comforter, fo little versed in the arts of foothing, as quite to overlook the threadbare topic of later declaimers? Had he no argument more efficacious to wipe away the falling tear? has he not a word to say of the prefent happiness upon which true believers are entered? I cannot think this natural.

With refpect to the fear of death, and the gloomy apprehenfions we may be ready to entertain on this subject, when the expectation of an immediate entrance into heaven is taken away, I obferve, that the hope of a future life and of an immortality of Being stands on as fure a foundation in this, as any other hypothefis: fince upon every fcheme it muft altogether depend upon the power and benevolence of the great Being who first produced us. If death, in fuch a view of the conftitution of things, ceafe to be defirable to good men, except as an alternative to a life of grievous pain and calamity; yet it is far from being a fubject of terror, or deftitute of that reviving hope, which is abundantly fufficient to remove all anxiety and doubt, and make us chearfully refign to the will of God, while we believe, that he will not leave our lives in the grave, nor fuffer his holy ones to dwell continually with corruption. Tho' the gloomy vale be not turned into a garden of flowers for us, an effect more like enchantment than nature; yet we have the fame chearful profpect of life, light and happiness, when we get through it. Death is not reprefented in fcripture as a matter of favour to good men, which they may long for and embrace with joy, (which it would indeed be, if it were an immediate opening to heaven, and the pangs of a few hours led us directly to the gates of eternal blifs) but a conftitution, which God has been pleased to appoint mankind, because of fin and their imperfect natures, and from which good men are at length delivered by the mercy of God and the miniftry of Jefus Chrift. For the creature, or creation, i. e. the world created anew unto good works by Chrift Jefus, all good men and true difciples of Chrift are made fubject to vanity and death, not willingly, of their free choice and defire, but through the good pleasure of their heavenly Father, who fubjected them in hope of a deliverance. And we are taught to look forward to this time, and to expect, that when Chrift, who is our life, shall appear, we shall alfo appear with him in glory.

And though it fhould be appointed to us to die, and we fhould be removed before the defired event takes place, nevertheless our eyes fhall fee the falvation of God, we fhall enjoy the glorious vifion equally with them, who remain: for the fir act of the Saviour fhall be the raifing his faithful fervants to life, that they who fleep in Jefus may come along with him. Further, the time which paffes between death and the refurrection, may be very fhort. And though it fhould be fome ages longer