without refiftance. Aul. Gell. 17, 9. "Ut ora lori, quod plicabatur, coirent." "Tibi charta plicetur." MART. 4, 82. VIRG. En. 5, 279. How infinitely fuperior to this pompous inanity about subftance, and force, and elasticity, and refiftance, and track, &c. &c. is the following fimple, and therefore perfpicuous, explanation of these fynonyms, by Dumesnil? "Flettere, Plicare, Curvare. - "FLECTERE, to bend, to incline. Arcus flexos incurvans. VIRG.-Flexum genu fubmittere., OVID.-Figuratively: Flectere promontorium. Cic.-To turn a cape or promontory. Ut eam flectas viam te rogo. Id. I beg you would avoid that road. PLICARE, (from wλixw) to form plaits or folds. Charta plicetur. MART.-Serpens sese in sua membra plicans. VIRG.-CURVARE, (from curvus) to crook, to bow. Curvata cufpis. OVID.-Flectitur obfequio curvatus ab arbore ramus. Id.-Flectimus genua; plicamus chartam, telam; arcum curvamus." P. 299. FLECTERE, when it has that figurative meaning which Dr. Hill derives from the refifting force implied, as he imagines, in the literal fenfe of the verb, is thus explained by the French author. "Fletiere, Movere, Afficere. "FLECTERE, Synonymous with the others, fignifies, to prevail with one, to perfuade him by fubmitting and humbling one's felf. Precibus fi flecteris ullis. VIRG.-Flectere animos. Crc.-Mo.. VERE, in its proper fenfe, to move, to flir. Movere lapides. TER. Figuratively to affect, to incite, to influence. Moveri auctoritate alicujus. C. NEP.-Rifum movere. Cic.-Movere animos. Id. To move the hearts. Flectere animos is to gain the good will, to win the heart.-AFFICERE, (facere ad) to make an impreffion, is faid of both body and mind. Afficiunt corpora fames et fitis. Liv.Affectæ res. Id.—Bad and ruinous circumftances. Affectus animus virtutibus. Cic.—A mind inclined to virtue. Ut qui audirent fic afficerentur, ut eos affici vellet orator." P. 300. We might have extracted a much greater number of arti cles from this valuable work, and fome of them more interefting than thofe which we have laid before our readers; but we thought it of importance to compare Dumefnil's work with that of Dr. Hill, and were under the neceffity of selecting, not the beft, but the shorteft of his articles. What we have done is fufficient to enable our readers to judge for themfelves of the comparative merits of the two works; and if that judgment fhould be, as we think it ought to be, in favour of of the Frenchman, we beg leave to affure them, that there are, however, in Dr. Hill's work fome articles fo greatly fuperior to those on the fame words by Dumefnil, that we are furprifed at M. Goffet's having neglected to avail himself of them for the improvement of the correfponding articles in the work which he was tranflating. As an inftance, the fynonyms DECET, OPORTET, NECESSE EST, appear to us much better explained and diftinguished by Dr. Hill, than by our author; though Dumefnil's article OPORTET, OPUS EST, NECESSE EST, is likewife a good one. In Dr. Hill's Synonyms, AURA, FLATUS, VENTUS, PROCELLA, TURBO, certainly conftitute a more valuable article than the other author's Aura, Ventus, Flatus, Flamen, Flabrum, Flabellum; and there are many others entitled to the fame preference. Still we must acknowledge, however reluctantly, that Dumefnil's is, on the whole, the more valuable work of the two, and will prove the fafer guide to the student of the Latin language. On this account we think that M. Goffet has rendered a very effential fervice to the British youth, by tranflating into English, a work, which, notwithstanding its value, long known to every fcholar, could never have been generally introduced into our schools, had it remained in the original language.. ART. VI. The Doctrines of Predeftination and Affurance examined, with a fhort View of the Pelagian Controverfy, in a Sermon preached before the Lord Bishop of Lincoln; at his Vifitation, held at Newport Pagnell, in the County of Bucks, on Tuesday, May the 23d, 1809. By the Rev. Thomas Le Mefurier, M.A. Rector of Newnton Longville, in that County; with large Notes. 8vo. Pp. 67. 2s. 6d. Rivingtons. 1809. THIS is one of the most valuable Vifitation fermons that have ever come under our review; and we beg pardon of our readers for having delayed fo long to make our report of it, The occafion of the delay is a matter of no importance to the public, who will be glad, even at this late period, to be informed of its object, and affured that if found reafoning and fober criticifm could attain that object, it would in our opinion be attained by Mr, Le Mefurier. It is well known that the Doctrines of Predejtination and Affurance, as they are taught among the Methodists, are among the most powerful engines by which the illiterate are drawn afide from the com L 3 munion munion of the Church; and it is the object of this learned Preacher to prove that fuch doctrines are taught neither in the Scriptures of truth, nor in our Articles, Homilies, or Li turgy, for which fome claffes of Methodists profefs the pro foundest refpect. Mr. Le Mefurier having chofen for his text the reply made by our bleffed Lord to the Jew, who afked him what good thing he fhould do that he might have eternal life, (St. Matthew xix. 17.) enters on the fubject of his difcuffion, with obferving, that in nothing is the weakness of the human mind more confpicuous, than in its propenfity to abuse and pervert the best gifts of the Almighty, particularly our reason. Of this propenfity he gives fome ftriking inftances in the controverfies on predeftinction and grace, which have fo long difturbed the Church of Chrift, and are now agitated among the most illiterate vulgar, who understand not even the meaning of the words and phrafes which are so often in their own mouths, and with which their felf-commiffioned teachers eme bellish the ftyle of their fermons. He then proves completely that fuch controverfies have been deprecated by our Church at every period fince the Reformation; and regrets that the Clergy are now compelled to difeufs them-fometimes even in the pulpit-in order to defend themselves from the accufa, tions brought against them by falfe brethren as well as by field-preachers. He fhows, that with respect to predeflination, the difficulty of the queffion is admitted by Calvin himself, and many of his moft refpectable followers; and hence infers, that it is a queftion which ought not to be agitated as effential to a religion, which by its Divine author and his immediate difciples, was preached fo peculiarly to the poor. He truly obferves, that from his text alone it appears indifputable, that Chriftianity was intended to be moft emphatically a practical religion; and having corroborated that interpretation of our Lord's reply to the few, by many other texts, and an appeal to the general fcope of fcripture, he very feasonably adds, that "It may here be proper to guard against any misunderstanding. it be obferved, therefore, that among the commandments of God are to be included, even according to this reafoning, matters of faith as well as of practice: if indeed, properly fpeaking, the one can be feparated from the other. The firit great Commandment, which is alfo the first in the decalogue, is, that we shall ferve God, or, as it is expreffed, that we hall love him with all our heart, and with all our foul, and with all our firength; but it is impoffible that we can love him or ferve him, without putting our faith in him, He that cometh to God,' fays the Apostle to the the Hebrews, in a well-known paffage, muft believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him.' But this binds us, to whom the mystery hid from ages has been made known, not only to a general belief in God, but to a belief in the. great work of our redemption, in the atonement, the Divinity of our Saviour and of the Holy Ghoft, and if there be any other doctrine explicitly laid down, and directly connected with our falvation. Whatever there is for which we are exprefsly en-joined to give God thanks, and to render him praife and honour, moft evidently must be taken as neceffary to be believed; and without that belief we cannot be confidered as keeping the com.. mandments.” · P. 5. He next obviates fome objections by Calvin to the fense in which he understands his text; refutes the inferences drawn by the Church of Rome from the fame text; and, in oppofition to the Antinomians, proves, that we are as much bound, as were the Jews, to ferve God according to fuch commandments as he has given us; and that they, though they faw the promises only afar off, were not deftitute of that faith which is become our inheritance. Having proved that fuch was the doctrine of the primitive Church, until the rife of the herely of Pelagius ; and that St. Auftin, in his eagerness: to confute him, ran from one extreme to another, introducing into the Church the doctrines of individual election, partial redemption, and irresistible grace, he adds, that the first promulgation of the Predeftinarian fyftem was not received with univerfal or even general affent, but was fuffered to fleep for several centuries without being of material injury to the caufe of religion. "About the middle of the ninth century, however, we have what I may call a fecond epoch. It was then that Gotefcale, a monk (as Pelagius was) who, we are told, was deftined to a convent before he could have an opinion of his own, who would have retreated but was not allowed to do it, whofe mind therefore had naturally become doubly impatient and reftlefs, and prepared for every extreme, started up, and again brought forth into notice St. Auftin's doctrine, but without any of his qualifications. He difplayed to view, and taught the tenet of reprobation in its most abfolute fenfe (which St. Auftin had not done), and dreffed out in all the horrors with which it teems *. Thus nakedly prefented to the fight, it caufed immediate and almost universal difgust; and the man was not only condemned as being in a dangerous error, and * It is on this account that Gotefcalc is fo highly praised by Dr, Haweis in his Hiftory of the Church!-Rev. even a blafphemer, but cruelly perfecuted; and though afterwards. fome perfons of note were found to fupport his caufe, he continued under the fentence of condemnation, and was in confinement nearly, if not quite, to the time of his death." P. 21. The controverfy thus revived, was continued in the fchools. and cloysters down to the æra of the reformation; but during all that period, the practice of the Church of Rome was notoriously abhorrent from the predeftinarian fyftem. "She held not only that men might have fuch merits as entitled them to falvation, but that they might have even a furplusage of this claim, arifing from the good works which they had done. She determined particularly that this was the cafe with all those whom the declared to be faints; and upon that founded, as you know, her doctrine of indulgences and pardons, which by the application of thefe works, as they were called, of fupererogation, might be fecured for those whom he might deem worthy of that benefit." P. 23. These abuses, which brought on the Reformation, were oppofed by Luther, much in the fame way that the errors of Pelagius were oppofed by St. Auftin. So far from allowing that man could merit any thing from his Maker, Luther denied even the freedom of the human will, an opinion however which he is faid to have abandoned, and which was never received by the Lutheran churches, at leaft after they were modelled into a determinate form. The prefent author traces the refult of the predeftinarian doctrines; examines the proofs brought from fcripture in fupport of thofe doctrines; fhows that the election taught by St. Paul in his Epiftles to the Galatians and Romans relates only to God's dealing with the Jews as a nation; explains in the moft fatisfactory manner what is faid of God raifing up Pharaoh, of his loving Jacob and hating Efau before they were born, and of his dealing with men as the potter does with clay; fhows that Austin, Luther, Calvin, and indeed every other author, who has adopted this fyftem, is perpetually contradicting in one place what he has advanced in another; and concludes this part of his fubject with justly observing, that whatever predestination St. Paul fpake of, was evidently founded on God's foreknowledge, which of itfelf would overturn Calvin's fyftem.. Mr. Le Mefurier next examines the doctrine of affurance, as maintained by the Wefleian Methodifts; fhows that their leading or diftinguishing tenets-" Conviction of or for fin," and " experiences," as far as these words and phrafes have any meaning, are but new names for repentance and faith, only distorted and exaggerated; points out the mifchief and delufion |