After the publication of St. LUKE'S gofpel, the Hellenistic Jews found themselves under a ftrong neceffity of adopting the alterations which their brethren of Judea had made before; and, perhaps, of adding confiderably to their number, on account of the unexpected favour and privileges which that gospel opened to the Gentile world. But the Septuagint being here in common ufe, and well known to the body of the people, it was not fo eafy to alter the copies without affigning fome reafons for it. The alterations already made in Judea, and which 'came recommended by the heads of the nation, might poffibly be adopted, on that account, as fuch a recommendation might be deemed of itself a fufficient reafon and if fo, the learned chiefs of the Heleniflic fynagogues had nothing else to do but to proceed on the fame principles; and, having firft altered their Hebrew copies in fuch places as made against them, to bring those copies to confront the Septuagint, and evince the neceffity of farther corrections: and there are fome grounds to conclude that they proceeded accordingly; for in many places, relating to the Gentiles, the Hebrew is corrupted where the Greek is not.'

As to the manner in which the alterations made in the Septuagint were propagated and difperfed abroad, our Author obferves, that they were not introduced into the fynagogue copies at one time, and all together; but at different times, and in divers numbers, as the difputes which the Jews held with Christians, and other circumftances, required. Nor did thefe alterations take place uniformly, even then, in all copies, and in all fynagogues; but fome fynagogue adopted one kind of reading, and others another, as it anfwered the defign they had to ferve thereby for every fynagogue, being independant, judged for itself; and, though it might have fome regard to what other fynagogues had done, or intended to do, yet neverthelefs it always followed its own judgment, and altered or retained any reading, as its own difcretion and the exigence of the cafe directed.

As foon, therefore, as the fpirit of correcting began to operate in this manner among them, that uniformity or agreement, which fubfifted univerfally between their fynagogue copies before, was immediately broken and deftroyed, and amazing differences were foon obferved in different copies of the Septuagint verfion. By thefe differences, thus introduced, the Jews obtained thefe two ends, of no fmall importance to their caufe and party; they, firft, hereby puzzled the Chriftians, and weakened the force of thofe arguments which they brought against them from the Septuagint; and, fecondly, they fhewed their own people the neceffity of procuring a new verfion, and

prepared

prepared them for the reception of it when it fhould be offered

them.'

With regard to the question which may justly be asked"Whether there are no corruptions in the Septuagint verfion but what the Jews defignedly introduced to ferve their own purpofees?”—Dr. Owen hath anfwered, that there are, doubtlefs, many of various forts, and of ancient date, manifeftly derived from other fources. These fources he has particularly confidered, pointing out feveral alterations that have arifen from marginal renderings, gloffes or explanatory remarks, hiftorical additions, and the ignorance or careleffness of tranfcribers with respect to the tranfpofition, the addition, the omiffion, and the mistaking of words.

The remainder of the work before us is principally employed in giving an account of the three verfions of the Old Teftament, by Aquila, Theodeton, and Symmachus, and in comparing them with the Septuagint; to which are added, Obfervations on Origen's Hexapla: and the whole is concluded with fhewing that it would be a noble project, and of infinite fervice to the caufe of religion, if fome qualified perfon, upon due encouragement, would undertake to collate the feveral MSS. of the Septuagint verfion that are now to be found-and then publish as correct an edition of that verfion, as fuch MSS. and other materials would enable them to make. I fay, adds our Author, other materials; for the MSS. though the chief, are not however our only dependence. Providence affords us many other helps, which, used with judgment, may contribute greatly to the fame good purpose.' These helps are the original Hebrew, as it now ftands-the ancient tranflations made from the Septuagint-and the quotations of the early fathers. By a proper application of thefe means-by a copious, accurate, and welldigested collation, great improvements might certainly be made in a future edition of the Septuagint verfion. And if fuch improvements can be made, we owe fo much, moft affuredly, to the honour and credit of this verfion, upon which the Chriftian church was established, as to endeavour to restore it, as near as poffible, to its original ftate and perfection. Such an edition would effectually anfwer, among other things, thefe truly great and important purpofes. It would tend, in conjunction with the collated Hebrew, to clear and ftrengthen the foundation of religion; it would contribute to remove numberlefs objections, difcordances, and difficulties; and it would ferve to justify the apoftles and evangelifts in the references they make to the Old Teftament.'

After a carefu! perufal of Dr. Owen's Enquiry, we may be authorized in afferting that it is a very valuable performance, abounding with folid and useful learning, and illuftrating many paffages of fcripture. Yet we cannot help asking how it came

B 4

to

to pafs, that the primitive Chriftians fuffered fuch a number of corruptions to be introduced into the original MSS. of the Septuagint? If they could not prevent the interpolations of the Jews, they might furely, at leaft, have preferved their own copies unadulterated, and have tranfmitted them in that ftate to the ir fucceffors; fince on this depended the ftrength of their caufe in the controverfies they had with their advertaries. We muft alfo confefs, that we are not altogether fo fanguine, as our ingenious Author feems to be, in our expectations of the mighty advantages which would refult from a more compleat collation of the Septuagint MSS. Such a collation would, indeed, redound to the honour of religion, and of facred literature-iţ would throw light on feveral parts, of fcripture-it might obviate fome objections to the gospel: but we are not encouraged, ly any former experiments, to hope that it would produce a total folution of the difficulties which relate to the application of prophecies by the apoftles and evangelifts. Could, however, a folution of thefe difficulties be in this way accomplished, we fhould fincerely rejoice at it; and, at any rate, we cannot but with, with Dr. Owen, to have as correct an edition as poffible of the Septuagint tranflation. Every man of tafte and learning is glad to have the pureft and most perfect copies of the ancient Pagan writings; much more, then, muft every rational friend to revelation be folicitous to have the divine oracles delivered into his hands, clear from corruptions, interpolations, and errors.

Conclufion of the Account of The Light of Nature Pur fued. By Edward Search, Efq; See Review for October, 1769.

Α

FTER a long converfation with Mr. Locke on a variety of fubjects, tending to illuftrate different parts of the extraordinary fcheme already laid before our Readers, Mr. Search difcovers, to his friend of the other world, an ardent defire to fee his wife, who died about feven years before this part of the work is fuppofed to have been written.-We could, with pleasure, tranfcribe the entertaining and improving account of this interview, but that the length of it would oblige us to contract, perhaps within too narrow a compass, our réview of the remainder of his voluminous performance.-We doubt not, however, but that the readers of the vifionary scene we are fpeaking of, will warmly applaud the amiable fenfibility, the conjugal affection, the grateful refpect, the rational piety, the diffufive benevolence, and the parental tenderness, which the worthy Writer has here difcovered; and we leave them to judge how deeply he must have felt the lofs of his fair FRIEND. On this tender fubject we will only add, that it

* Review, O. p. 247.

muf

muft, indeed, be the greatest support of his mind, that he had abundant reafon to conclude, from her amiable deportment on this ftage of being, that she was tranflated to a state of happinefs, equal or fuperior to that which he hath defcribed with fo peculiar a flow of imagination.

In the fequel of The Vision Mr. Search, under the conduct of Mr. Locke, has an interview with fome of the ancient philofophers, Plato, Socrates, and Pythagoras; and alfo with the famous German profeffor Stahl. He defires to be introduced to fome of the apoftles; but is told, that, having gone through fevere triais below, they were all advanced long ago to a higher state of exiftence. The following paragraph, which is part of the lecture delivered by Pythagoras, appears to contain the Author's principle of conformity to the established church.

• Worship the immortal Gods according to the rites of thy country: let this be thy general rule, nor admit thou exceptions without urgent caufe. Rites are indifferent in themselves, and may be turned as well to good as bad purpofes: popular doctrines are, for the most part, figurative; and may, by proper interpretation, be accommodated to found reafon. The fame Jove made the adept and the ignorant; he careth equally for all his works; he gave forms and ceremonies to the vulgar: do not defpife what thou thinkeft needlefs to thyself. Yet neither be they wholly needlefs even to thee; for if thou haft a thigh of gold, thou haft alfo another of flesh, a vulgar part in thy compofition: nor is it given to mortal Pfyche to guide all her steps by Reafon alone. Remember thou liveft not by thyfelf, nor for thyself: if thou haft knowledge, keep to thyself that which would hurt another: difpenfe to every one difcreetly what will do him benefit, and in a manner he can underftand and relish delight not to thwart the conceptions of others, but turn them gently the way that will be most advantageous to them neither regard the lawful only, but alfo the expedient.'

There are feveral things worthy of cenfure in this paragraph. Though fome of the fentiments be in themfelves juft and rational, yet they are fo expreffed, that they are very liable to mifconftruction; while others are void of any foundation in reafon, and directly oppofed to all improvement in religious knowledge, and all reformation of established fuperftitions. If popular doctrines may, by proper interpretation, be accommodated to found reafon, the adept, as well as the ignorant, may fit down contented with them: if rites and ceremonies are neceffary for the vulgar, and may be turned as well to good as bad purposes, all objection to them, however numerous or fantastic, founded upon their fuperftitious nature, or their tendency to divert the attention of the worshipper from that in

which

which alone true piety confifts, and which is the end of all devotion, must be vain and trifling. But we believe that it would be difficult for Mr. Search himself, by any juft rules of interpretation, to accommodate to found reafon the popular doctrines of the Trinity, Original Sin (the difputes concerning. which the Author has ridiculed at p. 58th of this volume) Baptifmal Regeneration, &c. &c. And it has been generally obferved, that the lower ranks of people among our Diffenters, notwithstanding their greater diule of rites and ceremonies, are not more ignorant or vicious than their neighbours of the establifhed church, who practife them.

We should have been the more furprifed, at meeting with thefe fentiments in fo judicious and intelligent a Writer, if we had not obferved him, in this and other parts of his work, fpeaking of the efoterics and exoterics of the ancient philofophers with approbation, and expreffing his concern that the moderns, having no other channel to convey their thoughts than the prefs, cannot, as he expreffes himself, pick and choose their company, but must pour out meat and milk into the fame dish, leaving it to the men and the babes to help themfelves, &c.' Is it not aftonishing that fo able a Writer, who hath imbibed and indulged fuch a commendable (pirit of free enquiry, fhould appear infenfible that the noble improvements in phyfical and religious knowledge, by which the prefent age is diftinguished from more ancient times, are owing to the open and unreserved publication of thofe truths which the old philofophers ftudiously concealed from the vulgar. Had Chrift and his apoftles, had Wickliffe, Luther, Locke, or Newton, followed the example of the old philofophers, the fuccefs of their endeavours to promote useful knowledge would have been equally confined.

After fome time, agreeably to the fcheme which this part of his work is defigned to illuftrate, our Author's vehicle burst, and he became inftantly abforbed into the mundane foul. Our limits will not permit us to accompany him through this state of being. We fhall only therefore obferve, that after some adventures, correfponding to the account given of the mundane foul in the preceding chapter, he again became, for a short time, an inhabitant of the vehicular state, from whence we have a very humorous, and fomewhat humiliating, account of his return into the body, which had lain afleep during his abfence from it. This account clofes the chapter.

In the 24th chapter, intitled, Nature of Things, Mr. Search combats, with great fuccefs, the notion of a Nature of Things, as it is called, fubfifting eternally, uncreated, independent of the will and power of the Almighty, which he cannot alter, but which ferves for an indifpenfible rule of his conduct in the * Review, Oct. p. 245.

creation