fuch as the nature of its civil Government, a Theocracy; the rewards and punishments, peculiar to it; its extraordinary administration by appointed Agents, endowed with fupernatural powers, and with the gifts of Miracles and Prophecy ;-the double fenfe in which the latter was neceffarily involved; and the language confequent to its nature and ufe: these things, I fay, of fuch importance to the successful study of the Old Teftament, have been hitherto treated, not only fuperficially, but abfurdly. Yet notwithstanding, as the Ritual Law conftitutes fo confiderable a part of the Mofaic Difpenfation, Spencer's book is of infinite ufe, not only for its own appropriated excellence, but for the fubject's neceffarily leading him to a very detailed account of the religious ftate of the ancient Pagan world, without which know ledge we can have but a very imperfect idea of the Jewish Law and History. - The fcarcity of good Writers on the Old Testament fhews how neceffary it is to make the best of the incomparable Author of the book De Legibus Hebræorum Ritualibus. After

this, the Student having furnished himself with Walton's Polyglott Bible, and the large Collection called Critici Sacri, may proceed directly to his great Work, the Study of the Bible.

SECT. IV.

IF it be hard to find good Writers on the Old Law, it is as hard to chufe out of the great Number on the New.

In our Study of the Gospel, our wants are not fo great, and our affistances much greater. Though it be the purpose of these flight hints to recommend the BIBLE as the genuine mine, inexhaufted and inexhauftible, from whence all our Treasures of Theology are to be fetched, and which confequently is to be principally explored, while we turn our backs on all the Sums and Syftems of Artificial Divines: yet a general acquaintance with the two Difpenfations, procured as we can, may, in the entrance on our Work, somewhat ease our Labour.

After

After what has been faid of a manuduction to the Study of the Old Teftament, I would only recommend, from amongst the crude abundance on the New, two fhort tracts, Locke's Reasonableness of Chriflianity, as delivered in the Scriptures; and Dr. Burnet of the Charter-houfe, his De Fide et Officiis Chriftianorum; the firft of these tracts being a kind of prelude or introduction to the other. They are both of them excellent in their different kinds. So that when our Student has done this, nothing remains but that he may enter directly on the study of the New Testament, which he will now find prepared to receive him as a well-qualified Gueft. And Grotius's Critical Comment on the Gospels, and Locke on the Epiftles, accompanying this Study, will open all the treasures of our Faith to one fo happily employed. What, after the ufe of these two Commentators, will be wanting for future illustration, must be fought for in the Collection called the Sacred Critics, before recommended, amongst the Critics on the New Teftament.

Only, in the study of The Revelation of St. John, from whence may be deduced the most illustrious and irrefragable Evidence of the Divinity of our holy Religion, the works of Mr. Jofeph Mede, whofe Comments on the Apocalypfe is, indeed, in Theology, what Harvey's discovery of the circulation of the blood was thought to be in Phyfics, fhould be carefully digested.

This labour, on the New Testament, well over, our Student may then, but not before, read with advantage fome of the many Bodies, or Inftitutes, as they are called, of Chriftian Theology. The best I know of is, for its elegance, clearness, and freedom from partial affections of all forts, that of the great Epifcopius, though unfinifhed; the parts wanting may be well fupplied from Limborch's Theologia Chriftiana; a master-piece, which, in its kind, may be well compared to a work of Raphael's finished by Julio Romano.

SECT.

SECT. V.

HAVING proceeded thus far in our Courfe, and gone through that part of Theology called the pofitive or dogmatic, our Student's next step will be to provide a guard or defence for the fecurity of his acquirements; which is to be done by the affiftance of the other part, called the Polemic; which of late indeed ignorance has brought into difcredit, from the general decay of critical and dialectic Learning.

1. He will begin with a defence of Revelation in general, as it lies in Grotius de Veritate Religionis Chriftianæ, enlarged by Stilling fleet's Origines Sacra; which may be confidered as a kind of Commentary on the other's text: the juft encomiums of which have fo long fatiated the public ear, that we now hear of that with indifference in which our Fathers fo much triumphed. But the book I mean is that written by Mr. Stillingfleet; not that unfinished work which bears the fame title, written when he became Bishop of Worcester,