Epimenides of Crete, and Pherecides. He here paffes a Judgment upon feveral Letters which have been published to the World under the Names of thefe Philofophers, and pronounces them altogether fpurious. Pherecides was a Perfon of very great Abilities, and a moft indefatigable Student. It redounds vaftly to his Honour, that he was the first who introduced the Belief of the Soul's Immortality into Greece: We have here a Detail of the Opinions entertained by the Greeks, the Romans, and the Egyptians concerning it. Towards the Clofe of the Chapter we have fome very curtous Reflections on the Incertitude of the Ancients with refpect to this weighty and momentous Point. Our Author then lays down four Propofitions, which must neceffarily be premised to the Proof of it: thefe, he fays, were never perfectly explained till Defcartes fet forth his Meditations; and they have, fince that Time, been further illuftrated by feveral of his Difciples. Before that Philofopher reflected an unparallel'd Light upon this abftrufe Subject, even those who had recourfe to Revelation had no juft Conception of the Distinction between an extended and a thinking Subftance: for want of which they were eafily liable to great Errors and Deceptions. The Ecclefiaftical Writers of the fourth Century are reprefented by St. Jerom as entertaining a Variety of falfe and abfurd Ideas of the Soul's Spirituality. He fpeaks of them in a Letter which he wrote about the Year 411, and therein he mentions a Tenet which was espoused by a great Part of the Western Church, and which was in vogue till the Time of the Lateran Council: This was that of the Traduction of Souls; the Defenders of which pretended thereby to account for original Sin, and anfwer the Objection of those, who demanded how a Spirit, created of God pure and immaculate, in or der to animate a Body, could immediately, upon its Conjunction with Flesh, become criminal. With the Difficulties about the Origin of the Soul, owing to an Ignorance of its Nature, others, our Author

fays,

371 fays, were connected about the Manner of its acting. He has given us the Sentiments of Plato with regard to this Queftion, and has pointed out their Foible: He then brings into View an oppofite Hypothefis; and at the Conclufion of all fhews us the Perplexities with which that alfo is embaraffed: "Either God is "the Caufe of human Actions, in which Cafe there "can be no fuch thing as Liberty; or the future Vo❝litions of a Will not under an immediate divine In"fluence cannot poffibly be foreknown; and in this "Cafe Man is a free Agent, but the divine Prescience "is deftroyed." Reafon is at a Non plus on both Sides, and encounters Thorns and Briars that are unfurmountable, till Faith comes to its Affiftance; and then, as he will have it, all Oppofition gives place, and it obtains an eafy and compleat Victory.

ARTICLE XXXVII.

Some farther Queries relating to the controverfy between Dr. Pemberton and Philalethes Cantabrigienfis.

By a Friend to Truth and Plain-dealing.

Query 1. Hether the fecond and fourth fuppoWhet fitions in the interpretation of Sir Ifaac Newton's Lemma given by Philalethes Cantabrigienfis, in the Republick of Letters for November 1735, pag. 371, were not expreffed in the following words? 2. During fome finite time, that either happens to be determined in any particular cafe, or else may be propofed and affumed at pleasure,

4. Before the end of THAT finite time.

Query 2. Whether thefe two fuppofitions, in the example brought by Philalethes, Ibid. pag. 372, to illuftrate his interpretation, were not expreffed as follows? A a 2

2. Dik

2. During an Hour,

4. Before the end of THE HOUR.

Query 3. Whether it be not plain, that the time intended by Philalethes in the fourth fuppofition, is the very fame with the time intended in the fecond fuppofition?

Query 4. Whether the words, (but not in a finite time, as it ought to do by the fourth fuppofition.) Ibid pag. 375. lin. 24. have not manifeftly the fame meaning, as if it had been faid, but not in a finite time, that either happens to be determined in any particular cafe, or elfe may be propofed and affumed at pleasure?

Query 5. Whether there be any false propofition contained in the following words of Philalethes? I agree it will do fo; but not in a finite time, as it ought to do by the fourth supposition.

Query 6. What was Dr. Pemberton's inducement to quote the paffage thus? I agree it will do fo; but not in a finite time.

Query 7. Was it not his defign to impute a falfe propofition to Philalethes, in order afterwards to cenfure him for it?

Query 8. Is it not an easy matter to find falfe propofitions in Euclid, by the fame method as the Doctor has here taken with Philalethes?

Query 9. How came he to think the words, as ought to do by the fourth fuppofition, to be no part of Philalethes's propofition?

Query 10. How was it poffible for fo judicious a perfon as Dr. Pemberton to imagine, that in those words, as it ought to do by the fourth fuppofition, is any application of the propofition to the point there difcuffed, more than in the words that went before?

the

Query 11. If Dr. Pemberton did really look upon word SOME as being properly Philalethes's tranflation of QUOVIS, how came he to give himself the trouble of anfwering fo great a Dunce?

Query 12. If he looked upon the other words as fubjoined by way of interpretation to the word SOME, what

was

373 was his defign in leaving out thofe other words, and quoting the word SOME naked and alone?

Query 13. Is not the reafon given by Dr. Pemberton for leaving out those other words, viz. that he looked upon them as fubjoined by way of interpretation, is not this, I fay, the very reason, why he ought to have put them in?

Query 14. When may we hope for the true sense of the expreffion, tempore quovis finito, which Philalethes fo widely mistakes?

Query 15. Will it not be convenient to leave out the word ILLIUS, whenever Dr. Pemberton fhall be pleased to explain Sir Ifaac Newton's Lemma?

Whereas in advertising the Hiftory of the Works of the Learned for the Month of September, in the publick News-papers, we put the name of Philalethes Cantabrigienfis to certain Queries, we now declare it was done by mistake, and not by any direction from that Gentle

man.

I

ARTICLE XXXVIII.

Have now before me a Work, lately printed at Dublin, which is an Answer to Dr. TINDAL'S Christianity as old as the Creation. It is divided into two Parts. In the first, Dr. Tindal's Account of the Law of Nature is confidered, and his Scheme is shewn to be inconfiftent with Reason and with itself, and deftructive of the Interefts of Virtue, and the Good of Mankind. In the fecond, the Authority and Usefulness of the Revelation contained in the facred Writings of the Old and New Teftaments is afferted and vindicated, against the Objections and Mifrepresentations of that Writer. The Author is Mr. John Leland, a Clergyman in the above-mentioned City.

A a 3

+ In two Volumes Octavo: the firft containing 488, the fecond 584 Pages: Sold by Mr. Hett, at the Bible in the Poultry.

City. Throughout the whole Treatife we fee evident Signatures of confiderable Learning, found Judgment, and a fingular Piety: and indeed, as I am well affured by one who long intimately knew him, these are, in an eminent Degree, the Qualities of that Reverend and truly excellent Person to whom we owe it. He is, if I mistake not, a Native of the Weft Part of England, from whence he was carried very young to the Country where he now refides. His Parents were of no great Station in this Life, but of good Repute, efteemed for their Simplicity of Heart, and Sanctity of Behaviour; and were far better pleas'd with the Hopes of a Treasure in Heaven, than defirous of the Emoluments of this inconftant, perishing World. This Son was their Glory and their Joy, and the Admiration of all that were acquainted with him in his Childhood and Youth. He discovered a most serious Frame of Mind, a great Capacity for Learning, a moft cager Thirst after Knowledge, and was indefatigable in the Purfuit of it. His Application was fo intense, that it needed not the Retirement of a Study, his Meditations could not be difturb'd, nor his Thoughts interrupted by the Converfation of those about him, or by thofe domeftick Occurrences which would have confus'd the Ideas, and marr'd the Studies of most others. He was fo far from having the leaft Inclination to the Amusements ufually relished by those of his Years, that it was with great Difficulty he was ever prevailed on to admit of fuch Diverfions, as were judg'd abfolutely neceffary for the preventing the Ruin of his Conftitution by a too ftudious and fedentary Courfe of Life. One may eafily imagine to what a Height of Science thefe Talents, and fo indefatigable anEmployment of them, would raise him; and accordingly, tho' his extraordinary Capacity had not the noble Aids of either of our Univerfities, the Nurture of Oxford or Cambridge, his Proficiency in Letters was furprifing; his Genius and Industry fupplied the Want of thofe happy Opportunities, and elevated him to a Pitch of Erudition, that

I.