been improved in wifdom and virtue. Can we therefore be furprised that many fhould defire a life of this excellent writer for to whom among the moderns is the Chriftian world under greater obligations? But againft undertaking a task of this kind it has been objected, that the lives of fcholars, paffed for the most part in their libraries, can furnish few incidents deferving the biographer's attention; and that the works of fuch men as Lardner contain by much the most valuable and amufing part of their memoirs. This, in general, is true; and yet the Lives of the learned, if faithfully written, will always be coveted. Little perhaps is to be known, but there is a pleasure in knowing that little. Add to this, that an acquaintance with their hiftory and character often affifts us in understanding their writings, and in afcertaining the degree of credit to which they are entitled. For these reasons, the life of Lardner ought to be held up to view. His induftry, integrity, candour, and gentleness, should be made known, as they ferve to increafe the value of his works, as well as to reflect a luftre on human nature. Why the relations of fuch a man fhould object to his life being publifhed, we cannot divine; but we think Dr. Kippis is to be applauded for perfifting, notwithstanding their objections, in his refolution. He well knew that no difgrace could accrue to him from the narrative with which he has enriched the prefent edition. The Doctor has made a good ufe of thofe materials, which he appears to have collected with diligence; has drawn up the memoir in an eafy and agreeable manner, and taken frequent opportunities of enlivening the narrative with thofe ingenious ftrictures and obfervations, in making which he is peculiarly happy.

The particulars of Dr. Lardner's life, independently of his being an author, lie in a very narrow compafs. He was born at Hawkhurft, in Kent, June 6, 1684. After a grammatical education, to which great attention must have been given, and in which a no lefs rapid progrefs must have been made, he was fent first to a diffenting academy in London, which was under the care of the Rev. Dr. Jofhua Oldfield; and thence, in his 16th year, to profecute his ftudies at Utrecht, under the celebrated profeffors D'Uries, Grævius, and Burman. Here he remained somewhat more than three years, and then removed for a fhort space to Leyden. In 1703 he returned to England, continuing, at his father's houfe, to employ himself by close and diligent preparation for the facred profeffion which he had 'in view. Qualified as he was, it was not till 1709 that he preached his firft fermon, from Románs, i. 16.- a text (his biographer remarks) than which there could not have been a more proper one for a man, who was deftined in the order of Divine Providence to be one of the ableft advocates for the authenticity and truth of the Chriftian revelation, that ever exifted.' E

REV. Jan. 1789.

A few

A few years after this, Lardner was received into Lady Treby's family, as domeftic chaplain and tutor to her fon, and continued in this comfortable fituation till her Ladyfhip's death, in 1721. This event threw him into circumftances of fome perplexity, having preached to feveral congregations during his refidence with Lady Treby, without the approbation or choice of any one congregation. Here we are told, that it reflects no honour on the Diffenters, that a man of fuch merit fhould fo long have been neglected.' But furely it cafts no dishonour, when all circumftances are confidered. The pulpit was not the place in which Mr. L was calculated either to convey improvement, or acquire reputation. Dr. Kippis afterward informs us, that his mode of elocution was very unpleasant; that from his early and extreme deafnefs he could have no fuch command of his voice, as to give it a due modulation; and that he greatly dropped his words.' It cannot then, as his biographer adds, be matter of furprise that he was not popular; and we may add to this, it cannot then be any reflection on the congregations to which he occafionally preached, that they did not choose for their minifter a man, who, notwithstanding his great learning and amiable virtues, was fo deficient as a public fpeaker, that it was impoffible to hear him with any pleafure, and fcarcely without pain.

Though Mr. Lardner had no church at which he officiated as Minifter, he was engaged, with fome of his diffenting brethren, in preaching a Tuesday-evening lecture at the Old Jewry. Acquainted probably with the direction of his ftudies, they appointed him to preach on the proof of the Credibility of the Gospel Hiftory. This he difcuffed, we are told, in three fermons (p. 84, they are called two fermons, which we believe to be right, as we find two fermons with nearly this title in vol. x.), and profecuting the fubject which he had taken up in thefe difcourfes, in Feb. 1727, he publifhed, in two volumes octavo, the first Part of The Credibility of the Gofpel Hiftory, or the Facts OCCASIONALLY mentioned in the New Teftament confirmed by Paffages of ancient Authors who were contemporary with our Saviour, or his Apoftles, or lived near their Time." An Appendix was fubjoined, relating to the time of Herod's death. Thus Mr. L. commenced author, and began his literary career with fingular reputation.

It is fcarcely neceffary to fay (obferves Dr. K.) how well this work was received by the learned world. Not only was it highly approved by the Proteftant Diffenters, with whom the author was more immediately connected, but by the clergy in general of the eftablished church; and its reputation gradually extended into foreign countries. It is indeed an invaluable performance, and hath rendered the most effential fervice to the caufe of Chriftianity. Whoever perufes this work (and to him that does not perufe it, it will be

to

to his own lofs) will find it replete with admirable inftruction, found learning, and juft and candid criticifm "."

Thele two, with the fubfequent fifteen, volumes octavo, and the four thin quartos, entitled Jewish and Heathen Teftimonies, occupied him, with the interruption arifing from fome smaller productions, during the space of forty-three years.

Dr. Kippis gives us a particular account of the time when each volume was published, and of the fubjects difcuffed in each, interfperfing his narrative with many pertinent and useful hints and obfervations; but our limits will not allow us to follow him through this detail. We agree with him in his remarks concerning academical honours, occafioned by Mr. Lardner's receiving a diploma from the Marifchal College of Aberdeen, conferring on him the degree of Doctor in Divinity, but we must not extract them. We are refolved however to make room, whatever matter we may thruft by, for that useful information which Dr. K. introduces, in fpeaking of the Supplement to the Credibility.

I cannot avoid ftrongly recommending the Supplement + to the Credibility to the attention of all young divines. Indeed, I think that it ought to be read by every theological ftudent before he quits the university or academy in which he is educated. There are three other works which will be found of eminent advantage to thofe who are intended for, or beginning to engage in, the Chriftian miniftry. Thefe are, Butler's Analogy, Bifhop Law's Confiderations on the Theory of Religion, and Dr. Taylor's Key to the Apoftolical Writings, prefixed to his paraphrafe on the Epiftle to the Romans. Without agreeing with every circumftance advanced in thefe works, it may be faid of them, with the greatest truth, that they tend to open and enlarge the mind; that they give important views of the evidence, nature, and defign of revelation; and that they difplay a vein of reasoning and enquiry which may be extended to other objects befides thofe immediately confidered in the books themselves.

It must not be forgotten, that the Supplement to the Credibility has a place in the excellent collection of treatifes in divinity which has lately been published by Dr. Watfon Bishop of Landaff. For a collection which cannot fail of being eminently conducive to the inftruction and improvement of younger clergymen, and for the noble, manly, and truly evangelical preface by which it is preceded, this great Prelate is entitled to the gratitude of the Chriftian world.

May I not be permitted to add, that there is another collection which is ftill wanted; and that is, of curious and valuable fmall tracts, relative to the evidences of our holy religion, or to fcriptural difficulties, which, by length of time, and in confequence of having

* Hereby (fays Mr. Radcliffe, in his affixed Eulogium on Dr. L.) he has erected a monument to his great mafter and himself, which muft laft as long as the world endures.

tN. B. This, fome years ago, was published feparately by the bookfellers, under the title of The Hiftory of the Gospels and Epiftles.

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been feparately printed, are almost funk into oblivion, or, if remem. bered, can fcarcely at any rate be procured? The recovery of fuch pieces, and the communication of them to the public, in a few volumes, and at a reasonable price, would be an acceptable, as well as an useful service, to men of enquiry and literature.'

Applauded as Dr. Lardner's works were, he received little recompence for them. Some of the latter volumes of the Credibility were published at a lofs, and at last he fold the copy-right and all the remaining printed copies, to the bookfellers, for the trifling fum of 150l. Laudatur et alget.

His object, however, was not private emolument, but to serve the interefts of truth and virtue; and it pleafed Divine Providence to spare his life, both to complete his extensive plan, and to fee the laft volume, the 4th of the Teftimonies, published. This was in 1767. He was feized with a decline in the fummer following, and was carried off in a few days at Hawkhurft, the place of his nativity, where he had a small paternal eftate, in the 85th year of his age. At his particular requeft, no fermon was preached on occafion of his death. Thus (fays his biographer) did his modefty and humility accompany him to the laft moment of his earthly exiftence.'

Some pofthumous works were publifhed, particularly his Hif tory of Heretics, by the Rev. Mr. Hogg of Exeter; to our account of which we have already referred.

We should be happy to extract the conclufion of the Memoir, in which is given at length, from various teftimonies, the character of this great and amiable man; this, however, may be unneceffary, as the candid of all parties must agree in allowing, that few names are more truly entitled to be remembered with veneration and applaufe.

Subjoined to the narrative, is an Appendix containing letters which paffed between Dr. Lardner and Dr. Waddington Bishop of Chichester, Dr. Secker then Bishop of Oxford and afterward Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Barrington, Dr. Morgan, Dr. Chandler, and Dr. Doddridge, together with fome valuable papers, particularly one, communicated by the Rev. Mr. Henley to Dr. Kippis, on the difputed paffage in Jofephus. Here we are entirely of opinion with Dr. K. that this paffage ought to be for ever difcarded from any place among the evidence of Chriftianity, though it may continue to exercise the ingenuity and critical fkill of fcholars and divines.'

Before we difmifs this article, it fhould be remarked, that Mr. Baxter Cole merits our commendation, for the fidelity, care, and

The candour and moderation with which Dr. L. maintained his own fentiments, conftituted a prominent feature in his character. These virtues were fo eminent as even to excite the commendation of Dr. Morgan, the author of the Moral Philofopher.

judgment

judgment which he has difplayed in the department of Editor. Dr. Lardner's fingular mode of fpelling many words is very properly rejected, and he has adopted the orthography now most in ufe; but what is of more confequence to the learned reader (and we Reviewers particularly thank him for it), he has paid great attention to Lardner's works, as books of reference. To facilitate our turning to any quotation, he has inferted at the top of the pages the voluine and page of the original edition; by means of which, the prefent edition may in all cafes be confulted with nearly the fame eafe as any of the former. We highly applaud this method, and recommend it to the imitation of all those who collect and give new editions of the works of valuable authors. For the copious Indices, Mr. Cole likewife deferves our

thanks.

Moo-y

ART. XI. Thoughts on the Divine Goodness, relative to Moral Agents, particularly difplayed in future Rewards and Punishments. Tranflated from the French of Ferdinand Olivier Petitpierre. 8vo. 5s. 3d. Boards. Robinfons, &c. 1788.

HE ingenious, and pious author of this interefting book is well known, by the talents which he difcovered during the course of his miniftry in Switzerland, and the virtues he dif played under the perfecution which he fuffered for his particular opinions. Some mention was made of this when we announced the original French work, with the high commendations which it deferves. It is our bufinefs, at prefent, to speak of the tranflation, which, like the good copy of an excellent picture, is every way worthy to attract the attention of thofe, who cannot study the original. The gentleman, or lady, who has favoured the Public with this tranflation, has done juftice to the author, by entering deeply into the benevolent feelings of his excellent heart, and often expreffing them happily. The reader will find in fome places, indeed, phrafes that feem to be caft in a Gallic mould, and that deviate more or less from the established mode of English diction: he will also find, here and there, epithets more pompous than thofe that are ufually beftowed by English writers on the objects which they are intended to characterize: but these phrafes, and thefe epithets, were defignedly employed by the tranflator, though as feldom as poffible, with a view to preferve the spirit and energy of the original, and we think this view does not ftand in need of the apology that is made for it in the Preface to this tranflation.-We with that the punctuation of the work had been more correct, as accurate pointing makes the sense of a period enter with fulness and facility into the conception of the reader.

* See Review for March 1788.
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