the opinion of his own; but the fate of his works has not correfponded with the fame, which they procured him, while he lived: fince, for the reafons before affigned, they were fo much neglected in the darker ages, that no part of his fifty fpeeches, which were extant in the time of Photius, is known to exift at prefent, except what this volume contains, with about a hundred detached words and phrases explained by Harpocratian and one or two other grammarians: even these ten fpeeches would in all probability have perished with the reft, if it had not pleafed fome man of letters to copy them; and it is much to be wifhed that he had added at least two more, one on the estate of Archipolis, and another on that of Menecles; for we should then have had a complete collection of the orations called λngino, or relating to the fubject of legal and teftamentary fucceffion. This copy, however, was repofited in the library belonging to a monaftery on Mount Athos, whence it was brought to Florence at the beginning of the fixteenth century by Lafcaris, who had been fent to Greece by Lorenzo di Medici to purchase manufcripts; and it is preserved at this moment in the Medicean collection. Five years after the book was in Italy, it was printed at Venice, with fome other orations, by the indefatigable ALDUS MANUTIUS, who gives the preceding account of it in his preface; and it may be prefumed, that his edition, upon which the curious fet a high value, is a very exact impreffion of the manufcript with all its inaccuracies. Towards the clofe of the fame century, the celebrated HENRI ETIENNE, whom we have naturalized and call Henry Stephens. reprinted the Aldine edition of the Greek orators, with fome judicious notes in the margin; but he seems to have taken more pains with Efchines and Lyfias than with the others, and Ifæus appeared under his infpection with fcarce any greater advantage than that of a very handfome drefs: this editor, in his epiftle dedicatory, promised to collect all the Attick laws with a comparison between them and the inftitutions of modern nations; a work, which would have thrown an advantageous light on my author, but which unhappily he never completed. Many eminent scholars, who afterwards poffeffed this elegant edition, among whom were Scaliger and Saumaife, fcribbled a few hafty conjectures in the margin of Ifæus; but the world at large knew little of his ten fpeeches for above forty years, until one ALPHONSUS MINIATUS, as he calls himself, undertook, in the feventy-third year of his age, to tranflate them into Latin: his attempt was highly laudable; but it is clear, that he understood neither the language from which, nor that into which, he tranflated: for every page of his verfion abounds with blunders fo ridiculous, that, if any man can floop to divert himself at the expence of another, he cannot find better fport than by reading Miniatus; and Schott of Antwerp, who profeffed a friendship for him, but muft have known his ignorance, did wrong in fuffering the old man to expofe himfelf by fuch a

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publication. The accurate Perizonius, whofe differtations contain many excellent remarks on my author, complained fome time after, that the very useful speeches of Ifæus, which bis illiterate interpreter, Miniatus, bad moft unskilfully rendered, lay Jeandaloufly neglected; and Fabricius expreffed his wifh, that a very good fcholar, whom he names, would prefent the world with a new translation of them: but even these public remonstrances could not attract the attention of learned men to a work, which they thought interefting to lawyers only; and Taylor, who publifhed his Elements of Civil Law little more than twenty years ago, fpeaks of my author as a writer then hardly known:

When I quoted Ifæus, fays he, I would fuggeft to my readers, that I mentioned an author upon many accounts very valuable, but upon none fo much as of the great light, that he is capable of throwing upon the question before us, de jure bæreditario; a fubject, in which the orations, that are left of him, moft remarkably abound." It is probable, that fo ftrong a recommendation from fo judicious a writer produced fome effect among the scholars of his time; but Ifæus was still an obfcure name, till REISKE of Leipzick, about five years ago, published the originals of the following speeches, together with the treatise of Dionyfius, in his elaborate edition of the Greek orators. As I have confiderable obligations to this learned and laborious man, whom I mention here merely as the editor of Ifæus, withOut entering upon the other parts of his work, I think it better to make this general acknowledgement of them, than to molest the reader with a fuperfluity of notes, efpecially as my opinion of his particular corrections may be always afcertained by my tranflation of the text; and it must be owned, that although many of his annotations are hafty and even puerile, yet moft of them are candid, plaufible, ingenious; and fome of his conjectural emendations are wonderfully happy: his interpretation, indeed, is a prolix paraphrafe in very harth Latin; but, as it fhows his apprehenfion of the author's meaning, and, as that apprehenfion feems to be generally right, let us be fatisfied with the utility of a performance, in which elegance was not to be expected. It is with pleasure that I take this opportunity of giving a due fhare of praife to fo well-intentioned and induftrious a man, who, although he was not without the pride and petulance which too often accompany erudition, fufficiently atoned for thofe faults by the integrity of his heart and the intenfenefs of his application to the ftudy of ancient literature, which his labours have confiderably improved and promoted. Tó his valuable work we certainly owe the late excellent verfion of Demofthenes and Efchines by the abbé AUGER, who promifes alfo a tranflation of my author; and, as my English Ifæus has the fortune to fee the light before the French, I fhall be happy if it can afford any help to fo refpectable a scholar, who, difdaining the prejudices of an academician, and daring to exprefs his own juft fentiments, has the courage to recommend the learn.

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learning and language of Athens in the heart of Paris; nor fhall I blush to confels any errors that I may have committed, and, with the aid of his interpretation, to correct my own."

The ten remaining fpeeches of Ifæus, which are now prefented to the English reader, all relate to the Athenian laws of hereditary and teftimentary fucceffion, that is, to inheritances, devifes, legacies, portions, adoptions, marriages, divorces, alimony, widows, heireffes, orphans, guardians, &c. and give abundant fatisfaction in thofe cafes. There are fome fragments, which the tranflator has likewife annexed. To elucidate the reasoning of his author he has prefixed to every speech a genealogical table, containing the pedigree of the claimants to each refpective eftate.

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The public are much obliged to the excellent translator for the pains he has taken in the execution of this work, which throws a light on the civil government of Athens; and cannot fail of being acceptable both to the scholar, and the ftudent of our English laws.

Confiderations on the prefent State of the Church-Eftablishment, in Letters to the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London. By John Sturges, M. A. 8vo. 35. Cadell.

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Violent contention about the external forms and ceremonies of religion is an indication of ignorance, fuperftition, and barbarity. It was carried to a notorious excess in some of the darker ages of the church, and has always been the characteristic of abfurd and illiterate fectaries. But as men have become better acquainted with the Scriptures, and the spirit and genius of Chriftianity; as they have improved in liberal arts and fciences, in politenefs, and a knowlege of the world, they have likewife become more candid and moderate in their religious controverfies, and the perfecution of reputed heretics. It is indeed painful to every humane and benevolent spectator, to fee men furiously abufing and perfecuting one another for fome trifling differences in their dress, their forms of devotion, their canonical ceremonies, and their theological Speculations, without the leaft regard for the most facred obligations of Christianity. Whenever therefore we fee a man of this temper, that is, an angry bigot, we can entertain no favourable opinion, either of his head or heart.

The writer of this tract appears to be of a very different difpofition. He has treated fome of the most inflammatory fubjects of religious controverfy in a difpaffionate and liberal

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manner; and expreffed that candor and benevolence towards the adversaries of the church of England, which will do him honour, in the estimation of every impartial and judicious reader.

The following general obfervations, in favour of religious establishments, are fair and reasonable :

If Religion were to fubfift only in the hearts of individuals without the concurrence of others, or any external profeffion of it; if God had not meant, that in this inftance, as well as in all others, we fhould be focial creatures, the truths and precepts, which we collect by our reason, and which are delivered to us by revelation, would then in their naked ftate be fufficient to make us in this manner religious: we might certainly think of God as we pleased, and offer to him in what manner we pleased our folitary worship. But if we are not fatisfied with that, if we are prompted by our nature to unite with others in the adoration of the Supreme Being, and feel our religion imperfect without doing fo, we must in some respects agree with those others; there must be fome mutual compliances; and certain regulations must be admitted, both with refpect to the outward form of worship, and the opinions conveyed by it.

• Without fome regulations of the outward form in which the worshippers are agreed, it is impoffible that public worship can fubfift even in its fimpleft fhape; and as the reason of this wor fhip, the manner of our addreffing God, and the duties which we fuppofe him to require from us, arife from the opinions we form concerning him, concerning his attributes and government, it is plain, that without a certain agreement in thefe opinions it is impoffible for different perfons to join in the worship of God, and in giving or receiving religious inftruction, which usually makes part of it. A Jew or a Christian could not join with an old Heathen in worshipping his numerous and imaginary deities. A Proteftant cannot concur with a Papist in offering his prayers to the virgin Mary, to angels, and to faints. The fame prayers alfo, and the fame inftruction, cannot well fuit thofe Proteftants, who differ about the object of their worship, or about the ne ceffity of good works to falvation.

Every united fet of worshippers must therefore agree in cer tain forms and opinions; and they muft make fuch agreement the condition, on which others may be admitted to their fociety. They must prefcribe, like all other focieties, these conditions for themfelves; and thofe, who do not chufe to comply with them, muft either not enter into such a society, or retire from it.

The author proceeds to fhew, that this is neither an infringement of our liberty, nor an oppreffion of conscience; neither ufurping the fupremacy of Chrift, nor giving human opinions that authority, which is only due to divine revelation: that abfolute liberty is inconfiftent with every fpecies of fociety, Voτ. LXVII. April, 1779.

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whether civil or religious; that the confcience cannot be wounded, where the contract is voluntary; that the regulations, which are made for Chriftian churches, are fuppofed and profeffed by thofe who make them, to be agreeable to the commands of Chrift, and the means of carrying thofe commands into execution; and that this cannot be an ufurpation of Chrift's authority, any more than making laws, for the purpofes of practical juftice among men, is impious, with refpe&t to God, or intrenching on his fovereignty; that a fociety has the fame right of judging for ittelf as an individual; that this judgment on religious fubjects niuft be exercised in the interpretation of the fcriptures; that each fociety will adopt thefe opinions, which feem to be true, and they will be, like all other conclufions of our minds,,, on subjects propofed to them, human opinions; and can be no other.

As to the church of England he says:

The rights which fhe exercises, with refpect to her own forms and opinions, are rights, which must belong to every church; he does not violate thofe of other churches, or of individuals, by forcing men into her pale againft their confent; The claims no independence, no exemption from the power of the civil magiftrate, and makes no pretenfions to infallibility.'

With regard to the xxxix. Articles he makes this candid and ingenuous confeffion :

The particulars of them are too numerous; the fubjects of fome of them of a moft obfcure and difputable kind, where it may feem unneceffary and perhaps improper to go fo far in defining; on both thefe accounts the affent required from our clergy may appear too ftrict, and other Chriftians may be dif couraged from joining in communion with us.

That fach objections should now lie to our Articles, is what might reafonably have been expected, notwithstanding all the abilities of the perfons who compiled them, notwithstanding all their merits in the common caufe of Proteftant Chriftianity. Men were at that time in fome meafure new to the fubject of church-eftablishments; they had not formed just notions of religious liberty; and toleration was neither understood or practifed. Thefe topics have been fince difcuffed with freedom and ability; religious prejudices have worn off, and the prefent modes of thinking are become more liberal and tolerant. They did as much as could be expected from them; and if their fyftem be compared with thofe of other reformers in the fame age, the Comparison would probably turn out much to their advantage; but this is no reason, why their work should not be corrected and improved at a fubfequent period, when we are poffeffed of great advantages, and furnished with confiderable means of improvement.'