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the letters Nun and Oin were anciently much more like, and fo fimilar as to have been eafily mistaken for each other; then is there found a proper and fatisfactory folution of the difficulty. That the Letter Oin had nearly its prefent fhape, fo early as in the year of Chrift 49, is certain from the oldest of the Palmyrene infcriptions. It is equally certain, from the genuine coins of Simon the Jewish high priest, a plate of one of which is given, that the letter Nun was anciently expreffed nearly like the prefent Oin.

Thus hath our learned Author thoroughly cleared up a most perplexing paffage of the Old Teftament, and, at the fame time, exhibited a ftriking proof of the expediency and utility of his collation of the Hebrew manufcripts. The piece before us is dedicated to the bishop of Oxford, in deference to whose opinion it was published. His lordship hath been always a zealous patron of Dr. Kennicott's great work, and was the first perfon who convinced him of the very existence of corruptions in the printed Hebrew text of the Old Teftament. K..s.

A Differtation on the Weekly Festival of the Chriftian Church. In which the principal Question concerning Sunday and the Sabbath are difcuffed. 12mo. 2s. 6d. boards. Cadell. 1768.

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Subject of great importance to the cause of religion, and

the welfare of fociety in general, is here confidered; and we think the Author, though he advances nothing very new, has fatisfactorily proved the obligation of Chriftians to obferve the first day of the week for the purposes of religion. The work is divided into three fections under the following titles, The Seventh Day, the Jewish Sabbath, The Lord's Day. Under the first of these heads, we are carried back to the creation of the world as related by Mofes, who concludes his brief account of the fubject, with telling us that "God refted on the Seventh Day," &c. and that "God blessed the Seventh day and fa tified it." Our Author confiders the queftion, Whether thefe words do neceffarily teach, that the obfervation of the feventh day was from the beginning of the world commanded to mankind, or whether the Writer doth any more than allude to the law of the Sabbath, which had been given to the Hebrew people?' and he inclines to the former onion. We fhall not enter into a particular account of w' at he advances, but fhall only observe that he alledges wh at appears to us fufficient to prove that it is agreeable to the will of God our Maker, that we devote a feventh part

commemoration of Hi

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our time to the joyous and thankful and His works who created the world

in

in fix days for our enjoyment, and rested on the seventh, and fanctified it for our inftruction and example.'

In the next fection he confiders the Jewish Sabbath, which our Author regards as a revival of the ancient inftitution, tho' the obfervance of it, befide the general reafon given in the command itself, is enforced upon the Jews by fome confiderations peculiar to that people, and a remarkable strictness enjoined agreeable to the fevere nature of the Hebrew ritual. This fection is concluded with a brief enquiry whether the Jewish Sabbath was the fame day on which it is faid God had refted from all his works? If, fays he, this ordinance had a new commencement at the erection of the Jewish polity, I think we cannot be fure that it really was. It is certain that the Jewish Sabbath is called the feventh day in a more obvious fenfe of the expreffion. Six days fhalt thou labour and do all thy work. But the feventh, that is the day following; and which must be the feventh if it fucceeds fix which have gone before; is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. And it is judiciously obferved by Mr. Mede, that fix days are commonly mentioned in those pasfages where a seventh doth occur, as it were on purpose to denote the reason of that appellation. God wrought fix days, and refted upon and fanctified the feventh, that is the day following; confequently the pious Jew, who after fix days of labour, fhould obferve the following as a day of reft, would conform himfelf to the divine meaning and example.'

The last section treats upon the Lord's day: it is here first fhewn that both the conduct and the difcourfes of our Saviour, do imply an obligation upon his followers to obferve a day of religious reft. After which he confiders the first day of the week as the time to be appropriated by Chriftians to this end: this is argued from the example and authority of the apofiles, to whom our Lord gave power and command for the regulation of his church and alfo from the univerfal practice of early Chriftians. These things are carefully confidered; and from the whole it is concluded, that it is the duty of all perfons profeffing the Chriftian religion, to acknowledge God publicly, upon every feventh day, to be the Creator and Redeemer of the world; and that for this purpofe, the first day of the week, as it is now called, and none other, is to be preferred. Which practice, fo long as it fhall obtain among Chriftians, will be a perpetual fign between God and them, that he whom they worfhip is the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and that God the creator hath redeemed them and fanctified them by Jefus Chrift.'

The manner in which this day ought to be obferved is afterwards confidered, and a due regard to it enforced upon Chriftians: but our limits will not allow any farther detail. On

the

the whole, this performance, though not free from fome faults in the manner and ftyle, is ingenious and ufeful; and we heartily wish it may promote the good end, for which it is defigned.

H.

The Dispute between Mademoiselle Clairon, a celebrated Actress at Paris, and the Fathers of the Church; occafioned by the Excommunication denounced in France against all dramatic Writers, Actors, Singers, Dancers, &c. With the Reafons for and against that Excommunication, in an Argument between the Abbé Grizel and the Mafler of the Revels. Said to be written by M. de Voltaire. Tranflated from the French. 8vo. 1 s. Dodley, &c.

TH

HE temporary feceffion of Mad. Clairon from the French theatre, occafioned much altercation, both serious and comic, at Paris; juft as every theatrical occurrence does here. The laugh was against the CHURCH; but the church, being fupported by the LAW, got the better of the argument. Both the church and law, however, are certainly in the wrong, and would inevitably be caft, on a fair trial, in the high court of REASON; and fo would the old English law, that fo illiberally ftigmatizes the profeffion in which, above all others, the human genius has opportunities of difplaying itfelf in the most agreeable, the moft engaging light, and perhaps to the greatest advantage. For in this profeffion it is that all the powers of eloquence, all the variety of expreffion of which action or language are capable, and all the graces of delivery, are peculiarly requifite and in no cther fchool are virtue and good manners more emphatically enforced, or vice and folly more effectually put out of countenance.But as it is not our prefent design to write the eulogium of the theatre, we return to the particular cafe of Mademoifelle Clairon.

It is not to be wondered at, fays the Author, (whether Mr. Voltaire or fome other French wit) that the primitive fathers of the church anathematized the authors and actors of their times, who were not only pagans, but daily prophaners of the moft facred rites of their holy religion.

But why that excommunication fhould be ftill in force, and in France only, against a set of people who are neither pagans nor profaners of religion; whofe plays are not only free from immorality of every kind, but filled with the most pure and virtuous fentiments; where virtue is rewarded and vice is placed in the moft odious light: why either the authors or performers of fuch plays should, in this age, be treated with such

* It appears that this pamphlet was published at Paris, in 1761.

indignity,

indignity, is, I believe, what the moft rigid priest amongst them cannot give any just reason for.

This unchriftian authority, that the clergy in France ufurp over the comedians and dramatic writers, is looked upon, by every body but themselves, as fcandalous, vile, and unreafonable.

• Mademoiselle Clairon, who is at this time one of their most celebrated actreffes, was (and indeed with great reafon) highly difgufted at it, and raised a strong party of people of the beft understanding, in hopes to have fo great a fcandal removed.

Much was both writ and faid in favour of the comedians, but all to no purpose the priests ftood firm to their text, and would by no means confent to give up their ancient and pious privilege of fending to the d---1 whoever they had a mind to.

Upon this, the lady quitted the ftage, and peremptorily re fufed to act any more; declaring, it was very unreasonable of them to defire her to continue her profeffion, as an actrefs, if fhe was to be damned for it.

This unexpected refolution of the lady's threw the managers into the utmost confufion. She is by much the best performer they have, and fo great a favourite with the town, they would by no means be fatisfied without her.

What could they do? their houfes grew thin, and the remained obftinate; at laft complaints were made of her beha viour at court, and orders were given to fend her to the Baftile, fhe being an hired fervant of the king's, and refufing to do her duty when commanded.

After all, you can't fay but the heroine's cafe was a lit-le hard the king fends her to prifon if she does not do her duty, and the church damns her if she does. Here is popery and flavery with a witness !

She had not been long in the Baftile, when an order cams from the court for the players to go to Verfailles, and perform before the king (for his majefty never goes to Paris to fee a play) and Mademoiselle Clairon was fent for to the Baftile, and commanded to go and make her appearance amongst the reft; this the thought was beft to comply with, being heartily tired of her new lodging. She performed at court with great applaufe, and finding that all attempts to gain her point were in vain, continued to perform as ufual ever lince.

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This grand fracas, between the church and the ftage, made a great noife, not only at Paris, but all over France; but, as the church was concerned, people were afraid of delivering their fentiments too freely.

In the midst of this confufion, out came a treatise in favour of the comedians, proving, from the laws and conftitutions of France, that the excommunication was unlawful, a fcandalous - REV. April, 1768. impofition,

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impofition, and that the comedians had an undoubted claim to all the rights, privileges, and immunities of their country, as well as any other citizen or fubject of France.

This pamphlet had no fooner made its appearance, but, like an arch-heretic, it was feized on and condemned to be burned in the Place de- Greve by the hands of the common hangman.

The death of that piece gave birth to the following controverly between the Intendant des Menus, who is an advocate for the players, and the Abbé Grizel, on the fide of the church.'

It is ftrange that the folemn, illiberal, abfurd farce of refuting authors by fire and faggot, is ftill continued, not only in popish but in proteftant countries !-What good was ever done by this tyrannical mode of confutation? Has it not always the appearance, at least, of perfecution? and does it not likewife feem to indicate a consciousness of a weak cause, whenever recourse is had to the argumentum Baculinum ?—As to the cause of the Gallican church, in particular, with refpect to her treatment of his Moft Chriftian Majefty's comedians, it is fufficiently expofed, and highly ridiculed in this pamphlet: which also contains a good deal of fatire on the French in general, who are facetiously represented as the most inconfiftent people upon earth.

G.

A free Addrefs to Proteftant Diffenters, on the Subject of the Lord's Supper. By Jofeph Priestley, L. L. D. F. R. S. 8vo. I S. Johnfon, &c. 1768.

TH

HE piece before us is introduced by a preface of confiderable length, in which our ingenious and free-spirited Author earnestly contends for a more liberal and open difcuffion of whatever relates to the evidence and doctrines of revelation than hath hitherto taken place. Among other things, he obferves that the prefent ftate of Chriftianity is fomewhat critical, and very much requires to be looked into by all its real friends and fincere advocates. Men, fays he, of good fenfe, and of cultivated minds in other respects, cannot but be aware of many things which are evidently abfurd in the prevailing tenets of the far greater part of Chriftians; and while no real friend to Chriftianity has the courage to fhew them, that the things they diflike and object to, do not belong to that religion, it can be no wonder that they conceive a prejudice against the whole scheme, and become secret, if not open and avowed infidels. That this is the cafe at this day, not with the unthinking and the profligate only, but with many perfons of reading, of reflection, and of the moft irreproachable conduct in life, is well known. It is alfo apparent, that the number of fuch perfons is daily

increafing;

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