of mankind. To prove this, he reftored fight to those who were blind. To make it appear, that he was able, as he affirmed, to remove the blindness, the fpiritual blindness, of error and ignorance, he frequently cured that corporeal blindnefs, which is the most natural emblem or image of it. And that fuch cures were peculiarly defigned, as they were exquifitely adapted, to confirm the truth of this doctrine, is evident from the reflection which our Saviour makes, previous to his cure of the blind man, recorded in the IXth of John. As long, fays he, as "I am in the world, I am the light of. the world." By this he turned their thoughts to himself, as to the fountain of light and knowledge; and led them to confider the miracle he was about to perform, as a direct evidence of what he had afferted. He reftored, or rather reformed the man's eyes to the perception of light; and thereby fhewed he could alfo reftore, or re-form the mind to the perception of knowledge. And it was plainly with the fame view, when he observed how the malice and perverfeness of the Jews with-held them from admitting this neceffary confequence, that he afterwards fubjoined, in allufion to the miraculous cure he had wrought, that" for judgment he was come into this world; that they who fee not, might fee; and that they who fee, might be made blind."

The Scripture informs us, that "the Son of God was for this purpose manifested, that he might utterly destroy the works of the devil; and redeem us from the power of Satan to himfelf." Now to convince the world of his ability to accom plifh this arduous undertaking, he frequently dislodged or caft out devils;, and delivered the poffeffed from their tormenting power. And his cafting them out in fo wonderful a manner, was a proof by example of his being come to overturn the kingdom of darkness; and of his being endowed with authority to check and controul the ufurped dominion of our grand enemy. This application is our Saviour's own. For when the feventy rejoiced, that "the devils, through his name, were subject unto them; he answered and faid, I beheld Satan, as lightning, fall from heaven, &c."-his power is broken; his dominion deftroyed: and the fuperiority, which you have now fhewn in miraculously difpoffeffing dæmons, is a proof and pledge of the fpiritual conqueft, which you, and all my faithful difciples, fhall finally obtain over them and their prince."

'So our Saviour directs us to conclude. But in these and other inftances, the connection between the miracles and doctrines is fo very natural, fo close and difcernible, that it could hardly have been overlooked, though Chrift had never pointed it out. His having, however, pointed it out, is of fingular

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ufe and fervice. It ferves to fhew, that what infidels urgè concerning the disparity of miracles and doctrines, is entirely falfe and frivolous. It ferves to fhew, that there is the fame. strict relation, the fame inviolable connection, between, the miracles and doctrines of Chrift, as there is between experiments in natural philofophy and the conclufions that refult from them. And hence it likewise serves to thew, after what manner we may fafely apply those other miracles, which are not applied by Chrift himfelf. We may confider, for exam ple, his reftoring the lame, weak, and palfied members of the body, as a fpecimen of his power to restore the enfeebled, 'benumbed, and diftorted faculties of the mind. His cures of leprofies and all other loathsome diseases, we may confider as tokens of the power he poffeffed to cleanfe the foul from the pollutions of fin. In fine, we may confider his making men, however difeafed, all on a fudden vigorous and healthy; as an earnest of his making them, provided they followed his moral inftructions, eminently good, virtuous, and happy.'

In this manner the learned author endeavours to illuftratė the nature, intent, and propriety of that vaft and extensive chain of miracles, which runs through the Old and New Teftament; fhewing, as he goes along, that the miracles under the former difpenfation were properly calculated to prove, that Jehovah is the one true God, the CREATOR and GOVERNOR of the world; and thofe under the latter, to demonftrate, that Jefus Chrift is the promised Meffiah, the Redeemer and Saviour of mankind.

The laft difcourfe contains the inferences deducible from this enquiry, in favour of divine revelation.

The excellent Mr. Boyle founded his lecture, if we rightly remember, about the year 1691. Since that time a vast val riety of fermons have been published in defence of revealed religion. Christianity has been viewed and reviewed on all fides, and the most obvious arguments in its favour have been long fince anticipated. It requires therefore an extraordinary genius to strike out of the beaten track, and produce any thing materially new, and worthy of the public attention. Dr. Owen's difcourfes are, perhaps, in this respect, as good as could reasonably be expected. His plan has not been profeffedly marked out, and profecated by any of his predeceffors; and his performance bears the fignatures of taste and learning.

If in our laft Review we have ventured to point out fome paffages in his difcourfes, which we thought exceptionable, he will impute it, we hope, hot to any perfonal prejudice, but to a rational zeal for the interest and honour of ChriftianVOL. XXXVI. Sept. 1773ity;

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ity; which fhould never be fupported, as it was by the good fathers of old, by pious frauds, fallacious arguments, fabu. lous relations, and rabbinical dreams. (^)

VIII. The Hiftory of the Ifland of Man; from the earliest Accounts to the prefent Time. Compiled from the Public Archives of the Ifland, and other Authentic Materials, by the late Mr. Rolt. 8vo. 35. Jewed. Nicoll.

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HEN the blemishes of pofthumous publications are fuch as appear to proceed from inadvertency only, they are in a particular manner entitled to the candour of criticism, and the editor is properly chargeable with the inaccuracies of the author. We are forry to obferve that the work before us is destitute of any claim to this indulgence: the faults it con tains admit of no extenuation, nor are they compenfated by the fmallest degree of merit, in point of hiftorical compofition. The annals of the Ifle of Man are scarcely diftinguished by one fingle incident that is worthy of being tranfinitted to pofterity s and would therefore, even in the hands of the moft refpectable writer, afford but a very jejune and uninterefting narrative. The fubject, however, is rendered ftill more exceptionable by the aukward and ridiculous manner in which it is here treated. Without any farther introduction we shall give our readers a fhort fpecimen of the work.

"3

Sir John Stanley delivered up his patents to be vacated in the high court of chancery in England, and obtained a new grant of the Isle of Man, from king Henry IV. who, by his letters patent under the great feal of England, dated at Weftminfter, the fixth of April, in the feventh year of his reign, granted to fir John de Stanley, knight, the island, castle, pele, and lordship of Man; and all the islands and lordships to the faid Ifland of Man appertaining, which did not exceed the value of four hundred pounds by the year: to hold, to the faid fir John, and his heirs and affigns, all the islands, caftle, pele, and lordship aforefaid, together with the royalties, regalities, franchifes, liberties, fea ports, and all things to port reafonably and duly belonging, homages, fealties, wards, marriages, reliefs, efcheats, forfeitures, waifs, eftrays, courts baron, views of frankpledge, leets, hundreds, wapentakes, wreck of the fea, mines of lead and iron, fairs, markets, free cuftom, meadows, paftures, woods, parks, chaces, lawns, warrens, affarts, purpreftures, chiminages, pifcaries, mills, moors, marshes, turbaries, waters, pools, fish ponds, ways, paffages, and commons, and other commodities, emoluments, and appurtenances whatfoever, to the faid iflands, caftle, pele,

and

and lordship, in any wife appertaining of belonging; together with the patronage of the bishopric of the faid Ifland of Man; and also knights fees, advowfons, and patronages of abbies, priories, hofpitals, churches, vicarages, chapels, chaunteries,” and the ecclefiaftical benefices whatfoever, to the faid iflands, castle, pele, and lordship likewise belonging, of the faid king and his heirs for ever, by leige homage, and the service of rendering to the king two falcons, once only; that is, imme diately after the fame homage done, and of rendering to his heirs, kings of England, two falcons on the day of their coronations, inftead of all other fervices, cuftoms, and demands,. as freely, fully, and entirely, as fir William le Scrope deceased, or any other lord of the said island, was ever in former times, in the best and freeft manner accustomed to have and hold those islands, caftles pele, and lordship, with the appurtenances, together with all the premiffes therein mentioned the faid liege homage, and rent of falcons, only excepted.'

Here follows another paffage equally elegant and concife.

1

By indenture enrolled of record, dated the 18th of June in the 7th year of his majefty," Between king James I. of the one part 3 and Robert earl of Salisbury lord treafurer of England, Henry earl of Northampton keeper of the king's privy feal, William earl of Derby, Henry earl of Huntingdon and Elizabeth his wife, Grays Bridges lord Chandoys and Anne his wife, and John Egerton knight and Francis his wife, of the other part" but not executed or acknowledged of record by the earl of Derby; the faid lords and ladies, did give, grant, bargain, fell, furrender, and confirm, to his majefty, his heirs and fucceffors for ever, the ifland, caftle, pele, and lordship of Man, with the islands and lordships to the fame appertaining, and all other rights thereto belonging," too tediously to be expreffed in the words of history, which fhould have little connection with the terms of law. "To hold to the king, his heirs and fucceffors, for ever."

His majefty, by other letters patent, granted to Robert earl of Salisbury, and Thomas earl of Suffolk, the island, castle, pele, and lordship of Man; with all their rights, members and appurtenances; with all his if nds, lordfhips, caftles, monafteries, abbies, priories, farms, meffuages, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever, to the Island of Man appertaining; with all rights and liberties, from the tautology of homages to the jurifdiction of admiralty, including the mines, fairs, markets, cuftoms, and an infinite fcroll of phrafes peculiar to the common law, and repugnant to common fenfe.'

This declared averfion to tautology appears to be of very fhort continuance; for the author immediately adds, ▲ as also the patronage of the bishopric of the Inland of Man, and the patronage of the bishopric of Sedor, and the patronage of the bishopric of Sodor and Man."

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So unhappy is this hiftorian in his style, that almost every page contains inftances of ungrammatical expreffion. The following quotation is of this kind.

King James I. by his letters patent under the great seal of England, dated at Westminster the 17th of March in the 3d year of his reign, "Did, in confideration of a fine of one hundred and one pounds fifteen fhillings, and eleven pence, paid into the receipts of his majefty's exchequer by fir Thomas Leighe, knight, and Thomas Spencer efquire, and for other confiderations, demife, leafe, and to farm-lett, to the faid fir Thomas Leighe knight, and Thomas Spencer, all thofe houses, scites, circuits, and precincts, formerly the monaftry and priory of Rufhing and Douglas; and the Fryers Minors, commonly called the Grey Fryers of Brymaken, otherwife Bymaken, with all his appurtenances in his Ifland of Man, &c,'

How pertinent, fententious, and philofophical, are our au thor's fentiments, when, as feldom is the case, he ventures beyond the phrafeology of indentures, deeds of feoffment, and fuch like elegant forms of writing! Speaking of king Charles the Firft, he fays,

That inconfiftent man, who deferves not the name of king, acted confiftently as far as he could with arbitrary prin ciples. A thrice royal dupe, to lofe the poffeffing of three kingdoms, for not acknowledging one legal right. Such a king might be to himself fupreme; yet he fatally found his fubjects would not be the extreme.-Strafford; great and unhappy Wentworth! Thy virtues were above all allegations of vice.-Can other times fay the fame ?

With a noble poetic enthusiasm our author has here facrificed propriety of expreffion to antithefis, and even to rhyme.

It would be endless to remark the verbal improprieties which occur in this hiftory. We meet with laws being promulged, people expulfed, and an island numerously popularized. Among other tautologies, the word lordship is fo frequently made ufe of, that in the compass of about two pages, we find no lefs than fixteen times.

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Our readers, we prefume, will excufe us from giving a more particular account of a work, where there is neither propriety of language, elegance of ftyle, nor entertaining or useful information, and which is fo extremely unworthy of being pre

lented