THE ECLECTIC REVIEW, For JANUARY, 1805. Quid verum atque decens, curo et rogo, et omnis in hoc sum: Ac ne fortè roges, quo me duce, quo Lare tuter, IMITATED. Whate'er is decent, honourable, true, Ask you-What Chief, what Party we obey? We catch the gale of SCIENCE, as it blows; HORATII, Epist. I. i. And join with VIRTUE's friends, nor dread her foes. AMONG ART. I. An Abstract of the whole Doctrine of the Christian Religion, with Observations: By John Anastasius Freylinghausen. From a Manuscript in her Majesty's possession. The first Book stereotyped by the new process. pp. 227, very large octavo. Price 12s. Cadell and Davies, London; Constable, Edinburgh; Archer, Dublin. 1804. MONG the avowed opponents of Christianity, many have borne a reluctant testimony to the excellence of its moral precepts. That a practical system, which, if universally prevalent, would secure the peace and harmony of the human race, could originate only in delusion, or imposture, appears to us more incredible than any thing contained in the scriptures: and, though the doctrines and the precepts of Christianity require to be distinguished, they are so essentially connected, that both are invalidated by the rejection of either. The inspired writers usually introduce the most sublime truths of revelation, as motives to the practice of moral duties; and rare indeed are the instances of a conduct worthy of our holy religion, among persons who cavil at its doctrines. It may, therefore, justly be asserted, that the most effectual method to promote the welfare of nations, is to diffuse the knowledge of all that our Lord formed and taught; and that those rulers are peculiarly entitled to the filial attachment of their subjects, who unite to a due respect for religious liberty, their example of a practical attention to Christianity, and their exertions for the enlargement of its salutary influence. per At the commencement of a Work, undertaken for the moral, as well as the literary advantage of our countrymen, it affords us particular pleasure to recommend a summary of Christian Doctrine, published under the immediate sanction of HER MAJESTY. The Preface, which is ascribed to the venerable Bishop of the metropolis, furnishes a suitable introduction to the volume. The Author of the following Work was John Anastasius Freylinghausen, Minister of St. Ulrich's Church, and Inspector of the Public School, at Hall, in Germany; an eminent Divine of the Lutheran Church; a man of considerable talents and erudition, and of distinguished reputation in his profession. This Tract of his has always been held in high estimation in that country, and considered as a judicious and masterly compendium of all the doctrines of the Christian Revelation. And as the Editor did not recollect any summary of this kind in the English language, compressed into so short a compass, and arranged in so systematic and scientific a form, as this ABSTRACT, he conceived that the translation of it from the original German, which is here offered Ito the Public, might be of some use in this country: He thought it might be highly serviceable, both as an elementary book for the religious instruction of the youth of both sexes, and as a concise and comprehensive view of the whole system of Christianity for persons of a more mature age, who had neither leisure nor inclination to go through any elaborate or voluminous treatises of Theology. Certain, at least, it is, that this tract has the honour to stand very high in the good opinion of the GREATEST FEMALE PERSONAGE in this kingdom, by whose order it was originally translated into English, for the use of HER ILLUSTRIOUS DAUGHTERS. The Editor thinks it necessary to add, that, in order to make this Work more acceptable and more useful to his countrymen, he has taken the liberty to omit a few short passages of the original, which contained doctrines peculiar to the Lutheran Church; and to render others more conformable to the tenets of the Church of England. But if, after all, any should still remain that may appear not very consonant to its principles, (which, in some abstruse and mysterious points, may possibly be the case, although the Editor is not aware of any such), the candid reader is requested to consider them as the opinions of a Foreign Divine, for which the Editor does not hold himself in any degree responsible.' Not having been able to procure the original, we cannot judge of the alterations, intimated by the Right Reverend Editor to have been made in this version. It certainly still resembles productions of the Lutheran, or (as it is called in Germany) the Evangelical Church, more than those of the English and Scottish Churches. The learned and pious author was a fellow-labourer with the excellent Professor Franck, at Halle, in the beginning of the last century. His work, as here translated, forms a system of Theology, digested into thirty-four articles. Some of these are divided into subordinate chapters; and all of them into sections, each containing a question and its answer, and usually an explanatory observation, which is sometimes considerably dilated, Texts of scripture, in proof of the doctrines thus stated, are referred to, in notes at the bottom of each page. The first part, which chiefly relates to the Deity, comprises seven articles; the second part comprehends twenty-seven articles, relating to Mankind, A com A complete analysis of the work, denominated "a Scheme of the whole Doctrine of the Christian Religion," is prefixed to it. The manner in which this is printed adds greatly to its perspicuity; and the space it requires very little exceeds that which must be occupied by any proper arrangement of the contents: we therefore present it to our readers in its original form. I. OF GOD. The use of systems of Divinity, is, to afford a comprehensive and perspicuous view of revealed truth, by arranging its various doctrines and precepts under distinct heads, in their most natural order. The danger to which compositions of this kind are chiefly liable, is that of supplying, from the heterogeneous stores of human invention and tradition, those links in the chain of divine revelation, which, to the imperfect apprehension of men, may seem to be deficient. The author of this abstract was less exposed to temptations of that kind, than the composers of more ample theories. He appears to us scrupulously to have guarded against exceeding the bounds of scriptural authority; and purposely to have left the more abstruse points of theological discussion as he found them, rather than attempt their elucidation, by metaphysical, or logical inferences. Hence, while his work may not completely gratify any party of christians among us, and may require some allowance for the customary phraseology of that with which he was connected, we trust that it will be read with pleasure by the candid of every party, and may prove useful to many, whose leisure and habits would be inadequate to the perusal of more copious and argumentative performances. Many of the articles are treated with remarkable perspicuity; as that of angels, and the former part of that on the law and the gospel: but the close of the latter article seems to us less satisfactory, both as to definition and illustration, than any other passage that we have observed; although the doctrines which would have been proper in that connexion, are not sparingly introduced on other topics. That our readers may be enabled to form their own judgment of this respectable and valuable Publication, we insert, entire, the article of good works. Article XVII. Of Good Works.-Sect. 1. What further belongs to the divine order of Grace? A necessary and important part of this divine order, through which man is to arrive at eternal life, is the practice of good works, without which faith is dead in him*. Obs.-This is a pure and necessary article of faith. Sect. 2. Who is the principal cause of good works? The Holy Triune Godt, and, in particular, the Fathert, Christ§, and the Holy Ghost||. Obs.-Christ has procured to the faithful the power and the strongest motives for performing good works. He also contains in himself precepts for the same purpose, partly in his doctrine, which explains the law; and partly in his life and conversation, in which he hath left us a pattern whereby we may follow his footsteps. Sect. 3.-By what means doth God produce good works? * James ii. 17. † Phil. ii. 13. Tit. ii. 14.-John xv. 4, 5, 16. Eph. ii. 10.-Heb. xiii. 20, 21. | Gal. v. 22.-Eph. v. 9. By By his holy word*. He also blesseth the good examples of the faithful, that others may be thereby excited to diligence in good workst. Obs.-His holy word contains not only directions for performing good works, but also the strongest inducements and most persuasive ar guments towards it; the former chiefly in the law, the latter in the Gospel. Sect. 4. By whom may good works be performed? The persons in whom, and through whom, good works are produced by God, in the Gospel sense, are only such as have been regenerated and justified through their faith in Christ t. 'Obs.-Before regeneration, man hath neither the power nor the inducements necessary for performing good works; they must be derived from faith, and a love of God: and all the good which man does before conversion, though it be conformable to the law, and really good in the moral and civil sense, yet it cannot be agreeable to God, whom nothing can please but what pleases him for Christ's sake. Sect. 5. What belongs to the true nature and property of good works? That they proceed from the newness of spirits, or from the divine nature, which God restores in us through regeneration||. Whence all good works of the faithful, inasmuch as they are regenerated, proceed from a willing unrestrained spirit*; wherein they differ from the mere works of the law, and of outward show++. Sect. 6. Why is the practice of good works necessary ? 'Not to obtain forgiveness of our sins, or salvation through their merit*§, but because they follow of themselves from a right faith and regeneration, and the renewal of the spirit; (see Sect. 4.) and because, without them, and by persevering in evil practices, faith, or the spiritual life of the faithful, is extinguished, and the Holy Spirit is grieved, and at length totally lost. 'Obs.-The most righteous man can merit nothing from God by his good works; because, 1st, He owes all the good he can do to God, he being God's own property, both on account of his creation and of his redemption. 2dly, He cannot perform good actions from his own strength and abilities, but God alone does operate them in man. '3dly, His best works are still very defective, and are acceptable to God only on account of the perfect obedience of Christ which is imputed, and supplies in the faithful what is still wanting in them. 'N. B. Hence the objection, that "if we merit death by our sinful actions, we should also deserve salvation by our good deeds," falls away of course, since our sinful actions are our own, and are completely sinful. 4thly, There is no adequate proportion between the transcendent greatness of the reward and our best works, supposing them to be ever so perfect. * 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. Mat. v. 16.-2 Cor. viii. 1. Eph. ii. 10. -John xv. 16.-Mat. xii. 33. § Rom. vii. 6. 2 Pet. i. 4.--Ezek. xxxvi. 27. *. * Rom. vi. 17.-Ps. cxix. 56, 57. † Mat. vi. 1. 5. *ş Luke xvii, 10. 1 Tim. vi. 10.-Eph. iv. 39. B 3 Sect. 7. |