esse Græca, at phrases et sermonis structuram esse Hebræam?" (Crit. Sacr. p. 522.) And Doctor Campbell, in his Preliminary Dissertations, pronounces almost in the words of Capellus, "The phraseology is Hebrew, and the words are Greek."* The justice of these observations,

* Ernesti affirms, "Stilus Novi Testamenti recte dicatur hebræo-græcus." See p. 82, Inst. Interp. Nov. Test. Indeed the observations of this writer (p. 73-88.) are particularly worthy of attention. If the reader should be desirous to see this curious and interesting subject of the style of the New Testament fully and satisfactorily handled, I refer him to the last named work; also to Michaelis's IVth chapter on the Language of the New Testament, (Introduction, &c. vol. i. p. 97–200) and particularly to Dr. Campbell's first and second Preliminary Dissertations to his Four Gospels, &c. At the same time, I must differ widely from Dr. Campbell, when he refers (as he does in p. 20. vol. i.) to the Bishop of Gloucester's Doctrine of Grace, for the best refutation of the objections against the inspiration of Scripture derived from the want of classic purity in its language. I would on the contrary direct the reader's attention to the Dissertation on the principles of Human Eloquence, in which the bold paradoxes of the Bishop are set aside, and the argument placed upon a sound and legitimate basis, by the learned Dr. Thomas Leland, formerly a Fellow of this University.

The Bishop, it is well known, had held, that the want of purity in the writings of the New Testament supplies in itself a proof of their divine original; and had defended this position upon reasons nearly subversive of every just notion of the nature of human eloquence. Dr. Leland, on the contrary, with a due regard to the principles of eloquence,

as applying particularly to the expression in the present text, is evinced in numerous instances, adduced by Hammond and Whitby in locum. And to this very text, the passage from Isaiah,

of taste, and of common sense, and in the direct maintenance of them all against the attacks of this formidable assailant, more discreetly and successfully contended for the truth of this proposition, that "whatever rudeness of style may be discoverable in the writings of the New Tes tament, it can afford neither proof nor presumption that the authors were not divinely inspired." See p. 97, or rather indeed the whole of the judicious discussion from p. 88 to p. 118 of the Dissertation. This drew forth a reply in defence of the Bishop, which was distinguished more for point and sarcasm than for ingenuity and strength. Suspicion early fixed upon Dr. Hurd as the author. The letters of Warburton and Hurd lately published, prove the suspicion to have been just. It appears also, that Warburton himself took considerable pains to have the pamphlet printed and circulated in Ireland, (Letters, &c. pp. 352. 354.) in the confident expectation, that the Irish Professor would be completely put to silence. The effect however was otherwise. The Professor returned to the charge with renovated vigour; and by a reply, distinguished by such ability as proved to the opposite party the inexpediency of continuing the contest, closed the controversy. How complete in the public opinion, was Dr. Leland's triumph over both his mitred opponents, may easily be collected from the fact, that however anxious to give extended circulation to the castigatory Letter before it received an answer, they both observed a profound silence upon the subject ever after; and that the Letter to Dr. Leland, remaining unacknowledged by the author, was indebted for its farther publicity to the very person against whom it was directed, who

which has just been discussed bears an exact correspondence: for, as in that his soul, or life,

was to be made UN, aμagria, or as the LXX render it, weg aμagrias, a sin offering, * so here

deemed it not inexpedient, in a new edition of his tracts, to give it a place between the Dissertation which caused it and the defence which it occasioned. The critical decisions of the day were decidedly in favour of Dr. Leland. A late Review pronounces, that Leland" in the opinion of all the world completely demolished his antagonist." (Edinb. Rev. vol. xiii. p. 358.) The Critical reviews for July and November, 1764, contain some masterly pieces of criticism upon the Dissertation and the Letter. But in no work is there a more striking or more honourable tes timony borne to Dr. Leland's superiority in this controversy, than in that which is entitled Tracts by Warburton and a Warburtonian; particularly in the Dedication and Preface prefixed to the Two Tracts, which the eloquent editor describes as "Children, whom their parents were afraid or ashamed to acknowledge," and which he therefore (compassionately it certainly cannot be said) determines to present to the public notice. Of these Two Tracts Dr. Hurd's well known Letter to Dr. Jortin On the delicacy of friendship is one, and his Letter to Dr. Leland is the other and on the subject of these tracts, by which, it is added, Warburton was most extravagantly flattered, Leland most pe tulantly insulted, and Jortin most inhumanly vilified, severe justice is inflicted upon the author, by the indignant vin. dicator of the two respectable characters that had been so

*In reference probably to the very words in this passage it is, that our Saviour declares, (Matt. xx. 28.) that he gave TM un autu Autgov arti λλy, or as St. Paul afterwards expresses it, (1 Tim. ii. 6.) αντίλυτρον υπερ παντων.

Christ is said to have been made apagtia, a sin offering; and for us, as it must have been from what is immediately after added, that He knew no sin. For the exact coincidence between these

unworthily attacked. General opinion has long appropri ated this publication to a name of no mean note in the republic of Letters. Undoubtedly the vigour of concep tion, the richness of imagery, and the splendour of diction, displayed in those parts of the work which the Editor claims as his own, are such as must reflect honour upon any name. At the same time, it is much to be lamented, that talents and attainments of so high an order as manifestly belong to the writer, should have been devoted to pur, poses so little congenial with the feelings of benevolence: and that the same spirit, which pressed forward with such generous ardour to cast the shield over one reputation, should direct the sword with such fierce hostility against another; and exult in inflicting the very species of wound, which it was its highest glory to repel.

The eulogium pronounced upon Dr. Leland, I here seize the opportunity of extracting from this performance. It is sketched by the hand of a master, and is too creditable to the memory of the individual, to be passed over by any one who takes an interest in what relates either to the man, or to the University of which he was an ornament. "Of Leland, my opinion is not, like the Letter-writer's, founded upon hear-say evidence; nor is it determined solely by the great authority of Dr. Johnson, who always men, tioned Dr. Leland with cordial regard and with marked respect. It might, perhaps, be invidious for me to hazard a favourable decision upon his History of Ireland; because the merits of that work have been disputed by critics; some of whom, are, I think, warped in their judgments, by lite rary, others by national, and more, I have reason to be

passages, Vitringa (Isai. liii. 10) deserves particularly to be consulted. Among other valuable observations, he shews, that Tegi apagtias, UTTER περι αμαρτίας, υπερ αμαρτία, are all used by the

αμαρτίας,

and

lieve, by personal prejudices. But I may with confidence appeal to Writings, which have long contributed to public amusement, and have often been honoured by public approbation:―to the Life of Philip, and to the Translation of Demosthenes, which the Letter-writer professes to have not read, to the judicious Dissertation upon Eloquence, which the Letter-writer did vouchsafe to read, before he answered it,-to the spirited Defence of that Dissertation which the Letter-writer, probably, has read, but never attempted to answer. The Life of Philip contains many curious researches into the principles of government established among the leading states of Greece: many saga cious remarks on their intestine discords: many exact descriptions of their most celebrated characters, together with an extensive and correct view of those subtle in. trigues, and those ambitious projects, by which Philip, at a favourable crisis, gradually obtained an unexampled and fatal mastery over the Grecian Republics. In the Translation of Demosthenes, Leland unites the man of taste, with the man of learning, and shews himself to have possessed, not only a competent knowledge of the Greek language, but that clearness in his own conceptions, and that animation in his feelings, which enabled him to catch the real meaning, and to preserve the genuine spirit, of the most perfect orator that Athens ever produced. Through the Dissertation upon Eloquence, and the Defence of it, we see great accuracy of erudition, great perspicuity and strength of style, and, above all, a stoutness of judgment, which, in traversing the open and spacious walks of literature,