ceased in any foreign region, which was in amity with them, they there, after their customary manner burned his body, and with much folemnity transported his relicks to the place of his nativity, and at every crofs way had their appointed feasts, which were made at the expence of the relations and friends. of the defunct, which they called their Compitalia.

Laftly, they ftrewed flowers on the urns and repofitories of the dead, and adorned them with ribbands, as they did the urn of Philopamen; but they more particularly affected the ftrewing of myrtle and amaranthus, on the afhes of their de parted relations, as the Romans did that of the rofe; yet both of them did concur in the compofition of the funeral pile, which was furnished and made up of rofemary, larynx, yew, cypress, and fir, wherein it is probable were couched fome tacit hints of their furviving hopes; and in which myfterious hieroglyphics, as being trees which were perpetually verdant, were wrapped up in fome fecret inferences of a future refur rection. That this cuftom of burning the dead did afterwards by an univerfal imitation extend and fpread itself to other nations. That the druids and ruling priests were accuftomed to burn their dead is expreffed by Pomponius. That they held that practice in Gaul, Cæfar exprefly delivers. That burning the dead was used in Sarmatia, is affirmed by Gaguinus. That the Swedes and Gothlanders did frequently commit their princes and more eminent perfons to the fire, is delivered by Saxo and Olaus. That this was the old German practice, is also afferted by Tacitus. And that it was cuftomary among the Danes, feveral urns, difcovered in Jutland and Slefwick, not many years fince, do eafily evince, which contained not only bones, but many other fubftances in them, as knives, pieces of iron, brass and wood, and one of Norway a brass gilded Jews-harp. When this cuftom of burning the dead languished into difufe, is uncertain; but that it began to vanish, upon the dawning of chriftianity, as vapours and mifts fcatter be fore a morning fun, is without controverfy; but when the light of it did more vigorously reflect, like a meridian beam, on all the gloomy corners and receffes of paganism and infide lity; then this ufe of urn-burial, was wholly fuperfeded, and found a tomb itself in the more fober and feverer practice of chriftianity. And thus much fhall be faid concerning these urns digged up at Newington.'

In an Appendix the author has given the derivation of the names of almost all the owns and villages in Kent; which to those who have a tafte for etymological learning, will be no unacceptable perform ance.

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An Harmony of the Gofpels: in which the original Text is difpofed after Le Clerc's general Manner; with fuch various Readings at the Foot of the Page, as have received Wetftein's Sanction in his Folio Edition of the Greek Teftament. Obfervations are fubjoined, tending to fettle the Time and Place of the feveral Transactions, to eftablish the Series of Facts, and to reconcile feeming Inconfift encies. By William Newcome, D. D. Bishop of Offory. Folio. 11. 75. in boards. Cadell.

As S the hiftory of our Saviour is related by four different, writers, it is difficult for common readers to gain a regular idea of his various tranfactions, in the order of time. Upon this account a great number of authors have compofed Concords and Harmonies of the Gospels. Some have formed one uniform narrative out of all the four evangelifts, by adopt ing the text of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, feparately and fingly, as it has happened to be the fulleft, or the most expreffive. Such is that Harmony, or, more properly speaking, that history of our Saviour, which is afcribed to Mr. Locke * Others have ranged the words of every evangelift in a regular feries, or fubordination, stating every fact, and every difcourfe, in the words of each of them fucceffively: as Dr. Macknight. Others have thrown all the parallel paffages of the four evangelifts into collateral columns: this is the scheme, which is purfued in the Harmony now before us.

In this work the learned author has attempted, after many others, not only to harmonize the gospels, but to fhew the confiftency of the evangelifts, and to fix the time and place of the transactions recorded by them, as exactly as thefe points can be determined by internal evidence.

In purfuance of this defign he has attended to every notation of time and place, and endeavoured to enter into the manner of the evangelical writers; obferving, that particles, often thought to exprefs an immediate connection, are used with latitude; that the evangelifts are more intent on representing the fubftance of what is spoken, than the words of the speaker; that they neglect accurate order in the detail of particular incidents, though they purfue a good general method; that detached and diftant events are fometimes joined together on account of a fameness in the fcene, the person, the cause, or the confe quences; and that in fuch concife hiftories as the gospels,

*This work, though formed on the plan of Garthwaite's Harmony, published in 1630, appears by its peculiar correfpondence with Locke's Reasonablenefs of Chriftianity, to be the production of that eminent writer. See the Preface to the laft excellent edition of Locke's works.

tranfitions are often made from one fact to another, without any intimation, that important matters intervened.

The facred hiftory, as this judicious writer obferves, is not liable to any juft objection from this mode of narration. The veracity of the evangelifts is not affected by it, when their manner of writing is understood; and their hiftories afford the fame moral and religious inftruction, whether their method is loofe or exact. If, on this account, objections are more eafily started, and it becomes more difficult to reconcile feeming variations, and to frame fuch materials into a regular body of history; on the other hand, the evangelifts are more scrupuloufly examined and compared, they are ftudied jointly, as well as feparately, their confiftency ftrikes us more after an attentive investigation, all fufpicion of compact and collufion is removed, and the independence of their teftimony is eftablifhed, as far as antiquity afferts it.

It is however very fatisfactory to remark, that, when there is any clear note of time or place in one of the evangelists, the reft may always be brought to a perfect agreement with him, by easy and natural criticism: one affirming his order, which the others often neglect, but never contradi&.

But all attempts to reconcile the evangelifts, as to the general series of their facts, will, our author fays, be in vain undertaken by those, who confider St. Matthew as adhering to the ftri&tnefs of hiftorical order. This rock was long fince pointed out by bishop Richardson *, to whom a moft eminent judge of learning (archbishop Usher) gives this great elogium, that he was vir eruditiffimus, & in facrarum literarum ftudiis longè exercitatiffimus ;' and whofe harmony Mr. Whiston calls a noble attempt; and afferts, that the true order of the evangelifts had been better stated by him, than by any other.

Le Clerc thus fpeaks of the bishop's Harmony: Res ipfa oftendit poffe commodiffimè ad Lucæ ordinem referri cæteros evangeliftas; quod et ante nos oftendit vir eruditus Johannes Richardfonus, Ardachadenfis olim in Hiberniâ epifcopus, cujus harmoniam potiffimùm fecuti fumus.' And Pilkington fays,

he feems happily to have firft discovered the method, that muft generally be purfued, in order to reduce the several evangelical accounts to a proper feries.'

The learned Usher, fpeaking of this work obferves in it a fingular circumftance, ' quòd temporis ordinem folus Matthæus

John Richardfon, D. D. was an Englishman of Chefter, and bishop of Ardagh in Ireland. He wrote a Harmony, comprehending the four paffovers of our Saviour, exhibited by Ufher in his Annals. He likewife wrote Obfervations on the Old Teftament. He died 1653.

neg.

neglexiffe reperiatur." Annal. fub. an. 30. Pilkington fays, fetting afide authorities, and candidly examining the point, it will appear clearly to every reader, that it is in St. Matthew's gospel, that the true chronological order of the hiftory is neglected.'

Our author, in like manner, afferts, that chronological order is not precifely obferved by any of the evangelifts; that St. John and St. Mark obferve it most, and St. Matthew neglects it most."

Le Clerc, he thinks, has exhibited the text of the evangelists in the most useful manner; he has therefore adopted his me thod, though with much difference in the general and particular arrangement.

Excepting a few paffages, the Greek text is printed from J. J. Wetstein's folio edition of 1751, that is, in effect, from the received edition of 1624, ex Officinâ Elzeveriana. The various readings at the foot of the page are thofe, which Wetftein has fubjoined to his text; that learned editor esteeming them lectiones probatiores.

The Harmony is divided into fix parts.

The first contains the evangelical hiftory before Jefus's public miniftry, including the fpace of thirty years and fix months.

The fecond includes the tranfactions of about fix months, from his baptifm, till the beginning of the enfuing paffover.

The third begins with thefe words, John ii. 13.And the Jews paffover was at hand, and Jefus went up to Jerufalem,' &c. comprehending the transactions of twelve months from the commencement of the firft paffover.

The fourth begins with these words: John v. 1. • After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jefus went up to Jerufalem,' &c. containing the tranfactions of twelve months from the beginning of the fecond paffover.

The fifth commences with thefe words of Matthew xv. I. Then came to Jefus fcribes and pharifees, which were of Jerufalem, faying, why do thy difciples tranfgrefs the tradition of the elders,' &c. This part likewife includes the transactions of twelve months from the beginning of the third paffover.

The fixth begins with these words, Now the first day of the feaft of unleavened bread,' &c. Matt. xxvi. 17. Mar. xiv. 12. Luke xxii. 7. containing the tranfactions of three days, from the day on which the fourth paffover was killed, to the end of the day before the refurrection.

According to this account, on the day before the fourth paffover, that is, Thursday, Jefus prepares to keep the paffover. In the evening, he fits down with the twelve; there is an am

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bitious

bitious contention among the difciples; Jefus washes their feet, and foretels, that Judas would betray him. The night before the crucifixion, he foretels to the apoftles the fall of Peter, and their common danger; he inftitutes the eating of bread in remembrance of his body brøken; he comforts his difciples, John xiv; he inftitutes the drinking of wine in remembrance of his blood fhed; refumes his difcourfe to his difciples, John xiv. 31. xv. xvi; prays to his Father, John xvii; is in an agony in Gethsemane; is betrayed; is brought before Annas and Caiaphas; is thrice denied by Peter, and ftands before Caiaphas, John xviii. 19-23. In the morning of the crucifixion, he is examined before the whole Jewish council, Luke xxii. 66; he confeffes himself to be the Chrift, and is pronounced guilty of death; he is taken before Pilate, Matt. xxvii. 1. Pilate fends him to Herod, Luke xxiii. 6—12; Herod fends him again to Pilate; Pilate feeks to releafe him; but having fcourged him, and repeated his attempts to release him, he delivers him to the clamours of the Jews; and the foldiers infult him. About nine in the morning Pilate brought Jefus forth into the place called the Pavement. Judas repents, and destroys himself; Jefus is led away to Mount Calvary; is crucified, and remains on the crofs. From noon to three' there was darkness over all the land, Matt. xxvii. 45. Jefus expires. The vail of the temple is rént, the earth quakes, &c. Between three and fix in the evening, many women were beholding afar off. In the evening Jofeph of Arimathea befought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. On Saturday, or the morrow after the crucifixion (called by St. Matthew the day that followed the day of the preparation} the chief priests and pharifees came together unto Pilate to defire, that he would order the fepulchre to be secured.

The fixth part contains the tranfactions of forty days from the day of the refurrection to the afcenfion.-After fix on Saturday evening, when the Sabbath was paft, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.' On Sunday morning, the third day after the crucifixion, the earthquake happens at the fepulchre, Matt. xxviii. 2-4; and many bodies of the faints which flept arofe, Matt. xxvii. 52, 53; the women make their first visit to the fepulchre; Peter and John vifit the fepulchre; Jefus appears first to Mary Magdalene, John xx. 2. Mar. xvi. 9; appears the second time, as the women went to tell the difciples, Matt. xxviii. 9. As they were going, the watch came into the city. In the afternoon Jefus having been feen by Peter (or, as St. Paul fays, by Cephas) appears to the two difciples alfo, who went to Emaus.