writers, that I have read, in any language. When I apply (says he) the term grace to compositions of genius, I would resemble it to that easy air, which so remarkably distinguishes persons of a genteel and liberal cast. It consists, not only in the particular beauty of single parts, but it arises from the general symmetry and construction of the whole. An author may be just in his sentiments, lively in his figures, and clear in his expression; yet may have no claim to be admitted into the rank of finished writers. Those several members must be so agreeably united, as mutually to reflect beauty upon each other. Their arrangement must be so happily disposed, as not to admit of the least transposition, without manifest prejudice to the entire piece. The thoughts, the metaphors, the allusions, and the diction should appear easy and natural, and seem to arise like so many spontaneous productions, rather than as the effects of art or labour. Whatever, therefore, is forced, or affected in the sentiments, whatever is pompous or pedantick in the expression, is the very reverse of grace. Her mein is neither that of a prude nor a coquette. She is regular without formality, and sprightly without being fantastical. Grace, in short, is to good writing what a proper light is to a fine picture; it not only shows all the figures in their several proportions and relations, but shows them in the most advantageous manner. As gentility, to resume my former illustration, appears in the minutest action, and improves the most inconsiderable gesture, so grace is discovered in the placing even of a single word, or the turn of a mere expletive. expletive. Neither is this inexpressible quality confined to one species of composition only, but extends to all the various kinds; to the humble pastoral as well as to the lofty epick from the slightest letter to the most solemn discourses. I know not whether Sir William Temple may be considered as the first of our prose authors, who introduced a graceful manner into our language. At least that quality does not seem to have appeared early, or spread far amongst us. But wheresoever we may look for its origin, it is certainly to be found in its highest perfection, in the essays of a gentleman, whose writings will be distinguished so long as politeness and good sense have any admirers. That becoming air, which I realy esteemed the criterion of fine composition, and which, every reader, he says, imagines so easy to be imitated, yet will find so difficult to attain, is the prevailing characteristick of all that excellent author's most excellent performances. In a word, one may justly apply to him what Plato, in his allegorical language, says of Aristophanes; that the graces, having searched all the world round, for a temple, wherein they might forever dwell, settled at last in the breast. of Mr. Addison ! Librum tuum legi & quam diligentissime potui annotavi, quæ commutanda, que eximends, arbitrarer. Nam ego dicere verum assuevi. Neque ulli patientius reprebenduntur, quais qui maxime laudari merentur. PLIN. ART. 38. The Constitution and Associate Statutes of the Theological Seminary in Andover; with a Sketch of its Rise and Progress. Published by order of the Trustees. Boston, published by Farrand, Mallory & Co. 1808. 8vo. pp. 68. The essential and practical tenets of our religion too have been explain. ed and illustrated by a long line of as able, and amiable, and sincerely pious men, as, considering the cir cumstances of our country, the world has ever seen. But in that department of Theology, which is called eritical and exegetical, which has for its object, the investigation of the origin and state of the sacred text, and which brings to the illustration of its meaning, all the multiplied and important lights, which are thrown on it by Christian, Jewish, and even Pagan antiquities, we have been, to speak very moderately, a century behind the theologians of Europe. Of late years indeed the spirit of inquiry has been awakened among us, and the first advance towards im WE Consider the establishment of the Institution in Andover as the most important event, which has occurred in the ecclesiastical history of our country. The ingenuity and activity of our Divines have been hitherto almost exclusively directed to what may be called the Metaphysicks of theology; and this field has been explored by them with an acuteness and penetration, which has never been surpassed,and perhaps never equalled. It was the labours of Jonathan Ed-provement, has been made by a pretwards, which first gave a plausible, or even intelligible statement of the distinguishing doctrines of Calvin ism; and the school of divines, who take their denomination from the late Dr. Hopkins, in defending his opinions and carrying them to their proper consequences, have displayed a subtlety of disquisition, which would not have disgraced the most eminent of the followers of Aquinas. ty general discovery of the extent of our ignorance. Whether the institution of which we speak had its origin in this discovery, we do not venture to say. But as such an institution, if conducted with only tolerable, ability, must ultimately tend to lessen the evil under which we suffer, we heard of its establishment with the greatest and most unaffected delight. The question, whether the principles of those, who founded it, were, in our opinion, free from errour, was to us of comparative unimportance. Although we are at least as confident as we ought to be, of the general correctness of the principles, we have embraced, we are far from believing, that we have such a complete exemption from errour, as to wish that they should universally prevail, without further inquiry and scrutiny. We believe, that it is among the most important reasons for the permission of the existence of so much division of sentiment among christians, to nourish a perpetual spirit of investigation and activity on the subject of religion; and of consequence we believe it even criminal for any man to repose in the opinion, that he has arrived at the acquisition of all truth, to wrap himself up in consciousness of complete infallibility, and never to allow his quiet to be disturbed by discussion or doubt. We endeavour to keep all our sentiments open to improvement and modification from the discoveries of learning and investigation, and if it were the only tendency of this iustitution, to promote learning and investigation, under the influence of piety, we would join with the directors in laying the first stone of their seminary, and, from the bottom of our hearts, would pray, felix faustumque sit. We profess then, before we commence the review of this pamphlet, that we rejoice in the foundation of a Theological Academy at Andover; we do not lament that it is directed by men, whose opinions differ from ours, and our only inquiry will be, whether the principles, on which it is established, are such, as, in any degree to impair or destroy the good, which such an institution is calculated to effect. We are first presented with a "Historick Sketch," which, from the title page, we presumed would give us a complete account of the rise and progress of the seminary. We find, however, it gives us only an account of the "connexion between Phillips Academy and the Institu tion." It contains a very deserved eulogy of the munificence of the Phillips family, in which we very cordially concur. On such a subject it was scarcely possible that praise should be too extravagant. We cannot conceal our surprize, however, that in a tract, which professes so much, we should find no explanation of the appearance of a coalition between two distinct bodies of men, which the statutes disclose. The nature and grounds of it are certainly not so obvious, as to be discerned without comment, and why none is given, is to us perfect. ly inexplicable. We will endeavour to supply the defect for our readers, in the best manner we are able; but as we are left without a guide, we are not secure from errour. We shall found our conjectures only on what we can collect from the pamphlet before us, and make use of no information, which we may have derived from any other quarter. With· private report, when we write for the publick, we can have nothing inary. To the "Historick Sketch" succeeds the "Constitution," as established under the names of these persons. From this constitution we learn that it was the intention of the Founders to endow an institution for the support and dissemination of principles strictly Calvinistick, as they are contained in the "Assembly's Shorter Catechism." William Bartlet, Moses Brown and John Norris Esqs influenced by the same honourable spirit with the Phillips family and Mr. Abbot, have likewise devoted a most munificent sum to a similar object. To this second instance of splendid liberality we again give our ready and sincere eulogy. Whether their donation was originally intended for the institution in Andover, we find nothing in the pamphlet to inform us. We however presume not; since, as we shall attempt to show, it is given to support very different principles, and guarded from perversion by the most jealous restrictions. It is, in short,evidently intended to establish principles, as purely Hopkinsian,as the other donation was to establish principles purely Calvinistic. We do not mean to say, that the very respectable persons who gave these donations had any other intention, than to contribute to the diffusion of pure and unmixed Christianity cannot be imagined, that we mean the slightest disrespect to either of them, when we suppose, that the points of distinction between these sects or perhaps of any others, have never occupied a very great share of their studies It has so happened we presume, that the management of the donations of the one has been committed to those, who call themselves Calvinists; and of the other to those, who consider themselves Hopkinsians. We hold these Gentle men therefore, as standing clear of It any of the defects which this establishment may contain, and towards them we feel no other sentiments, than those of admiration of their generosity, and reverence of their piety. We leave them entirely out of the question in the observations we are about to make, and shall speak in future of the two funds under the convenient denominations of the Cal vinistick and Hopkinsian. But a It might perhaps be supposed, as "the Associate Statutes" make it necessary that the Professors on that foundation shall be "arthodox and consistent Calvinists," (page 51) that either the distinction we have made does not exist, or that the peculiarities of the Hopkir sians had been given up to promote the gener al design of the Institution. nearer examination of these Statutes will disabuse us of this error. We do not see that the " Associate Founders" have yielded a single inch of important ground. Every peculiar and distinguishing feature of Hopkinsianism is visible we think in their creed, though indeed concealed under a studied latitude and ambiguity of phraseology, which seems designed to adopt it to the different dimensions of the consciences of either party. These are assertions which we are aware convey a very unpleasant insinuation, and require to be supported by very indisputable proofs. We shall endeavour then to show that almost every peculiar principle of the Hopkinsians may be discerned in this creed, which both Hopkinsians and Calvinists have united in signing. We shall first of all quote this creed at length, and beg our readers to compare the loose and indeterminate expressions, in which those parts which appear to touch on the differences between the Calvinists and Hopkinsians are clothed, with the precise and unqualified decisions on the points, in which those sects differ from other Christians. I believe that there is one and but one living and true God; that the word of God, contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, is the only perfect rule of faith and practice; that agreeably to those Scriptures God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth; that in the Godhead are three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and that these Three are One God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; that God created man after his own image in knowledge, righteousness. and holiness; that the glory of God is man's chief end, and the enjoyment of God his supreme happiness; that this enjoyment is derived solely from conformity of heart to the moral character and will of God; that Adam, the federal head and representative of the human race, was placed in a state of probation, and that in consequence of his disobedience all his descendants were constituted sinners; that by nature every man is personally depraved, destitute of holiness, unlike and opposed to God, and that previously to the renewing agency of the Divine Spirit all bis moral actions are adverse to the character and glory of God; that, being morally incapable of recovering the image of his Creator, which was lost in Adam, every man is justly exposed to eternal damnation; so that, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God; that God, of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity elected some to everlasting life, and that he entered into a covernant of grace to deliver them out of this state of sin and misery by a Redeemer; that the only Redeemer of the elect is the eternal Son of God, who for this purpose became man, and continues to be God and man in two distinct natures and one person forever; that Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the office of a Prophet, Priest, and King; that, agreeably to the covenant of redemption, the Son of God, and he alone, by his suffering and death, has made atonement for the sins of all men; that repentance, faith, and holiness, are the personal requisites in the Gospel scheme of salvation; that the righteonsness of Christ is the only ground of a sin ner's jutsification; that this righteousness is received through aith; and that this faith is the gift of God; so that our salvation is wholly of grace; that no means whatever can change the heart of a sinner and make it holy; that regeneration and sanctification are effects of the creating and renewing agency of the Holy Spirit, and that supreme love to God constitutes the essential difference between saints and sinners; that by convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds, working faith in us, and renewing our wills, the Holy Spirit makes us partakers of the benefits of redemption; and that the ordinary means, by which these benefits are communicated to us, are the word, sacraments, and prayer; that repentance unto life, faith to feed upon Christ, love to God, and new obedience, are the appropriate qualifications for the Lord's supper; and that a christian church ought to admit no person to its holy communion, before he exhibit credible evidence of his godly sincerity; that perseverance in holiness is the only method of making our calling and election sure; and that the final perseverance of saints, though it is the effect of the special operation of God on their hearts, neces sarily implies their own watchful diligence; that they, who are effectually called, do in this life partake of justification, adoption, and sancti cation, and the several benefits, which do either accompany or low from them; that the souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immedi ately pass into glory; that their bodies, being still united to Christ, will at the resurrection be raised up to glory and that the saints will be inade perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity; but that the wicked will awake to shame and everlasting contempt and with devils, be plunged into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone forever and ever. I moreover believe that God, according to the counsel of his own will, and for his own glory, hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass, and that all beings, actions, and events, both in the natural and mural world, are un der his providential direction; that God's decrees perfectly consist with human liberty; God's universal agency with the agency of man; and man,s dependence with his accountability; that man has understanding and corporeal strength to |