154 His cation as they respect impenitent, unconvert No uninspired divine, before Doctor Hopkins, had ever fet this fubject in a proper and fcriptural light. And the benefit derived to the christian caufe, from his writings on this interesting and important fubject, is fufficient to compenfate the ftudy and labours of a whole life. P. 8. The first publication of Dr. H. was three sermons, entitled, "Sin through divine interposition, an advantage to the universe, and yet this no excuse for sin or encourage ment to it." 1759, These had a second edition in Boston 1773, and one in Edinburgh about the same time. In the year 1765 was published "An enquiry concerning the promises of the gospel, Whether any of them are made to the exercises and doings of persons in an unregenerate state? Containing remarks on two sermons, published by Dr. Mayhew' The text In 1768, a fermon which I preached in the old fouth meeting-house in Bofton was published at the defire of a number of the hearers. The title of it is, “The importance and neceffity of chriftians Donfidering Jefus Chrift in the extent of his high and glorious charter." Hebrews iii. 1. It was compofed with a defign to preach it in Bofton, as I expected foon to go there, under a conviction that the doctrine of the divinity of Chrift was much neglected, if not dif believed by a number of the ministers in Boston. In the fame year I publifhed two fermons, one from Romans vii. 7. the other from John i. 13. containing fixty-five pages in a fmall comprehenfive type. A fecond edition of thefe fermons was printed in 1793. In the year 1769 I published my anfwer to Mr. Mills of one hundred eighty four pages, octavo, on a small comprehenfive type. The following was the ti tle of it. The true flate and character of the unregenerate, fripped of all mif rep fentation and difguifi."I believe this book, with what was afterwards published on the fame fubject, was the means of fpreading and giving much real character and doings of the unrelight and conviction, with refpect to the generate; and has in a great measure put a stop to exhorting the unregenerate to do duty in order to obtain regeneration, which was very common among P. 95. preachers before that time. The bold positions, contained in these works of Dr. Hopkins,called forth remarks from several of that class of divines, who chose to be called moderate calvinists. We prefer to relate the progress of the controversy in the unaffected simplicity, and self-complacency of the Doctor's own language. In the latter end of the year 1769, or beginning of 1770, Mr. William Hart of Saybrook published a dialogue, under the following title, " Brief remarks on a number of falfe pofitions, and dangerous errours, which are spreading in the country; collected out of fundry difcouries lately published, wrote by Dr. Whitaker and Mr. Hopkins." And foon after there was a fmall pamphlet published, which was doubtlefs written by the fame Mr. Hart, which was written in a farcaftical way, without argument or reafon, in which the doctrines I, and others who agreed with me, had published were mifrepresented; attempting to fet them in a ridiculous light. And with a particular defign, as it appeared, to difgrace me before the publick, he called them Hopkintonian doctrines. This is the original of this epithet. And fince that time all who embrace the calvinistick doctrines which were published by Prefident Edwards, Doctor Bellamy, Doctor Welt of Stockbridge, and myself, have been called Hopkintonians or Hopkin fans. Thus I am become the head of a denomination, who have fince greatly increased, and in which thousands are included, and a large number of minifters, who, I believe are the most found, confiftent, and thorough calvinists; and who in general fuftain as good a character, as to their morality, preaching and perfonal religion, as any fet of clergymen whatever and are most popular where there appears to be most attention to religion: And, at the fame time, are most hated, oppofed and spoken against, by arminians, deifts, and perfons who appear to have no religion. And I believe, though this denomination or name originated from no fuch defign, that it has proved an advantage to truth and true religion, as it has given opportunity and been the occafion of collecting thofe who embrace the fcheme of chriftianity exhibited in the forementioned publications and ranking them under one ftandard. It has excited the attention and promoted enquiry into the principles and doctrines which are embraced and held by thofe of this denomination, by which light and conviction have been fpread and propagated. : Thefe writings of Mr. Hart's were published, while I was at Newport, preaching on probation. Pains were ta ken to fend and fpread them there, by those who were not friendly to my fentiments, and confequently- not friendly to me, and to my fettling in the first congregational church in Newport; with a view, no doubt, to prejudice the people of that church and congregation against me. And it had this effect, in fome measure for a time; but was foon coun teracted and loft the influence defigned; and probably had a contrary effect in the iffue. This occafioned my writing remarks on thofe publications; efpecially the dialogue, with the following title. "Animadversions on Mr. Hart's late dialogue, in a letter to a friend." This was publifhed in the spring of 1770, containing only thirty one pages. In which I did not attempt particularly to vindicate the doctrines I had published, but rather to fhow the unfairness and difingenuity of Mr. Hart, and his falfehoods, and felfcontradictions, in what he had written. Mr. Mills did not make any reply to my anfwer to him. But as I had afferted in that anfwer, that unregenerate finners do not do any duty, Mr. Hemmenway, (now Dr.) having before published eight fermons to establish the contrary, wrote a book of one hundred twenty feven pages, octavo, against me and my pofition, and published it in the year 1772. The year before, the above mentioned Mr. Hart wrote a pamphlet against Prefi dent Edwards' Differtation on the nature of true virtue, in which he repeatedly mentioned my name and writings with difapprobation. And about the fame time, Mr. Mofes Mather (now Doctor) published a piece in which he condemned fentiments found in Prefident Edwards', Doctor Bellamy's and my writ ings. As I was fenfible the difference between me and these authors originated in our different ideas of the nature of true holiness, in 1773 I published a book of two hundred twenty pages, octavo, containing, "An enquiry into the nature of true bolinefs; with an appendix,” in which I anfwered the publications above mentioned. That on the nature of true holiness had a fecond edition of one thousand five hundred copies, in the year 1791. Mr. Hart and Doctor Mather wrote no more. But Doctor Hemmenway published remarks on my an fwer to him, in 1774, containing one hundred fixty fix pages, octavo. But as little or nothing was in this added to what was contained in his first book, and it contained perfonal reflections, and too much heat and haughtiness; all which he confeffed to me afterwards in a per fonal interview, I did not think it worth while to take any publick notice of it. And I believe it was not much read, and had but little influence on the minds of any. P. 100. The other works of Dr. Hopkins are, "A dialogue concerning the slavery of Africans, &c. 1776, reprinted by the Abolition Society in New-York, 1785, with an appendix by the author."An enquiry concerning the future state of those who die in their sins," 8vo. pp. 400.1783.- -System of Doctrines, c. 2 vols. 8vo. pp. 1244. 1793. For this the author unexpectedly received nine hundred dollars."Life of Susannah Anthony; do. of Mrs. Osborn." This, we believe is a complete list of the works of Dr. H. published in his lifetime. In the present volume however are contained two tracts, which were probably esteemed worthy of preservation. The first, entitled " A Dialogue between a Calvinist and a Semicalvinist," proves, to the perfect conviction of the Semicalvinist, that he ought to be willing to be damned. After the doctrine is proved, the advantages of it are summed up by the Calvinist in the following words: It is fuited to enlarge the mind of the christian, and to extend his ideas and thoughts to objects which are great and immenfe, and to wake up the feelings and exercises of difinterested benevoJence, of fupreme love to God, and regard to the general good, which swalJows up and forgets his own perfonal in tereft, as nothing, in comparison with thefe grand objects. This will help him, in the best and easiest manner to diftinguish between true religion and false and to obtain, and maintain the evidence in his own mind, that he is a friend to God, and has that benevolence in which holiness does fummarily confist. This will prepare him to acquiefce in the eternal deftruction of those who perish, and even to rejoice in it, as ne ceffary for the glory of God, and the greatest good of the whole, in the exercife of that difinterested benevolence, which makes him to be willing to be one of that finful, wretched number, were this neceffary to answer thefe ends. P. 165, We have lately read of a curious fact respecting the alligators of the Missisippi, that, in the fall, they swallow pitch pine knots, which remain in their stomachs during their wintry torpor, and probably are chosen on account of their dif ficult digestion to keep the coats of the stomach from collapsing. If any plain honest christian wishes to exercise his intellectual diges tion, and prevent the evil effects of religious security and torpor, we recommend this tract, as contain ing as knotty a point, as he will probably find among the stores of theological nutriment, which the ingenuity of polemicks has provided. The second tract is an address to christians upon the signs of the times. Many great and good men have imagined, that they had certainly explained the prophecies of scripture; but we are inclined still to believe, notwithstanding the la bours of Dr. Hopkins, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation. A discourse by Dr. Hart of Preston, upon the death of the ex, cellent subject of these memoirs, concludes the volume. We are sorry to say, that the style of Dr. H., in these posthu mous works, is too often incorrect, vulgar, and colloquial. Instances of false grammar are not rare, and the coinage of such words as itinerate, and reluctate, adds nothing to the copiousness or purity of the English language. ART. 15. An inaugural dissertation on respiration. Submitted to the publick examination of the Faculty of Physick, under the authority of the trustees of Columbia college, in the state of Newyork, the Rt. Rev.Benjamin Moore, D.D. pres ident; for the degree of Doctor of Physick, on the 12th day of November, 1805. By Thomas Cock, citizen of the state of NewYork. New-York, printed by T. & J. Swords. 1805. In an inaugural dissertation we look not for novelty, but we have a right to expect accuracy; and our opinion of the candidate for collegiate honours is drawn from the principles and sentiments he has adopted. The author of the dissertation before us has evidently given some time to the investigation of the subject which he discusses, and the work contains useful information. We regret, that it is not marked by that accuracy which we are authorized to expect, and which in scientifick works is peculiarly necessary. The only opinions which are new to us, or to the medical world in general, are those quoted from Mr. Davy. We regret, that we have not had the good fortune to see, and cannot procure the works of Mr. Davy. The opinion, that azote as well as oxygen is absorb ed by the pulmonick blood, we surely cannot controvert, and so far as speculation will authorize us we are disposed to subscribe to it. The other opinion, adopted from Davy, cannot be so easily admitted. This is, that air, or the mixure of oxygenous and azotick gasses, not oxygen and azote which form the base of air, is received into the blood.* Dr. Cock has quoted no experiments which confirm this opinion, and it is not so plausible, as to command assent unsupported by facts. Is this precisely Mr. Davy's opinion? We understand it so from Dr. Cock's dissertation; but a reference to Thompson and Bostock has led us to suspect, that Mr. D. believes only, that Baygen and azote are absorbed. THE author of the above men, tioned work observes in his preface that, "In what relates to South America, Dr. Robertson's History has been implicitly followed. His arrangement of the subject, his chronological order, and his very style have been adopted, as the best that can be chosen. To condense his details, to introduce only the most prominent and characteristick events,has been the principal effort, and invariable purpose of the epitomizer: endeavouring, as he progressed, to preserve unbroken the connexion and continuity of events; and in the whole, to present the reader with a brief, but interesting view, of one of the most important æras in the annals of the world." The author appears to have been considerably successful in the execution of his proposed plan. The History commences with the dis covery of America by Columbus, and relates the formidable difficulties he was obliged to encounter ; the talents and perseverance which he exhibited in combating those difficulties; and the ungrateful and ungenerous returns which the Spanish nation made to his emìnent services. It relates the succeeding discoveries of the new world; the conquest of the Mexican and Peruvian empires; and concludes with their entire subjec tion to the kingdom of Spain. The second volume begins with relating the conjectures which have been made respecting the peopling of America; it gives the character of the Indian natives; the state of the British colonies at the termination of the French war; of their altercation with the parent coun. try; it proceeds to give a general sketch of the American war, and the acceptance of the federal constitution; it inserts the farewell address of General Washington, in 1796; and concludes with a description of his person. Though this work is a compilation almost entirely in the words of other authors, it contains much useful information for those read ers, who have not time to peruse, and cannot easily procure larger accounts. NOTICES Of First Lines of the Practice of Physick. By William Cullen, M. D. &c. With practical and explanatory notes, by John Roth eram, M. D. New York Printed by L. Nicholls, for L. Riley & Co. WE are rejoiced to see Cullen in a decent American dress. Per, haps his general correctness, his incontrovertible practice, and his unparalleled popularity, entitle him to more elegant habiliments than those in which he here appears before us. It is unnecessary to recommend Cullen's practice of physick to the perusal of physicians. We ven ture to advise the medical tyro to fix all the practical part of the work firmly in his memory. He will find more advantage from be ing thoroughly possessed of it, than from running through a hundred of your Darwins and Beddoes's, and others like them. The theory of spasm and collapse, on which Cullen prided himself as the greatest effort of his genius, is fallen with many more theories, and will be followed by others innumerable, till physicians return to Hippocrates, and learn to observe na, ture, before they reason on her operations. The loss of this theory does not affect the practice of Cullen, which remains a model of excellence. The edition before us is execut ed with a good type, on tolerable paper, and is about as free from typographical errours, as Amer ican editions of medical works generally are. This work was for merly printed in four volumes, then compressed to two, and now the printer has contrived to com. pel the whole into a single volume. Hence the type appears very crowded, and the notes are in a character so small, as barely to be legible. It is copied from Rother am's edition. That by Reid is la ter, and the notes are more appro priate, though fewer in number, Bosquillon, the French translator of Cullen, has given very copious and valuable notes on this work. These would be a considerable ac quisition to English medical litera. ture. They would enhance the value of Dr. Cullen's book, and at the same time possess the advan tage of affording a comparative view of French and English med icine. We have been informed, that it is contemplated to publish this work at Worcester. It is desira. ble, that it should appear in a style suited to the merits of the work, and to the extensive circulation insured it, The alteration of names of medical simples and compounds, to those of the last Edinburgh pharmacopeia or dis pensatory, would increase the val ue of the book, and save students |