DEYLINGIUS, SOLOMON, a Lutheran clergyman, first at Isleben in Saxony, and afterwards Superintendent of Leipzig, and Professor of Divinity in the university of that city.-Observationes Sacrae et Miscellaneae, etc. Lipsiae, 1735-1748, 5 vol. 4to.

A particular account of the multifarious contents of this voluminous and learned work would occupy more room than can with propriety be appropriated to it here. Even a syllabus of its contents would fill many pages. It contains two hundred and thirty-one dissertations, some of them of considerable length, on difficult passages of Scripture, on various theological and critical subjects, and on some points relating to church history. It proposes to solve doubts, reconcile contradictions, answer objections, and, in short, to vindicate the word and ways of God. The erroneous sentiments of Grotius, Spinosa, Hobbes, Simon, Huet, Le Clerc, Hardt, and others, are very frequently attacked and refuted. The author was far from being unfit for such an undertaking. His learning was extensive, his sentiments orthodox, and his diligence worthy of a German divine. He is an admirable specimen of the minuteness and prolixity for which this class of theological writers is distinguished. He tells us every thing which" critics now alive, or long since dead," have written on the point in hand; exposes their mistakes, and replies to them with great form and show of argument and learning. Thus the Observationes enable a writer, if he be so disposed, with very little labour, to display a great deal more literature than he possesses. The cheapness of paper, and of the labour of the press on the continent, and the ready access to innumerable books in the vast libraries of Germany, encourage a prolixity in treating even trifles, which dare not be attempted in this country. The volumes of Deyling are, however, worth consulting; and, from the extensive indices which accompany them, the power of consulting them is greatly facilitated. The first volumes have gone through several editions, and on the continent the work is held

in greater estimation than most books in the same class of theological science.

DICK, JOHN, D. D. a dissenting presbyterian minister in Glasgow.-An Essay on the Inspiration of the Scriptures. Edinb. 1800, 12mo. 1804, 8vo. -Lectures on some passages of the Acts of the Apostles. Glasg. 1805-1808, 2 vol. 8vo. 1822, 8vo.

Dr. Dick contends for the plenary inspiration of the words, as well as the thoughts of the sacred writers, and supports this view of the subject with ability. It is altogether the best essay in the language on the subject of inspiration. His Lectures on the Acts of the Apostles are well written, though not critical, and furnish respectable specimens of pulpit exposition.

DICKINSON, EDMUND, a distinguished English physician; born 1624; died 1707.-Delphi Phoenicizantes, sive Tractatus in quo Graecos, quicquid apud Delphos celebre erat, è Josuae historia scriptisque sacris effinxisse ostenditur, etc. Oxonii, 1655, 8vo. Francof. 1670, 8vo.

In this learned and curious tract, the author endeavours to prove, that the Greeks borrowed the story of the Pythian Apollo, and all that rendered the oracle at Delphi famous, from the Holy Scriptures, and particularly from the book of Joshua. He discovers a very considerable acquaintance with the Hebrew, Arabic, and Greek languages, and a profound knowledge of antiquity. He is commended by Carpzov as a writer deserving to be consulted on the book of Joshua ; on various parts of which he throws some light. There is also added to the treatise, a Dissertation on the coming of Noah into Italy, and the names by which he was known among the heathen. There is another on the origin of the Druids. Prefixed to the work is a letter addressed to Dickinson, by Zachary Bogan, a man of very considerable philological attainments, which is full of learned extracts in support of the opinions contained in the tracts. While

this work has obtained a very considerable reputation both at home and abroad, (having been repeatedly printed on the continent,) it is a curious fact, that it was not the production of Dr. Dickinson, but of Henry Jacob, a learned puritan, and the author of several works somewhat similar in their nature. The story

of this literary theft, told by Anthony Wood, is worth extracting.

"Before I go any farther, the reader is to understand, that this our author, Jacob, being ejected in 1648, from Merton College, and so consequently from his chamber, wherein he had left a trunk full of books, as well written as printed, left Oxon. And taking no care, or appointing any friend for its security, his chamber door, before an year was expired, was broke open for a new comer, who finding the trunk there, did let it remain in its place for a time. At length, when no man inquired after it, as the then possessor thereof pretended, he secured it for his own use, broke it open, and therein discovered a choice treasure of books one of them being a manuscript, and fit for the press, he disguised and altered it with another style; and at length after he had learned Hebrew, and the Oriental languages to blind the world, and had conversed openly with those most excellent in them, as Pococke and Bogan, and any Grecian or Jew who came accidentally to the University, he published it under this title, Delphi Phoenicizantes,'" &c. (Athenæ Oxon. vol. ii. p. 90.) Thus far Wood, whose account, I believe, is entitled to credit. Dickinson was the author of several other performances, which deserve not to be mentioned in connexion with the Bible, the author having been guilty of such a piece of knavery. Henry Jacob, the real author of the above work, after struggling with poverty and many evils, died at Canterbury in the year 1652, in the 44th year of his age.

DICKSON, DAVID, Professor of Divinity, successively in the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh; born 1583; died 1662.-A brief Explanation of the Psalms. Lond. 1645-1654, 3 vol. 12mo. A brief Exposition of the Gospel accord

ing to Matthew. Ibid. 1651, 12mo.-A short Explanation of the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews. Aberd. 1635, 12mo.-Expositio analytica Omnium Epistolarum. Glasg. 1645, 4to.-An Exposition of all the Epistles. Lond. 1659, fol.

"was con

“Mr. Dickson,” says Gillies, (Hist. Col. i. 296,) cerned in, and I am ready to think, one principal mover of that concert among several worthy ministers of the Scots church, for publishing short, plain, and practical expositions upon the whole Bible. I cannot recover all their names; but I know Mr. Robert Douglas, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Robert Blair, Mr. G. Hutcheson, Mr. James Ferguson, Mr. Alexander Nisbet, Mr. James Durham, Mr. John Smith, had particular books allotted to them." The plan was never completed, nor did all the above individuals perform their task. Mr. Dickson seems very diligently to have applied to his portion, and has left a very good specimen of what he was capable of doing according to the proposed scheme. The work on the Psalms was published in three separate volumes, each containing fifty Psalms. The exposition, though brief, is not so short as to be unsatisfactory. Scarcely any thing of a critical nature occurs in it; but there is much piety, sound judgment, and correct interpretation. The small work on the Hebrews is not so satisfactory as that on the Psalms. It was the earliest effort of the author as an expositor, and designed to induce others of his brethren to publish some short commentaries on the Scriptures. None of the puritanical expositors of the period during which Mr. Dickson lived, is superior to him; and in distinctness of method and language, and point and condensation of sentiment, he is equal to any of them. Poole represents his expositions as brief, but perspicuous, ingenious and judicious. He was the author of several other theological works; Therapeutica Sacra, a work on cases of conscience, and Truth's victory over Error, which have been long popular in Scotland.

Dieu, Lewis de, a learned protestant minister, and profound oriental scholar, Professor in the

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Walloon College at Leyden; born in 1590; died in 1642.-Critica Sacra; sive Animadversiones in loca Oriental quaedam difficiliora Veteris et Novi Testamenti, etc. a De Drew, Bib Amst. 1693, fol.

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podin kunstge, The greater part of this learned work had been printed before reful puspores Ser

in detached parts, which were first collected together in this edition. The author had the honour of first editing the Syriac version of the Apocalypse with a Latin translation in 1627. He was profoundly skilled in the Arabic, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic languages. He deserves to be ranked, according to Walch and Calmet, among the most learned and skilful interpreters of the word of God. I possess a very beautiful edition of the Life of Christ, in Persic, by Xavier, with a Latin translation by De Dieu, and some valuable animadversions at the end.

DIMOCK, HENRY, a clergyman of the Church of England.-Critical and Explanatory Notes on Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the minor Prophets; together with some Dissertations on several difficult passages of Scripture, and Observations on the worship of the Serpent, &c. Lond. 1804, 4to.

These notes are almost entirely critical; and indeed chiefly occupied with the various readings of Hebrew MSS. and the ancient versions. They may prove very useful in the event of a new critical edition of the Hebrew Bible, as Mr. Dimock has evidently bestowed a good deal of labour on the collection. The Dissertations on Jeremiah xviii. 14, Amos v. 26, and Mark xi. 13, and his miscellaneous remarks on the worship of the serpent contain some ingenious criticisms. The work, on the whole, does credit to the learning of the author, and affords some aid in interpreting the Bible.

DIODATI, JOHN, an Italian divine of the reformed Church; born 1576; died 1638.-Annota