cessary to describe it minutely. Perhaps the best title of it would have been an imitation of the celebrated work of Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Mosaic Laws. It contains theology; but theology of a philosophical or political nature. It discovers great compass of knowledge and power of thinking, and throws considerable light on the wisdom and design of many of the peculiar laws of Moses. But I do not consider it a book fitted to do service to religion. There is a levity, a secularity, and a grossness in it, which are calculated to do infinite mischief. Some parts of it are rather like the sportings of a debauched anatomist, than the grave discussions of a philosophical Professor on the laws of God. Yet such is the state of Germany, that Michaelis could deliver, in the vernacular language, from the professorial chair, what Dr. Smith durst not print in English.

Besides these, Michaelis was the author of many other works in German and Latin. Among the most important in the latter language are his Spicilegium Geographiae Hebraeorum exterae post Bochartum, in two parts, 1769-1780, 4to. and his Supplementa ad Lexica Hebraica, in six parts, 1784-1792, 4to. His works on the Chaldaic, Syriac, and Arabic languages, are all very valuable. There was also published in England, by him, -Epistolae de LXX. Hebdomatibus Danielis, etc. Lond. 1773, 8vo.

These letters were addressed to Sir John Pringle, and contain some ingenious but rather singular views of the celebrated prophecy of Daniel.

MICHAELIS, JOHN GEORGE, a connexion of the same family; Professor of Divinity at Halle.Observationes Sacrae. Ultraj. 1728, 12mo. Amst. 1752.

These dissertations are on the heart and brain of victims offered in sacrifice; on cutting on account of the dead; on the conduct of Elisha to the children of Bethel; on the dog as a prophetic symbol; on the cloven tongues of fire; on the shewbread, and on one or two other subjects. They are not of great importance, and the volume has long been scarce.

MICHAELIS, J. H.-MIDDLETON, CON.

317

MICHAELIS, JOHN HENRY, another learned theologian of the same family; born in 1668; died 1738.—Biblia Hebraica ex aliquot MSS. et compluribus impressis codicibus, etc. Halae, 1720, 2 vol. 8vo.

This is a very excellent edition of the Hebrew Bible. It contains the first collection of various readings by a Christian editor of the Hebrew Scriptures. There are also prolegomena and short marginal notes by the editor. Almost all the celebrated men of this name were, on the whole, attached to orthodox sentiments; and discovered a seriousness of disposition throughout their critical pursuits. This remark, however, will not apply to John David, with whom the name of Michaelis is now almost exclusively associated.

MIDDLETON, CONYERS, D. D. a celebrated divine of the Church of England; born 1683; died 1750.-A Free Inquiry into the Miraculous Powers which are supposed to have subsisted in the Christian Church, from the earliest ages through several successive centuries, by which it is shewn, that we have no sufficient reason to believe, upon the authority of the primitive Fathers, that any such powers were continued to the Church after the days of the Apostles. Lond. 1749, 4to.

This work produced one of the most remarkable controversies which was agitated in England during the last century. Middleton's attacks on the Fathers were supposed to be levelled indirectly against Christianity itself, and to be subversive of its truth. He was repulsed without mercy or justice; and there is some reason to fear, that, if the controversy did not find him an infidel, it left him one. In 1747, he published an Introductory Discourse to a larger work, concerning the miraculous powers. This was immediately attacked by Dr. Stebbing, in Observations on a Book entitled, An Introductory Discourse, and by

Dr. Chapman, in the Jesuit Cabal farther opened. Both these publications were anonymous. Dr. Middleton replied to them, in Remarks on two Pamphlets lately published. Then appeared his Free Inquiry. This was replied to by Dr. Parker, in The Expediency of the Miraculous Powers of the Christian Fathers; by Dr. Church, in A Vindication of the Miraculous Powers which subsisted in the first three centuries of the Christian Church; by Dr. Brooke, in An Examination of Dr. Middleton's Free Inquiry; by Dr. Church, a second time, in An Appeal to the Serious and Unprejudiced; by Dr. Dodwell, in A Free Answer to Dr. Middleton's Free Inquiry; and by Mr. Jackson, in Remarks on Dr. Middleton's Free Inquiry. Various other writers were also engaged in the controversy. Middleton left a reply which was published after his death. It was entitled, A Vindication of the Free Inquiry from the Objections of Dr. Dodwell and Dr. Church. The Doctor was defended by Mr. Yates and Mr. Toll. The discussion is worthy of attention; for, though the combatants on both sides carried matters too far, considerable information may be collected from them, on the character and testimony of the Fathers, the nature of miracles, and of the evidence which is necessary to authenticate them, and on other points closely connected with the Christian revelation.

MIDDLETON, T. F. Bishop of Calcutta; died 1822. The Doctrine of the Greek Article applied to the Criticism and Illustration of the New Testament. Lond. 1808, 8vo.

This is a book of profound learning, and most masterly criticism. The first part of it is occupied with an inquiry into the nature and uses of the Greek article, and the second contains the application of the views previously established to the interpretation of many passages in the New Testament. The extensive philological attainments of the learned writer are made most happily to bear on a number of difficult texts, and especially on some in which the doctrine of the divinity of Christ is contained. This path of criticism was first opened by the excellent Granville Sharp; but none has prosecuted it with so much abi

lity and industry as Dr. Middleton. The Eclectic reviewer of this work thus concludes a very able article: "We regard Dr. Middleton's second part as a more original, and a more serviceable accession to the treasures of biblical philology than the confessedly meritorious labours of Bos, Elsner, and Raphelius."

horned

MILL, JOHN, a clergyman of the Church of England; a celebrated Greek scholar, and editor, who wilso of the New Testament; born 1645; died 1707

Novum Testamentum Graecum cum Lectionibusqwetitem & me variantibus MSS. etc.

Oxon. 1707, fol.

The various readings of this critical edition are reckoned about 30,000. The learned editor spent nearly thirty years on the work, and died within fourteen days after it was completed. The text is that of Robert Stephens's edition, 1550. The ancient

versions and Fathers, as well as MSS. were ransacked by Mill for various readings. The prolegomena and notes are very valuable; but he leaves, in general, to future critics, the application of the materials which he provided for the amendment of the text. Dr. Whitby attacked the work in his Examen Millii ; but Michaelis, Marsh, Harwood, and indeed every critical scholar, speak strongly of its merits.

The following are the principal objections to Mill, most of which admit of a sufficient answer, or a very satisfactory apology. He is painfully accurate in regard to trifles, and readings that are evidently mere errata. He pays too much attention to the Vulgate version. His opinions in the prolegomena, and in the various readings under the text, of particular MSS. are often incomplete and erroneous. In his extracts from the oriental versions, he has recourse to the Latin translations of them in Walton's Polyglot. He frequently gives an opinion where it is superfluous, and decides positively in cases where neither of the readings has a manifest superiority of evidence.

MILTON, JOHN, the celebrated author of Paradise Lost; born in London, 1608; died in 1674.Prose Works, with Life by Toland. Amst. 1698, 3 vol. fol.-The same, with Life by Birch. Lond.

1738, 2 vol. fol.-The same, with Life by Dr. SymLond. 1806, 7 vol. 8vo.

mons.

That the author of Paradise Lost was well acquainted with the Scriptures, is abundantly evident from that immortal production of his muse. His prose writings still farther illustrate this fact. Those of them relating to the Scriptures, which have been published, are chiefly of a controversial nature. The chief of these are, The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce; Tetrachordon, or, Expositions upon the four chief places in Scripture which treat of marriage or nullities in marriage; Colasterion, or a reply to a nameless answer against the Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce; the Judgment of Martin Bucer concerning divorce; of Reformation touching Church Discipline in England; the Reasons of Church Government. Few readers will agree with the poet in the positions found in the former class of these writings, and many will differ from him in the latter. All, however, will acknowledge the power of his writing, and the poetical ardour with which he pursues every topic. It is to be hoped that the work lately discovered in MS. De Cultu Dei, will speedily appear. It will probably contain less controversy, and more of that serious and softened piety, which, it would be gratifying to find, distinguished the latter days of the afflicted and noble-minded bard. As the advocate of the rights of conscience, and the ever-intrepid defender of his country's wrongs, notwithstanding his faults, he is entitled to notice in every work relating to the liberties, the learning, or the religion of England.

MINTERT, PETER, a learned Dutch theologian, who died about the beginning of the last century.— Lexicon Graeco-Latinum in Novum Testamentum Jesu Christi, etc. Francof. 1728, 4to.

This is a valuable lexicon to the New Testament, and was more appealed to than any other, previously to the publication of Schleusner. The above edition is prefaced by Pritius. The references to the Hebrew Scriptures and the Septuagint are exceedingly numerous. It supplies the place of a concordance, as well as of a lexicon.