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great nation. The chains which had so long bound down the human intellect are burst, and reason, awakening from its slumber, beholds a brighter era dawn upon the world. The shades of ignorance and error, of intolerance and superstition, which so long obscured the glorious light of the Gospel appear to be rapidly dispersing; and we may hope soon to behold the Sun of Righteousness from its meridian height, diffusing its cheering and salutary beams into every region of the civilized world.

So auspicious is the period, so animating the encouragement, when you, my young friends, are called on to qualify yourselves for diffusing religious instruction and forwarding the triumph of Gospel truth and Gospel morality. The harvest is prepared; your gracious Lord calls you to reap that harvest. Oh! be not slothful labourers-and when the solemn hour for rendering an account of your labours shall arrive, may you be surrounded by a multitude of your fellow-creatures and fellow-Christians, whom, by the assisting grace of God, you have trained in the path of truth and piety, and conducted from strength to strength, until they shall appear along with you, at the judgment-seat of their and your Redeemer, a living and a glorious proof of your zeal in his service and your conformity to his will; and He will accept the proof-in the assembly of men and angels will He record your praise and reward your exertions. "Then shall those that be wise, shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they who turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."

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REGULATIONS FOR THE EXAMINATION

DIRECTED BY

THE STATUTE FIXING THE DUTIES OF THE PROFESSORSHIP OF DIVINITY.

No student shall be permitted to answer the examination who has not taken the degree of bachelor of arts, and attended diligently two terms of divinity lectures.

The students who intend to answer the examination, must give in their names to the professor of divinity, on or before the 8th day of July in each year.

No student shall be capable of obtaining a Downes's exhibition, who has not answered the divinity examination with credit.

A premium of £20, or such less sum as the professor of divinity shall deem adequate, shall be given to the best answerer.

If twelve candidates answer the examination, a second premium of £10 shall be given, or such less sum as shall be deemed adequate.

If eighteen candidates, a third premium of £5, and so in addition for every six additional candidates, an additional premium of £5.

And it is further resolved that, with respect to the premiums of £5 each, the professor of divinity, should circumstances occur which may render it advisable to give the said Premiums, not for general answering in the whole business of the examination, but for eminent merit in one or more parts thereof, shall certify the same to the board, who will make such order as shall be deemed best suited to the particular case.

The senior fellows, and the assistants to the catechist and the divinity lecturer, shall have liberty to attend the examination, but no other person whatsoever.

The examination for the present year shall take place on Thursday and Friday the 23rd and 24th of November.

The prælections delivered by the professor of divinity last year, on the study of the Old Testament, will be printed when he shall be able to add to them those he is preparing on the study of the New Testament, and thus complete the system of directions for the study of the Scriptures. In the mean time the following books are recommended to the students preparing for the examination to be held by the professor of divinity next November.

On the Old Testament.

Introductory matter, on the authors and contents of the books of the Old Testament.-Bishop of Lincoln's Elements of Theology, or Gisborne's Survey of the Christian Religion, and Croxall's Scripture Politics.

Authenticity and truth of the history, with a view of the chief objections advanced against it.-Graves's Lectures on the Pentateuch.-Along with the Lectures on the Pentateuch, the student may read Leslie's Short Method with the Deists, and either the Bishop of Lincoln's Elements of Theology, or Gisborne's Survey.

On the Prophecies.

Newton on the Prophecies. With respect to the prophecies on the Messiah, the best summary of them is found in Allix's Reflections on the Historical and Prophetical Books of the Old Testament, and the accomplishment is accurately traced in his Reflections on the New Testament, both republished in Watson's Tracts, vol. 1. The student should also read with care, Bishop Chandler's (Edward) Defence of Christianity, from the Prophecies of the Old Testament; and may with advantage study Kett's History the Interpreter of Prophecy.

With respect to the New Testament.

Introductory matter in Percy's Key to the New Testament, or in the Bishop of Lincoln's Elements of Theology, or Gisborne's Survey.

The authenticity of the New Testament is fully proved in Paley's Evidences, part i. chap. 9 and 10; and the truth of the history in the rest of that excellent work : the original and important argument for the genuineness and truth of the Acts, and the Epistles of St. Paul, brought forward by the same author in his Hora Paulinæ, should not be overlooked.

In Dean Graves's Essay on the Character of the Apostles and Evangelists, an attempt is made to vindicate them from the imputation of enthusiasm. Many of the topics in this work will be found supplemental to those discussed by Paley; Gisborne's Survey should also be read on this subject.

On Ecclesiastical History.

Gisborne's Survey should be read with care; also Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History.

On the Creeds, Articles, and Liturgy of the Church of England, the following Books are recommended:

The Extract from Leland and Porteus read in College, Secker's Lectures, Pearson on the Creed, Burnet on the Thirty-nine Articles, The Bishop of Lincoln on the Thirty-nine Articles, and Welchman on the Thirty-nine Articles, Butler's Analogy, Secker's Six Sermons against Popery.

N. B. The professor, in his private lectures, will endeavour to point out such parts of these various books as require peculiar attention on each distinct subject.

End of the list of books required for the examination.

To this list is added the catalogue of books recommended by the Bishop of Lincoln in the Preface to his Elements of Theology, with some remarks and additional references by the editor.

"I shall subjoin," says the bishop, "a list of books which every clergyman ought to possess; and it is greatly to be wished that the purchase of them should be considered as a necessary part of the expenses of the education of a person designed for our holy profession. It will be remembered that I am not describing the library of a learned divine, but of a respectable and useful parish priest.

"I shall divide these books into four classes: the first, containing such as relate to the exposition of the Old and New Testaments; the second, such as serve to establish the divine authority of the Scriptures; the third, such as explain the doctrines and discipline of the Church of England and the duties of its ministers; and the fourth, miscellaneous, including sermons and ecclesiastical history.

CLASS THE FIRST.

BIBLE, with marginal references, 8vo. Cruttwell's Concordance of Parallels, 4to.

Butterworth's Concordance, 8vo.
Patrick, Lowth, and Whitby, on the
Old and New Testament, 6 vols.
folio, or 7 vols. 4to.

Gray's Key to the Old Testament, 8vo. Home's Scripture History of the Jews, 2 vols. 8vo.

Parkhurst's Greek Lexicon, 4to.

Campbell's Translation of the Gospels, 2 vols. 4to.

Marsh's Michaelis, 6 vols. 8vo.

Doddridge's Family Expositor, 6 vols. Bowyer's Conjectures on the New Tes

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The Lord Bishop of Durham, in the Primary Charge to his Clergy, delivered in 1792, gives the following advice:

"In reading the New Testament, I recommend DODDRIDGE'S FAMILY EXPOSitor, as an impartial interpreter and faithful monitor. Other expositions and commentaries might be mentioned, greatly to the honour of their respective authors; but I know of no expositor who unites so many advantages as Doddridge; whether you regard the solidity of his version, the fulness and perspicuity of his composition, the utility of his general and historical information, the impartiality of his doctrinal comments; or, lastly, the piety and pastoral earnestness of his moral and religious applications; indeed, for all the most valuable purposes of a commentary on the New Testament, the Family Expositor cannot fall too early into the hands of those intended for Holy Orders."

Remarks on the Bishop of Lincoln's list, referring to some Books which may be more easily procured in Dublin than those mentioned by the Bishop, or which may with advantage be read to illustrate the same subjects.

Class the 1st, such as relate to the exposition of the Scripture

Were the Bishop to republish this part of his catalogue now, I venture to affirm that he would recommend the Family Bible with notes, selected by the Rev. George D'Oyley, and the Rev. Richard Mant, chaplains to his grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, and under the sanction of the Society for promoting Christian knowledge, now publishing in numbers. I have seen the notes to the end of the Second Book of Chronicles, and the selection appears to me most judicious and satisfactory, while it is unusually brief, and supplies the most recent information. Every student should also be furnished with some copy of the Septuagint, and of the Greek Testament, with a continued text, if he can procure one. Mills's, Wetstein's, or Griesbach's, rank highest in public opinion; and the "Criseos Griesbachianæ in Novum Testamentum Synopsis," edited by Professor White at Oxford, in one vol. small 8vo. 1811, places the result of the learned and laborious Griesbach's extended researches on the interesting subject of various readings within the reach of every student. Professor White has also published a Greek Testament from Griesbach's text.

Schleusner's Lexicon of the New Testament also ranks high for learning and accuracy.

Some Concordance is indispensable; Cruden's, which is very good, may be procured more easily in Dublin than those mentioned by the bishop.

Warden's Heads of the Bible is the most full common-place book to the Bible I have seen.

Calmet's Dictionary of the Bible, 3 vols. 4to. His Scripture Illustrated, and Scripture Geography, 2 vols. 4to. are full of useful and curious information illustrating the Scriptures.

Harmer's Observations on Scripture from Voyages and Travels into the East, 4 vols. 8vo. and Burder's Oriental Customs, 2 vols. 8vo. are also most interesting and instructive. And Bryant on the Plagues of Egypt supplies curious and convincing proofs how exactly the Divine judgments in that instance were adapted to the peculiar circumstances of the case. But I forbear entering further into remarks of this nature at present, and only add the following books, which the student may with advantage combine with those commentaries and translations of the Scriptures mentioned by the bishop.

Lowth's Praelections on the Hebrew Poetry, and his translation of Isaiah.Blayney's Jeremiah.

I also would recommend the Rev. Peter Roberts's Harmony of the Epistles, 1 vol. 4to. printed at Cambridge at the University Press, with the sanction of the Syndicate, in the year 1800. This work will be found very useful in comparing the different Epistles, and illustrating this part of the sacred volume.

Second Class.-Books establishing the divine authority of the Scriptures-which may be advantageously added to those the bishop has recommended. The Jew's Letters to Voltaire, 2 vols. 8vo.

Douglas's Criterion of Miracles, 1 vol. 8vo.

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