of Grace, &c. According to his Lordfhip, [and according to many others too] the Methodists are a fect of fanatics, pretending to divine illumination, and the character of Saints. But the peculiar and poignant manner in which the Bishop speaks of Methodifm, is worth efpecial notice: Mr. Law, fays he, begat it, Count Zinzendorf rocked the cradle, and the Devil himself was man-midwife to their New Birth. This drollery is very offenfive to Mr. Whitefield; and no wonder: nothing more contemptuous could be faid of the new Miffionaries—the modern Apofties. In revenge, he intrenches himself behind the Articles, Homilies, and public Office of the Church; from whence he fires away upon his Lordship's batteries, in order to invalidate the whole tenor, and overturn the very foundation of his performance. He feems; indeed, to have made two or three pretty fuccefsful fallies, in which he turns the artillery of his antagonist upon the Bishop himself. Truth,' fays the learned Prelate in his preface, is never 'more grofsly abufed, nor its advocates more difhonoured, than when they employ the foolish arts of fophiftry, buffoonry, and fcurrility in its defence. This paffage has Mr. Whitefield chofen for his motto; and, page 20, of the Obfervations, he repeats it, with this exclamatory addition : By thy own pen fhalt thou be tried, thou hapless miftaken advocate of the Chriftian caufe!" The fame words, however, would, we apprehend, be as juftly applicable to Mr. Whitefield himself, if retorted upon him by his dignified antagonist: for Mr. Whitefield has faid many things in his numerous writings, which he is now confeffedly afhamed of.-But literary Cudgel-players feem to take a peculiar pleasure in breaking a man's head with his own staff. ་ There is one remarkable paffage at the clofe of this little tract, with which we fhall conclude the prefent article: recommending it to the ferious confideration of our clerical Readers. "I would obferve,-fays Mr Whitefield, that the unguarded unwary method made ufe of by his Lordship to ftop, will rather ferve to increase and establish what he is pleafed to term a fect of fanatics. The more judicious Bifhop Burnet, as I heard an acute advocate once obferve, in the General Affembly of the church of Scotland, prescribed a much better (and, indeed, the only effe&tual and truly apoftolic) way to stop the progrefs of puritan Minifters, when complained against to his Lordfhip, by fome of his Clergy, for breaking into, and preaching in their parochial charges: Out-live, out-labour, out-preach them, faid his Lordhip." Art. 2. Obfervations on the divine Miffin and Adminiftration of Mofes. By Thomas Knowles, M. A. Rector of Ickworth in Suffolk. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Dodley. There are fome very fenfible things in this pamphlet; but we wonder that any body fhould be at the pains to enter into a laboured defence of this ancient Legiflator, fince it has been done already with fo much greater efficacy another way.- -The Statute of Blafphemy contains a method of reafoning not eafily to be refuted, and renders all other kinds of reafoning unneceffery Probatum eft. Art. 3. The Principles of Religion made easy to young Perfons, in a fhort and familiar Catechifm. By Samuel Lord Bishop of St. Davids. 12mo. 6d. Faden. A Catechifm of forty-eight pages, we think, rather too long to be called at Catechifm: had his Lordship's performance been comprifed in as many lines, it might not have proved leis ufeful than thofe tedious productions of this kind, with which young minds may be mo.e fatigued and difgufted, than delighted or improved. POLITICA L. Art. 4. Confiderations on the prefent dangerous Crifis. 8vo. The welcome reception which these candid and judicious Reflections have met with from the public, is a fresh proof of the juftnefs of its difcernment, with regard to literary productions; and, indeed, we have rarely known an infance of its failing to distinguish between fuch mafterly performances as the prefent pamphlet, and the ordinary produce of the prefs. This very fenfible and fpirited Writer, who, like a cool, difinterested fpectator, ftands by, and fees the political game played by both parties, has truly marked the blunders and foul play on either fide: and, from the skilful obfervations he has made, we may planly perceive, that it is, indeed, high time the game were up. As we would not anticipate the pleasure which the moderate and impartial Reader will find in the perufal of this ingenious little tract, we fhall very briefly recommend it to their notice, by only obferving, that the Author has given, on the one hand, a fhort sketch of the errors of Lord Bute's adminiftration; and, on the other, a lively view of the enfair and felfish proceedings of his Lord hip's opponerts. He has rebuked those who were partially attached to the firt, and fhewn the folly of those who have been duped by the last. In a word, he has inconteftibly evinced the abfurdity and evil tendency of our entering into any contests or competition for the fake of men, while meefures alone ought to be the only objects of our attention. As to the peace, this able Writer is a ftrenuous Advocate for it. He has likewife feveral remarks in favour of the late unpopular CyderAct, which, in many refpects, (however unfeafonable, and difagreeable to the public) hath been mifunde ftood by fome, and mitreprefented by others. Art. 5. A Letter from a Member of Parliament in London to his Friend in Edinburgh, relative to the prefent critical State of Affairs, and the dangerous Antipathy that feems daily to increase between the People of England and Scotland. 8vo. 13. Hinx man. If this increafing antipathy is fo dangerous, why does this Writer ftrain his little talents to make the breach wider? Why does he infult the English with all the grofs fcurtility of a dull and malignant pen? Why does does he ftigmatize them as "pimps, parafites, thieves, infidels, blafphemers, fodomites, and falfe fwearers?" Laitly, why does he fo confiftently quote Lord Lyttleton, who fays, that the Scotch and English, are congenial, and filled with the fame noble virtues, the fame impatience of fervitude, the fame magnanimity, courage, and prudence, the fame genius for policy, iciences, arts?" Art. 6. Confiderations on the prefent Peace, as far as it is relative to the Colonies, and the African Trade. 8vo. 1s. Bristow. The defign of this pamphlet is principally to fhew, that the ends aimed at in the diffolution of the Royal African Company, are by no means anfwered by the prefent method of carrying on the trade to thofe parts where our forts are fituated. The chief caule of this failure is reprefented to be the misconduct of the Officers of the faid forts, who act under the African Commi tee, and monopolize the negroe-trade, by their fuperior advantages over other traders; thereby keeping up the flaves at a very high price, to the great det.iment of our colonies in America. Art. 7. The Bleffings of Peace, and a Scotch Excife: Or, the bumbug Refignation. A Farce, in two Acts. 8vo. I S. Abraham. Altho' this is a low and contemptible piece of Grub-freet, yet we are not forry to fee fo general a diflike to the late extenfion of the Excife: a mode of taxation altogether inconfiftent with the nature of Freedom, and which must be for ever odious to a people who are duly impreffed with the glorious idea of Liberty. We wonder that, in this age of general improvement, fome method hath not been discovered for eafing this great and free nation of fo hateful a burthen, fo vile a badge of foreign flavery; and for fupplying the demands of government in fome way more agreeable to the fubject! Art. 8. The Character of a difranded Courtier. 8vo. 6d. Burnet. We thought the mob of Writers which affembled to abufe Mr. Pit, on his quitting the Miniftry, had been difperfed long ago; but here is one folitary fraggler left behind, hallooing about the treets by himself; altho' nobody pays the least regard to his bawling, or even thinks it worth while to bid the parith-beadie take him to the round-house. POETICAL. Art. 9. Sincerity, a Poem, 4to. Is. 6d. Flexney. This performance, written by Mr. W. Sharp, junr. of the ifle of Wight, is not without fome traits of poetry; but it is written in a bad tafte. Its fault is not directed; the Author does not want powers, but his powers are ill employed. It is written with harmony, but without eafe; with fpirit, but without order; with variety, but without connection. We muft, nevertheless, applaud the ffirit and tendency Dd 3 of of the work; as nothing can be more commendable than the benevo lent difpofition, and zeal for liberty, manifefted by this young Writer. Art. 10. Genius and Valour, a Scotch Paftoral. 4to. Is. 6d. Becket. It is with peculiar pleasure we behold an Englishman ftand forth in defence of a fifter kingdom, fo rudely attacked by another of our Countrymen, in the Prophecy of Fam ne; to which the prefent performance is a proper contraft. And if the Author doth not exceed Mr. Churchill in the fire and force of his numbers, he is at leaft equal to him in the easy and harmonious flow of his verfification. The piece before us is, in our opinion, one of the most truly poetical productions which hath appeared for fome time paft. The melodious Bard fets out in ftrains that are as fweetly mufical as any we have met with in British pastoral: Where Tweed's fair plains in liberal beauty lie, And Flora laughs beneath a lucid sky; Long winding vales where cryftal waters lave, Where blythe birds warble, and where green woods wave, Our poetical Readers will be particularly pleafed with one paffage in that part of his paftoral where the Bard fings the praifes of those natives of North-Britain, who have been diftinguished for their genius and literary productions: we mean the reprefentation of the Four Seasons appearing to Thomson, and claiming the palm, like the fabled competition of the rival Goddeffes before the royal Shepherd on mount Ida. First, Spring addreffes the liberal-boy :' Her naked charms, like Venus, to disclose, SPRING from her bofom threw the fhadowing rofe; Majestic SUMMER, in gay pride adorn'd, With milder air the gentle AUTUMN came, Yet Yet could fhe boast the plenty-pouring hand, Did WINTER hope the envied palm to gain? She fpoke the Bard, whofe gentle heart ne'er gave In celebrating the military virtue of the Scots, he thus nervously and feelingly mentions the gallant Wallace : O'er the dear urn, where glorious Wallace fleeps, Notwithstanding the warm approbation we have fincerely bestowed on this little elegant poem, we muit own, we think the ingenious Author has not fhewn equal judgment, in addrefing it (fo unfeasonably too) to the Earl of Bute: but, perhaps, it was the more generous in our Poet, and must be regarded as a proof of his difinterestedness, that he has chosen to pay his devoirs, not to the rifing but to the setting fun. Art. 11. The Guardian Angel 4to. 2s. Henderfon. The following is the substance of a dialogue that passed between the Author of this poem and his Guardian Angel : G. ANG. Fear not, O youth! Thy Guardian Angel's in this form enfhrin'd, Intent on purposes divinely kind: Heaven heard thy prayers, and in proportion will, Prefer thy wishes to the throne with speed, |